Mike Ditka Chicago Bears 1988 Plaque Marquette High School Scarce

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Seller: memorabilia111 ✉️ (807) 100%, Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, US, Ships to: US & many other countries, Item: 176265794887 MIKE DITKA CHICAGO BEARS 1988 PLAQUE MARQUETTE HIGH SCHOOL SCARCE. 5 2013 Pro Bowl January 27, 2013 AFC 35 NFC 62 NBC 12.2 7.1 Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI. 2019 January 26, 2020 AFC 38–33 AFC, 25–22 Offensive: Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens, Quarterback. NFC: Jason Garrett, Dallas ESPN/ABC/Disney XD. MIKE DITKA CHICAGO BEARS 1988 9X12 INCH PLAQUE MARQUETTE HIGH SCHOOL то ~MIKE DITKA~ MARQUETTE HIGH SCHOOL AND MARQUETTE MAY MERRIMENT VI WISH TO EXPRESS THEIR SINCERE APPRECIATION TO MIKE DITKA FOR HIS SUPPORT IN HELPING US BUILD FOR THE FUTURE AND CONTINUE OUR TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE. MAY 1, 1988



Michael Keller Ditka (born Michael Dyczko; October 18, 1939) is an American former football player, coach, and television commentator. During his playing career, he was UPI NFL Rookie of Year in 1961, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, and a six-time All-Pro tight end with the Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, and Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL); he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988. Ditka was the first tight end in NFL history to reach 1,000 yards receiving. He was an NFL champion with the 1963 Bears and is a three-time Super Bowl champion, playing on the Cowboys' Super Bowl VI team, winning as an assistant coach for the Cowboys in Super Bowl XII, and coaching the Bears to victory in Super Bowl XX. He was named to the NFL's 75th- and 100th-Anniversary All-Time Teams. As a head coach for the Bears from 1982 to 1992, he was twice both the AP and UPI NFL Coach of Year (1985 and 1988). He also was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints from 1997 to 1999. Ditka and Tom Flores are the only people to win an NFL title as a player, an assistant coach, and a head coach. Ditka, Flores, Gary Kubiak, and Doug Pederson are also the only people in modern NFL history to win a championship as head coach of a team for which they played previously.[1] Ditka is the only person to participate in both of the last two Chicago Bears' league championships, as a player in 1963 and as head coach in 1985. In 2020, Ditka became the owner of the X League, a women's tackle football league that was originally the Lingerie Football League.[2] He is known by the nickname "Iron Mike", which he has said comes from his being born and raised in a steel town in Pennsylvania.[3] Early years Ditka was born as Michael Dyczko in the Pittsburgh-area town of Carnegie, Pennsylvania on October 18, 1939. The oldest child of Charlotte (Keller) and Mike Ditka Sr.[4] he grew up in nearby Aliquippa[5] with siblings Ashton, David, and Mary Ann. His father, a welder, was one of three brothers of a Polish[6] and Ukrainian[7] family in the coal-mining and steel-manufacturing area in Western Pennsylvania. His ancestry on his mother's side is Irish and German.[8] The Ukrainian surname "Dyczko" was difficult to pronounce in his hometown, so the family name was changed to "Ditka".[7] Ditka attended St. Titus School. Under head coach Press Maravich, Ditka was a three-sport star at Aliquippa High School. The team doctor, John L. Miller, took Mike and other players to Pitt games and encouraged them to play for Pitt. Ditka is quoted as saying, "Doc Miller patched me up many times". Ditka hoped to escape his hometown's manufacturing jobs by attending college with a football scholarship. Planning to become a dentist,[5] he was recruited by Notre Dame, Penn State, and the University of Pittsburgh. College career Ditka in 1960 playing for Pitt. Ditka played for the University of Pittsburgh from 1958 until 1960, where he also became a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. He was a three-sport athlete at Pitt, playing baseball (outfielder) and basketball (forward).[9] He also was an intramural wrestling champion. He started on the football team all three seasons, leading the team in receiving in each, while also serving as a linebacker, defensive end, and punter. As a sophomore, he led the team with 18 receptions for 252 yards and averaged 42.5 yards per punt. He had one touchdown reception (tied for second on the team). As a junior, he led the team with 16 receptions for 249 yards and four receiving touchdowns. He also averaged 38.3 yards per punt. As a senior, he was named a team captain, while leading the team with 11 receptions for 229 yards and two receiving touchdowns. He was a unanimous first-team selection on the College Football All-America Team as a two-way end. He finished his college career with 45 passes for 730 yards and seven touchdowns.[10] In 1986, Ditka was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.[11] In 1997, his 89 jersey number was retired by the University of Pittsburgh at halftime of the game against the University of Miami. In 2018, he was inducted into the inaugural 16-member class of the University of Pittsburgh Athletics Hall of Fame.[12] Playing career Chicago Bears The 1961 Chicago Bears offensive line in action: "Bears Workout at Soldier Field for Armed Forces game Friday"; Ditka is far left Ditka was selected by the Chicago Bears fifth overall in the 1961 NFL Draft, while the Houston Oilers drafted him eighth overall in the first round of the 1961 AFL Draft. He signed with the Bears and his presence was immediately felt. In his first season, Ditka had 58 receptions, introducing a new dimension to a tight end position that had previously been dedicated to blocking. He also scored 12 receiving touchdowns, which was the most by a Bears rookie.[13] His success earned him Rookie of the Year honors. He continued to play for the Bears for the next five years, earning a Pro Bowl trip each season. Ditka on a 1963 Topps card He played on the 1963 NFL championship team. Many of the players from that team, including Ditka, were drafted by assistant coach George Allen, a future Hall of Famer, who was then in charge of the Bears' drafts. During the season, against the Los Angeles Rams, Ditka tied Harlon Hill's franchise record for the most receiving touchdowns in a game with four.[13] Ditka ranks first among tight ends and fourth in Bears history with 4,503 yards, fifth in both receptions (316) and touchdown catches (34).[14] In 1962, he started all 14 games, making 58 receptions (tied for the team lead) for 904 yards (led the team) and five receiving touchdowns (led the team). In 1963, he led the team with 59 catches for 794 yards and eight touchdowns. In 1964, he was second on the team with 75 receptions for 897 yards and five touchdowns. The next year, he posted 36 receptions (second on the team), 454 receiving yards (third on the team), and two receiving touchdowns (tied for fourth on the team). In 1966, he registered 32 receptions (second on the team), 378 yards (third on the team) and two touchdowns (tied for second on the team). Ditka was also noted for decking football fan Felix Carbajal, who had run onto the playing field late in a Week 2 31–17 loss to the Rams at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 16.[15] He had played out his option that season after not being able to reach a contract agreement with Bears' owner/head coach George Halas. On February 8, 1967, The New York Times reported that just before the AFL–NFL merger, Ditka had signed a $300,000 contract with a $50,000 signing bonus with the Houston Oilers, the team that owned his AFL draft rights.[16][17][18] Philadelphia Eagles On April 26, 1967, Ditka was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles along with a 1968 fourth-round pick (#106-Alan Bush), in exchange for quarterback Jack Concannon. The transaction was intended to fill roster vacancies created by the retirements of Eagles' tight end Pete Retzlaff and Bears' quarterback Rudy Bukich.[19] His Oilers contract was transferred to the Eagles and Ditka was able to keep his $50,000 bonus to avoid any legal conflicts.[20] His time as a Bears player bitterly came to an end with a parting shot in which he stated that Halas "threw nickels around like manhole covers."[18] He wore number 98 in his first season with the Eagles, while only playing in nine games with four starts because of injuries.[21] Ditka was outplayed by tight end Jim Kelly, registering 26 receptions for 274 yards and two touchdowns. In 1968, he changed his jersey number back to his usual 89. He appeared in 11 games with six starts, and his statistics were below tight end Fred Hill. He posted 13 receptions for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Dallas Cowboys On January 28, 1969, he was traded to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for wide receiver Dave McDaniels.[22] Pettis Norman ended up being named the starting tight end, but Ditka still was able to play in 12 games with four starts, while making 17 receptions for 268 yards and three touchdowns. In 1970, he remained a reserve player behind Norman. He appeared in 14 games, while tallying eight receptions for 98 yards and no touchdowns. The Cowboys reached their first Super Bowl, losing 13–16 against the Baltimore Colts, by way of a field goal scored with five seconds left in regulation time. In 1971, he was a backup player behind Billy Truax, appearing in 14 games with four starts. He set the franchise record for tight ends with 30 receptions in a season, while also compiling 360 receiving yards, one touchdown, and three kickoff returns for 30 yards. His highlight was a touchdown reception in the Cowboys' 24–3 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI. In 1972, he was named the starter at tight end, after Truax was limited by off-season knee surgery. He started all 14 games, posting 17 receptions for 198 yards and one touchdown, while alternating in some passing situations with rookie Jean Fugett. On March 1, 1973, Ditka announced his retirement as a player, opening the door for him to be named the Cowboys wide receiver assistant coach under head coach Tom Landry.[23] At the time, his 427 receptions were the most by a tight end in NFL history. Hall of Fame In 1988,[24] his blocking and 427 career receptions for 5,812 yards and 43 touchdowns earned him the honor of being the first tight end inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[14] Ditka also scored two touchdowns on offensive fumble recoveries, tying seven other players for the most in NFL history. In 1999, he was ranked number 90 on The Sporting News's list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. Coaching career Retiring after the 1972 season, Ditka was immediately hired as an assistant coach by Landry. Ditka spent nine seasons as an assistant coach with the Cowboys. During his tenure, the Cowboys made the playoffs eight times, won six division titles, three NFC championships, and a Super Bowl victory in 1977. While working with the Cowboys, Ditka sent a letter to George Halas, his former head coach, who was still owner of the Bears. In the letter, Ditka expressed regret for the acrimonious manner in which his time with the Bears had come to an end and said that he would like to come back to Chicago and be the head coach of the Bears "when he was ready".[25] Meanwhile, the Cowboys continued to win games, although they did not win another Super Bowl while Ditka was there. His last game with the Cowboys was the 1981 NFC Championship Game, where the team fell to the San Francisco 49ers. Chicago Bears After firing previous coach Neill Armstrong following the 1981 season, Halas decided to take Ditka up on his offer from several years earlier, and hired him to become the team's head coach for 1982 season. Although the Bears had made the playoffs under Armstrong and his predecessor Jack Pardee, those were the only two winning seasons since Halas' retirement as coach, so he was looking for a coach who would bring the Bears back to prominence. Shortly after his hiring, as recounted by Mike Singletary in 2006, Ditka called a team meeting. In the meeting, he warned that the team would experience some turnover, but if they were all willing to work hard for him and stand with him, Ditka promised a trip to the Super Bowl within three seasons.[25] Specifically, Ditka said, "Give me three years, and if you walk with me, we'll get to the dance."[26] By his third season, Ditka led the Bears to the NFC Championship Game, where the Bears were shut out by the eventual Super Bowl-winning 49ers in San Francisco. The following year, Ditka's coaching career hit its pinnacle on January 26, 1986, with a 46–10 win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans.[27] Ditka has stated that one of his biggest regrets in life was not letting Walter Payton score a touchdown in the Super Bowl, instead opting for Jim McMahon to run it in twice and rookie defensive tackle William "The Refrigerator" Perry to run it in once. Nevertheless, Ditka has contended that his reluctance to give Payton the ball was justified on account of the disproportionately heavy coverage the Bears' star running back faced from the Patriots' defense, and insisted that Payton's mere presence on the field was a decisive factor in the Bears' crushing victory notwithstanding personal statistics. "1985 Chicago Bears Visit the White House', 2011 video In 1985, Ditka led the Bears to a 15–1 record, and he was named NFL Coach of the Year by the Associated Press following the regular season.[28] Football commentators widely regard the 1985 Bears defense as one of the best.[citation needed] It was masterminded by defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan, with little oversight from Ditka; in fact, Ditka and Ryan had a largely adversarial relationship dating back to Ditka's hiring as Ryan, who was already on the coaching staff when Ditka joined the Bears, felt that he should have been promoted into the head-coaching position. Although the two men continued to work together, the relationship continued to deteriorate, and with the Bears trailing by three touchdowns in a late-season Monday-night game against the Miami Dolphins that resulted in the team's only loss, Ryan finally snapped after Ditka, as he recounted in 2006 for NFL Network, told him that the defensive scheme was not working. The two began throwing punches at each other and had to be separated, and Ditka said that the relationship at that point became unsalvageable. In an unusual gesture, following the Bears Super Bowl victory, the players carried both Ryan and Ditka off the field. In addition, the 1985 Chicago Bears are one of several teams to consistently challenge the undefeated 1972 Dolphins for the unofficial title of the "Greatest NFL Team of All-Time".[29] The NFL Network series America's Game rated the 1985 Bears as the second-best Super Bowl champion, only behind the 1972 Miami Dolphins. Buddy Ryan left in 1986 to become the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. When asked if he was happy Ryan was gone, Ditka replied he was not happy, but "elated". In 1986, 1987, and 1988, the Bears won the Central Division title and earned three home playoff games. The first of those years saw the Bears finish the regular season with a 14–2 record to tie the New York Giants for the best in the entire league. However, the Bears were upset by the Washington Redskins in their first playoff game. The next year, the Bears finished second in the NFC with an 11–4 record, but were again upended by the Redskins en route to that team's second Super Bowl victory of the decade. The Bears finished 12–4 in 1988 and got homefield advantage. They defeated Ryan's Eagles in the Fog Bowl in their first game, but the team was defeated by the 49ers in the NFC championship game. This was the third time in five years that Ditka led the Bears to the NFC championship game, and was the last time they advanced this far until 2006. Ditka suffered a heart attack during the 1988 season, which he attributed to stress since he was in excellent physical condition and had no significant family history of heart disease. However, despite being expected to miss much of the season, Ditka was on the sidelines as an "advisor" the next week and back in full charge the week after. He led the Bears to a 12–4 record and received his second coach of the year award from the AP.[30] The Bears started 4–0 in 1989, but a series of last-second losses eventually led to a complete meltdown at the end of the season, as the Bears finished 6–10. The Bears rallied to win a weak Central Division in 1990 and make the playoffs as a wild card in 1991, but were eliminated convincingly in the early rounds. After dropping to 5–11 in the 1992 season, the Bears fired Ditka on January 5, 1993. His 106 wins are the second-most in Bears history, behind only Halas.[13] On December 9, 2013, Ditka's Bears jersey, number 89, was retired in a halftime ceremony during a Monday Night Football game in Chicago as the Bears hosted the Dallas Cowboys, for whom Ditka also played and worked as an assistant coach under the late Tom Landry. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, and go Bears!" Ditka told the crowd.[31] New Orleans Saints In 1997, after a five-year absence in which he had served as a television analyst, Ditka returned to the NFL to take over as the permanent replacement for Jim Mora with the New Orleans Saints. Ditka inherited a team that had not made the playoffs, nor had recorded a record above .500, since 1992, and had finished the 1996 season, during which Mora had resigned, tied with the Atlanta Falcons for the second-worst record in the league (only the New York Jets, who only won once, had a worse record). In Ditka's first season back in the league, he struggled early, as the Saints lost four of their first five games. They did manage to beat his former team, the Bears, along the way, and recorded five more wins, but after winning only one game in the division (even being swept by the last-place St. Louis Rams), the Saints finished at 6–10. Ditka's team played more inconsistently in 1998, as the Saints started out 3–0, but could not keep the momentum going. Still, they were in playoff contention toward the end of the season, and defeated the eventual NFC East champions in Ditka's other former squad, the Cowboys, to get to 6–7 with three games to go. They dropped their last three, though, and were eliminated in week 16 on a last-second field goal against the Arizona Cardinals. Then, in the offseason that followed, Ditka was roundly criticized for the trading of all of the team's 1999 draft picks (plus their first-round draft pick in 2000) to the Washington Redskins to move up in the draft and select Texas running back Ricky Williams (Washington later used the picks to select future All-Pro and Hall of Famer Champ Bailey, Jon Jansen, and LaVar Arrington). The trade was further mocked because of a magazine cover in which Ditka posed with Williams, who was wearing a wedding dress.[32] The 1999 season proved to be the worst of Ditka's coaching career. After winning the season opener against the Carolina Panthers, the Saints dropped their next seven games, including a loss to the expansion Cleveland Browns. As the season wore on, Ditka's frustrations began showing in the local media. After a late-season practice with the team sitting at 2–7, a grumpy Ditka gave a sixty-second press conference where he was very short tempered and dismissive of what he thought were stupid questions. When one of them made it a point to ask him why he was so angry, Ditka responded by saying "what do you care?", and then followed up by saying to the reporter "if you were 2-7, you'd be in a bad mood too." Ditka would take one more question before muttering to the reporters, "not very much fun, is it?", then going inside.[33] The low point of the season came three weeks later in a loss to the Falcons, which was the Saints' 10th in 11 weeks. Ditka came into the postgame press conference appearing emotionally exhausted, and said he felt his charges “broke” him. He then said the Saints would be better off hiring someone else to coach the team, claiming he was the "wrong guy" to lead them and that "[he] didn't have it anymore", saying "God puts people in places for reasons, and he probably put me here to be humbled. I deserve it." Ditka said that he did not feel the Saints had much talent on the offensive side of the field, blaming himself for that and saying that he had let the players down by not having them ready. He also cited the Saints’ lack of playmaking ability, as they dropped several passes and failed to take advantage of three Falcons fumbles while turning the ball over seven times themselves. Ditka was asked if he felt the team had quit on him, which he denied; however, when he was asked if he was thinking about leaving immediately he responded affirmatively. However, Ditka also said that he would not do it unless he knew for certain he would be fired before the end of the year. Before leaving the press conference, the defeated Ditka called himself a "hypocrite" and said the entire exercise was "silly". After two more losses, Ditka and the Saints faced the 7–7 Cowboys in their home finale on Christmas Eve. Ditka chose to give the start to Jake Delhomme, his third-string quarterback. In his first NFL start, Delhomme threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third, and Fred Weary took a forced fumble 56 yards for the game-winning score, as the Saints knocked off the Cowboys, 31–24. This proved to be Ditka's final victory as a head coach; after a 45–13 loss to the Panthers the following week left the Saints with a 3–13 record and their seventh consecutive nonwinning season, Ditka and general manager Bill Kuharich were fired on January 6, 2000. Over a total of 14 seasons as a head coach, Ditka amassed a regular-season record of 121–95 and a postseason record of 6–6. Head coaching record Team Year Regular season Postseason Won Lost Ties Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result CHI 1982 3 6 0 .333 12th in NFC — — — — CHI 1983 8 8 0 .500 3rd in NFC Central — — — — CHI 1984 10 6 0 .625 1st in NFC Central 1 1 .500 Lost to San Francisco 49ers in NFC Championship Game CHI 1985 15 1 0 .938 1st in NFC Central 3 0 1.000 Super Bowl XX champions CHI 1986 14 2 0 .875 1st in NFC Central 0 1 .000 Lost to Washington Redskins in NFC Divisional Game CHI 1987 11 4 0 .733 1st in NFC Central 0 1 .000 Lost to Washington Redskins in NFC Divisional Game CHI 1988 12 4 0 .750 1st in NFC Central 1 1 .500 Lost to San Francisco 49ers in NFC Championship Game CHI 1989 6 10 0 .375 4th in NFC Central — — — — CHI 1990 11 5 0 .688 1st in NFC Central 1 1 .500 Lost to New York Giants in NFC Divisional Game CHI 1991 11 5 0 .688 2nd in NFC Central 0 1 .000 Lost to Dallas Cowboys in NFC Wild Card Game CHI 1992 5 11 0 .313 4th in NFC Central — — — — CHI total 106 62 0 .631 6 6 .500 NO 1997 6 10 0 .375 4th in NFC West — — — — NO 1998 6 10 0 .375 3rd in NFC West — — — — NO 1999 3 13 0 .188 5th in NFC West — — — — NO total 15 33 0 .313 — — — Total 121 95 0 .560 6 6 .500 Broadcasting career Almost immediately after his dismissal from the Bears in 1992, Ditka took a broadcasting job with NBC, working as an analyst on NFL Live and as a color commentator for many other NBC broadcasts. After he was fired by the Saints, Ditka joined CBS Sports, spending the 2000 and 2001 seasons as a studio analyst on The NFL Today. He is currently a commentator on ESPN's NFL Live, ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown, and CBS Radio–Westwood One's Monday Night Football pregame show. On his radio show, Coach Ditka is called "America's Coach" by well-known sidekick Jim Gray. Beginning in 2006, Ditka appeared on a Seattle radio program, "Groz with Gas" on 950 KJR-AM Seattle, on Thursday afternoons with Dave Grosby and Mike Gastineau. Ditka regularly appears on Chicago radio station ESPN 1000 (WMVP-AM), often broadcasting on Thursday mornings from one of his eponymous restaurants along with ESPN 1000 mid-morning hosts Marc Silverman and Tom Waddle, a former Bears player under Ditka. Ditka served as color commentator for ESPN's September 10, 2007, broadcast of Monday Night Football, alongside Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic.[34] He replicated this role on the second game of the doubleheader in 2008, as well. Ditka spent several years with ESPN working on Sunday NFL Countdown. In March 2016, ESPN and Ditka announced he would move to SportsCenter for remote-broadcasting analysis, as Ditka disliked the long distance from his home to the studio. This new role allows him to stay at home, while still maintaining an analyst role with the network.[35] Other ventures Ditka has written or contributed to a number of books since 1986. He wrote Ditka: An Autobiography with friend and sports journalist Don Pierson;[36] he authored The 85 Bears: We Were the Greatest with Rick Telander.[37] He also wrote with Telander In Life First you Kick Ass: Reflections on the 1985 Bears and Wisdom from Da Coach.[38] Ditka has also been the subject of several books including Ditka: Monster of the Midway by Armen Keteyian[39] and Ditka: The Player, the Coach, the Chicago Bears Legend which is a compilation of Chicago Tribune stories written about Ditka throughout the years.[40] He is also a large topic in books written about the Bears as a team such as Then Ditka said to Payton[41] and Monsters: The 1985 Chicago Bears and the Wild Heart of Football.[42] In 1987, following the success of the Chicago Bears' charity single "The Super Bowl Shuffle", the video's producer Richard E. Meyer created a similar music video starring Ditka, titled "The Grabowski Shuffle." The video, about "working hard to get what you want", was inspired by a comment Ditka had made about his team's reputation: "There are Smiths and there are Grabowskis; we're the Grabowskis."[43] In 1991, Ditka cooperated with Accolade to produce the computer game Mike Ditka Ultimate Football and the Sega Mega Drive game Mike Ditka Power Football. In 1995, Ditka starred as a football coach in a full-motion video game called Quarterback Attack with Mike Ditka, released for the Sega Saturn, PC, and 3DO. Quarterback Attack was re-released for iTunes and Google Play in December 2016. In 1993, Ditka appeared as himself in the 271st and final episode of the American television sitcom Cheers.[44] Ditka also appeared as himself in the show According to Jim, in the 2002 episode "Cars & Chicks".[45] Ditka has made guest appearances and cameos on several other shows, including L.A. Law, Saturday Night Live and 3rd Rock from the Sun. In 2005, Ditka had a major role in the comedy Kicking & Screaming, playing himself; he was recruited by Will Ferrell's character to be an assistant little league soccer coach. Ditka appeared in several ads for Montgomery Ward in the early 1990s, promoting their electronics and appliances department, known as Electric Avenue. Ditka also starred in ad for 'Big Shot' soda in 1997. Ditka performed "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field in 1998, the first season after the death of Harry Caray, who had previously led the song. Chicago Now blogger Marcus Leshock derided the performance, dubbing Ditka "the worst 7th-inning singer in history."[46] Ditka was inducted to the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. In January 2007, Ditka used the Super Bowl return of the Chicago Bears as a platform to promote efforts by many early NFL players trying to raise support for former NFL players in need of money and medical assistance; he is a key member in the Gridiron Greats. Angry at the wealthy NFL for ignoring the players who helped to create the league, Ditka and other former players have since been attempting to raise funds, in the words of Hall of Famer Joe DeLamielleure, "for guys who made this league and built it on their backs, their knees, their legs and now they're all broken down and they can't even get a decent pension."[47] Ultimately, however, in December 2007, Ditka folded his "Hall of Fame Assistance Trust Fund" charity amidst revelations that, "in 2005, the group gave out more money to pay celebrities to play golf than the group in its entire three years of operation gave out to injured players", according to Laurie Styron of the American Institute of Philanthropy.[48] During Super Bowl XLIV, Ditka (who was not in the original group) joined other members of the 1985 Chicago Bears in resurrecting the "Super Bowl Shuffle" in a Boost Mobile commercial.[49] In the spring of 2007, Ditka worked alongside X Management and Geneva Hospitality to form Mike Ditka Resorts, currently consisting of two resorts in the Orlando, Florida, area. Ditka owns a chain of restaurants, "Ditka's", which has three locations in Illinois and one in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Ditka discovered singer John Vincent, who has been performing at his Chicago restaurant since 2001. Vincent performs in 20 different voices and sings the National Anthem regularly for the NFL, NBA, and MLB. Ditka and Vincent also own a record label together.[50][51] Ditka presenting a keynote speech for attendees of the IGC Show in Chicago, 2010 Ditka was a co-owner the Chicago Rush, an Arena Football League team. In August 2011, media reports noted that Ditka would be a financial investor for the new Elite Football League of India, a proposed American football league that will be India's first.[52][53] In 2012, Ditka partnered with Terlato Wines to produce his own collection of wines, produced in California.[54] The partnership stemmed from a 20-year friendship between Ditka and Bill Terlato and their shared love of sports and food and wine. The first Mike Ditka Wines were released in fall 2012, including eight labels highlighting his career: "The Player" (2011 Pinot Grigio and 2010 Merlot), "The Coach" (2011 Sauvignon Blanc and 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon), " The Hall of Famer" (2011 Chardonnay and 2011 Pinot Noir), and "The Restaurateur" pair which includes "The Icon" (2010 Cabernet Sauvignon) and "The Champion" (2010 Red Blend)."