Post by jamiafqc on Jul 23, 2012 2:29:15 GMT 1
After the merger, Cincinnati Bengals #17 the Bears finished the 1970 season last place in their division, a repeat of their placing in the 1969 season. In 1975, the Bears drafted Walter Payton from Jackson State University with their first pick. He 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, and would hold the mark until 2002, when Emmitt Smith of the Dallas Cowboys surpassed it. Cincinnati Bengals #18 Payton's career and personality would capture the hearts of Bear fans, who called him "Sweetness". He died from a rare form of liver cancer in 1999 at the age of 45.“I'm proud to be a Chicago Bear and excited to be here for another four years,” Forte said in a press release. “I've been working hard this offseason and am looking forward to joining my teammates at training camp next week. I'm glad the business part is done and we can all turn our attention to football and our goal of winning a championship.”Dallas Cowboys #90 “We're very pleased that we were able to come to terms on a four-year extension with Matt,” Bears GM Phil Emerysaid. “We're excited to get him on the field and continue working towards our goal of winning a championship.”ZRNAGZ0723
On November 1, 1983, a day after the death of George Halas, Cleveland Browns #3 his oldest daughter, Virginia McCaskey, took over as the majority owner of the team. Her husband, Ed McCaskey, succeeded her father as the Chairman of the Board. Their son Michael became the third president in team history. Mrs. McCaskey holds the honorary title of "secretary of the board of directors", but the 82-year–old matriarch has been called the glue that holds the franchise together. Mrs. McCaskey's reign as the owner of the Bears was not planned, Cleveland Browns #16 as her father originally earmarked her brother, George "Mugs" Halas, Jr. as the heir apparent to the franchise. However, he died of a massive heart attack in 1979. Her impact on the team is well-noted as her own family has dubbed her "The First Lady of Sports", and the Chicago Sun-Times has listed her as one of Chicago's most powerful women.Negotiations between Forte’s agent, Adisa Bakari, and the Bears were strenuous, Dallas Cowboys #94 to say the least. Talks went south last summer when Forte felt then-general manager Jerry Angelo did not keep his promise to reward him with a lucrative deal. Rather than hold out, Forte -- who played the final year of his rookie contract for $600,000 -- took a business-as-usual approach toward the season. He was named to the Pro Bowl despite missing the final four games with a sprained medical collateral ligament in his right knee.
Mike Ditka, a tight end for the Bears from 1961 to 1966, Cleveland Browns #33 was hired to coach the team by George Halas in 1982. In the 1985 season the fire in the Bears–Packers rivalry was relit when Ditka used 315 pound defensive tackle "Refrigerator" Perry as a running back in a touchdown play at Lambeau Field, against the Packers. 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 and a cast of characters that recorded the novelty rap song "The Super Bowl Shuffle". The season was notable in that the Bears had only one loss, Dallas Cowboys #9 the "unlucky 13th" game of the season, a Monday night affair in which they were defeated by the Miami Dolphins. At the time, much was made of the fact that the 1972 Dolphins were the only franchise in history to have had an undefeated season and post-season. The Dolphins came close to setting up a rematch in the Super Bowl, but lost to the New England Patriots in the AFC title game. "The Super Bowl Shuffle" was videotaped the day after that Monday night loss in Miami.
After the 1985 Championship season, Dallas Cowboys #19 the Bears remained competitive throughout the 1980s but failed to return to the Super Bowl under Mike Ditka. Since the firing of Ditka at the end of the 1992 season, the Bears have made the playoffs five times under three different head coaches: Dave Wannstedt from 1993 through 1998, thingy Jauron from 1999 through 2003, and current head coach, Lovie Smith. Before the Bears hired Jauron in January 1999, Dave McGinnis (Arizona's defensive coordinator, Dallas Cowboys #24 and a former Bears assistant under Ditka and Wannstedt) backed out of taking the head coaching position. The Bears scheduled a press conference to announce the hiring before McGinnis agreed to contract terms. Soon after Jauron's hiring, Mrs. McCaskey fired her son Michael as president, replacing him with Ted Phillips and promoting Michael to chairman of the board. McCaskey's reign as president has been viewed as a "disaster". Phillips, the current Bears president, became the first man outside of the Halas-McCaskey family to run the team.
Lovie Smith, hired on January 15, Dallas Cowboys #28 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. Before his second season with the Bears, the team rehired their former offensive coordinator and then Illinois head coach Ron Turner to improve the Bears' struggling offense.In 2005, the Bears won their division and reached the playoffs for the first time in four years. Dallas Cowboys #29 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 13 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. Following the 2006 season, the club decided to give Lovie Smith a contract extension through 2011, Dallas Cowboys #50 at roughly $5 million per year. This comes a season after being the lowest paid head coach in the National Football League.
