Bears fans everywhere had some incredible reactions to Saturday’s stunning victory over the Packers, but one father-son moment going viral on social media is tugging on fans’ hearts.
The now-viral video shows an excited father picking up his 9-year-old son, hoisting him over his shoulders and racing down the streets outside his home shouting “We won!”
The celebratory moment captured the palpable excitement that buzzed throughout Chicago and beyond following the historic comeback win, but it also showcased something even bigger.
“I’m crying because your son is going to be in his 80s watching the Bears play and remembering the time his dad carried him down the street,” one commenter wrote on the video.
“He’ll remember being picked up for the rest of his life. Moments like this are so special with your kids,” another wrote.
Comments quickly poured in on the footage as Bears, Packers, Steelers, Bills, Giants, Lions, Eagles and Cowboys fans all came together to share their love for a moment that transcended rivalries.
For Josh and Tara Ramirez, the comments reflected their own revelations after the wholesome celebration as they have both lost their fathers.
“We’ve been talking about how our dads would love this,” Tara Ramirez told NBC Chicago, saying her son is now the same age she was when her own father passed away. “My dad and [Josh’s] dad would have been running down the street with him.”
Josh Ramirez, who is from Chicago and now lives with his family in northwest Indiana, said sharing that moment with his own son was “the best thing in world.” Through tears, he recalled a similar celebratory moment with his own father.
“I remember with my dad, the big infamous Arizona game… being there with my dad and having that moment. It was awesome,” he said, referencing the Bears’ comeback win over the Cardinals in their 2006 Super Bowl run.
Tara Ramirez said her son, Jesse, has taken a real interest in the Bears this season.
“He’s been feeding off that excited energy from my husband,” she said. “It’s something they kind of love to do together.”
The pair were standing in front of the TV in what they said were their “good luck spots” just before the victory was secured.
Ramirez noted, however, that her 6-year-old daughter didn’t share the same excitement and went to bed before the Bears’ comeback began.
“She put herself to bed,” Tara Ramirez said, adding that the next morning she told her mom “that was not for me.”
That’s partially the reason she said her husband took his celebration to the streets, to avoid waking their sleeping daughter.
Even though Josh Ramirez had joked with his son that he would run through the streets if the Bears won, she said he was still surprised by the moment.
In the footage, you can hear Jesse Ramirez telling his dad to “be careful. I’m serious.”
“I got you big guy,” his dad shouts back.
The video had garnered more than one million views as of Monday.
The Ramirez family said the response has been “overwhelming,” but largely positive.
“Sports fandom can get a little aggressive and that’s not how we appreciate sports in this house… so it’s been really sweet actually,” Tara Ramirez said.
The Ramirez family said they will certainly be watching this weekend’s matchup against the Rams, though they do not currently have tickets to the game.
If the Bears win again, Josh Ramirez plans to do the same celebration, but this time he’s going even farther down the block.
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