Misplaced Pages

Bounty Bowl

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.

The Bounty Bowl was the name given to two NFL games held in 1989 between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys . The first, a 1989 Thanksgiving Day game in Dallas , was noted for allegations that the Eagles put a $ 200 bounty on Cowboys kicker Luis Zendejas , who had been cut by Philadelphia earlier that season. The second was a rematch held two weeks later in Philadelphia. The Eagles, who were heavy favorites to win both games, swept the series.

#616383

64-567: The Cowboys/Eagles rivalry had been increasingly heated since the 1986 season, with Buddy Ryan arriving as the Eagles' head coach; the next year, during the NFL players' strike, the Cowboys (who were playing with a number of players that crossed picket lines) routed an Eagles squad filled with replacement players ; Ryan, believing that the Cowboys had run up the score in poor form, responded in kind in

128-518: A Bud Light Cup event at Texas Stadium known as the "Battle of the Bulls" during the organization's first two years of existence (1994 & 1995). In both instances, the event was won by three-time PBR world champion Adriano Morães (in 1994 he was the co-champion along with Pat Yancey). The 1995 event was also notable because of rain which turned the dirt into mud, affecting the performance of several bulls. Lacrosse On May 25, 2008, Texas Stadium hosted

192-616: A Graham crusade was the first event held at Texas Stadium. From October 17 to October 20, 2002, evangelist Billy Graham held the Metroplex Mission crusade in Texas Stadium. Several Christian musical groups also played during the event. Former president George H. W. Bush gave an introduction for Graham on the first night of the crusade. The Band Jesse Colin Young 5ive The stadium appeared in numerous episodes of

256-473: A bounty on two of the former's players, kicker Luis Zendejas and quarterback Troy Aikman : I have absolutely no respect for the way they played the game, I would have said something to Buddy, but he wouldn't stand on the field long enough. He put his big, fat rear end into the dressing room. Ryan denied the bounty accusation, saying that film of the game "show that Small had no intention of hurting Zendejas." The Philadelphia coach asserted it would have been in

320-456: A clean start for the football program (since replaced by Gerald J. Ford Stadium in 2000). The 2001 Big 12 Championship Game was held at the site. In November and December, Texas Stadium was a major venue for high school football. It was not uncommon for there to be high school football tripleheaders at the stadium. Texas Stadium served as a temporary home for two Dallas-area high schools, Plano Senior High School in 1979 after its home stadium

384-752: A defense must attack the offense's strength and centerpiece. In 1976 and 1977, Ryan served as defensive line coach for the Minnesota Vikings . The Vikings' defensive line, known as the " Purple People Eaters ", was heralded for its ability to punish rivals. The 1976 Vikings won the NFC Championship and appeared in Super Bowl XI . In 1977, the Vikings won the NFC Central and reached the NFC Championship game. During his time with

448-621: A defensive specialist and was largely credited with implementing and perfecting the 46 defense . Ryan's twin sons have been coaches in the NFL. Rex Ryan was head coach of the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets , and Rob Ryan was an assistant head coach and defensive coordinator for a number of teams. Ryan was previously married to Doris Ryan, and had three sons, including fraternal twins, Rex and Rob . They divorced after 11 years of marriage, eight months after Rex and Rob were born. Ryan met his second wife, Joanie Ryan, in 1968 when

512-519: A divisional round match at the Astrodome two weeks later on January 16. After scoring the Chiefs' first touchdown on a 7-yard pass from Joe Montana , Keith Cash fired the football at an image of Ryan's face on a banner hanging beyond the end zone. Holding no grudge against Ryan, Cash explained, "I saw it as I was crossing the goal line, and it was just impulse. I just let it fly." After being given

576-455: A farm. Ryan had battled cancer and suffered a major stroke in recent years. # denotes interim head coach # denotes interim head coach # denotes de facto general manager Texas Stadium Texas Stadium was an American football stadium located in Irving, Texas , a suburb west of Dallas . Opened on October 24, 1971 , it was known for its distinctive hole in the roof,

640-714: A few years from his true age to come off as more youthful when first looking for an NFL job." Ryan played college football for Oklahoma A&M University (now Oklahoma State) where he earned four letters as a guard between 1952 and 1955. He served as a sergeant in the United States Army during the Korean War . Ryan began his coaching career at Gainesville High School in Gainesville, Texas , in 1957 as an assistant coach under Dub Wooten. When Wooten became head coach at Marshall High School in 1959, Ryan

