5 Favorite Bears Memories

[Atkins&Rebel]

Haven't seen this type of thread in awhile. In the "what makes you a Bears fan" type of thinking, what are your top 5 favorite Bears memories? Be they single plays, whole games, or whatever.

5. Fog Bowl vs Eagles. That was the wildest game I've ever watched on live TV.
4. 1991 season: First game I ever went to in week 5, turned into an underdog season where we were always playing close games especially vs the Saints where we just kept pounding Bobby Herbert and eventually lead to the famous Waddle playoff game vs the Cowboys. Didn't seem like an 11 win season that year.
3. Was on hand to watch Devon Hester return 2 vs the Vikes in a brutally cold game. Official temps were in the 20's but it was -10 when we got to the lot at 7am. had my feet under out little hibachi grill to keep them "warm" and my beer froze
2. Everything up to about the end of the 3rd quarter of our SB loss to the Colts. Thought we were going to win that game until reality kicked in by mid 4th quarter
1. Watching Walter break the Rushing record on TV.

Honorable Mention: Playoff game vs the Saints, Reggie Bush taunts the Bears Defense as he scores, then Urlacher and company proceed to shut down the Saints for the majority of the game and we win big 39-14

[The Marshall Plan]

Good one!

1) Meeting Mike Ditka at Carson Pirie Scott in the suburbs after the Super Bowl by like a year. He was doing an autograph event in the store. I’m 8 years old and I’m super excited yet terrified because this is Iron Mike the guy who screamed at everyone. I asked if I could see the Super Bowl ring he was wearing and he did. I got to touch it.

I have no idea how many department stores, grocery stores, hardware stores and toy stores my parents drove me to so I could meet a coach or player.

2) As a kid, seeing the Chevy commercials on TV and then immediately calling the local Chevy dealer for them to save me a poster. They knew who I was when I’d come in.

3) The 2006 Super Bowl. I had everybody over and my wife is pregnant. Hester returns the opening kickoff for a TD. I’m already in tears and running up to my wife. She starts screaming NO NO DONT PICK ME UP I’M PREGNANT!

4) Recency bias maybe here but drafting JF1. There was / is something about drafting this guy. I get this vibe. Like he’s The One. This is our Luke Skywalker. I see him and I just keep thinking this is the guy that’s going to win a Super Bowl for us. I didn’t get that with Cutler or Mitch. I loved Cutler but I didn’t feel he’d win one for us.

5) The control this franchise has over me. I do not know WTF it is. I’ve told you guys before but I’ve been late to or missed weddings, funerals, Christenings, birthday parties, BBQs anything you name it to watch the game. I plan my whole schedule around it. I come home from fishing early. I work my ass off Saturday doing shit so my chores are done. I cook food for the game. I tailor my grocery list for snacks for the game. It’s the only life activity where this is it. This is what I’m doing and I’m not missing it.

[spudbear]

Alright, I'll bite:

5. The double doink (been downhill ever since)
4. First half of the season opener against GB in Mack's first game
3. Hester taking it to the house on the opening kickoff in the SB
2. Crushing the Giants in the '86 playoffs and seeing Sims run for his life
1. The 2005 Monday night Cards game, when Urlacher willed them to a win in spite of Rex

Dishonorable mentions: Jim Miller getting body slammed and no call, Trestman (yeesh), SF coming into town for the '87 playoffs and Montana owning the Bears

[Arkansasbear]

1. September 19, 1985. Monday night game vs the Vikings where Ditka told McMahon he wasn't playing and McMahon is on the sidelines chirping at Ditka until he finally gets put in and leads the Bears to an amazing win. That was the night I went 100% Bears fan. Had been a St. Louis Cardinals fan as my dad love the city and when were always there for baseball and football games. Bears had been a team a like for while but that sealed it for me. Bought a cap the next day that I still have.

Sadly the video only shows the plays, it doesn't show him yelling at Ditka.

2. Super Bowl. I lump that whole playoff run with it. Was just so fun to watch.

3. Devin Hester's first punt return. Was against Green Bay and I have an autographed photo of it. Knew we were about to watch something amazing.


4. The "just crown their asses" game vs. AZ. Was on real to sit there and watch it play out.



5. Mike Brown's games with back to back TDs in overtime to win. Something I think we will never see again.

[Otis Day]

Few off the top of my head.

January 12, 1986 - NFC Championship game v Rams. Wilber scooping up the fumble taking it in for 6. The snow started to fall and the Bears were going to the Super Bowl. 22 yrs old and was crying like a baby.

January 26, 1986 - SUPER BOWL VICTORY!!!!! For me it was kind of anti climatic compared to the NFC Championship game.

December 2005 - home game against ATL. Vick doesn't want to be there, it was cold as hell. Probably about -15 with wind chill. Orton yanked and Sexy Rexy enters to seal the W. I was there.

December 14, 2006, in St Louis, Hester has a PR and KR for TDs in a romp of the Rams

November 25, 2007 in Chicago for the game against the Broncos. Hester has another PR and KR for TDs. He leaps over a diving Sauebrun on the PR. Bears win in OT.

Getting Dan Hampton's autograph in a bar here in town. He was playing pool. How he ended up here I have no clue.

Watching Walter Payton throughout his career.

[IE]

5. Have had the great experience to see the beloved play in a bunch of other stadiums: Philly, Seattle, LA, Cleveland, Vegas (JF1's first TD pass - to Horsted!), Minnesota, and several times on Thanksgiving in Detroit (the BEST!). I'd really like to visit most stadiums - but not all. Still on the bucket list are GB, NOLA, Nashville, Dallas, KC, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Miami, Tampa.

4. Being at the Fog Bowl on NYE in '88. Started as an absolutely beautiful, unseasonably warm game for 12/31. My tickets were on the back of the goal line on the SW side of the old Soldier Field, and watching the fog coming in from the lake and literally pouring through the big columns on the east side and filling the stadium... it was just surreal. IT wasn't long before we couldn't see past about the 25 yard line.

3. Being at the '06 NFCC win in a snowstorm. That was such a huge, emphatic win - and especially like said above sticking it to Reggie Bush after his initial cockiness.

2. Being privledged to get season tickets from a friend on the team for 2 seasons in '90 and '91, and after most of the home games getting to go through the tunnel after the game with the players and their families and tailgate under the old Soldier Field. Also got to attend the big final team/family BBQ cookout after the scrimmage in Platteville in '91 and hanging out with all the players for several hours like one of the family. Ditka. Most of the Superbowl Oline still playing. Fridge, Mongo, Dent and so many others.

1. The '85 season all the way through the Superbowl ... the characters on the team, the Shuffle, Ditka, McMahon, Fridge. What a phenomenon. There's no bigger sweeter memory.

Honorable mention: The Hester returns, the Cards comeback, the Mike Brown INTs, and especially the trade up to land JF1!

Dishonorable mention: The Cutler knee NFCC disaster vs Green Bay. I was there as well and it was brutal. And then the double doink game which for me was brutal the entire game, with a feeling of foreboding that was rewarded with the doinks. That entire game was bad and they almost squeaked it out... but the entire thing was embarrassing. Also the Saints WC game 2 years ago. Brutally embarrassing. Lastly - the "hope - free" blowouts under Trestman especially the one where GB had like 45 points at halftime. This is why I have patience, and don't want anything temporary or cute.

[dave99]

12/29/1963 NFL championship game at Wrigley Field. Wrapped in so many blankets I could hardly see. Great D. no offense to speak of. At least that's what my dad told me.
10/7/1984 Walter Payton, the greatest running back in NFL history took a pitch for 6 yards and the all time NFL rushing record of 12, 312 yard.
12/12/1965, Home game vs. the 49er's. Gale Sayers scored six TD's in the mud. I was there and to be fair, I don't know if his feet ever touched the ground.
9/19 /1985 The Minnesota Miracle. Jimmy Mac talked his way back onto the field halfway through the 3rd period to lead Bears (down 17-9) to a 33-24 comeback victory.
11/17/1985 44-0 walloping of the Dallas Cowboys. A bunch of us rented a bus, the party lasted well past games end.

Looking forward to the one that includes Justin Fields being awarded the MVP in Super Bowl LIX

[wab]

I don't know if these are my favorites or the "best" but they are the ones that stick out to me the most.

5 - Meeting Kyle Long after the Cowboys game in 2016.

4 - Being at the 1994 Halloween game against the Packers. They got trounced but the atmosphere was something I'll never forget.

3 - 2018. That whole season was a blast.

2 - 2006 and the Hester Super Bowl TD

1 - 10/14/84. The first professional football game I ever saw in person. Bears at Cardinals. Bears lost, but they absolutely mesmerized me. My great uncle worked in the PA department for the Cardinals, so we got to go into the locker room after the game. My grandfather was getting annoyed with me because I kept asking Neil Lomax where Walter Payton was.

Honorable mention: Meeting Hester as a rookie at training camp and talking to him for like 20 minutes. Everyone thought he was Jerry Azumah and when he corrected them, they left him alone because nobody knew who he was at that time. I couldn't understand half of what he was saying, but he was just gushing about how cool it was to be drafted by the Bears and how blessed he was to be there. Mike Brown came over and yelled at him for talking to me.

[grendel2000]

Man, I'm gonna have to think about this, but just reading and watching the stuff that folks already posted has me feeling off balance... So many names I can't believe I remember, not just on the Bears but the other teams too. So many memories... How have the years gone by so quickly?

[Arkansasbear]

Man, I'm gonna have to think about this, but just reading and watching the stuff that folks already posted has me feeling off balance... So many names I can't believe I remember, not just on the Bears but the other teams too. So many memories... How have the years gone by so quickly?

As a kid, the day's flew by and the years took forever. Now the days take forever and the years fly by.

[The Marshall Plan]

Looking forward to the one that includes Justin Fields being awarded the MVP in Super Bowl LIX

Oh heck yeah I receive that one brother!

[grendel2000]

Man, I'm gonna have to think about this, but just reading and watching the stuff that folks already posted has me feeling off balance... So many names I can't believe I remember, not just on the Bears but the other teams too. So many memories... How have the years gone by so quickly?

As a kid, the day's flew by and the years took forever. Now the days take forever and the years fly by.

You said it brother…

[thunderspirit]

1-5) Grew up in the area, was in HS for Superb Owl XX, and I'm a lifelong glutton for punishment.

[Grizzled]

Not in any particular order:

Being in the stands the game in which Sweetness set the single game rushing record;

1968 - Dad scored Bears tickets to the 49ers game (got them from a guy who couldn't use them; otherwise tickets were not obtainable); Bears won at Wrigley Field, Sayers ran a return back for a TD, Butkus was his typical beast;

SB20

The Minnesota game earlier in the '85 season in which the McMahon didn't start because of injuries, the Vikes rolled to a big early lead, Mad Mac kept barking at Ditka to put him in, he did and McMahon threw for like 3 long TDs on his first 3 throws as the Bears roared back to crush the Vikes;

Can't remember the year, late '70s/early '80s. Bad Bears and bad Packers teams. The Bears completely and totally teed off on the Pack, sacked their QB a whole bunch of time, just a joy to listen to on the radio (no tv coverage)

[Hema2.0]

#5 Hester SB runback
#4 They are who we thought they were
#3. 2001 ( I believe). Mike Brown back to back OT tds
#2 The short magic of Miller-Robinson
#1 Christmas day at Flambeau, 2nd row behind the Bears bench as they win the division. Got a nod from Sexy Rexy for an MVP chant that game.

[dplank]

Top 5 most depressing moments is a much easier list lol

[HurricaneBear]

#1 - Hester's returns - my favorite college player gets drafted by my favorite team and changes the game for my favorite part of the game(returns). My happiest Bears memories involve all of Hester's returns.

#2 - Justin Fields! - the middle of last season will always hold a place in my heart as I finally got to see the Bears offense how I'd like it. I think it peaked for me with the Cowboys game.

#3 - 2018 - riding high getting my coach of choice(ugh I know) and then Mack it felt like 06 all over again. Great season that should have ended in a Super Bowl.

#4 - Lovies opening presser - by the latest 90s after mainly watching Monday night football blow out losses to the Packers as a kid since the Bears were never on TV in CT, I had stopped watching or caring much about football. Lovies "beat the Packers" speech was music for my football soul. I then discovered I could watch the games via the internet and my fandom exploded in my 20s.

#5 - 91 Bears Cowboys -my first real memory of a Bears game since they were actually on TV here in CT. Waddle became one of my favorites this game when he beat Deion.

#6 - Corey Wooten, hero - between #5 Waddle and #4 Lovie my only memories of the Bears are Brett Favre destroying the Bears on MNF. Being allowed to stay up for the whole game, excited all day, then THOSE games would be my reward. The announcers faunung over the clear as day to me douchebag of a person Brett Favre nearly ended my fandom. Now I won't normally hope for an injury. But that motherfucker kinda ruined football for this kid. And then his drug addiction/dick pick scandals proved in my eyes he is a scumbag and I was right. So Wooten's sack will always be one of my favorites. Fuck Brett Favre. Hope his newest shit gets him in jail.

