Bolek Blog Series - Fans of Out of Market NFL Teams: San Francisco

As many of you have seen through my whored out Facebook statuses, I am profiling people who live in the Chicago area and are fans of out of town teams.

Thank you to everyone who has filled out a survey so far. If you're a fan of an out-of-town team and I haven't given you a questionnaire to fill out, please let me know ASAP, as I am looking to profile as many people as possible.

My seventh feature highlights an NFC West team, the best one in my opinion. Brad Schmidgall is a fellow U of I alumus. I got the pleasure of meeting him in the Garner dorms on the Champaign side of campus and recently ran into him at a social event for healthcare professionals. He is also a 49ers fan - something I can relate to.

I will also be including myself in this story and talking in the third person. If you can't handle that, then Brian says you're shit out of luck.

Editors note: Brad and I, along with one of his 49ers fans, may be coming up with a 49ers fan blog. We still have to work out the details - it will likely be throwing crap at the wall at first until we see what sticks. It will likely feature game recap, our thoughts on the next week's game and a fantasy football/gambling angle to it.

Here's a list of other blogs in the out-of-town feature series:

1. Dallas Cowboys
2. Tennessee Titans
3. New Orleans Saints 
4. Minnesota Vikings 
5. Denver Broncos

6. Kansas City Chiefs

Brad Schmidgall and Brian Bolek may have been separated by hundreds of miles as kids, but they shared a common link that they would discover when they lived on the same floor of the Garner dorms at the University of Illinois in 2002.

Both gentlemen were fans of an NFL team thousands of miles and two time zones away in California. They both started following the San Francisco 49ers right around the time Joe Montana wrapped up his fourth Super Bowl win with the team, which then transitioned into the Steve Young era.

Brad (right) on Metrodome surface before the start of the Niners/Vikings game in 2009

"I'd say I followed the Bears as well as a kid," Brian said, "especially with them being on TV every Sunday. When a Sunday ticket doesn't exist and you can't go to a bar, you end up watching a lot of Bears game by default."

Brian can sadly remember a project he did in junior high for a required home economics class, where he made a Bears pillow with Rashaan Salaam's name and jersey number on it. It was near that time where Brian's allegiance went strictly to the Niners, although he can't remember why it happened around then.

Brad grew up in Morton, IL, over 150 miles southwest of Chicago, and was a St. Louis Cardinals fan. Since St. Louis had no pro-football team at the time, Brad started following the 49ers.

Like Brian, he doesn't root for or against the Bears. But Brad does find it annoying at times to turn on sports radio during the regular season.

"DirecTV makes it easier, and I have a ton of friends that root for teams other than the Bears," said Brad, who has lived in Chicago for almost seven years. "I do wish there was a 49ers bar nearby I could hit up for big games."

Between the two, they have attended a combined three 49ers games. Brad saw a game that the Niners lost on a last-second heave by Brett Favre in the Metrodome during Favre's brief run on the Vikings, while Brian saw one of the best playoff games of all time in January against the Saints.

That made up for the clunker of a game he saw in 2009 featuring the Bears and the Niners on a Thursday night game, won by the 49ers 10-6. The game featured 5 Jay Cutler interceptions, but luckily, the forgettable game was more easily forgotten with the combination of beer and lack of food consumed by Brian.

"That game was a disaster, and I say that despite the fact the Niners won," Brian said. "At least me and my friend had good seats for the game."

Brad and Brian will be going to separate games this year - with Brad attending the Niners' home opener against the Lions in Week 2 while Brian and his girlfriend Jen will be going to the Niners/Bears Monday night game in November.

Speaking of the 2012 season, Brad and Brian have different views on the Niners. Both guys like the moves the team has made in the offseason, particularly drafting LaMichael James, a Darren Sproles-like backfield option. Brian believes the division race will be tighter than most people expect, with a Niners regression to about nine wins this year but still winning the division. Brad is a little more optimistic, with the Super Bowl as his team's projection.

"I think their defense is too good for seven losses, plus the offensive weapons we added will improve us overall," Brad said. "The NFC West is still pretty weak though, so I don't see us winning fewer than 10 games."

