Sidelines: Four Decades of Sundays with “Da Bears”

Chet and Tom Ballard are living every fan’s dream, getting paid to attend the Chicago Bears weekend games. It wasn’t planned. It wasn’t by design. It was the brainchild of their Uncle Fran who set a young 14-year-old Chet up with a job with Andy Frain, the iconic Chicago-based valet/security/concierge company, who was subcontracted to the Bears organization to keep the stadium moving consistently and efficiently. Within a few years, Chet brought along his brother Tom for the adventure of a lifetime as they carved niche positions for themselves, making the Ballard brothers an institution within the institution. There were no others like them…and no one could replace them. 

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