chicago bears
George Halas organized the Chicago Bear’s football team in 1919 as an independent football club. In 1920, the Chicago Bears joined the National Football League (NFL), making their home in Chicago, Illinois. In 1970, They became part of the National Football Conference (NFC) central division, until 2002, when they joined the northern division.
The Chicago Bears has remained in the Halas family since it’s inception, currently owned by Virginia Halas McCaskey since the early 1980s. The current chairman is Michael McCaskey with Jerry Angelo as General Manager and Lovie Smith as head coach.
Before the advent of the annual World Championship of Football (now known as the Super Bowl), the Chicago Bears had an impressive showing at Championship games, winning 8 times between 1921 and 1963. Since the beginning of the Super Bowl in 1967, the Chicago Bears have played two super bowls and won once, in 1985. However, the team is consistent in making it into playoff spots having had 24 appearances in playoff games since 1933.
The famous Wrigley field was home to the Chicago Bears from 1921 until 1970, when their new stadium Soldier Field was built in 1971. A new soldier Field Stadium was erected in 2003, giving the Bears a new place to call home, however during the 202 season they played at Memorial Stadium until the New Soldier field was finished.
The Chicago Bears are no stranger to the Football Hall of fame, as more than 30 of their players have been inducted as honorees, including former coach and tight end Mike Ditka. Two of the most famous inductees are Dick Butkus (Linebacker) and Walter Payton (Running Back)~Some of the more well-known inductees are linebacker Dick Butkus and running back Walter Payton}.
The Chicago Bears gained national fame through the parodies performed by the Saturday Night Live television series in the 1980s, commonly repeating ‘Da Bears’ in their skits. The SNL crew were poking fun at the Bears, because of their failure to win a Super Bowl. The Chicago Bears finally would shed this image in Super Bowl XX when the overwhelmingly defeated the Patriots 46-10.
Probably one of the most memorable ‘characters’ of the Chicago Bears was Defensive Tackle William “Refrigerator” Perry, also known as the ‘Fridge’. Perry weighed in at over 300 pounds and was a force to be reckoned with as he stormed down the field. His huge frame made him the perfect blocker for Walter Payton during the regular season.
When the Chicago Bears made their 2nd attempt at a super bowl trophy, they were 6-1/2 point underdog to Indianapolis. It turned out the Colts were able to hold the lead against Chicago, despite their early lead and exceptional play during the game. Although this was the wettest Super Bowl in history, the rain and unfortunate missed opportunities kept the Chicago Bears from realizing thieer hopes to a 2nd win.