Sports Then and Now

Few teams in sports history have matched the brashness and brilliance of the 1985 Bears.

It is difficult to believe that it has actually been 25 years since the Chicago Bears completed one of the most dominant seasons in NFL history with a 46-10 thrashing of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX.

Though it has now been 25 years ago since their Super Bowl victory, the 1985 Bears still hold special place in the memories of many football fans as much because of the larger-than-life personalities as for their dominant performances on the field.

The images of Jim McMahon mooning a helicopter, Walter Payton running through tacklers, William Perry plowing into the end zone and Wilber Marshall running through the snow to a game clinching score are still fresh in the memory.

The Bears didn’t just beat opponents, they punished them. Of their 15 regular season victories, only four were not double digit victories.

They made two proud franchises look old and out-manned with a 45-10 victory over the Washington Redskins and a 44-0 white-wash of the Dallas Cowboys.

Only a 38-24 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football in week 13 kept them from a perfect season.

But even that loss didn’t stymie the confidence and brashness of the Bears. The day after that loss, members of the team gathered to shoot their “Super Bowl Shuffle” video.

They then went out and out-scored their final three regular season opponents 73-33 to finish with a 15-1 regular season mark.

The previous season, the Bears had reached the NFC Championship Game, only to lose to the San Francisco 49ers.

This time around the Bears left little doubt that they would be the NFC representative in Super Bowl XX. Read the rest of this entry →

The outcome of Super Bowl XX was never really in doubt as Walter Payton and the Bears dominated the Patriots.

Wow, has it really been 24 years?  Jan 26, 1986. Super Bowl XX, at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Tony Eason and the New England Patriots, against Jim McMahon and the Chicago Bears.

After watching the Super Bowl on TV as a kid, I couldn’t believe I was actually there to cover the big game in person. It was just my second year in television so I was still a little wet behind the ears.

At the time, I was working for Channel 9, WMUR TV in Manchester, N.H. and was in the Big Easy as part of the media contingent covering the Patriots.

That year the Pats were actually a surprise Super Bowl suitor given the teams they had the beat to get there.  After finishing the regular season with a record of 11-5 and in third place behind the Dolphins and Jets in the AFC East, New England’s ticket to New Orleans consisted of three wildcard road wins against  the Jets (26-14), Raiders (27-20) and Dolphins (31-14).

Ironically, Miami was the only team that season to beat the Bears, who arrived on Bourbon Street with a gaudy record of 18-1, following play-off wins over the Giants (21-0) and the Los Angeles Rams (24-0).

Yep, back to back play-off shutouts, but no surprise really when you consider at the time the Bears where in the record books as one of the best defenses ever in league history.

That year, the Bears, “46 Zone” defense, allowed the fewest points (198), total yards (4,135), and fewest  yards rushing (1,319). They also led the league with thirty-four interceptions. Read the rest of this entry →