Fun Facts: Chicago Bears

With almost 100 years of history behind it, there is little wonder that the Chicago Bears are one of the most storied and studied professional football teams in existence. Just about any real fan of "Da Bears" can quote you such mundane facts as the team originally being founded in Decatur, Illinois in 1919 as the "Decatur Staleys", it is a charter member of the American Professional Football Association (merged with the NFL in 1920) and that player-coach George Halas led the team to an unbelievable 34 shutout wins in its first 6 seasons.

These Chicago Bears facts are such common knowledge in Chi-Town they are hardly worth mentioning. If you want to win your bar-bets and wow your friends in the Windy City then you have got to dig deep into the team's history and sometimes look for the story behind the Chicago Bears Rumors.

Chicago Bears Logo

The Chicago bears logo that appeared in 1962 and was then updated with the team's colors in 1974 was not originally theirs. It belonged to the Chicago Cardinals a team that existed from 1920 till 1947. Ho Hum you say. Everybody knows that. Well, did you know that part of the motivation behind it being used was to avenge a loss from 42 years in the past? It was these very same Cardinals that had handed the Bears the very first defeat in the franchise's history.

The next time you see that iconic C on a Bear's Hat or Shirt wager the person they don't know the full story behind it. Odds are you'll win.

Gale Sayers 6 Touchdown Game

Here is another opportunity for a little one-upmanship. Pretty much every Chicago Bears trivia buff can tell you that on November 16, 1965, rookie running back Gale Sayers tied the NFL single-game touchdown record by crossing the goal line six times against the 49ers.

What isn't as widely remembered is that earlier that day the great Paul Hornung of the reviled Green Bay Packers had scored five touchdowns against the Baltimore Colts. It was rumored that Halas left Sayers in the game until he got six so a Packer would not be allowed to overshadow his rising star.

1932 NFL Championship Game

The 1932 NFL Championship game is chucked full of rare Chicago Bears facts; some better known than others. Most fans know it was the first NFL game played indoors and the first official NFL playoff game. The bits that many may not realize is that it was the first game to use hash marks and the only game in NFL history to be played on an 80-yard field. Chicago Stadium was not big enough to accommodate a full-sized field.

These are just a few of the more obscure Chicago Bears rumors and facts that you can find if you do a little digging into the team's history. They were the first team to ever buy a player when they paid $100 for Ed Healey from the Rock Island Independents on November 27th, 1922. Chicago had the league's first 1000 yard rusher, Beattie Feathers. Funny thing is he accomplished this in his rookie season and never went over 350 yards in a year after that.

Love and knowledge are what separates real fans from people who just wear a Bear's jersey or hoody. Show your team pride and stun your friends with these few Chicago Bears facts.

Love history? Then you will love our blogs about Wrigley Field's history and fun facts and of course, our beloved Soldier Field! Check them all out and much more only at SportsWorldChicago.com!