Arlington Park (formerly known as Arlington International Racecourse ) is a former horse race track in the Chicago suburbs of Arlington Heights, Illinois . Once called the Arlington Park Jockey Club , it was located adjacent to the Illinois Route 53 expressway and serviced by the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad .
100-718: On February 15, 2023, the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) completed their purchase of the Arlington Park property. It has been reported that the team may build a stadium on the site for its home games. Horse racing in the Chicago region had been a popular sport since the early days of the city in the 1830s, and at one time Chicago had more horse racing tracks (six) than any other major metropolitan area. Arlington International
200-638: 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
300-654: 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
400-483: 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
500-528: 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,
600-402: A citizen of Mount Prospect, Illinois , and a contestant on American Idol , performed a concert at Arlington Park for approximately 41,000 fans. Also on May 14, Arlington is featured in an episode of Undercover Boss where Churchill Downs Inc. CEO Bill Carstanjen goes to Arlington and Calder Race Course . A year later, on May 14, 2011, Haley Reinhart , of Wheeling, Illinois , also made
700-438: 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
800-471: 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
900-409: 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
1000-413: A new era in 1983 when Richard L. Duchossois led an Illinois investment group to purchase the track from its former owners and made a pledge to continue presenting championship racing; that was tested on July 31, 1985, when a small fire spread quickly out of control and completely destroyed the grandstand and clubhouse. Unsure of the future of Arlington, the meet was moved to Hawthorne Race Course - yet it
1100-481: A photo finish camera. It introduced the first electric starting gate in 1940 and the largest closed-circuit TV system in all of sports in 1967. In 1971, Arlington held the industry's first commercially sponsored race—the $ 100,000 Pontiac Grand Prix. On July 4, 1976, Arlington hosted the first races on a Sunday in Illinois. While Arlington is credited in some circles with the introduction of trifecta wagering in 1971,
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#17327754770571200-645: 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
1300-746: 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
1400-546: A profit. Kerner was eventually convicted of mail fraud, but Everett denied at trial that she intended to bribe him, and the government never identified her as a briber. In June 1973, Arlington organized a race for three-year-olds, the Arlington Invitational, to lure Secretariat to the mid-west. Secretariat won easily and Arlington created the Secretariat Stakes , also for three-year-olds but on
1500-461: 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
1600-537: 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,
1700-401: 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
1800-459: A successful trainer, rode Luxembourg to victory in the first race ever run at Arlington. Benjamin F. Lindheimer acquired control of Arlington Park in 1940 and owned it until his death in 1960. Long involved with the business, adopted daughter Marje Lindheimer Everett then took over management of the racetrack. Widely respected Hall of Fame trainer Jimmy Jones of Calumet Farms was quoted by Sports Illustrated as saying that Lindheimer "was
1900-649: A synthetic racing surface called Polytrack which is still used today. Do the Wave won the first race on the Polytrack on May 4. On May 11, Arlington debuts an alternate finish line at the 1/16 pole. Known as Arlington Park for twelve years, it was renamed Arlington International Racecourse in 2013. In 2016, Arlington debuted the Arlington Racing Club, an ownership group with the goal to garner interest in thoroughbred ownership. On May 14, 2010, Lee DeWyze ,
2000-545: 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
2100-479: 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,
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#17327754770572200-399: 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
2300-590: 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
2400-518: 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
2500-545: 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,
2600-541: 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
2700-565: 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
2800-503: 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
2900-528: 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
3000-558: 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
3100-598: 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
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3200-603: 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"
3300-481: 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
3400-736: 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
3500-405: 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
3600-486: 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
3700-406: 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
3800-510: 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
3900-523: 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
4000-740: The Bears with a newly formed Delaware-incorporated organization, the Chicago Bears Football Club, Inc. . Richard L. Duchossois Richard Louis Duchossois (pronounced DUCH-ah-swah; October 7, 1921 – January 28, 2022) was an American businessman and racehorse owner. He was the founder and chairman of The Duchossois Group, Inc., a family-owned company headquartered in Elmhurst , Illinois that had ownership stakes in Arlington Park and Churchill Downs race tracks, and did rail car and defense manufacturing. Duchossois
4100-520: 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
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4200-622: 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
4300-498: 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,
