132-434: " The Super Bowl Shuffle " is a song performed by the Chicago Bears football team (credited as the Chicago Bears Shufflin' Crew) in 1985 . It was released in December 1985 on Chicago -based Red Label Records and distributed through Capitol Records seven weeks ahead of their win in Super Bowl XX . The song peaked at number 41 on the US Billboard Hot 100 , and earned a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Performance by
264-586: A blocker , receiver , emergency punter , and quarterback . The Bears struggled to assemble consecutive winning seasons, landing only two playoff berths since his arrival. The lack of success prompted the Bears' management to replace Neill Armstrong with Mike Ditka for the season that began in the Fall of 1982 . Ditka, a tight end during the 1960s and 1970s who would also join the Pro Football Hall of Fame , led
396-571: A tight end for the Bears from 1961 to 1966 , was hired to coach the team by George Halas in 1982 . His gritty personality earned him the nickname "Iron Mike". The team reached the NFC Championship game, losing to the San Francisco 49ers 23–0, in 1984. In the 1985 season the fire in the Bears–Packers rivalry was re-lit when Ditka used 315-pound defensive tackle "Refrigerator" Perry as
528-800: A 15–1 record that culminated in a 46–10 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX . Although Payton's offensive prowess had assisted the Bears throughout the 1985 season, he did not score any touchdowns in the postseason and the New England Patriots prevented him from reaching the end zone in the Super Bowl. According to quarterback Jim McMahon , he was targeted by two or three defenders on every play, and others stated that Payton's mere presence allowed others to shine, given that at least two people were targeting Payton on every play. In
660-635: A 17–7 victory over the Los Angeles Tigers, who were a quickly put together team of West Coast college all-stars. After a loss to San Francisco, the Bears cruised to a 60–3 over a semi-pro team called the Portland All Stars. Any hopes that Grange would lead the Bears to glory in 1926 were quickly dashed. A failed contract talk led to Grange bolting to the AFL's New York Yankees , owned by Pyle. The Bears also lost star quarterback Joey Sternaman , who joined
792-475: A 24–17 victory over the Green Bay Packers . The Bears finished the 2018 season with a 12–4 record. They lost to the defending Super Bowl Champions Philadelphia Eagles in the wild-card round of the playoffs after Cody Parkey 's game-winning field goal attempt was partially tipped and hit the uprights in the final seconds of the game, a play coined the " Double Doink ". Despite the first-round exit, Nagy
924-515: A 24–21 win over the Cincinnati Bengals , making Trestman the fourth head coach in Bears history to win in his coaching debut, after George Halas (1920), Neill Armstrong (1978) and Dick Jauron (1999). The Bears ended the 2013 season 8–8, barely missing the playoffs after losing in the final week of the season to the Packers. Despite having a second-ranked offense that set numerous franchise records,
1056-471: A Duo or Group with Vocals in 1987 . "The Super Bowl Shuffle" instantly became a mainstream phenomenon, selling over 500,000 copies and reaching number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100 by February 1986. Billboard reported that the single's chart performance was propelled primarily by sales rather than radio airplay, saying, "Although the record has a great deal of pop airplay across the country, especially as
1188-438: A day after the death of George Halas, his oldest daughter, Virginia McCaskey, took over as the majority owner of the team. Her husband, Ed McCaskey , succeeded her father as the chairman of the board. Their son Michael became the third president in team history. Mrs. McCaskey holds the honorary title of "secretary of the board of directors", but has been called the glue that holds the franchise together. Mrs. McCaskey's reign as
1320-471: A day of his final game as a collegian. Despite much of the on-field success, the Bears were a team in trouble. They faced the problem of increased operating costs and flatlined attendance. The Bears would only draw roughly 5,000–6,000 fans a game, while a University of Chicago game would draw 40,000–50,000 fans a game. By adding top college football draw Red Grange to the roster, the Bears knew that they found something to draw more fans to their games. C.C. Pyle
1452-514: A final public appearance at a Chicago Cubs game with Mike Ditka , where he threw the game's ceremonial first pitch . Author Don Yaeger worked with him during the last weeks of his life to create his autobiography, Never Die Easy . On November 1, 1999, Payton died from the complications that arose from his illness. He was 46 years old. During the same week, the NFL held special ceremonies in each game to commemorate his career and legacy. In addition,
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#17328559552471584-409: A former Bears assistant under Ditka and Wannstedt) backed out of taking the head coaching position. The Bears scheduled a press conference to announce the hiring before McGinnis agreed to contract terms. Soon after Jauron's hiring, Mrs. McCaskey fired her son Michael as president, replacing him with Ted Phillips and promoting Michael to chairman of the board . Phillips became the first man outside of
1716-573: A golf course in Arlington Heights, Illinois , was renamed "Payton's Hill". There are two plaques on the hill to remind visitors of the hill that it was where Payton used to train in the 1970s and 1980s. Payton did his morning run at the hill every day. Pictures and memorabilia of Payton cover the walls of the golf course clubhouse. The asteroid 85386 Payton , discovered by the Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing observatory in 1996,
1848-444: A high-stepping, irregularly paced run. He developed this as a way to distract his pursuers during long runs, saying that it startled them into thinking and gave him some advantage over players who were actually faster runners. In his autobiography, he likened the stutter step to a kind of "option play": when he was stutter-stepping, defenders would have to commit to a pursuit angle based upon whether they thought he would accelerate after
1980-539: A later interview, Ditka stated that one of his major regrets was Payton's lack of a touchdown in the Super Bowl. Payton, who was a 12-year veteran, amassed 1,333 yards in the 1986 season . The Bears won the NFC Central Division, but lost to the Washington Redskins 27–13 in the divisional round. At the end of the 1986 season, he announced that he would retire from professional football after completing
2112-572: A magnet high school, Walter Payton College Prep , in his honor. In September 2007, the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center opened the Walter Payton Liver Center after a generous donation from Payton's family, who were pleased with the care he received there. Chicago Metra commuters have long been witness to a simple "#34 Sweetness", painted on a bridge piling of the Air Line on
2244-623: A member of the Jackson State Tigers , Payton rushed for 3,600 yards, averaging 6.1 yards per carry, and set the school record for career rushing touchdowns with 65. In 1973, Payton had a school record 24 rushing touchdowns, and was named Black College Player of the Year. He won this award again in 1974, in addition to being selected for the All-American Team . Payton graduated in 1975 with a bachelor's degree in communications. He acquired
