Da Bears' shuffle to the White House
More than 25 years after their Super Bowl victory, the Chicago team is honored by President Obama. The Challenger disaster derailed their original invitation from President Reagan.
“This is as much fun as I will have as president of the United States.’’
All presidents resort to hyperbole now and again. But one had the sense that President Obama really meant it when he stood on the South Lawn of the White House on a sunny Friday afternoon and introduced the 1985 Chicago Bears, a team that marched to a Super Bowl victory the same year Obama showed up in town as a young, skinny community organizer.
Obama's current job hasn’t been all that much fun of late. A new jobs report Friday showed the economy remains stagnant. But for a couple of hours he got a reprieve, meeting one of the most iconic football teams ever to suit up.
Behind the president was the rebel quarterback, Jim McMahon, wearing his trademark headband even though he no longer has any hair to keep in place.
“Do you need me to speak?” McMahon asked the president at one point.
“No, we’re not going to let Jim have the mike,’’ the president said, ruefully. … “He gave me a headband; I’m not wearing it.’’
Standing to his left was head coach Mike Ditka; to his right defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan – who coached and feuded as they guided the team to a dominating victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX.
“And in a sign that anything is possibl-- even in Washington -- Coach Ditka and Buddy Ryan are here together,’’ Obama said. The audience laughed.
The overdue reception was borne of a national tragedy. The Bears were supposed to have been honored in 1986 by then-President Reagan.
But two days after the Super Bowl, the space shuttle Challenger blew up, killing the crew of seven. It wasn’t a time to celebrate. Years passed and other Super Bowl winners came in to meet other presidents.
When Obama, a Chicagoan, won the 2008 election, the NFL saw an opening. The league called and asked if the White House would invite the Bears to a long-delayed celebration. Obama obliged.
“This city was invigorated and brought together by this team,’’ Obama said. “This team ruled the city. It riveted the country. They were everywhere. They were like the Beatles.’’
A lot happens in a quarter-century. Star running back Walter Payton died of cancer in 1999. And Dave Duerson, a safety, killed himself early in the year as he struggled with a brain disease linked to repeated hits to the head.
Sitting in the front row, representing them, were Payton’s widow, Connie and Duerson’s ex-wife, Alicia.
Obama dropped his voice when he talked about the losses.
“Chicago still loves ‘Sweetness,’ ’’Obama said.
The players said the passing of time made the event richer. Otis Wilson, a linebacker, spoke to reporters afterward along with Hall-of-famer Richard Dent. Both wore their Super Bowl rings.
“I felt the circle was finally completed,’’ Wilson said.
A few team members did not attend. William “The Refrigerator’’ Perry suffers from an immune disorder and could not make the trip.
Dan Hampton, a defensive lineman, chose to stay away, in part because he is “not a fan of the guy in the White House,’’ he told a radio station.
