11/21/24
January 13, 2007
The 85 Bears Are Dominating Marketing Like The Defense Dominated The Field: Still brings a smile to my face when I think or hear about that great team.
No team lead by Rex Grossman will ever be exactly marketable.
posted by tieguy at 05:15 PM on January 13, 2007
As a lifelong Cowboys fan, this article sounds familiar to me. In the early 90's when Dallas was returning to prominence there was lots of talk that they would never be revered as the Roger Staubach/Doomsday teams of the 70's. By the mid 90's no one was saying that anymore. If the Bears string together two or three Super Bowl seasons in the next few years this team will likely replace the 85 squad in the hearts of many.
posted by texoma-slim at 08:24 PM on January 13, 2007
While sustained excellence does guarantee that on a certain level a team will be remembered (such as the early 90’s Cowboys as you stated Texoma), I believe the crux of the article is that it is the force of colorful or dynamic personalities that truly makes a team “One for the Ages”. Let’s remember after all, “Da Bears” only won the one Super Bowl but, because of the characters on the team, they continue to endure. Some cases in point: The 60’s Packers: They were the standard of excellence for all of football, but in spite of the five championships, one name really makes them memorable LOMBARDI (Half the state of Wisconsin just bowed!) The 69 Jets: Joe Willie Namath, Bold predication aside, the man had the flash of a Hollywood star. The 70’s Steelers: As great a team as ever assembled but without the bumpkin charm of Bradshaw, the commercial playing off of Mean Joe Greene’s ferociousness, except for historian types or Pittsburgh natives, they probably aren’t as well known. Remember the 70’s Dolphins had some pretty damn good teams but in spite of the undefeated season, you don’t hear them mentioned as often because there wasn’t one truly colorful individual. I’m absolutely certain some folks might disagree with me, and this list certainly can be added to. The point here is that no matter how good a TEAM was, if there wasn’t one or more dynamic or colorful individuals, the team itself may not be as widely remembered.
posted by R_A_Mason at 06:55 AM on January 14, 2007
I think the '70s Steelers are as well known in the public mind as the '85 Bears, and I say that as a Cowboys fan. Bradshaw, Greene, Harris, Swann, Stallworth, Bleir, Ham, Lambert ... they had their share of memorable players, and were more than a one-year wonder. I'm still not over Bradshaw's divorce from Jo Jo Starbuck. 
posted by rcade at 07:48 AM on January 14, 2007
Superbowl Shuffle. That is all that is needed to explain the love affair with the 85 Bears.It was the first team to use that type of media to put itself out there for the common football fan.I have been a Bears fan as long as I can remember and remember the bad taste it left that Payton never scored in the game but the "Fridge" did,but everyone remembers that video/song.
posted by jda at 04:25 PM on January 14, 2007
The '85 Bears are the only team from that year (other than the Steelers) that I can name more than two or three players. Ah...those were the days! Im memory of Walter Payton, myself and my entire family tree (numbering in the 90s) are organ doners. Thanks for the article, danjel!