Chicago Bears Tradition: The Thing About The Old Days Is... They Are The Old Da

Let me start by saying that the views and thoughts that you will read here are mine and not of Scott, nor Joseph Lewis and the good people at Barber’s Chair Network.

Maybe. 

I start with that line not as a joke. Scott and Joe and do an amazing job covering the team as an independent organization, and I don’t want to jeopardize that, nor my thoughts to be mistaken for theirs. But here we go.

Chicago Bears organization, you are liars or do a good job at telling half-truths, but you’re not being honest with yourselves. You consistently talk about this “Great Tradition” that comes with the organization. I am 42 years old. On January 26, 1986, the day you won your first Super Bowl, I was three years old. You didn’t return until February 4, 2007, when you lost to the Indianapolis Colts. The Bears have appeared in the NFC Championship game 5 times since 1982. The San Francisco 49ers have 16 in the same period. Second place? The Green Bay Packers with nine.

Speaking of the Green Bay Packers, since 1982, the Chicago Bears have a record of 42 wins, 48 losses against the Green Bay Packers. Aaron Rodgers has a 24-5 record against the Bears in 29 career starts. Brett Favre had a career record of 23 wins and 13 losses against you. Remember the Chris Conte game? How about the Jay Cutler/NFC Title game?

I can go on and on, but I ask you, and I want you to be honest about yourselves; What is this Bears Tradition you speak of?

Does it come from the 1940s, when you had a record of 81 wins, 26 losses, and four NFL Championships in. 1940, 1941, 1943, and 1946? How about the 50s had a record of 70 wins, 48 losses. What about the NFL Championship team in 1963. Mike Ditka, Gale Sayers, Dick Butkus? The 70s was huff but at least we got Walter Payton in 1975!

The 80s? OMG the 80s! The decade that gave the Bears it’s only Super Bowl! One of the greatest teams of all-time that when you look at it, with only 2 NFC title appearances, you can make the argument they underachieved.

In the 90s I had to see Barry Sanders give record breaking, Highlight reel performances against the Bears. Brett Favre and the Packers emerge from the dead (shouts to God for telling Reggie White to go to Green Bay.) The 2000s gave us hope with Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs and the New Monsters. 

Then we get to Double Doink…

Still a touchy subject.

Failure and False hope have been a cloud over this team, until General Manager Ryan Poles made an unlikely trade that gave Chicago a number 1 wide receiver and the eventual number 1 pick in the NFL draft and “generational talent” Caleb Williams (don’t take the quotation marks as a diss). The NFL said this was the best situation for a #1 pick. With a potential top 5 defense, additions of pro bowler Keenan Allen, Rookie Rome Odunze, free agent Signing D’Andre Swift? Some people even picked the Bears to go to the Super Bowl!

What was the history the Bears made this season? Firing head coach Matt Eberflus in season, the first time the team has done that in their storied history.

Breaking Tradition. But again I ask; What tradition?

I see the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox; Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics and I see tradition. Even at their worst, they come back and win or relevant. 

The Bears? McCaskey family, Kevin Warren, Media friends, lets keep it a buck; The Bears tradition since the 80s has been either underachieving or disappointing.

This historic, charter franchise has become the laughingstock of the NFL, and now have a bigger spotlight on them because this “storied” franchise hasn’t drafted franchise Quarterback in my lifetime. Caleb Williams can be the change in tradition, or be added to the list of QBs who failed here.

Y’all don’t do shit good: Draft, Coach, Staff, Develop. Nothing.

Slim Charles, one of the greatest TV Characters of all time, on my favorite show, “The Wire” had a quote that I think the Bears should adhere to; “The Thing About The Old Days Is... They Are The Old Days.”

I no longer want to hear about years when my grandmother was a toddler. I no longer want to hear about the 1963 title when my mom was a baby. I no longer want to hear about the famed 1985 squad. I want to hear about the new tradition you want to build. The changes you want to make. If you want to use “getting back to the glory days” do that. but this storied history and legacy of the Chicago Bears is just that, stories.