4400-812: The Board of Visitors of the United States Naval Academy . Duchossois celebrated his 100th birthday in October 2021, and died on January 28, 2022, in Barrington Hills, Illinois . He received a Purple Heart and two Bronze Stars for his military service in World War II. His awards include the 1986 American Jockey Club's Gold Medal, the 1988 Special Sovereign Award from the Jockey Club of Canada , and Lord Derby Award from
4500-594: The Chicago Bears announced that they reached an agreement to purchase the property; the sale was finalized in February 2023. Arlington International Racecourse was founded as Arlington Park by California businessman Harry D. "Curly" Brown who would later serve as president of Oriental Park Racetrack in Havana , Cuba . The track officially opened in 1927 to 20,000 spectators. Jockey Joe Bollero, who later became
4600-520: The Chicago Bears announced they had submitted a bid to purchase the land for a potential new stadium to replace their longtime home of Soldier Field (where they have played since 1971). Later in June 2021, the Village of Arlington Heights formally approved overlay zoning district for a large-scale football stadium at the site. The last race was held on September 25, 2021, with a 9-race event. The winner of
4700-572: 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
4800-946: The Horserace Writers and Reporters Association of Great Britain, the Joe Palmer Award for Meritorious Service to Racing from the National Turf Writers Association, the 2003 Eclipse Award of Merit , and in 2019 inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame . That same year, Duchossois was voted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame as one of its esteemed Pillars of the Turf . He received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Washington and Lee. In 2015, Washington and Lee University honored him with
4900-587: The New York Racing Association first offered the bet a year earlier as "The Triple". In August 2019, track owner Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI) announced that it would consider options to transfer racing away from Arlington Park after 2021. The announcement stemmed from the enactment of the Illinois Gaming Act, which provided for the legalization of sports betting and the construction of new casinos in Illinois. The law gave CDI
5000-679: The board of directors. He also owned Des Moines TV Station KDSM-TV (formerly KCBR-TV) from 1983 to 1991. He served as a director of TCMC, Inc., the Emirates World Series of Racing, and the Thoroughbred Racing Association. The Chamberlain Group was divested to Blackstone Inc in 2021. He married his high school sweetheart, Beverly Thrall. His son Craig J. Duchossois is chief executive officer of The Duchossois Group, Inc. and served as chairman of
5100-503: 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),
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#17327754770575200-662: 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
5300-626: 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
5400-471: 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
5500-640: The entire Arlington Park property for redevelopment. CDI said it would also seek the transfer of Arlington's racing license to another track in the state, but committed to Arlington's race dates for 2021 (April 30 – September 25). In response, the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (which represents thoroughbred owners and trainers at both Arlington and Hawthorne ) denounced CDI's decision, alleging that CDI "all but abandoned any meaningful commitment to Illinois racing" after their majority acquisition of Rivers Casino. In June 2021,
5600-535: The final race held at Arlington (which was named "The Luxembourg" after the winner of the first race at the track), was Sister Ruler. The final day was capped off with a showing of a documentary on the fire at the track and a fireworks show. On September 29, 2021, the Bears announced they would purchase the property for $ 197.2 million. If a stadium is approved and built, it would be the second horse racing course to be replaced with an NFL venue in recent years, as Inglewood, California 's Hollywood Park (once owned by CDI)
5700-474: 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
5800-454: 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
5900-574: 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
6000-403: 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,
6100-428: 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 ,
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#17327754770576200-418: The future of the Arlington Park property uncertain. The Bears had run into issues concerning the value of the Arlington Park land, which had been contested by the local school districts in Arlington Heights. The track had a one-mile and one-eighth dirt oval and a one-mile turf oval. There was stabling on the backstretch for over 2,000 horses. Arlington replaced its dirt course with a synthetic track prior to
6300-417: 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
6400-469: 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,
6500-469: The modern day record of 16 consecutive wins in the Arlington Citation Challenge. In 2000, reopening after a two-year shutdown caused by contractual disputes preventing racing, Arlington was purchased in September by Churchill Downs Inc. Known as Arlington Park at the time, it hosted hosted the 2002 Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships at their track. In 2007 to promote safer racing, Arlington International Racecourse invested $ 11 million to install
6600-402: 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
6700-426: The one-mile Washington Park Handicap in world record time of 1:32 1/5 - he carried 134 pounds and held that record until 1998. In 1968, Marje Everett sold the racetrack to Gulf & Western , remaining as director. The following year, she was accused of bribing Illinois Governor Otto Kerner Jr. The alleged bribes were in the form of stock options in 1961 that Kerner bought at a reduced price and then sold in 1968 at
6800-642: The opening of the 2007 season. Arlington's live racing season formerly ran from the first Friday in May to the second to last Saturday in September. Since 2001 (up until its final season of 2021) races at Arlington had been announced by John G. Dooley. The following stakes were held at Arlington in 2019. Grade I Grade III Listed Former Races 42°5′27.33″N 88°0′36.8″W / 42.0909250°N 88.010222°W / 42.0909250; -88.010222 Chicago Bears 1970 due to renovations to Wrigley Field : 2002 due to renovations to Soldier Field : The Chicago Bears are
