Bears fan runs marathon in Packers gear
'A SMALL PRICE TO PAY' | Marathon's tough enough...but dressed like that?
Here's a question for Bears fans: How much would it take to get you to wear Green Bay Packers gear in public?
For Jim Schuman, a die-hard Bears fan raised in St. Charles, the price to humiliate himself with the green and gold -- while running the Boston Marathon, no less -- was $2,000. The 40-year-old Cisco account manager collected that much from two of his Packer-loving college buddies for wearing the objectionable outfit in the marathon last week.
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For three hours, 41 minutes and 32 seconds -- plus some time after at an Irish pub -- Schuman sported a bright yellow Packers T-shirt and visor and yellow-and-green-striped socks.
"I looked like the biggest tool," Schuman said.
The cash he collected -- plus an additional $7,000 -- went to the nonprofit Homes For Our Troops, which provides houses for badly wounded vets.
"I'm catching all kinds of flak from my friends," said Schuman, who now lives and works in Australia. "They're saying, 'I can't believe you sold out.' . . . But, for the cause, it was a small price to pay."
Schuman was a freshman at Hope College in Holland, Mich., in 1985 -- and may have laid it on a bit thick amid the Bears' glorious Super Bowl season. So when he asked his college friends from Wisconsin to pledge him for this year's marathon, they didn't forget. Jim Wallerius and Steve Stine both offered $1,000 -- if Schuman wore Packers gear.
"You must also pledge that in no way will you display said Packer merchandise in a demeaning or derogatory way," Wallerius told Schuman in an e-mail.
Wallerius -- whose family has had Packers season tickets since 1965, whose middle name is Vincent for legendary Packers coach Vince Lombardi, and whose mom went into labor with him at Lambeau Field and stayed until the end of the game -- said he thought about just donating the money to his friend's charitable cause.
"Then, the devil appeared on the other shoulder and said . . . 'He's still a Bears fan,' " Wallerius said.
During the marathon, Schuman was cheered by Packer fans.
"I would smile at them," he said. "It was one of those compromising smiles, like you know you're doing something that's wrong."
He was also heckled by Bears fans.
"When people would yell, 'Go Bears,' I was actually happy," he said.
"Hopefully they'll understand and forgive me at some point in time."