704-601: A former coach of Ryan's, contacted Dick Offenhamer , the head coach of the Buffalo Bulls of the University at Buffalo (UB), who needed a defensive line coach and was also preparing for the program's first season at the NCAA Division I level. From 1962 through 1965, the Bulls defense ranked among the national leaders, posting 12 shutouts in that span as well as producing Gerry Philbin . In 1964, Lou Saban ,

SECTION 10

#1732780062617

768-530: A game dubbed " Bounty Bowl " played on Thanksgiving Day at Texas Stadium . Ryan's Eagles compiled an 8–2 record against the Cowboys. On January 8, 1991, Ryan was fired by the Eagles after going 43–35–1 in five seasons, a total that included an 0–3 record in playoff games. As quoted by Eagles owner Norman Braman , "It is time to stop being a bridesmaid and become a bride." Ryan was replaced by his offensive coordinator in Rich Kotite , whom he had hired from

832-663: A large share of the credit for the success in Houston in 1993, Ryan was named head coach and general manager of the Arizona Cardinals in 1994. On arriving in Phoenix, Ryan announced, "You've got a winner in town." Ryan was cited as providing a spark of interest in the team with his outspoken nature; he also named his two sons in Rob and Rex to be assistant coaches. Ryan went 8–8 his first year , which came with an offense that

896-414: A national essay contest with the winner getting to pull the trigger that finishes off the stadium. Kraft paid the city $ 75,000 and donated $ 75,000 worth of food to local food banks to promote its "Cheddar Explosion" version of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese . The city council unanimously approved the sponsorship deal. At 7:07 a.m. CDT on April 11, 2010, 11-year-old Casey Rogers turned the key to cause

960-458: A new stadium with sky boxes and one in which attendees would have to pay a personal seat license as a prerequisite to purchasing season tickets. With two games left for the Cowboys to play in the 1967 season, Murchison and Cowboys general manager Tex Schramm announced a plan to build a new stadium in the northwest suburb of Irving. Texas Stadium, along with Schaefer Stadium (1971), Arrowhead Stadium (1972) , Rich Stadium (1973) , and

1024-503: A recent dental surgery had been less unpleasant than broadcasting a game in Philadelphia – and Eagles defensive lineman Jerome Brown was struck while standing on the sideline asking fans to cease throwing things. Eagles fan Edward Rendell later admitted that he was involved in the incident. The then-former Philadelphia district attorney , future mayor of Philadelphia and future governor of Pennsylvania bet another fan $ 20 that

1088-450: The 2008 NFL season when the Eagles faced the Arizona Cardinals in a preview of that season's NFC Championship Game. The second game in the series took place on December 10, 1989, with NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue in attendance. The game was anticipated as a media event. CBS Sports did a pre-game opening touting the contest as "Bounty Bowl II", complete with wanted posters, the involved players' pictures, and bounty amounts. During

1152-607: The Cotton Bowl in Dallas since their inception in 1960 . However, by the mid-1960s, founding owner Clint Murchison, Jr. , felt that the Fair Park area of the city had become unsafe and downtrodden, and did not want his season ticket holders to be forced to go through it. Murchison was denied a request by mayor Erik Jonsson to build a new stadium in downtown Dallas as part of a municipal bond package. Murchison envisioned

1216-640: The Dallas Cowboys to close the year out, Ryan (who mistakenly left the field before the final seconds) was fired by owner Bill Bidwill on December 26. Bidwell cited the lackluster effort by the team as the pushing factor in his decision. He spent two seasons in Arizona and compiled a record of 12–20. Ryan was an assistant on three different teams to make the Super Bowl (New York Jets, Chicago Bears, and Minnesota Vikings). He built his reputation as

1280-612: The Dallas Tornado of the NASL used it as their home stadium from 1972 to 1975 and again from 1980 to 1981 when the team folded. On November 21, 1991, the U.S. Men's National soccer Team played a friendly match against Costa Rica. Supercross Texas Stadium hosted a round of the AMA Supercross Championship from 1975 to 1977 and 1983 to 2008. Bull riding The Professional Bull Riders (PBR) held

