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Bears Preview: The Stress Test
The Ben Johnson era in Chicago will get its first test on Monday night.
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The last time the Chicago Bears opened their season on Monday Night Football was 1997, when this classic MNF intro by Hank Williams Jr. greeted fans:
Nearly three decades later, the Bears will open things with a Monday Night Football showdown with the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field. It’s a new era for the iconic football broadcast and the Bears, who will open the Ben Johnson era in a few short days.
But before all of our rowdy friends are in the house for Monday’s NFC North clash, let’s set the stage.
The infancy of the Ben Johnson era has been nothing short of refreshing. Accountability. Details. Standards. Innovation. All things we’ve craved in a head coach for Chicago’s football team for, well, most — if not all — of our lives have arrived.
Johnson was undoubtedly the top dog on the coaching carousel for multiple seasons, and in a very un-Bears move, GM Ryan Poles landed the big fish. But with the big fish comes big expectations. Wherever you place the win-loss number on the Bears this season, the expectation is to win and, more importantly, to take a significant step toward modern football relevancy.
The first step in meeting those expectations will be unlocking the quarterback. Ben Johnson chose Chicago — at least in part — because of quarterback Caleb Williams. The top draft pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Williams’ rookie season was chock full of flashes of his athletic prowess, youthful mistakes, and frustration stemming from an amateur coaching staff and turnstile offensive line.
Williams navigated some less-than-ideal circumstances during his rookie campaign, with his general manager setting him up for failure by retaining Matt Eberflus as the head coach and hiring Shane Waldron to be the offensive coordinator. And yet, Williams came out of it with some good perspective.
“I put it in perspective as last year was good, needed it,” Williams said, via Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic. “I’ve had a lot go (right) for me in the past probably six years or so. … To have a year like that was a good reset for me.”
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Feldco: The Home Renewal Experts
Bleacher Nation is proud to partner with Feldco. For almost 50 years, Feldco has been transforming Chicagoland homes with their windows, siding, doors and roofing. Feldco is family owned and prides themselves on delighting their customers. With products made in the U.S and designed specifically for the Midwest, Feldco offers the perfect balance of beauty and energy efficiency.
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How 433 Investors Unlocked 400X Return Potential
Institutional investors back startups to unlock outsized returns. Regular investors have to wait. But not anymore. Thanks to regulatory updates, some companies are doing things differently.
Take Revolut. In 2016, 433 regular people invested an average of $2,730. Today? They got a 400X buyout offer from the company, as Revolut’s valuation increased 89,900% in the same timeframe.
No wonder 10K+ everyday people are taking the chance on Pacaso.
Founded by a former Zillow exec, Pacaso’s co-ownership tech reshapes the $1.3T vacation home market. They’ve earned $110M+ in gross profit to date, including 41% YoY growth in 2024 alone. They even reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO.
The same institutional investors behind Uber, Venmo, and eBay backed Pacaso. And you can join them. But not for long. Pacaso’s investment opportunity ends September 18.
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