rangercal Posted January 28, 2007 Share Posted January 28, 2007 (edited) http://www.tribstar.com/local/local_story_026223827.html Bears fans organize buses to Super Bowl Crystal Garcia The Tribune-Star When John Skupien, 21, and AJ Barthold, 25, of Chicago made a pact at Thanksgiving to go to Miami if the Chicago Bears made it to the Super Bowl, they didn’t know how they would get there. As it became more of a possibility that the Bears would make it, they started brainstorming about what to do. That’s when Barthold envisioned some type of ride share, Skupien said. Now, the two are organizing “Super Bowl Shuttles,” two buses headed to Miami, with one bus for Bears fans leaving from Chicago and one bus for Indianapolis Colts fans leaving from Indianapolis. For more information or to reserve a spot on a bus, visit www.SellChamp.com. “Join your fellow fans for a wild and crazy ride to the biggest game of the year!” the home page states. About 25 people signed up for each bus, which hold up to 55 people apiece, Barthold said. “Most of us aren’t going to the game actually,” he said. “We’re just going for the atmosphere.” Since Skupien, a sports management major, attends the University of Indianapolis, he is in charge of the Colts bus. He said that while he’s a Colts fan, too, “It’s Bears all the way.” A round-trip ticket on one of the buses is $150 per person. Riders are responsible for their own meals, lodging and tickets to the game, Barthold said. Buses leave Feb. 2 and return Feb. 5. The trip to Miami will be a straight-through drive because there are two drivers for each bus, Barthold said. “Not everybody has $400 for a plane ticket,” he said. “ … It’s bringing people together.” People also can find tickets to the game, plane tickets and hotel rooms, rental cars and the best bars in Miami on the site. “It’s going to be an amazing atmosphere [in Miami],” Skupien said. Both buses have televisions, air conditioning and a bathroom. Playoff games featuring respective teams will be played on the bus during the ride, Skupien said. Although no one from Terre Haute has planned to take one of the buses yet, Barthold said anyone is welcome. “It would make for a more interesting trip,” he said. Also on each bus will be a documentary crew to film the experience of more than 50 strangers taking an almost 24-hour trip for the same reason. Footage from each bus will be put together to make one film, he said. Barthold said he’s also trying to get former players of each team on the buses, but hasn’t had any luck yet. “It’s going to be a lot of fun,” he said. “You’re going to be with your fellow fans.” Im AJ btw, I will be giving talkbears and soxtalk a plug on my thank you page. If anyone knows anyone who would like to go, please send them over. Edited January 29, 2007 by rangercal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregory Pratt Posted January 28, 2007 Share Posted January 28, 2007 That's a bad ass idea you've got there. Congrats! and best wishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rangercal Posted January 29, 2007 Author Share Posted January 29, 2007 QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Jan 28, 2007 -> 04:52 PM) That's a bad ass idea you've got there. Congrats! and best wishes! Thanks! It's been a fun project so far, my love for the Bears,White Sox and Bulls meets no boundaries. LOL! Btw, We just added camping to our idea. The overwhelming response of potential riders wanting to go , but no place to stay, has been resolved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Critic Posted January 29, 2007 Share Posted January 29, 2007 The neutral site Super Bowl is one reason I don't care much about the NFL. I think it's a ripoff that you support your team all year, freeze your ass off during the playoffs, and if your team reaches its ultimate goal of the Super Bowl, you have to dish out 1000+ dollars and travel halfway across the country to be there. You play all year to be the best team and you get no home-field advantage for it. (Of course, baseball messed the home-field advantage thing up, too, for a meaningless exhibition game, but at least baseball fans get to see World Series games at home.) How huge would it be for the city to host the Super Bowl this week? Instead, Miami gets it for no good reason other than POSSIBLE (not guaranteed by any stretch) good weather. It's stupid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitesoxfan101 Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 Man I wish I had the time to do this sort of thing. I have a very close friend that lives about a 10 minute drive from Dolphin Stadium, but I can't miss all that class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rangercal Posted January 30, 2007 Author Share Posted January 30, 2007 we made the suntimes http://www.suntimes.com/sports/quickhits/2...-1hit30.article FLORIDA OR BUS: Definitely a long road to the Super Bowl The drive to get to the Super Bowl has paid off for the Bears. For others, it has yet to get in gear. Chicagoan AJ Barthold is behind something called the ''Super Bowl Shuttle.'' It's a bus trip for Bears fans (departing from Chicago) and Colts fans (departing from Indianapolis). An Internet site, sellchamp.com, has the particulars on the $150 bus ride that does not include lodging or tickets to Super Bowl XLI in Miami. The plan is for the 55 fans on each bus to stay at a campground. ''My cousin, John Skupien, and I made a pact at Thanksgiving when he was home for break from the University of Indianapolis that if the Bears made it to the Super Bowl, we were going to Miami no matter what,'' Barthold told Quick Hits on Monday. ''We didn't know how we would get down there, but we knew if the Bears made it, we would have to go. After they won the NFC title game, I came up with the idea to look for a ride share to Miami for us. Then, I just got the idea that a lot of other people must be going through the same thing and need a ride down as well, so I started looking into renting out a bus and filling it with Bears fans. The idea took off from there.'' Barthold, 25, also plans to film a documentary about the journey. ''Our main goal is to capture the passion and the moment as well as the uniqueness of strangers coming together on a bus trip to Miami to be at the Super Bowl to help represent our favorite team,'' he said. ''I am a diehard White Sox fan and John is a diehard Cubs fan, but we can always unite and agree to cheer for the Bears.'' and the south town http://www.dailysouthtown.com/news/234976,301NWS4.article Get on the Super Bowl bus January 30, 2007 A pair of Chicago cousins are organizing a bus trip they're calling a Bears fan's dream -- that is for Bears fans without Super Bowl tickets. Cousins A.J. Barthold and John Skupien are chartering buses to take fans to Miami, where they will camp out in a campground in the city. For $150, a Bears fan will secure a spot on the charter bus leaving near O'Hare International Airport on Friday evening and arriving in Miami the next day. The bus is equipped with televisions and bathrooms and revelers can BYOB onboard. On Super Bowl Sunday, the Bears faithful will raid local sports bars and other hot spots. The camp site will cost $10-a-night, while tents will cost an additional $20-a-day for the three-day trip. "It's not like camping out in Chicago or the Midwest," Barthold said. "Why not when your going to be in the same city as the Bears? We have to come in full force and support Chicago." The men hope that Chicago area fans show as much interest as Indianapolis Colts fans, who packed a bus after news of the trip made the local papers there. Anyone interested in attending can get information on the Web site www.sellchamp.com or by calling (773) 501-5021. William Lee We also made the Daily herald and I am about to get a call from the LOOP for an interview. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rangercal Posted January 30, 2007 Author Share Posted January 30, 2007 Ill be on EDDIE and JOBO at 6am on B96 , I will also be on Johhny B show on the LOOP at about 7am. Tune in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleepyWhiteSox Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 QUOTE(rangercal @ Jan 30, 2007 -> 01:59 PM) Ill be on EDDIE and JOBO at 6am on B96 , I will also be on Johhny B show on the LOOP at about 7am. Tune in! Congrats ranger...I was wondering where you've been since I hadn't seen you on as much... I know a local celebrity! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balance Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 Heard this discussed on Brandmeier this morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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