234-542: The Chicago Bears American football franchise is a charter member of the National Football League (NFL), and has played in all of the league's 100 seasons. The team has captured nine NFL championships – eight NFL championships and one Super Bowl – second most all time behind the Green Bay Packers . The franchise has also recorded more victories than any other franchise (739), retired
468-638: 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
702-401: A "2–3" format, first two games were played at the home of the team who did not have home-field advantage. Then the last three games were played at the home of the team, with home-field advantage. Thus the first two games were played at Wrigley Field and the next three at the home of their opponents, San Diego. A common and unfounded myth is that since Wrigley Field did not have lights at that time
936-661: A 108-year World Series championship drought, both of which are record droughts in Major League Baseball . The 108-year drought was also the longest such occurrence in all major sports leagues in the United States and Canada . Since the start of divisional play in 1969, the Cubs have appeared in the postseason 11 times through the 2024 season. The Cubs are known as "the North Siders", a reference to
1170-549: A 10–1–0 tie for first place in the Western Division. Since the teams split their two regular season match-ups, which turned out to be each team's only loss of the season, a one-game playoff was set up. The Bears won 33–14, moving on to rout the New York Giants 37–9 in the 1941 NFL Championship . The Bears started the 1942 season well before Halas departed for World War II. 45 players on the team also joined
1404-765: A 10–2 record, but lost a key game against the Cardinals that gave them the Western Division Championship. In 1949 , the Bears continued to be one of the best-performing teams in the NFL, but fell a game short of making the Championship again. Their success continued into 1950 , as they began the new decade in style by finishing 9–3, enough to earn them a tie for the Western Division with the Los Angeles Rams , whom they played against in
1638-471: A 12–4 record and earning home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. In a divisional playoffs game on New Year's Eve, the Bears faced the Philadelphia Eagles and former defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan in a game that would be known as the " Fog Bowl ". Late in the second quarter, fog began to roll in from Lake Michigan before immersing Soldier Field by the third quarter, which made viewing
1872-550: A 14–6 upset preventing the Bears from three-peating . In the 1943 season , the Bears dominated the Western Division behind the quarterbacking of Luckman, who threw for 433 yards and seven touchdowns that season in a single game against the New York Giants . In the 1943 Championship Game , the Redskins were no challenge to the Bears, who won 41–21 before a crowd of 34,320 at Wrigley Field behind Luckman's five touchdowns and Nagurski's final touchdown run. The Bears' domination took
2106-654: 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
2340-416: 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
2574-528: 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,
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#17327729348972808-456: A 50 percent discount on tickets, further hobbling the company's bottom line. The financial troubles did not dissuade Halas from improving the team. By the time the team took the field for the 1921 season , Halas had almost completely jettisoned the Staleys' works team roots. All but two local men and one Staley employee were gone from the roster and replaced with former college players. After
3042-538: A 7–6–1 record and a second-place finish in the Central Division. Halas stated that he did not retire from coaching because of his age, but because the hip injury he had sustained as a baseball player made it almost impossible for him to stand on the sidelines during games. With Jim Dooley 's appointment in Halas' place, the Bears finished the 1968 season with a 7–7 record. The low point of the season, however,
3276-491: A blow when Jim McMahon suffered an injury from an illegal hit by Packers defender Charles Martin . McMahon threw an interception and was slammed into the turf by Martin, injuring his shoulder and ending his season, which had already been subpar. Doug Flutie took over, but proved to be ineffective as the Bears were shocked by the Washington Redskins in the divisional playoffs, 27–13. A notable game that season
3510-516: A charter member of the NFL. Halas was among the driving forces of this meeting, which gave birth to what is now the NFL. In their first season as part of the APFA, the Staleys won 10 games, all by shutouts, but lost the first league championship to the Akron Pros , who finished the season unbeaten at 8–0–3. There was no official scheduling in the 1920 season , which accounted for the difference in
3744-439: A controversial figure in the clubhouse after his corked-bat incident , Sosa's actions alienated much of his once strong fan base as well as the few teammates still on good terms with him, to the point where his boombox was reportedly smashed after he left to signify the end of an era. The disappointing season also saw fans start to become frustrated with the constant injuries to ace pitchers Mark Prior and Kerry Wood. Additionally,
3978-438: 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
4212-471: 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
4446-572: A double-play combination by Franklin P. Adams ' poem " Baseball's Sad Lexicon ". The poem first appeared in the July 18, 1910, edition of the New York Evening Mail . Mordecai "Three-Finger" Brown , Jack Taylor , Ed Reulbach , Jack Pfiester , and Orval Overall were several key pitchers for the Cubs during this time period. With Chance acting as player-manager from 1905 to 1912, the Cubs won four pennants and two World Series titles over
4680-471: A down-to-the-wire Wild Card chase with the San Francisco Giants , Chicago and San Francisco ended the regular season tied, and thus squared off in a one-game playoff at Wrigley Field. Third baseman Gary Gaetti hit the eventual game-winning homer in the playoff game. The win propelled the Cubs into the postseason for the first time since 1989 with a 90–73 regular-season record. Unfortunately,
4914-459: A fast start in 1999, they collapsed again (starting with being swept at the hands of the cross-town White Sox in mid-June) and finished in the bottom of the division for the next two seasons. Despite losing fan favorite Grace to free agency and the lack of production from newcomer Todd Hundley , skipper Don Baylor 's Cubs put together a good season in 2001. The season started with Mack Newton being brought in to preach "positive thinking". One of
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#17327729348975148-548: A five-year span. Although they fell to the "Hitless Wonders" White Sox in the 1906 World Series , the Cubs recorded a record 116 victories and the best winning percentage (.763) in Major League history. With mostly the same roster, Chicago won back-to-back World Series championships in 1907 and 1908 , becoming the first Major League club to play three times in the Fall Classic and the first to win it twice. However,
5382-409: 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
5616-614: A franchise-worst 1–13 record. Their hopes worsened due to the fact that they had the number-two pick, while the Pittsburgh Steelers had the first overall pick (with the Bears defeating them), allowing them to draft future Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw . The horror of the season came in November 1969, when Piccolo began suffering breathing problems and was diagnosed with lung cancer . On June 16, 1970, seven months after his diagnosis, Piccolo lost his battle with lung cancer at
5850-490: A half a game for the 1956 Western Division Championship. The magical season ended sourly, however, as the Bears were no match for the New York Giants in the 1956 NFL Championship , as the Bears were blasted in a 47–7 rout in New York City. The magic of the championship season was short-lived, as in 1957 the Bears dropped from first to below .500 with a 5–7 record, prompting Halas to quickly fire Driscoll and return to
6084-591: A majority interest in the Cubs in 2009, ending the Tribune years. Apparently handcuffed by the Tribune's bankruptcy and the sale of the club to the Ricketts siblings, led by chairman Thomas S. Ricketts , the Cubs ' quest for a NL Central three-peat started with notice that there would be less invested into contracts than in previous years. Chicago engaged St. Louis in a see-saw battle for first place into August 2009, but
6318-462: A minor leaguer. Reliever Tim Stoddard (10–6 3.82, 7 saves) was acquired the same day for a minor leaguer; veteran pitcher Ferguson Jenkins was released. The team's commitment to contend was complete when Green made a midseason deal on June 15 to shore up the starting rotation due to injuries to Rick Reuschel (5–5) and Sanderson. The deal brought 1979 NL Rookie of the Year pitcher Rick Sutcliffe from
6552-500: A new football league. In the interest of ticket sales and crowning a yearly champion, they decided to form the American Professional Football Association, which changed its name to National Football League (NFL) in 1922. On October 3, 1920, the Staleys played their first NFL game. Official team and league records cite Halas as the team's founder as he took over the team in 1920, when it became