[55] The same year, Ditka and Camacho Cigars partnered and produced a line of cigars called "The Mike Ditka Kickoff Series".[56] These cigars are named to highlight the milestones of Coach Ditka's football career: "The Player", The Coach", and "The Hall of Famer". All of these cigars are produced in Honduras.[57] In 2013, Ditka and Vienna Beef partnered to create Ditka Sausages, which will be eight inches long and one-third pound in weight. The two types are "Hot Beef Polish Sausage" and "Chicken Sausage with Mozzarella and Sun-Dried Tomatoes".[58] Also in 2013, Ditka and former Bears quarterback Jim McMahon are featured in a new series of commercials for the online discount retailer Overstock.com.[59] In 2014, Ditka and Resultly partnered to feature his profile and product collections. Ditka's profile is featured on Resultly and he regularly interacts with users about the collections he creates of his favorite items from all over the web. In 2015, Ditka did several television ads for McDonald's. He was seen wearing a Green Bay Packers sweater vest. Some would later question if Ditka "jinxed" the Packers, as their six-game undefeated streak halted to a three-game losing streak during the airing of the commercials (including a loss to the Bears on Thanksgiving, which was part of a three-game winning streak they were enjoying at the time). A follow-up commercial would show Ditka throwing the Packers sweater vest out the window and donning his more familiar Bears sweater vest once the contest was over. Just hours after the spot was aired, the Packers went on to beat the Vikings, ending the "curse".[60] Personal life Ditka was married to his first wife, Marge from 1961 to 1973.[61] They had four children together, Mark, Matt, Mike and Megan. He married his current wife Diane (née Trantham) Ditka in 1977. During the 1985 season, he was arrested on Interstate 294 near O'Hare International Airport and later convicted of DUI after returning from a game against the San Francisco 49ers. In the midst of a successful 1988 season, he suffered a heart attack, but bounced back quickly. In November 2012, he suffered a minor stroke at a suburban country club in Chicago. Later in the day, Ditka reported he was feeling "good right now and it's not a big deal."[62] From 1989 until 1997, Ditka lived in Bannockburn, Illinois.[63] From 1997 until 2001, Ditka lived in an area of New Orleans known as English Turn.[64] He is a practicing Roman Catholic[65] and a member of the Knights of Columbus.[66][67][68] On November 23, 2018, Ditka was hospitalized in Naples, Florida, after suffering a heart attack while playing golf.[69] Political views Ditka is known for his vocal conservative views. In July 2004, Ditka, a self-described "ultra-ultra-ultra conservative",[70] was reportedly considering running against the Democratic candidate, state senator Barack Obama, for an open seat in the U.S. Senate for Illinois in the 2004 Senate election. The seat was being vacated by Peter Fitzgerald, a Republican, and Republican nominee Jack Ryan withdrew from the race amid controversy at the end of June, leaving the Republicans in a bind. Local and national political leaders, from Illinois Republican Party Chair Judy Baar Topinka to National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Sen. George Allen, whose father by the same name was an assistant coach with the Bears in the 1960s when Ditka played, met with Ditka in an effort to persuade him to fill the spot on the ticket. On July 14, however, Ditka announced he would not seek the nomination, citing personal and business considerations. His wife was against the run and he operates a chain of restaurants.[71] Obama went on to defeat the eventual Republican candidate, former U.S. ambassador Alan Keyes, in a landslide in the November 2004 election. Ditka has since regretted not running. Ditka believes that Obama never would have been elected president if Ditka had run against Obama for Senate in 2004, and claims that Obama is the worst president in United States history.[72] In stark contrast to the above-stated positions, Ditka appeared in an ad during the 2010 Illinois gubernatorial election for incumbent Democratic governor Pat Quinn. In the ad, Ditka stated that, "[D]oing the right thing for the people who put you in office is more important than what you can do for yourself in office ... and I think he'll do that. I think he understands that ... and I think he's good people." Quinn, at the time, was locked into a tight race against State Senator Bill Brady, a conservative Republican from Bloomington. Quinn would go on to narrowly defeat Brady. Four years later, in 2014, Ditka appeared in a televised campaign ad for Quinn's Republican challenger, Bruce Rauner, who defeated Quinn in the general election.[73] In October 2011, Ditka and the 1985 team went to the White House after they did not attend in 1986 due to the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. He presented President Obama with a Chicago Bears jersey with the number 85 on it with "Obama" on the back of it.[74] Ditka was a vocal supporter of Donald Trump's election campaign, saying "I support Trump all the way. I really do."[75] Some of Ditka's comments, most notably regarding former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's national anthem protests, have garnered controversy due to Ditka's position with ESPN. Under the network's new social media policy (implemented in late 2017 in the wake of Curt Schilling's firing and Jemele Hill's suspension),[76] Ditka is to refrain from making controversial statements, but made a series of remarks in late 2017 that drew widespread criticism. In a September interview with a Dallas-based radio station, Ditka was critical of Kaepernick's protests, saying "I think it's a problem. Anybody who disrespects this country and the flag. If they don't like the country they don't like our flag, get the hell out."[77] In the same interview, Ditka was dismissive of social issues in America, saying "I don't see all the atrocities going on in this country that people say are going on, I see opportunities if people want to look for opportunity – now if they don't want to look for them – then you can find problems with anything, but this is the land of opportunity because you can be anything you want to be if you work. If you don't work, that's a different problem."[77] One of Ditka's more controversial remarks came in October 2018 during a Bears/Vikings pregame show, when he said he did not believe that there was any oppression in America for the last 100 years: "There has been no oppression in the last 100 years that I know of. Now maybe I'm not watching it as carefully as other people."[78] Ditka immediately came under criticism for his comments from many sources, including former New York Jets star and fellow Beaver County, Pennsylvania native Joe Namath, who said that Ditka needed to "look up the meaning of oppression. Look up the definition of oppression, and you understand that it's obviously taken place,"[79] as well as from columnists at the Chicago Sun-Times who said Ditka was "not a Chicagoan"[80] and "a white man who is blind to the plight of people of color in this country."[81] The NFL distanced itself from Ditka's comments, saying, "Everyone's entitled to an opinion. The league would not express that opinion, by any stretch of the imagination."[82] Ditka quickly clarified his remarks in a release, apologizing to anyone who may have been offended by his comments: "The characterization of the statement that I made does not reflect the context of the question that I was answering and certainly does not reflect my views throughout my lifetime. I have absolutely seen oppression in society in the last 100 years and I am completely intolerant of any discrimination."[82] The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games[1] (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed throughout the years. Between 1939 and 1942, the NFL experimented with all-star games pitting the league's champion against a team of all-stars. The first official Pro Bowl was played in January 1951, matching the top players in the American/Eastern Conference against those in the National/Western Conference. From the merger with the rival American Football League (AFL) in 1970 up through 2013 and also in 2017, it was officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference (AFC) against those in the National Football Conference (NFC). From 2014 through 2016, the NFL experimented with an unconferenced format, where the teams were selected by two honorary team captains (who are each in the Hall of Fame), instead of selecting players from each conference.[2] The players were picked in a televised "schoolyard pick" prior to the game.[3] For years, the game suffered from lack of interest for its perceived low quality,[4] with observers and commentators expressing their disfavor with it.[5] It drew lower television ratings than regular season NFL games,[6] although the game drew similar ratings to the all-star games of the other major North American sports leagues, such as the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.[7] However, the biggest concern was to avoid injuries to the star players.[8] The Associated Press wrote that players in the 2012 game were "hitting each other as though they were having a pillow fight".[9] Despite these criticisms, however, players who were selected to the Pro Bowl were nonetheless honored in a similar standing to their counterparts in the other leagues, and being named to it is considered to be a significant accomplishment for any player. In September 2022, the NFL announced that the Pro Bowl game would switch to a non-contact flag football game in 2023, as well as a partnership with Peyton Manning's Omaha Productions to revamp Pro Bowl week as the "Pro Bowl Games".[1] Unlike the other major North American sports leagues, which hold their all star weekends roughly midway through their regular seasons, the NFL has held theirs at or near the end of NFL season. Before the merger, the game was played annually after the NFL Championship Game. Between 1970 and 2009, the Pro Bowl was usually held the weekend after the Super Bowl. From 2010 to 2022, it was played on the Sunday before the Super Bowl and since 2023, it was played on the first Thursday and first Sunday of February; as a result, players from the two teams competing in the Super Bowl will not participate. History of the Pro Bowl The first "Pro All-Star Game", featuring the all-stars of the 1938 season (as well as three players from the Los Angeles Bulldogs and Hollywood Bears, who were not members of the league), was played on January 15, 1939, at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles.[10][11] The NFL All-Star Game was played again in Los Angeles in 1940 and then in New York and Philadelphia in 1941 and 1942 respectively. Although originally planned as an annual contest, the all-star game was discontinued after 1942 because of travel restrictions put in place during World War II.[12] During the first five all-star games, an all-star team would face that year's league champion. The league champion won the first four games before the all-stars were victorious in the final game of this early series. The concept of an all-star game was not revived until June 1950, when the newly christened "Pro Bowl" was approved.[12] The game was sponsored by the Los Angeles Publishers Association. It was decided that the game would feature all-star teams from each of the league's two conferences rather than the league champion versus all-star format which had been used previously. This was done to avoid confusion with the Chicago College All-Star Game, an annual game which featured the league champion against a collegiate all-star team. The teams would be led by the coach of each of the conference champions.[12] Immediately prior to the Pro Bowl, following the 1949 season, the All-America Football Conference, which contributed three teams to the NFL in a partial merger in 1950, held its own all-star game, the Shamrock Bowl. The first 21 games of the series (1951–1972) were played in Los Angeles. The site of the game was changed annually for each of the next seven years before the game was moved to Aloha Stadium in Halawa, Hawaii, for 30 straight seasons from 1980 through 2009. The 2010 Pro Bowl was played at Sun Life Stadium, the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins and host site of Super Bowl XLIV, on January 31, the first time ever that the Pro Bowl was held before the championship game (a decision probably due to increasingly low Nielsen ratings from being regarded as an anti-climax to the Super Bowl). With the new rule being that the conference teams do not include players from the teams that will be playing in the Super Bowl, the Pro Bowl then returned to Hawaii in 2011 but was again held during the week before the Super Bowl, where it remained for three more years. The 2012 game was met with criticism from fans and sports writers for the lack of quality play by the players. On October 24, 2012, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had second thoughts about the Pro Bowl, telling a Sirius XM show that if the players did not play more competitively [in the 2013 Pro Bowl], he was "not inclined to play it anymore".[13] During the ensuing off-season, the NFL Players Association lobbied to keep the Pro Bowl, and negotiated several rule changes to be implemented for the 2014 game. Among them, the teams would no longer be AFC vs. NFC, and instead be selected by captains in a fantasy draft. For the 2014 game, Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders were chosen as alumni captains, while their captains were Drew Brees and Robert Quinn (Rice), along with Jamaal Charles and J. J. Watt (Sanders).[14] On April 9, 2014, the NFL announced that the 2015 Pro Bowl would be played the week before the Super Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on January 25, 2015.[15] The game returned to Hawaii in 2016, and the "unconferenced" format was its last.[16] For 2017, the league considered hosting the game at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which would have been the first time the game had been hosted outside the United States.[17] The NFL was also considering future Pro Bowls in Mexico and Germany to leverage international markets.[18] A report released May 19, 2016, indicated that the 2017 Pro Bowl would instead be hosted at a newly renovated Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida; Orlando beat out Brazil (which apparently did not make the final round of voting), Honolulu, Super Bowl host site Houston, and a bid from Sydney, Australia, for the hosting rights.[19] On June 1, 2016, the league announced that it was restoring the old conference format.[20] Since the 2017 Pro Bowl, the NFL has also hosted a series of side events leading up to the game called the Pro Bowl Skills Showdown, which includes competitions like passing contests and dodgeball among the players.[21] The 2021 Pro Bowl game was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic, and new host Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas was held over to the 2022 Pro Bowl.[22] The roster was still voted on and named, and alternative broadcast and streaming events were held during the week of the game.[23][24][25] In May 2022, Commissioner Roger Goodell questioned the future of the Pro Bowl, arguing that it "doesn't work", and that "another way to celebrate the players" was needed.[26] On September 26, 2022, it was announced that the NFL would host the 2023 event as "The Pro Bowl Games"—in partnership with Peyton Manning's Omaha Productions—which will replace the culminating event with a flag football game.[1][27] Player selection See also: List of Pro Bowl players Jeremiah Trotter tackling Ladainian Tomlinson during the 2006 Pro Bowl in Hawaii Players are voted into the Pro Bowl by the coaches, the players themselves, and the fans. Each group's ballots count for ⅓, or 33.3%, of the votes. Fans vote on their preferred players at NFL.com. Replacements are selected should any selected player be unable to play for injuries, self-withdrawal, or Super Bowl contention. Prior to 1995, only the coaches and the players made Pro Bowl selections. In order to be considered a Pro Bowler for a given year, a player must either have been one of the initial players selected to the team, or a player who accepts an invitation to the Pro Bowl as an alternate; invited alternates who decline to attend are not considered Pro Bowlers. Since 2010, players of the two teams that advance to the Super Bowl will not play in the Pro Bowl, and they are replaced by alternate players. Players who would have been invited as an alternate but could not play because they were slated to play in that season's Super Bowl are also considered Pro Bowlers (for example, Tom Brady in 2016).[28] From 2014 to 2016, players did not play according to conference; instead, they were placed in a draft pool and chosen by team captains.[14] Coaching staff When the Pro Bowl was held after the Super Bowl, the head coaches were traditionally the head coaches of the teams that lost in the AFC and NFC championship games for the same season of the Pro Bowl in question. From 1978 through 1982, the head coaches of the highest ranked divisional champion that lost in the Divisional Playoff Round were chosen.[29] For the 1983 Pro Bowl, the NFL resumed selecting the losing head coaches in the conference championship games. In the 1999 Pro Bowl, New York Jets head coach Bill Parcells, after his team lost to the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game, had to decline for health reasons and Jets assistant head coach Bill Belichick took his place.[30] When the Pro Bowl was moved to the weekend between the Conference Championship games and the Super Bowl in 2009, the team that lost in the Divisional Playoff Round with the best regular season record would have their coaching staffs lead their respective conference Pro Bowl team returning to the format used from 1978 to 1982. It remained that way through 2013; it resumed in 2017. If the losing teams of each conference had the same regular season record the coaches from the higher-seeded team will get the Pro Bowl honor.[31] From 2014 to 2016, the Pro Bowl coaches came from the two teams with the best records that lost in the Divisional Playoffs. (In the 2015 Pro Bowl, when John Fox left his coaching job with Denver after his playoff loss to Indianapolis that year, John Harbaugh of Baltimore took over. The next year saw Green Bay's assistant coach Winston Moss took over as Mike McCarthy resigned from coaching for illness.) After changing to the Pro Bowl Games format in 2022, Manningcast hosts Peyton Manning and Eli Manning served as the "honorary" coaches for the AFC and NFC respectively. Peyton spent his entire playing career exclusively in the AFC with the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos, while Eli played his whole career with the New York Giants in the NFC. Game honors Kyle Rudolph with the Pro Bowl MVP trophy in 2013. A Player of the Game was honored 1951–1956. 1957–1971, awards were presented to both an Outstanding Back and an Outstanding Lineman. In 1972 and since 2014, there are awards for both an Outstanding Offensive Player and an Outstanding Defensive Player. 1973–2007, only one Player of the Game award was honored (though thrice this award has been presented to multiple players in a single game). In 2008 the award was changed to Most Valuable Player (MVP).[32] Players are paid for participating in the game with the winning team receiving a larger payout. The chart below shows how much the players of their respective teams earn:[citation needed] Years Winners Losers 2011/2013 $50,000 $25,000 2012 $65,000 $40,000 2014 $53,000 $26,000 2015/2016 $55,000 $28,000 2017 $61,000 $30,000 2018 $64,000 $32,000 2019 $67,000 $39,000 2020 $74,000 $37,000 2022–23 $84,000 $42,000 2024 TBA Rule differences This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: rule diffs are cited to 2011, and there have been at least two major changes since then. E.g., "No rushing punts, PATs or FG attempts" appears to be at least partially wrong. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (January 2020) Although there is no official rule against tackling, the players in the Pro Bowl have come to a gentlemen's agreement to do little if any tackling. On the vast majority of plays, the ball carrier either gives up as soon as a defensive player grabs him, or goes out of bounds to avoid contact. In that sense it is essentially a two-hand touch football game.[33] A future ban on tackling and contact is being considered. In addition to the above, the Pro Bowl does have different rules from regular NFL games to make the game safer with a view towards incorporating some of these rules to future NFL regular season games.[34][35] No motion or shifting by the offense Offense must have a running back and tight end in all formations Offense may have up to three receivers on the same side Intentional grounding is legal No rushing the passer More than one forward pass thrown on the same play is allowed Defense must run a 4–3 at all times, though the Cover 2 and press coverage is allowed[14] No blitz; DEs and tackles can rush on passing plays, provided they are on same side of ball No blindside or below the waist blocks No rushing the punter No rushing the kicker No rushing the holder Coin toss determines who receives first; loser receives to start third period. Procedure repeats at the start of first overtime. Kickoffs are eliminated (including free kicks)[14] Punt returns are eliminated by the automatic fair catch Teams will start on their own 25-yard line after any score or at the start of each half/odd overtime[14] If a team that would otherwise be kicking off wants to attempt to retain possession (situations where an onside kick would be attempted if there were kickoffs), they may run a single scrimmage play from their own 25-yard line; should the ball be advanced 15 yards forward, the team retains possession[36] Receivers may flinch or raise either foot without incurring penalty 35-second play clock to run plays Deep middle safety must be aligned within hash marks Replay reviews are allowed 44-player roster per team Two-minute warning in effect for all quarters, plus overtime Game clock runs on incompletions except at two minutes left in half or overtime period Very limited contact is allowed much like touch football, provided the ball carrier is surrounded by opponents In case of a tie after regulation, multiple 15-minute OT periods will be played (with each team receiving two time outs per period), and in the first overtime teams receive one possession to score unless one of them scores a safety on its first possession. True sudden death rules apply thereafter if both teams have had their initial possession and the game remains tied. The Pro Bowl is not allowed to end in a tie, unlike preseason and regular season games. (In general, beyond the first overtime, whoever scores first wins. The first overtime starts as if the game had started over, like the NFL Playoffs.) 2023 and hereafter has a flag football game which is a 50-yard by 28-yard field (like arena football), seven players on field per team, two 10-minute halves, 15-minute halftime, plus multiple best-of-three round plays from the 5-yard line for 1 point or 10-yard line for two points, from double overtime hereafter, championship game only. In overtime, no matter if a touchdown is scored or not, teams get one possession. If the teams are tied after one possession, true sudden death rules apply hereafter. No punts due to short field. Pro Bowl uniforms Quarterback Peyton Manning (#18) before the 2006 Pro Bowl. The teams are made of players from different NFL teams, so using their own uniforms would be too confusing. However, the players do wear the helmet of their respective team, but the home jerseys and pants are either a solid blue for the NFC or solid red for the AFC, with white jerseys with blue or red accents, respectively, for the away team. The early Pro Bowl, contested by the National Football League's Eastern and Western Division stars and played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, featured the same uniforms from the 1950s to mid-1960s; the Eastern team wore scarlet jerseys with white numerals and a white crescent shoulder stripe, white pants with red stripe, red socks, and a plain red helmet. The Western team wore white jerseys with royal-blue numerals and a Northwestern University-style Ukon triple stripe on the sleeves, white pants with blue stripe and socks and a plain blue helmet. Perhaps oddly, the Eastern team wore home dark jerseys, although the host city team, the Los Angeles Rams, were members of the Western Conference. From January 1967 to January 1970 both teams wore gold helmets with the NFL logo on the sides; the Eastern helmets featured a red-white-red tri-stripe and the Western a similar blue-white-blue tri-stripe. In fact, the players brought their own game helmets to Los Angeles, which were then spray-painted and decorated for the contest. For the 1970 game the helmets featured the '50 NFL' logo, commemorating the league's half-century anniversary. In the earliest years of the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, the players did not wear their unique helmets. The AFC All-Stars wore a solid red helmet with a white A on it, while the NFC players wore a solid white helmet with a blue N on it. The AFC's red helmets were paired with white jerseys and red pants, while the NFC's white helmets were paired with blue jerseys and white pants. Beginning with the 1979 game, players wore the helmets of their respective teams. Two players with the same number who were elected to the Pro Bowl could wear the same number for that game, which was not always the case in the past. The 2008 Pro Bowl included a unique example of several players from the same team wearing the same number in a Pro Bowl. For the game, Washington Redskins players T Chris Samuels, TE Chris Cooley, and LS Ethan Albright all wore the number 21 (a number normally inappropriate for their positions) in memory of their teammate Sean Taylor, who had been murdered during the 2007 season.[37] On October 7, 2013, Nike unveiled the uniforms for the 2014 Pro Bowl, which revealed that the red, white and blue colors that the game uniforms bore throughout its entire history would not be used for the game. As the NFC–AFC format was not used between 2014 through 2016, team 1 sported a white uniform with bright orange and team 2 sported a gray uniform with volt green.[38] The new uniforms received mixed reviews from fans and sports columnists alike, one even mentioning that the game would look like an "Oregon vs. Oklahoma State" game.