Goose Island Challenges Angry Chicago Bears Fans With ‘Beer for a Year’ Gimmick

Goose Island Brewing is challenging meatball Bears fans angry about the team’s playoff loss: Make a 43-yard field goal outside the brewery’s Fulton Market taproom, the same try that kicker Cody Parkey missed on Sunday, and win a case of beer a week for a year. After reading some of the angry threats fans made against Parkey following the Bears playoff loss on Sunday against Philadelphia, crews from Goose grew fed up and tweeted: “A lot of armchair kickers on here are saying that they could hit that field goal, which we find DOUBTFUL. You’re gonna sit there on your throne of potato chips and vape pens and criticize this dude’s athleticism?”

They continued, writing that they would build goalposts outside the taproom and offer zealous fans a chance to demonstrate their athletic prowess during regular business hours on Saturday, January 12 and Sunday, January 13. Nail the kick and win beer. Goose Island on Tuesday tweeted out some rules. Contestants should be at least 21, there’s one kick per person, and that Goose Island’s referee calls are final.

The Bears game came down to a last-second field goal kick that was tipped by an Eagles defender before clanking twice off the uprights. The Bears’ season ended with the 16-15 loss and Parkey took much of the blame. Even cookbook author and model Chrissy Teigen felt bad for Parkey.

The Tribune tracked down more details on the promotion. Sign ups will take place from noon to 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday with kicking starting at 1 p.m. Hopefully the lure of free beer will bring out some Adonis fans with physiques sculpted by encased meats and three-layer dips. And then Goose could posts viral videos of their wacky attempts. If Goose can’t rent a mobile field goal post, they’ll construct them using PVC. No, winners won’t get Goose’s Bourbon County Brand Stout.

The area outside the Fulton Market taproom is regularly configured so the brewery could host beer festivals, so it looks like it will be a similar set up on Saturday and Sunday. Goose Island’s crews have shown their love for Chicago sports. There’s even a neon Goose Island sign shaped like a logo from the 1980s era White Sox uniforms hanging in one of the brewery windows. The parent company behind St. Louis-born Budweiser owns Goose Island. St. Louis has no NFL team as the Rams in 2016 moved back to Los Angeles. The Bears would be playing in LA on Sunday against the Rams if they had defeated Philadelphia.

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