Slaw says: Bears fan demands more consistent, fair and unbiased Chicago coverage

Ah, Sunday. In an ideal world, by the time Sunday rolled around, I would have all my homework done and have nothing to do but relax and watch the NFL.

This is certainly not an ideal world though.

By the time Sunday rolls around in the real world, I'm normally exhausted and still have loads of homework for the upcoming week. That's even if I don't go out Friday or Saturday.

But I still find time for the NFL. It is a must. We get so few true pleasures in life; we have to take advantage of the ones laid before us. Football is one of these pleasures in the recesses of my heart.

So this past Sunday, I tore myself away from my pillow to get up and watch a full day of gridiron action; followed by more homework, of course.

I watched the Fox pre-game show as usual. I don't really know why. It is like a car wreck. No matter how hard I try, I just can't turn away. The onset tension locks my pupils onto Howie and Terry. "Come on, Howie. Just rip his head off. You can do it."

After hours of that and about a dozen trips to the kitchen, I prepare myself for what my pea-brain has been waiting for all week: the Bears' game. I was ready. I was pumped. My feet were set. My eyes were glued. Then I heard...

"Cheers is filmed in front of a live studio audience."

Cheers? Cheers?! No. No Cheers. Bears. My TV must have said Bears. I was sure of it. They sort of rhyme with each other, right? I would see the Bears' game. I still had faith.

All my hopes and dreams of a wonderful September Sunday were dashed to the ground faster than a Falcon in the grasp of Bear linebacker Brian Urlacher as soon as I saw "him": Ted Danson. That was it. One glimpse of his character Sam behind the bar slinging beers told me I was in for yet another Bear-less Sunday.

Why? That's what I want to know. Why can I not watch the Bears here in Muncie?

Back where I'm from, glorious Valparaiso, Ind. (It really isn't that glorious, but it is for the purpose of my rant so go with me on this one.), I can watch the Bears every weekend. Here, it is a roll of the dice. Sometimes, I get to watch the Bears, sometimes Cheers is on instead, and sometimes I get to enjoy a wonderful Colts' game on TWO channels at the same time.

I'm not trying to bad-mouth Cheers or the Colts here, but variety IS the spice of life. That saying has been around for a long time. It must carry some value with it.

Does whoever it is who decides what goes on the air here really believe that Chicago is such a small market that its appeal does not span outside of its own suburbs? I find that hard to swallow.

So I sat there, soaking in images of bar flies as my beloved Monsters of the Midway played in a game I did not see. They won, as they have become accustom to doing. Cheers ended, as it has done time and time again. The Colts lost. No comment.

Will next weekend be the same?

I certainly hope not. That would be unbearable.