[39] Since 2017, when the conference format was restored, the league took an approach similar to the NFL Color Rush initiative, in which jerseys, pants, and socks were all a uniform color (red for the AFC, blue for the NFC). With the switch to the Pro Bowl Games format in 2023, players are no longer required to wear standard football uniforms, helmets and pads. Instead they wore red (for AFC) or blue (for NFC) shirts and either gray shorts or pants. Some players would also wear caps as headgear and compression tights. Game results NFL All-Star Games (1938–1942) No Most Valuable Player awards were presented during these games. Season Date Score Venue Attendance Head coaches 1938 January 15, 1939 New York Giants 13, NFL All-Stars 10 Wrigley Field 15,000[40] AS: Ray Flaherty (Washington) and Gus Henderson (Detroit) NYG: Steve Owen 1939 January 14, 1940 Green Bay Packers 16, NFL All-Stars 7 Gilmore Stadium 18,000 AS: Steve Owen (New York) GB: Curly Lambeau 1940 December 29, 1940 Chicago Bears 28, NFL All-Stars 14 Gilmore Stadium 21,624 AS: Ray Flaherty (Washington) CHI: George Halas 1941 January 4, 1942 Chicago Bears 35, NFL All-Stars 24 Polo Grounds 17,725 AS: Steve Owen (New York) CHI: George Halas 1942 December 27, 1942 NFL All-Stars 17, Washington Redskins 14 Shibe Park 18,671 AS: Hunk Anderson (Chicago Bears) WAS: Ray Flaherty No game was played from 1943 to 1950. NFL Pro Bowls (1950–1969) Season Date Score Series Most Valuable Players Venue[41] Attendance Head coaches Network 1950 January 14, 1951 American Conference 28, National Conference 27 AC, 1–0 Otto Graham, Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 53,676 AC: Paul Brown, Cleveland NC: Joe Stydahar, Los Angeles 1951 January 12, 1952[42] National Conference 30, American Conference 13 Tied, 1–1 Dan Towler, Los Angeles Rams, Running back Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 19,400 AC: Paul Brown, Cleveland NC: Joe Stydahar, Los Angeles NBC 1952 January 10, 1953[42] National Conference 27, American Conference 7 NC, 2–1 Don Doll, Detroit Lions, Defensive back Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 34,208 AC: Paul Brown, Cleveland NC: Buddy Parker, Detroit NBC 1953 January 17, 1954 East 20, West 9 Tied, 2–2 Chuck Bednarik, Philadelphia Eagles, Linebacker Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 44,214 EC: Paul Brown, Cleveland WC: Buddy Parker, Detroit DuMont 1954 January 16, 1955 West 26, East 19 West, 3–2 Billy Wilson, San Francisco 49ers, End Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 43,972 EC: Jim Trimble, Philadelphia WC: Buck Shaw, San Francisco 1955 January 15, 1956 East 31, West 30 Tied, 3–3 Ollie Matson, Chicago Cardinals, Running back Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 37,867 EC: Joe Kuharich, Washington WC: Sid Gillman, Los Angeles 1956 January 13, 1957 West 19, East 10 West, 4–3 Back: Bert Rechichar, Baltimore Colts Lineman: Ernie Stautner, Pittsburgh Steelers Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 44,177 EC: Jim Lee Howell, New York WC: Paddy Driscoll, Chicago Bears 1957 January 12, 1958 West 26, East 7 West, 5–3 Back: Hugh McElhenny, San Francisco 49ers Lineman: Gene Brito, Washington Redskins Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 66,634 EC: Buddy Parker, Pittsburgh WC: George Wilson, Detroit NBC 1958 January 11, 1959 East 28, West 21 West, 5–4 Back: Frank Gifford, New York Giants Lineman: Doug Atkins, Chicago Bears Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 72,250 EC: Jim Lee Howell, New York WC: Weeb Ewbank, Baltimore NBC 1959 January 17, 1960 West 38, East 21 West, 6–4 Back: Johnny Unitas, Baltimore Colts Lineman: Eugene "Big Daddy" Lipscomb, Baltimore Colts Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 56,876 EC: Buck Shaw, Philadelphia WC: Red Hickey, San Francisco NBC 1960 January 15, 1961 West 35, East 31 West, 7–4 Back: Johnny Unitas, Baltimore Colts Lineman: Sam Huff, New York Giants Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 62,971 EC: Buck Shaw, Philadelphia WC: Vince Lombardi, Green Bay NBC 1961 January 14, 1962 West 31, East 30 West, 8–4 Back: Jim Brown, Cleveland Browns Lineman: Henry Jordan, Green Bay Packers Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 57,409 EC: Allie Sherman, New York WC: Norm Van Brocklin, Minnesota NBC 1962 January 13, 1963 East 30, West 20 West, 8–5 Back: Jim Brown, Cleveland Browns Lineman: Eugene Lipscomb, Pittsburgh Steelers Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 61,374 EC: Allie Sherman, New York WC: Vince Lombardi, Green Bay NBC 1963 January 12, 1964 West 31, East 17 West, 9–5 Back: Johnny Unitas, Baltimore Colts Lineman: Gino Marchetti, Baltimore Colts Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 67,242 EC: Allie Sherman, New York WC: George Halas, Chicago NBC 1964 January 10, 1965 West 34, East 14 West, 10–5 Back: Fran Tarkenton, Minnesota Vikings Lineman: Terry Barr, Detroit Lions Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 60,598 EC: Blanton Collier, Cleveland WC: Don Shula, Baltimore NBC 1965 January 16, 1966 East 36, West 7 West, 10–6 Back: Jim Brown, Cleveland Browns Lineman: Dale Meinert, St. Louis Cardinals Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 60,124 EC: Blanton Collier, Cleveland WC: Vince Lombardi, Green Bay CBS 1966 January 22, 1967 East 20, West 10 West, 10–7 Back: Gale Sayers, Chicago Bears Lineman: Floyd Peters, Philadelphia Eagles Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 15,062 EC: Tom Landry, Dallas WC: George Allen, Los Angeles CBS 1967 January 21, 1968 West 38, East 20 West, 11–7 Back: Gale Sayers, Chicago Bears Lineman: Dave Robinson, Green Bay Packers Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 53,289 EC:Otto Graham, Washington WC: Don Shula, Baltimore CBS 1968 January 19, 1969 West 10, East 7 West, 12–7 Back: Roman Gabriel, Los Angeles Rams Lineman: Merlin Olsen, Los Angeles Rams Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 32,050 EC: Tom Landry, Dallas WC: George Allen, Los Angeles CBS 1969 January 18, 1970 West 16, East 13 West, 13–7 Back: Gale Sayers, Chicago Bears Lineman: George Andrie, Dallas Cowboys Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 57,786 EC: Tom Fears, New Orleans WC: Norm Van Brocklin, Atlanta CBS AFC–NFC Pro Bowls (1970–2012) Season Date Score Series Most Valuable Player(s) Venue Attendance Head coaches Network 1970 January 24, 1971 NFC, 27–6 NFC, 1–0 Lineman: Fred Carr, Packers Back: Mel Renfro, Cowboys Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 48,222 AFC: John Madden, Oakland NFC: Dick Nolan, San Francisco CBS 1971 January 23, 1972 AFC, 26–13 Tied, 1–1 Defense: Willie Lanier, Chiefs Offense: Jan Stenerud, Chiefs Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 53,647 AFC: Don McCafferty, Baltimore NFC: Dick Nolan, San Francisco NBC 1972 January 21, 1973 AFC, 33–28 AFC, 2–1 O. J. Simpson, Bills, Running back Texas Stadium 37,091 AFC: Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh NFC: Tom Landry, Dallas CBS 1973 January 20, 1974 AFC, 15–13 AFC, 3–1 Garo Yepremian, Dolphins, Placekicker Arrowhead Stadium 66,918 AFC: John Madden, Oakland NFC: Tom Landry, Dallas NBC 1974 January 20, 1975[43] NFC, 17–10 AFC, 3–2 James Harris, Rams, Quarterback Miami Orange Bowl 26,484 AFC: John Madden, Oakland NFC: Chuck Knox, Los Angeles ABC 1975 January 26, 1976[43] NFC, 23–20 Tied, 3–3 Billy Johnson, Oilers, Kick returner Louisiana Superdome 30,546 AFC: John Madden, Oakland NFC: Chuck Knox, Los Angeles ABC 1976 January 17, 1977[43] AFC, 24–14 AFC, 4–3 Mel Blount, Steelers, Cornerback The Kingdome 64,752 AFC: Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh NFC: Chuck Knox, Los Angeles ABC 1977 January 23, 1978[43] NFC, 14–13 Tied, 4–4 Walter Payton, Bears, Running back Tampa Stadium 51,337 AFC: Ted Marchibroda, Baltimore NFC: Chuck Knox, Los Angeles ABC 1978 January 29, 1979[43] NFC, 13–7 NFC, 5–4 Ahmad Rashad, Vikings, Wide receiver Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 46,281 AFC: Chuck Fairbanks, New England NFC: Bud Grant, Minnesota ABC 1979 January 27, 1980 NFC, 37–27 NFC, 6–4 Chuck Muncie, Saints, Running back Aloha Stadium 49,800 AFC: Don Coryell, San Diego NFC: Tom Landry, Dallas ABC 1980 February 1, 1981 NFC, 21–7 NFC, 7–4 Eddie Murray, Lions, Placekicker Aloha Stadium 50,360 AFC: Sam Rutigliano, Cleveland NFC: Leeman Bennett, Atlanta ABC 1981 January 31, 1982 AFC, 16–13 NFC, 7–5 Lee Roy Selmon, Buccaneers, Defensive end Kellen Winslow, Chargers, Tight end Aloha Stadium 50,402 AFC: Don Shula, Miami NFC: John McKay, Tampa Bay ABC 1982 February 6, 1983 NFC, 20–19 NFC, 8–5 Dan Fouts, Chargers, Quarterback John Jefferson, Packers, Wide receiver Aloha Stadium 49,883 AFC: Walt Michaels, New York Jets NFC: Tom Landry, Dallas ABC 1983 January 29, 1984 NFC, 45–3 NFC, 9–5 Joe Theismann, Redskins, Quarterback Aloha Stadium 50,445 AFC: Chuck Knox, Seattle NFC: Bill Walsh, San Francisco ABC 1984 January 27, 1985 AFC, 22–14 NFC, 9–6 Mark Gastineau, Jets, Defensive end Aloha Stadium 50,385 AFC: Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh NFC: Mike Ditka, Chicago ABC 1985 February 2, 1986 NFC, 28–24 NFC, 10–6 Phil Simms, Giants, Quarterback Aloha Stadium 50,101 AFC: Don Shula, Miami NFC: John Robinson, L.A. Rams ABC 1986 February 1, 1987 AFC, 10–6 NFC, 10–7 Reggie White, Eagles, Defensive end Aloha Stadium 50,101 AFC: Marty Schottenheimer, Cleveland NFC: Joe Gibbs, Washington ABC 1987 February 7, 1988 AFC, 15–6 NFC, 10–8 Bruce Smith, Bills, Defensive end Aloha Stadium 50,113 AFC: Marty Schottenheimer, Cleveland NFC: Jerry Burns, Minnesota ESPN 1988 January 29, 1989 NFC, 34–3 NFC, 11–8 Randall Cunningham, Eagles, Quarterback Aloha Stadium 50,113 AFC: Marv Levy, Buffalo NFC: Mike Ditka, Chicago ESPN 1989 February 4, 1990 NFC, 27–21 NFC, 12–8 Jerry Gray, Rams, Cornerback Aloha Stadium 50,445 AFC: Bud Carson, Cleveland NFC: John Robinson, L.A. Rams ESPN 1990 February 3, 1991 AFC, 23–21 NFC, 12–9 Jim Kelly, Bills, Quarterback Aloha Stadium 50,345 AFC: Art Shell, L.A. Raiders NFC: George Seifert, San Francisco ESPN 1991 February 2, 1992 NFC, 21–15 NFC, 13–9 Michael Irvin, Cowboys, Wide receiver Aloha Stadium 50,209 AFC: Dan Reeves, Denver NFC: Wayne Fontes, Detroit ESPN 1992 February 7, 1993 AFC, 23–20 (OT) NFC, 13–10 Steve Tasker, Bills, Special teams Aloha Stadium 50,007 AFC: Don Shula, Miami NFC: George Seifert, San Francisco ESPN 1993 February 6, 1994 NFC, 17–3 NFC, 14–10 Andre Rison, Falcons, Wide receiver Aloha Stadium 50,026 AFC: Marty Schottenheimer, Kansas City NFC: George Seifert, San Francisco ESPN 1994 February 5, 1995 AFC, 41–13 NFC, 14–11 Marshall Faulk, Colts, Running back Aloha Stadium 49,121 AFC: Bill Cowher, Pittsburgh NFC: Barry Switzer, Dallas ABC 1995 February 4, 1996 NFC, 20–13 NFC, 15–11 Jerry Rice, 49ers, Wide receiver Aloha Stadium 50,034 AFC: Ted Marchibroda, Indianapolis NFC: Mike Holmgren, Green Bay ABC 1996 February 2, 1997 AFC, 26–23 (OT) NFC, 15–12 Mark Brunell, Jaguars, Quarterback Aloha Stadium 50,031 AFC: Tom Coughlin, Jacksonville NFC: Dom Capers, Carolina ABC 1997 February 1, 1998 AFC, 29–24 NFC, 15–13 Warren Moon, Seahawks, Quarterback Aloha Stadium 49,995 AFC: Bill Cowher, Pittsburgh NFC: Steve Mariucci, San Francisco ABC 1998 February 7, 1999 AFC, 23–10 NFC, 15–14 Keyshawn Johnson, Jets, Wide receiver Ty Law, Patriots, Cornerback Aloha Stadium 50,075 AFC: Bill Belichick,[44] N.Y. Jets NFC: Dennis Green, Minnesota ABC 1999 February 6, 2000 NFC, 51–31 NFC, 16–14 Randy Moss, Vikings, Wide receiver Aloha Stadium 50,112 AFC: Tom Coughlin, Jacksonville NFC: Tony Dungy, Tampa Bay ABC 2000 February 4, 2001 AFC, 38–17 NFC, 16–15 Rich Gannon, Raiders, Quarterback Aloha Stadium 50,128 AFC: Jon Gruden, Oakland NFC: Dennis Green, Minnesota ABC 2001 February 9, 2002[42] AFC, 38–30 Tied, 16–16 Rich Gannon, Raiders, Quarterback Aloha Stadium 50,301 AFC: Bill Cowher, Pittsburgh NFC: Andy Reid, Philadelphia ABC 2002 February 2, 2003 AFC, 45–20 AFC, 17–16 Ricky Williams, Dolphins, Running back Aloha Stadium 50,125 AFC: Jeff Fisher, Tennessee NFC: Andy Reid, Philadelphia ABC 2003 February 8, 2004 NFC, 55–52 Tied, 17–17 Marc Bulger, Rams, Quarterback Aloha Stadium 50,127 AFC: Tony Dungy, Indianapolis NFC: Andy Reid, Philadelphia ESPN 2004 February 13, 2005 AFC, 38–27 AFC, 18–17 Peyton Manning, Colts, Quarterback Aloha Stadium 50,225 AFC: Bill Cowher, Pittsburgh NFC: Jim L. Mora, Atlanta ESPN 2005 February 12, 2006 NFC 23–17 Tied, 18–18 Derrick Brooks, Buccaneers, Linebacker Aloha Stadium 50,190 AFC: Mike Shanahan, Denver NFC: John Fox, Carolina ESPN 2006 February 10, 2007[42] AFC 31–28 AFC, 19–18 Carson Palmer, Bengals, Quarterback Aloha Stadium 50,410 AFC: Bill Belichick, New England NFC: Sean Payton, New Orleans CBS 2007 February 10, 2008 NFC 42–30 Tied, 19–19 Adrian Peterson, Vikings, Running back Aloha Stadium 50,044 AFC: Norv Turner, San Diego NFC: Mike McCarthy, Green Bay Fox 2008 February 8, 2009 NFC 30–21 NFC, 20–19 Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals, Wide receiver Aloha Stadium 49,958 AFC: John Harbaugh, Baltimore NFC: Andy Reid, Philadelphia NBC 2009 January 31, 2010 AFC 41–34 Tied, 20–20 Matt Schaub, Texans, Quarterback Sun Life Stadium 70,697 AFC: Norv Turner, San Diego NFC: Wade Phillips, Dallas ESPN 2010 January 30, 2011 NFC 55–41 NFC, 21–20 DeAngelo Hall, Redskins, Cornerback Aloha Stadium 49,338 AFC: Bill Belichick, New England NFC: Mike Smith, Atlanta Fox 2011 January 29, 2012 AFC 59–41 Tied, 21–21 Brandon Marshall, Dolphins, Wide receiver Aloha Stadium 48,423 AFC: Gary Kubiak, Houston NFC: Mike McCarthy, Green Bay NBC 2012 January 27, 2013 NFC 62–35 NFC, 22–21 Kyle Rudolph, Vikings, Tight end Aloha Stadium 47,134 AFC: John Fox, Denver NFC: Mike McCarthy, Green Bay NBC Unconferenced Pro Bowls (2013–2015) Season Date Score Most Valuable Player(s) Venue Attendance Head coaches Network 2013 January 26, 2014 Team Rice 22, Team Sanders 21 Offense: Nick Foles, Eagles, Quarterback Defense: Derrick Johnson, Chiefs, Linebacker Aloha Stadium 47,270 Rice: Ron Rivera, Carolina Sanders: Chuck Pagano, Indianapolis NBC 2014 January 25, 2015 Team Irvin 32, Team Carter 28 Offense: Matthew Stafford, Lions, Quarterback Defense: J. J. Watt, Texans, Defensive end University of Phoenix Stadium 63,225 Irvin: Jason Garrett, Dallas Carter: John Harbaugh, Baltimore ESPN 2015 January 31, 2016 Team Irvin 49, Team Rice 27 Offense: Russell Wilson, Seahawks, Quarterback Defense: Michael Bennett, Seahawks, Defensive end Aloha Stadium 50,000 Irvin: Winston Moss, Green Bay Rice: Andy Reid, Kansas City AFC–NFC Pro Bowls (2016–2022) Season Date Score Series Most Valuable Player(s) Venue Attendance Head coaches Network 2016 January 29, 2017 AFC 20–13 Tied, 22–22 Offensive: Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs, Tight end Defensive: Lorenzo Alexander, Buffalo Bills, Linebacker Camping World Stadium 60,834 AFC: Andy Reid, Kansas City NFC: Jason Garrett, Dallas ESPN 2017 January 28, 2018 AFC 24–23 AFC, 23–22 Offensive: Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans, Tight end Defensive: Von Miller, Denver Broncos, Linebacker Camping World Stadium 51,019 AFC: Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh NFC: Sean Payton, New Orleans ESPN/ABC 2018 January 27, 2019 AFC 26–7 AFC, 24–22 Offensive: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs, Quarterback Defensive: Jamal Adams, New York Jets, Safety Camping World Stadium 57,875 AFC: Anthony Lynn, L.A. Chargers NFC: Jason Garrett, Dallas ESPN/ABC/Disney XD 2019 January 26, 2020 AFC 38–33 AFC, 25–22 Offensive: Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens, Quarterback Defensive: Calais Campbell, Jacksonville Jaguars, Defensive end Camping World Stadium 54,024 AFC: John Harbaugh, Baltimore NFC: Pete Carroll, Seattle ESPN/ABC/Disney XD 2020 January 31, 2021 NFC 32–12 AFC, 25–23 Kyler Murray, Arizona, Quarterback N/A (Game played in Madden NFL 21 controlled by teams of NFL players, alumni, and celebrity guests due to COVID-19) YouTube 2021 February 6, 2022 AFC 41–35 AFC, 26–23 Offensive: Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers, Quarterback Defensive: Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders, Defensive end Allegiant Stadium 56,206 AFC: Mike Vrabel, Tennessee NFC: Matt LaFleur, Green Bay ESPN/ABC/Disney XD Pro Bowl Games (2023–present) Season Date Score Series Most Valuable Player(s) Venue Attendance Head coaches Network 2022 February 5, 2023 NFC 35–33 AFC, 26–24 N/A Allegiant Stadium 58,331 AFC: Peyton Manning NFC: Eli Manning[45] ESPN/ABC/Disney XD 2023 February 4, 2024 NFC 64–59 AFC, 26–25 Offensive: Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay, Quarterback Defensive: Demario Davis, New Orleans, Linebacker Camping World Stadium 55,709 AFC: Peyton Manning NFC: Eli Manning ESPN/ABC/Disney XD Stadiums that have hosted the Pro Bowl Wrigley Field (1939) Gilmore Stadium (January and December 1940) Polo Grounds (January 1942) Shibe Park (December 1942) Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (1951–1972, 1979) Texas Stadium (1973) Arrowhead Stadium (1974) Miami Orange Bowl (1975) Louisiana Superdome (1976) Kingdome (1977) Tampa Stadium (1978) Aloha Stadium (1980–2009, 2011–2014, 2016) Sun Life Stadium (2010) University of Phoenix Stadium (2015) Camping World Stadium (2017–2020, 2024) Allegiant Stadium (2022–2023) Records Main article: NFL Pro Bowl records Players with most invitations As of the 2024 Pro Bowl, 29 players have been invited to at least 11 Pro Bowls in their careers.[46] Except for those that are current active or not yet eligible, each of these players have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. With his selection in the 2022 Pro Bowl, quarterback Tom Brady has the all-time invitations record at 15.[47] Of currently active players Trent Williams has the most Pro Bowl invitations with each 11.[48] Pro Bowls Player Pos Seasons by team Selection years Year of induction into Hall of Fame 15 Tom Brady QB New England Patriots (2000–2019) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2020–2022) 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009–2018, 2021 Eligible in 2028 14 Tony Gonzalez TE Kansas City Chiefs (1997–2008) Atlanta Falcons (2009–2013) 1999–2008, 2010–2013 2019 Peyton Manning QB Indianapolis Colts (1998–2011) Denver Broncos (2012–2015) 1999, 2000, 2002–2010, 2012–2014 2021 Bruce Matthews G Houston Oilers / Tennessee Oilers / Tennessee Titans (1983–2001) 1988–2001 2007 Merlin Olsen DT Los Angeles Rams (1962–1976) 1962–1975 1982 13 Drew Brees QB San Diego Chargers (2001–2005) New Orleans Saints (2006–2020) 2004, 2006, 2008–2014, 2016–2019 Eligible in 2026 Ray Lewis LB Baltimore Ravens (1996–2012) 1997–2001, 2003, 2004, 2006–2011 2018 Jerry Rice WR San Francisco 49ers (1985–2000) Oakland Raiders (2001–2004) Seattle Seahawks (2004) 1986–1996, 1998, 2002 2010 Reggie White DE Philadelphia Eagles (1985–1992) Green Bay Packers (1993–1998) Carolina Panthers (2000) 1986–1998 2006 12 Champ Bailey CB Washington Redskins (1999–2003) Denver Broncos (2004–2013) 2000–2007, 2009–2012 2019 Ken Houston S Houston Oilers (1967–1972) Washington Redskins (1973–1980) 1968–1979 1986 Randall McDaniel G Minnesota Vikings (1988–1999) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2000–2001) 1989–2000 2009 Jim Otto C Oakland Raiders (1960–1974) 1961–1972 1980 Junior Seau LB San Diego Chargers (1990–2002) Miami Dolphins (2003–2005) New England Patriots (2006–2009) 1991–2002 2015 Will Shields G Kansas City Chiefs (1993–2006) 1995–2006 2015 11 Larry Allen G Dallas Cowboys (1994–2005) San Francisco 49ers (2006–2007) 1995–2001, 2003–2006 2013 Derrick Brooks LB Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1995–2008) 1997–2006, 2008 2014 Brett Favre QB Atlanta Falcons (1991) Green Bay Packers (1992–2007) New York Jets (2008) Minnesota Vikings (2009–2010) 1992, 1993, 1995–1997, 2001–2003, 2007–2009 2016 Larry Fitzgerald WR Arizona Cardinals (2004–2020) 2005, 2007–2013, 2015–2017 Eligible in 2026 Bob Lilly DT Dallas Cowboys (1961–1974) 1962, 1964–1973 1980 Tom Mack G Los Angeles Rams (1966–1978) 1967–1975, 1977, 1978 1999 Gino Marchetti DE Dallas Texans (1952) Baltimore Colts (1953–1964; 1966) 1954–1964 1972 Anthony Muñoz OT Cincinnati Bengals (1980–1992) 1981–1991 1998 Jonathan Ogden OT Baltimore Ravens (1996–2007) 1997–2007 2013 Willie Roaf OT New Orleans Saints (1993–2001) Kansas City Chiefs (2002–2005) 1994–2000, 2002–2005 2012 Bruce Smith DE Buffalo Bills (1985–1999) Washington Redskins (2000–2003) 1987–1990, 1992–1998 2009 Trent Williams OT Washington Redskins (2010–2019) San Francisco 49ers (2020–present) 2012–2018, 2020−2023 Currently Playing Jason Witten TE Dallas Cowboys (2003–2017, 2019) Las Vegas Raiders (2020) 2004–2010, 2012–2014, 2017 Eligible in 2026 Rod Woodson CB Pittsburgh Steelers (1987–1996) San Francisco 49ers (1997) Baltimore Ravens (1998–2001) Oakland Raiders (2002–2003) 1989–1994, 1996, 1999–2002 2009 Television See also: List of Pro Bowl broadcasters The Pro Bowl was originally broadcast on an alternative basis by CBS and NBC from 1971 to 1974, while the other network broadcast the Super Bowl. The game was then broadcast as part of the Monday Night Football package on ABC from 1975 to 1987. Sister network ESPN took it over as part of the ESPN Sunday Night Football package from 1988 to 1994. The game then returned to ABC for the 1995 through 2003 games. In the early 2000s, after suffering through several years of dwindling ratings ABC considered moving the game to Monday night, but the network instead decided to sell off the rights for the 2004–2006 games to ESPN. For the 2007 to 2014 Pro Bowls, the network which aired the Super Bowl that season also aired the Pro Bowl. The 2007 game on CBS was held on the Saturday after Super Bowl XLI because of the 49th Grammy Awards. The 2008 game was on Fox, broadcaster of Super Bowl XLII. Likewise, the 2009 game was on NBC, broadcaster of Super Bowl XLIII. CBS sold off their rights to the 2010 game to ESPN, which was played a week before the Super Bowl at the Super Bowl site, Sun Life Stadium. CBS also declined to broadcast the 2013 game, which was instead shown on NBC. The 2014 game, also shown on NBC, was the final Pro Bowl on network television for four years. ESPN then began holding exclusive rights to the Pro Bowl starting in 2015. In 2018, the Pro Bowl returned to network television for the first time in four years as part of a joint ABC/ESPN simulcast (both sister networks are owned by The Walt Disney Company). Disney XD was added to the simulcast for 2019.[49] The ESPN/ABC simulcasts of the game continued through 2022. Throughout his broadcasting career, the late John Madden declined to be part of the announcing crew when his network carried the Pro Bowl for his aviatophobia and claustrophobia (a joke referencing both is made in the Madden NFL '97 video game before the beginning of the Pro Bowl in season mode, where Madden quips that he drove his "Madden Bus" to Hawaii, rather than flying). Until Madden's retirement from broadcasting after the 2009 Pro Bowl, it had only occurred twice: Former San Diego Chargers quarterback and MNF personality Dan Fouts, whom Madden had replaced, took his place on ABC in 2003, and Cris Collinsworth took his place on NBC in 2009 (Collinsworth ended up replacing Madden permanently upon the latter's retirement). In conjunction with the Professional Bowlers Association, the Pro Bowl also sponsors a charity bowling tournament the occurs during the weekend leading up to the game. The tournament is open to all NFL players regardless of whether they have been selected to play in the Pro Bowl. Winners are announced at halftime, and are presented with a check in their name payable to their favorite charity. Most watched Pro Bowls Since 2000 Rank Game Date Matchup Network Viewers (millions) TV rating[50] Location 1 2011 Pro Bowl January 29, 2011 AFC 41 NFC 55 Fox 13.4 7.7 Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI 2 2000 Pro Bowl February 6, 2000 AFC 31 NFC 51 ABC 13.2 8.6 3 2012 Pro Bowl January 29, 2012 NFC 41 AFC 59 NBC 12.5 7.3 4 2010 Pro Bowl January 31, 2010 AFC 41 NFC 34 ESPN 12.3 7.1 Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL 5 2013 Pro Bowl January 27, 2013 AFC 35 NFC 62 NBC 12.2 7.1 Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI 6 2014 Pro Bowl January 26, 2014 Team Rice 22 Team Sanders 21 11.4 6.6 7 2008 Pro Bowl February 10, 2008 AFC 30 NFC 42 Fox 10.0 6.3 8 2003 Pro Bowl February 2, 2003 NFC 23 AFC 45 ABC 9.1 5.9 9 2009 Pro Bowl February 8, 2009 NFC 30 AFC 21 NBC 8.8 5.4 10 2015 Pro Bowl January 25, 2015 Team Irvin 32 Team Carter 28 ESPN 8.8 5.1 University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ Blackout policy Prior to 2015, the Pro Bowl was still subject to the NFL's blackout policies, requiring the game to be blacked out within 75 miles (121 km) of the stadium site if the game does not sell out all of the stadium's seats.[51][52] However, with the lifting of the NFL's blackout rules in 2015, the game can be shown within the host stadium regardless of attendance. Criticism Quality For decades, the Pro Bowl has been criticized as a glamor event more than a football game. This is due to the voluntary nature of the game, the arbitrary voting process, and the fear of player injury. While players are financially compensated for participating in the Pro Bowl, for a star player, the pay can be less than 1% of their salary. Many star players have excused themselves from participation over the years, meaning that the very best players are not necessarily featured. Not having the best players in the Pro Bowl was exacerbated by the introduction of fan voting (see section below). Another criticism of the game is that the players—particularly on defense—are not competing at the same level of intensity as they would during the regular season or the playoffs. This is because player injury plays a much greater part in a team's success in the NFL as compared to the other major American sports. For this reason, unlike the NBA, NHL, and MLB (which host their all-star events as a mid-season break), the Pro Bowl was historically held after the completion of the season and playoffs. This means that a player injured in the Pro Bowl would have at least six months to rehab before the next season begins. However, starting in 2010, the Pro Bowl was moved from the week after the Super Bowl to the week before it. Because of the above-noted fear of injury, players from the two teams participating in the Super Bowl were banned from participation, thus increasing the absence of star players. With the dearth of stars making the game the subject of much derision (Sports Illustrated website refused to even include one pre-game story on the event in 2012),[citation needed] the players on the field appear to be taking it less seriously as well.[citation needed] In the 2012 game, the lack of defensive effort was apparent, not only to anyone watching, but additionally evidenced by the combined score of 100 points. Brett Keisel, an NFL player watching the game said, "They probably should have just put flags on them,"[53] indicating that the quality was about on the level of flag football. Commissioner Roger Goodell stated that the game needed to improve, otherwise it would be eliminated.[54][55] It is worth noting that entire teams have declined to participate after losing the conference championship, like the 2015 New England Patriots, which had seven starters on the Pro Bowl roster. This, among other factors, caused the 2016 Pro Bowl to be more of a game featuring emerging players, with a record of 133 players selected overall (including those who were absent), and ended up including rookie quarterback Jameis Winston instead of recognized veterans Tom Brady and Carson Palmer, who were both in the conversation for the 2015 NFL season MVP before losing in their respective conference finals.[56] In 2022 and 2023, Josh Allen turned down invitations to the Pro Bowl in favor of playing in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament,[57] decisions that he stated were to allow himself to recover from several minor injuries.[58] In 2023, Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs called the event "stupid" and stated that he would prefer to go on vacation rather than play in the game. The event was set to be hosted in Las Vegas that year.[59] Selection process Fan voting has increased criticism[according to whom?] of the Pro Bowl. Voting by fans makes up 1/3 of the vote for Pro Bowl players. Some teams earn more selections of their players because fans often vote for their favorite team and not necessarily the best player. In the 2008 Pro Bowl, the Dallas Cowboys had thirteen players on the NFC roster, an NFL record. "If you're in a small market, no one really gets to see you play", said Minnesota Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield, who spent much of his early career with the small-market Buffalo Bills. "If you're a quiet guy, it's hard to get the attention. You just have to work hard and play." Winfield made the Pro Bowl in 2008 after ten seasons of being shut out.[60] The player voting has also been subject to significant criticism. It is not uncommon for players to pick the same players over and over again; former offensive lineman (and Sports Illustrated analyst) Ross Tucker has cited politics, incumbency, personal vendettas, and compensation for injury in previous years as primary factors in players' choices. Thus, players who have seen their play decline with age can still be perennially elected to the Pro Bowl for their popularity among other players, something particularly common among positions such as the offensive line, where few statistics are available.[61] For example, in 2010, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs admitted voting for Ryan Fitzpatrick (then the backup quarterback of the Buffalo Bills) over eventual league most valuable player Tom Brady not because he thought Fitzpatrick was the better player but as a vote of disrespect toward Brady's team, the New England Patriots.[62] Some players have had a surprisingly small number of Pro Bowl selections despite distinguished careers. Hall of Fame fullback John Riggins was selected only once in his career from 1971 to 1985. He was not selected in the year after which he set the record for rushing touchdowns in a season and his team made it to the Super Bowl (although he did make the All-Pro team). Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke only made the Pro Bowl once, despite being named All-Pro seven times and being the MVP of the 1962 NFL Championship Game. Defensive back Ken Riley never made the Pro Bowl in his 15 seasons, even though he recorded 65 interceptions, the fourth-highest total in NFL history at the time of his retirement. Former Jacksonville Jaguars halfback Fred Taylor, who is 15th in all-time rushing yards, was elected to his only Pro Bowl in 2007, despite averaging 4.6 yards per carry for his career, better than all but five running backs ranked in the top 30 in all-time rushing. Aaron Smith made it to the Pro Bowl once in 13 years (2004) despite winning two Super Bowl rings with the Pittsburgh Steelers and being named to the Sports Illustrated 2000s All Decade Team and defensive teammates such as Troy Polamalu, Casey Hampton, and James Harrison being named to multiple Pro Bowls during his career; Smith would often be ranked as one of the NFL's most underrated players during his career.[63] The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963,[1] the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coaches, officials, franchise owners, and front-office personnel, almost all of whom made their primary contributions to the game in the National Football League (NFL). As of the Class of 2023, there are a total of 371 members of the Hall of Fame.[2] Between four and nine new inductees are normally enshrined every year. For the 2020 class, a 20-person group consisting of five modern-era players and an additional 15 members, known as the "Centennial Slate", were elected to the Hall of Fame to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the NFL.[3] The Chicago Bears have the most inductees, with 32 (40, including players with minor portion of their career with team). History Part of the American football series on the History of American football Origins of American football Early historyModern historyFirst gameFirst pro leagueFirst pro playerWalter Camp Close relations to other codes AustralianBoston gameCanadianMedievalOld divisionRugby leagueRugby unionSoccer Topics Black players in professional footballCanadian football comparisonConcussionsGlossaryHall of Fame (College)Hall of Fame (Pro)HomosexualityRugby league comparisonRugby union comparisonYears College seasonsNFL seasons American football Portal vte Original entrance to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Inside the original structure in 2008 The city of Canton, Ohio successfully lobbied the NFL to have the Hall of Fame built in Canton, citing three reasons. First, the NFL was founded in Canton on September 17, 1920,[4] (at that time it was known as the American Professional Football Association). Second, the now-defunct Canton Bulldogs were a successful pro football team and the NFL's first repeat champion (in 1922 and 1923). Third, the Canton community held a fundraising effort that garnered nearly $400,000 (equivalent to $2,978,000 in 2022) to get the Hall of Fame built.[5] Groundbreaking for the building was held on August 11, 1962[6][7] and the Hall of Fame was opened to the public on September 7, 1963.