Brian (right) at Niners/Saints playoff game. He may have had a few beverages.

They both agree that the Seahawks will be the team's biggest obstacle in winning the division. Brian originally thought Arizona may be the team who might contend for the NFC West earlier this offseason, but his thoughts have changed as he has seen the Cardinals struggle mightily at the quarterback position, the one position Brian believes the Niners are still missing in order to be considered a serious Super Bowl contender.

"Alex Smith had a good run for us last year, but I still don't think he is the long term answer," Brian said. "Look at how poorly he did in the red-zone last year. I hope Randy Moss can help with that, but I think it's more of a quarterback problem than a receiver problem."

	Brian Bolek		Brad Schmidgall
	(27 yrs near/in Chicago)		(6.5 years in Chicago)
Favorite team	49ers		49ers
A fan since…	early 90s		early 90s
# of games attended	2 (both in San Fran)		1 (in Minnesota)
Choice of Team Consumption	DirecTV		DirecTV - regular season
			Joe's Bar - postseason
Favorite Player All-Time	Jerry Rice		Joe Montana
Favorite Player Currently	Patrick Willis		Patrick Willis &
			Vernon Davis
	9-7, Division Champs,		11-5, Division Champs
2012 Prediction	(loss in WC round)		Super Bowl bound
Vegas Projection for team	10 wins		10 wins
(as of 9-3-12) 5dimes.eu
Over/under?	Under		Over
Odds to win division - 5dimes.eu	(-245 - would need to
	wager 245 to win 100
Super Bowl odds
(as of 9-3-12) - 5dimes.eu	13/1 (+1300)

Bolek Blog Series - Fans of Out of Market NFL Teams: Kansas City Chiefs

As many of you have seen through my whored out Facebook statuses, I am profiling people who live in the Chicago area and are fans of out of town teams.

Thank you to everyone who has filled out a survey so far. If you're a fan of an out-of-town team and I haven't given you a questionnaire to fill out, please let me know ASAP, as I am looking to profile as many people as possible.

My sixth feature highlights another AFC West fan. My friend Mike Johnson has been a Chiefs fan for a while. He hasn't seen too much success in a while, but if my prediction of his team is right, he'll get to see a playoff team this season.

Here's a list of other blogs in the out-of-town feature series:

1. Dallas Cowboys
2. Tennessee Titans
3. New Orleans Saints 
4. Minnesota Vikings
5. Denver Broncos


Mike Johnson was not all that different than yours truly back in the early 90s.

During that time, Joe Montana was slinging touchdown passes to fellow Hall-of-Famer Jerry Rice en route to four Super Bowl titles together. Then, a southpaw named Steve Young came around, and 49ers brass decided that Young would be the future starting QB of the team.

Mike has been a fan of KC for almost 20 years.

So instead of keeping him on the Niners and creating a distraction with Joe as a backup, the 49ers traded Montana to the Chiefs, a very unpopular move at the time in San Francisco. Along with Joe's team, Mike's rooting interest in the Niners was also traded to the Chiefs.

"I was a huge fan of Joe Montana growing up," Mike said. "So I was a 49ers fan and when he left there for Kansas City, I became a Chiefs fan and never looked back after he retired."

Mike has lived in the Chicago area for his entire 3+ decades of life, so he does retain a rooting interest in the Bears, except when they play against the Chiefs. When the Chiefs aren't on to watch (which is a common occurrence), he has no problem watching the Bears.

Fortunately, like many fans of out-of-town teams, technology has been very kind to Mike. His I-phone and I-Pad play a key role in keeping Mike in tune with the latest Chiefs news and updates.

"I wish they were on TV more," he said, "but I'm not a complainer."

His Sunday tradition of watching football over at his Grandma's will no longer be in effect this year due to her passing earlier in the year. He hopes he can adjust to a new routine for the 2012 season.

In the meantime, he retains confidence in the Chiefs, who won the AFC West in 2010 but were ravaged with injuries to start the 2011 season and were never able to get on track. Despite a late season charge, they fell short of repeating as division champs.