6786-638: A no-hitter against the Astros , and six days later the team clinched by beating St. Louis at Wrigley. The club ended the season with a 97–64 record and met Los Angeles in the NLDS . The heavily favored Cubs took an early lead in Game 1, but James Loney 's grand slam off Ryan Dempster changed the series' momentum. Chicago committed numerous critical errors and were outscored 20–6 in a Dodger sweep, which provided yet another sudden ending. The Ricketts family acquired
7020-522: A perfect season. Around this time, the Bears filmed a music video called " The Super Bowl Shuffle ". In the divisional playoffs , the Bears shut out the New York Giants 21–0 on a bitterly cold and windy afternoon. The Bears then faced the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC championship in another shutout, winning 24–0 and advancing to the Super Bowl. In Super Bowl XX , the Bears were heavily favored to beat
7254-403: A pinnacle in 1963 , when they broke the Green Bay Packers ' three-year stranglehold on the Western Division and the NFL by posting an 11–1–2 record. In the 1963 NFL Championship Game at Wrigley Field , the Bears battled the New York Giants in front of 45,801 fans on a bone-chilling afternoon, winning their eighth Championship 14–10 as Bill Wade scored both touchdowns for the Bears. However,
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7488-501: A pitcher's duel with D-Backs ace Brandon Webb , to "....save Zambrano for (a potential) Game 4." The Cubs, however, were unable to come through, losing the first game and eventually stranding over 30 baserunners in a three-game Arizona sweep. The Tribune company, in financial distress, was acquired by real-estate mogul Sam Zell in December 2007. This acquisition included the Cubs. However, Zell did not take an active part in running
7722-541: A player and manager. His departure after 22 years led local newspaper reporters to refer to the Colts as the "Orphans". After the 1900 season , the American Base-Ball League formed as a rival professional league. The club's old White Stockings nickname (eventually shortened to White Sox) was adopted by a new American League neighbor to the south . In 1902, Spalding, who by this time had revamped
7956-596: 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
8190-480: A positive springboard since the Cubs were to play a crucial series with the Mets the next day. But Willie Stargell drilled a two-out, two-strike pitch from the Cubs' ace reliever, Phil Regan, onto Sheffield Avenue to tie the score in the top of the ninth. The Cubs would lose 7–5 in extra innings.[6] Burdened by a four-game losing streak, the Cubs traveled to Shea Stadium for a short two-game set. The Mets won both games, and
8424-471: A record 120 games 7 years earlier), would go on to win the World Series. The Cubs, despite a respectable 92–70 record, would be remembered for having lost a remarkable 17½ games in the standings to the Mets in the last quarter of the season. Following the 1969 season, the club posted winning records for the next few seasons, but no playoff action. After the core players of those teams started to move on,
8658-461: 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
8892-538: A rough start, which included a brawl between Michael Barrett and Carlos Zambrano , the Cubs overcame the Milwaukee Brewers , who had led the division for most of the season. The Cubs traded Barrett to the Padres, and later acquired catcher Jason Kendall from Oakland. Kendall was highly successful with his management of the pitching rotation and helped at the plate as well. By September, Geovany Soto became
9126-537: 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,
9360-654: A serious contender for the National League pennant. In 2006, the bottom fell out as the Cubs finished 66–96, last in the National League Central . After finishing last in the NL Central with 66 wins in 2006, the Cubs re-tooled and went from "worst to first" in 2007. In the offseason they signed Alfonso Soriano to a contract at eight years for $ 136 million, and replaced manager Dusty Baker with fiery veteran manager Lou Piniella . After
9594-401: 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
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9828-480: A slight fall in as they posted a mediocre result in 1944 and a losing season in 1945 . After Halas returned to the team in 1946 and many players returned from service in the war, the team was able to find their old magic again, finishing the regular season 8–2–1 to claim another Western Division title and a return trip to the Championship Game . The Bears won their last NFL Championship of the decade over
10062-509: A somber note with the death of broadcaster Harry Caray . After the retirement of Sandberg and the trade of Dunston, the Cubs had holes to fill, and the signing of Henry Rodríguez to bat cleanup provided protection for Sammy Sosa in the lineup, as Rodriguez slugged 31 round-trippers in his first season in Chicago. Kevin Tapani led the club with a career-high 19 wins while Rod Beck anchored
10296-507: A strong bullpen and Mark Grace turned in one of his best seasons. The Cubs were swamped by media attention in 1998, and the team's two biggest headliners were Sosa and rookie flamethrower Kerry Wood . Wood's signature performance was one-hitting the Houston Astros , a game in which he tied the major league record of 20 strikeouts in nine innings. His torrid strikeout numbers earned Wood the nickname "Kid K", and ultimately earned him
10530-563: A strong top-to-bottom rotation, and Smith was one of the top closers in the game. The shift in the Cubs' fortunes was characterized June 23 on the "NBC Saturday Game of the Week" contest against the St. Louis Cardinals; it has since been dubbed simply " The Sandberg Game ". With the nation watching and Wrigley Field packed, Sandberg emerged as a superstar with not one, but two game-tying home runs against Cardinals closer Bruce Sutter . With his shots in
10764-545: 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
10998-679: A week later. The Bears held a 17–10 lead in the early moments of the second half, only to see the Eagles soar back, moving on to the next round with a 27–17 victory. The Bears did not return to the playoffs under Armstrong, and in 1980 , they fell below .500 with a 7–9 record (despite some seminal moments in Bear lore). On October 6, 1980, Payton broke the Bears' all-time franchise all-purpose yardage total previously held by Gale Sayers , with 9,462 career yards. On Thanksgiving in Detroit, Dave Williams took
11232-486: A winning record (83–78) for the third consecutive season, the first time the club had done so since 1972 , and a new era of ownership under the Ricketts family was approved by MLB owners in early October. Rookie Starlin Castro debuted in early May (2010) as the starting shortstop. The club played poorly in the early season, finding themselves 10 games under .500 at the end of June. In addition, long-time ace Carlos Zambrano
11466-510: Is known as the "June Swoon". Again, the Cubs' unusually high number of day games is often pointed to as one reason for the team's inconsistent late-season play. Wrigley died in 1977. The Wrigley family sold the team to the Chicago Tribune for $ 20.5 million in 1981, ending the family's 65-year relationship with the Cubs. After over a dozen more subpar seasons, in 1981 the Cubs hired GM Dallas Green from Philadelphia to turn around
11700-422: The 1918 World Series , Boston's last Series championship until 2004. Beginning in 1916, Bill Wrigley of chewing-gum fame acquired an increasing quantity of stock in the Cubs and by 1921, he was the majority owner. Meanwhile, Bill Veeck, Sr. began his tenure as team president in 1919. Veeck would hold that post throughout the 1920s and into the 1930s. The management team of Wrigley and Veeck came to be known as
11934-399: The 1956 Championship but winning the 1963 Championship . Despite these rough years, players like Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus thrived in their careers. In 1947 , the Bears got off to a slow start by losing their first two games. The team rebounded, however, and quickly ran off an eight-game winning streak to get back into the race for first place in the Western Division. After losing to
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#173277293489712168-537: The 1961 season , the Bears rebounded off a losing season to finish in fourth place in the conference with a record of 8–6, as rookie tight end Mike Ditka made an instant impact by collecting 1,076 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns, setting a team record for rookies with 56 receptions, while winning the NFL Rookie of the Year Award . The Bears also made their first trip out of American soil into Canada to take on
12402-479: 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,
12636-399: 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
12870-590: 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
13104-549: The American Football League (AFL), the 1970s began with the end of an era for the NFL, especially for the Bears. The sport, which once lagged behind baseball and college football in terms of popularity, was seeing a huge rise with the advent of the Super Bowl , with bigger venues being needed to support fans. Wrigley Field (which was also the home of Major League Baseball (MLB)'s Chicago Cubs ) had been
13338-705: The American League (AL)’s Chicago White Sox . The Cubs, first known as the White Stockings, were a founding member of the NL in 1876 , becoming the Chicago Cubs in 1903 . Throughout the club's history, the Cubs have played in a total of 11 World Series. The 1906 Cubs won 116 games, finishing 116–36 and posting a modern-era record winning percentage of .763, before losing the World Series to
13572-518: 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