[1] The original building contained just two rooms and 19,000 square feet (1,800 m2) of interior space.[8] In April 1970, ground was broken for the first of many expansions. This first expansion cost $620,000, and was completed on May 10, 1971.[1] The size was increased to 34,000 square feet (3,200 m2) by adding another room. The pro shop opened with this expansion. This was also an important milestone for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as yearly attendance passed the 200,000 mark for the first time. This was at least in some part due to the increase in popularity of professional football caused by the advent of the American Football League and its success in the final two AFL-NFL World Championship games.[8] In November 1977, work began on another expansion project, costing $1,200,000. It was completed in November 1978, enlarging the gift shop and research library, while doubling the size of the theater. The total size of the hall was now 50,500 square feet (4,690 m2), more than 2.5 times the original size.[8] The building remained largely unchanged until July 1993. The Hall then announced yet another expansion, costing $9,200,000, and adding a fifth room. This expansion was completed on October 1, 1995,[1] and increased the building's size to 82,307 square feet (7,647 m2). The most notable addition was the GameDay Stadium, which shows an NFL Films production on a 20-by-42-foot (6.1 m × 12.8 m) Cinemascope screen.[8] In 2013, the Hall of Fame completed its largest expansion and renovation to date; the total size of the hall is now 118,000 square feet (11,000 m2). Hall of Fame Village [icon] This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2023) Hall of Fame Village, an estimated $900 million expansion project adjacent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, completed Phase I of construction in 2022, a Phase II is planned, although no recent news has been put out recently. [9][10] Executive directors or presidents Dick McCann (April 4, 1962 – November 5, 1967) Dick Gallagher (April 1968 – December 31, 1975) Pete Elliott (February 1979 – October 31, 1996) John Bankert (November 1, 1996 – December 31, 2005) Steve Perry (April 24, 2006 – January 2014) David Baker (January 6, 2014 – October 16, 2021)[5][11] Jim Porter (2021 – present) Inductees Main article: List of Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees The Hall is made up of several sections with display of the inductees at its heart Through 2022, all players in the Hall, except Buffalo Bills guard Billy Shaw, played at least some part of their professional career in the NFL; Shaw played his entire career in the American Football League (AFL) prior to the 1970 AFL–NFL merger. Though several Hall of Famers have had AFL, Canadian Football League, World Football League, United States Football League, Arena Football League and/or Indoor Football League experience, and there is a division of the Hall devoted to alternative leagues such as these, to this point no player, coach or contributor have made the Hall without having made significant contributions to either the NFL, AFL, or All-America Football Conference. For CFL stars, there is a corresponding Canadian Football Hall of Fame; only one player, Warren Moon, and two coaches, Bud Grant and Marv Levy, are enshrined in both halls. Again for the Arena Football League, there is also a corresponding Arena Football Hall of Fame; similarly, only one player, Kurt Warner, has been enshrined into both halls. The Indoor Football League, in which Terrell Owens played one season,[12] has also established a Hall of Fame. The Chicago Bears have the most Hall of Famers among the league's franchises with either 40 or 32 enshrinees depending on whether players that only played a small portion of their careers with the team are counted.[13] Selection process Selection Committee Enshrinees are selected by a 50-person committee, largely made up of media members, officially known as the Selection Committee.[14] Each city that has a current NFL team sends one representative from the local media to the committee; a city with more than one franchise sends one representative for each franchise. There are also 15 at-large delegates, including one representative from the Pro Football Writers Association. Except for the PFWA representative, who is appointed to a two-year term, all other appointments are open-ended, and terminated only by death, incapacitation, retirement, or resignation. Voting procedure Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium with the Hall of Fame in lower right To be eligible for the nominating process, a player or coach must have been retired for at least five years; any other contributor such as a team owner or executive can be voted in at any time. Fans may nominate any player, coach or contributor by simply writing via letter or email to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Selection Committee is then polled three times by mail (once in March, once in September, and once in October) to eventually narrow the list to 25 semi-finalists. In November, the committee then selects 15 finalists by mail balloting. A Seniors and Contributors Committee, subcommittees of the overall Selection Committee, nominate Seniors (those players who completed their careers more than 25 years ago) and Contributors (individuals who made contributions to the game in areas other than playing or coaching). The Seniors Committee and Contributors Committee add one or two finalist(s) on alternating years, which makes a final ballot of 18 finalists under consideration by the full committee each year. Committee members are instructed to only consider a candidate's professional football contributions and to disregard all other factors.[15] The Selection Committee then meets on "Selection Saturday", the day before each Super Bowl game to elect a new class. To be elected, a finalist must receive at least 80% support from the Committee. At least four, but no more than nine, candidates are elected annually.[14] 2020 Centennial Slate In 2020, a special Blue-Ribbon Panel selected an additional 15 new members, known as the Centennial Slate, to be inducted into the Hall of Fame to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the NFL. Among these 15 members, ten would be seniors.[16] On January 11, during the weekend of the NFL divisional playoffs, Hall of Fame president David Baker went on the set of The NFL Today to personally tell Bill Cowher, who was working as an analyst on that pregame show, that he was selected as one of the members of the Centennial Slate. One day later, Baker went on the set of Fox NFL Sunday to inform Jimmy Johnson, working as an analyst on Fox's studio show, that he was also selected.[17] The rest of the Centennial Slate members were revealed on January 15.[3] The remaining 13 members of the Centennial Slate elected to the Hall of Fame in 2020 are: Jim Covert, Winston Hill, Harold Carmichael, Duke Slater, Ed Sprinkle, Steve Sabol, Alex Karras, Bobby Dillon, Donnie Shell, George Young, Cliff Harris, Mac Speedie, and former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue.[18] They were enshrined in 2021 due to COVID-19, but are still considered part of the Centennial Class of 2020. Enshrinement ceremony A football signed by the 1974 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement class The enshrinement ceremony is the main event of the annual Enshrinement Week Powered by Johnson Controls that kicks off every NFL season. The celebration is held in Canton, throughout the week surrounding the enshrinement ceremony.[19] All members of the Hall of Fame are invited to attend the annual ceremony.[15] Enshrinees do not go into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of a certain team. Rather, all of an enshrinee's affiliations are listed equally. While the Baseball Hall of Fame plaques generally depict each of their inductees wearing a particular club's cap (with a few exceptions, such as Catfish Hunter and Greg Maddux), the bust sculptures of each Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee make no reference to any specific team. In addition to the bust that goes on permanent display at the Hall of Fame, inductees receive a distinctive Gold Jacket, and previous inductees nearly always wear theirs when participating at the new inductee ceremonies.[20] Previous induction ceremonies were held during the next day (Sunday from 1999 to 2005, Saturday in 2006), situated on the steps of the Hall of Fame building. Starting in 2002, the ceremony was moved to Fawcett Stadium (now Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium), where it was held from 1963 to 1965. Since 2007, the enshrinement ceremony has been held on the Saturday night, since 2017 two days after the Hall of Fame Game.[21] In 2022, the ceremony was moved to noon ET.[22] Hall of Fame Game Main article: Pro Football Hall of Fame Game The Hall of Fame Game, the annual NFL preseason opener, is played in Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium at Hall of Fame Village in Canton, Ohio. In 2017, the Hall of Fame Game was held for the first time on Thursday night. The preseason classic kicks off Enshrinement Week Powered by Johnson Controls and officially kicks off the NFL preseason. Black College Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame museum includes a permanent exhibit recognizing the inductees of the Black College Football Hall of Fame. The two organizations partnered in 2016, also creating the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.[23][24] Ralph Hay Pioneer Award The Ralph Hay Pioneer Award is an American football award given by the Pro Football Hall of Fame periodically to an individual who has made significant and innovative contributions to professional football. The award is named after Canton Bulldogs owner and National Football League founder and chief organizer Ralph Hay. It was originally called the Daniel F. Reeves Pioneer Award, named after Los Angeles Rams owner and hall of fame inductee Dan Reeves. The award is the highest and the most prestigious honor given by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, other than enshrinement.[25] As of 2022, Steve Sabol, Art McNally, Marion Motley and Bill Willis are the only people to receive the award and also become a Hall of Fame inductee. Honorees Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Year Recipient Notability Note(s) 1972 Fred Gehrke Designer of the first football helmet logo 1975 Arch Ward Founder of the Chicago College All-Star Game and All-America Football Conference 1986 John Facenda Voice of NFL Films Awarded the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award in 2021[26] 1992 David Boss Photographer, artist, and logo designer 2001 George Toma Groundskeeper at Arrowhead Stadium 2004 City of Pottsville, Pennsylvania Birthplace of the Anthracite League and Pottsville Maroons 2007 Steve Sabol Co-founder of NFL Films Inducted to the Hall of Fame as a contributor in 2020 2012 Art McNally Supervisor of officials for the NFL and World League, 1968–95 Inducted to the Hall of Fame as a contributor in 2022 2016 Joe Browne[27] 50-year employee of the NFL central office 2022 Marion Motley[28] Reintegrated professional football in 1946 Inducted to the Hall of Fame 1968 Woody Strode Reintegrated professional football in 1946 Kenny Washington Reintegrated professional football in 1946 Bill Willis Reintegrated professional football in 1946 Inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1977 Criticism Sign at the old entrance to the Pro Football Hall of Fame The small number of candidates elected each year has helped foster what some perceive as an inequality of representation at certain positions or in certain categories of player, to the exclusion of defensive players in general (defensive backs and outside linebackers in particular), special teams players, wide receivers, and those from the "seniors" category. There has also been criticism that deserving players have been overlooked because they played most or all of their careers on poor teams.[29] In 2009, a New York Times article criticized the Hall for not including punter Ray Guy on its ballot.[30] Guy was eventually inducted as part of the 2014 class for the Hall of Fame. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is unique among North American major league sports halls of fame in that officials have been generally excluded. Only two figures, both inducted for their work as supervisor or director of officiating as opposed to game officiating—1966 inductee Hugh "Shorty" Ray[31] and 2022 inductee Art McNally—have been enshrined; McNally is the only inductee in the Hall to have experience as an in-game official.[32][33] The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Hockey Hall of Fame have each inducted game officials as members. Another prominent absence from the Hall is sports-journalist Howard Cosell, who has yet to either be awarded the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award or even get fully inducted despite his well-known association with Monday Night Football; an August 2010 Sports Illustrated article hints that Cosell may have even been "blacklisted" by the NFL.[34][35] As the late 2010s approached, a number of controversial and polarizing figures began to reach eligibility for the Hall. For example, Darren Sharper's career achievements make him a candidate for the Hall, but there is debate over whether he should be inducted due to his conviction on multiple rape and drug distribution charges after he retired.[36] Terrell Owens' exclusion from the Hall in his first two years of eligibility despite his strong individual statistics was a subject of public debate:[37] while Owens was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2018, he refused to attend the enshrinement ceremony.[38] See also List of Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees Touchdown Club Charities Hall of Fame Canadian Football Hall of Fame Arena Football Hall of Fame Indoor Football League Hall of Fame Dick McCann Memorial Award—sometimes referred to as the "writer's wing" of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award John Bunn Award: the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame's comparable award The Super Bowl is the annual league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game has been played on the second Sunday in February. Prior Super Bowls were played on Sundays in early to mid-January from 1967 to 1978, late January from 1979 to 2003,[a] and the first Sunday of February from 2004 to 2021. Winning teams are awarded the Vince Lombardi Trophy, named after the eponymous coach who won the first two Super Bowls. Because the NFL restricts use of its "Super Bowl" trademark, it is frequently referred to as the "big game" or other generic terms by non-sponsoring corporations. The day the game is played is often referred to as "Super Bowl Sunday" or simply "Super Sunday". The game was created as part of a 1966 merger agreement between the NFL and the competing American Football League (AFL) to have their 'best' teams compete for a championship. It was originally called the AFL–NFL World Championship Game until the "Super Bowl" moniker was adopted in 1969's Super Bowl III. The first four Super Bowls from 1967 to 1970 were played prior to the merger, with the NFL and AFL each winning two. After the merger in 1970, the 10 AFL teams and 3 of the NFL teams formed the American Football Conference (AFC), while the remaining 13 NFL teams formed the National Football Conference (NFC). All games since 1971's Super Bowl V have been played between the best team from each of the two conferences, with the NFC tied with the AFC 29–29 in wins. Among the NFL's current 32 teams, 20 (11 NFC, nine AFC) have won a Super Bowl and 15 (eight AFC, seven NFC) hold multiple titles. The AFC's Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots have the most Super Bowl titles at six each. The Patriots also have the most Super Bowl appearances at 11.[1] Among NFC franchises, the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers are tied for both the most titles at five each and the most appearances at eight each. The Patriots and the Denver Broncos of the AFC hold the record for the most defeats in the Super Bowl at five each. The Baltimore Ravens of the AFC and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFC are the only franchises to be undefeated in multiple Super Bowls, having each won two. Among the 12 teams who have not won a Super Bowl, the AFC's Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, and Jacksonville Jaguars, and the NFC's Detroit Lions are the only four to have not appeared in the game. The Super Bowl is among the world's most-watched single sporting events and frequently commands the largest audience among all American broadcasts during the year. It is second only to the UEFA Champions League final as the most watched annual club sporting event worldwide,[2] and the seven most-watched broadcasts in American television history are Super Bowls.[3] Commercial airtime during the Super Bowl broadcast is the most expensive of the year because of the high viewership, leading to companies regularly developing their most expensive advertisements for the broadcast and commercial viewership becoming an integral part of the event. The Super Bowl is also the second-largest event for American food consumption, behind Thanksgiving dinner.[4] Origin The first Super Bowl at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Since the turn of the 20th century, college football teams from across the United States have scheduled "bowl games" against each other. The original "bowl game" was the Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena, California, which was first played in 1902 as the "Tournament East–West football game" as part of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses. In 1923, the Tournament East-West football game moved to the new Rose Bowl Stadium; the stadium got its name from the fact that the game played there was part of the Tournament of Roses and that it was shaped like a bowl, much like the Yale Bowl in New Haven, Connecticut. The Tournament of Roses football game thus eventually came to be known as the Rose Bowl Game. Exploiting the Rose Bowl Game's popularity, post-season college football contests were created for Miami (the Orange Bowl), New Orleans (the Sugar Bowl), and El Paso (the Sun Bowl) in 1935, and for Dallas (the Cotton Bowl) in 1937. By the time the first Super Bowl was played, the term "bowl" for any major American football game was well established.[5] The Packers defeated the Chiefs in the first AFL–NFL Championship Game, Super Bowl I. For four decades after its 1920 inception, the NFL successfully fended off several rival leagues. In 1960, it encountered its most serious competitor when the American Football League (AFL) was formed. The AFL vied with the NFL for players and fans. After the AFL's inaugural season, AFL commissioner Joe Foss sent an invitation to the NFL on January 14, 1961, to schedule a "World Playoff" game between the two leagues' champions, beginning with the upcoming 1961 season.[6] The first World Playoff game, if actually played, would have matched up the AFL champion Houston Oilers against the NFL champion Green Bay Packers. However, it took a half-dozen more seasons for this idea to become a reality.[citation needed] In the mid-1960s, Lamar Hunt, owner of the AFL's Kansas City Chiefs, first used the term "Super Bowl"[7] to refer to the AFL–NFL championship game in the merger meetings. Hunt later said the name was likely in his head because his children had been playing with a Super Ball toy;[8] a vintage example of the ball is on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. In a July 25, 1966, letter to NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle, Hunt wrote, "I have kiddingly called it the 'Super Bowl,' which obviously can be improved upon." The leagues' owners chose the name "AFL–NFL Championship Game",[9] but in July 1966 the Kansas City Star quoted Hunt in discussing "the Super Bowl—that's my term for the championship game between the two leagues",[10] and the media immediately began using the term.[11] Although the league stated in 1967 that "not many people like it", asking for suggestions and considering alternatives such as "Merger Bowl" and "The Game", the Associated Press reported that "Super Bowl" "grew and grew and grew—until it reached the point that there was Super Week, Super Sunday, Super Teams, Super Players, ad infinitum".[9] "Super Bowl" became official beginning with the third annual game.[12] Roman numerals are used to identify each Super Bowl, rather than the year in which it is held, since the fifth edition, in January 1971.[13] The sole exception to this naming convention tradition occurred with Super Bowl 50, which was played on February 7, 2016, following the 2015 regular season. The following year, the nomenclature returned to Roman numerals for Super Bowl LI, following the 2016 regular season. The Jets were the first AFL team to win a Super Bowl (Super Bowl III), defeating the Colts. After the NFL's Green Bay Packers won the first two Super Bowls, some team owners feared for the future of the merger. At the time, many doubted the competitiveness of AFL teams compared with their NFL counterparts, though that perception changed when the AFL's New York Jets defeated the heavily favored NFL contender Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III in Miami. One year later, the AFL's Kansas City Chiefs defeated the NFL's Minnesota Vikings 23–7 in Super Bowl IV in New Orleans, which was the final AFL–NFL World Championship Game played before the merger. Beginning with the 1970 season, the NFL realigned into two conferences; the former AFL teams plus three NFL teams (the Baltimore Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Cleveland Browns) would constitute the American Football Conference (AFC), while the remaining NFL clubs would form the National Football Conference (NFC). The champions of the two conferences would play each other in the Super Bowl. The winning team receives the Vince Lombardi Trophy, named after the former coach of the Green Bay Packers, who won the first two Super Bowl games as well as five NFL championships preceding the merger in 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966 and 1967. Following Lombardi's death in September 1970, the trophy was named after him. The first trophy awarded under the new name was presented to the Baltimore Colts following their win in Super Bowl V in Miami. Game history For a full list of Super Bowl games and champions, see List of Super Bowl champions. The Super Bowl was held in January from its inception until 2002, when the week of games following the September 11 attacks were postponed and rescheduled, extending the season by a week and causing Super Bowl XXXVI to be played on February 3. Beginning with Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004, the Super Bowl was scheduled for the first Sunday in February until the schedule expansion of the 2021 season moved the game to the second Sunday.[14] The current NFL schedule begins on the weekend immediately after Labor Day (the first Monday in September). That weekend is the first of an 18-week regular season, followed by three weeks of playoff games and one week for the Pro Bowl. The Super Bowl is contested the week after the Pro Bowl. This schedule has been in effect since an 18th week (and 17th regular season game) were added to the NFL schedule for the 2021 season, with Super Bowl LVI on February 13, 2022, the first to be played under this format. The Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots are tied with a record six Super Bowl wins. The Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers have five victories each, while the Packers, Chiefs and New York Giants have four. Fourteen other NFL franchises have won at least one Super Bowl. The Patriots own the record for most Super Bowl appearances with eleven. The Cowboys, Steelers, Broncos and the 49ers are tied for second with eight appearances apiece, reaching that milestone in this respective order. Bill Belichick owns the record for the most Super Bowl wins (eight) and appearances (twelve: nine times as head coach, once as assistant head coach, and twice as defensive coordinator) by an individual. Tom Brady has the most Super Bowl starts (ten) and wins as a player (seven), while Charles Haley has the second-most wins among players with five. Eight teams have appeared in Super Bowl games without a win. The Minnesota Vikings were the first team to appear four times without a win, while the Buffalo Bills played in a record four consecutive Super Bowls, losing in each. The Patriots and Broncos are tied for the most Super Bowl losses at five. The Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, and Jacksonville Jaguars are the four teams to have never appeared in a Super Bowl, although the Browns and Lions both won NFL championships before the Super Bowl era. The Jaguars, who began play in 1995, and the Texans, who began play in 2002, are among the youngest franchises in the league. 1960s: Early history and Packers dominance The Packers won the first two AFL–NFL World Championship Games, later renamed Super Bowls, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders following the 1966 and 1967 seasons, respectively. The Packers were led by quarterback Bart Starr, who was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for both games. These two championships, coupled with the Packers' NFL championships in 1961, 1962, and 1965, amount to the most successful stretch in NFL History; five championships in seven years, and the second threepeat in NFL history (1965, 1966, and 1967). The Packers are the only team to threepeat, as they also accomplished the feat in the pre-playoff era (1929, 1930 and 1931). The first playoff game in the NFL was in 1932. In Super Bowl III, the AFL's New York Jets defeated the 19.5-point favorite Baltimore Colts of the NFL, 16–7. The Jets were led by quarterback Joe Namath, who had famously guaranteed a Jets win before the game, and former Colts head coach Weeb Ewbank, and their victory proved that the AFL was the NFL's competitive equal. This was reinforced the following year when the Chiefs defeated the NFL's Vikings 23–7 in Super Bowl IV. 1970s: Dominant franchises After the AFL–NFL merger was completed in 1970, three franchises—the Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, and Steelers—would go on to dominate the 1970s, winning a combined eight Super Bowls between them in the decade, with the Steelers winning four of the eight. The Baltimore Colts, now a member of the AFC, would start the decade by defeating the Cowboys in Super Bowl V, a game which is notable as being the only Super Bowl to date in which a player from the losing team won the Super Bowl MVP (Cowboys' linebacker Chuck Howley). Beginning with this Super Bowl, all Super Bowls have served as the NFL's championship game. The Steelers defeated the Rams in Super Bowl XIV to win an unprecedented four championships in six years. The Cowboys, coming back from a loss the previous season, won Super Bowl VI over the Dolphins. However, this would be the Dolphins' final loss for over a year, as the next year, the Dolphins would go 14–0 in the regular season and eventually win all their playoff games, capped off with a 14–7 victory in Super Bowl VII, becoming the first and only team to finish an entire perfect regular and postseason. The Dolphins would repeat as league champions by winning Super Bowl VIII a year later. In the mid to late 1970s, the Steelers became the first NFL dynasty of the post-merger era by winning four Super Bowls (IX, X, XIII, and XIV) in six years. They were led by head coach Chuck Noll, the play of offensive stars Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, and Mike Webster, and their dominant "Steel Curtain" defense, led by "Mean" Joe Greene, L. C. Greenwood, Ernie Holmes, Mel Blount, Jack Ham, and Jack Lambert. Many of the team's key players were selected in the 1974 draft, in which Pittsburgh selected four future Hall of Famers, the most for any team in any sport in a single draft.[15] A fifth player, Donnie Shell, was signed by Pittsburgh after going unselected in the 1974 NFL Draft; he too was later enshrined in the Hall of Fame.