Mike believes that the Chiefs are the most complete team in the division and has faith that they will make the playoffs with an 11-5 record, win a Wild Card game but lose in the divisional round. He likes the structure of the team, highlighted by his current favorite player Jamaal Charles.

"He brings excitement to a dull offense," Mike said. "Hope he has a good season back after surgery last year."

He believes that Charles' bounce-back to an elite-level running back depends on how effective Matt Cassel and Dwayne Bowe will be.

"Passing attack should open up the running game," Mike said. "You add (Peyton) Hillis to the run game and it gives Charles a chance to not have to carry the ball all the time."

	Mike Johnson
	(whole life in Chicago)
Favorite team	Chiefs
A fan since…	1993
# of games attended	none
Choice of Team Consumption	I-pad & I-phone
Favorite Player(s) All-Time	Joe Montana & Tony Gonzalez
Favorite Player Currently	Jamaal Charles
2012 Prediction	(11-5, postseason appearance, advance to divisional round)
Vegas Projection for team	8
(as of 8-31-12) 5dimes.eu
Over/under?	Over
Odds to win division - 5dimes.eu	(+330)
Super Bowl odds	58/1 (+5800)
(as of 8-31-12) - 5dimes.eu

Bolek Blog Series - Fans of Out of Market NFL Teams: Denver Broncos

As many of you have seen through my whored out Facebook statuses, I am profiling people who live in the Chicago area and are fans of out of town teams.

Thank you to everyone who has filled out a survey so far. If you're a fan of an out-of-town team and I haven't given you a questionnaire to fill out, please let me know ASAP, as I am looking to profile as many people as possible.

My fifth feature is on the Denver Broncos, the first of two AFC West fans that I found. Randy Whalen is a former work colleague who freelances for the Sun-Times Media Group covering high school sports. He has been a long-time Broncos fan, and I thank him for sharing his thoughts on the Broncos and how he became a fan of them.

Here's a list of other blogs in the out-of-town feature series:

1. Dallas Cowboys
2. Tennessee Titans
3. New Orleans Saints 
4. Minnesota Vikings

Randy has been a fan of the Broncos for 36 years.

For this generation of NFL fans, it seems hard to fathom a point in time where the Raiders were hated AND good. For Randy Whalen, his dislike of the Raiders, who were coming off a Super Bowl win in 1976, is what sparked his interest in the Mile High City.

In 1977, the Broncos were the last team standing in the way of the Raiders advancing to their second consecutive Super Bowl.

"I remember listening to the game on the radio and hoping and maybe even praying that Oakland would lose," Randy said. "The Broncos held on for a 20-17 win and went to the Super Bowl. They captured my imagination because they had never been there before."

Not that he's counting (ok, maybe he is), but Randy has been to a total of 37 Broncos games, which includes preseason, regular season and post-season. Including Denver (where he has attended 25 games), he has attended Broncos games in eight different cities, with Denver sporting a 23-13-1 record in those games.

"The memories would take volumes to go through," Randy said. "The best one was this past January when I was at the Broncos-Steelers Wild Card game where Tebow hit Thomas with the 80-yard TD on the first play of OT - pure joy and euphoria!"

He believes that Peyton Manning (his new favorite player on the Broncos) will make fans forget about Tim Tebow, provided Manning can stay healthy.

When he's not attending a game, Randy watches Broncos games at bars and has no problem following the team in a Chicago market, especially with the Internet and how much coverage the team has been getting this offseason.

Unlike some fans of out-of-town teams, you won't find him rooting against the hometown Bears though.

"I generally hope they win," Randy said, "except when they play one of my favorite teams, usually Denver or Pittsburgh. But I really don't care."

He also doesn't care for B-Bo Knows prediction of a 7-9, out of playoffs prediction for his team. Randy forecasts 11 wins and another AFC West division crown in Denver this season.

He won't say, perhaps out of caution, what the Broncos will do once they make the playoffs.

"The playoffs are wide open," Randy said.