I like a lot of your lists better

[Grizzled]

Haven't seen this type of thread in awhile. In the "what makes you a Bears fan" type of thinking, what are your top 5 favorite Bears memories? Be they single plays, whole games, or whatever.

5. Fog Bowl vs Eagles. That was the wildest game I've ever watched on live TV.
4. 1991 season: First game I ever went to in week 5, turned into an underdog season where we were always playing close games especially vs the Saints where we just kept pounding Bobby Herbert and eventually lead to the famous Waddle playoff game vs the Cowboys. Didn't seem like an 11 win season that year.
3. Was on hand to watch Devon Hester return 2 vs the Vikes in a brutally cold game. Official temps were in the 20's but it was -10 when we got to the lot at 7am. had my feet under out little hibachi grill to keep them "warm" and my beer froze
2. Everything up to about the end of the 3rd quarter of our SB loss to the Colts. Thought we were going to win that game until reality kicked in by mid 4th quarter
1. Watching Walter break the Rushing record on TV.

Honorable Mention: Playoff game vs the Saints, Reggie Bush taunts the Bears Defense as he scores, then Urlacher and company proceed to shut down the Saints for the majority of the game and we win big 39-14

Great thread, thanks for starting it. For all our bitching, and I'm one who does a bunch, it's great to remember this is a game for us. It's not life or death nor are any of our jobs in jeopardy if the team sucks nor do we get publicly ridiculed by an entire city. For as bad as the Bears have typically been since I started following them in '63, it's the good and the fun memories I cherish.

[Atkins&Rebel]

I like a lot of your lists better

Part of the reason for the thread is to appreciate why others like the same team you do. I mean I can remember many of the things being listed that happened in my lifetime. But there's always something about going to a game that sets it apart. There's things that we witness that will always stick with us. Thats what makes them special to you. Heck even players that you notice more than the others might not.

One of my favorite Bears of all time is James Williams. The Big Cat was able to neutralize Reggie White for many of the times they faced off. Sure, Reggie was Reggie and had a few plays to his name, but over the several times they played, Williams held his own. I doubt that many people realize how much of a battle that was, and as a guy who settled in to play O line in school, I was able to watch Big Cat's battles with White and really understand just what I was seeing. That's what gave me hope for James Daniels. He was put in at LG against Aaron Donald and held his own against him. But that was just 1 game and Daniels couldn't keep it up. Williams battled through some pretty tough injuries and still played at a high level for the most part and had a pretty long streak for consecutive games played. He did have some issues with speed rushers but no one's perfect.

[Atkins&Rebel]

Man, I'm gonna have to think about this, but just reading and watching the stuff that folks already posted has me feeling off balance... So many names I can't believe I remember, not just on the Bears but the other teams too. So many memories... How have the years gone by so quickly?

It's not a competition. When you just think about some of your favorite memories, what stands out to you. Specific plays, Specific players, Great games
We all follow the Bears for reasons both historic and personal.
When I think of the 80's Bears, the image that always comes to my mind first is Ditka murdering the gum in his mouth as he stalks the sidelines.

[dplank]

1. Various runs by Walter Payton. It’s hard to pick just one, but overall watching him run (with an honerable mention to Earl Campbell) made me a football fan as a youngster.

2. 1985 playoff run. The shutouts. The Rams game. Richard Dent. That defense just locked me in as a Bears fan for life.

3. Pitching my playbook software to Lovie and staff in person in 2015 or so. Stood on stage in their main meeting room looking out over all these people I was such huge fans of was cool as hell.

4. 2006 NFCC game. A little snow, Urlacher hoisting the NFC Trophy.

5. I suppose this makes me a bad person, but Corey Whooten essentially ending Brett Favres career with a massive sack.

[Arkansasbear]

Top 5 most depressing moments is a much easier list lol

I'd think it wold be harder as there are so many more of them.

[circlecitybear]

Thanks for the thread, makes me go back and wonder why I love this team,
1. Going to Bears practice my junior year with the football team. Was on crutches due to a clip in practice. Halas stops by in his golf cart and asked what happened, told him and he said jump in. Got to ride on to the practice field. Teammates were shocked. Got his autograph.
2. At the Saints game when Walter set the record. Watching his flips in the pregame, unbelievable.
3. The Viking game when Jimmy Mac took over.
4. Super bowl win, that whole playoff run was the best.
5. Real young, but watching Butkus, Buffone and Fortunato. Especially when Fortunato was always fighting with Monte Stickles, the 49ers tight ensd.