[16] The Steelers were the first team to win three and then four Super Bowls and appeared in six AFC Championship Games during the decade, making the playoffs in eight straight seasons. Pittsburgh still remains the only team to win back-to-back Super Bowls twice and four Super Bowls in a six-year period. The Steelers' 1970s dynasty was interrupted only by the Raiders' first Super Bowl win in Super Bowl XI and the Cowboys' second Super Bowl win in Super Bowl XII. Conversely, the Vikings, with their Purple People Eaters defense, were the only other team to appear in multiple Super Bowls (IV, VIII, IX and XI) during the decade but failed to win each one. 1981–1996: The NFC's winning streak In the 1980s and 1990s, the tables turned for the AFC, as the NFC dominated the Super Bowls of the new decade and most of those in the 1990s. The NFC won 16 of the 20 Super Bowls during these two decades, including 13 straight from Super Bowl XIX to Super Bowl XXXI. The 49ers against the Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX The most successful team of the 1980s was the 49ers, which featured the West Coast offense of Hall of Fame head coach Bill Walsh. This offense was led by three-time Super Bowl MVP and Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana, Super Bowl MVP and Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice, running back Roger Craig, and Hall of Fame defensive safety/cornerback Ronnie Lott. Under their leadership, the 49ers won four Super Bowls in the decade (XVI, XIX, XXIII, and XXIV) and made nine playoff appearances between 1981 and 1990, including eight division championships, becoming the second dynasty of the post-merger NFL. The 1984 San Francisco 49ers were the first team to achieve an 18–1 record, doing so under Walsh. The 1989 San Francisco 49ers, under first-year head coach George Seifert, posted the most lop-sided victory in Super Bowl history, defeating the Denver Broncos by a score of 55–10 in Super Bowl XXIV. The 1980s also produced the 1985 Chicago Bears, who posted an 18–1 record under head coach Mike Ditka; quarterback Jim McMahon; and Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton. Their team won Super Bowl XX in dominant fashion. The Washington Redskins and New York Giants were also top teams of this period; Washington won Super Bowls XVII, XXII, and XXVI. The Giants claimed Super Bowls XXI and XXV. Both teams won multiple Super Bowls with different starting quarterbacks; Washington won with Joe Theismann (XVII), Doug Williams (XXII) and Mark Rypien (XXVI), and the Giants with Phil Simms (XXI) and Jeff Hostetler (XXV). As in the 1970s, the Raiders were the only AFC team to interrupt the Super Bowl dominance of NFC teams; they won Super Bowls XV and XVIII (the latter as the Los Angeles Raiders). Conversely, the Cincinnati Bengals (XVI and XXIII), Dolphins, (XVII and XIX), and Broncos (XXI, XXII and XXIV) made multiple Super Bowls in the 1980s without winning one. Following several seasons with poor records in the 1980s, the Cowboys rose back to prominence in the 1990s. During this decade, the Cowboys made post-season appearances every year except for the seasons of 1990 and 1997. From 1992 to 1996, the Cowboys won their division championship each year. In this same period, the Buffalo Bills had made their mark reaching the Super Bowl for a record four consecutive years, only to lose all four (XXV-XXVIII). After Super Bowl championships by division rivals New York (1990) and Washington (1991), the Cowboys won three of the next four Super Bowls (XXVII, XXVIII, and XXX) led by quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith, and wide receiver Michael Irvin. All three of these players went to the Hall of Fame. The Cowboys' streak was interrupted by the 49ers, who were the first team to win their league-leading fifth title overall with Super Bowl XXIX with a dominant performance featuring the Super Bowl MVP and Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young (who threw a Super Bowl record 6 touchdown passes), Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice, and Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders; however, the Cowboys' victory in Super Bowl XXX the next year also gave them five titles overall and they did so with Sanders after he won the Super Bowl the previous year with the 49ers. The NFC's winning streak was continued by the Packers led by Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre, won Super Bowl XXXI, their first championship since Super Bowl II in 1967. The Patriots made their maiden Super Bowl appearances in XX (1985) and XXXI (1996) but lost both times. However, the turn of the century would soon bring hope and glory to the franchise. 1997–2009: AFC resurgence and the rise of the Patriots See also: Brady-Belichick era Super Bowl XXXII saw quarterback John Elway and running back Terrell Davis lead the Denver Broncos to an upset victory over the defending champion Packers, snapping the NFC's thirteen-year winning streak. The following year, the Broncos defeated the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII, Elway's fifth Super Bowl appearance, his second NFL championship, and his final NFL game. The back-to-back victories heralded a change in momentum in which AFC teams would win nine out of 12 Super Bowls. In the years between 1995 and 2018, five teams—the Steelers, Patriots, Broncos, Baltimore Ravens, and Indianapolis Colts—accounted for 22 of the 24 AFC Super Bowl appearances (including the last 16), with those same teams often meeting each other earlier in the playoffs. In contrast, the NFC saw a different representative in the Super Bowl every season from 2001 through 2010. The Patriots playing against the Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX The New England Patriots became the dominant team throughout the early 2000s, winning the championship three out of four years early in the decade. They would become only the second team in the history of the NFL to do so (after the 1990s Dallas Cowboys). In Super Bowl XXXVI, first-year starting quarterback Tom Brady led his team to a 20–17 upset victory over the St. Louis Rams, who two seasons earlier won Super Bowl XXXIV. Brady would go on to win the MVP award for this game. The Patriots also won Super Bowls XXXVIII[17] and XXXIX defeating the Carolina Panthers and the Philadelphia Eagles respectively. This four-year stretch of Patriot dominance was interrupted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 48–21 Super Bowl XXXVII victory over the Oakland Raiders. The Steelers and Colts continued the era of AFC dominance by winning Super Bowls XL and XLI in the 2005 and 2006 seasons, respectively defeating the Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears. In the 2007 season, the Patriots became the fourth team in NFL history to have a perfect unbeaten and untied regular-season record, the second in the Super Bowl era after the 1972 Miami Dolphins, and the first to finish 16–0. They easily marched through the AFC playoffs and were heavy favorites in Super Bowl XLII. However, they lost that game to Eli Manning and the New York Giants 17–14, leaving the Patriots' 2007 record at 18–1. The following season, the Steelers logged their record sixth Super Bowl title (XLIII) in a 27–23, final-minute victory against the Arizona Cardinals. The 2009 season saw the New Orleans Saints defeat the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV by a score of 31–17 to take home their first Championship. With this victory, the Saints joined the New York Jets as the only teams to have won in their sole Super Bowl appearance, a distinction the Ravens also enjoyed in winning Super Bowl XXXV after the 2000 season and the Buccaneers in 2002. 2010s: Patriots reign; parity in the NFC The New England Patriots postgame speech after Super Bowl LI, February 5, 2017 The Philadelphia Eagles are presented with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after winning Super Bowl LII, February 4, 2018 In the AFC, this era was dominated by the Patriots, with the only four other teams to represent the conference being the Steelers, Ravens, Broncos, and Chiefs. The Patriots had tied a record with the 1970s Dallas Cowboys for most Super Bowl appearances in a decade with five appearances (2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018). The Patriots also had four Super Bowl appearances in five years. They also had eight consecutive AFC championship appearances spanning 2011–2018. The Super Bowls of the 2000s and 2010s are notable for the performances (and the pedigrees) of several of the participating quarterbacks, especially on the AFC side in repeated appearances by the same teams and players. In particular, Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, or Peyton Manning appeared as the AFC team's quarterback in all but two of the Super Bowls from 2001 through 2018. Conversely, the only NFC teams to make the Super Bowl multiple times with the same quarterback in this era were the Seahawks, led by quarterback Russell Wilson, and the Giants, led by quarterback Eli Manning. One of these teams was featured in the culmination of the 2010 season, Super Bowl XLV, which brought the Packers their fourth Super Bowl victory and record thirteenth NFL championship overall with the defeat of the Steelers in February 2011. This became Aaron Rodgers' only Super Bowl victory so far. The following year, in Super Bowl XLVI, the Patriots made their first appearance of the decade, a position where they would become a mainstay. The Patriots, however, lost to the Eli Manning-led Giants, 21–17, who had beaten the Patriots four years before. This was the Giants' fourth Super Bowl victory. In Super Bowl XLVII, the NFC's 49ers were defeated by the Ravens 34–31. The game had been dubbed as the 'Harbaugh Bowl' in the weeks leading up to the game, due to the fact that the coaches of the two teams, John Harbaugh and Jim Harbaugh, are brothers. During the third quarter, the Ravens had a commanding 28–6 lead. However, there was a blackout in New Orleans, where the game was being played. The game was delayed for 34 minutes, and after play resumed, San Francisco stormed back with 17 straight points, but still lost. Super Bowl XLVIII, played at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium in February 2014, was the first Super Bowl held outdoors in a cold-weather environment. The Seahawks won their first NFL title with a 43–8 defeat of the Broncos, in a highly touted matchup that pitted Seattle's top-ranked defense against a Peyton Manning-led Denver offense that had broken the NFL's single-season scoring record. In Super Bowl XLIX, the Patriots beat the defending Super Bowl champions, the Seahawks, by a score of 28–24. Down by 10, the Patriots mounted a late fourth quarter comeback to win the game with Tom Brady scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. In a key play in the final seconds of the game, then-rookie free agent Malcolm Butler would intercept a pass by Russell Wilson at the one-yard line, allowing the Patriots to run out the clock and end the game. Tom Brady was awarded his third Super Bowl MVP, tying Joe Montana for the most Super Bowl MVP awards. In Super Bowl 50, the first Super Bowl to be branded with Arabic numerals, the Broncos, led by the league's top-ranked defense, defeated the Panthers, who had the league's top-ranked offense, in what became the final game of quarterback Peyton Manning's career. Von Miller dominated, totaling 2.5 sacks and forcing two Cam Newton fumbles; both fumbles leading to Broncos touchdowns. In Super Bowl LI, the first Super Bowl to end in overtime, the Atlanta Falcons led 28–3 late in the third quarter; however, they squandered the lead as the Patriots would tie the game 28–28 on back to back touchdowns and two-point conversions. The Falcons lost to the Patriots 34–28 in overtime. This 25-point deficit would be the largest comeback win for any team in a Super Bowl, breaking the previous of 10-point deficit to come back and win. The Patriots never held the lead until the game-winning touchdown in overtime. Tom Brady was awarded his record fourth Super Bowl MVP and 5th win as a Super Bowl Champion, throwing a then-record 466 yards for 43 completions. In Super Bowl LII, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the defending champion Patriots, 41–33, ending a 57-year championship drought for the franchise. Nick Foles won the Super Bowl MVP. The Patriots totaled 613 yards in defeat, with Tom Brady breaking his previous Super Bowl record of 466 passing yards with an all-time playoff record of 505 passing yards in the high-scoring game; while the Eagles would gain 538 yards in the victory. The combined total of 1,151 yards of offense for both teams broke an NFL record (for any game) that had stood for nearly seven decades. The Patriots' 33 points were the highest losing score in Super Bowl history, a record held until 2023, when the Eagles lost Super Bowl LVII to the Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 38–35. It was the Eagles' third Super Bowl appearance and their first win in franchise history. With the Eagles' victory, the NFC East became the first division to have each team win at least one Super Bowl. While Super Bowl LII produced the second highest-scoring Super Bowl, the following year's Super Bowl LIII became the lowest-scoring Super Bowl. The Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams, 13–3. In so doing, they became the team with the lowest point total by a winning team in Super Bowl history. Tom Brady would receive a record sixth Super Bowl championship, the most of any player in NFL history, surpassing his tie with Charles Haley for five wins. Brady would also become the oldest player to ever win a Super Bowl at age 41, while Bill Belichick would be the oldest coach to ever win a Super Bowl at age 66. Wide receiver Julian Edelman was named Super Bowl MVP. 2020s: Beginning of Chiefs' dominance In Super Bowl LIV, the Chiefs defeated the 49ers in a comeback, 31–20, for their first Super Bowl title in 50 years. This victory marked the first time since 1991 that the NFC did not have more Super Bowl victories than the AFC. Notable was the absence of the Patriots, who after making it to the Super Bowl the last three years and winning two of them, had lost in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, being bested by the Tennessee Titans 20–13. That game represented Tom Brady's final game as a New England Patriot. In Super Bowl LV, which took place in Tampa, Florida, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the defending champion Chiefs, 31–9.[18] No player on the Buccaneers who scored points (Rob Gronkowski, Antonio Brown, Leonard Fournette and Ryan Succop) was on the Buccaneers' roster the previous season. This marked a record seventh Super Bowl victory for Tom Brady, also more than any individual NFL franchise, and who would also break his own record for the oldest quarterback to win a championship at 43 years old. Tampa Bay head coach Bruce Arians would also break Bill Belichick's record for the oldest head coach to win a championship at 68. Super Bowl LV also marked the first time in the history of the modern league that a host city's professional football franchise got to play in a Super Bowl that was hosted in their home stadium. A year later in Inglewood, California, the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23–20 to win Super Bowl LVI, becoming the second team to win the Super Bowl in its home stadium.[19] On February 12, 2023, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, the Chiefs overcame a 10-point deficit at halftime to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 38–35, winning Super Bowl LVII on a last-minute field goal.[20] On February 11, 2024, the Chiefs won Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium on an overtime touchdown. The Chiefs yet again came back from a 10-point deficit. The first Super Bowl in Las Vegas, this was a rematch of Super Bowl LIV between the 49ers and the Chiefs. The second Super Bowl to go into overtime, the Chiefs won in their fourth appearance in five years to secure back-to-back championships for the first time since the 2004 New England Patriots.[21] Television coverage and ratings Main article: Super Bowl television ratings See also: List of most watched television broadcasts in the United States The Super Bowl XXXV broadcasting compound, full of satellite trucks The Super Bowl is one of the most-watched annual sporting events in the world, with viewership overwhelmingly domestic.[2] The only other annual event that gathers more viewers is the UEFA Champions League final.[2] For many years, the Super Bowl has possessed a large US and global television viewership, and it is often the most-watched United States originating television program of the year.[22] The game tends to have a high Nielsen television rating, which is usually around a 40 rating and 60 shares. This means that, on average, more than 100 million people from the United States alone are tuned into the Super Bowl at any given moment. In press releases preceding the game, the NFL has claimed that the Super Bowl has a potential worldwide audience of around one billion people in over 200 countries.[23] However, this figure refers to the number of people able to watch the game, not the number of people who will actually be watching. Regardless, the statements have been frequently misinterpreted in the media as referring to the latter figure, leading to a misperception about the game's actual global audience.[24][25] The New York-based media research firm Initiative measured the global audience for the Super Bowl XXXIX at 93 million people, with 98 percent of that figure being viewers in North America, which meant roughly two million people outside North America watched the Super Bowl that year.[24] Super Bowl LVIII holds the record for average number of US viewers, with 123.7 million, making the game the most-viewed television broadcast of any kind in American history. The halftime show set a record with 129.2 million viewers tuning in.[26] The highest-rated game according to Nielsen was Super Bowl XVI in 1982, which was watched in 49.1% of households (73 shares), or 40,020,000 households at the time. Ratings for that game, a San Francisco victory over Cincinnati, may have been aided by a large blizzard that had affected much of the northeastern United States on game day, leaving residents to stay at home more than usual.[citation needed] Super Bowl XVI still ranks fourth on Nielsen's list of top-rated programs of all time, with three other Super Bowls (XVII, XX, and XLIX) in the top ten. Famous Super Bowl commercials include the 1984 introduction of Apple's Macintosh computer, the Budweiser "Bud Bowl" campaign, and the dot-com ads aired during Super Bowl XXXIV. As the television ratings of the Super Bowl have steadily increased over the years, commercial prices have also increased, with advertisers paying as much as $7 million for a thirty-second spot during Super Bowl LVI in 2022.[27] A segment of the audience tunes into the Super Bowl solely to view commercials.[28] In 2010, Nielsen reported that 51 percent of Super Bowl viewers tune in for the commercials.[29] Since 1991, the Super Bowl has begun between 6:19 and 6:40 PM EST so that most of the game is played during the primetime hours on the East Coast.[30] US television rights See also: List of Super Bowl broadcasters and National Football League on television Throughout most of its history, the Super Bowl has been rotated annually between the same American television networks that broadcast the NFL's regular season and postseason games. Super Bowl I, played in 1967, is the only Super Bowl to have been broadcast in the United States by two different broadcasters simultaneously. At the time, NBC held the rights to nationally televise AFL games while CBS had the rights to broadcast NFL games. Both networks were allowed to cover the game, and each network used its own announcers, but NBC was only allowed to use the CBS feed instead of producing its own.[31][32] Beginning with Super Bowl II, NBC televised the game in even years and CBS in odd years. This annual rotation between the two networks continued through the 1970 AFL–NFL merger when NBC was given the rights to televise AFC games and CBS winning the rights to broadcast NFC games. Although ABC began broadcasting Monday Night Football in 1970, it was not added to the Super Bowl rotation until Super Bowl XIX, played in 1985. ABC, CBS and NBC then continued to rotate the Super Bowl until 1994, when Fox replaced CBS as the NFC broadcaster. CBS then took NBC's place in the rotation after the former replaced the latter as the AFC broadcaster in 1998. As a result of new contracts signed in 2006, with NBC taking over Sunday Night Football from ESPN, and Monday Night Football moving from ABC to ESPN, NBC took ABC's place in the Super Bowl rotation. The rotation between CBS, Fox, and NBC will continue until the new contracts that will take effect for the first time with Super Bowl LVIII, allowing ABC to return and starting a four-network rotation.[33] The four-year rotation beginning with Super Bowl LVIII also allows each broadcaster to offer simulcasts or alternative broadcasts on its sister networks and platforms.[33] CBS's sister network Nickelodeon is planning to air an alternate children-oriented telecast of Super Bowl LVIII.[34] And ABC's rights include ESPN simulcasts and alternative broadcasts on other ESPN networks.[33] The NFL has broken the traditional broadcasting rotation if it can be used to bolster other major sporting events a network airs afterwards.[35][36][37] For example, CBS was given Super Bowl XXVI (1992) after it won the rights to air the 1992 Winter Olympics, with NBC subsequently airing Super Bowl XXVII (1993) and Super Bowl XXVIII (1994) in consecutive years. Likewise, NBC aired Super Bowl LVI (2022) instead of CBS during the 2022 Winter Olympics, which were also aired by NBC.[37] CBS received Super Bowl LV (2021) in return.[37] Under the four-network rotation that will take effect beginning in 2024, the league will award NBC the Super Bowl during Winter Olympic years.[33] The first six Super Bowls were blacked out in the television markets of the host cities, due to league restrictions then in place. Super Bowl VII (1973) was telecast in Los Angeles on an experimental basis after all tickets were sold ten days before the game.[38] Game analyst John Madden is the only person to broadcast a Super Bowl for each of the four networks that have televised the game (five with CBS, three with Fox, two with ABC, and one with NBC). Network Number broadcast Years broadcast Future scheduled telecasts[*] ABC 7 (9[ˇ]) 1985, 1988, 1991, 1995, 2000, 2003, 2006 2027, 2031[ˇ] Fox 10 (13[ˇ]) 1997, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2017, 2020, 2023 2025, 2029, 2033[ˇ] NBC 20 (23[ˇ]) 1967,[**] 1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2022 2026, 2030, 2034[ˇ] CBS 22 (24[ˇ]) 1967,[**] 1968, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1987, 1990, 1992, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024 2028, 2032[ˇ] Note: Years listed are the year the game was actually played (will be played[ˇ]) rather than what NFL season it is considered to have been. ^ *: The current TV contract with the networks expires after the 2033 season (or in early 2034). Under the deal, the Super Bowl is currently rotated annually between CBS, Fox, NBC, and ABC in that order. ABC will return to the rotation in the upcoming contract, which is scheduled to take effect at the start of the 2023 season.[33] ^ **: The first Super Bowl was simultaneously broadcast by CBS and NBC, with each network using the same video feed (from CBS), but providing its own commentary. Lead-out programming See also: List of Super Bowl lead-out programs The Super Bowl provides an extremely strong lead-in to programming following it on the same channel, the effects of which can last for several hours. For instance, in discussing the ratings of a local TV station, Buffalo television critic Alan Pergament noted that following Super Bowl XLVII, which aired on CBS: "A paid program that ran on CBS 4 (WIVB-TV) at 2:30 in the morning had a 1.3 rating. That's higher than some CW prime time shows get on WNLO-TV, Channel 4's sister station."[39] Because of this strong coattail effect, the network that airs the Super Bowl typically takes advantage of the large audience to air an episode of a hit series or to premiere the pilot of a promising new one in the lead-out slot, which immediately follows the Super Bowl and post-game coverage. Ceremonies and entertainment See also: List of national anthem performers at the Super Bowl and List of Super Bowl halftime shows Initially, it was sort of a novelty and so it didn't quite feel right. But it was just like, this is the year ... Bands of our generation, you can sort of be seen on a stage like this or, like, not seen. There's not a lot of middle places. It is a tremendous venue. — Bruce Springsteen on why he turned down several invitations to perform at the Super Bowl before finally agreeing to appear in Super Bowl XLIII[40] Jennifer Hudson sings the national anthem at Super Bowl XLIII Closing the opening ceremony of the Super Bowl 50 Early Super Bowls featured a halftime show consisting of marching bands from local colleges or high schools; but as the popularity of the game increased, a trend where popular singers and musicians performed during its pre-game ceremonies and the halftime show, or simply sang the national anthem of the United States, "America the Beautiful" or "Lift Every Voice And Sing" emerged.[41] The U.S. national anthem has been performed at all but one Super Bowl: Super Bowl XI in 1977 when Vikki Carr sang "America the Beautiful" in place of the anthem. Beginning with Super Bowl XLIII in 2009, "America the Beautiful" is sung before the national anthem every year and is followed by the presentation of the colors and a military flyover preceded the anthem. Beginning with Super Bowl LV in 2021, "Lift Every Voice And Sing" is sung prior to "America the Beautiful" in honor of Black History Month. For many years, Whitney Houston's performance of the national anthem at Super Bowl XXV in 1991, during the Gulf War, had long been regarded as one of the best renditions of the anthem in history.[42][43][44] Before Super Bowl XLVIII, soprano Renée Fleming became the first opera singer to perform the anthem. Recently,[when?] the winner of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award has been acknowledged before "America the Beautiful" and "The Star-Spangled Banner". Since Super Bowl XII in 1978, a former football player, a celebrity, or another special guest participates in the coin toss ceremony to recognize their community involvement or significance. The pre-game ceremonies usually go in the following order:[citation needed] Presentation of the Most Valuable Players, occurred every ten years since 1986 "Lift Every Voice and Sing" Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presentation "America the Beautiful" Presentation of the Colors "The Star-Spangled Banner" followed by flyover Coin Toss Unlike regular season or playoff games, thirty minutes are allocated for the Super Bowl halftime. After a special live episode of the Fox sketch comedy series In Living Color caused a drop in viewership for the Super Bowl XXVI halftime show, the NFL sought to increase the Super Bowl's audience by hiring A-list talent to perform. They approached Michael Jackson, whose performance the following year drew higher figures than the game itself.[45][46] Another notable performance came during Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002, when U2 performed; during their third song, "Where the Streets Have No Name", the band played under a large projection screen which scrolled through names of the victims of the September 11 attacks. The halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII attracted controversy, following an incident in which Justin Timberlake removed a piece of Janet Jackson's top, briefly exposing one of her breasts before the broadcast quickly cut away from the shot. The incident led to fines being issued by the FCC (and a larger crackdown over "indecent" content broadcast on television), and MTV (then a sister to the game's broadcaster that year, CBS, under Viacom) being banned by the NFL from producing the Super Bowl halftime show in the future. In an effort to prevent a repeat of the incident, the NFL held a moratorium on Super Bowl halftime shows featuring pop performers, and instead invited a single, headlining veteran act, such as Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Prince, and Bruce Springsteen. This practice ended at Super Bowl XLV, which returned to using current pop acts such as The Black Eyed Peas, Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga.[47][48] Minnesota Vikings announcer Alan Roach is the official public address announcer of the Super Bowl since Super Bowl XL in 2006, with the exceptions of Super Bowl XLVIII, XLIX and 50 when the Denver Broncos played in those games. Roach was also Denver's regular P.A. announcer during those years, and thus the league felt it was a potential competitive advantage. In those years, NFL on Westwood One host and NFL Films voice Scott Graham held the duties.[49] Excluding Super Bowl XXXIX, the famous "I'm going to Disney World!" advertising campaign took place in every Super Bowl since Super Bowl XXI in 1987, when quarterback Phil Simms from the Giants became the first player to say the tagline. Venues For a full list of Super Bowl games and venues, see List of Super Bowl champions. The Caesars Superdome has hosted seven Super Bowls, more than any other stadium. Hard Rock Stadium has hosted six out of the record eleven Super Bowls played in the Miami metropolitan area. As of Super Bowl LVII, 29 of 57 Super Bowls have been played in three metropolitan areas: the Greater Miami area (eleven times),[50] New Orleans (ten times), and the Greater Los Angeles area (eight times). No market or region without an active NFL franchise has ever hosted a Super Bowl, and the presence of an NFL team in a market or region is now a de jure requirement for bidding on the game.[51][52] For instance, while Los Angeles has been an eight-time host city, with its most recent being Super Bowl LVI in 2022, it did not host one from the departure of both its NFL teams in 1995 until the Rams and the Chargers subsequently came back to Los Angeles in 2016 and 2017 respectively. The Caesars Superdome in New Orleans has hosted seven Super Bowls, the most of any venue, with an eighth Super Bowl scheduled to take place in 2025. The Orange Bowl was the only AFL stadium to host a Super Bowl and the only stadium to host consecutive Super Bowls, hosting Super Bowls II and III. Seven Super Bowls have been held in a stadium other than the one the NFL team in that city was using at the time, a situation that has not arisen after Super Bowl XXVII's host stadium was selected on March 19, 1991. This was as the winning market was previously not required to host the Super Bowl in the same stadium that its NFL team used, if the stadium in which the Super Bowl was held was perceived to be a better stadium for a large high-profile event than the existing NFL home stadium in the same city; for example, five of Los Angeles's Bowls were played at the Rose Bowl, which has never been used by any NFL franchise outside of the Super Bowl. Besides the Rose Bowl, the only other Super Bowl venues that were not the home stadium to NFL teams at the time were Rice Stadium (the Houston Oilers had played in Rice Stadium previously but moved to the Astrodome several years before Super Bowl VIII) and Stanford Stadium. Starting with the selection of the Super Bowl XXVIII venue on May 23, 1990, the league has given preference in awarding the Super Bowl to brand new or recently renovated NFL stadiums, alongside a trend of teams demanding public money or relocating to play in new stadiums. To date only two teams have qualified for a Super Bowl at their home stadiums: the 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who won Super Bowl LV hosted at Raymond James Stadium (selected on May 23, 2017), and the 2021 Los Angeles Rams the following season, who won Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium. Before that, the closest any team had come to accomplishing this feat were the 2017 Minnesota Vikings, who reached the NFC Championship Game but lost to the Eagles. In that instance, U.S. Bank Stadium became the first Super Bowl host stadium (selected on May 20, 2014) to also host a Divisional Playoff Game in the same season (which the Vikings won); all previous times that the Super Bowl host stadium hosted another playoff game in the same postseason were all Wild Card games. Two teams have played the Super Bowl in their home market but at a different venue than their home stadium: the Los Angeles Rams, who lost Super Bowl XIV in the Rose Bowl instead of Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum; and the 49ers, who won Super Bowl XIX in Stanford Stadium instead of Candlestick Park, during a time when the league often picked a stadium that was not home to an NFL team to host the Super Bowl (see above). Traditionally, the NFL does not award Super Bowls to stadiums that are located in climates with an expected average daily temperature less than 50 °F (10 °C) on game day unless the field can be completely covered by a fixed or retractable roof.