2376-613: A midwest crane and heavy equipment distributor. In 1995, he and several partners purchased a roundhouse in Aurora, Illinois that had previously belonged to the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad . The property became known as " Walter Payton's Roundhouse ", hosting a restaurant , brewery, banquet and meeting facility, and museum. In 1999, the property received an award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation . The beers brewed at
2508-434: A novelty for morning drive programs, only a handful of radio stations are reporting it on their playlists." "The Super Bowl Shuffle" fell in line with the Bears' high-media attention as they completed their one-loss regular season. The Bears dominated their postseason opponents, including the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX 46–10. The 1985 Chicago Bears were the second sports team to have their own music video after
2640-572: A position that he held until his death in 1983. In his honor, the NFL named the NFC Championship trophy as the George Halas Memorial Trophy . After the merger, the Bears finished the 1970 season last place in their division, a repeat of their placing in the 1969 season . In 1975 , the Bears drafted Walter Payton from Jackson State University with their first pick. He won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award in
2772-679: A professional American football team based in Chicago . The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NFL Championships , eight prior to the AFL–NFL merger and one Super Bowl . They also hold the NFL records for the most enshrinees in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the most retired jersey numbers. The Bears' NFL championships and overall victories are second behind
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#17328559552472904-443: A rare liver disease known as primary sclerosing cholangitis , which may have led to his cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer). He spent his final months as an advocate for organ transplants , appearing in many commercials to encourage others to donate organs, although by the time his first appeal was recorded, his illness was already too far advanced for transplantation to have been a viable option. In April of that year, Payton made
3036-461: A result of two separate injuries. Backup quarterback Brian Hoyer started the next three games before a broken arm put him out for the season. He was replaced by Matt Barkley , who made his first career start with the Bears. None of the three quarterbacks returned for the 2017 season. In the 2017 NFL draft , the team selected quarterback Mitchell Trubisky with the second-overall pick, who sat behind newly signed quarterback Mike Glennon for
3168-525: A running back in a touchdown play at Lambeau Field , against the Packers. The Bears won their ninth NFL Championship, first since the AFL-NFL merger , in Super Bowl XX after the 1985 season in which they dominated the NFL with their then-revolutionary 46 defense and a cast of characters that recorded the novelty rap song " The Super Bowl Shuffle ". The season was notable in that the Bears had only one loss,
3300-401: A setback as the team went 4–12. The team improved to a 7–9 record in 2003 but still missed the postseason. Jauron was fired following the end of the 2003 season. Lovie Smith , hired on January 15, 2004, is the third post-Ditka head coach. Joining the Bears as a rookie head coach, Smith brought the highly successful Tampa 2 defensive scheme with him to Chicago. Before his second season with
3432-483: A similar instance where Payton said, "You won't see me when you get to the office tomorrow. Enjoy life without me." A Christian, Payton attended the non-denominational Destiny Church in Hoffman Estates, Illinois , in the years after retiring from football. In 1990, Payton, along with many other investors, sought to bring an NFL expansion team to St. Louis, Missouri , and Payton expressed his interest in becoming
3564-610: A special tribute video during halftime. The video consisted of highlight clips from Payton's career and interview segments from Mike Ditka , Virginia McCaskey , Richard Dent , and many other members of the Bears organization. Payton's wife, daughter, son, and mother were present to watch the video, which aired on Soldier Field 's Jumbotron. The Bears later named their official indoor practice and training facility at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Illinois after Payton. After Payton's death, Nickol Knoll Hill, an old landfill site turned into
3696-413: A then-best SWAC single-game scoring record by rushing for seven touchdowns (on runs of 6, 8, 2, 3, 1, 2, and 31 yards) and two 2-point conversions for 46 points as Jackson State beat Lane College , 72–0. He also set a school record with 279 rushing yards in the game. The Chicago Bears drafted Walter Payton in the first round of the 1975 NFL draft as the fourth overall pick. Payton was assigned #21 by
3828-538: A thousand games since becoming a charter member of the NFL in 1920 . Through the 2010 season, they led the NFL in overall franchise wins with 704 and had an overall record of 704–512–42 (going 687–494–42 during the regular season and 17–18 in the playoffs). On November 18, 2010, the Bears recorded franchise win number 700 in a win against the Miami Dolphins . The Bears made one of the biggest trades in franchise history, acquiring Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler from
3960-553: A week later at the Bears' practice facility after practice and these segments were interspersed in the video prior to release. The lyrics were written by Richard E. Meyer and Melvin Owens. The music was composed by Bobby Daniels and Lloyd Barry. The "referee" in the video was portrayed by Julia Kallish. Bears defensive end Dan Hampton declined involvement with the Shuffle, thinking it may have been too arrogant. The 1985 Bears were not
4092-568: Is named in Payton's memory. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on May 20, 2008 ( M.P.C. 62930 ). In September 2019, the Chicago Tribune named Payton the greatest Bears player of all time. Payton was the NFL's all-time leader in rushing yards and all-purpose yards prior to the 2002 NFL season , when Emmitt Smith broke his record. Payton also held
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4224-483: Is said to have idolized Payton, viewing the highlight film "Pure Payton" before each game. Walter's son, Jarrett Payton , was a running back for the Tennessee Titans , NFL Europe 's Amsterdam Admirals , CFL 's Montreal Alouettes , and IFL 's Chicago Slaughter . During his tenure at the University of Miami , Jarrett wore a #34 jersey to honor his father's memory. In 2009, Jarrett married on March 4 (3/4), which
4356-472: The 1977–78 season . Payton would go on to eclipse Jim Brown 's NFL career rushing record in 1984 before retiring in 1987, and would hold the mark until 2002 , when Emmitt Smith of the Dallas Cowboys surpassed it. Payton's career and personality would capture the hearts of Bear fans, who called him "Sweetness". He died from a rare form of liver cancer in 1999 at the age of 45. On November 1, 1983,