13806-551: The Canadian Football League (CFL)'s Montreal Alouettes (the original franchise) in a game that the Bears won 34–16. The 1962 season was the second that saw a rookie who would make an immediate impact with the team–in this case, running back Ronnie Bull , who went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award as the Bears finished in third place in the conference with a solid 9–5 record. The Bears' rookie success hit
14040-545: 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,
14274-541: 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
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#173277293489714508-544: The Chicago Cardinals , in 1959 ) on the Near South Side of Chicago, and played their first game there against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 19, 1971 , which they won 17–15. However, the Bears ended up finishing their first season at the stadium with a record of 6–8, leading to the termination of head coach Jim Dooley . Dooley's replacement Abe Gibron did not start his tenure any better with
14742-724: The Chicago Whales of the short-lived Federal League . As principal owners, the pair moved the club from the West Side Grounds to the much newer Weeghman Park , which had been constructed for the Whales only two years earlier, where they remain to this day. The Cubs responded by winning a pennant in the war-shortened season of 1918, where they played a part in another team's curse : the Boston Red Sox defeated Grover Cleveland Alexander 's Cubs four games to two in
14976-482: The Chicago White Sox ("The Hitless Wonders") by four games to two. The Cubs won back-to-back World Series championships in 1907 and 1908 , becoming the first major league team to play in three consecutive World Series, and the first to win it twice. Most recently, the Cubs won the 2016 National League Championship Series and 2016 World Series , which ended a 71-year National League pennant drought and
15210-410: The Chicago White Stockings , playing their home games at West Side Grounds . Six years later, they joined the National League (NL) as a charter member. In the runup to their NL debut, owner William Hulbert signed various star players, such as pitcher Albert Spalding and infielders Ross Barnes , Deacon White , and Adrian "Cap" Anson . The White Stockings quickly established themselves as one of
15444-652: The Cy Young Award . The Cubs 1984 starting lineup was very strong. It consisted of LF Matthews (.291 14–82 101 runs 17 SB), C Jody Davis (.256 19–94), RF Keith Moreland (.279 16–80), SS Larry Bowa (.223 10 SB), 1B Leon "Bull" Durham (.279 23–96 16SB), CF Dernier (.278 45 SB), 3B Ron Cey (.240 25–97), Closer Lee Smith (9–7 3.65 33 saves) and 1984 NL MVP Ryne Sandberg (.314 19–84 114 runs, 19 triples, 32 SB). Reserve players Hebner, Thad Bosley , Henry Cotto , Hassey and Dave Owen produced exciting moments. The bullpen depth of Rich Bordi , George Frazier , Warren Brusstar and Dickie Noles did their job in getting
15678-402: The Dallas Cowboys under Tom Landry . The year 1967 not only saw the NFL's first Super Bowl , but also the final retirement of George Halas (then 72 years old), 47 years after his first season with the team. At the time of his retirement, Halas had 324 coaching wins, a record that stood until 1993, when it was broken by Don Shula . In Halas' final season , the Bears played respectably with
15912-417: 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
16146-440: 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
16380-399: The Detroit Tigers in the 1908 World Series . After losing an extra-inning game in Game 1, the Cubs rallied and took a three-games-to-one lead over the Wild Card Florida Marlins in the National League Championship Series . Florida shut the Cubs out in Game 5, but the Cubs returned home to Wrigley Field with young pitcher Mark Prior to lead the Cubs in Game 6 as they took a 3–0 lead into
16614-433: The Giants in the Championship Game , which became known as the "Sneakers Game". The Bears would play in the NFL Championship Game two more times that decade, losing both of them. In 1935 and 1936 , the Bears remained somewhat competitive, but failed to qualify for the Championship. In 1937 , they made a return to the Championship Game , but fell short as Sammy Baugh and the Washington Redskins won 28–21. In 1938 ,
16848-528: 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
17082-558: 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
17316-489: The Honey Bears . Despite the squad's success, Halas' daughter Virginia Halas McCaskey terminated the group in 1985 after Super Bowl XX , starting claims of a "Honey Bear Curse". Payton had a breakout year in 1977 , rushing for a team record of 1,852 yards, highlighted by a single-game performance of 275 yards, which established a single-game record that would stand for the next two decades. That same year, Payton won
17550-504: The Los Angeles Rams 17–14 in the second-to-last game of the season, the Bears and the Chicago Cardinals faced off in the final game of the season, with the Western Division title on the line. The Cardinals would stun the Bears 30–21 en route to the NFL Championship . In 1948 , for the second season in a row, the Bears put together another great regular season, but fell short to their inner city rival Cardinals. The Bears posted
17784-485: The Minnesota Vikings . Eventually, in week nine, the Bears beat the 49ers 26–10, sacking Joe Montana a seven times. In week 11, the Bears handed the Dallas Cowboys their worst home loss in franchise history, beating them 44–0 and clinching the division for Chicago. In week 12, the Bears suffered their only defeat, a 38–24 loss to the Miami Dolphins , retaining their status as the lone team to have ever had
18018-669: The NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award and the NFL MVP Award . Behind the performance of Payton, the Bears won their final six games of the season to finish second place with a 9–5 record, which landed them in the NFC Wild Card spot. However, they were outpowered and overmatched in their first playoff game since 1963, as the eventual Super Bowl champion, the Dallas Cowboys , defeated them 37–7 in Dallas. At
18252-611: 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
18486-585: The New England Patriots . The Bears started shakily as Payton fumbled deep in Bears territory. On the subsequent possession, the Patriots were unable to advance the football and had to settle for a field goal, taking a 3–0 lead. However, their lead was short-lived as the Bears struck back by scoring the next 44 points, including a touchdown by Perry. The Bears won the game 46–10, capturing their first NFL championship since 1963 (three years prior to
18720-614: The New York Giants 24–14 before a record crowd of 58,346 at the Polo Grounds in New York; this would be the Bears' last Championship for the next 16 years. During this span of 34 seasons, the Bears had a combined record of 237–224–9, and finished 17 of those seasons with a record of .500 or better. Out of those 17 seasons, they won the NFL Western Division twice and qualified for the playoffs only five times, losing
18954-641: The Philadelphia Phillies cut the lead to two by the All-star break, as the Cubs sat 19 games over .500, but they swooned late in the season, going 20–40 after July 31. The Cubs finished in fourth place at 81–81, while Philadelphia surged, finishing with 101 wins. The following two seasons also saw the Cubs get off to a fast start, as the team rallied to over 10 games above .500 well into both seasons, only to again wear down and play poorly later on, and ultimately settling back to mediocrity. This trait
19188-538: 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
19422-524: The San Francisco 49ers at Wrigley Field on December 12. The new element of Sayers helped the Bears finish the season in third place with a 9–5 record. Sayers continued his offensive successes in 1966 , with a record 2,440 all-purpose yards, but the team still finished with a 5–7–2 season. Meanwhile, Mike Ditka abruptly retired at the end of the season, dissatisfied with Halas' unwillingness to spend money on talent; he would become an assistant coach for
19656-638: The Yankees featured Babe Ruth's " called shot " at Wrigley Field in game three. There were some historic moments for the Cubs as well; In 1930, Hack Wilson , one of the top home run hitters in the game, had one of the most impressive seasons in MLB history, hitting 56 home runs and establishing the current runs-batted-in record of 191. That 1930 club, which boasted six eventual hall of fame members (Wilson, Gabby Hartnett , Rogers Hornsby , George "High Pockets" Kelly , Kiki Cuyler and manager Joe McCarthy ) established
19890-524: The "Double-Bills". Near the end of the first decade of the double-Bills' guidance, the Cubs won the NL Pennant in 1929 and then achieved the unusual feat of winning a pennant every three years, following up the 1929 flag with league titles in 1932, 1935, and 1938. Unfortunately, their success did not extend to the Fall Classic , as they fell to their AL rivals each time. The '32 series against
20124-473: 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"
20358-489: The 1969 off-season. Sayers got back into the lineup, and Piccolo was back on the bench when the 1969 season started. Sayers rushed for 1,032 yards and earned the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award . This was the ultimate display of friendship between Piccolo and Sayers, who were friends despite race differences in society during the 1960s. Even with Sayers' performance, the Bears finished the 1969 season with
20592-417: 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
