Diehard Bears fan lives up to bet, files to change name to Peyton Manning

**Dr. Horrible** · 02-07-2007, 09:49 PM

Quote:

DECATUR - Scott Wiese kept a rendezvous with destiny Tuesday as he scored an official touchdown on is way to becoming Peyton Manning.

Wiese braved the snow to show up at the Macon County Courts Facility and file the paperwork to change his name to that of the star quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts. Wiese, a die-hard Chicago Bears fan who lives in Forsyth, had pledged to his friends that if his beloved team did not win Super Bowl XLI on Sunday, he would legally change his name to the man who led the Indiana nemesis to victory.

"A bunch of friends and I were talking one night before the game, and there was a little alcohol involved," said Wiese, 26. "I made the bet, and now I've got to keep it. I chose Manning because, well, he is kind of the face of the Colts franchise."

For those who had earlier doubted his resolve to go through with it, Wiese had signed a solemn pledge in front of some 200 people Friday night in Katz Piano Bar in downtown Decatur. With Sunday's 29-17 score having declawed the Bears, Wiese duly presented himself at the courts facility to start the official name change process. He will have to advertise his intention in the Herald & Review for several weeks and then appear before a judge to explain why he can't go on being Scott Wiese.

He's the first to admit he doesn't much resemble his soon-to-be namesake: The original version is 30 years old, stands 6-feet-5, weights 230 pounds and has a contract worth more than $126 million. Wiese is 5-feet-11, weighs 190 - "it's not muscle" -and works at Staples in Forsyth. But he says looks are not the issue here. Wiese said he so loves his team and his fellow fans that he is willing to lay down his identity as a kind of spiritual statement to wash clean the original sin of failure.

"I think I kind of represent all Bears fans," he said. "Not that I'm saying they're all idiots like me, but I represent their passion because I really care about my team, you know?"

His lawyer and friend, Andy Bourey, is handling the paperwork and can't help but admire Wiese's sense of honor. "I never doubted him," he said. "He's a man of his word."

And he's no stranger to doing the right thing. He was in his senior year of college - a sports management major - when he quit school to get a job and help the family's finances out after his father, Steve Wiese, suffered a heart attack.

Tom Waters, an assistant manager at Staples, said he admires his employee's character and says he is an "outstanding guy."

Waters only wishes the Bears shared that kind of fortitude: "If they had shown commitment like that, the score would probably have been a little different," he said.

Wiese, who plans to go back to school when his dad is fully recovered, has no idea how long he will stay Peyton Manning.

Asked if he would wait until the Bears win the Super Bowl, he flinched at that degree of sacrifice. "I mean, well, it may be another 21 years," he said.

Herald & Review - Diehard Bears fan lives up to bet, files to change name to Peyton Manning, By TONY REID - H&R Staff Writer

GURU ANT · 02-07-2007, 09:57 PM

Heard this on the news, my side still hurts.

***Ynot Shane*** · 02-07-2007, 10:11 PM

It's a good name. Certainly much better than Mr. Freebeestore.

BrandonTragedy · 02-07-2007, 10:15 PM

You know the freaky thing, Im sitting here watching NFL Total Access, and Im reading this, Right when I got half way through it the guy starts talking about it. .... 0_o

But yah, shows that Bears fan.

**Dylan** · 02-07-2007, 11:43 PM

Next county over from me. Seriously.

-Dylan

**NintendoNut** · 02-08-2007, 05:27 AM

Haha, that rocks.

BrandonTragedy · 02-08-2007, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Next county over from me. Seriously.

Than I guess its not that far away from me too.

**John MarchCain** · 02-09-2007, 11:50 PM

It's amazing what alcohol can do to you.

***ZeldaGirl*** · 02-10-2007, 01:20 AM

I find that hilarious. It's good the guy has a great sense of humor.

Swordmaster Link · 02-10-2007, 02:50 AM

One Peyton Manning is enough for this world to bear, seriously.