4488-402: The 1987 season . During his last season with the Bears, Payton split carries with his successor, Neal Anderson , and rushed for a career-low 533 yards along with four touchdowns. Payton's career ended with another loss to the Washington Redskins in the divisional round of the playoffs by the score of 21–17 on January 10, 1988. Over his entire career, Payton rushed for 16,726 yards, which broke
4620-399: The 1996 Washington Redskins ), and Smith was fired on December 31. Then- CFL head coach and former NFL journeyman Marc Trestman was hired to succeed Smith after an exhaustive search that included at least 13 known candidates. On March 20, 2013, Brian Urlacher's 13-year tenure with the Bears ended when both sides failed to agree on a contract. The Trestman era began on September 8 with
4752-572: The 2006 season, winning their first playoff game since 1995, and earning a trip to Super Bowl XLI . However, they fell short of the championship, losing 29–17 to the Indianapolis Colts . Following the 2006 season, the club decided to give Smith a contract extension through 2011, at roughly $ 5 million per year. This comes a season after being the lowest-paid head coach in the National Football League. The club has played in over
4884-512: The Brizzolara family (who own 8.33%), which amounts to an 80.33% ownership stake, allowing her to control the team. Former chairman and CEO of Aon Corp. Pat Ryan (17.67%) and former Aon director Andrew J. McKenna 's estate (2%) own the remainder 19.67% of the club. Ryan is also a board member. The McCaskey family has right of first refusal on stock sale, while Ryan's block has second refusal rights. In 2020, Forbes magazine reported that
5016-532: The Carolina Panthers in exchange for wide receiver D. J. Moore and multiple draft picks. The Bears opened the 2023 season with a 0–4 record, extending the team losing streak to 14 (longest in team history; dating back to the 2022 season). The team bounced back by winning five of their last eight games, but finished with a 7–10 record, placing last in the NFC North for the second consecutive season. However,
5148-530: The Chicago Bulls of the AFL . The Bears replaced Grange with Paddy Driscoll, a star football player in his own right. The Bears used the money made from the Grange barn-storming tour to sign the man that replaced him. Grange split his time between making movies and playing football. However, the time was not right to have two competing pro football leagues, and the AFL folded after only one season. Grange would return to
5280-515: The Chicago Community Trust to help Chicago families in need with clothing, shelter and food. This was consistent with Walter Payton 's lyric in the song: "Now we're not doing this because we're greedy / The Bears are doing it to feed the needy". In 2014, six of the performers ( Richard Dent , Jim McMahon , Otis Wilson , Willie Gault , Mike Richardson and Steve Fuller ) sued Julia Meyer and Renaissance Marketing Corporation, who licenses
5412-546: The Decatur Staleys , the club was established by the A. E. Staley food starch company of Decatur, Illinois as a company team. This was the typical start for several early professional football franchises. The team played independently in 1919 , winning the Central Illinois Championship. The company hired George Halas and Edward "Dutch" Sternaman in 1920 to run the team. The 1920 Decatur Staleys season
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5544-496: The Denver Broncos in exchange for Kyle Orton and draft picks on April 2, 2009. After a disappointing 2009 campaign with the team going 7–9, Mike Martz was hired as the team's offensive coordinator on February 1, 2010. On March 5, 2010, the Bears signed defensive end Julius Peppers , running back Chester Taylor , and tight end Brandon Manumaleuna , spending over $ 100 million on the first day of free agency. Also during
5676-515: The Green Bay Packers is one of the oldest and most storied in American professional sports, dating back to 1921 (the Green Bay Packers were an independent team until they joined the NFL in 1921). In one infamous incident that year, Halas got the Packers expelled from the league in order to prevent their signing a particular player, and then graciously got them re-admitted after the Bears had closed
5808-595: The Green Bay Packers , with whom they have a long-standing rivalry . The franchise was founded in Decatur, Illinois , on September 20, 1919, became professional on September 17, 1920, and moved to Chicago in 1921. It is one of two remaining franchises from the NFL founding in 1920, along with the Arizona Cardinals , which began in Chicago. The team played home games at Wrigley Field on Chicago's North Side through
5940-594: The Heisman Trophy at Jackson State. Payton married Connie Norwood in 1976. During his rookie year, he resided in a home on the north side of Arlington Heights, Illinois . The couple had two children, Jarrett Payton (born 1980) and Brittney Payton (1985) and resided in South Barrington, Illinois . Payton's marriage of 18 years came to an abrupt end when he unexpectedly served Norwood divorce papers for joint custody; however, despite not living together for most of
6072-610: The Los Angeles Rams moved to the city in 1995. Payton pursued various business ventures in retirement, including becoming co-owner of Dale Coyne Racing in the CART IndyCar World Series . He also drove in several Trans-Am Series events, including a 1993 race at Road America in which his car overturned and caught fire. He suffered burns but escaped serious injury. In 1993, Payton along with Mike Lanigan of Mi-Jack Products, co-founded Walter Payton Power Equipment,
6204-435: The Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football on December 2, 1985. Jim McMahon and Walter Payton refused to participate in the video shoot, thinking it would be better to release the song and video after the season was complete. However, the team was insistent on releasing the song and video shortly after the shoot, so the video was filmed with the remaining players. Payton and McMahon both filmed their segments separately
6336-530: The Polo Grounds . From 1940 to 1947, quarterback Sid Luckman led the Bears to victories in four out of the five NFL Championship Games in which they appeared. The team acquired the University of Chicago 's discarded nickname " Monsters of the Midway " and their famous helmet wishbone-C , as well as a newly penned theme song that declared them "The Pride and Joy of Illinois". One famous victory during that period
6468-540: The Tigers , where he was named Little All-American twice. He started his professional career with the Chicago Bears in 1975, who selected him with the 1975 draft 's fourth overall pick. Payton proceeded to win the 1977 AP NFL Most Valuable Player Award and won Super Bowl XX with the 1985 Chicago Bears . He retired from football at the end of the 1987 season having rushed for at least 1,200 yards in 10 of his 13 seasons in
6600-405: The marching band , participated in the track team and sang in the school choir . Outside of school, he played drums in jazz-rock groups. His brother Eddie was on the football team, but Payton did not play—partly to avoid competing with him. After Eddie graduated, the football coach asked Payton to try out for the team, and he agreed on the condition that he be allowed to continue playing in
