Grin and (Chicago) Bear it : Fridays

Treating your football freak of an S.O. to Bears tix too costly an endeavor? Yet you don’t call holing up on the sofa with a plate of chips come kickoff a date? Get creative with this happy compromise: Grope the sofa cracks for a coupla quarters and head to ESPN Zone. (Okay, we’re not to the creative part quite yet.) Every Friday, you can watch live tapings of the ABC 7 Bears talk-show Chicago Huddle at 4pm. Each week, the hour-or-so taping features reporter Ryan Chiaverini, a Bears player cohost and a guest player dishing about the season and the NFL. Leave nearly-affordable, nosebleed game-seats to suckers; here you’re practically inside the huddle. Plus, viewing costs nada—TV reaps financial rewards when you fall prey to commercials—so dole out those quarters on a frosty bev. By the end of the show, you might even have enough George Washingtons left over for a couple of brats at Portillo’s down the street (100 W Ontario St). ESPN Zone, 43 E Ohio St (312-644-3776). Land priority seating by signing up at espnzone.com/mvp.

THE TAB
2 seats – $0.00
2 beers – $9.50
+ 2 hot dogs – $4.50
TOTAL – $14.00