Da Bears - 20 year retrospective with Chris

So today I spent some time chatting up my good friend Chris about Da Bears and football in general. Herein lies the discourse:

Sara: So I am trying to engage my brother in a back-and-forth for my blog comparing the 85 bears to the 2005 bears - my premise is that 85 didn't have that much greater talent, but they had infinitately more heart, and that is why they were the greater team

Chris: OK

Sara: I was just thinking that would be a good read

Chris: It certainly would. Plus, anyone who can defend Gary Fencik as having "talent" should be entertaining.

Sara: OH! I love him. He's why I started watching football

Chris: Easily the best of the rappers.

Sara: I had a total crush on him. I must have walked in while he was giving an interview and I was done for - I was like 13 or something - I was totally smitten

Chris: :)

Sara: and when I saw the 20 year special I still thought he looked good. But I was thinking more of Singletary and Dent - the things they talked about in the retrospective. Mike Singletary was saying that the defense would come over and coach the offense - tell them what to look for, how to hit, how to play, etc. And the offense started doing the same. They believed they had to do this because they all wanted it so badly - not just the winning - they wanted to be their best.

Richard Dent or Dan Hampton talked about how in huddles they would bet each other about who could sack the QB the most. Or when a runner was about to reach some goal in a game against them, they said in the huddle, "whoever hits him, hold him up, and we'll all tackle him - he doesn't get another yard in this game" and that's exactly what they did.

They saw it as a game and they loved to play

I sometimes look at teams now and think they are just there for the money. You look at someone like T.O. with some amazing god-given talent, but no heart and because of it he will never be great

Chris: Absolutely.

Sara: Guys like Singletary were great because they had the talent and the heart - and he had so much heart that it was contagious to the team - so someone like Fencik (my first love, le sigh!) may not have been great, but he played with heart. I loved watching that retrospective because they were all so into it - then and now

Chris: What about McMahon?

Sara: heh, the punky QB? I have mixed feelings about him. Certainly he was passionate, Certainly he was a leader, certainly he was injury prone…

Chris: He's an ass.

Sara: I was getting to that ;)

Chris: (And a misogynistic one, if the reports are to be believed.)

Sara: Yeah, who knows. BUT, look at the chemistry of a team like that vs. the Bears this last season.

Sara: Could you imagine, if you had a time machine that only went to football games (impractical, I know) - there are some games you'd have to see. I'd take almost any game of that season for the Bears. Oddly, I would not take the SuperBowl. I have issues there. Glad we won and all, but not much of a game to watch.

Chris: It seems like a no-brainer. Does anyone really think the 2005 Bears were really more than above average in a watered down conference and weak division?

Sara: Surprisingly, yes. Scott and I were at Old Chicago on game days to watch football last season. The crowd there was very enthusiastic about the Bears. They really thought they would go all the way. I spent all season saying it would never happen.

Chris: Hm.

Chris: That surprises me.

Sara: You know rabid fans - they get caught up in it and won't see it for what it is. For me it's more of a then and now retrospective. Why were the '85 Bears successful while the 2005 Bears weren't. I know it seems like a no-brainer, but it isn't as if the Bears are without talent.

Chris: No, but on a position by position basis even, they're clearly inferior, starting with the QB, RB and defense. (And you're going to hit me, but Urlacher needs to pony up another good season soon, or he's going to land in Overratedsville.)

Sara: Urlacher - one of my favs - he was supposed to be the next Mike Singletary. He isn't. But he is the best substitute we've had since Singletary retired. So sadly, I agree. He has not lived up to the hype.

Chris: Also, you've been a victim of some absolutely insanely bad drafts.

Sara: Oh yeah. And again, injuries. And bad trades, etc. Speaking of - I think that will kill the Pats this upcoming season, but that is just me.

Sara: Okay - time machine. You can go to any game in the history of football. What game do you go to and why?

Chris: Hm.

Sara: It's hard, right?

Sara: I mean, do you want to see Theisman break his leg live?

Chris: Nope

Chris: Easy

Sara: Ok - what game?

Chris: 1993 AFC Wild Card game --- Houston v. Buffalo, where Frank Reich leads the greatest comeback in NFL history against my then-beloved Oilers.

Sara: Because of the comeback?

Chris: Yep. Just to be in the crowd and see if the surreal feeling I got watching that game at home was intensified by actually being there watching it

Sara: See, I'm thinking before my time...things like the first SuperBowl - like what was that like? Or Theisman - just to know you are at one of those games that become infamous and to say you had been there.

Sara: Or, because I have always been a Bears fan any Payton game - but especially record-breaking games.

Chris: oic

Sara: I'm not dissing your choice - I'm just explaining my frame of mind.

Chris: sure

Sara: Granted I am always a fan of watching amazing play.

Sara: Which is why I actually really liked the last 4 minutes of the Pittsburg / Indy game in post-season. The end of that game was phenomenal.

Sara: So - your Bucs... can they do it in 06?

Chris: Heck anybody can do it....Simms and Cadillac and our new O-line need one more year together before the offense clicks, though.

Sara: Did you pick up any good drafts?

Chris: We got the WR from Notre Dame and a couple of linemen that we desperately needed. Nothing huge, but we don't have any glaring holes to fill anyway.

Sara: I think the best thing the Bears have going on for ‘06 is Lovie Smith and that the team seems to be getting the hang of his coaching. But, we still have QB issues.

Chris: Yes. Lovie Smith is unquestionably a good thing.

Sara: He's the best we have had in a long time.

Chris: (Plus, he's a member of the Tony Dingy coaching tree.)

Chris: *Dungy

Sara: LOL. I am sure he would appreciate being known as Coach Dingy

And so we close this chapter and hope that Brother John will come through with some exciting insight about Da Bears.