6732-486: The season with only 679 yards and seven touchdowns. However, Payton led the league in yards per kickoff return. Payton was eager to improve his performance. During the 1976 season , Payton rushed for 1,390 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. After the season, he was selected to play in the 1977 Pro Bowl , where he was declared the Pro Bowl MVP . The next year, he rushed for 1,852 yards and scored 16 touchdowns, becoming
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#17328559552476864-519: The " Walter Payton Award " to the best offensive player from a Division I FCS (still often known by its former designation of Division I-AA) football team. The NFL hands out the " Walter Payton Man of the Year " award for player achievements in community service during a particular season. The wellness center at Jackson State University is also named in honor of him, known as "The Walter Payton Recreation and Wellness Center." The Chicago Bears honored Payton's career and life on November 1, 2009, by airing
6996-470: The "unlucky 13th" game of the season, a Monday night affair in which they were defeated by the Miami Dolphins . At the time, much was made of the fact that the 1972 Dolphins were the only franchise in history to have had an undefeated season and post-season . The Dolphins came close to setting up a rematch in the Super Bowl, but lost to the New England Patriots in the AFC title game . "The Super Bowl Shuffle"
7128-474: The 1970 season; playing since then at Soldier Field on the Near South Side , adjacent to Lake Michigan . The team headquarters, Halas Hall , is in the Chicago suburb of Lake Forest, Illinois . The Bears practice at adjoining facilities there during the season, and began hosting training camp at Halas Hall in 2020 after major renovations. In March of 1920 a man telephoned me ... George Chamberlain and he
7260-434: The 1985 Seattle Seahawks made one earlier in the season. The song was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1987 for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group , losing to " Kiss " by Prince . The 20th anniversary DVD was released in 2004, including the making of the video, outtakes and the music video itself. Julia Meyer has kept the copyright to the video. Over $ 300,000 in profits from the song and music video were donated to
7392-709: The 2010 offseason, Michael McCaskey was replaced by brother George McCaskey as chairman of the Bears. With a 38–34 win against the New York Jets , the Bears clinched the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye for the 2010–11 NFL playoffs . In their first Playoff game since Super Bowl XLI , The Bears defeated the No. 4 seed Seattle Seahawks 35–24 in the Divisional Round. The Bears reached the NFC Championship Game, where they played Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field – only
7524-458: The Bears establish the league's second-best offense with the emergence of quarterback Jim McMahon . The Bears' 46 defense of that season would go on to become one of the best in NFL history, setting a record for fewest points allowed. In one 1984 game, Payton was pressed into service as the team's fourth-string quarterback. Payton performed with his teammates in the widely released 1985 music video The Super Bowl Shuffle . The Bears went on to
7656-405: The Bears had to settle for second place behind Cleveland. Their only losing season came in 1929 . During the 1920s the club was responsible for triggering the NFL's long-standing rule that a player could not be signed until his college's senior class had graduated. The NFL took that action as a consequence of the Bears' aggressive signing of famous University of Illinois player Red Grange within
7788-481: The Bears had two head coaches, Dave Wannstedt and Dick Jauron . While both head coaches led the team to the playoffs once (Wannstedt in 1994 and Jauron in 2001), neither was able to accumulate a winning record or bring the Bears back to the Super Bowl. Therefore, the 1990s was largely considered to be a disappointment. Before the Bears hired Jauron in January 1999, Dave McGinnis (Arizona's defensive coordinator, and
7920-406: The Bears hired Ryan Poles as their general manager. The team hired Matt Eberflus as the franchise's 17th head coach two days later. The Bears struggled throughout the 2022 season , which included a franchise-record 10-game losing streak. They finished with an NFL worst 3–14 record, which secured the team the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft . The Bears traded the first overall pick to
8052-510: The Bears saw improvements from 2014; after USA Today projected the Bears to win three games, they doubled that total and finished the season with a 6–10 record, including a Thanksgiving win over the Packers at Lambeau Field. However, during the 2016 season, the Bears regressed heavily, compiling a 3–13 record (their worst since the NFL's change to 16-game seasons in 1978). The season included several injuries to starters and secondary players, including Jay Cutler, who only played five games as
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#17328559552478184-572: The Bears to a 3–6 (strike-shortened) record in 1982. He led the Bears to an 8–8 finish in 1983 and to a 10–6 finish in 1984 . Payton continued his success by rushing for more than 1,400 yards in both seasons. On September 19, 1984, Payton passed Franco Harris as the active leader in career rushing yards. Three weeks later, on October 7, 1984, against the New Orleans Saints , Payton broke Jim Brown 's career rushing record of 12,312 yards. In 1985 , Payton rushed for more than 1,500 yards, helping
8316-518: The Bears were incorporated at an NFL meeting, as "a new league team" after its name change. At season's end, the two competed with agent Bill Harley for ownership of the Staleys, after he negotiated a contract that was to give his brother Chic Harley and himself one-third ownership of the team as part of his contract. However, Halas and Sternaman claimed that the contract was voided when a physical revealed health impairments resultant from Harley's time in
8448-714: The Bears with a newly formed Delaware-incorporated organization, the Chicago Bears Football Club, Inc. . Walter Payton Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1953 – November 1, 1999) was an American professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Chicago Bears . Nicknamed " Sweetness ", he is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Payton began his football career in Mississippi and went on to have an outstanding college football career at Jackson State University playing for
8580-472: The Bears' equipment manager and building superintendent. Payton's legacy continues through the charitable Walter and Connie Payton Foundation. His own appeals—and, after his death, his foundation's—for greater awareness of the need for organ donations are widely credited with bringing national attention to the problem. After his appeals, donations in Illinois skyrocketed, and the regional organ bank of Illinois
8712-514: The Bears, the team rehired their former offensive coordinator and then Illinois head coach Ron Turner to improve the Bears' struggling offense. In 2005 , the Bears won their division and reached the playoffs for the first time in four years. Their previous playoff berth was earned by winning the NFC Central in 2001 . The Bears improved upon their success the following season, by clinching their second consecutive NFC North title during Week 13 of
