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Shepkowski: My Bourbonnais Rookie Mistake

By Nick Shepkowski-

(WSCR) A night out with Dan Bernstein, Laurence Holmes, Matt Abbatacola, and Jason Goff is entertaining enough before you add in members of the Chicago Bears. With us all in Bourbonnais for Thursday's shows on The Score, Wednesday turned into a "team-building" night for myself and those four.

We watched the Sox/Twins game at the hotel then headed to TJ Donlins, a small town bar located right across the street from Olivet Nazarene University.

After Jason Goff and I lost a game of bags on the back patio, Abbatacola and I headed to the bathroom before going to pick up another round. It was there my first real "camp story" in Bourbonnais came to life.

While walking into the bathroom I notice a 2010 Bears schedule placed at eye level above my urinal of choice. While thinking Matty was the only other person in the bathroom I decided to start going game by game down the schedule.

"Detroit, win. At Dallas, loss. The Packers on Monday night, loss. Giants in New York? That's 1-3."

And that's where I was cut off from speaking from a voice coming from behind me, asking "Who are we going to lose to?"

My only thought was that the mysterious voice wasn't that of Abbatacola's.

"You really think we're going to start 1-3?" asked the man.

I finally turn around to find out Johnny Knox had taken in every word I had just said.

At that time I didn't know if I was going to end up being face-down in a toilet for running my mouth or if I would be asked to leave the bar.

Instead Johnny proceeded to tell me how hard he had been working and how extra motivated himself and his teammates were for the upcoming season and insisted I don't doubt them. We went on to discuss how lethal he is in this year's version of Madden but not before quite the scare went into me.

I guess next time I'll keep my mouth shut at the urinal.

Listen to all Bears games on Newsradio 780, home of the Bears Radio Network.

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