20826-719: The 1983 World Series the Baltimore Orioles of the AL had home-field advantage. In the NLCS , the Cubs easily won the first two games at Wrigley Field against the San Diego Padres . The Padres were the winners of the Western Division with Steve Garvey , Tony Gwynn , Eric Show , Goose Gossage and Alan Wiggins . With wins of 13–0 and 4–2, the Cubs needed to win only one game of the next three in San Diego to make it to
21060-549: The 1998 NL Rookie of the Year award. Sosa caught fire in June, hitting a major league record 20 home runs in the month, and his home run race with Cardinal's slugger Mark McGwire transformed the pair into international superstars in a matter of weeks. McGwire finished the season with a new major league record of 70 home runs, but Sosa's .308 average and 66 homers earned him the National League MVP Award . After
21294-444: The 2004 season led to the departure of popular commentator Steve Stone , who had become increasingly critical of management during broadcasts and was verbally attacked by reliever Kent Mercker . Things were no better in 2005 , despite a career year from first baseman Derrek Lee and the emergence of closer Ryan Dempster . The club struggled and suffered more key injuries, only managing to win 79 games after being picked by many to be
21528-736: 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
21762-402: The 8th inning. It was at this point when a now-infamous incident took place. Several spectators attempted to catch a foul ball off the bat of Luis Castillo . A Chicago Cubs fan by the name of Steve Bartman , of Northbrook, Illinois, reached for the ball and deflected it away from the glove of Moisés Alou for the second out of the eighth inning. Alou reacted angrily toward the stands and after
21996-453: The 9th and 10th innings, Wrigley Field erupted and Sandberg set the stage for a comeback win that cemented the Cubs as the team to beat in the East. No one would catch them. In early August the Cubs swept the Mets in a 4-game home series that further distanced them from the pack. An infamous Keith Moreland- Ed Lynch fight erupted after Lynch hit Moreland with a pitch, perhaps forgetting Moreland
22230-562: The Anson-led Chicago Base Ball Club won six National League pennants between 1876 and 1886. By 1890 , the team had become known the Chicago Colts , or sometimes "Anson's Colts", referring to Cap's influence within the club. Anson was the first player in history credited with 3,000 career hits . In 1897, after a disappointing record of 59–73 and a ninth-place finish, Anson was released by the club as both
22464-529: The Bears and the Portsmouth Spartans tied for first place in the league, and played an "unofficial" championship playoff game at Chicago Stadium on December 18. The Bears won 9–0 and captured the championship before 11,198 fans. The popularity of the game prompted the NFL to institute various rule changes for the 1933 season , splitting the league into two geographical divisions and establishing an officially scheduled Championship Game to determine
22698-573: The Bears earned that spot on the final day of the season with a 42–6 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals , team president George "Mugs" Halas Jr. died of a heart attack at the age of 54. "Mugs", the son of Bears founder George Halas , had served as the team president since 1953. The Bears had to regroup quickly, as they would face the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card Game in Philadelphia
22932-468: The Bears fell off the NFL map, with a record of 6–5. The Bears finished off the decade on a down note, losing twice to the Green Bay Packers in 1939 . During the late 1930s, George Halas and University of Chicago football coach Clark Shaughnessy collaborated on a revolutionary approach to the offense and the quarterback position. The result was the T-formation offense and the first evolution of
23166-405: 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
23400-486: 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
23634-406: 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
23868-432: The Bears in 1927 , and was forced to sit out the 1928 season . He returned to Chicago in 1929 , but the Bears ended the decade with a losing season as Halas retired as player-coach and appointed Ralph Jones as his successor. The Chicago Bears of the 1930s are remembered for being led by a ferocious tandem of Bronko Nagurski and Red Grange , playing in the newly inaugurated NFL Championship Game four times and claiming
24102-473: The Bears posted a second consecutive 8–4 season, again in second place, while head coach George Halas called it quits for the third time in his career. He was replaced by former team standout Paddy Driscoll , whose success would be highlighted in his first season with the team. In 1956 , Driscoll led the Bears through a solid 9–2–1 season, as they beat their fellow Midwest rival, the Detroit Lions , by
24336-447: The Bears posted an impressive 11–4–2 record. This road trip impressed many and boosted the prospects of many debt-ridden teams such as the New York Giants . Grange left the Bears after a contract dispute in 1926 , and established the first incarnation of the American Football League , which folded after one season, although Grange's New York Yankees would later be admitted into the NFL. Grange injured his knee in his first game against
24570-510: 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
24804-468: 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
25038-763: The Bears with a newly formed Delaware-incorporated organization, the Chicago Bears Football Club, Inc. . Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago . The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central Division . The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field , which is located on Chicago's North Side . They are one of two major league teams based in Chicago, alongside
25272-427: The Bears' home stadium for nearly 50 years, but it did not measure up to the NFL's new guidelines, which required all stadiums to seat at least 50,000. After winning their final game at Wrigley 35–17 against the Green Bay Packers on December 13, 1970 (and finishing the season fourth place with a record of 6–8), the Bears moved into Soldier Field (which had opened in 1924 and once hosted their former crosstown rivals,
25506-520: 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
25740-481: The Bears, who finished yet again in last place, this time with a record of 4–10. The Gibron era was marked with a combined record of 11–30–1, with the only memorable event from that era being Gibron's appearance in an NFL Films production where he was taped singing " Joy to the World ", not paying attention to the game in front of him. Halas had made the franchise's football decisions for 54 years, but decided to entrust
25974-460: The Bears, who were last place in the NFC Central division with a record of 4–9–1. The Gibron era took a deeper dive during the 1973 season as the team finished in last place again with a record of 3–11, limited to just 195 total points during the entire season. Dick Butkus , who had terrorized enemy offensive players for the last eight years, retired early in the season after being hobbled by knee injuries. The 1974 season would be Gibron's last with
26208-555: 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
26442-428: 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,
26676-459: The Cardinals for pitcher Ernie Broglio (who won only seven games over the next three seasons), hampered on-field performance. The late-1960s brought hope of a renaissance, with third baseman Ron Santo , pitcher Ferguson Jenkins , and outfielder Billy Williams joining Banks. After losing a dismal 103 games in 1966, the Cubs brought home consecutive winning records in '67 and '68 , marking
26910-870: The Cardinals played to a torrid 20–6 pace that month, designating their rivals to battle in the Wild Card race, from which they were eliminated in the season's final week. The Cubs were plagued by injuries in 2009, and were only able to field their Opening Day starting lineup three times the entire season. Third baseman Aramis Ramírez injured his throwing shoulder in an early May game against the Milwaukee Brewers, sidelining him until early July and forcing journeyman players like Mike Fontenot and Aaron Miles into more prominent roles. Additionally, key players like Derrek Lee (who still managed to hit .306 with 35 home runs and 111 RBI that season), Alfonso Soriano, and Geovany Soto also nursed nagging injuries. The Cubs posted
27144-634: The Cleveland Indians. Joe Carter (who was with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs at the time) and right fielder Mel Hall were sent to Cleveland for Sutcliffe and back-up catcher Ron Hassey (.333 with Cubs in 1984). Sutcliffe (5–5 with the Indians) immediately joined Sanderson (8–5 3.14), Eckersley (10–8 3.03), Steve Trout (13–7 3.41) and Dick Ruthven (6–10 5.04) in the starting rotation. Sutcliffe proceeded to go 16–1 for Cubs and capture
27378-589: The Conference Playoff. However, the Bears were unable to slow down the high-powered Ram offense in a 24–14 loss in Los Angeles as the Rams advanced to the Championship Game . The Bears got off to a streaking start in the 1951 season , winning five of their first six games. However, the magic faded in the second half of the season as they won only two of their final six games, finishing fourth place in
27612-466: The Cubs again. They led the Wild Card by 1.5 games over the San Francisco Giants and the Houston Astros on September 25. On that day, both teams lost, giving the Cubs a chance at increasing the lead to 2.5 games with only eight games remaining in the season, but reliever LaTroy Hawkins blew a save to the New York Mets , and the Cubs lost the game in extra innings. The defeat seemingly deflated
