#Chicago bears wordmark pro#
#Chicago bears wordmark professional#

The Bears' rivalry with the Green Bay Packers is one of the oldest and most storied in American professional sports, dating back to 1921 (the Green Bay Packers were an independent team until they joined the NFL in 1921). During that span, the Bears posted 34 shutouts. During the league's first six years, the Bears lost twice to the Canton Bulldogs (who took two league titles over that span), and split with their crosstown rival Cardinals (going 4–4–2 against each other over that span), but no other team in the league defeated the Bears more than a single time. Their rivalry with the Chicago Cardinals, the oldest in the NFL (and a crosstown rival from 1920 to 1959), was key in four out of the first six league titles.

The Staleys/Bears dominated the league in the early years. Halas liked the bright orange-and-blue colors of his alma mater, the University of Illinois, and the Bears adopted those colors as their own, albeit in a darker shade of each (the blue is Pantone 5395, navy blue, and the orange is Pantone 1665, similar to burnt orange). As with several early NFL franchises, the Bears derived their nickname from their city's baseball team (some directly, some indirectly – like the Bears, whose young are called 'cubs'). The team moved into Wrigley Field, which was home to the Chicago Cubs baseball franchise. In 1922, Halas changed the team name from the Staleys to the Bears. Under an agreement reached by Halas and Sternaman with Staley, Halas purchased the rights to the club from Staley for US$100. The team relocated to Chicago in 1921, where the club was renamed the Chicago Staleys. Official team and league records cite Halas as the founder as he took over the team in 1920 when it became a charter member of the NFL. The 1920 Decatur Staleys season was their inaugural regular season completed in the newly formed American Professional Football Association (later renamed the National Football League (NFL) in 1922).įull control of the team was turned over to Halas and Sternaman in 1921. The company hired George Halas and Edward 'Dutch' Sternaman in 1920 to run the team. The team played independently in 1919, winning the Central Illinois Championship. This was the typical start for several early professional football franchises. Staley food starch company of Decatur, Illinois as a company team. Originally named the Decatur Staleys, the club was established by the A.

The team's founder George Halas (right) with NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle, early 1980s George Halas, in his book Halas by Halas. The Bears practice at adjoining facilities there during the season, and began hosting Training Camp at Halas Hall in 2020 after major renovations. The team headquarters, Halas Hall, is in the Chicago suburb of Lake Forest, Illinois. The team played home games at Wrigley Field on Chicago's North Side through the 1970 season they now play at Soldier Field on the Near South Side, adjacent to Lake Michigan. It is one of only two remaining franchises from the NFL's founding in 1920, along with the Arizona Cardinals, which was originally also in Chicago. The franchise was founded in Decatur, Illinois, on September 20, 1920, and became professional on September 17, 1920, and moved to Chicago in 1921. The Bears have also recorded the second-most victories of any NFL franchise, only behind the Green Bay Packers, who they have a long-standing rivalry with.

#Chicago bears wordmark pro#

The Bears have won nine NFL Championships, including one Super Bowl ( XX in 1986), and hold the NFL record for the most enshrinees in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the most retired jersey numbers.

The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago.

Virginia Halas McCaskey (1983–present).

George Halas and Dutch Sternaman (1921–1932).

1970 due to renovations to Wrigley Field:Ģ002 due to renovations to Soldier Field: