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The
Chicago Bears were founded in Decatur,
Illinois, in 1920 and were known as the the
Decatur Staleys. The Chicago Bears are one
of four teams that play in the North
Division of the National Football
conference, of the National Football League.
The Decatur Staleys franchise began as a
member of the American Professional Football
Association (APFA) and carried the name of
it's sponsor the Staley Starch Company.
George Halas was hired by the owner of the
company, A. E. Staley to organize, coach,
and play on the team. Halas would maintain
control of the team until his death in
1983.The Bears have stayed in the Halas
family; the team is currently owned by Halas'
grandson Michael McCaskey. |
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Halas also coached the team off-and-on
for forty seasons, an NFL record. On
September 17, 1920, Halas and
representatives from 11 other teams met
in Canton, Ohio, and organized the
American Professional Football
Association—the precursor to the NFL.
Halas assumed ownership of the team in
1921 with his co-head coach, Dutch
Sternaman. They moved the team to
Chicago’s Cubs Park (renamed Wrigley
Field in 1926). The club won the new
league’s first title in 1921, and a year
later Halas and Sternaman renamed the
team the Bears. Halas reasoned that
because football players were generally
bigger than baseball players, and the
city’s baseball team was the Cubs, then
logically the football team should be
the Bears. It was also a tribute to the
Chicago Cubs, who permitted the Bears to
play their games at Wrigley Field. |
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From
the very start, the Bears were one of pro
football's most successful and innovative
franchises. The Bears joined the National
Football League in 1922. Halas and Sternaman
guided the Bears to eight consecutive
winning records from 1921 to 1928. Their
many stars included running backs Paddy
Driscoll and Red Grange. Chicago’s offensive
line was anchored by center George Trafton,
who knocked four opposing linemen out of
commission in the first 12 plays during a
1920 contest. |
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The Bears were the first franchise to
buy a player from another team -- $100
for Ed Healey from Rock Island in 1922.
The Bears signed the fabled collegiate
all-America, Red Grange, in 1925 and
then showcased him before the first huge
pro football crowds. In 1932, they
defeated the Portsmouth Spartans 9-0 to
win the championship in the first NFL
game to be played indoors. The next
year, they inaugurated the NFL
championship series by defeating the New
York Giants, 23-21. The teams uniform
colors at home are a navy blue jerseys
with orange trim, and white pants; Away
they wear white jerseys and navy blue
pants. The helmet design is navy blue,
with an orange "C". The Bears have won
nine League Championships (1921 (as the
Chicago Staleys), 1932, 1933, 1940,
1941, 1943, 1946, 1963, 1985) and have
made one Super Bowl (XX) appearance in
1986, which they won,46-10, over the New
England Patriots. |
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The
Bears have retired a couple of numbers
including player coach owner, #7 George
Halas, #28 Willie Galimore, #5 George
McAfee,#34 Walter Payton, #40 Gale Sayers,41
Brian Piccolo,#42 Sid Luckman, #51 Dick
Butkus,#56 Bill Hewitt, #61 Bill George, #66
Bulldog Turner, #77 Red Grange and 3 Bronco
Nagurski. Bronco Nagurski is also a member
of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (September
7, 1963) and after seven seasons with the
Bears he built a career as a professional
wrestler becoming a 3-time world heavyweight
champion. George Halas was also inducted
into the Hall of Fame. The Chicago Bears
play their home games at the Soldier Field,
which was opened on November 11, 1926 and
seats 66,944. |
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