27846-466: The Cubs led the division down the stretch. Chicago halted the St. Louis Cardinals ' run to the playoffs by taking four of five games from the Cardinals at Wrigley Field in early September, after which they won their first division title in 14 years. They then went on to defeat the Atlanta Braves in a dramatic five-game Division Series , the franchise's first postseason series win since beating
28080-434: The Cubs left New York with a record of 84–58 just 1⁄2 game in front. More of the same followed in Philadelphia, as a 99 loss Phillies team nonetheless defeated the Cubs twice, to extend Chicago's losing streak to eight games. In a key play in the second game, on September 11, Cubs starter Dick Selma threw a surprise pickoff attempt to third baseman Ron Santo, who was nowhere near the bag or the ball. Selma's throwing error opened
28314-519: The Cubs would not win another World Series until 2016 ; this remains the longest championship drought in North American professional sports. The next season, veteran catcher Johnny Kling left the team to become a professional pocket billiards player. Some historians think Kling's absence was significant enough to prevent the Cubs from also winning a third straight title in 1909, as they finished 6 games out of first place. When Kling returned
28548-553: The Gloamin' ". After the "Double-Bills" (Wrigley and Veeck) died in 1932 and 1933 respectively, P.K. Wrigley , son of Bill Wrigley, took over as majority owner. He was unable to extend his father's baseball success beyond 1938, and the Cubs slipped into years of mediocrity, although the Wrigley family would retain control of the team until 1981. The Cubs enjoyed one more pennant at the close of World War II, finishing 98–56. Due to
28782-572: 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
29016-426: The NFL champion. In 1933 , George Halas made his return to coaching the Bears, leading them to the first-ever Western Division title and the first-ever NFL Championship Game . The Bears again captured the Championship 23–21 in a nail-biter against the New York Giants as Red Grange made a game-winning tackle. In 1934 , the Bears dominated the league and finished 13–0, but were denied perfection as they lost 30–13 to
29250-578: The National League decided to give the home field advantage to the winner of the NL West. In fact, home-field advantage had rotated between the winners of the East and West since 1969 when the league expanded. In even-numbered years, the NL West had home-field advantage. In odd-numbered years, the NL East had home-field advantage. Since the NL East winners had had home-field advantage in 1983, the NL West winners were entitled to it. The confusion may stem from
29484-583: The Padres win the game 6–3, with a 4-run 7th inning and keep Chicago out of the 1984 World Series against the Detroit Tigers . The loss ended a spectacular season for the Cubs, one that brought alive a slumbering franchise and made the Cubs relevant for a whole new generation of Cubs fans. The Padres would be defeated in 5 games by Sparky Anderson's Tigers in the World Series. The 1985 season brought high hopes. The club started out well, going 35–19 through mid-June, but injuries to Sutcliffe and others in
29718-536: The Redskins' quest for a third straight Super Bowl appearance. The Bears advanced to the NFC championship to play the San Francisco 49ers , who shut the Bears out 23–0 on their way to Super Bowl XIX , and also humiliated the Bears by sending in guard Guy McIntyre to play fullback. 1985 is the most celebrated year in Chicago Bears history. Through various rankings, the 1985 Bears have been marked as one of
29952-744: The Staleys won, there would have been a three-way tie among the Staleys, the Buffalo All-Americans (9–1–1 in 1920, 4–1–1 in league play) and the Pros, each team having one loss. Each team likely would have played more games (as it was allowed under the rules in those days) to allow teams to settle parity at the top of the standings. Although the Staleys made a good account of themselves on the field, they struggled off of it. The team played their home games at Staley Field , which only seated 1,500 people, incredibly small even by early professional football standards. Additionally, Staley employees received
30186-524: The West Coast offense). The Bears also failed to draft proper replacements for aging starters. The 1987 season brought a month-long strike that included the use of replacement players for three games. Off-field turmoil ensued when the Bears drafted quarterback Jim Harbaugh in the first round as a possible replacement for the injury-prone Jim McMahon, who was offended by this and quarreled with head coach Mike Ditka . The latter, meanwhile, unwisely took
30420-498: The World Series. After being beaten in Game 3 7–1, the Cubs lost Game 4 when Smith, with the game tied 5–5, allowed a game-winning home run to Garvey in the bottom of the ninth inning. In Game 5 the Cubs took a 3–0 lead into the 6th inning, and a 3–2 lead into the seventh with Sutcliffe (who won the Cy Young Award that year) still on the mound. Then, Leon Durham had a sharp grounder go under his glove. This critical error helped
30654-565: The Year Runner-Up Dwight Smith. The Cubs won the NL East once again that season winning 93 games. This time the Cubs met the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS . After splitting the first two games at home, the Cubs headed to the Bay Area, where despite holding a lead at some point in each of the next three games, bullpen meltdowns and managerial blunders ultimately led to three straight losses. The Cubs could not overcome
30888-491: The age of 26. The Bears responded by setting up the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund, which raises money through various annual events for cancer research. In 1971, ABC aired the television film Brian's Song , which starred James Caan as Piccolo and Billy Dee Williams as Gale Sayers, and detailed the friendship between the two running backs. Following the merger between the NFL and
31122-535: The agreement to keep the Staleys name lapsed, Halas decided to choose a new name for his team. He considered calling it the Cubs as a nod to how the baseball Cubs had helped him get settled in Chicago, but ultimately decided on the Chicago Bears . In his biography, Halas recalled that he wanted a tie-in to the Cubs, but reasoned that since football players were far bigger than baseball players, "if baseball players are cubs, then football players must be bears!" Over
31356-700: The baseball franchise, instead concentrating on putting together a deal to sell it. The Cubs successfully defended their National League Central title in 2008 , going to the postseason in consecutive years for the first time since 1906–08. The offseason was dominated by three months of unsuccessful trade talks with the Orioles involving 2B Brian Roberts , as well as the signing of Chunichi Dragons star Kosuke Fukudome . The team recorded their 10,000th win in April, while establishing an early division lead. Reed Johnson and Jim Edmonds were added early on and Rich Harden
31590-611: The bats went cold in October, as manager Jim Riggleman 's club batted .183 and scored only four runs en route to being swept by Atlanta in the National League Division Series . The home run chase between Sosa, McGwire and Ken Griffey Jr. helped professional baseball to bring in a new crop of fans as well as bringing back some fans who had been disillusioned by the 1994 strike . The Cubs retained many players who experienced career years in 1998, but, after
31824-590: The biggest stories of the season transpired as the club made a midseason deal for Fred McGriff , which was drawn out for nearly a month as McGriff debated waiving his no-trade clause . The Cubs led the wild card race by 2.5 games in early September, but crumbled when Preston Wilson hit a three-run walk-off homer off of closer Tom "Flash" Gordon , which halted the team's momentum. The team was unable to make another serious charge, and finished at 88–74, five games behind both Houston and St. Louis , who tied for first. Sosa had perhaps his finest season and Jon Lieber led
32058-534: The birth of the Super Bowl), and setting Super Bowl records for points and margin of victory, with defensive end Richard Dent being named the Super Bowl MVP . In 1986 , the Bears' defense was even stingier coming off the Super Bowl, establishing a record low for 187 points allowed as they finished with another NFC Central title and a 14–2 record. The Bears' attempt to defend their Super Bowl title took
32292-436: 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),
32526-399: The chagrin of the packed stadium, Cubs shortstop Alex Gonzalez misplayed an inning-ending double play, loading the bases. The error would lead to eight Florida runs and a Marlins victory. Despite sending Kerry Wood to the mound and holding a lead twice, the Cubs ultimately dropped Game 7, and failed to reach the World Series . The "Steve Bartman incident" was seen as the "first domino" in
32760-662: 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
32994-437: The conference with a mediocre record of 7–5. In the 1952 season , the Bears' defense struggled as they allowed a wretched 326 points and finished below .500 for the first time since 1945 , coming in fifth place with a record of 5–7. The team's struggles continued into 1953 , as most of their superstars from their 1940s dynasty had retired by this point. That season the Bears finished 3–8–1, posting back-to-back losing seasons for
33228-565: The current team batting average record of .309. In 1935 the Cubs claimed the pennant in thrilling fashion, winning a record 21 games in a row in September. The '38 club saw Dizzy Dean lead the team's pitching staff and provided a historic moment when they won a crucial late-season game at Wrigley Field over the Pittsburgh Pirates with a walk-off home run by Gabby Hartnett, which became known in baseball lore as " The Homer in
