Greetings from Glasgow : Postcards with Zach Miller | Saturday, Oct. 17
As told to Gabby Hajduk
The Bears are across the pond for the UK Grand Tour, featuring brand pop-ups and fan activations in five cities across all four nations of the United Kingdom. Former Bears tight end Zach Miller offers a glimpse of the tour stop in Glasgow, Scotland, which featured the Exceed pop-up event, a collaboration with a rugby team, an unforgettable zoo visit, and more.
What's up, everyone? I'm checking back in from Glasgow, where we just spent the past week. I had never been to Scotland, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I love it. What a beautiful country.
The history and the beauty behind the cities here, the architecture, the creativity behind these buildings — it's a magical place.
We just wrapped up our event at Exceed, which was a cool little streetwear store near the city center. It was my third event of the tour and the team's fourth, and at each stop, it's astonishing how many fans turn out. Once again, you go to another new city, and the common thing I heard was that they appreciated us stepping outside London and meeting them where they're at. Everyone has been super appreciative of that, which was cool to see.
The event today was packed the entire time. There were basically three locations – the store, the coffee shop that Exceed owns, and then the outdoor space, and there were just lines and lines of people. I only really saw one other NFL jersey – it was mostly true Bears fans who showed up. Just Bears, Bears, Bears.
Personally, this type of event is exactly what I'm drawn to. Between the custom shirts at Exceed, the different coffee drinks next door, the DJ we had — we just had all the good vibes. And it once again showed that our Bears fans are everywhere. It's a worldwide thing.
We had some down time earlier in the week, so on Thursday we went out to a rugby practice for the Glasgow Warriors. There's been a lot of really great times on this trip, but that day is definitely up near the top for me. It took me back to when I was playing – just the camaraderie and the playing style they have. It felt like I was just hanging out with the guys.
We saw them practice, which was insane. I knew a little bit about rugby before this trip, but I didn't know the ins and outs. I feel like it's so similar to how we played football as kids. We didn't wear pads or helmets, we were just playing tackle football in the backyard. I truly didn't know how intense rugby is, from the substitution rules to the nonstop nature of the game.
And then, after their training, they let us come out on the field and mess around and have our attempt at rugby. It was a very cool day. Unmatched, really.
The week just kept getting better, though, because on Friday we took a trip to the Five Sisters Zoo just outside of Edinburgh. Gary, who is the head of carnivores there and a huge Chicago Bears fan, gave us an incredible day, which started with us meeting their two rescue brown bears, Byara and Eso. We got to feed them grapes and honey. It was unbelievable. I definitely didn't have feeding live bears on my to-do list this trip.
Gary and Adam, the head of education, also introduced us to their cheetahs, lions and capybaras. And the zoo itself is beautiful. We learned that Gary's family actually founded the zoo, really as just a rescue center for local animals at first, and has built it into something really special. The history there was special and you could feel the family atmosphere as well. I'd recommend Five Sisters to anyone visiting Scotland.
I'm excited for our last stop tomorrow in Belfast. I think it's another chance to grow our fanbase and see what it's like in a different place. It never gets old meeting new Bears fans and hearing their stories on how they became fans all the way over here. Scotland was no different and I expect the same in Belfast. And hopefully we're kicking some butt tomorrow and can get Belfast a little rowdy.
Check back in soon!
-Zach
