PART VI : SAINT SAM IN THE WINDY CITY!

Wake up in cold Chicago. There's snow on the ground and it's only the 1^st week of October. Drive out to Soldier Field, and get a nice tailgating spot by Lake Michigan.

Game 5 Baby!

These fellas helped us out big style, with some good sausage and whiskey - the perfect tonic to survive Chicago in the 30's. In return we agreed to lose the Cheese from our heads as a mark of respect. Actually it was polite advice - we'd likely get the crap beaten out of us for being pseudo Packer backers!

But we're happy to get our cheese out now and again. Did we mention it's game 5 of the tour?

Bears in warm-ups. At this stage Cade McNown (#8) only receives mild indifference from the crowd. It wouldn't last.

Last time we saw Jake Delhomme he was quarterbacking the Galaxy to victory in World Bowl 99. He's currently #3 on the Saints roster. However it's was another ex-Frankfurt Galaxy QB that would excite the crowd. More of that later.

But the real NFLE star on the Saints is #97 DT La'Roi Glover who is enjoying an All-Pro season. On this day he would rack up 3 sacks (the first of 10 in October that led him to be named NFC Defensive Player of the Month), but more of that later.

It's Bear weather baby!

Historic Soldier Field - one of the last great NFL stadiums still in use. No souvenir cups though. McCaskey you cheap bastard!

Andrew Glover romps in for a TD as the Saints pull away from Da Bears en route to a 31-10 clubbing of the home side.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! But the real story of the day was another miserable outing for Cade McBoown. It took about mid-way through the 1^st quarter before the "Miller" chants (for back-up Jim Miller, ex Galaxy) started to spread across Soldier Field like a fever. But each time the Bear O came back on the field, #8 would trot out and the place would erupt once more - BOOOOOOOOOOO! Then the O would go 3 and out - BOOOOOOOOOOOO! Even in the 4^th quarter trash time (above) when there was only a Claymores crowd left in the stadium, when Cade came back on the field - BOOOOOOOOOOO! And in case you were wondering, the Bears scored their TD on defense. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Big Sam Clancy (ex-Dragons DL coach) salutes the Cheddars in the crowd. Sam has done a magnificent job with the Saints this year. Last season they were one of the worst D's in the league - this year they were #1 for most of October. And it all starts up front with Sam's guys like fellow ex-Dragon La'Roi Glover and K-State rookie Darren Howard.

Is it safe to wear these things yet? After seeing what the Saints fans near us were getting showered in, keeping the 'Heads in bags for most of the game was pretty smart really!

Just like Sitges all over again!

Ricky may have a heart of gold, but there was no chance of him being 'cheddared'! The dread-locked one had another breakout game with 30 carries for 128 rushing yards and 1TD and 4 catches for 57 yards. Looks like Ditka wasn't so crazy after all! (It wasn't like he traded one of his steaks away …)

After saying goodbye to Sam, it's back on the Interstate again. This time we're heading north, up and around Lake Michigan heading for Canada. We pass Milwaukee, and the Miller Brewery at sundown, and as night falls and the temperature drops we arrive in a little town called Green Bay. You may have heard of it. We check in a hotel across from something called Lambeau Field. The owner of the motel (with his Vince Lomardi like crew cut and glasses - maybe a distant relation) seems perturbed by the fact that 4 guys (2 of them in skirts) want to share one room. He lays down the law - "I'll tell ya once and once only - if I catch any of you fellas partyin' I'll call the cops and have you in jail". Ooops! So we decide to cancel the order for 5 hookers, and dive into the sports bar next door. There we manage to watch the damn Yankees knock out the A's in Game 5, watch Banks and Brunell blunder their way through one of the worst games of 'football' you'll ever see and insult Brett Favre's acting ability (not the smartest thing to do in Green Bay). Great night - but NO PARTYING!

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