8844-614: The Bears, with Caleb Hanie playing, lost five straight before winning against the Minnesota Vikings with Josh McCown starting over Hanie. At season's end, general manager Jerry Angelo was fired, and former Chiefs director of scouting and former Bears scout Phil Emery was brought in. Offensive coordinator Mike Martz resigned, and eventually retired, and was replaced by offensive line coach Mike Tice . The Bears made another notable move by trading for Miami Dolphins receiver and Pro Bowl MVP Brandon Marshall . The Bears became
8976-489: The Bears. After the financial losses of the 1932 Championship season, Halas' partner Dutch Sternaman left the organization. Halas maintained full control of the Bears until his death in 1983. He also coached the team off-and-on for forty seasons, an NFL record. In the 1932 "Unofficial" NFL Championship , the Bears defeated the Portsmouth Spartans in the first NFL playoff game. Due to blizzard conditions in Chicago,
9108-659: The Chicago Bears wore special #34 patches on their jerseys to honor Payton. Speakers at Payton's public funeral service, held in Soldier Field , included then National Football League Commissioner Paul Tagliabue ; former teammate Dan Hampton ; his widow, Connie Payton; and his children, Jarrett and Brittney. Among the 1,000 mourners at the private service were John Madden ; Illinois Governor George Ryan ; Chicago's mayor Richard M. Daley ; former teammates Matt Suhey , Mike Singletary , Roland Harper , and Jim McMahon ; and
9240-556: The Halas-McCaskey family to run the team. From 1997 to 2000, the Bears suffered four consecutive last place finishes within the division. In the 2001 season, Jim Miller took over as the primary starting quarterback and helped lead the Bears to a resurgent 13–3 record and division title. The 2001 team did not see any postseason success as they fell 33–19 to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round. The 2002 season saw
9372-406: The NFL (with two of those thirteen being lockout-shortened seasons). A nine-time Pro Bowl selection, Payton is remembered as a prolific rusher. He has held NFL records for career rushing yards , touchdowns , carries, yards from scrimmage, all-purpose yards, and many other categories. Payton also retired with the most receptions by a non-receiver, and he threw eight career touchdown passes. Payton
9504-705: The Roundhouse received awards in the 2000s. Payton appeared on a 1987 episode of Saturday Night Live (co-hosting with fellow football player Joe Montana ). That same year, he participated in Prince Edward of the United Kingdom 's charity television special The Grand Knockout Tournament . In 1994, he made an appearance at the World Wrestling Federation 's SummerSlam event in the corner of Razor Ramon . In February 1999, Payton announced that he had
9636-562: The Vikings, Payton was suffering with a 101-degree fever and intense flu . His longest run was for 58 yards, and he caught one pass for 6 yards. His record stood for 23 years until Corey Dillon of the Cincinnati Bengals ran for 278 yards on October 22, 2000 ( Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings set the current record of 296 rushing yards in 2007 ). By the end of the decade, Payton had received additional accolades for his exploits as
9768-656: The age of 46. His legacy includes being the eponym of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award and the Walter Payton Award , as well as a heightened awareness of the need for organ donations . Payton was one of three children born to Peter and Alyne Payton in Columbia, Mississippi . Payton's year of birth is disputed; most sources at the time of his death stated he was born in 1954. However, other sources have stated he
9900-451: The ball to his teammates or the official. He disapproved of the growing practice of touchdown celebrations; he preferred post-game antics such as rushing into the locker room and locking his teammates out in the cold while taking a long shower. Although Payton would have won the respect of his peers and coaches by his running alone, he retired as the career leader in receptions for a running back, with 492 for over 4,500 yards, and still holds
10032-538: The band. Once he began to play football, as a junior, he achieved instant success as a running back, running 65 yards for a touchdown on his first high-school carry. At 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m), he was not especially large, but his speed and strength made him one of the team's featured players. John J. Jefferson High School was integrated with neighboring Columbia High School that year; Payton and his teammates were upset that their head coach, Charles L. Boston, had become an assistant and Payton boycotted some of
10164-495: The bright orange-and-blue colors of his alma mater, the University of Illinois , and the Bears adopted those colors as their own, albeit in a darker shade of each (the blue is Pantone 5395, navy blue , and the orange is Pantone 1665, similar to burnt orange). The Staleys/Bears dominated the league in the early years. Their rivalry with the Chicago Cardinals , the oldest in the NFL (and a crosstown rival from 1920 to 1959),
10296-433: The career record for a running back, with 8 touchdown passes. Throughout his life, Payton had claimed his date of birth as July 25, 1954, a date that is cited in many of his early biographies. However, while researching his biography of Payton, Sports Illustrated ' s Jeff Pearlman discovered his actual date of birth to be July 25, 1953. Pearlman found Payton's earliest use of the later date during his pursuit of
10428-645: The club was renamed the Chicago Staleys ; Under an agreement reached by Halas and Sternaman with Staley, they received US$ 5,000 to keep the name "Staleys" for the 1921 season. In 1922, Halas changed the team name from the Staleys to the Bears . The team moved into Wrigley Field , home of the Chicago Cubs baseball franchise. As with several early NFL franchises, the Bears derived their nickname from their city's baseball team (bears' young are called "cubs"). Halas liked
10560-604: The deal with that player. The franchise was an early success under Halas, capturing the NFL Championship in 1921 and remaining competitive throughout the decade. In 1924 the Bears claimed the Championship after defeating the Cleveland Bulldogs on December 7, even putting the title "World's Champions" on their 1924 team photo. But the NFL had ruled that games after November 30 did not count towards league standings, and
10692-466: The defense greatly worsened as it set franchise worsts in categories like yards allowed (6,313). The following season was a disaster for the Bears, with the offense regressing to finish outside the top 20 in scoring. The team also allowed 50-point games in two straight weeks against the Patriots and Packers, including a franchise-high 42 points and NFL-record six touchdowns allowed in the first half against
10824-861: The featured players wore #50 jerseys as part of the company's $ 50 deal. On January 21, 2014, Misfire Records released a cover version of the song featuring acclaimed musicians ( Jim James of My Morning Jacket , John Roderick of The Long Winters , and Tim Harrington of Les Savy Fav ), comedians ( Tom Scharpling of The Best Show on WFMU , Scott Aukerman of Comedy Bang! Bang! , David Wain of The State and Stella , Kyle Kinane , and Dave Hill ), and other notables (wrestler Colt Cabana and internet cat celebrity Lil Bub ). Organized by radio host Sean Cannon with production from musician Alexander Smith, all proceeds from sales were to be donated to Reading Is Fundamental . Chicago Bears 1970 due to renovations to Wrigley Field : 2002 due to renovations to Soldier Field : The Chicago Bears are