1344-602: The New England Patriots , and became an icon of the Cowboys with their rise in national prominence. The Cowboys entered the season as defending NFC champions and won their first world title in Super Bowl VI in January 1972. The field was surrounded by a blue wall emblazoned with white stars, a design replicated in its successor, Cowboys Stadium. Texas Stadium's field alignment (between the goal posts)

SECTION 20

#1732780062617

1408-525: The Pontiac Silverdome (1975) , was part of a new wave of football-only stadiums (all with artificial turf ) built following the AFL–NFL merger . More so than its contemporaries, Texas Stadium featured a proliferation of luxury boxes, which provided the team with a large new income source exempt from league revenue sharing. It hosted its first Cowboys game on October 24, 1971, a 44–21 victory over

1472-402: The "Porkchop Bowl". The game got its name because, in the week leading up to the game, Eagles head coach Buddy Ryan choked on a pork chop while out to dinner with offensive coordinator Ted Plumb. Plumb intervened and saved Ryan's life. Philadelphia won this game as well, 21–20. Further coverage In 2008 and on April 11, 2010, the game was included on a list of the ten most memorable moments in

1536-524: The 2008 NFL season for Cowboys Stadium (opened for the 2009 NFL season) that was partially funded by taxpayers in Arlington . In November 2004, Arlington voters approved a half-cent (.005 per U.S. dollar) sales tax to fund $ 325 million of the then estimated $ 650 million stadium by a margin of 55%-45%. Jerry Jones , the Cowboys' owner, spent over $ 5 million backing the ballot measure, but also agreed to cover any cost overruns which as of 2006 had already raised

1600-506: The Cowboys players that had crossed the picket line. The controversy marred a season in which the Eagles improved to 7–8, which included a 31–27 win over the eventual Super Bowl champion Redskins at Veterans Stadium. On November 22, 1989, Ryan found himself at the center of another scandal, when Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson alleged Ryan had taken out a " bounty " on two Cowboys players—then-current Dallas (and former Philadelphia) placekicker Luis Zendejas and quarterback Troy Aikman in

1664-423: The Cowboys, who ultimately went 1-15, performed so poorly that year. Zendejas spoke of having seen ''Buddy call guys out and give them $ 100'' for what the kicker called a weekly Big Hit award but what Ryan called a Big Play award. This set of events set the stage for the scheduled rematch two weeks later in Philadelphia, dubbed "Bounty Bowl II." As for the Eagles, they would not play another Thanksgiving game until

1728-401: The Eagles' best interests to keep Zendejas in the game because he was in a slump. Ryan also joked about Johnson's accusations: I resent that. I've been on a diet, I lost a couple of pounds, and I thought I was looking good. When the Cowboys and Eagles met on Thanksgiving 25 years later, on November 27, 2014, Johnson joked that Ryan put up the bounty offer to keep his players interested since

1792-647: The Eagles, served as defensive coordinator of the Oilers, and coached the Cardinals. He was the father of NFL coaches Rex Ryan and Rob Ryan . Ryan was born on February 17, 1931, and raised in a "small, agricultural-based community" outside of Frederick, Oklahoma . His obituary in The New York Times references the confusion about the year Ryan was born: "His birth year was often listed as 1934; as Rex Ryan said in his memoir, his father had subtracted

1856-588: The Jets the previous year. Ryan subsequently became an NFL commentator for CNN . Ryan became the defensive coordinator for the Houston Oilers in 1993, and his defensive team helped propel the Oilers to an 11-game winning streak at the end of the 1993 NFL season . On January 2, 1994, in the Oilers' final regular season game against the New York Jets , Ryan was involved in a sideline altercation with

1920-564: The Vikings, he started working on a defensive nickel scheme designed to disrupt the passing game. That formed the early basis of the 46 defense . While Buddy had the title of DL coach, at the insistence of head coach Bud Grant he was actually running the defense. In 1978, owner George Halas brought in Ryan as defensive coordinator. With the Bears, Ryan created the 46 defense , named after then Bears safety Doug Plank , but it wasn't until 1981 that

