Wayne Larrivee was the radio voice of the Bears for 14 years, yet it wasn’t until he left for the rival Packers in 1999 that he understood Chicago sports fans better.
“I didn’t realize they have a passion for and follow their announcers and sportswriters,” Larrivee said. “That’s the thing that’s different about Chicago. I just thought, who cares if I leave and go to the Packers. That’s not gonna be any problem for the Bears or any of their people.
“And it became a problem. Some people said they were hurt by me leaving.”
Feelings aside, it was a significant loss for the Bears.