33462-565: 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
33696-415: 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
33930-578: The division in 1959 . The decade gave way to Bears greats such as Ed "the Claw" Sprinkle , Bill George , George Connor , and Harlon Hill . The 1950s marked the first time in their history that the Bears went an entire decade without winning an NFL Championship. Halas, always the resilient innovator, found a young assistant in George Allen , a tireless, detail-oriented young coach who quickly created innovations such as thick playbooks for training camps,
34164-447: The efforts of Will Clark, whose home run off Maddux, just after a managerial visit to the mound, led Maddux to think Clark knew what pitch was coming. Afterward, Maddux would speak into his glove during any mound conversation, beginning what is a norm today. Mark Grace was 11–17 in the series with 8 RBI. Eventually, the Giants lost to the " Bash Brothers " and the Oakland A's in the famous " Earthquake Series ". The 1998 season began on
34398-455: The end of the season, Pardee left the Bears to take over the coaching reins of the Washington Redskins . He was replaced by Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Neill Armstrong , whose first season proved to be a step backwards from the Bears' playoff appearance, with a 7–9 record. The Bears would be more successful in the 1979 season , but tragedy struck the team as the Bears were celebrating their playoff berth. On December 16, 1979, as
34632-416: The fact that Major League Baseball did decide that, should the Cubs make it to the World Series, the American League winner would have home-field advantage. At the time home field advantage was rotated between each league. Odd-numbered years the AL had home-field advantage. Even-numbered years the NL had home-field advantage. In the 1982 World Series the St. Louis Cardinals of the NL had home-field advantage. In
34866-406: The final 37 games of the year. Despite being well out of playoff contention the Cubs went 24–13 under Quade, the best record in baseball during that 37 game stretch, earning Quade the manager position going forward on October 19. On December 3, 2010, Cubs broadcaster and former third baseman, Ron Santo , died due to complications from bladder cancer and diabetes. He spent 13 seasons as a player with
35100-406: 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
35334-404: The first glimpses of deceptive schemes and exhaustive research for the NFL draft . With the support of Halas, Allen turned the draft into a windfall for future Hall of Fame talent. The Bears started off the 1960s as the only team in Chicago following the Cardinals ' move to St. Louis . In the 1960 season , the Bears finished a disappointing 5–6–1 in fifth place in the NFL Western Conference. In
35568-400: The first round of the draft to improve the Bears' offense and defense. The 1965 season proved to be yet another year where a rookie made an impact for the Bears, as Sayers won the Rookie of the Year Award while establishing a new record of 22 touchdowns during the season, still a team record. His record season and his entire career would be highlighted by his six-touchdown performance against
35802-403: 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
36036-414: The first time a Cub team had accomplished that feat in over two decades. In 1969 the Cubs, managed by Leo Durocher , built a substantial lead in the newly created National League Eastern Division by mid-August. Ken Holtzman pitched a no-hitter on August 19, and the division lead grew to 8 1 ⁄ 2 games over the St. Louis Cardinals and by 9 1 ⁄ 2 games over the New York Mets . After
36270-435: The first time in their history. A notable occurrence in the 1953 season was the NFL's first modern-era African-American quarterback Willie Thrower playing his first and only game for the Bears against the San Francisco 49ers . In 1954 , the Bears got back into the league playoff picture by posting a solid record of 8–4, enough for second place in the division but not for an appearance in the Championship Game . In 1955 ,
36504-401: The first-ever league champions, finishing with an 8–0–3 record, 6–0–3 in league play, and ending their season in a scoreless tie against the Staleys. Because the Staleys had lost to the Cardinals earlier that year, the Pros could simply play the final game not to lose; they wisely did and became champions. The Staleys' loss to the Cardinals began a long-standing rivalry between the franchises. Had
36738-435: The following year, but this was only good enough for third place. In the following two decades, the Cubs played mostly forgettable baseball, finishing among the worst teams in the National League on an almost annual basis. From 1947 to 1966, they only notched one winning season. Longtime infielder-manager Phil Cavarretta , who had been a key player during the 1945 season, was fired during spring training in 1954 after admitting
36972-454: 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
37206-403: 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,
37440-441: The franchise. Green had managed the 1980 Phillies to the World Series title. One of his early GM moves brought in a young Phillies minor-league 3rd baseman named Ryne Sandberg, along with Larry Bowa for Iván DeJesús. The 1983 Cubs had finished 71–91 under Lee Elia, who was fired before the season ended by Green. Green continued the culture of change and overhauled the Cubs roster, front-office and coaching staff prior to 1984. Jim Frey
37674-428: 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 ,
37908-418: The full-time starter behind the plate, replacing the veteran Kendall. Winning streaks in June and July, coupled with a pair of dramatic, late-inning wins against the Reds , led to the Cubs ultimately clinching the NL Central with a record of 85–77. They met Arizona in the NLDS , but controversy followed as Piniella, in a move that has since come under scrutiny, pulled Carlos Zambrano after the sixth inning of
38142-466: The game impossible. Nonetheless, the Bears emerged with a 20–12 victory over the Eagles. However, the Bears lost the NFC Championship game the following week 28–3 to the eventual Super Bowl XXIII champion, the San Francisco 49ers . Chicago Bears 1970 due to renovations to Wrigley Field : 2002 due to renovations to Soldier Field : The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago . The Bears compete in
38376-430: The game of September 2, the Cubs record was 84–52 with the Mets in second place at 77–55. But then a losing streak began just as a Mets winning streak was beginning. The Cubs lost the final game of a series at Cincinnati, then came home to play the resurgent Pittsburgh Pirates (who would finish in third place). After losing the first two games by scores of 9–2 and 13–4, the Cubs led going into the ninth inning. A win would be
38610-427: The game stated that he would have caught the ball. Alou at one point recanted, saying he would not have been able to make the play, but later said this was just an attempt to make Bartman feel better and believing the whole incident should be forgotten. Interference was not called on the play, as the ball was ruled to be on the spectator side of the wall. Castillo was eventually walked by Prior. Two batters later, and to
38844-433: The game to Smith or Stoddard. At the top of the order, Dernier and Sandberg were exciting, aptly coined "the Daily Double" by Harry Caray . With strong defense – Dernier CF and Sandberg 2B, won the NL Gold Glove - solid pitching and clutch hitting, the Cubs were a well-balanced team. Following the "Daily Double", Matthews, Durham, Cey, Moreland and Davis gave the Cubs an order with no gaps to pitch around. Sutcliffe anchored
39078-417: 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
39312-424: The game's first true superstar. In 1885 and 1886, after winning NL pennants, the White Stockings met the champions of the short-lived American Association in that era's version of a World Series. Both seasons resulted in matchups with the St. Louis Brown Stockings ; the clubs tied in 1885 and St. Louis won in 1886. This was the genesis of what would eventually become one of the greatest rivalries in sports. In all,
39546-405: The gates to a Phillies rally. After that second Philly loss, the Cubs were 84–60 and the Mets had pulled ahead at 85–57. The Mets would not look back. The Cubs' eight-game losing streak finally ended the next day in St. Louis, but the Mets were in the midst of a ten-game winning streak, and the Cubs, wilting from team fatigue, generally deteriorated in all phases of the game.[1] The Mets (who had lost
39780-469: 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,
40014-402: The league title twice. After completing the 1930 season with a record of 9–4–1, the Bears and the Chicago Cardinals played the first indoor football game on December 15 at Chicago Stadium in a charity game for those affected by the Great Depression , a game the Bears won 9–7. Due to the size limitations of the arena, the length of the football field was only 80 yards. In the 1932 season ,
40248-403: The location of Wrigley Field within the city of Chicago, and in contrast to the White Sox, whose home field ( Guaranteed Rate Field ) is located on the South Side. The Cubs won the Laureus World Team of the Year in 2017. Through 2024, the franchise has played the most games in MLB history, with an all-time regular season record of 11,327–10,767–161 (.513). The Cubs began in 1870 as
