There is a rumor that the Bears are playing this afternoon...

... against the Minnesota Vikings. But I don't want to know about it.

It figures to be a bloody mess. The Vikings are the most complete team in the NFC. The deficiencies of the Bears are, at this point in the season, all too well established.

As a Cub fan, I can identify with futility, and that gives me a certain amount of sympathy for the Vikings- a franchise which historically has had several good teams, but not a single Super Bowl victory to show for it. The Cubs at least have two World Series wins, even if you have to go back more than a century to find them.

Then, too, my former pastor- the Right On Reverend Christopher Esget- is a Vikings fan, and I'd like to see the Vikings win the Super Bowl (since the Bears obviously won't) for his sake.

On the negative side are my years in the ELCA, and the difficulty I have as consequence of that experience looking with favor on any team whose fans hail their successes with cries of "Skol." But here's hoping the Vikings win themselves a Super Bowl this year, and get it over with.

Maybe with a new coach, general manager, offensive line, and cornerback- and perhaps a receiver or two- the Bears can continue their pursuit of the only team with more NFL championships than they have (which team shall remain nameless, since I am not of a mind to post such a scandalous word on the Lord's Day, but whose fans have the odd habit of wearing dairy products on their heads) next season.

But like I said, as far as this afternoon's game is concerned... I'd really rather not acknowledge that it's even happening. It's not gonna be pretty.