Cross Country
A Bears Fan by Any Other Name
Most people who come to the Macon County Court in Decatur, Ill., to change their names end up with monikers like "Majesty." But Scott Wiese is not most people. Nor, for much longer, will he be Scott Wiese.
That's because Wiese told 200 people in Decatur's Katz Piano Bar that he'd change his name to Peyton Manning, quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, if his beloved Bears came up short in the Super Bowl. Which they did.
"I made the bet, and now I've got to keep it," says Wiese, 26. Aside from his new name, he'll have little in common with the Super Bowl MVP. Manning is 6 foot 5 and has a contract worth more than $100 million. Wiese stands 5 foot 11 and works at a Staples office-supply store for somewhat less.
"I couldn't believe he actually did it," Lisa Fore, the court clerk who handled Wiese's application, told U.S. News. "He paid $205 for the privilege." Fore, herself a Bears fan, says Wiese will have to go before a judge in the coming weeks to affirm that he actually wants to change his name. The judge could deny the request. Decatur is still Bears territory, after all.
With Chris Wilson, Bret Schulte, Liz Halloran, Will Sullivan, Alex Kingsbury and Associated Press
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