[UOK]

5. The Khalil Mack debut game, up until the final 5 minutes of the game, was insane. Guy absolutely destroyed the Packers for 98% of that contest, except, of course, when it mattered.

4. The 2010 Divisional Round game against the Seahawks. Jim Cornelison sang the anthem at Soldier fresh off the Blackhawks cup win and the crowd was going apeshit. The snow was falling gently, and the Bears, their last real relevant run before everything went to fuck for 8 years, won the game and the day. Game is up on youtube in its entirety and is well worth a re-watch.

3. Beating the Saints for the NFC championship in the snow. The Saints had some damned good weapons, but the Bears were a team of ceaseless miracles who wouldn't be denied.

2. The 2001 season was a blast, but if I had to narrow it down the back-to-back Mike Brown games were just incredible. The Keith Traylor interception is a close second.

1. The Hester SB return was an out of body experience, I remember nothing else about that game beyond knowing we were going to lose and that Prince kicked ass.

[Grizzled]

I know the thread asks for 5 but I have a 6th. Butkus catching an extra point pass against the 'Skins, '70 or '71? Just so cool.

[G08]

Oh wow... this is an off the cuff response:

2005 Falcons at Bears: Grossman replaces Orton against the Falcons at home, in the freezing cold, at hafltime. Crowd is ELECTRIC. His first snap he completes a pass for more yards than Orton threw in the entire first half. I remember running around the old house screaming like a madman, my mom looking at me like I was nuts

2006 Superbowl: Devin Hester return for a touchdown. What an iconic moment for this franchise.

The entire 2018 season, clinching the playoffs by beating the Packers at home.

2006 Bears at Cardinals: "They are who we thought they were!"

2010 Packers at Bears NFC Championship Game: We lost but I was there, remember it being so fucking cold my beer froze

[IotaNet]

A lot of mine are from '85. People nowadays forget what a drought Chicago sports had been through. This was before the Jordan Bulls, before the 2005 Sox, definitely before the '16 Cubs, or the twenty-teen Blackhawks. Chicago was a joke in the sporting world. We had given up hope that we would/could win ANYTHING.

1) When the Bears beat Dallas 44-0 in November of '85 -- my favorite game of that season. There was speculation up to that point about whether the Bears were "for real" and Dallas was supposed to be a true test. They hadn't beaten Dallas in their last 6 tries and Ditka had never beaten Landry. I remember them beating the living SNOT out of Dallas that night -- especially the Quarterbacks (Poor Danny White -- he got knocked out of the game TWICE.) It was a straight massacre and the whole country knew for SURE, that the Bears were the real deal.

2) The game against Green Bay when Fridge caught the touchdown pass. I always remember Wayne Larrivee with the call, "Perry goes in motion ..." and Butkus scoffed! "Hah -- Perry goes in MOTION" ... and a second later he was like, "Hey - he's open!" Next thing you know, he catches the ball, and a legend was truly born.

3) The Giants playoff game -- we were nervous because it was the playoffs but what was going to happen? Sean Landeta whiffed the punt, and it was off to the races. A great day that was only surpassed by ...

4) The RAMS playoff game. It's been mentioned before but when Wilber Marshall recovered the strip sack and took it to the house -- and it started snowing. Thats when you realized -- "We are going to the effing SUPER BOWL!"

5) Devin Hester taking the opening kickoff to the house in Super Bowl XLI. The biggest game, the biggest stage, and Hester came into the game after having a fantastic year -- all eyes were on him. That was one of the most electric moments in Bears' history.

[dave99]

I know the thread asks for 5 but I have a 6th. Butkus catching an extra point pass against the 'Skins, '70 or '71? Just so cool.

[video][/video]

[Grizzled]

I know the thread asks for 5 but I have a 6th. Butkus catching an extra point pass against the 'Skins, '70 or '71? Just so cool.

[video][/video]

The most feared MLB of all time.

[EricTighe]

Favorite memories. In no order.

Payton's Induction into the HOF.
Sometime in October in 84. Payton broke Jim Browns record.
85 Superbowl win.
Us selecting Urlacher in the first round.
Trading up in the first round to select Justin Fields.