40482-508: The modern quarterback. A complex scheme that required an athletic player with quick decision skills led Halas to recruit Columbia University quarterback Sid Luckman , who turned the position into an engine for a high powered, time-consuming scoring machine. The Chicago Bears from 1940 to 1946 were considered a dynasty, earning the nickname of " Monsters of the Midway ". In this span, the Bears went to five NFL Championships and won four of them, even as head coach George Halas temporarily left
40716-402: The most uniform numbers (14), and have the most members in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (29). The Bears have played in over a thousand games since becoming a charter member of the NFL in 1920 . The Decatur Staleys, the organization that eventually became the Chicago Bears, were originally founded as a works team of the A. E. Staley food starch company of Decatur, Illinois , in 1919; this
40950-512: The new league's top teams. Spalding won forty-seven games and Barnes led the league in hitting at .429 as Chicago won the first National League pennant , which at the time was the game's top prize. After back-to-back pennants in 1880 and 1881, Hulbert died, and Spalding, who had retired from playing to start Spalding sporting goods, assumed ownership of the club. The White Stockings, with Anson acting as player-manager, captured their third consecutive pennant in 1882, and Anson established himself as
41184-490: The next few years, the Bears were ranked among the elite teams in the NFL , but could never capture a championship title since the league did not have a playoff system; instead, it had a somewhat controversial scheduling formula that led to uneven standings and contentious champions. The highlight of the decade was Halas' unprecedented move to sign Red Grange (nicknamed "the Galloping Ghost") for $ 100,000 (about $ 1.7 million in 2023) in 1925 . At that time, professional football
41418-414: The next year, the Cubs won the pennant again, but lost to the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1910 World Series . In 1914, advertising executive Albert Lasker obtained a large block of the club's shares and before the 1916 season assumed majority ownership of the franchise. Lasker brought in a wealthy partner, Charles Weeghman , the proprietor of a popular chain of lunch counters who had previously owned
41652-412: The number of games played that season. The Staleys and the Racine Cardinals split the 1920 series with the home team winning in each. In the Cardinals' 7–6 victory over the Staleys in their first meeting of the season, each team scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery, but the Staleys missed their extra point. The Staleys went on to a 10–1–2 record overall, 5–1–2 in league play. The 1920 Akron Pros were
41886-482: The off-season. By the end of the 1970s, the beginnings of a front office brain trust were in place. General manager Jim Finks was building the foundation of a championship team; scout Bill Tobin had a knack for finding overlooked talent in the NFL draft; and defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan was beginning to formulate his revolutionary "46 Defense". As with earlier innovations involving the T-formation with Clark Shaughnessy and later creative ideas with George Allen ,
42120-402: 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
42354-431: The organization to serve in World War II from 1943 to 1945. In the 1940 NFL Championship , Halas introduced the T-formation offense, with Sid Luckman as quarterback. This formation shocked and confused the Washington Redskins all day as the Bears won 73–0, an NFL record that stands to this day. The T-formation was soon widely copied at college and pro levels. In 1941 , the Bears and the Green Bay Packers battled to
42588-418: The overtime kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, setting an NFL record for the fastest end to an overtime game. On December 7, the Bears ripped the Green Bay Packers 61–7, the biggest margin of victory in the series and the most one-sided game in the history of the Bears-Packers rivalry . Armstrong lasted just one more year with the Bears, finishing with a last place showing and a 6–10 record before being fired in
42822-405: 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 ,
43056-437: The pieces began to fit into place for a championship run. Early in 1982 , George Halas summoned Mike Ditka back from Dallas and offered him the head coaching job, which he accepted. Under Ditka, the Bears recorded a record of 112–68. After Halas, Ditka became the second Bears coach to record over 100 wins as coach. In addition, the Bears won six division titles and made three trips to the NFC championship. The peak of this era
43290-428: The pitching staff contributed to a 13-game losing streak that pushed the Cubs out of contention. In 1989, the first full season with night baseball at Wrigley Field, Don Zimmer 's Cubs were led by a core group of veterans in Ryne Sandberg , Rick Sutcliffe and Andre Dawson , who were boosted by a crop of youngsters such as Mark Grace , Shawon Dunston , Greg Maddux , Rookie of the Year Jerome Walton , and Rookie of
43524-409: The rebuilding of the Bears to former Minnesota Vikings general manager Jim Finks , whom he named general manager. In 1975 , Finks brought in Jack Pardee to coach, marking the first time in Bears history that the team hired a head coach who had not previously been either a Bears player or assistant coach. The move did not have any initial impact, as the team finished the season 4–10. The best move of
43758-410: 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
43992-427: The roster to boast what would soon be one of the best teams of the early century, sold the club to Jim Hart . Referencing the youth of the team's roster, the Chicago Daily News called the franchise the Cubs in 1902; it officially took the name five years later. During this period, which has become known as baseball's dead-ball era , Cub infielders Joe Tinker , Johnny Evers , and Frank Chance were made famous as
44226-430: The season and on Payton's career, the Bears need to score a touchdown late. The ball was in the hands of Payton who tried to extend his career, but on fourth down he was shoved out of bounds a yard short of the first down marker, allowing the Redskins to run the clock out. Payton watched the rest of the game alone on the bench. In the 1988 season , the Bears kept on rolling, winning their fifth straight division title with
44460-422: 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
44694-401: The side of the NFL during the strike, damaging relations with his team. Even with the replacements, the Bears continued to dominate the NFC Central division, winning their fourth straight NFC Central title and achieving an 11–4 record (the strike resulted in a 15-game season), but ended the year on an embarrassing note as they were destroyed by the San Francisco 49ers 41–0. That season, however,
44928-402: The sidelines. In 1958 , following Halas' return, the Bears rebounded off the disappointing losing season by challenging for the Western Division Championship before faltering at the end of the season and finishing in a second place tie with an 8–4 record, a game away from the 1958 Championship . The Bears closed out the decade with yet another 8–4 finish that was only enough for second place in
45162-512: The staff with a 20-win season. The Cubs had high expectations in 2002, but the squad played poorly. On July 5, 2002, the Cubs promoted assistant general manager and player personnel director Jim Hendry to the General Manager position. The club responded by hiring Dusty Baker and by making some major moves in 2003. Most notably, they traded with the Pittsburgh Pirates for outfielder Kenny Lofton and third baseman Aramis Ramírez , and rode dominant pitching, led by Kerry Wood and Mark Prior , as
45396-407: The star of the game was the Bears' dominating defense, which intercepted Giants star quarterback Y. A. Tittle a stunning five times. The following season , the Bears followed up their Championship title with an underachieving 5–9 season, leading Halas to search for young talent in the upcoming draft. He selected running back Gale Sayers (nicknamed the "Kansas Comet") and linebacker Dick Butkus in
45630-492: 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
45864-431: The team declined during the 1970s, and they became known as "the Loveable Losers", which would become a long-standing moniker for the club. In 1977 , the team found some life, but ultimately experienced one of its biggest collapses. The Cubs hit a high-water mark on June 28 at 47–22, boasting an 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 game NL East lead, as they were led by Bobby Murcer (27 HR/89 RBI), and Rick Reuschel (20–10). However,
46098-458: The team opened the season with a home victory over the Rock Island Independents , company founder and namesake Gene Staley made Halas a lucrative offer. He was going to have to lay off the players he had just hired due to a recession, but was willing to turn the team over to Halas. Remembering that the team had attracted its biggest home game crowds of the 1920 season by moving two games to the city, Staley advanced Halas $ 5,000 (about $ 76,423) to move
46332-412: 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
46566-415: 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
46800-485: The team to Chicago, provided that he keep the Staleys name for the remainder of the 1921 season. Halas then took Sternaman on as a full partner. Taking advantage of his good relationship with Chicago Cubs owner William Wrigley Jr. and president Bill Veeck Sr. , Halas quickly secured a lease at Cubs Park, soon to be known as Wrigley Field . The Chicago Staleys stormed through the rest of the season, finishing 10–1–1 with their first league championship . In 1922 , when