10956-466: The first four games before taking over. The Bears ended the season 5–11 and again finished last in the NFC North. On January 1, 2018, Fox was fired, ending his tenure in Chicago with a 14–34 record. The Bears hired Matt Nagy from the Kansas City Chiefs as their new head coach in January 2018. General manager Ryan Pace signed receivers Taylor Gabriel , Allen Robinson , and Trey Burton in
11088-506: The first minority owner in NFL history. Although the NFL strongly favored a franchise in St. Louis, their efforts were thwarted because of internal dissension among the investment group members. leading the NFL to award franchises to investment groups in Jacksonville, Florida ( Jacksonville Jaguars ), and Charlotte, North Carolina ( Carolina Panthers ). St. Louis eventually received a team when
11220-636: The first pro sports team with a group song. The success of "The Super Bowl Shuffle" initiated numerous imitations from numerous teams across the league, including the Bears. Seven of the surviving 1985 Bears ( Walter Payton had died in 1999 of liver cancer) were reunited to film an updated version as a 30-second commercial promoting Boost Mobile , which was aired during Super Bowl XLIV . The seven players featured were quarterback Jim McMahon , backup quarterback Steve Fuller , receiver Willie Gault , linebackers Mike Singletary and Otis Wilson , defensive lineman Richard Dent , and punter Maury Buford . All of
11352-450: The first team in NFL history to return six interceptions for touchdowns in the first seven games of the season, with another pick-six by Brian Urlacher in Week 9 bringing Chicago two behind the record set by the 1961 San Diego Chargers . However, the Bears missed the playoffs with a record of 10–6 (after starting the season 7–1, the first team to start with the record and miss the playoffs since
11484-562: The franchise is worth $ 3.525 billion, making it the seventh richest franchise in the NFL. Chicago is the third largest media market in the United States. In a Crain's Chicago Business article, one businessman described his wishes for the team to maximize its potential. In 2009, Yahoo! Sports listed the McCaskeys as the third worst owner in the NFL, stating "[T]hey get less for what they've got than any team in our league." The club
11616-403: The franchise's most elite quarterbacks. Between 1939 and 1950, he set the Bears' passing records for most career touchdowns, yards, and completions. Many of Luckman's records stood for decades before they were eclipsed by Jay Cutler in 2014 . Cutler then went on to break Luckman's franchise record for most career passing touchdowns a year later in 2015 . After declining throughout the 1950s,
11748-605: The front office. He became the only person to be involved with the NFL throughout the first 60 years of its existence. He was also a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's first induction class in 1963. As the only living founder of the NFL at the February 1970 merger between the NFL and the American Football League , the owners honored Halas by electing him the first President of the National Football Conference ,
11880-522: The game was played at Chicago Stadium , marking it as the first indoor American football game. The success of the playoff game led the NFL to institute a championship game. In the first NFL Championship , the Bears played against the New York Giants , defeating them 23–21. The teams met again in the 1934 NFL Championship where the Giants , wearing sneakers defeated the Bears 30–13 on a cold, icy day at
12012-414: The greatest player in NFL history. Many modern NFL running backs have cited Payton as a source of inspiration. Emmitt Smith tearfully paid homage to Payton after breaking Payton's rushing record. LaDainian Tomlinson , who set numerous records during the 2006 NFL season , named Payton as one of his foremost mentors and inspirations. Ahman Green , a former player for the Bears' rival Green Bay Packers ,
12144-469: The latter, to become the first team since the 1923 Rochester Jeffersons to allow at least 50 points in consecutive games. The Bears ended the year 5–11 and last in the NFC North. Trestman and Emery were fired after the season ended. The Bears hired Ryan Pace of the New Orleans Saints to be their new general manager on January 8, 2015. On January 16, 2015, John Fox accepted a four-year deal to become head coach. In Fox's first season as head coach,
12276-478: The league's leading non-kicker for the season. He earned numerous awards that season, including the Associated Press and Pro Football Writers of America's Most Valuable Player awards. A memorable game of the 1977 season was against the Minnesota Vikings on November 20. He rushed for a then-record 275 yards, breaking the previous record of 273 yards held by O. J. Simpson . In that record-setting game against
12408-599: The nickname "Sweetness" in college. The nickname's origin is ambiguous: it is variously said to have stemmed from his personality, from his athletic grace, or as an ironic description of his aggressive playing style. Payton was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996, and he was posthumously inducted into the inaugural class of the Black College Football Hall of Fame in 2010. On September 23, 1972, during Payton's sophomore year, he set
12540-459: The offseason to complement second-year quarterback Mitchell Trubisky . The Bears also acquired linebacker Khalil Mack in a block-blockbuster trade from the Oakland Raiders to further bolster their defense, sending a package of draft picks that includes 2019 and 2020 1st round draft picks in exchange. Nagy's Bears clinched the NFC North on December 16, 2018, for the first time since 2010 with
12672-463: The owner of the Bears was not planned, as her father originally earmarked her brother, George "Mugs" Halas Jr. as the heir apparent to the franchise. However, he died of a severe heart attack in 1979. Her impact on the team is well-noted as her own family has dubbed her "The First Lady of Sports", and the Chicago Sun-Times has listed her as one of Chicago's most powerful women. Mike Ditka ,
12804-409: The record for most rushing yards by any NFL player in history, and scored 110 touchdowns. He caught 492 passes for 4,538 yards and 15 touchdowns. Payton set several team records, including most career rushing yards, receptions, touchdowns, and touchdown passes by a running back. His jersey number was retired by the Bears, and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993. Payton's motto
12936-637: The remainder of Payton's life, the divorce was never made official. Payton was inducted as a laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois and awarded the Order of Lincoln by the governor of Illinois in 1987 in the area of sports. In 1988, he received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement . In 1987, Payton accidentally shot a manager of a nightclub in Schaumburg, Illinois , that
13068-410: The roles of Piccolo and Sayers respectively; Jack Warden won an Emmy Award for his performance as Halas. The movie was later released for theater screenings after first being shown on television. Despite Hall of Fame careers, Butkus and Sayers would also have their careers cut short due to injuries, hamstringing the Bears of this era. Halas retired as coach in 1967 and spent the rest of his days in
