Oh, da pain’: Lifelong Bears fan turns heartbreak into laughter with parody after Hail Mary loss
A catchy tune for a heartbreaking loss
Bears fans have the last few seconds of the team’s loss Sunday to the Commanders stuck in their heads — and actor David Haack, who plays Bears superfan Dave Swerski online, created a catchy tune to be stuck alongside it.
Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels threw a Hail Mary to beat the Bears as the game clock expired Sunday in a play that Bears quarterback Caleb Williams called “heart-wrenching.”
A day of mourning turned into a masterpiece
About 24 hours later — as Bears fans continued to lick their wounds — Haack posted a video to his tens of thousands of followers that tries to capture that all-too-familiar Bears feeling in the form of a song.
The video, a parody of Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence,” is called “Oh, Da Pain.” The lyrics begin: “Here we are again, my friendts, back in da darkness once again…”
From heartbreak to humor
“I was gutted, that one destroyed me as a fan,” Haack said in an interview. “It was the first time in a long time I’m like, ‘I got nothing that’s going to be worthy of how I’m feeling right now.'”
Haack, a lifelong Bears fan, says he was struggling to find a way to process the devastating loss. But that’s when he remembered his character, Dave Swerski, and the humor he’s brought to fans.
A legacy of laughter and heartache
As a lifelong fan of the Chicago Bears, Haack grew up in Iowa, inspired by the iconic “Bill Swerski’s Superfans” Saturday Night Live sketch. Since then, he has continued to sing, dance, and rant about the team.
In 2021, Haack received the blessing from George Wendt, the actor who played Bob Swerski in the “SNL” sketches, to become the new Swerski online.
The character, with his big mustache, aviator sunglasses, and always a Bears jersey, has taken off with nearly 60,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok.
A diagnosis for the pain
Haack believes that the loyal fan base of the Bears and other teams like them has an “eternal optimism with a healthy dose of Midwestern skepticism” that has allowed these characters to resonate for generations.
“In the end, it just truly love this team, I can’t quit them, no matter what,” Haack said.
Conclusion
Haack’s parody video, “Oh, Da Pain,” is a testament to the power of humor and camaraderie in the face of heartbreak. It’s a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always something to be laughed about and shared with fellow fans.
FAQs
* David Haack is the real name of the man behind Dave Swerski, a character inspired by the “Bill Swerski’s Superfans” Saturday Night Live sketch.
* David Haack is a lifelong fan of the Chicago Bears and grew up in Iowa.
* “Oh, Da Pain” is a parody of Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” created by David Haack.
* The character Dave Swerski has nearly 60,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok.