In this case, the long-term deal made business sense. Signing Forte to a four-year deal gave both the Bears players and fans what they wanted.It's the latest move the Bears have made to bolster the offense. Dallas Cowboys #82 In March, they traded for Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall, who put his best numbers when he played with Cutler in Denver. They also added running back Michael Bush, and drafted receiver Alshon Jeffery. At the end of the 2011 season, they also parted ways with offensive coordinator Mike Martz and promoted Mike Tice to the job. Jeremy Bates, the quarterbacks coach who worked with Cutler and Marshall in Denver, was added to the Bears staff. Dallas Cowboys #88 Anything can happen when the pads come on in camp, but I don’t think Gabe Carimi’s knee will be an issue in training camp. He returned from the injury during the offseason program and looked good. I know that offensive coordinator Mike Tice has high expectations for Carimi, telling me that he feels Carimi is “going to be a better player than he was at any point last year, and I thought he was our best [offensive lineman] when he got hurt.”
On November 1, 1983, a day after the death of George Halas, Cleveland Browns #3 his oldest daughter, Virginia McCaskey, took over as the majority owner of the team. Her husband, Ed McCaskey, succeeded her father as the Chairman of the Board. Their son Michael became the third president in team history. Mrs. McCaskey holds the honorary title of "secretary of the board of directors", but the 82-year–old matriarch has been called the glue that holds the franchise together. Mrs. McCaskey's reign as the owner of the Bears was not planned, Cleveland Browns #16 as her father originally earmarked her brother, George "Mugs" Halas, Jr. as the heir apparent to the franchise. However, he died of a massive heart attack in 1979. Her impact on the team is well-noted as her own family has dubbed her "The First Lady of Sports", and the Chicago Sun-Times has listed her as one of Chicago's most powerful women.Negotiations between Forte’s agent, Adisa Bakari, and the Bears were strenuous, Dallas Cowboys #94 to say the least. Talks went south last summer when Forte felt then-general manager Jerry Angelo did not keep his promise to reward him with a lucrative deal. Rather than hold out, Forte -- who played the final year of his rookie contract for $600,000 -- took a business-as-usual approach toward the season. He was named to the Pro Bowl despite missing the final four games with a sprained medical collateral ligament in his right knee.
Mike Ditka, a tight end for the Bears from 1961 to 1966, Cleveland Browns #33 was hired to coach the team by George Halas in 1982. In the 1985 season the fire in the Bears–Packers rivalry was relit when Ditka used 315 pound defensive tackle "Refrigerator" Perry as a running back in a touchdown play at Lambeau Field, against the Packers. 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 and a cast of characters that recorded the novelty rap song "The Super Bowl Shuffle". The season was notable in that the Bears had only one loss, Dallas Cowboys #9 the "unlucky 13th" game of the season, a Monday night affair in which they were defeated by the Miami Dolphins. At the time, much was made of the fact that the 1972 Dolphins were the only franchise in history to have had an undefeated season and post-season. The Dolphins came close to setting up a rematch in the Super Bowl, but lost to the New England Patriots in the AFC title game. "The Super Bowl Shuffle" was videotaped the day after that Monday night loss in Miami.
After the 1985 Championship season, Dallas Cowboys #19 the Bears remained competitive throughout the 1980s but failed to return to the Super Bowl under Mike Ditka. Since the firing of Ditka at the end of the 1992 season, the Bears have made the playoffs five times under three different head coaches: Dave Wannstedt from 1993 through 1998, thingy Jauron from 1999 through 2003, and current head coach, Lovie Smith. Before the Bears hired Jauron in January 1999, Dave McGinnis (Arizona's defensive coordinator, Dallas Cowboys #24 and a former Bears assistant under Ditka and Wannstedt) backed out of taking the head coaching position. The Bears scheduled a press conference to announce the hiring before McGinnis agreed to contract terms. Soon after Jauron's hiring, Mrs. McCaskey fired her son Michael as president, replacing him with Ted Phillips and promoting Michael to chairman of the board. McCaskey's reign as president has been viewed as a "disaster". Phillips, the current Bears president, became the first man outside of the Halas-McCaskey family to run the team.
Lovie Smith, hired on January 15, Dallas Cowboys #28 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. Before his second season with the Bears, the team rehired their former offensive coordinator and then Illinois head coach Ron Turner to improve the Bears' struggling offense.In 2005, the Bears won their division and reached the playoffs for the first time in four years. Dallas Cowboys #29 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 13 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. Following the 2006 season, the club decided to give Lovie Smith a contract extension through 2011, Dallas Cowboys #50 at roughly $5 million per year. This comes a season after being the lowest paid head coach in the National Football League.
In this case, the long-term deal made business sense. Signing Forte to a four-year deal gave both the Bears players and fans what they wanted.It's the latest move the Bears have made to bolster the offense. Dallas Cowboys #82 In March, they traded for Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall, who put his best numbers when he played with Cutler in Denver. They also added running back Michael Bush, and drafted receiver Alshon Jeffery. At the end of the 2011 season, they also parted ways with offensive coordinator Mike Martz and promoted Mike Tice to the job. Jeremy Bates, the quarterbacks coach who worked with Cutler and Marshall in Denver, was added to the Bears staff. Dallas Cowboys #88 Anything can happen when the pads come on in camp, but I don’t think Gabe Carimi’s knee will be an issue in training camp. He returned from the injury during the offseason program and looked good. I know that offensive coordinator Mike Tice has high expectations for Carimi, telling me that he feels Carimi is “going to be a better player than he was at any point last year, and I thought he was our best [offensive lineman] when he got hurt.”