47034-411: 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
47268-420: The team was unlikely to finish above fifth place. Although shortstop Ernie Banks would become one of the star players in the league during the next decade, finding help for him proved a difficult task, as quality players such as Hank Sauer were few and far between. This, combined with poor ownership decisions such as the College of Coaches , and the ill-fated trade of future Hall of Fame member Lou Brock to
47502-432: The team, as they proceeded to drop six of their last eight games as the Astros won the Wild Card. Despite the fact that the Cubs had won 89 games, this fallout was decidedly unlovable, as the Cubs traded superstar Sammy Sosa after he had left the season's final game after the first pitch, which resulted in a fine (Sosa later stated that he had gotten permission from Baker to leave early, but he regretted doing so). Already
47736-540: The team. In Ditka's second season, the Bears improved and finished with a record of 8–8. The 1983 draft was a critical one, as it saw the core of the Bears' 1985 championship team arrive. In 1984, Walter Payton broke Jim Brown 's all-time career rushing record (which pleased Brown, who had threatened to come out of retirement if Pittsburgh Steelers running back Franco Harris broke the record; Brown disliked Harris's tendency to run out of bounds to avoid oncoming rushers)., Payton's record stood for eighteen years until it
47970-463: The top eight teams in both conferences. The Bears did not qualify for the postseason, finishing in 12th place with a 3–6 record. On October 31, 1983 , George Halas died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 88; he was the last surviving NFL founder. The death of Halas also brought the addition of the initials "GSH" on the left sleeve of the Bears' uniforms. After Halas' passing, his daughter Virginia Halas McCaskey and her husband Ed assumed ownership of
48204-412: The top five NFL teams of all time, as they beat the first 12 of their opponents, outscoring their opponents 456–198. The season brought players to the national spotlight such as William "The Refrigerator" Perry , Mike Singletary , Jim McMahon , Dan Hampton , and Walter Payton . In week three of the season, McMahon suffered through a back injury, but the Bears managed to overcome a 17–9 deficit to beat
48438-430: The turning point of the era, and the Cubs did not win a playoff game for the next eleven seasons. In 2004 , the Cubs were a consensus pick by most media outlets to win the World Series. The offseason acquisition of Derek Lee (who was acquired in a trade with Florida for Hee-seop Choi ) and the return of Greg Maddux only bolstered these expectations. Despite a mid-season deal for Nomar Garciaparra , misfortune struck
48672-418: The war effort, which led to a roster shortage that nearly led to the Bears merging with the Cardinals in 1943 . Halas' handpicked successors Hunk Anderson and Luke Johnsos ran the Bears for the next three years until his return. The Bears finished the 1942 season 11–0 and played against the Washington Redskins in the 1942 Championship Game . The Redskins spoiled the Bears' attempt at a perfect season, with
48906-499: 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
49140-413: The wartime travel restrictions, the first three games of the 1945 World Series were played in Detroit , where the Cubs won two games, including a one-hitter by Claude Passeau , and the final four were played at Wrigley. The Cubs lost the series, and did not return until the 2016 World Series . After losing the 1945 World Series to the Detroit Tigers , the Cubs finished with a respectable 82–71 record in
49374-424: The year was the drafting of running back Walter Payton (nicknamed "Sweetness") in the first round, who would come to be known as one of the Bears' greatest players. The string of losing seasons ended in 1976 , with Payton rushing for 1,390 yards while scoring 13 touchdowns. At the end of the season, the Bears posted a 7–7 record, landing in second place. That same season, the Bears debuted their cheerleading squad ,
49608-438: Was a career-threatening knee injury to Gale Sayers, from which he never fully recovered. After Sayers' injury, running back Brian Piccolo did not believe he deserved the job because of the injury. Instead of running away with his opportunity as most athletes would, Piccolo, a popular figure in the Chicago area who roomed with Sayers for a few years on road trips, pushed Sayers to get his knee back into football playing shape during
49842-409: 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
50076-444: Was acquired from the Oakland Athletics in early July. The Cubs headed into the All-Star break with the NL's best record, and tied the league record with eight representatives to the All-Star game , including catcher Geovany Soto, who was named Rookie of the Year . The Cubs took control of the division by sweeping a four-game series in Milwaukee. On September 14, in a game moved to Miller Park due to Hurricane Ike , Zambrano pitched
50310-427: Was broken by Emmitt Smith in 2002. The Bears finished the season with a 10–6 record to win their first NFC Central Division Championship. Even though the Bears won the division, they struggled toward the end of the season, which cost them a playoff home game. Instead, in the divisional playoffs , the Bears played against the Washington Redskins at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in a game they won 23–19, ending
50544-475: 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
50778-427: 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,
51012-427: 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
51246-519: Was hired to manage the 1984 Cubs, with Don Zimmer coaching 3rd base and Billy Connors serving as pitching coach. Green shored up the 1984 roster with a series of transactions. In December 1983 Scott Sanderson was acquired from Montreal in a three-team deal with San Diego for Carmelo Martínez . Pinch hitter Richie Hebner (.333 BA in 1984) was signed as a free-agent. In spring training, moves continued: LF Gary Matthews and CF Bobby Dernier came from Philadelphia on March 26, for Bill Campbell and
51480-413: 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,
51714-425: 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
51948-502: 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
52182-434: 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
52416-415: Was once a linebacker at the University of Texas. It was the second game of a doubleheader and the Cubs had won the first game in part due to a three-run home run by Moreland. After the bench-clearing fight, the Cubs won the second game, and the sweep put the Cubs at 68–45. In 1984, each league had two divisions, East and West. The divisional winners met in a best-of-5 series to advance to the World Series, in
52650-419: Was pulled from a game against the White Sox on June 25 after a tirade and shoving match with Derrek Lee, and was suspended indefinitely by Jim Hendry, who called the conduct "unacceptable". On August 22, Lou Piniella, who had already announced his retirement at the end of the season, announced that he would leave the Cubs prematurely to take care of his sick mother. Mike Quade took over as the interim manager for
52884-406: Was remembered as the end of an era, as Walter Payton retired after 13 seasons where he only missed one game; Payton had rushed for an all-time career record of 16,726 yards. The Bears earned a divisional playoff rematch against the Washington Redskins . The Bears jumped out to a 14–0 lead early on only to see the Redskins storm back and take a 21–17 lead late in the game. As time was winding down on
53118-414: Was the 1985 season , where the Bears won Super Bowl XX . The 1982 season was Ditka's first as the Bears' head coach, as he began his rebuilding program by drafting Jim McMahon from Brigham Young University with the intention of making him a franchise quarterback. The season was interrupted by a players' strike and shortened to nine games. As a result, the NFL held a special playoff tournament involving
53352-419: Was the inaugural American Bowl , the first Bears game outside of North America, with the team defeating the Dallas Cowboys 17–6 at Wembley Stadium in London . As the 1980s wore on, other teams began to gradually figure out the 46 defense . Offensive coordinators learned it was vulnerable to a short passing game, particularly the one devised by Bill Walsh of the San Francisco 49ers (later referred to as
53586-414: Was the typical start for several early professional football franchises. The team played independently in 1919 , winning the Central Illinois Championship. In 1920, the company hired former University of Illinois teammates George Halas and Edward "Dutch" Sternaman to run the team. On September 17, 1920, 13 team representatives, including those representing Halas' team, met in Canton, Ohio , to create
53820-431: 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
54054-427: 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
54288-433: 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
54522-419: 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 ,
54756-419: Was viewed negatively by many Americans, who saw college football as a pure sport. Halas, however, took the Bears on a 17-game road trip across the United States to highlight Grange. The tour began on Thanksgiving at Wrigley Field as the Chicago Cardinals held Grange to just 36 yards in his professional debut, with the city rivals battling to a 0–0 tie. However, during the tour that continued through January 31,
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