[53] Six Super Bowls have been played in northern cities: two in the Detroit area—Super Bowl XVI at Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan, and Super Bowl XL at Ford Field in Detroit; two in Minneapolis—Super Bowl XXVI at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome and Super Bowl LII at the U.S. Bank Stadium; one in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium for Super Bowl XLVI; and one in the New York area—Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium. Only MetLife Stadium did not have a roof (be it fixed or retractable) but it was still picked as the host stadium for Super Bowl XLVIII in an apparent waiver of the warm-climate rule, with a contingency plan to reschedule the game in the event of heavy snowfall.[54] MetLife Stadium's selection over Sun Life Stadium generated controversy as the league requested a roof to be added to Sun Life Stadium (a venue afflicted with a heavy rainstorm during Super Bowl XLI) in order to be considered for future Super Bowls, which was done during a remodeling from 2015 into 2016. It then hosted Super Bowl LIV, and is scheduled to host Super Bowl LXIV.[55] There have been a few instances where the league has rescinded the Super Bowl from cities. Super Bowl XXVII in 1993 was originally awarded to Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, but after Arizona voters elected not to recognize Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a paid state employees' holiday in 1990, the NFL moved the game to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.[56] When voters in Arizona opted to create such a legal holiday in 1992, Super Bowl XXX in 1996 was awarded to Tempe. Super Bowl XXXIII was awarded first to Candlestick Park in San Francisco, but when plans to renovate the stadium fell through, the game was moved to Pro Player Stadium in greater Miami. Super Bowl XXXVII was awarded to a new stadium not yet built in San Francisco, but when that stadium failed to be built, the game was moved to Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. Super Bowl XLIV, slated for February 7, 2010, was withdrawn from New York City's proposed West Side Stadium, because the city, state, and proposed tenants (New York Jets) could not agree on funding. Super Bowl XLIV was then eventually awarded to Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Super Bowl XLIX in 2015 was originally given to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, but after two sales taxes failed to pass at the ballot box (a renovation proposal had passed successfully, but a second ballot question to add a rolling roof structure to be shared with Kaufmann Stadium critical for the game to be hosted was rejected), and opposition by local business leaders and politicians increased, Kansas City eventually withdrew its request to host the game.[57] Super Bowl XLIX was then eventually awarded to University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Selection process The location of the Super Bowl is chosen at a meeting of all NFL team owners, usually three to five years before the event. The game has never been played in a metropolitan area that lacked an NFL franchise at the time the game was played, although in 2007 NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suggested that a Super Bowl might be played in London, perhaps at Wembley Stadium.[58] Through Super Bowl LVI, teams were allowed to bid for the rights to host Super Bowls, where cities submitted proposals to host a Super Bowl and were evaluated in terms of stadium renovation and their ability to host, but this competition was rescinded in 2018.[needs update][53][59] The league has made all decisions regarding hosting sites from Super Bowl LVII onward; the league chose a potential venue unilaterally, the chosen team put together a hosting proposal, and the league voted upon it to determine if it is acceptable.[60] In 2014, a document listing the specific requirements of Super Bowl hosts was leaked, giving a clear list of what was required for a Super Bowl host.[61] Some of the host requirements include: The host stadium must be in a market that hosts an NFL team and must have a minimum of 70,000 seats, with the media and electrical amenities necessary to produce the Super Bowl. Stadiums may include temporary seating for Super Bowls, but seating must be approved by the league. Stadiums where the average game day temperature is below 50 °F (10 °C) must either have a roof or a waiver given by the league. There must be a minimum of 35,000 parking spaces within one mile of the stadium. The host stadium must have space for the Gameday Experience, a large pregame entertainment area, within walking distance of the stadium. The host city must have space for the NFL Experience, the interactive football theme park which is operated the week before the Super Bowl. An indoor venue for the event must have a minimum of 850,000 square feet (79,000 m2), and an outdoor venue must have a minimum of 1,000,000 square feet (93,000 m2). Additionally, there must be space nearby for the Media Center, and space for all other events involved in the Super Bowl week, including golf courses and bowling alleys. The necessary infrastructure must be in place around the stadium and other Super Bowl facilities, including parking, security, electrical needs, media needs, communication needs, and transportation needs. There must be a minimum number of hotel spaces within one hour's drive of the stadium equaling 35% of the stadium's capacity, along with hotels for the teams, officials, media, and other dignitaries. (For Super Bowl XXXIX, the city of Jacksonville docked several luxury cruise liners at their port to act as temporary hotel space.[62]) There must be practice space of equal and comparable quality for both teams within a twenty-minute drive of the team hotels, and rehearsal space for all events within a reasonable distance to the stadium. The practice facilities must have one grass field and at least one field of the same surface as the host stadium. The stadium must have a minimum of 70,000 fixed seats, including club and fixed suite seating, during regular season operations. Much of the cost of a Super Bowl is to be assumed by the host community, although some costs are enumerated within the requirements to be assumed by the NFL. New Orleans, the site of Super Bowl XLVII in 2013, invested more than $1 billion in infrastructure improvements in the years leading up to the game.[63] The NFL allocates backup stadiums for the Super Bowl every year, in the event of a last-minute relocation of the game.[64] Home team designation The designated "home team" alternates between the NFC team in odd-numbered games and the AFC team in even-numbered games.[65][66] This alternation was initiated with the first Super Bowl, when the Packers were the designated home team. Regardless of being the home or away team of record, each team has their team logo and wordmark painted in one of the end zones. Designated away teams have won 32 of 57 Super Bowls to date (approximately 56%). Washington is one of six home teams that chose to wear the white jersey, shown here in Super Bowl XVII. Since Super Bowl XIII in 1979, the home team is given the choice of wearing their colored or white jerseys. Originally, the designated home team had to wear their colored jerseys, which resulted in the Cowboys donning their less exposed[discuss] dark blue jerseys for Super Bowl V. While most of the home teams in the Super Bowl have chosen to wear their colored jerseys, there have been seven exceptions: the Cowboys during Super Bowls XIII and XXVII, the Washington Redskins during Super Bowl XVII, the Steelers during Super Bowl XL, the Broncos during Super Bowl 50, the Patriots in Super Bowl LII, and the Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV. The Cowboys, since 1964, have worn white jerseys at home. The Washington Redskins wore white at home under coach Joe Gibbs starting in 1981 through 1992, continued by Richie Petitbon and Norv Turner through 2000, then again when Gibbs returned from 2004 through 2007. Meanwhile, the Steelers, who have always worn their black jerseys at home since the AFL–NFL merger in 1970, opted for the white jerseys after winning three consecutive playoff games on the road, wearing white. The Steelers' decision was compared with the Patriots in Super Bowl XX; the Patriots had worn white jerseys at home during the 1985 season, but after winning road playoff games against the Jets and Dolphins wearing red jerseys, New England opted to switch to scarlet for the Super Bowl as the designated home team. For the Broncos in Super Bowl 50, Denver general manager John Elway simply stated, "We've had Super Bowl success in our white uniforms"; they previously had been 0–4 in Super Bowls when wearing their orange jerseys.[67][68] The Broncos' decision is also perceived to be made out of superstition, losing all Super Bowl games with the orange jerseys in terrible fashion. It is unclear why the Patriots chose to wear their white jerseys for Super Bowl LII. During the pairing of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, New England has mostly worn their blue jerseys for home games, but have worn white for a home game in the 2008, 2010, and 2011 seasons.[69] The Patriots were 3–0 in their white uniforms in Super Bowls before Super Bowl LII with Belichick and Brady,[70][71] and they may have been going on recent trends of teams who wear white for the Super Bowl game.[72][73][74] For Super Bowl LV, when the Buccaneers became the first team to reach the Super Bowl that their own stadium hosted, the Bucs coincidentally were designated the home team as per AFC-NFC rotation and elected to wear their white jerseys, having previously won both their divisional and championship post-season games on the road in white jerseys.[75] White-shirted teams have won 37 of 57 Super Bowls to date (65%). The only teams to win in their dark-colored uniform in more recent years are the Packers against the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV, the Eagles against the Patriots in Super Bowl LII, and the Chiefs against the 49ers in Super Bowls LIV and LVIII.[76] Since Super Bowl XXXIX, teams in white jerseys have won 16 of the last 20 Super Bowls. The 49ers, as part of the league's 75th Anniversary celebration, used their 1955 throwback uniform in Super Bowl XXIX, which for that year was their regular home jersey. The Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII wore their royal blue and yellow uniforms, which was a throwback uniform but then turned into their primary colors over the navy blue and metallic gold uniform, which they have previously worn for six home games including a home playoff game.[77] No team has yet worn a third jersey or Color Rush uniform for the Super Bowl. The 49ers reportedly requested to wear an all-white third jersey ensemble for Super Bowl LIV, which the San Francisco Chronicle noted they could do with special permission from the league; the league never granted such permission, and the 49ers instead opted for their standard uniform of white jerseys with gold pants.[78] Host cities/regions For a full list of Super Bowl venues, see List of Super Bowl champions. Super Bowl is located in the United StatesMiami Metro AreaMiami Metro AreaNew OrleansNew OrleansL.A. Metro AreaL.A. Metro AreaTampaTampaSan DiegoSan DiegoHoustonHoustonDetroit MetroDetroit MetroAtlantaAtlantaPhoenix Metro AreaPhoenix Metro AreaMinneapolisMinneapolisJacksonvilleJacksonvilleS.F. Bay AreaS.F. Bay AreaDallas‑Fort WorthDallas‑Fort WorthIndianapolisIndianapolisN.Y. Metro AreaN.Y. Metro AreaLas Vegas ValleyLas Vegas Valley Super Bowl host cities/regions Fifteen different regions have hosted Super Bowls. City/Region No. hosted Years hosted Miami Metropolitan Area 11 1968, 1969, 1971, 1976, 1979, 1989, 1995, 1999, 2007, 2010, 2020 New Orleans 10 (11)[ˇ] 1970, 1972, 1975, 1978, 1981, 1986, 1990, 1997, 2002, 2013, 2025[ˇ] Greater Los Angeles 8 (9)[ˇ] 1967, 1973, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1987, 1993, 2022, 2027[ˇ] Tampa 5 1984, 1991, 2001, 2009, 2021 Phoenix metropolitan area 4 1996, 2008, 2015, 2023 San Diego 3 1988, 1998, 2003 Houston 3 1974, 2004, 2017 Atlanta 3 1994, 2000, 2019 Metro Detroit 2 1982, 2006 San Francisco Bay Area 2 (3)[ˇ] 1985, 2016, 2026[ˇ] Minneapolis 2 1992, 2018 Jacksonville 1 2005 Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex 1 2011 Indianapolis 1 2012 New York metropolitan area 1 2014 Las Vegas Valley 1 2024 Note: Years listed are the year the game was actually played (or will be played[ˇ]; future games are denoted through italics) rather than what NFL season it is considered to have been. Host stadiums A total of 27 different stadiums, seven of which have been since demolished, either have hosted or are scheduled to host Super Bowls. The years listed in the table below are the years the game was actually played (will be played[ˇ]) rather than the NFL season it concluded. Stadium Location No. hosted Years hosted Caesars Superdome, formerly Louisiana Superdome and Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana 7 (8[ˇ]) 1978, 1981, 1986, 1990, 1997, 2002, 2013, 2025[ˇ] Hard Rock Stadium, formerly Joe Robbie Stadium, Pro Player Stadium, Dolphin Stadium, and Sun Life Stadium Miami Gardens, Florida[‡] 6 1989, 1995, 1999, 2007, 2010, 2020 Orange Bowl[^] Miami, Florida 5 1968, 1969, 1971, 1976, 1979 Rose Bowl Pasadena, California 5 1977, 1980, 1983, 1987, 1993 Tulane Stadium[^] New Orleans, Louisiana 3 1970, 1972, 1975 San Diego Stadium, formerly Qualcomm Stadium, Jack Murphy Stadium[^] San Diego, California 3 1988, 1998, 2003 Raymond James Stadium Tampa, Florida 3 2001, 2009, 2021 State Farm Stadium, formerly University of Phoenix Stadium Glendale, Arizona 3 2008, 2015, 2023 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles, California 2 1967, 1973 Tampa Stadium[^] Tampa, Florida 2 1984, 1991 Georgia Dome[^] Atlanta, Georgia 2 1994, 2000 NRG Stadium, formerly Reliant Stadium Houston, Texas 2 2004, 2017 Rice Stadium Houston, Texas 1 1974 Pontiac Silverdome[^] Pontiac, Michigan 1 1982 Stanford Stadium[††] Stanford, California 1 1985 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome[^] Minneapolis, Minnesota 1 1992 Sun Devil Stadium Tempe, Arizona 1 1996 Alltel Stadium, Now EverBank Stadium, formerly Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, EverBank Field and TIAA Bank Field Jacksonville, Florida 1 2005 Ford Field Detroit, Michigan 1 2006 AT&T Stadium Arlington, Texas 1 2011 Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis, Indiana 1 2012 MetLife Stadium East Rutherford, New Jersey 1 2014 Levi's Stadium Santa Clara, California 1 (2)[ˇ] 2016, 2026[ˇ] U.S. Bank Stadium Minneapolis, Minnesota 1 2018 Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta, Georgia 1 2019 SoFi Stadium Inglewood, California 1 (2)[ˇ] 2022, 2027[ˇ] Allegiant Stadium Paradise, Nevada 1 2024 ^ ^: Stadium has since been demolished. ^ ‡: Prior to the incorporation of Miami Gardens in 2003, the stadium was in unincorporated Miami-Dade County. ^ ††: The original Stanford Stadium, which hosted Super Bowl XIX, was demolished and a new stadium constructed on the site in 2006. ^ ˇ: Future Super Bowls, also denoted by italics. Future venues Year [79] Venue Location 2025 Caesars Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana 2026 Levi's Stadium Santa Clara, California 2027 SoFi Stadium Inglewood, California The Super Bowl has not yet been played in any region that lacked an NFL or AFL franchise at the time the game was played.[80] San Diego is the only metropolitan area as of 2021 that has hosted past Super Bowls, but does not currently have an NFL franchise: San Diego Stadium hosted three Super Bowls before their NFL franchise relocated to Los Angeles. Also, London, England, has occasionally been mentioned as a host city for a Super Bowl in the near future.[81] Wembley Stadium has hosted several NFL games as part of the NFL International Series and is specifically designed for large, individual events, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has openly discussed the possibility on different occasions.[82][83][84][85] Time zone complications are a significant obstacle to a Super Bowl in London; a typical 6:30 p.m. EST start would result in the game beginning at 11:30 p.m. local time in London: this is an unusually late hour to be holding spectator sports, while the NFL has never in its history started a game later than 9:15 p.m. local time.[85] Although bids have been submitted for all Super Bowls through Super Bowl LIX, the soonest that any stadium outside the NFL's footprint could serve as host would be Super Bowl LXII in 2028.[86] Eight stadiums that hosted at least one Super Bowl no longer exist: Tulane Stadium, on the Tulane University campus, which hosted three Super Bowls, was demolished in November 1979. Tampa Stadium, which hosted two Super Bowls, was demolished in April 1999. Stanford Stadium, which hosted one Super Bowl, was demolished and redeveloped in 2005–06. The Orange Bowl, which hosted five Super Bowls, was demolished in May 2008. The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, which hosted one Super Bowl, was demolished in March 2014. The Georgia Dome in Atlanta, which hosted two Super Bowls, was demolished in November 2017. The Pontiac Silverdome in suburban Detroit, which hosted one Super Bowl, was demolished in March 2018. San Diego Stadium, which hosted three Super Bowls, closed in March 2020 and was demolished in early 2021. Super Bowl trademark The NFL very actively seeks to prevent what it calls unauthorized commercial use of its trademarked terms "NFL", "Super Bowl", and "Super Bowl Sunday".[87] As a result, many events and promotions tied to the game, but not sanctioned by the NFL, are asked to refer to it as "The Big Game", or other generic descriptions.[88][89] A radio spot for Planters nuts parodied this, by saying "it would be super ... to have a bowl ... of Planters nuts while watching the big game!" and comedian Stephen Colbert began referring to the game in 2014 as the "Superb Owl". In 2015, the NFL filed opposition with the USPTO Trademark Trial and Appeal Board to a trademark application submitted by an Arizona-based nonprofit for "Superb Owl".[90] The NFL claims that the use of the phrase "Super Bowl" implies an NFL affiliation, and on this basis the league asserts broad rights to restrict how the game may be shown publicly; for example, the league says Super Bowl showings are prohibited in churches or at other events that "promote a message", while non-sporting event venues are also prohibited to show the Super Bowl on any television screen larger than 55 inches.[91] Some critics say the NFL is exaggerating its ownership rights by stating that "any use is prohibited", as this contradicts the broad doctrine of fair use in the United States.[91] Legislation was proposed by Utah Senator Orrin Hatch in 2008 "to provide an exemption from exclusive rights in copyright for certain nonprofit organizations to display live football games", and "for other purposes".[92] In 2004, the NFL started issuing cease-and-desist letters to casinos in Las Vegas that were hosting Super Bowl parties. "Super Bowl" is a registered trademark, owned by the NFL, and any other business using that name for profit-making ventures is in violation of federal law, according to the letters. In reaction to the letters, many Las Vegas resorts, rather than discontinue the popular and lucrative parties, started referring to them as "Big Game Parties".[93][94][95] In 2006, the NFL made an attempt to trademark "The Big Game" as well; however, it withdrew the application in 2007 due to growing commercial and public relations opposition to the move, mostly from Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley and their fans, as the Stanford Cardinal football and California Golden Bears football teams compete in the Big Game, which has been played since 1892 (28 years before the formation of the NFL and 75 years before Super Bowl I).[96] Additionally, the Mega Millions lottery game was known as The Big Game (then The Big Game Mega Millions) from 1996 to 2002.[97] See also List of Super Bowl champions History of National Football League championship List of NFL champions (1920–1969) List of Super Bowl broadcasters List of Super Bowl head coaches List of Super Bowl officials List of Super Bowl records Grey Cup, the Canadian Football League (CFL) championship game List of NFL franchise post-season droughts List of NFL franchise post-season streaks List of quarterbacks with multiple Super Bowl starts List of players with most Super Bowl championships NFL Honors Super Bowl advertising Super Bowl counterprogramming Super Bowl curse Super Bowl indicator The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. 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 have also recorded the second-most victories of any NFL franchise, only behind the Green Bay Packers,[10][11][12] who they have a long-standing rivalry with.[13] The franchise was founded in Decatur, Illinois, on September 20, 1919,[14][15][16] became professional on September 17, 1920, and moved to Chicago in 1921.[17][18] 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 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. The team headquarters, Halas Hall, is in the Chicago suburb of Lake Forest, Illinois. The Bears practice at adjoining facilities there during the season, and began hosting Training Camp at Halas Hall in 2020 after major renovations. Franchise history Main article: History of the Chicago Bears 1919–1939: Early Bears In March of 1920 a man telephoned me ... George Chamberlain and he was general superintendent of the A.E. Staley Company ... In 1919, [the company's Fellowship Club] had formed a football team. It had done well against other local teams but Mr. Staley wanted to build it into a team that could compete successfully with the best semi-professional and industrial teams in the country ... Mr. Chamberlain asked if I would like to come to Decatur and work for the Staley Company. — George Halas, in his book Halas by Halas.[18] The team's founder George Halas (right) with NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle, early 1980s Originally named the Decatur Staleys, the club was established by the A. E. Staley food starch company of Decatur, Illinois as a company team. This was the typical start for several early professional football franchises. The team played independently in 1919, winning the Central Illinois Championship.[19] The company hired George Halas and Edward "Dutch" Sternaman in 1920 to run the team. The 1920 Decatur Staleys season[20] was their inaugural regular season completed in the newly formed American Professional Football Association (later renamed the National Football League (NFL) in 1922). Full control of the team was turned over to Halas and Sternaman in 1921.[21] 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.[22] The team moved to Chicago in 1921, where the club was renamed the Chicago Staleys; Under an agreement reached by Halas and Sternaman with Staley, they received US$5,000 to keep the name "Staleys" for the 1921 season.[23] In 1922, Halas changed the team name from the Staleys to the Bears.[24] The team moved into Wrigley Field, which was home to the Chicago Cubs baseball franchise. 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").[25] 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).[26][27] The Staleys/Bears dominated the league in the early years. 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. 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. During that span, the Bears posted 34 shutouts. 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). In one infamous incident that year, Halas got the Packers expelled from the league in order to prevent their signing a particular player, and then graciously got them re-admitted after the Bears had closed the deal with that player.[28] The 1924 team photo The franchise was an early success under Halas, capturing the NFL Championship in 1921 and remaining competitive throughout the decade. In 1924 the Bears claimed the Championship after defeating the Cleveland Bulldogs on December 7, even putting the title "World's Champions" on their 1924 team photo. But the NFL had ruled that games after November 30 did not count towards league standings, and the Bears had to settle for second place behind Cleveland.[29] Their only losing season came in 1929. During the 1920s the club was responsible for triggering the NFL's long-standing rule that a player could not be signed until his college's senior class had graduated. The NFL took that action as a consequence of the Bears' aggressive signing of famous University of Illinois player Red Grange within a day of his final game as a collegian.[30] Despite much of the on-field success, the Bears were a team in trouble. They faced the problem of increased operating costs and flatlined attendance. The Bears would only draw roughly 5,000–6,000 fans a game, while a University of Chicago game would draw 40,000–50,000 fans a game. By adding top college football draw Red Grange to the roster, the Bears knew that they found something to draw more fans to their games. C.C. Pyle was able to secure a $2,000 per game contract for Grange, and in one of the first games, the Bears defeated the Green Bay Packers, 21–0. However, Grange remained on the sidelines while learning the team's plays from Bears quarterback Joey Sternaman. Later in 1925, The Bears would go on a barnstorming tour, showing off the best football player of the day. 75,000 people paid to see Grange lead the Bears to a 17–7 victory over the Los Angeles Tigers, who were a quickly put together team of West Coast college all-stars. After a loss to San Francisco, the Bears cruised to a 60–3 over a semi-pro team called the Portland All Stars.[31] Any hopes that Grange would lead the Bears to glory in 1926 were quickly dashed. A failed contract talk led to Grange bolting to the AFL's New York Yankees, owned by Pyle. The Bears also lost star quarterback Joey Sternaman, who joined the Chicago Bulls of the AFL. The Bears replaced Grange with Paddy Driscoll, a star football player in his own right. The Bears used the money made from the Grange barn-storming tour to sign the man that replaced him. Grange split his time between making movies and playing football. However, the time was not right to have two competing pro football leagues, and the AFL folded after only one season. Grange would return to the Bears.[31] After the financial losses of the 1932 Championship season, Halas' partner Dutch Sternaman left the organization. Halas maintained full control of the Bears until his death in 1983. He also coached the team off-and-on for forty seasons, an NFL record. In the 1932 "Unofficial" NFL Championship, the Bears defeated the Portsmouth Spartans in the first NFL playoff game.[32] Due to blizzard conditions in Chicago, the game was played at Chicago Stadium,[32][33] marking it as the first indoor American football game. The success of the playoff game led the NFL to institute a championship game. In the first NFL Championship, the Bears played against the New York Giants, defeating them 23–21. The teams met again in the 1934 NFL Championship where the Giants, wearing sneakers[34] defeated the Bears 30–13 on a cold, icy day at the Polo Grounds. 1940s: The Monsters of the Midway From 1940 to 1947, quarterback Sid Luckman led the Bears to victories in four out of the five NFL Championship Games in which they appeared. The team acquired the University of Chicago's discarded nickname "Monsters of the Midway" and their now-famous helmet wishbone-C, as well as a newly penned theme song that declared them "The Pride and Joy of Illinois". One famous victory during that period was their 73–0 victory over the favored Washington Redskins at Griffith Stadium in the 1940 NFL Championship Game; the score is still an NFL record for lopsided results.[35] The secret behind the one-sided outcome was the introduction of a new offensive formation by Halas. The T-formation, as Halas named it, involved two running backs instead of the traditional one in the backfield. Luckman established himself as one of the franchise's most elite quarterbacks. Between 1939 and 1950, he set the Bears' passing records for most career touchdowns, yards, and completions. Many of Luckman's records stood for decades before they were eclipsed by Jay Cutler in 2014.[36] Cutler then went on to break Luckman's franchise record for most career passing touchdowns a year later in 2015.