1985 Bears

It is no shock that 30 years after the Chicago Bears won their one and only Super Bowl,  people are still talking about them.

What made them so special?  So unique? Why do we still talk about them as though it were just the recent past?

Even those of us who grew up watching them have a hard time finding the answers.

They  were a team that was hungry. After all, it was just one year earlier that the San Francisco 49ers ended the Bears season.  With few exceptions,  the '85 Bears played that game, and promised themselves and Chicago fans they would bring home the Lombardi.

And they did.

But what was it about the '85 Bears that keeps their names on our lips?

Most people know the name Walter Payton. He was sure and pure sweetness when he ran (hence his nickname "Sweetness"). Having a running back that everyone already knew was special helped, but what of Matt Suhey? Suhey was slow of foot, but he was open when Payton was covered.

Teams would worry about Payton that they barely noticed Suhey. He was a quiet weapon.

We had an Olympic medalist in Willie Gault. He was hard to catch once he was open.

We had Emery Moorehead, another very queit weapon.

But most importantly, we had an offensive line that other teams had nicknamed "The Black and Bruise Brothers" because they took a sack on McMahon as a personal insult and would try to place as much bruising on the other team's defense as possible.

Speaking of Jim McMahon, he played QB as though he was on the defense. He wasn't a great QB...mediocre at best...but he had the drive and desire to win, something that is missing from today's quarterbacks.

The team rallied behind him.

Then...the names every one knows. The 1985 Bears defense...the 46 D.

Dent. Hampton. McMichael.  Perry. Wilson. Marshall.  Duerson.  Richardson.  Fencik.   Names that struck terror into the hearts of every offense.

What made the defense memorable?

The pressure.  Block  Dent? Who blocks Hampton or Wilson?

If you managed to block our defensive ends, who blocked Singletary? Get past Samurai Mike? You had Gary Fencik...whose nickname was very appropriately "Hitman".

See, the defense made offenses  second guess everything.  They put pressure on the offensive line like never before.

Dan Marino was the ONLY one who was able to read the 46 Defense and beat them at their own game.

What made the '85 Bears so special?  They were, in simple terms, a team. Richardson wasn't looking to be traded. Fencik wasn't about being the only guy on defense making big plays.

They worked together. Whatever underlying dislike of each other there may have been....except for Ditka and McMahon...it was left in the locker room.   Even the feud between Ditka and McMahon didn't distract. Ditka had his QB's back and the Punky QB knew it.

What made them so special?  Their love of city, team, ownership, fans, each other and winning. That's what.

And today's teams could learn a thing or thousand from that special team.

A Re-Introduction Post

Since it's been over three years since I last updated this blog, I thought I would reintroduce myself.

Even though I have watched football the past few years,  I have been out of the conversation for various reasons.

I love the game.  While I know the game, there are those who know the game better than I do and I'm okay with that.

I like conversations about the game...explaining why I love this team and player but not this team or this player. And hearing why others love this team and player but not this team or this player. Makes it interesting.

This blog will...and has...go from stats to sexy players. Because I love cupcakes, but love cupcakes with frosting better.

Be prepared for a weird blog that will be everything you expected and nothing you expected.