Randy Whalen whole life in Chicago area Favorite team Broncos A fan since… late 1970s # of games attended 36 Choice of Team Consumption Bars Favorite Player(s) All-Time John Elway Favorite Player Currently Peyton Manning 2012 Prediction (11-5, AFC West Champs, No SB prediction) Vegas Projection for team 9 (as of 8-31-12) 5dimes.eu Over/under? Over Odds to win division - 5dimes.eu (+155) Super Bowl odds 17.5/1 (+1750) (as of 8-31-12) - 5dimes.eu

Bolek Blog Series - Fans of Out of Market NFL Teams: Minnesota Vikings

As many of you have seen through my whored out Facebook statuses, I am profiling people who live in the Chicago area and are fans of out of town teams.

Thank you to everyone who has filled out a survey so far. If you're a fan of an out-of-town team and I haven't given you a questionnaire to fill out, please let me know ASAP, as I am looking to profile as many people as possible.

My fourth feature is on Tim Caleca, who represents the Minnesota Vikings. I attended broadcasting school with Tim for 10 months between 2010-2011. While there, he was very vocal about his love of the Vikings (and dislike of the Bears - to put it nicely). His team's woes of the past couple years hasn't stopped him from loving his team any less. Thank you to Tim for giving his thoughts on the Vikings.

Here's a list of other blogs in the out-of-town feature series:

1. Dallas Cowboys
2. Tennessee Titans
3. New Orleans Saints 




Who knew a kid's first jersey would play the biggest role in deciding what NFL team to root for the rest of his life?

That's exactly what happened with Tim Caleca, whose purchase of a future Hall-of-Fame wide receiver jersey set up a lifetime of fandom for the Minnesota Vikings.

Right now, things aren't looking up for the Vikings

"My first jersey was Cris Carter, and I loved it," Tim said. "Basically, I've rooted for them ever since I can remember."

He seems to relish in his bickering with Bears fans, who hassle him every Sunday during football season.

"Mostly because being in Chicago as a fan of the enemy, I have to constantly defend myself," Tim said. "Some years, (Bears fans) praise my team for being quality; some years (such as this year), they don't."

He utilizes bars with the DirecTV package when they are not on local TV and is kept up-to-date on Vikings news through ESPN, NFL Network, the Vikings mobile app and a Vikings site called dailynorseman.com.

He's been able to attend a few Vikings games at Soldier Field. Each of them have been memorable in their own way, he said.

"(I went) mostly in the mid-00's when the Vikings were rebuilding," Tim said. "I've never had to give so many middle fingers."

Out of the current batch of players, his favorite players are Adrian Peterson and Jared Allen. He also noted that Chad Greenway is one of the more under-rated linebackers in the NFL (keep an eye on him, Bears fans). 

As far as football fans go, Tim is as outspoken as any of them. However, he is also one of the most realistic fans of any team I've encountered.

When mentioned that B-Bo Knows predicted a 4-12 record for the Vikings, Tim didn't seem to disagree.

"I'm extremely realistic when it comes to projections," he said. "I haven't made my predictions but I can't imagine they'd be far off from yours.

"Off the top of my head, between 3 and 5 wins seems realistic to me."

Tim doesn't seem sold on Christian Ponder as the team's franchise quarterback, with the team's offensive talent surrounding him not helping much.

"We'll have to see what he does this year," he said. "He's got tight ends that make plays, but his receiving core isn't very deep. They have a questionable offensive line, no vertical threat and a healing AP.

"I think the front office will say 'No' to him before they surround him with enough talent."

	Tim Caleca
	Whole Life in Chicago area
Favorite team	Vikings
A fan since…	early 1990s
# of games attended	several (all at Soldier Field)
Choice of Team Consumption	bars w/ DirecTV
Favorite Player(s) All-Time	Cris Carter
Favorite Player Currently	Adrian Peterson, Jared Allen
2012 Prediction	(4-12)
Vegas Projection for team	6
(as of 8-30-12) 5dimes.eu
Over/under?	Under
Odds to win division - 5dimes.eu	32/1
Super Bowl odds
(as of 8-30-12) - 5dimes.eu	335/1

Brief College Football Preview + Week 1 Predictions

I've waited until the last possible minute to provide a college football preview, mainly because my knowledge of the sport is lacking and I didn't think I'd be able to provide an in-depth preview anyways. I don't really keep up with the signings, but rather rely on industry experts (including some of my Twitter followers) and a few friends who partake in plenty of Saturday football sessions.