1984-471: The defense in Ryan's hands "Ditka challenged Ryan to a fight during halftime" of the Bears' 1985 matchup versus the Miami Dolphins , with the team at 12–0 and trailing 31–10 in a nationally televised Monday Night Football broadcast. "The guys on the team had to separate them—the offense getting Ditka away from Ryan and defensive guys holding Buddy." The Bears went on to lose the game 38–24, which

Bounty Bowl - Misplaced Pages Continue

2048-513: The defensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears from 1978 to 1985, and of the Houston Oilers in 1993. Coaching multiple Hall of Fame defensive players throughout his career, Ryan is considered by many to be one of the greatest defensive minds in the history of American football . Ryan began his professional coaching career as the defensive line coach for the New York Jets of the AFL for

2112-465: The estimated cost of the project to $ 1 billion. AT&T Stadium, which has a retractable roof system, also includes a setting that mimics a hole in the roof as a tribute to Texas Stadium. The Cowboys lost their final game at Texas Stadium to the Baltimore Ravens , 33–24, on December 20, 2008. The stadium was scheduled for demolition and implosion on April 11, 2010, as confirmed by

2176-442: The field and make it hard for TV cameras to adjust for the changes in light. The roof was repainted in the summer of 2006 by the city of Irving, the stadium's owners. It was the first time the roof had been repainted since Texas Stadium opened. Football Texas Stadium hosted five NFC Championship Games . The 1973 Pro Bowl was held at Texas Stadium in front of 47,879 spectators. The first football game played at Texas Stadium

2240-613: The final by defeating Odessa Permian 14-9 in the semifinals at Memorial Stadium in Austin in a game highlighted by the book Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream and its film adaptation . In 1994, the stadium hosted the John Tyler vs. Plano East high school football regional playoff , whose wild seesaw finish won it the 1995 Showstopper of the Year ESPY Award . Soccer In addition to American football,

2304-667: The first ever professional lacrosse game in Texas when the two-time defending Major League Lacrosse champions Philadelphia Barrage played the Long Island Lizards . The Barrage disbanded after the 2008 season while the re-named New York Lizards remained as a member of MLL's Eastern Conference until 2020 when the MLL merged with the Premier Lacrosse League . Professional wrestling From 1984 to 1988,

2368-557: The game, Eagles' fans threw snowballs, ice, and beer onto the field. Several game participants were targeted, including back judge Al Jury and Cowboys punter Mike Saxon (both struck by snowballs), as well as Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson , who was hit with objects as he was escorted off the field by the Philadelphia Police Department . Television announcers Verne Lundquist and Terry Bradshaw were also pelted with snowballs – Lundquist would claim on-air that

2432-531: The head coach of the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League (AFL), reportedly offered Ryan a similar job with the Bills, but he received a $ 2,000 raise from UB to stay. In 1965, Ryan took a job at Pacific , before finishing his college coaching career the following season with Vanderbilt . Ryan joined the New York Jets of the AFL in 1968. He and Walt Michaels ' defensive game plan

2496-578: The history of Texas Stadium by ESPN . Buddy Ryan James David " Buddy " Ryan (February 17, 1931 – June 28, 2016) was an American football coach in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL). During his 35-season coaching career, Ryan served as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles from 1986 to 1990, and of the Arizona Cardinals from 1994 to 1995. Ryan also served as

2560-547: The latter couldn't reach the field with a snowball; Rendell lost. The Eagles won the game 20–10. As a result of the incident, the Eagles added security and banned beer sales for their last home game of the year against the Phoenix Cardinals and the subsequent NFC wild-card playoff game versus the Los Angeles Rams . Porkchop Bowl A third game in the heated rivalry took place the next season, known as

2624-611: The league in turnovers forced and surrendered the fewest yards, points, and first downs. That offseason, Ryan was hired by the Philadelphia Eagles as their head coach. Ryan released running back Earnest Jackson , who had rushed for more than 1,000 yards in both of the previous two seasons, and limited the playing time of veteran quarterback Ron Jaworski . Ryan coached players such as Randall Cunningham , Reggie White , and Andre Waters and drafted Pro Bowlers Seth Joyner , Clyde Simmons , Jerome Brown , Eric Allen , Cris Carter , Fred Barnett , and Keith Jackson . The Eagles made