**Crazyswordsman** · 02-10-2007, 07:44 PM

Wow. I'd bet there's a Michigan fan who changed his name to "Woody Hayes" or an OSU fan who changed his name to "Bo Schembechler" after one of the many Michigan-Ohio State matchups. -CSM

02-07-2007, 10:11 PM	#3
*Ynot Shane* Not Ready to Make Nice Join Date: Apr 1999 Location: Flaflooga Gender: Posts: 131,691 Thanks: 43 Thanked 461 Times in 226 Posts Points: 346,461.88 Bank: 36,015,909.54 Total Points: 36,362,371.42 Donate $Epic Current Event story dude \\m// - The Hiphopopotamus$	It's a good name. Certainly much better than Mr. Freebeestore. __________________ I can do anything that a 9-year-old and a monkey can do.

02-07-2007, 09:57 PM	#2
GURU ANT What's this what's this a trick with a twist? Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Shhhh, it's a secret right now Gender: Posts: 13,619 Thanks: 1,146 Thanked 757 Times in 438 Posts Points: 25,846.80 Bank: 1,348,323.25 Total Points: 1,374,170.05 Donate	Heard this on the news, my side still hurts.

02-07-2007, 10:15 PM	#4
BrandonTragedy Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Some where u dont know Gender: Posts: 8,072 Thanks: 213 Thanked 146 Times in 127 Posts Points: 16,975.12 Bank: 105,150.76 Total Points: 122,125.88 Donate	You know the freaky thing, Im sitting here watching NFL Total Access, and Im reading this, Right when I got half way through it the guy starts talking about it. .... 0_o But yah, shows that Bears fan.

02-07-2007, 11:43 PM	#5
Dylan Banned Mod Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Teenage Wasteland Gender: Posts: 6,485 Thanks: 1,079 Thanked 1,108 Times in 495 Posts Points: 44,175.36 Bank: 0.00 Total Points: 44,175.37 Donate	Next county over from me. Seriously. -Dylan

02-08-2007, 05:27 AM	#6
NintendoNut NinNut Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Hold on, I know this..... Gender: Posts: 8,298 Thanks: 84 Thanked 41 Times in 31 Posts Points: 49,473.76 Bank: 0.00 Total Points: 49,473.76 Donate	Haha, that rocks.

02-09-2007, 11:50 PM	#8
John MarchCain 72 and still going strong Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Arizona Gender: Posts: 11,364 Thanks: 914 Thanked 391 Times in 268 Posts Points: 1,126.00 Bank: 310,855.30 Total Points: 311,981.30 Donate	It's amazing what alcohol can do to you.

02-10-2007, 01:20 AM	#9
*ZeldaGirl* Venting SuperMod Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Why do YOU want to know...? Gender: Posts: 12,595 Thanks: 573 Thanked 962 Times in 648 Posts Points: 39,853.95 Bank: 927,566.32 Total Points: 967,420.27 Donate	I find that hilarious. It's good the guy has a great sense of humor.

02-10-2007, 02:50 AM	#10
Swordmaster Link Super Bodyguard & King of the Arcade Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Wherever you want me to be Gender: Posts: 31,149 Thanks: 248 Thanked 787 Times in 557 Posts Blog Entries: 1 Points: 241.65 Bank: 2,792,377.46 Total Points: 2,792,619.11 Donate	One Peyton Manning is enough for this world to bear, seriously.

02-10-2007, 07:44 PM	#11
Crazyswordsman RPG Mod Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Booyaville (yeah!) Gender: Posts: 8,584 Thanks: 633 Thanked 471 Times in 311 Posts Points: 167,288.15 Bank: 77,775.54 Total Points: 245,063.69 Donate	Wow. I'd bet there's a Michigan fan who changed his name to "Woody Hayes" or an OSU fan who changed his name to "Bo Schembechler" after one of the many Michigan-Ohio State matchups. -CSM