[37] 1950s–1968: Late-Halas era 1961 Chicago Bears offensive line in action. "Bears Workout at Soldier Field for Armed Forces game Friday." After declining throughout the 1950s, the team rebounded in 1963 to capture its eighth NFL Championship, which would be its last until 1985. The late 1960s and early-1970s produced notable players like Dick Butkus, Gale Sayers, and Brian Piccolo,[38] who died of embryonal carcinoma in 1970. The American television network ABC aired a movie about Piccolo in 1971 entitled Brian's Song, starring James Caan and Billy Dee Williams in the roles of Piccolo and Sayers respectively; Jack Warden won an Emmy Award for his performance as Halas. The movie was later released for theater screenings after first being shown on television. Despite Hall of Fame careers, Butkus and Sayers would also have their careers cut short due to injuries, hamstringing the Bears of this era. Halas retired as coach in 1967 and spent the rest of his days in the front office. He became the only person to be involved with the NFL throughout the first 60 years of its existence. He was also a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's first induction class in 1963. As the only living founder of the NFL at the February 1970 merger between the NFL and the American Football League, the owners honored Halas by electing him the first President of the National Football Conference, a position that he held until his death in 1983. In his honor, the NFL named the NFC Championship trophy as the George Halas Memorial Trophy. 1969–1982: Struggles Payton set several franchise and NFL records in rushing during his 13-season career with the Bears. After the merger, the Bears finished the 1970 season last place in their division, a repeat of their placing in the 1969 season. In 1975, the Bears drafted Walter Payton from Jackson State University with their first pick. He won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award in the 1977–78 season.[39][40] Payton would go on to eclipse Jim Brown's NFL career rushing record in 1984 before retiring in 1987, and would hold the mark until 2002, when Emmitt Smith of the Dallas Cowboys surpassed it.[41] Payton's career and personality would capture the hearts of Bear fans, who called him "Sweetness". He died from a rare form of liver cancer in 1999 at the age of 45. On November 1, 1983, a day after the death of George Halas, his oldest daughter, Virginia McCaskey, took over as the majority owner of the team. Her husband, Ed McCaskey, succeeded her father as the chairman of the board.[42] Their son Michael became the third president in team history.[43] Mrs. McCaskey holds the honorary title of "secretary of the board of directors", but has been called the glue that holds the franchise together.[44] Mrs. McCaskey's reign as the owner of the Bears was not planned, as her father originally earmarked her brother, George "Mugs" Halas Jr. as the heir apparent to the franchise. However, he died of a severe heart attack in 1979. Her impact on the team is well-noted as her own family has dubbed her "The First Lady of Sports", and the Chicago Sun-Times has listed her as one of Chicago's most powerful women.[45] 1983–1985: Contenders, then Super Bowl champions Bears Hall of Famer Mike Ditka is the only person in the modern era to win an NFL championship as a player and coach for the Chicago Bears. Mike Ditka, a tight end for the Bears from 1961 to 1966, was hired to coach the team by George Halas in 1982. His gritty personality earned him the nickname "Iron Mike". The team reached the NFC Championship game in 1984. In the 1985 season the fire in the Bears–Packers rivalry was re-lit when Ditka used 315-pound defensive tackle "Refrigerator" Perry as a running back in a touchdown play at Lambeau Field, against the Packers. The Bears won their ninth NFL Championship, first since the AFL-NFL merger, in Super Bowl XX after the 1985 season in which they dominated the NFL with their then-revolutionary 46 defense and a cast of characters that recorded the novelty rap song "The Super Bowl Shuffle". The season was notable in that the Bears had only one loss, the "unlucky 13th" game of the season, a Monday night affair in which they were defeated by the Miami Dolphins. At the time, much was made of the fact that the 1972 Dolphins were the only franchise in history to have had an undefeated season and post-season. The Dolphins came close to setting up a rematch in the Super Bowl, but lost to the New England Patriots in the AFC title game. "The Super Bowl Shuffle" was videotaped the day after that Monday night loss in Miami. 1986–2003: Post-Super Bowl era After the 1985 championship season, the Bears remained competitive throughout the 1980s but failed to return to the Super Bowl under Ditka. Between the firing of Ditka and the hiring of Lovie Smith, the Bears had two head coaches, Dave Wannstedt and Dick Jauron. While both head coaches led the team to the playoffs once (Wannstedt in 1994 and Jauron in 2001), neither was able to accumulate a winning record or bring the Bears back to the Super Bowl. Therefore, the 1990s was largely considered to be a disappointment. Before the Bears hired Jauron in January 1999, Dave McGinnis (Arizona's defensive coordinator, and a former Bears assistant under Ditka and Wannstedt) backed out of taking the head coaching position. The Bears scheduled a press conference to announce the hiring before McGinnis agreed to contract terms.[46] Soon after Jauron's hiring, Mrs. McCaskey fired her son Michael as president, replacing him with Ted Phillips and promoting Michael to chairman of the board.[47] Phillips became the first man outside of the Halas-McCaskey family to run the team.[48] 2004–2012: Lovie Smith era Lovie Smith, hired on January 15, 2004, is the third post-Ditka head coach. Joining the Bears as a rookie head coach, Smith brought the highly successful Tampa 2 defensive scheme with him to Chicago. Before his second season with the Bears, the team rehired their former offensive coordinator and then Illinois head coach Ron Turner to improve the Bears' struggling offense.[49] In 2005, the Bears won their division and reached the playoffs for the first time in four years. Their previous playoff berth was earned by winning the NFC Central in 2001. The Bears improved upon their success the following season, by clinching their second consecutive NFC North title during Week 13 of the 2006 season, winning their first playoff game since 1995, and earning a trip to Super Bowl XLI.[50] However, they fell short of the championship, losing 29–17 to the Indianapolis Colts. Following the 2006 season, the club decided to give Smith a contract extension through 2011, at roughly $5 million per year. This comes a season after being the lowest-paid head coach in the National Football League.[51] The club has played in over a thousand games since becoming a charter member of the NFL in 1920. Through the 2010 season, they led the NFL in overall franchise wins with 704 and had an overall record of 704–512–42 (going 687–494–42 during the regular season and 17–18 in the playoffs).[52] On November 18, 2010, the Bears recorded franchise win number 700 in a win against the Miami Dolphins. The Bears made one of the biggest trades in team history by acquiring Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler in 2009. The Bears made one of the biggest trades in franchise history, acquiring Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler from the Denver Broncos in exchange for Kyle Orton and draft picks on April 2, 2009. After a disappointing 2009 campaign with the team going 7–9,[53] Mike Martz was hired as the team's offensive coordinator on February 1, 2010.[54] On March 5, 2010, the Bears signed defensive end Julius Peppers, running back Chester Taylor, and tight end Brandon Manumaleuna, spending over $100 million on the first day of free agency.[55] Also during the 2010 offseason, Michael McCaskey was replaced by brother George McCaskey as chairman of the Bears.[56] With a 38–34 win against the New York Jets, the Bears clinched the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye for the 2010–11 NFL playoffs. In their first Playoff game since Super Bowl XLI, The Bears defeated the No. 4 seed Seattle Seahawks 35–24 in the Divisional Round. The Bears reached the NFC Championship Game, where they played Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field – only the second playoff meeting between the two storied rivals, the only other game played in 1941.[57] The Bears lost the game, 21–14. The team started the 2011 season strong with a 7–3 record, and running back Matt Forté led the NFL in total yards from scrimmage. Eventually, quarterback Jay Cutler fractured his thumb, and Forté also was lost for the season against the Kansas City Chiefs after spraining his MCL, and the Bears, with Caleb Hanie playing, lost five straight before winning against the Minnesota Vikings with Josh McCown starting over Hanie. At season's end, general manager Jerry Angelo was fired, and former Chiefs director of scouting and former Bears scout Phil Emery was brought in. Offensive coordinator Mike Martz resigned, and eventually retired, and was replaced by offensive line coach Mike Tice. The Bears made another notable move by trading for Miami Dolphins receiver and Pro Bowl MVP Brandon Marshall.[58] The Bears became the first team in NFL history to return six interceptions for touchdowns in the first seven games of the season, with another pick-six by Brian Urlacher in Week 9 bringing Chicago two behind the record set by the 1961 San Diego Chargers.[59] However, the Bears missed the playoffs with a record of 10–6 (after starting the season 7–1, the first team to start with the record and miss the playoffs since the 1996 Washington Redskins),[60] and Smith was fired on December 31.[61] 2013–2014: Marc Trestman years Then-CFL head coach and former NFL journeyman Marc Trestman was hired to succeed Smith after an exhaustive search that included at least 13 known candidates.[62][63] On March 20, 2013, Brian Urlacher's 13-year tenure with the Bears ended when both sides failed to agree on a contract.[64] The Trestman era began on September 8 with a 24–21 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, making Trestman the fourth head coach in Bears history to win in his coaching debut, after George Halas (1920), Neill Armstrong (1978) and Dick Jauron (1999).[65] The Bears ended the 2013 season 8–8, barely missing the playoffs after losing in the final week of the season to the Packers.[66] Despite having a second-ranked offense that set numerous franchise records,[67] the defense greatly worsened as it set franchise worsts in categories like yards allowed (6,313).[68] The following season was a disaster for the Bears, with the offense regressing to finish outside the top 20 in scoring.[69] The team also allowed 50-point games in two straight weeks against the Patriots and Packers, including a franchise-high 42 points and NFL-record six touchdowns allowed in the first half against the latter,[70][71] to become the first team since the 1923 Rochester Jeffersons to allow at least 50 points in consecutive games.[72] The Bears ended the year 5–11 and last in the NFC North. Trestman and Emery were fired after the season ended.[73] 2015–2017: John Fox years The Bears hired Ryan Pace of the New Orleans Saints to be their new general manager on January 8, 2015.[74] On January 16, 2015, John Fox accepted a four-year deal to become head coach.[75] In Fox's first season as head coach, the Bears saw improvements from 2014; after USA Today projected the Bears to win three games,[76] they doubled that total and finished the season with a 6–10 record, including a Thanksgiving win over the Packers at Lambeau Field.[77] However, during the 2016 season, the Bears regressed heavily, compiling a 3–13 record (their worst since the NFL's change to 16-game seasons in 1978). The season included several injuries to starters and secondary players, including Jay Cutler, who only played five games as a result of two separate injuries.[78] Backup quarterback Brian Hoyer started the next three games before a broken arm put him out for the season. He was replaced by Matt Barkley, who made his first career start with the Bears.[79][80] None of the three quarterbacks returned for the 2017 season.[81][82][83] In the 2017 NFL Draft, the team selected quarterback Mitchell Trubisky with the second-overall pick,[84] who sat behind newly signed quarterback Mike Glennon for the first four games before taking over.[85] The Bears ended the season 5–11 and again finished last in the NFC North. On January 1, 2018, Fox was fired, ending his tenure in Chicago with a 14–34 record.[86] 2018–2021: Matt Nagy years Roquan Smith, Khalil Mack, DeAndre Houston-Carson, and Akiem Hicks of the Bears in 2018 The Bears hired Matt Nagy from the Kansas City Chiefs as their new head coach in January 2018.[87] General manager Ryan Pace signed receivers Taylor Gabriel, Allen Robinson, and Trey Burton in the offseason to complement second-year quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.[88] The Bears also acquired linebacker Khalil Mack in a block-blockbuster trade from the Oakland Raiders to further bolster their defense, sending a package of draft picks that includes 2019 and 2020 1st round draft picks in exchange.[89] Nagy's Bears clinched the NFC North on December 16, 2018, for the first time since 2010 with a 24–17 victory over the Green Bay Packers.[90] The Bears finished the 2018 season with a 12–4 record.[91] They lost to the defending Super Bowl Champions Philadelphia Eagles in the wild-card round of the playoffs after Cody Parkey's game-winning field goal attempt was partially tipped and hit the uprights in the final seconds of the game, a play coined the "Double Doink".[92][93] Despite the first-round exit, Nagy was named Coach of the Year by the Pro Football Writers Association and Associated Press.[94][95] He was the first Bears coach to be given the AP award since Lovie Smith in 2005 and the fifth in team history.[96] In 2019, the team regressed to an 8–8 record, though Nagy's combined 20 wins in 2018 and 2019 were the most by a Bears head coach in his first two seasons.[97] During the year, renovations to Halas Hall were completed, allowing the team to move Training Camp from Ward Field on the campus of Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois to Lake Forest for 2020.[98][99] The Bears opened the 2020 season with a 5–1 record. However, they lost their next six games. The Bears won three of their last four games to finish the season with an 8–8 record. Despite their finish, the Bears qualified for the 2020–21 NFL playoffs, which was expanded to include one additional wildcard team from each conference.[100] The New Orleans Saints defeated the Bears in the opening round of the playoffs, 21–9.[101] The team did not re-sign Trubisky after the 2020 season and instead allowed him to become a free agent.[102] Prior to the 2021 season, the Bears traded up in the 2021 NFL Draft to select quarterback Justin Fields 11th overall.[103] The team also signed veteran quarterback Andy Dalton in free agency. Dalton was initially declared the Bears starting quarterback, but Fields won the position after Dalton was injured.[104] The Bears finished the season with a 6–11 record and missed the playoffs.[105] Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace were fired after the season's conclusion.[105] Nagy posted a 34–33 record over four seasons with two playoff berths, while Pace compiled a 48–65 record over seven seasons.[105] 2022–present: Matt Eberflus years On January 25, 2022, the Bears hired Ryan Poles as their general manager.[8] The team hired Matt Eberflus as the franchise's 17th head coach two days later.[106] The Bears struggled throughout the 2022 season, which included a franchise-record 10-game losing streak.[107] They finished with an NFL worst 3–14 record, which secured the team the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.[107] The Bears traded the first overall pick to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for wide receiver D. J. Moore and multiple draft picks.[108] The Bears opened the 2023 season with a 0–4 record, extending the team losing streak to 14 (longest in team history; dating back to the 2022 season).[109] The team bounced back by winning five of their last eight games, but finished with a 7–10 record, placing last in the NFC North for the second consecutive season. However, the team acquired the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which was part of their previous trade with the Panthers, who finished the 2023 season with worst record in the NFL.[110] Ownership The team is primarily owned by the heirs of George Halas. His daughter, Virginia Halas McCaskey (holds 22.6% of the team stocks), is the principal owner and votes the stock for her 11 children and two nephews (3.8% each) and the Brizzolara family stocks (8.33%), which amounts to an 80.33% ownership share, allowing her to control the team.[111] Pat Ryan, former chairman and CEO of Aon Corp., and former Aon director Andrew J. McKenna's estate own 19.67% of the club.[112] Ryan is also a board member.[113] In 2020, Forbes magazine reported that the franchise is worth $3.525 billion, making it the seventh richest franchise in the NFL.[114] Chicago is the third largest media market in the United States.[115] In a Crain's Chicago Business article, one businessman described his wishes for the team to maximize its potential. In 2009, Yahoo! Sports listed the McCaskeys as the third worst owner in the NFL, stating "[T]hey get less for what they've got than any team in our league."[116] Ownership history Sternaman and Halas with Grange and Pyle The club was founded by A. E. Staley Manufacturing Company owner Augustus Eugene Staley in 1919 and was own by the company until 1921. In 1921 Staley felt he could no longer afford the expensive burden of pro football and transferred the team ownership to Halas and paid him $5,000 for a sponsorship deal that kept the Staleys name for one more year.[117] Halas than added Edward "Dutch" Sternaman as a second owner. In 1922 the Bears were incorporated at a NFL's meeting on 28 January 1922 as "a new league team" after its name change.[118][119] At season's end, the two competed with agent Bill Harley for ownership of the Staleys, after he negotiated a contract that was to give his brother Chic Harley and himself one-third ownership of the team as part of his contract. However, Halas and Sternaman claimed that contract was voided when a physical revealed health impairments resultant from Harley's time in the war. The other league owners agreed to nullify the deal in favor of the Halas/Sternaman partnership by an 8–2 vote.[119] In addition, Halas and Sternaman offered a share of the team to Paddy Driscoll, but the move was blocked by the owners in the NFL's June meeting, after the Chicago Cardinals (Driscoll's team) activated the league's reserve clause.[119] In 1931 Sternaman offered to sell his part to his partner Halas for $38,000 to focus on his other businesses. Halas’ purchase agreement with Sternaman was to be paid off in installments, and stipulated that if Halas defaulted on any of the payments, ownership of the team reverted back to Sternaman. Halas raised the initial funding by selling ownership stake to Ralph Brizzolara (8.33%),[120] Jim McMillen ($5,000) and George Trafton mother which contribute $20,000 (Halas later bought her out for $40,000).[121] Charles Bidwill purchased $5,000 in stock in 1933 (which was later bought off of his widow Violet for $50,000 in 1949[122]) and he also arranged a bank loan for the remaining $5,000 needed to pay off Sternaman: "But it was a mighty close call. As I remember, I finally got all the money together at 11:10 a.m. on the day the final note came due. Forfeit time was 12 o’clock noon." — George Halas, That’s The Way the Ball Bounces, 1967 Halas remained the club's president and principal owner until his death on October 31, 1983. Halas's children, George Halas Jr. ("Mugs") and Virginia McCaskey acquired stock in the team through prior gifts and sales. After "Mugs" death in 1979, Halas, Sr. owned a 49.35% interest in the Bears, the estate of Halas Jr. owned a 19.67% interest, Virginia McCaskey, Jim Finks (3.5%, which he would later relinquished when he resigned as the team GM[123]), Charles Brizzolara, Robert and Carol Brizzolara in joint tenancy, and Nancy Lorenz owned the remaining outstanding shares. In 1981, the shareholders merged the Bears with a newly formed Delaware-incorporated organization, the Chicago Bears Football Club, Inc..[124] In 1987, "Mugs" estate executor wanted to sell his stocks and challenges the legality of a 1981 corporate reorganization and the other owners right of first refusal,[125] while his heirs Christine and Stephen Halas tried to keep their father stocks, asking a Cook County Probate Court judge not to allow the sale.[126] They failed to block the Chicago Bears from buying their 19.67% ownership of the football team, and sold their share for $17.5 million in 1988.[127] Bears then-president Michael McCaskey called the purchase a "terrific financial burden", and the team would later sell those stocks to Chicago-area businessmen Andrew McKenna and Patrick Ryan for undisclosed sum[b] in 1990.[128] At the time it was also speculate that they invested to help the Bears lobby lawmakers for a domed stadium.[129] In 2017 the NFL approved a sale of shares from Halas Jr. children (unreported whom or how much) to the McCaskey family for undisclosed sum.[130] Sponsorships The team has major sponsorship deals with Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Miller Brewing Company, PNC Financial Services, United Airlines, Verizon, Xfinity, and Proven IT.[131][132] The team was the first in the NFL to have a presenting sponsor, with the 2004 season advertised as "Bears Football presented by BankOne (now Chase)". Additionally, the Bears have an agreement with WFLD (the Fox owned-and-operated station in Chicago) to broadcast pre-season football games.[133] Logos and uniforms Main article: Logos and uniforms of the Chicago Bears The club has had few official logos throughout their history. When the team was known as the Decatur Staleys in 1920, they used A. E. Staley's logo as football was intended to help promote the company.[134] The first Chicago Bears logo was introduced in 1940, depicting a black bear running with a football. The next logo, introduced in 1946, featured a navy blue bear on top of a football. In 1962, the Bears introduced their trademark "wishbone-C" logo for the first time.[135] Initially white with a black outline, the logo is similar to the "C" long worn on the Cincinnati Reds' baseball caps, and very closely resembles the University of Chicago Maroons' "C" logo introduced in 1898. The change in the Bears' logo was due to the addition of logos on helmets, which professional football teams began adding in the late 1950s and early 1960s. In 2023, the Bears made their primary logo the orange bear head, which was previously their secondary logo since 1999.[136] Despite demoting the "C" to a secondary logo, the team will still retain it on their helmets and at the home field's 50-yard line.[137] Primary logo (1962–1973) Primary logo (1962–1973)   Primary logo (1974–2022) Secondary logo (2023–present) Primary logo (1974–2022) Secondary logo (2023–present)   Wordmark logo (1974–present) Wordmark logo (1974–present)   Secondary logo (1999–2022) Primary logo (2023–present) Secondary logo (1999–2022) Primary logo (2023–present) Team culture Mascots and cheerleaders Main articles: Staley Da Bear and Chicago Honey Bears Staley Da Bear in 2008 Before the 2003 season, the team had two unofficial mascots named "Rocky" and "Bearman". "Rocky" was a man who donned a #1 Bears jersey, carried a megaphone, and started chants all over Soldier Field during the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s, in a fashion similar to Fireman Ed. There is no known source of who "Rocky" was, and presumably currently lives in Northwestern Indiana.[138] Don Wachter, also known as "Bearman", is a season ticket holder who decided in 1995 that he could also assist the team by cheerleading, similar to Rocky. The club allowed him to run across the field with a large Bears flag during player introductions and each team score (a role currently done by the Bears 4th Phase and Bears captains). In 1996, he donned his "costume" of face paint, bear head and arms, and a number 46 jersey. "Bearman" was forced to stop wearing his costume with the introduction of Staley Da Bear in 2003; however, in 2005, Wachter was allowed in costume again.[139] Staley Da Bear is an anthropomorphic bear with a customized No. 00 jersey, with blue and orange eyes, synonymous with the team's main colors.[140] His name is eponymous to corn processing company A. E. Staley, who founded the Bears' franchise. Like Rocky and Bearman, he entertains Bears fans, but like other NFL mascots, and mascots in general, Staley also makes various visits to charity events, parties,[141][142] Chicago Rush AFL games, and other Bears-related events, as well as taking part in various games with his "furballs" against youth football teams at halftime.[143][144] The team also formerly had their own cheerleading squad called the Chicago Honey Bears, who were formed in 1976. However, Bears owner Virginia Halas McCaskey terminated them after the 1985 season.[145] The squad's uniforms have changed 3 times: from 1976 to 1979, the uniform was a white bodysuit with navy blue sleeves, then from 1980 to 1984 it became a white bodysuit, but with orange sleeves and the navy was moved to the trim, and in the squad's final season in 1985, the uniform was redesigned with an orange sequin vest.[146] Philanthropy Since 1998, the Bears have partnered with 'A Safe Place,' a domestic violence shelter in Waukegan, Illinois.[147] In June 2017, current and former Bears employees helped with renovations at the shelter by ripping up carpet, painting walls, demolishing a kitchen and building a fence.[147] The Bears have also provided financial support throughout the years. Rivalries Green Bay Packers Main article: Bears–Packers rivalry The Green Bay Packers are the Bears' biggest rivals since their team's inception in 1920. The Green Bay Packers currently have the lead at 103–95–6,[148] and the teams have met twice in the postseason. The Bears won the 1941 meeting, 33–14, and eventually defeated the New York Giants in the 1941 NFL Championship Game, and the Packers won the 2011 meeting, 21–14, en route to a Super Bowl XLV win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The teams' first meeting was a victory for the Bears (known as the Staleys at the time) in 1921 in a shutout, 20–0. The Packers claimed their first win over the Bears in 1925, 14–10. The 1924 matchup (which ended in a 3–0 win for Chicago) was notable for featuring the first-ever ejection of players in a game in NFL history, as Frank Hanny of the Bears and Walter Voss of the Packers were ejected for punching each other.[149] The rivalry also featured one of the last successful fair catch kicks in 1968, when Bears kicker Mac Percival kicked the game-winning field goal.[150] Arizona Cardinals Main article: Bears–Cardinals rivalry The oldest continuing matchup in the NFL belongs to the Bears and the Arizona Cardinals.[151] It began as intense intra-city rivalry between the Bears and the Chicago Cardinals, which the Bears were leading 47–19–6 through 1959, when the Cardinals moved to St. Louis. The rivalry's importance waned further after the Cardinals moved to the Phoenix metropolitan area in 1988. The Bears lead the all-time series 59–28–6. The teams have yet to meet in the playoffs.[152][153][154][155] Detroit Lions Main article: Bears–Lions rivalry The Detroit Lions and Bears have faced off since the Lions' inception in 1930, when they were known as the Portsmouth Spartans, with the Spartans winning, 7–6, and Chicago winning the second meeting, 14–6. Since then, the Bears have led the series, 99–74–5. The rivalry grew in 1932, when the Bears and Spartans met in the first-ever postseason game in NFL history, with the Bears winning the game 9–0. The game also was known as the first pro "indoor football" game, as the game took place in indoor Chicago Stadium due to a blizzard at the time. The game also started the forward pass.[156] Minnesota Vikings Main article: Bears–Vikings rivalry Chicago and Minnesota took each other on in the Vikings' inaugural game, with the Vikings defeating the Bears in a 37–13 rout, and Minnesota currently holds the series lead 60–54–2. New York Giants Main article: Bears–Giants rivalry The Bears and the New York Giants squared off in six NFL championship games, more than any common match-up in either the NFL championship game or Super Bowl. The Bears won four of the six championship games, which included the Sneakers Game that the Giants won in the 1934 NFL Championship Game. The two teams also met in the 1985 and 1990 playoffs, splitting each meeting en route to a Super Bowl championship (Bears in Super Bowl XX, Giants in Super Bowl XXV). The Bears lead the all-time series 36–24–2.[157] Minor rivalries Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Bears holds historic minor rivalry with its former NFC Central foe Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Chicago currently holds the series lead 40-21.[158][159] Under the current NFL scheduling formula, the Bears and Bucs play at least once every four years.[160] Washington Commanders Although the teams never played in the same division, the Bears and the Washington Commanders have a historically significant rivalry, dating back to 1932, when the Commanders were located in Boston and were known as the Braves. The rivalry started to heat up in 1937, when Washington drafted quarterback Sammy Baugh and both teams were often met in the NFL Championship Game.[161] The most memorable game from that era was in 1940, when the Bears set a record by defeating the Commanders 73-0 in the NFL Championship game, to this day, the largest margin of victory in league history.[162][163] The series regained steam in the 1980's, when both teams were fighting for the NFC supremacy.