Bounty Bowl - Misplaced Pages Continue

2688-635: The mayor of Irving on September 23, 2009. Many of the items in the stadium were auctioned off by the city and the Dallas Cowboys including the stadium seats, scoreboard and other pieces of memorabilia. The City of Irving announced that the Texas Department of Transportation would pay $ 15.4 million to lease the site for 10 years for use as a staging location for the State Highway 114 / Loop 12 diamond interchange . The city has

2752-414: The network run of the television series Dallas , a number of scenes were filmed on location at Texas Stadium. An overhead shot of the stadium (looking down at the field from the hole in the roof) was also featured prominently as part of the show's opening credits for each of its thirteen seasons on CBS . This trend has continued with the new series with AT&T Stadium taking its place. When opened,

2816-490: The offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride during the nationally telecast game. Ryan had been criticizing Gilbride's " run and shoot ", referring to it as the "chuck and duck." Ryan thought that last-minute defensive stands lost him two players to injuries when the offense could have simply run the clock out. At the end of the first half in the game against the Jets, Gilbride called a pass play, and when Cody Carlson fumbled

2880-410: The playoffs in 1988, 1989, and 1990. On October 25, 1987, he came under fire after a game against the Dallas Cowboys by scoring a touchdown in the final seconds, when the outcome was no longer in doubt. This was apparently Ryan's revenge against Dallas head coach Tom Landry , who Ryan felt had run up the score against the Eagles' replacement players during the 1987 players' strike , using many of

2944-455: The result of abandoned plans to construct a retractable roof . The stadium was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys for 38 seasons, through 2008 , and had a seating capacity of 65,675. In 2009 , the Cowboys moved to Cowboys Stadium (now AT&T Stadium ) in nearby Arlington . Texas Stadium was demolished on April 11, 2010, by a controlled implosion . The Cowboys had played at

3008-460: The right to relocate the staging area if redevelopment becomes available. On September 23, 2009, the City of Irving granted a demolition contract to Weir Brothers Inc., a local Dallas based company, for the demolition and implosion of the stadium. On December 31, 2009, The City of Irving and Kraft Foods announced details of their sponsorship deal for the stadium's implosion — including

3072-471: The scheme was perfected. This was due in large part to Mike Singletary 's ability to single-handedly dominate the middle of the field. The defensive players were so loyal to Ryan that when Bears head coach Neill Armstrong was fired in 1982, they urged Halas to name Ryan head coach or at least have the new coach keep Ryan as defensive coordinator. Ultimately, Mike Ditka was hired as the head coach. Ryan and Ditka "feuded openly", though Ditka mostly left

3136-478: The second game when the strike was over. After the 1988 season, the Cowboys were sold to Jerry Jones , who proceeded to gut the team and fire longtime head coach Tom Landry in preparation for rebuilding. On November 23, 1989, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Dallas Cowboys 27–0. Following the game, which was broadcast on CBS , Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson alleged that Ryan had taken out

3200-730: The second round of the playoffs, ended in a 22-21 Southlake victory (on their way to a fourth 5A state championship in five years) before an announced crowd of 46,339 at Texas Stadium. These games marked two of the top three all-time attendance figures for a Texas high school football game and the stadium recorded three of the top 20 attendance records. In 1988, Texas Stadium hosted the Class 5A championship game, where Dallas Carter , led by future New York Giants Pro Bowl linebacker Jessie Armstead , defeated Converse Judson 31-14. The University Interscholastic League later stripped Carter of its title due to numerous rule violations. Carter advanced to

3264-491: The snap, Ryan started yelling at Gilbride, who then started walking towards Ryan, yelling back. When they were at arm's length, "Ryan ... attempted to punch Gilbride in the jaw" before linebacker Keith McCants and several other Oilers players separated them. "Kevin Gilbride will be selling insurance in two years," Ryan said a few days after the incident. The Oilers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 28–20 in

SECTION 50

#1732780062617

3328-425: The stadium had many amenities that included 381 luxury suites, a stadium club where fans gathered for parties and banquets, and The Corral that provided food, beverages, entertainment and large screen televisions. However, by the 2000s other NFL teams received new stadiums that had more club and luxury seating than Texas Stadium had, so the Dallas Cowboys asked for a new stadium. The Cowboys left Texas Stadium after

