Khari Blasingame thought he had a pretty good idea of what NFL fandom is like. He’d spent some time in Minnesota before heading off to Tennessee, where he played three years with the Titans. That should’ve been enough time for him to grasp the whole rainbow of fan experiences. So when he signed with the Chicago Bears this offseason, he thought he had a good idea of what to expect. He was proven wrong almost immediately.
Chicago is revered as one of the best sports towns in the United States. The Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, and Blackhawks all have large, loyal followings in the city. However, nobody disputes that it is a Bears city, first and foremost. Everything shuts down when this team is good. Players often don’t understand how passionate the fans are about it until they witness it firsthand. Blasingame explained during an interview with Bears All Access.
Like any player, he has personal issues to sort out after signing his deal.
He would have to find housing for himself and his family and move all his things from Tennessee. This included some new furniture. To do this, he needed to rent a truck for transport purposes. It felt like just another typical transaction when he handed the rental service representative his ID. That was when the man asked if he was the Bears’ new fullback. Blasingame was blown away that somebody knew about him that fast.
Everybody knows fullbacks are considered a dinosaur in many NFL circles. Lost in the shuffle due to the exploding popularity of the passing game. That is why the era of big-name fullbacks is largely dead. Fans often forget most. Afterthoughts. You know a fanbase is serious about their team when they can identify a fullback on the roster despite him never having played a down yet with that team.
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Khari Blasingame finally understands how different Chicago is.
With all due respect to the Tennessee Titans, their fanbase can’t compare to the Bears. During a recent study of social media followings, Chicago ranked 9th in the NFL in fanbase size. Tennessee didn’t even rank in the top 25. He is dealing with a very different animal now. Bears fans are a passionate and knowledgeable bunch. They know about everybody that walks through the doors of Halas Hall.
Also, this franchise has a greater appreciation of the fullback position than most. It began with the immortal Bronko Nagurski in the 1930s. Then there was Bill Osmanski pacing the dynasty team of the 1940s. Rick Casares struck fear in other players during the 1950s and 60s. Then came Roland Harper and Matt Suhey, guiding the way for Walter Payton. Last but not least was Jason McKie, lead blocker for guys like Anthony Thomas, Thomas Jones, and Matt Forte in the 2000s.
This position is well-established and respected in Chicago.
Now Khari Blasingame has a chance to bring it back to prominence, even in a limited fashion. The new Bears offense figures to be a run-first approach, as is often the case with a wide zone scheme. That means the 25-year-old should see plenty of work in front of David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert. If he does his job well, that rental truck encounter won’t be the last positive one he has with fans.
