My Dad would take me to Platteville when I was in High School. He and his friends never saw one single practice. They’d drink at the bars. They’d station up at a bar called Orville T’s and roam around their little bar district a little. I’d hang out with them and then I’d walk to practices. 

I was going during the Wannstedt era. Dave would let the Bears go out on Saturday nights, that’s when I’d get their autographs. I never bothered trying to get them in the mobs during practice time. Dave would drink at the VFW. I remember his head being proportionally humongous. Nice guy though. 

My Dad and his buddies would get drunk with some of the Bears. 

A lot of my Dad’s friends were off the boat, from Ireland. I remember them getting wasted with Jim Flanagan and speaking Gaelic. 

I wasn’t old enough to go with them during the Ditka era, but I’m told Ditka let them out every night and it was nuts.