13200-413: The rushing touchdown record until it was broken by Marcus Allen during the 1996 NFL season . He also held the single game rushing record until the 2000 NFL season , when it was broken by Corey Dillon . Payton led the league in rushing yards and touchdowns in the 1977 NFL season . Also, he was among the top-ten players for rushing attempts during his entire career, including 1976, 1977, and 1978, and led
13332-610: The school band. Even though Payton had established himself as one of Mississippi's best running back prospects, he received no invitations from Southeastern Conference colleges. After originally committing to Kansas State University , he decided to pursue his collegiate career at the historically black school Jackson State University (MS) where his older brother Eddie played football. While attending Jackson State, Payton played alongside many future professional football players, including his roommate, Rickey Young , as well as Jerome Barkum , Robert Brazile , and Jackie Slater . As
13464-422: The second playoff meeting between the two storied rivals, the only other game played in 1941. The Bears lost the game, 21–14. The team started the 2011 season strong with a 7–3 record, and running back Matt Forté led the NFL in total yards from scrimmage. Eventually, quarterback Jay Cutler fractured his thumb, and Forté also was lost for the season against the Kansas City Chiefs after spraining his MCL, and
13596-483: The song, stating the proceeds from the song should benefit charities; the six players' attorney stated, "Among other things, the plaintiffs seek that a constructive trust be established for charitable purposes that they select in order to continue the Super Bowl Shuffle's charitable objective." The video was taped at Park West, a Chicago night club, the morning after the Bears' only loss of the 1985 season, 38-24 to
13728-629: The south end of the Chicago Union Station yards. The State of Illinois has named U.S. Route 34 in Illinois as the Walter Payton Memorial Highway. Until its sale to Two Brothers Brewing in 2011, Walter Payton's Roundhouse continued to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors annually to the Aurora, Illinois site. A plaque now hangs on the building commemorating Payton. There are two athletic awards named after Payton. The NCAA gives
13860-420: The spring practices in protest, but returned during the fall season. He then earned statewide honors as a member of Mississippi's all-state team, leading Columbia to an unexpected 8–2 season. His performance helped ease the local tensions surrounding desegregation. Tommy Davis, Columbia's football coach, claimed that he could always count on Payton when the team needed to score. Payton's statistics proved that
13992-490: The stutter-step, or cut—he would read this angle and do the opposite of what the defender had committed to. He re-invented the practice of stiff-arming his tacklers, which had gone out of favor among running backs in the 1970s. At times, he used his high-school experience as a long jumper to leap over his opponents, landing on his head in the end zone to gain a touchdown in a game against the Buffalo Bills . His running gait
14124-543: The team acquired the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft , which was part of their previous trade with the Panthers, who finished the 2023 season with worst record in the NFL. The top overall pick was used on USC quarterback Caleb Williams. The team is primarily owned by the heirs of George Halas. His daughter, Virginia Halas McCaskey (holds 22.6% of the team shares), is the principal owner and votes on behalf of her 11 children and two nephews (who each own 3.8%) as well as
14256-420: The team but switched to #34 before the season started. The Bears had endured several losing seasons after the retirement of the iconic Gale Sayers in 1972 . Payton's first game was not particularly successful; he was held to zero net rushing yards on eight attempts. His best performance of the season was the final game against the New Orleans Saints , where he rushed for 134 yards on 20 carries. Payton finished
14388-412: The team rebounded in 1963 to capture its eighth NFL Championship, which would be its last until 1985. The late 1960s and early-1970s produced notable players like Dick Butkus , Gale Sayers , and Brian Piccolo , who died of embryonal carcinoma in 1970. The American television network ABC aired a movie about Piccolo in 1971 entitled Brian's Song , starring James Caan and Billy Dee Williams in
14520-415: The team through prior gifts and sales. After Mugs' death in 1979, Halas Sr. owned a 49.35% interest in the Bears, Mugs' estate owned a 19.67% interest, while Virginia McCaskey, Jim Finks (3.5%, which he later relinquished when he resigned as the team GM ), Charles Brizzolara, Robert and Carol Brizzolara in joint tenancy, and Nancy Lorenz owned the remaining outstanding shares. In 1981, the shareholders merged
14652-464: The team to move Training Camp from Ward Field on the campus of Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois to Lake Forest for 2020. The Bears opened the 2020 season with a 5–1 record. However, they lost their next six games. The Bears won three of their last four games to finish the season with an 8–8 record. Despite their finish, the Bears qualified for the 2020–21 NFL playoffs , which
14784-557: The war. The other league owners agreed to nullify the deal in favor of the Halas/Sternaman partnership by an 8–2 vote. In addition, Halas and Sternaman offered a share of the team to Paddy Driscoll, but the move was blocked by the owners in the NFL's June meeting, after the Chicago Cardinals (Driscoll's team) activated the league's reserve clause . In 1931, Sternaman offered to sell his stake to Halas for $ 38,000 to focus on his other businesses. Halas’ purchase agreement with Sternaman
14916-413: Was "Never Die Easy", which is also the title of his posthumously published autobiography. Payton attributed this motto to Bob (Robert) Hill, his coach at Jackson State. In practice, this meant that Payton refused to deliberately run out-of-bounds and always delivered some punishment to his tacklers before being forced off the field or forced down. One of Payton's signature maneuvers was the "stutter-step",
15048-409: Was able to secure a $ 2,000 per game contract for Grange, and in one of the first games, the Bears defeated the Green Bay Packers, 21–0. However, Grange remained on the sidelines while learning the team's plays from Bears quarterback Joey Sternaman . Later in 1925, The Bears would go on a barnstorming tour, showing off the best football player of the day. 75,000 people paid to see Grange lead the Bears to
15180-479: Was born in 1953. His father was a factory worker who had played semi-professional baseball ; he died in jail 1978 just a couple of hours after being wrongfully accused of driving under the influence due to a stroke that presented similar symptoms to alcohol intoxication. Payton was an active member of the Boy Scouts , Little League , and his local church . At John J. Jefferson High School, Payton played drums in
15312-556: Was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993, to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame that same year, and to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996. He was named to the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1994 and the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019. After struggling with the rare liver disease primary sclerosing cholangitis for several months, Payton died on November 1, 1999, from cholangiocarcinoma at