6900-405: 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 ,
7000-410: The purchase in February 2023. On May 30, 2023, it started demolition of the interior of the main grandstand, offices, and jockey facilities in preparation for their new stadium. Demolition of the grandstand was completed on September 26, 2023. On March 11, 2024, Chicago Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren announced that the team had decided to commit $ 2 billion to build a new stadium in Chicago, leaving
7100-437: The region of Eichstätt and attained the rank of Major before he was released from active service in 1946. He received a Purple Heart for his injuries in combat at the Moselle River . Richard Duchossois joined Thrall Car Manufacturing Company after World War II and became CEO in 1952. In 1980, the firm purchased Chamberlain Manufacturing Corp. which makes garage door openers, with Duchossois becoming its chairman. At
7200-498: The right to install up to 1,200 gaming positions, such as slot machines, at Arlington Park. However, CDI – which had acquired a majority stake of Rivers Casino in nearby Des Plaines earlier that year and had already announced plans to expand it – argued that the installation of gaming positions at Arlington would result in higher tax payments of up to 20% compared to nearby casinos because of contributions needed to fund horse racing purses. In February 2021, CDI announced plans to sell
7300-410: 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
7400-400: The same time, he retained the chairmanship of the parent company, but appointed his son, Craig, as CEO. The Thrall rail car manufacturer was sold in 2001, and the defense business was sold in 2004. In 1983, as Chairman of renamed Duchossois Industries (DII), he purchased Arlington Park Race Track. In 2000, Arlington Park merged with Churchill Downs Incorporated, where DII has several seats on
7500-531: The savior of Chicago racing" and that "Arlington Park became the finest track in the world—certainly the finest I've ever been on." On July 5, 1948, Citation won the Stars and Stripes Stakes in his first appearance since winning the Triple Crown, equaling the record of the time by winning in 1:49 1/5. On June 24, 1952, jockey Eddie Arcaro becomes the first American jockey to win 3,000 races. Five years after
7600-407: The seating capacity increased to 30,000 and parking facilities expanded to accommodate 15,000, a new paddock was unveiled in 1960. In 1964, Arlington Park inherits the thoroughbred race dates of Washington Park , who is now exclusively running harness races. In 1966, future Hall of Fame jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. got his first American victory. Two years later, the future Hall of Famer Dr. Fager wins
7700-422: 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
7800-548: 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
7900-412: 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
8000-415: 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
8100-470: 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
8200-422: The top 3 on American Idol . She, like DeWyze, had a hometown concert at the track for nearly 30,000 of her own fans and supporters. Arlington was the first track to install a public-address system and employed the pioneering race caller Clem McCarthy to describe the action. It added the first electric totalizator which allowed a credible tote board and decreased time between races, in 1933. In 1936 it added
8300-478: The turf, in his honor. In 1981 under the direction of track president Joseph Joyce Jr., Arlington was the home of the world's first million-dollar thoroughbred race: The Arlington Million. The result of that race is noted in bronze at the top of the paddock at Arlington, where a statue of jockey Bill Shoemaker riding John Henry to a come-from-behind victory over 40–1 longshot The Bart celebrates Thoroughbred racing's inaugural million-dollar race. Arlington entered
8400-564: 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
8500-409: 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
8600-557: Was announced that the Arlington Million would still be held at Arlington International. On August 25, 1985, they did just that by using temporary bleachers. Three years after Joyce resigned over disagreements with Duchossois, the track was fully reopened as a new name, Arlington International Racecourse in 1989. In 1996, 34,000 fans jammed into Arlington to see the two-time Horse of the Year and future Hall of Famer Cigar tie
8700-528: 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
8800-427: 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,
8900-491: 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
9000-413: 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,
9100-489: 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
9200-502: 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
9300-569: 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
9400-472: Was replaced by SoFi Stadium , the home of the Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams . On October 27, 2021, the Chicago Bears confirmed that they are not pursuing horse racing but had no further details on their plans for the property. On March 16, 2022, the American football team announced that it have selected MANICA Architecture to help plan the new NFL stadium. The Bears completed
9500-610: Was the site of the first thoroughbred race with a million- dollar purse in 1981. The premier event at Arlington Park was the International Festival of Racing, held in early August, which featured three Grade 1 races on turf: the Arlington Million Stakes , Beverly D. Stakes and Secretariat Stakes . Owner Churchill Downs Inc. announced plans in February 2021 to sell all 326 acres of Arlington Park property for redevelopment. On September 29, 2021,
9600-484: Was the son of Ernestine (Hoessler) and Alphonse Duchossois. He graduated from Morgan Park Military Academy and attended Washington and Lee University , before starting active military service during World War II . He served in five European campaigns, including Normandy where he was a commander with the 610th Tank Destroyer Battalion of the United States Army . He served as the military governor for
9700-431: 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
9800-427: 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
9900-433: 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
10000-529: 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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