It’s been a quarter-century since the 1985 Chicago Bears enjoyed what’s been called the greatest season in NFL team history. The Super Bowl Shufflers still spark the imaginations of sports fans everywhere, and this Sunday, you can meet some of the players—Steve McMichael, Shaun Gayle, Dennis McKinnon, and Otis Wilson—at the River North bar Bull & Bear, where they’ll be signing autographs starting at 7 p.m. (RSVPing is highly recommended: rsvp@bullbearbar.com). Brandon Zisman, a Bull & Bear co-owner, told The Chaser what to expect:
How old were you in 1985?
Four years old.
So, what do you know abut the ’85 Bears?
I used to play soccer with Jarrett Payton and Aaron Moorehead growing up. Their fathers were Walter Payton and Emery Moorehead—’85 Bears themselves—and I remember meeting them at games. The ’85 Bears are arguably the best team ever assembled in Chicago and, at that age, I remember “The Super Bowl Shuffle” and Jim McMahon’s headband being their claim to fame, but it wasn’t until a later age that I developed a newfound appreciation for the team in their glory days.
Why is this event a big deal for your bar?
It’s one thing to show the games on TV for fans of different cities. . . . It’s another to have the legends of Chicago’s greatest sports team actually come out to our venue and meet and greet their fans. We’re hoping for Mike Ditka to stop by.
Bonus: Relive senior editor Jeff Ruby’s “Super Bowl Mumble,” on the Bears’ 2006 roster, from Chicago’s January 2007 issue.