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My favorite teams
Legends back?
Article I found from the Tribune...
Chicago Bears: They should bring legends back into the fold - chicagotribune.com
Article I found from the Tribune...
Chicago Bears: They should bring legends back into the fold - chicagotribune.com
It would be more appropriate to see him selling the team as an ambassador than to see him taking shots at it as a former player who feels distanced.
This is where the Bears could benefit from being more like the Blackhawks. When he became president of the Hawks, John McDonough embraced club history and hired team legends Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, Tony Esposito and Denis Savard to represent the team.
The Bears never have had to try very hard to sell themselves because they are the Bears. They have come a long, long way from the days when George Halas would stop by the Chicago newspaper offices to hand deliver press releases. Even in lean times, they rarely have problems selling tickets or generating television ratings.
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But that doesn't mean they couldn't benefit from bridging the gap between themselves and the public. One way to do that would be to have players such as Sayers being front men for the team.
It's not like this franchise has a shortage of living legends who would be willing and able, either. Start with Sayers, Dick Butkus and Mike Ditka. You might even reach back to Doug Atkins. Keep it going with Dan Hampton and Richard Dent and other members of the 1985 team.
It would create a feel-good situation. It would make current players know they are a part of something bigger. It would make some of their great players feel connected and vital. And it would stop the kind of headlines that were generated Wednesday when Sayers made some pretty innocuous comments about the Bears — his Bears.