The 2008 Bears will be led by head coach Lovie Smith and the defense, which is still largely intact from its Super Bowl appearance just 2 years ago. Brian Urlacher, Tommy Harris and Lance Briggs anchor the cast. Devin Hester will be electrifying on returns and on offense as has his role in the expands. The Bears will be exciting, and Bears Tickets will be coveted. Just Great Tickets has the best selection on Bears Tickets for 2008 and beyond.
The Bears have won nine Professional American Football league championships (eight NFL Championships and Super Bowl XX), trailing only the Green Bay Packers, who have twelve. The Bears have the most enshrinees in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, with 26 members. The are a team rich in history, a history that include rabid fans with a passion for the team. Be a part of it by getting Bears Tickets today.
The Bears were founded in Decatur, Illinois, in 1919, and moved to Chicago in 1921. The team played home games at Wrigley Field on Chicago's North Side through the 1970 season. They have played their home games at Chicago's Soldier Field every year since 1971. The stadium is located next to Lake Michigan, and was recently remodeled in a modernization that has taken the city by storm. Every Bear fan is clamoring for Bears Tickets, to see how the stadium has keep its traditional roots, while providing the sightlines and amenities of the newer NFL stadiums. It is a sight to see.
Originally named the Decatur Staleys, the club was established by the A. E. Staley Company of Decatur, Illinois in 1919 as a company team. This was the typical start for several early professional football franchises. The company hired George Halas and Edward "Dutch" Sternaman in 1920 to run the team, and turned over full control of the team to them in 1921. Nicknamed "Papa Bear," Halas and his family have owned and controlled the Bears ever since.
The Bears dominated the league in the early years under Halas. In the very 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 defeated the Bears 30-13 on a cold, icy day at the Polo Grounds.
From 1940-1947, quarterback Sid Luckman led the Bears to victories in four out of the five NFL Championship Games in which they appeared. Chicago fans loved Luckman and the bears, and Bears Tickets were consistently in demand, and games at Wrigley Field were sold out. The team acquired the University of Chicago's discarded nickname "Monsters of the Midway" and their now-famous helmet "C", as well as a newly-penned theme song that declared them "The Pride and Joy of Illinois". To this day, fans with Bears Tickets shout out "Bear Down" when the Bears score.
One famous victory during that period 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.
After declining throughout the 1950s, the team rebounded in 1963 to capture their 8th NFL Championship, which would be their last until 1985. The late 1960s and early 1970s produced notable players like Dick Butkus, Gale Sayers, and Brian Piccolo, who died cancer in 1970.
After the AFL/NFL merger in 1970, the Bears fell on lean times. The fan base was still strong, and Chicago Bears Tickets were in high demand, especially after the move from Wrigley to Soldier Field in 1970. The fortunes of the franchise began to change when in 1975 the Bears drafted Walter Payton from Jackson State University with their first pick, and he made an immediate impact. Payton won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award in the 1977-78 season. Payton would go on to eclipse Jim Brown's NFL career rushing record in 1984 before retiring in 1987. Payton's career and great personality would capture the hearts of Bear fans, who called him "Sweetness."
Rooting on Sweetness, Bears fans were rabid and Bears Tickets were tough to get. The team was building through the draft and acquiring players to strengthen both the offense and the defense. But everything came together when Mike Ditka, a tight end for the Bears from 1961 to 1966, was hired to coach the team in 1982. The team improved, Bears Tickets were hot, and finally, in 1985, 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.
After the 1985 Championship season, the Bears remained competitive throughout the 1980s but failed to return to the Super Bowl under Mike Ditka. Despite this, the Bears were more popular than ever, and Bears Tickets were at a premium. Since the firing of Ditka at the end of the 1992 season, the Bears have only made the playoffs five times. The club has also gone through three coaching changes since 1993. Lovie Smith, hired in 2004, is the third and current 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. Led by linebackers Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs, and defensive lineman Tommie Harris, the Bears defense returned to its former glory.
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 thirteen of 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.
This season the Bears are primed to make another run to the Super Bowl. The defense is strong and the offense is promising. Don't wait too long to get your Chicago Bears Tickets. Just Great Tickets is your source for the best Chicago Bears Tickets.
