Grayslake man gives tickets to 'biggest Bears fan'

The self-proclaimed biggest Bears fan, whose basement and car are shrines to the team, will watch Sunday's game in person thanks to an admirer.

David Ellison of Grayslake decided to give his two Bears tickets to the game against the Detroit Lions to Glenn Timmermann after he read a Daily Herald story about the Round Lake Beach man and his unfailing devotion to the Monsters of the Midway.

“It would make me happy to reward someone with that much passion for the Bears,” Ellison said.

Timmermann said he's really looking forward to being in Soldier Field to watch the game.

“The fans that I see there will be the ones that really want to be there,” he said.

Ellison learned about Timmermann and his longtime devotion to the team in a Dec. 6 “Moving Picture” feature.

Timmermann has the signatures of 148 Bears players tattooed on his body, a basement filled with team paraphernalia and a 2011 black Chevrolet Camaro — named “Sweetness” — dedicated to his favorite player, Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton, who died in 1999.

You can't miss the house — the front yard features a mannequin dressed in Green Bay Packer pants buried upside-down with a plastic dog peeing on it.

Ellison was impressed with Timmermann's fanaticism.

“I have never met anyone like him,” Ellison said. “He seems to have devoted his whole life and body to the Bears.”

The two men met last Saturday at Timmermann's house and they toured the basement and the “Sweetness” Camaro.

“It was fun,” Ellison said. “He was very excited about getting the tickets and showing off his basement and his car.”

Ellison said his family has had Bears season tickets for the last 75 years. His grandfather was an original season ticket holder, and the tickets were handed down to his father and then to him in 2006.

Timmermann said he and Ellison talked a lot about what's happened to the team this year in what has become a disappointing season.

“We did a lot of talking about what a bum year this is,” he said.

Still, the tickets are a treat for Timmermann, who said he manages a packaging plant and lives week to week on his paycheck. He doesn't own season tickets, but goes to a couple of games each year.

Timmermann said he'd never cheer for the Bears to lose, but admitted he would rather see Detroit in the playoffs, than Green Bay.

“All die-hard fans share a common hatred of the Packers,” Timmermann said.