Check out Berserk Hippo Podcast - 2012 College Preview

Instead of providing a full-blown preview with analysis, I'll link you to my friend's podcast should you have the desire to learn a little bit more about the thoughts of knowledgeable college football fanatics. Nick Pazoles (@BerserkHippo) and Chris Williams (@cmwilliams51) run through each of the major conferences, with a special focus on the Big Ten, and make their picks to win each conference. They also provide a few surprise teams to watch and their BCS title predictions: Berserk Hippo Podcast - College Football 2012 Preview


I suggest taking a listen of it for more in-depth talk. Here's their predictions (and mine, just for the hell of it) summarized:

	Hippo	Williams	Bolek
Big Ten Legends	Michigan	Michigan	Michigan St.
Big Ten Leaders	Wisconsin	Wisconsin	Ohio State*
BTC Winner	Wisconsin	Michigan	Wisconsin
SEC Champ	Georgia	Alabama	LSU
PAC-12	USC	USC	USC
Big 12	Oklahoma	Oklahoma	Texas
ACC	Clemson	Clemson	Florida St
Big East	Louisville	Louisville	Cincinnati
Darkhorse Title Winner	Virginia Tech	Clemson	Oregon
Title Loser	Georgia	Alabama	USC
Title Winner	USC	USC	LSU
			*cannot play in Big
			Ten Championship - I
			have Wisconsin as
			Division representative

I'd be careful about using my division picks for betting purposes. I like LSU to make it to the title game again and this time win it - lots of talent on both sides of the ball. They may have one-loss entering the game, but I feel that their win in the SEC title game will be enough to boost them to title game status. Ohio State was under-coached last year - Urban Meyer brings out the best in college recruits, and OSU has plenty of talented ones. Texas has plenty of starters coming back from a team that bounced back from a mediocre 2010 bowl-less season to an 8-5 record - I think they'll outlast Oklahoma for the crown. Florida St. could have the best defense in the nation, although they seem to be a team (like Georgia) that lately seems to lose at the worst possible times. I just basically threw a dart in my head and came up with Cincinnati -the Big East will once again be unwatchable, especially now with West Virginia leaving the conference.

We all have USC in the championship game. Everything I've heard about them makes me think they are a lock to make it to the title game. Only game I could see them tripping up on is against Oregon at home or in the Pac-12 championship game. Also, I'd be weary of their last road game against UCLA the week before their home tilt against Notre Dame. Not saying UCLA is talented, but sometimes talented teams fall asleep on the road a week before a rivalry match-up.

As far as my picks for Week 1 go, I'm going with South Carolina -6.5, Alabama -14 (hoping to get a lower number), Navy +15 & Ohio +6.5 (hoping it goes to 7). Picks are subject to change and may include additional bets. I will do my best to edit this as the bets are placed - best bet is to check my Twitter (@BrianBolek or #BolekPicks).

Hope everyone is looking forward to football as much as I am.

Bolek Blog Series - Fans of Out of Market NFL Teams: New Orleans Saints

As many of you have seen through my whored out Facebook statuses, I am profiling people who live in the Chicago area and are fans of out of town teams.

Thank you to everyone who has filled out a survey so far. If you're a fan of an out-of-town team and I haven't given you a questionnaire to fill out, please let me know ASAP, as I am looking to profile as many people as possible.

My third feature is on the lone NFC South fan in Chicago that I can find. The most story-filled franchise of the division this offseason (perhaps the NFL outside of the Jets & Broncos) thanks to "Bounty Gate" and the ESPN-falsified wire-tapping story (which I don't think ESPN has still acknowledged). Thank you to Michael Ruth, New Orleans born and raised, for sharing his thoughts on the Saints. I met him through Tim Wolf (Dallas Cowboys) and his family - very nice guy.

