Winner of Ben Johnson look-alike contest takes home $1,000 prize

Bears Fans Go All Out for Coach Ben Johnson Look-Alike Contest

In a show of dedication to their beloved coach, dozens of Chicago Bears fans gathered at the Wintrust Sports Complex in suburban Bedford Park for a hilarious look-alike contest inspired by Ben Johnson. The event was organized by Adam Collopy, a business ambassador for the Village of Bedford Park, who aimed to capitalize on the enthusiasm around the team's leader.

The contestants, ranging from adults to children, donned their best Ben Johnson impressions, complete with headsets, baseball caps, and orange and blue sweatshirts. They led the audience in chants, screamed "hell yeah," or crossed their arms, showcasing their dedication to the team. The competition was fierce, but one man stood out from the rest: Matt Filipiak.

Filiapiak, a 31-year-old Elmhurst resident, took home the top prize of $1,000 and roundtrip transportation to the game from O'Hare-Midway Limousine Service. His ensemble included a headset, pen, and play call sheet, which he claimed helped him win over the judges. However, Filipiak credited his natural looks, particularly his jawline, for securing the top spot.

"I'm honored," Filipiak said humbly. "I've had a few people say I look like Ben Johnson before, so I took it and ran with it." The prize money will be spent on tickets to the Bears game, which is sure to be an exciting matchup against the Green Bay Packers.

Other contestants didn't win prizes but still had a blast participating in the event. One young boy donned a cheese grater hat, while an older woman sported a suit jacket and orange tie – both made for memorable appearances. Even Emily Monahan, a 22-year-old Garfield Ridge resident who is relatively new to the Bears fandom, wowed the judges with her impressive Ben Johnson impression.

Monahan praised Coach Johnson's leadership skills, saying he respects his players and has high expectations without being mean-spirited. She also had a unique way of showing off her team spirit – using bronze eye shadow to draw on fake abs for her T-shirt design.

While not everyone took home prizes, the overall atmosphere was one of camaraderie and shared enthusiasm. Jayden Mendoza, an 11-year-old fan who arrived early to compete, showed a mature attitude towards the competition, saying it's not all about winning but having fun because he loves Coach Johnson's improvements to the team.

As the Bears head into the playoffs, their fans will undoubtedly continue to show their dedication and spirit. The look-alike contest may be over, but the excitement is sure to stick around for a while longer.

omg this is so cute! i love how dedicated these fans are to coach ben johnson lol even matt filipiak's "natural" jawline helped him win that prize emily monahan's bronze eye shadow abs on her t-shirt design tho? genius and can we talk about the kid in the cheese grater hat? this is all so joyful and fun i'm literally feeling good vibes just reading this

omg I'm dying over this lol I mean who wouldn't wanna dress up as ben johnson aka coach ben?? I love how the fans just went all out with their looks and energy it's like they're already hyped for the playoffs https://www.google.com/url?q=https:...ors&ust=1709&usg=AOvVaw1rZsLxWYcU3o4Pd6G6tNpM

idk why they're all out like that but its actually kinda cute ben johnson lookalikes everywhere! matt filipiak's outfit tho is fire i mean who else could rock a headset and pens on their head? what was with the cheese grater hat tho its either art or mental health

I love how this looks-alike contest turned out , it's like something out of a 90s TV show, you know? Like, who comes up with these ideas and just runs with them . I'm not saying the prizes aren't cool or anything (the $1000 is a nice chunk change), but can we talk about how ridiculous some of those outfits were? like that cheese grater hat tho... anyhoo, it's all in good fun, right? I mean, who doesn't love a good excuse to get dressed up and have a laugh with fellow fans. And it's awesome to see the younger guys showing spirit like Jayden Mendoza did . All in all, it was a pretty entertaining event, but what really stood out to me was how much people genuinely cared about Coach Johnson ... it's clear that dude has got some serious fan love .

