On the Beat With Brian Baschnagel at Bridges' Scoreboard

Last Thursday, despite the Chicago Bears losing 35-14 to the arch rival Green Bay Packers a large crowd of Bears' fans at Bridges' Scoreboard (in Griffith, IN) had a great time. The angst of the big loss, lowlighted by the continual bad play of quarterback Mike Glennon, was softened thanks to the appearance of former Bears wide receiver Brian Baschnagel.

I've been to hundreds of such appearances, but the fine folks at Bridges' Scoreboard do these right. The average autograph event involves the celebrity guest of honor signing things in rapid-fire succession, as the fans are shuttled in and out. The average celebrity appearance at Bridges Scoreboard is more like the athlete dropping in on your party to watch and talk sports with you. Both accomplish the same objective of getting that autograph, but one leaves you feeling entertained, while the other usually feels more like an impersonal money-grab.

Baschnagel was one of my favorite Bears as I grew up. I knew him from his collegiate career at Ohio State, the school of choice for my Ohio cousins. Originally a running back for the Buckeyes, he was converted to a wide receiver. He was a two-time Academic All-American and a recipient of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame scholarship award. Baschnagel was then selected by the Bears in the third round of the 1976 NFL Draft.

Baschnagel went on to play nine seasons for the Bears. He had 134 receptions for 2024 yards and 9 touchdowns. Unfortunately, he was hurt on training camp in 1985 and spent the entire season on the injured list. He missed out on playing on that Super Bowl team, but being the consummate team-player, he was with the team for the entire run. Baschnagel did receive a Super Bowl ring.

Baschnagel wore that ring as he signed memorabilia posed for pictures with fans and told tales from his career. All of this occurred while the Bears game played on the many big screens in the background. In part, it was an odd juxtaposition, watching this dismal Bears' performance while talking about the greatest Bears team in our lives.

The popular ex-Bear happily answered all of the questions about originally wearing #47 with the Bears, missing the Super Bowl, having/not having his mustache and many other topics. One very excited fan (me) might have babbled on a bit too much about loving his 1978 Topps football card, which featured Baschnagel preparing to hold for a field goal attempt (by Bob Thomas), but Baschangel seemed to actually enjoy all of our memories, while mixing in his own memorable moments.

After talking to Baschnagel, my dad and I settled into our booth and enjoyed some quality food and beverages while enduring the Bears game. At least the Cubs game was also being shown.

One last sign that it was a good night was that my elderly dad totally enjoyed himself. He usually doesn't like loud crowds, but these events are always well-organized, which minimizes any potential crowd problems. In fact, these evenings always seem very relaxed, while still being filled with enthusiastic fans.

The next event at Bridges will also be an appearance by a former Bear wide receiver during a Bears night game. That would be Monday, October 9, when Glen Kozlowski joins the fun at Bridges Scoreboard, watching the Bears face the Minnesota Vikings.

Kozlowski played six seasons for the Bears (1987-1992). He has remained in the Chicago area and has spent time coaching various high school teams. As a late round draft pick (11th round, 305th overall), Kozlowski won a spot on the roster and in the hearts of fans as a hustling, beat-the-odds layer.

I will once again be back "On the Beat" October 9, to watch a Bears game, enjoy food and hang out with a lot of great people and Glen Kozlowski. I hope to see a lot of my area friends there, too!