3392-410: The stadium hosted the annual World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) David Von Erich "Memorial Parade of Champions " professional wrestling card every May. The initial 1984 card drew more than 40,000 fans, the highest attendance of any wrestling card in the state of Texas at that time. Religious gatherings The stadium hosted religious gatherings such as Promise Keepers and Billy Graham crusades;

3456-475: The stands but not the playing field itself. Cowboys linebacker D. D. Lewis once famously said that "Texas Stadium has a hole in its roof, so God can watch His favorite team play". The open roof allowed snow to cover the field in the Thanksgiving Day game against the Miami Dolphins in 1993 . The unusual roof also introduced a unique difficulty in televising games, as sunlight would cover part of

3520-489: The team's Super Bowl III victory. He became the defensive line coach for the Minnesota Vikings , overseeing the Purple People Eaters . He then became the defensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears , who won Super Bowl XX . As defensive coordinator of the Bears, he is credited with creating the 46 defense , and the 1985 team led the league in nearly all defensive statistical categories. Ryan then coached

3584-702: The television series, Walker, Texas Ranger (1993–2001), which was filmed in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex . The stadium appeared in the 1999 movie Any Given Sunday being the home of the "Dallas Knights" in the film. The stadium has also appeared in the season one finale of Friday Night Lights As a setting for the State Championship game between the Dillon Panthers and the West Cambria Mustangs. Throughout

3648-737: The two lived in the same apartment building in the Bayside neighborhood of Queens , while he was an assistant coach with the New York Jets. The two married in 1970. She died in September 2013 after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease . Ryan died on June 28, 2016, on his ranch in Shelbyville, Kentucky , at the age of 85, after a lengthy illness. He was buried at Lawrenceburg Cemetery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky , where he also had

3712-436: Was damaged by a prank gone awry , and Highland Park High School while a new stadium on campus was being built. The stadium has also played host to the two largest capacity crowds for Texas high school football playoff games. In 1977, Plano defeated Port Neches-Groves 13-10 in front of a record crowd of 49,953. In 2006, the matchup between Trinity High School from Euless , and Carroll Senior High School from Southlake , in

3776-420: Was in the bottom five of both total offense and scoring offense; the eight wins were the most for the franchise since the move to Arizona along with their first non-losing season since 1984. The following year did not go as well. He was fired after the Cardinals crumbled to 4–12 the following season , which saw them lose seven of their final eight games. After a miserable 37–13 loss on Monday Night Football to

3840-485: Was instrumental in holding the NFL's Baltimore Colts to seven points in Super Bowl III and earning Ryan his first Super Bowl ring . Seeing the emphasis that Weeb Ewbank placed on protecting Joe Namath and his fragile knees, Ryan created multiple blitz packages (i.e. the "59 blitz", the "Taco Bell blitz", and the "Cheeseburger blitz") reasoning that the quarterback is the focal point of any offense, and that

3904-467: Was on October 15, 1971, when Texas Southern defeated Bishop 34–21 in a college football game. The stadium hosted numerous neutral-site college football games and was the home field of the SMU Mustangs for eight seasons, from 1979 through 1986. After the school returned from an NCAA-imposed suspension in 1988, school officials moved games back to the school's on-campus Ownby Stadium to signify

SECTION 60

#1732780062617

3968-689: Was promoted to head coach at Gainesville where he was also the athletic director. After one season at Gainesville, he spent one year as an assistant coach in Marshall, Texas . In 1961, after completing service in the military, (which included playing on the Fourth Army championship football team in Japan) Ryan was determined to continue coaching football when he returned, and not at the high school ranks. However, with so many great coaches already in Texas, college jobs were hard to find. Carl Speegle,

4032-469: Was southwest-to-northeast, perpendicular to the Cotton Bowl, which is southeast-to-northwest. The most distinctive element of Texas Stadium was its partial roof, the only one in the NFL. The roof was originally supposed to be the first retractable roof in the NFL. However, it was discovered that the structure could not support the additional weight. This resulted in a partial roof that covered most of

4096-501: Was their only loss of the season. However, the team would go on to Super Bowl XX where they would dominate the New England Patriots 46–10. The Bears defense carried Ryan off the field on their shoulders "...right behind Mike Ditka", who was also being carried off the field. This was the first time two coaches were ever carried off the field at the Super Bowl. The Bears defense set several NFL records in 1985, and led

#616383