Suburban mayors make Bears predictions
Local mayors may have their fingers on the pulse of their community, but do they have a gut feeling on who will win Sunday’s NFC Championship game?
It’s the Bears against their arch rivals to the north, the Green Bay Packers.
Not much at stake here other than the right to go the Super Bowl and the added bonus of sending the other team home to watch the big game on TV. Add in a lot of football history and a good measure of ill will and you’ve got a different kind of hardball politics.
So who will win? The mayors make their predictions.
Ÿ Elburn Village President Dave Anderson: Bears, 21-17. His village is in the Kaneland school district, which produced wide receiver Don Beebe, who played in four Super Bowls with the Buffalo Bills and two with the Green Bay Packers. So you might think the town would lean green-and-gold.
Not so, Anderson said.
“At least they were (mostly Bears fans) in the coffee shop this morning,” he said Monday. “As somebody there said, ‘This weekend we’re bringing home the cheese.’”
Ÿ Arlington Heights Village President Arlene Mulder: Bears will win if they keep the killer mentality they had for three quarters against the Seahawks.
“They need to do what they’ve been trained to do,” Mulder said. “They need to block out the fans, the press, people who want to make all these predictions and stay focused on what they’ve done during the week and listen to their coaches. If they focus on the job and don’t let emotions or anything distract them, it doesn’t matter who they play — the Bears will win!”
Ÿ Hoffman Estates Mayor William McLeod: 21-17, Bears. “I think Cutler will throw for a couple and Forte will get a running touchdown.
“I haven’t looked at the weather, but both are cold-weather teams. Our quarterback is from Santa Claus, Ind., so you’ve got to think that’s going to help in cold weather.”
Ÿ Antioch Mayor Larry Hanson has a gut feeling the Bears will go all the way.
“I predict it will be a tough game,” he said, noting both teams have won a playoff game and both quarterbacks have played well. Her believes the Bears’ assistant coaches and coordinators, three of whom have been head coaches elsewhere, have helped solidify the team.
Still, he declined to predict Sunday’s score.
“I’m not that good,” he joked. “I bet it’s not a high-scoring game.”
Ÿ Lombard Village President William Mueller: “The Bears are going to win. They’re on the home field, and I think they’re just ready to come back strong. Earlier in the season, everyone counted them out and no one thought they’d be where they are. But their performance level is good and I just feel they’re going to do it. They’re going to go all the way.”
Ÿ Addison Mayor Larry Hartwig: “I think the Bears will do it, but it can go either way. If Cutler can stay away from interceptions, I think we can make it. Quite frankly, I think this is a bigger deal than going to a Super Bowl. This is huge. I think the whole Chicago metropolitan area is looking forward to it.”
Ÿ Fox Lake Mayor Ed Bender: “I have to go with the Bears. In my heart, I have to. They say blood is thicker than water.” Bender, 73, said he considers the Bears and Packers to be evenly matched.
Ÿ Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns: Packers fans would be unwise to underestimate the power of the “4th Phase” — millions of Bears fans in the city and suburbs who will have an impact on the outcome of the contest.
“As such, I predict with confidence that Chicago will defeat our worthy opponent from the north by a touchdown.”
Ÿ Algonquin Village President John Schmitt: “I am a Bears fan only second to the Steelers. I am a die-hard Steelers fan.” Prediction? Bears 24-21.
“I think it’s the greatest rivalry in the NFL. Pittsburgh/Baltimore is the second greatest. We’ll have a chance to witness both of those rivalries in the playoffs, and that’s just great.”
Ÿ St. Charles Mayor Don DeWitte: “Having seen how well Green Bay has been playing the last four weeks of the season, the Bears will have to be at their best to beat them. They’ve played so up and down. I just don’t know if they have the ability to turn it up when they need to. They’ll have to play their best game of the season to win.”
Ÿ Staff writers Bob Susnjara, Mick Zawislak, Susan Sarkauskas, Josh Stockinger, Tara Garcia Mathewson, Deb Donovan, Ashok Selvam and James Fuller contributed to this report.