Robbie Gould tried to leave Chicago, but he just couldn’t do it.



His flight Wednesday had been cancelled because of the polar vortex. He hung around O’Hare for awhile, hoping to get on a later flight. But flight after flight were cancelled, and his chances of getting out of town for the Super Bowl festivities were looking worse and worse.



So his brother-in-law offered to drive him to Atlanta. That’s where Gould is scheduled to make appearances as one of 32 finalists for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, which will be announced Saturday at the NFL Honors.



On his drive down south, we had a long talk. We talked about his Bears days, his second life as a 49er, what he wants for the rest of his career, his charity work and why Chicago keeps calling him home.



Gould loves Chicago almost unreasonably, like a dreamy-eyed lover who couldn’t see the flaws if he tried. Despite its weather, its traffic and its politics, it is the...