15444-524: Was expanded to include one additional wildcard team from each conference. The New Orleans Saints defeated the Bears in the opening round of the playoffs, 21–9. The team did not re-sign Trubisky after the 2020 season and instead allowed him to become a free agent. Prior to the 2021 season , the Bears traded up in the 2021 NFL draft to select quarterback Justin Fields 11th overall. The team also signed veteran quarterback Andy Dalton in free agency. Dalton
15576-427: Was founded by A. E. Staley Manufacturing Company owner Augustus Eugene Staley in 1919 and was owned by the company until 1921. In 1921, Staley felt he could no longer afford the expensive burden of pro-football and transferred team ownership to Halas and paid him $ 5,000 for a sponsorship deal that kept the Staleys name for one more year. Halas than added Edward "Dutch" Sternaman as a second owner. On January 28, 1922,
15708-484: Was general superintendent of the A.E. Staley Company ... In 1919, [the company's Fellowship Club] had formed a football team. It had done well against other local teams but Mr. Staley wanted to build it into a team that could compete successfully with the best semi-professional and industrial teams in the country ... Mr. Chamberlain asked if I would like to come to Decatur and work for the Staley Company. Originally named
15840-413: Was initially declared the Bears starting quarterback, but Fields won the position after Dalton was injured. The Bears finished the season with a 6–11 record and missed the playoffs. Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace were fired after the season's conclusion. Nagy posted a 34–33 record over four seasons with two playoff berths, while Pace compiled a 48–65 record over seven seasons. On January 25, 2022,
15972-447: Was intentionally set to coincide with Payton's jersey number. The city of Chicago has honored Payton's memory in several ways. In 1999, the city created a special city sticker that featured Payton. The profits from the sales of these stickers along with the special license plate created by the State of Illinois are given to support organ-donor programs across Illinois. Also, the city named
16104-482: Was key in four out of the first six league titles. During the league's first six years, the Bears lost twice to the Canton Bulldogs (who took two league titles over that span), and split with their crosstown rival Cardinals (going 4–4–2 against each other over that span), but no other team in the league defeated the Bears more than a single time. During that span, the Bears posted 34 shutouts. The Bears' rivalry with
16236-502: Was later bought off of his widow Violet for $ 50,000 in 1949 ) and he also arranged a bank loan for the remaining $ 5,000 needed to pay off Sternaman: "But it was a mighty close call. As I remember, I finally got all the money together at 11:10 a.m. on the day the final note came due. Forfeit time was 12 o’clock noon." Halas remained the club's president and principal owner until his death on October 31, 1983. Halas' children, George "Mugs" Halas Jr. and Virginia McCaskey acquired stock in
16368-553: Was named Coach of the Year by the Pro Football Writers Association and Associated Press . He was the first Bears coach to be given the AP award since Lovie Smith in 2005 and the fifth in team history. In 2019, the team regressed to an 8–8 record, though Nagy's combined 20 wins in 2018 and 2019 were the most by a Bears head coach in his first two seasons. During the year, renovations to Halas Hall were completed, allowing
16500-519: Was no exaggeration: he scored in every game during his junior and senior years. He was named to the all-conference team two years in a row. Payton also led the Little Dixie Conference in scoring his senior year and made the all-state team. In addition to excelling at football, Payton averaged 18 points a game for Columbia's basketball team, leaped three-quarters of an inch short of 23 feet in the long jump, played baseball, and continued to drum in
16632-611: Was overwhelmed with calls. In response, the City of Chicago inserted organ donation requests into city-vehicle-registration mailings in early 2000, and, by August 2000, 13,000 people had signed on to the program. The foundation continues to run a program that Payton organized to donate toys to underprivileged children across the Chicago area each Christmas . The family established the Walter Payton Cancer Fund in 2002. Pro Football Focus founder Neil Hornsby in 2010 named Payton as
16764-630: Was owned by Payton. Payton had recently bought the 9 mm French-made Manurhin Pistolet for his collection and was unaware that it was loaded. The pistol, which was described as a collector's handgun that was registered, discharged while being handed to Payton by a third party while pointed at the nightclub manager, Elmer Ray Hutson Jr.; Hutson suffered knee damage from the shooting. Payton battled with depression after his playing career. His agent, Bud Holmes, recalled Payton talked about committing suicide. His executive assistant, Ginny Quirk, also recounted
16896-410: Was somewhat unusual, as his knees were minimally bent, and the motion was largely powered from the hip. This may have given his knees, a football player's most vulnerable joints, some protection, although he underwent arthroscopic surgery on both knees in 1983. He referred to this procedure as an 11,000-yard checkup. After scoring touchdowns, Payton declined to celebrate; instead, he would often hand
17028-431: Was their 73–0 victory over the favored Washington Redskins at Griffith Stadium in the 1940 NFL Championship Game ; the score is still an NFL record for lopsided results. The secret behind the one-sided outcome was the introduction of a new offensive formation by Halas. The T-formation , as Halas named it, involved two running backs instead of the traditional one in the backfield. Luckman established himself as one of
17160-427: Was their inaugural regular season completed in the newly formed American Professional Football Association (later renamed the National Football League (NFL) in 1922). Full control of the team was turned over to Halas and Sternaman in 1921. Official team and league records cite Halas as the founder as he took over the team in 1920 when it became a charter member of the NFL. The team moved to Chicago in 1921, where
17292-433: Was to be paid off in installments, and stipulated that if Halas defaulted on any of the payments, ownership of the team reverted to Sternaman. Halas raised the initial funding by selling an 8.33% ownership stake to Ralph Brizzolara , as well as $ 5,000 of shares to Jim McMillen , and George Trafton 's mother, who paid $ 20,000 (Halas later bought her out for $ 40,000). Charles Bidwill purchased $ 5,000 in stock in 1933 (which
17424-519: Was videotaped the day after that Monday night loss in Miami. After the 1985 championship season, the Bears remained competitive throughout the 1980s but failed to return to the Super Bowl under Ditka. Throughout the remainder of his tenure, Ditka led the Bears to five more postseason berths, getting as far as the NFC Championship in the 1988 season. Between the firing of Ditka and the hiring of Lovie Smith ,
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