Here's a list of other blogs in the out-of-town feature series:

Dallas Cowboys

Tennessee Titans

Bolek Blog Series - Fans of Out of Market NFL Teams: Tennessee Titans

As many of you have seen through my whored out Facebook statuses, I am profiling people who live in the Chicago area and are fans of out of town teams.

Thank you to everyone who has filled out a survey so far. If you're a fan of an out-of-town team and I haven't given you a questionnaire to fill out, please let me know ASAP, as I am looking to profile as many people as possible.

My second feature is on the lone AFC South fan in Chicago that I can find. Thank you to Josh, a good friend  who worked with me about 5 years ago. Tennessee-bred, he is a fan of his home state's team. Here are his thoughts on the Titans' chances this year.

Here's a list of other blogs in the out-of-town feature series:

Dallas Cowboys



Unlike many fans of out-of-town teams, Josh Sumner was originally a fan of the Bears for a long time before switching allegiances to a hometown team. Although he can be excused - Nashville didn't get an NFL team until the Houston Oilers relocated to Tennessee in 1997.

"I actually liked the Bears as my #1 team until the Titans came to town," Josh said. "The 1985 Super Bowl was the first one I remember as a child and I remember how all the adults were pulling for them. Plus, they made it fun. Hell, I can still sing a good portion of the 'Super Bowl Shuffle'".

Repping his hometown college, now a Titans fan

His fandom was rewarded almost immediately, as the touchdown-underdog Titans were a foot short and an extra-point away from forcing overtime against the run-and-gun St. Louis Rams in the 1999 Super Bowl.

Josh's change of rooting interest hasn't made things all that difficult in following his home-town team despite moving to his former favorite team's city 10 years ago.

"We do not play each other usually, nor is there any big rivalry," he said. "Plus, Chicago is a cosmopolitan town and all are welcome to go to our bars and root for whomever you like...even Packer fans."

His consumption of Titans games is a combination of Internet streaming and going to friend's houses who have the NFL Package (DirecTV). However, Josh still seems apt to watch a good Bears match-up over a boring Titans one.

"If the Titans are playing the Browns and the Bears and playing the Packers at the same time, love them or not, I'm likely to watch the Bears game and wait for Titans highlights to come as they may," he said.

He has seen numerous Titans games in his lifetime, including a game at Vanderbilt Stadium, the team's temporary home before their new stadium was being built. His seats were close enough there to see the gigantic size of the players, including Randy Moss.

"That guy is enormous," Josh said, "at least compared to Vanderbilt Stadium."

When it comes to his assessment of the 2012 squad, Josh believes the Titans will be 8-8 and get a wild card berth. A lot of the Titans' fortune this year lies in Kenny Britt, whose injury last year hurt the Titans' chances of making the playoffs in Josh's opinion.

He believes in Jake Locker as the team's quarterback, but just hopes he doesn't turn into another Vince Young, who flamed out quickly as the Titans' signal caller.

"He needs to take his time, learn and get stronger," Josh said. "Everything that Vince Young didn't do."

Josh's favorite Titan - Matt Hasselbeck - will enter the season as Locker's back-up. Josh appreciates Hasselbeck for his similar hairline (read: follically-challenged) and quarterback smarts.

"If Rex Grossman taught me anything," Josh said, "it's that ball control is vital. And you need to be taller than the linemen to play QB."

	Josh Sumner
	(10 years in Chicago)
Favorite team	Titans
A fan since…	1997
# of games attended	numerous
Choice of Team Consumption	Internet, DirecTV NFL Package, bars
Favorite Player All-Time	Steve McNair/Eddie George
Favorite Player Currently	Matt Hasselbeck
2012 Prediction	(8-8. wild card, second-round playoffs)
Vegas Projection for team	7 wins
(as of 8-24-12) 5dimes.eu
Over/under?	Over
Odds to win division - 5dimes.eu	(+495)
Super Bowl odds	100/1
(as of 8-26-12) - 5dimes.eu