PHS Grad Launches Bears Blog

According to Joshua Aldis, it’s not a hobby — it’s an addiction.

Since he was 10 years old, Aldis has been an avid Bears fan, collecting sports cards and amassing an encyclopedic knowledge of the team’s players.

“It was about the players themselves,” the 2003 graduate said. Aldis said he developed a passion for learning about the players, their backgrounds and their stats.

After studying at Columbia College Chicago and the Illinois Center for Broadcasting, Aldis used his Bears expertise to get gigs contributing to a SportstownChicago.com and WSCR 670 The Score.

Now, the superfan has launched his own Chicago Bears blog, where he shares his opinions, analysis and predictions for the hometown team.

Da Scruffy Bear Herder (www.scruffybearherder.com) officially launched Aug. 17 and it’s already generating attention, most notably from The Score, Aldis said.

“I’m hoping for it to catch on,” he said. “Right now, its really just trying to get its feet, trying to gain momentum.”

Aldis is using the site to share post-game recaps and analysis – including his predictions for this year’s final roster.

Aldis said the website’s name is a nod to his other passion, “Star Wars,” recalling the scene in “The Empire Strikes Back” when Princess Leia calls Han Sola a “scruffy-looking nerf herder.”

“I sport the scruffy look, I have the beard,” Aldis said, joking that the blog brings the “jock” and “geek” sides of his personality together.  

Aldis said he plans to update the site with new content at least once a week.

“I spend as much time on it as I do on football, which I know is an unhealthy amount,” he joked.

Click here to visit Aldis’ blog, or follow his Bears observations on Facebook and Twitter.