I think its kinda cool that bears fans went all out like this for coach ben johnson lookalike contest . Its amazing how much effort people put into dressing up and pretending to be someone else just because they love them . But what really got me is when the winners said it wasnt just about winning, its about having fun and loving who you are . Thats something we can all relate to, right?

omg this is so crazy lol i mean can you imagine showing up to a game looking like coach ben johnson? that's dedication right there! but seriously though, it's awesome to see fans having so much fun with each other over their shared love of the team... and matt filipiak's jawline really did win him the contest lol

aww man thats so adorable i love how passionate the bears fans are about coach ben johnson! its amazing to see how much fun they had competing in this look-alike contest and just being themselves. everyone looked like a total rockstar, from the little kid with the cheese grater hat to the woman who rocked that orange tie . and emily's bronze eye shadow abs are goals! its great to see how much joy and camaraderie there was in the air, even if not everyone won prizes . just goes to show that sports fans can be the most creative and loving community out there

The notion of a Ben Johnson impersonation contest in honor of the Chicago Bears' coach is a testament to the fervent dedication of his fans. It's heartening to see how this event fostered a sense of community and shared enthusiasm among participants . The creativity on display, from the cheese grater hat to the bronze eye shadow abs, was truly impressive. I'm also intrigued by how the contestants, ranging from adults to children, were able to tap into their inner Ben Johnson spirit, showcasing an admirable level of admiration for his leadership style . While the prize money may be a motivating factor for some, it's clear that this event served as much more than just a competition – it was an ode to Coach Johnson's remarkable impact on the team

this is so cool that there are some people who really want to channel their inner Coach Johnson, I mean it's not just about the football team, it's about the culture and the community that comes with being a fan... ️ Matt Filipiak's natural looks definitely gave him an edge but I think what's awesome is that other contestants didn't win prizes but still had so much fun participating in the event , it shows that Bears fandom is all about good vibes and sharing your passion for the team

omg i am dead Matt Filipiak won the contest with his Ben Johnson looks i swear he's got some serious face game tho jawline goals i wish i could've seen Emily Monahan's bronzy abs on her tshirt though that's a whole other level of team spirit the fact that they all had so much fun even if they didn't win is what matters most - those Bears fans know how to bring the heat can't wait for the playoffs now

omg i just loved this thing Matt Filipiak won the top prize but honestly it was all about having fun and showing how much u love coach ben johnson i mean who doesn't wanna dress up like ur fave coach tho? even though emily monahan didn't win a prize she still slayed the look-alike contest with her bronze eye shadow abs and jayden mendoza's attitude was so cool, like, he just wanted to have fun and show his team spirit can't wait for the next bears game!

OMG you guys I'm literally dying from how cute this Ben Johnson look-alike contest was!!! I mean, who wouldn't want to dress up as their fave coach? Matt Filipiak won the grand prize but honestly it's not about winning or losing when everyone's just having a blast showing off their team spirit . And can we talk about the creativity on display? Like, that little kid with the cheese grater hat and Emily Monahan's T-shirt design with bronze eye shadow (um yes to abs anyone?) .

I'm so glad people like Jayden Mendoza are focusing on having fun over competition . It just goes to show how much joy this team brings to its fans! And can't wait for the Bears game against Green Bay – should be epic .

lolol this is so cool i mean who wouldn't want to dress up as coach ben johnson like matt filipiak won that thing lol but seriously it's awesome how much passion these fans have 1k and a game ticket is definitely worth going all out for

I dont think its weird at all that they did this contest , I mean who doesn't wanna dress up as someone they idolize right? And Ben Johnson looks are pretty iconic, so it makes sense that people would wanna go all out and compete for prizes. Plus, its not like the money is going to some fancy-schmancy charity or anything... its just tickets to a football game!

OMG this is so funny! I mean, I get why they'd want to have a look-alike contest, but some of these costumes are just ridiculous like that kid with the cheese grater hat? and Emily Monahan's eye shadow abs though... that's genius . But what really gets me is how dedicated the fans are - I've seen some weird things in my time on this forum, but a bunch of people dressing up like Coach Johnson just to have fun? that's amazing . It's great to see everyone just enjoying themselves and having a good time. Can't wait to see what happens at the game!