[164] Washington holds a slight edge in the all-time series 27-25-1 (2-1 in the playoffs and 2-2 in championship games). Under the current NFL scheduling formula, the Bears and Commanders play at least once every four years.[160] San Francisco 49ers The Bears and San Francisco 49ers were regular foes while both played in the Western Conference. The rilvary grow during the 1980's, as both teams were constant playoff contenders in the NFC. The 49ers currently holds the series lead 35-33-1 and 3-0 in the playoffs.[165][166] Under the current NFL scheduling formula, the Bears and 49ers play at least once every four years.[160] Cleveland/Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams The two franchises first met in the 1937 NFL season and played annually until the 1980 NFL season. From 1995–2015 the two teams were part of the Chicago-St. Louis rivalries in the major professional leagues.[167] Chicago currently holds the series lead 54-39-3 (1-1 in the playoffs).[168] Under the current NFL scheduling formula, the Bears and Rams play at least once every four years.[160] Miami Dolphins The AFC member Miami Dolphins and the Bears met less than 15 times but most of them were memorable.[169] The most notable was the 1985 shootout at Monday Night, as Miami handing Chicago their first, and only, regular-season loss for the year, while keeping the 1972 Dolphins as the only perfect team in NFL history.[170] Miami currently holds the series lead 10-4. Under the current NFL scheduling formula, the teams play at least once every four years.[160] Defunct rivalries Chicago had a fierce instate rivalry with the Rock Island Independents in the league first decade, with the Bears winning the series 8-1-4.[171] The Canton/Cleveland Bulldogs and the Staleys/Bears rivalry was between the two NFL's powerhouses in the 1920's, with games usually attracting the most fans,[172] and the outcome often decided the fate of NFL Championship (1921-1924).[173] The rivalry grow after the 1921 season, when the Staleys star Guy Chamberlin joined the Bulldogs and led them to three consecutive championships, including a tiebreaker win over the Bears in 1924.[119][174][175] Chicago won the series 4-3. Facilities Stadium Main articles: Staley Field, Wrigley Field, and Soldier Field Soldier Field in 2011, as seen from the lakeshore Soldier Field, located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, is the current home of the Bears. The Bears moved to Soldier Field in 1971 after outgrowing Wrigley Field, the team's home for 50 years. After the AFL-NFL Merger, the newly merged league wanted their teams to play in stadiums that could hold at least 50,000 fans. Even with the portable bleachers that the team brought into Wrigley, the stadium could still only hold 46,000.[176] At first, the Bears were supposed to play at Dyche Stadium (now called Ryan Field), but Northwestern University's residential neighbors objected, and the agreement was cancelled. The original home of the Bears was Staley Field at Decatur, Illinois, back when the team was known as the Decatur Staleys, before they move to Chicago in 1921. Soldier Field's playing turf was changed from natural grass to astroturf before the 1971 season, and then back to natural grass in time for the start of the 1988 season. Throughout its history, Soldier Field's field maintenance has been done by the Chicago Park District (the municipal entity of which the Bears lease the field from) by disparate district employees assigned to it, rather than a permanent team-employed grounds crew, to some controversy among players for its rough surface.[177] This arrangement caused a lot of disagreements with the city throughout the years, with the Bears attempting to agree on a new stadium since 1986.[178] The stadium was the site of the infamous Fog Bowl playoff game between the Bears and Philadelphia Eagles.[179] In 2002, the stadium was closed and rebuilt with only the exterior wall of the stadium being preserved. It was closed on Sunday, January 20, 2002, a day after the Bears lost in the playoffs. It reopened on September 27, 2003, after a complete rebuild (the second in the stadium's history).[176] Many fans refer to the rebuilt stadium as "New Soldier Field".[180] During the 2002 season, the Bears played their home games at the University of Illinois' Memorial Stadium in Champaign, where they went 3–5. Many critics have negative views of the new stadium. They believe that its current structure has made it more of an eyesore than a landmark; some have dubbed it the "Mistake on the Lake".[181] Soldier Field was stripped of its National Historic Landmark designation on February 17, 2006.[182] In the 2005 season, the Bears won the NFC North Division and the No. 2 Seed in the NFC Playoffs, entitling them to play at least one home game in the postseason. The team hosted (and lost) their divisional round match on January 15, 2006, against the Carolina Panthers. This was the first playoff game at Soldier Field since the stadium reopened. The stadium's end zones and midfield were not painted until the 1982 season.[183] The design sported on the field included the bolded word "Chicago" rendered in Highway Gothic in both end zones. In 1983, the end zone design returned, with the addition of a large wishbone "C" Bears logo painted at midfield. These field markings remained unchanged until the 1996 season.[184] In 1996 the midfield wishbone "C" was changed to a large blue Bears head, and the end zone design were painted with "Bears" in cursive. This new design remained until the 1999 season, at which point the artwork was returned to the classic "Chicago" and the "C". In the new Soldier Field, the artwork was tweaked to where one end zone had the word "Chicago" bolded and the other had "Bears".[185] In June 2021, the Bears submitted a bid to purchase the Arlington International Racecourse in Arlington Heights, Illinois from Churchill Downs.[186] Despite negotiations between the city of Chicago to upgrade Soldier Field, the Bears entered into an agreement with Churchill Downs to purchase the Arlington International Racecourse in September 2021 for $197.2 million. The sale of the property which includes 326 acres of potential space for development was officially closed on February 15, 2023.[187][188] Training camp locations From its inception up until 1930 the Staleys/Bears conducted their summer training camp in their home stadiums: Staley Field (Decatur, Illinois) and later Cubs' Park (Chicago).[189] In 1930 the first moved to Mills Stadium in Chicago and from 1931-1934 at Loyola University Chicago, Logan Square Baseball Park, Notre Dame University and Lane Tech College Prep High School (respectively). In 1935 they started to conduct their training camps at a prominent location, when they started practicing at St. John's Northwestern Military Academy (Delafield, Wisconsin) for a decade.[190] In 1944 they moved to St. Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Indiana and stayed there for 30 years. This location was the place of the famous automobile accident on July 27, 1964 that killed Bears players Willie Galimore and Bo Farrington, after Galimore's Volkswagen left the road on a curve and rolled, a few miles from the team's training camp.[191][192][193] From 1975 to 1984 they conduct their summer training camp in Lake Forest College, at the original Halas Hall (the practice and front office facility for the Bears from 1977 until 1997).[194] The practice field was later renamed Farwell Field and serves as the main field for Foresters football and soccer. From 1984 to 2001, the Bears held pre-season training camp in Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium at University of Wisconsin–Platteville. They were considered a member of the "Cheese League" that in 1999 consisted of the Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs, with each team practicing at a different university in Wisconsin.[195] In 2001, the Illinois General Assembly asked the Bears to move to an Illinois practice facility in order to raise funds for remodeling Soldier Field. Before the Bears left, they donated $250,000 to UW–Platteville for a new computer lab, which was named "The Bears Den".[196] On June 16, 2014, the stadium was damaged by a tornado and the Bears donate $50,000 to the school relief fund.[197] From 2002 to 2019, the Bears held their summer training camp at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais. Although the Bears had an agreement to continue practicing at the university through 2022,[198] they moved the camp, permanently, into the recently renovated Halas Hall in 2020.[199] Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Illinois, is the Bears' headquarters. Headquarters Main article: Halas Hall The team headquarters, Halas Hall, named after founder George Halas, is in the Chicago suburb of Lake Forest, Illinois. The Bears practice at adjoining facilities there during the season. The location is 4 miles (6.4 km) west of the original Halas Hall which opened in 1977, which was named after George Halas Jr., who died unexpectedly in 1979. It was located at Lake Forest College and contained 2 practice fields (one regulation-size outdoor field as well as a 70-yard practice field) and front office facilities,[200] which is now used by the Foresters Athletics Department.[201] The 38-acre complex opened on March 3, 1997 and was expanded in 2013 and 2018.[202] The team also has a 11,000 square feet (1,000 m2) corporate office in downtown Chicago, located at 123 N. Wacker Dr,[203] for sales, corporate partnerships and events departments employees.[204] In popular culture The CNA Center in Chicago flashes a "GO BEARS" window display before a Bears Sunday Night Football game. While the Super Bowl XX champion Bears were a fixture of mainstream American pop culture in the 1980s, the Bears made a prior mark with the 1971 American TV movie Brian's Song starring Billy Dee Williams as Gale Sayers and James Caan as Brian Piccolo. The film told of how Piccolo helped Sayers recover from a devastating knee injury to return to his status as one of the league's best players, and how Sayers in turn helped the Piccolo family through Brian's fatal illness.[205][206] A 2001 remake of the movie for ABC starred Sean Maher as Piccolo and Mekhi Phifer as Sayers.[207] The 1985 team is also remembered for recording the song "The Super Bowl Shuffle", which reached number forty-one on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for a Grammy Award.[208] The music video for the song depicts the team rapping that they are "not here to start no trouble" but instead "just here to do the Super Bowl Shuffle". The team took a risk by recording and releasing the song before the playoffs had even begun, but were able to avoid embarrassment by going on to win Super Bowl XX by a then-record margin of 46–10. That game was one of the most-watched television events in history according to the Nielsen ratings system; the game had a rating of 48.3, ranking it seventh in all-time television history.[209] In addition to the "Super Bowl Shuffle"[210] rap song, the Bears' success in the 1980s – and especially the personality of head coach Mike Ditka – inspired a recurring sketch on the American sketch comedy program Saturday Night Live, called "Bill Swerski's Superfans".[211] The sketch featured Cheers co-star George Wendt, a Chicago native, as host of a radio talk-show (similar in tone to WGN radio's "The Sportswriters"), with co-panelists Carl Wollarski (Robert Smigel), Pat Arnold (Mike Myers) and Todd O'Connor (Chris Farley). To hear them tell it, "Da Bears" and Coach Ditka could do no wrong. The sketch stopped after Ditka was fired in 1993. The sketch usually showed the panelists chugging beer and eating lots of Polish sausage, and often featured Todd getting so agitated about what was happening with the Bears that he suffered a heart attack, but quickly recovered (through self-administered CPR). The sketch also features the cast predicting unrealistic blowout victories for Bears games.[212] Da Super Fan sketch has not been brought back by SNL, with the exception of a single appearance by Horatio Sanz as a Super Fan for the Cubs on "Weekend Update" in 2003. Outside of SNL, George Wendt reprised his role of Swerski in the opening promo of Super Bowl XL on ABC. On TV shows based in Chicago such as The Bob Newhart Show, Married... with Children, Family Matters, Still Standing, According to Jim, Early Edition and The Bernie Mac Show, the main characters are all Bears fans, and have worn Bears' jerseys and T-shirts on some occasions. Some episodes even show them watching Bears games. Roseanne is another TV show based in Illinois (albeit not in Chicago itself) to feature the Bears as the consensus household favorite, as 'Dan Connor' John Goodman is seen wearing Bears hats in several episodes. That '70s Show featured several Bears references, as it was based in Wisconsin, home of the Packers. On one episode while the gang is at a Bears vs. Packers game, Eric comes to the seat in a Walter Payton jersey and is booed by the surrounding Packers fans. In an episode of the Disney Channel show Shake It Up, based in Chicago, recurring character Dina Garcia (Ainsley Bailey) sold scalped Chicago Bears tickets. More recently, Modern Family character Cameron Tucker has been shown as a Bears fan. In an episode of the Disney Channel show "I Didn't Do It", based in Chicago, Lindy Watson (Olivia Holt) and Logan Watson (Austin North) try to get a football signed by NFL Hall of Famer Dick Butkus after destroying their fathers Butkus signed ball, Alshon Jeffery also makes a cameo appearance as well.[213] Ditka's success and popularity in Chicago has led him to land analyst roles on various American football pregame shows. Ditka worked for both the NFL on NBC and CBS's The NFL Today, and he currently works on ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown and provided Friday night analysis on the Bears on WBBM-TV's 2 on Football with former WBBM-TV sports director Mark Malone.[214] He is also the color analyst for all local broadcasts of Bears preseason games. Ditka also co-starred himself alongside actor Will Ferrell in the 2005 comedy film Kicking & Screaming.[215] Also, Ditka, Dick Butkus, Walter Payton, Jim McMahon, William "Refrigerator" Perry and Brian Urlacher are among Bears figures known for their appearances in TV commercials. Urlacher, whose jersey was among the league's best-selling in 2002, was featured on Nike commercials with former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick.[216][217] In the 1961 Hanna-Barbera animated short "Rah Rah Bear", Yogi Bear helps the Bears beat the New York Giants.[218] The Bears were later depicted in an episode of the 1985 cartoon version of the NBC sitcom Punky Brewster, where the Bears are playing the Green Bay Packers.[219][220] Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) from the National Lampoon's Vacation series appears in some scenes wearing a navy blue with burnt orange scripting Chicago Bears ball cap. He wears the same Chicago Bears cap throughout all four Vacation movies.[221] Broadcast media Radio Map of radio affiliates by tower location, thus WBBM's location in the western suburbs of Chicago Currently, WMVP (1000 AM) broadcast Bears games with Jeff Joniak doing the play-by-play, along with color commentator Tom Thayer, who played for the Bears from 1985 to 1992.[222] Over the years, many Bears play-by-play broadcasters have included play-by-play announcers Jack Brickhouse, Joe McConnell and Wayne Larrivee, and color commentators Hub Arkush, Dick Butkus, Jim Hart and Irv Kupcinet. Spanish radio station WLEY-FM aired the Bears games from 2012 to 2014. Since 2015, WRTO and WVIV-FM air Bears games in Spanish. Chicago Bears Network Radio affiliates Market Station Notes Chicago WMVP (1000 AM) All games Bears Insider Bears All-Access WRTO (1200 AM) / WVIV-FM (93.5 FM) All games (in Spanish) Television Preseason games air on WFLD (channel 32). The announcers are Adam Amin (play-by-play), Jim Miller (color commentary) and Lou Canellis (sideline reporter). WFLD also carries the majority of the team's regular season games through the NFL on Fox. Any Bears home games against AFC teams are aired on the CBS O&O station, WBBM-TV, which was the Bears' unofficial "home" station from 1956 until Fox won the NFC rights in 1995. Sunday Night games are broadcast on WMAQ-TV, the NBC O&O station, with ESPN Monday Night Football games rotating between WLS-TV and WCIU-TV (dependent on opponent, along with ABC's Monday night entertainment schedule). Chicago Bears Network Television affiliates Market Station Notes Regional cable NBC Sports Chicago Bears Recap Bears Huddle Bears Blitz Bears Football Aftershow Chicago WFLD Preseason and Fox regional/national games Bears Gameday Live Bears Gamenight Live Cedar Rapids, Iowa KFXA Preseason and Fox regional/national games Champaign–Urbana WCCU Preseason and Fox regional/national games Peoria WMBD-TV Preseason and CBS regional/national games Quad Cities KLJB Preseason and Fox regional/national games Rockford WIFR Preseason and CBS regional/national games WQRF Preseason and Fox regional/national games Springfield WRSP-TV Preseason and Fox regional/national games South Bend WSBT-TV Preseason and CBS regional/national games Statistics and records Patrick Mannelly holds the record for the most seasons in a Bears uniform with 16.[223] On the other hand, Steve McMichael holds the record for most consecutive games played by a Bear with 191;[223] he accomplished the feat from 1981 to 1993. In second place is Payton, who played 186 games from 1975 to 1987 at running back, a position considered to be conducive to injury, only missing one game in a span of 13 seasons. Kicker Robbie Gould became the Bears' all-time scoring leader in Week 5 of 2015 season[224] overtaking placekicker Kevin Butler who previously held the club record[223] for scoring the most points in his ten-year Bear career. He scored 1,116 points as the Bears kicker from 1985 to 1995. He is followed by running back Walter Payton, with 750 points. Payton holds the team record for career rushing yards with 16,726.[223] That was an NFL record until Emmitt Smith of the Dallas Cowboys broke it in 2002. Former Bears running back Matt Forte, who started playing for the Bears in 2008, is the closest to Payton's record with 6,985 yards. Forte also holds the team's single season record for rookies in rushing attempts, rushing yards and receptions. Mark Bortz holds the record for most Bear playoff appearances, with 13 between 1983 and 1994, and is followed by Kevin Butler, Dennis Gentry, Dan Hampton, Jay Hilgenberg, Steve McMichael, Ron Rivera, Mike Singletary, and Keith Van Horne, who have each played in 12 playoff games. The 1940 Chicago Bears team holds the record for the biggest margin of victory in an NFL game, including both playoff and regular season games, with a 73–0 victory over the Washington Redskins in the 1940 NFL Championship Game. The largest home victory for the Bears came in a 61–7 result against the Green Bay Packers in 1980. The largest defeat in club history was a 52–0 loss against the Baltimore Colts in 1964. The club recorded undefeated regular seasons in 1934 and 1942; unlike the 1972 Miami Dolphins, however, they did not win the championship game in either season. In 1934, the club completed a 13–0 record but were defeated by the New York Giants, and in 1942 the club completed an 11–0 record but were defeated by the Redskins. Had the Bears won either championship, the club would have completed a championship three-peat – a feat completed only by the Packers (twice), although no team has done it since the AFL-NFL merger.[225] Halas holds the team record for coaching the most seasons with 40 and for having the most career victories of 324. Halas' victories record stood until Don Shula surpassed Halas in 1993. Ditka is the closest Bears coach to Halas, with 112 career victories. No other Bears coach has recorded over 100 victories with the team.[223] During the 2006 season, return specialist Devin Hester set several kick return records. He currently holds the franchise record for most return yards with 2,261.[226] He had six touchdown returns, setting a record for most returns in a single season.[227] In 2007, he recorded another six touchdown season from returns. One of the most notable of these returns came on November 12, 2006, when he returned a missed field goal for a 108-yard touchdown.[228] The record tied former teammate Nathan Vasher's previous record, which was set almost a year earlier.[229] Hester set a Super Bowl record as the first player to return an opening kick of a Super Bowl for a touchdown.[230] On December 20, 2010, Hester set an NFL record for most touchdowns on a punt or kickoff return with his 14th career return coming against the Minnesota Vikings. In 2011, Hester broke the record for the most punt returns against the Carolina Panthers. In 2012, Charles Tillman set the record for most forced fumbles in a single game with 4 against the Tennessee Titans. Against the Titans, Chicago became the first team in league history to score a touchdown pass, a touchdown run, an interception return for a touchdown, and a blocked kick/punt for a score in the same quarter.[231] Tillman and teammate Lance Briggs became the first pair in NFL history to return an interception for a touchdown in consecutive games against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Dallas Cowboys.[232] Season-by-season results Main article: List of Chicago Bears seasons This is a partial list of the Bears' last five completed seasons. For the full season-by-season franchise results, see List of Chicago Bears seasons. Note: The Finish, Wins, Losses, and Ties columns list regular season results and exclude any postseason play. Super Bowl champions (1970–present) Conference champions Division champions Wild Card berth As of January 8, 2023 Season Team League Conference Division Regular season Postseason results Awards Finish Wins Losses Ties 2019 2019 NFL NFC North 3rd 8 8 0 — — 2020 2020 NFL NFC North 2nd 8 8 0 Lost to New Orleans Saints in NFC Wild Card Game. — 2021 2021 NFL NFC North 3rd 6 11 0 — — 2022 2022 NFL NFC North 4th 3 14 0 — — 2023 2023 NFL NFC North 4th 7 10 0 — — Records Main article: List of Chicago Bears team records All-time Bears leaders Leader Player Record Years with Bears Passing Jay Cutler 23,443 passing yards 2009–2016 Rushing Walter Payton 16,726 rushing yards 1975–1987 Receiving Johnny Morris 5,059 receiving yards 1958–1967 Points Robbie Gould 1,142 points 2005–2015 Coaching Wins George Halas 318 wins 1920–1929, 1933–1942 1946–1955, 1958–1967 Players of note Further information: List of Chicago Bears players Current roster Chicago Bears rosterviewtalkedit Quarterbacks 17 Tyson Bagent  1 Justin Fields Running backs 35 Khari Blasingame FB 24 Khalil Herbert 20 Travis Homer 23 Roschon Johnson Wide receivers 12 Velus Jones Jr.  2 D. J. Moore 13 Tyler Scott Tight ends 85 Cole Kmet Offensive linemen 75 Larry Borom T 69 Ja'Tyre Carter G 64 Nate Davis G 76 Teven Jenkins G 70 Braxton Jones T 58 Darnell Wright T Defensive linemen 97 Andrew Billings DT 99 Gervon Dexter DT 96 Zacch Pickens DT 90 Dominique Robinson DE 98 Montez Sweat DE 95 DeMarcus Walker DE Linebackers 49 Tremaine Edmunds MLB 53 T. J. Edwards OLB 57 Jack Sanborn OLB 44 Noah Sewell MLB Defensive backs  9 Jaquan Brisker SS  6 Kyler Gordon CB 22 Elijah Hicks FS 26 Quindell Johnson SS 31 Jaylon Jones CB 32 Terell Smith CB 29 Tyrique Stevenson CB Special teams 16 Trenton Gill P  8 Cairo Santos K Reserve lists 47 Micah Baskerville MLB (Futures) 88 Stephen Carlson TE (Futures) 63 Jerome Carvin G (Futures) 25 Adrian Colbert FS (Futures) -- Douglas Coleman III SS (Futures) 74 Aviante Collins T (Futures) 72 Michael Dwumfour DT (Futures) 92 Daniel Hardy DE (Futures) 52 Khalid Kareem DE (Futures) 68 Doug Kramer C (Futures) -- Cameron Lyons LS (Futures) 78 Roy Mbaeteka T (Futures) 60 Bill Murray G (Futures) -- Corliss Waitman P (Futures) 83 Nsimba Webster WR (Futures) Unrestricted FAs 55 Dylan Cole OLB 67 Dan Feeney G 21 D'Onta Foreman RB 94 Rasheem Green DE 33 Jaylon Johnson CB 93 Justin Jones DT 84 Marcedes Lewis TE 11 Darnell Mooney WR 91 Yannick Ngakoue DE 62 Lucas Patrick C 14 Nathan Peterman QB 48 Patrick Scales LS 19 Equanimeous St. Brown WR 27 Greg Stroman CB 15 Trent Taylor WR 18 Robert Tonyan TE Restricted FAs 80 Collin Johnson WR Exclusive-Rights FAs 39 Josh Blackwell CB -- Joe Reed WR Rookies in italics Roster updated February 22, 2024 Depth chartTransactions 35 active, 15 inactive, 19 free agent(s) → AFC rosters → NFC rosters Pro Football Hall of Famers Main article: List of Chicago Bears in the Pro Football Hall of Fame In the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Bears have the most enshrined primary members with 32; the club also has had eight Hall of Famers spend a minor portion of their career with the franchise.[233] Founder, owner, head coach, and player George Halas, halfback Bronko Nagurski, and Red Grange were a part of the original class of inductees in 1963. The franchise saw 14 individuals inducted into the Hall of Fame from 1963 to 1967. Offensive tackle Jim Covert and defensive end Ed Sprinkle are the most recent Chicago Bear inductees, both being inducted as seniors as part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's centennial class of 2020.[234] In 2023 Chuck Howley, who only played minor portion of his career with the Bears, was elected as a Seniors candidate.[235] In addition, Ray Bray was enshrined in Helms Athletic Foundation Pro Football Hall of Fame, which was established in 1950 and preceded the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He's the only Bears member from the Helms Athletic Foundation hall to not be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame Main article: Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame The Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame was founded in 1979 and honors sports greats associated with the Chicago metropolitan area.[236] As of 2023, there are 59 honorees enshrined in the hall with connection to the Bears.[237] Retired numbers The Bears have retired 14 uniform numbers, which is the most in the NFL, and ranks fourth behind the basketball Boston Celtics (23), baseball New York Yankees (21), and hockey Montreal Canadiens (15) for the most in major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. The Bears retired Mike Ditka's number 89 jersey on December 9, 2013.[238] It is the last number that the Bears retired.[239] Chicago Bears retired numbers Bronko Nagurski FB/LB/T 1930–1937, 1943 Minnesota George McAfee RB/DB/PR 1940–1941, 1945–1950 Duke George Halas End/HC Owner/Founder 1920–1983 Illinois Willie Galimore RB 1957–1963 Florida A&M Walter Payton RB 1975–1987 Jackson State Gale Sayers RB/KR 1965–1971 Kansas Brian Piccolo RB/FB 1965–1969 Wake Forest Sid Luckman QB/DB/P 1939–1950 Columbia Dick Butkus MLB 1965–1973 Illinois Bill Hewitt End 1932–1936 Michigan Bill George MG/MLB 1952–1965 Wake Forest Clyde Turner C/LB 1940–1952 Hardin-Simmons Red Grange RB/DB 1925, 1929–1934 Illinois Mike Ditka TE 1961–1966 Pittsburgh Top 100 greatest Bears of all-time In honor of the team's centennial anniversary, on May 20, 2019, the Chicago Bears unveiled the Top 100 players in franchise history, as voted on by Hall of Fame writers Don Pierson and Dan Pompei, two of the most famous journalists that have ever covered the club in their long history.[240] At the time of the publish, the list included 27 Pro Football Hall of Famers, while two more inductees would join in the 2020 Centennial class (Jim Covert and Ed Sprinkle). Among the 100 Greatest, four active players made the list, including safety Eddie Jackson (96), defensive lineman Akiem Hicks (75), offensive lineman Kyle Long (74) and Khalil Mack (60), who had only played only one season with the team at the time of the unveiling of the list. Long would retire the following year. On a later date, Chicagobears.com released a list titled "Top 10: Best of the rest" that featured the "top 10 snubs" from the centennial list. The players include (in a following order): Alex Brown, Thomas Jones, Dave Whitsell, Curtis Conway, Tim Jennings, Leslie Frazier, Roberto Garza, Marty Booker, Nathan Vasher and William Perry.[241] Pompei would later say that the last two players who didn't make the list were Brown and Frazier.[242] # Name Position Years 1 Walter Payton𝙝𝙤𝙛 RB 1975–1987 2 Dick Butkus𝙝𝙤𝙛 LB 1965–1973 3 Bronko Nagurski𝙝𝙤𝙛 FB/LB/T 1930–1937, 1943 4 Sid Luckman𝙝𝙤𝙛 QB/P/DB 1939–1950 5 Gale Sayers𝙝𝙤𝙛 RB 1965–1971 6 Mike Ditka𝙝𝙤𝙛 TE 1961–1966 7 Bill George𝙝𝙤𝙛 LB 1952–1965 8 Clyde "Bulldog" Turner𝙝𝙤𝙛 C/LB 1940–1952 9 Doug Atkins𝙝𝙤𝙛 DE 1955–1966 10 Danny Fortmann𝙝𝙤𝙛 OG 1936–1943 11 Dan Hampton𝙝𝙤𝙛 DE/DT 1979–1990 12 Richard Dent𝙝𝙤𝙛 DE 1983–1993, 1995 13 Jim Covert𝙝𝙤𝙛 OT 1983–1990 14 Brian Urlacher𝙝𝙤𝙛 LB 2000–2012 15 Mike Singletary𝙝𝙤𝙛 LB 1981–1992 16 Bill Hewitt𝙝𝙤𝙛 E 1932–1936 17 Stan Jones𝙝𝙤𝙛 OG/DT 1954–1965 18 Jay Hilgenbergvg C/LS 1981–1991 19 Steve McMichael𝙝𝙤𝙛 DT 1981–1993 20 Devin Hester𝙝𝙤𝙛 KR/PR/WR 2006–2013 21 Joe Stydahar𝙝𝙤𝙛 OT 1936–1942 1945–1946 22 George Connor𝙝𝙤𝙛 T/LB 1948–1955 23 George McAfee𝙝𝙤𝙛 HB/DB 1940–1941 1945–1950 24 Joe Fortunatovg LB 1955–1966 25 Ed Sprinkle𝙝𝙤𝙛 DE 1944–1955 26 Ed Healey𝙝𝙤𝙛 OT/DT 1922–1927 27 Olin Kreutz C 1998–2010 28 Lance Briggs LB 2003–2014 29 Rick Casaresvg FB 1955–1964 30 Gary Fencik S 1976–1987 31 Charles Tillman CB 2003–2014 32 Paddy Driscoll𝙝𝙤𝙛 HB/QB/P 1920, 1926–1929 33 George Trafton𝙝𝙤𝙛 C 1920–1932 34 Matt Forte RB 2008–2015 35 George Musso𝙝𝙤𝙛 OG 1933–1944 36 Red Grange𝙝𝙤𝙛 HB/DB 1925, 1929–1934 37 George Halas𝙝𝙤𝙛 E 1920–1929 38 Link Lyman𝙝𝙤𝙛 T 1926–1928 1930–1931 1933–1934 39 Harlon Hillvg FL 1954–1961 40 Ken Kavanaughvg E 1940–1941 1945–1950 41 Neal Anderson RB 1986–1993 42 Richie Petitbonvg S 1959–1968 43 Wilber Marshall LB 1984–1987 44 Johnny Morris FL 1958–1967 45 Otis Wilson LB 1980–1987 46 Doug Buffone LB 1966–1979 47 Dave Duerson S 1983–1989 48 Fred Williams DT 1952–1963 49 Ray BrayHAF OG 1939–1942 1946–1951 50 Mark Bortz OG 1983–1994 # Name Position Years 51 Keith Van Horne OT 1981–1993 52 Joe Kopcha OG 1929, 1932–1935 53 Jim McMahon QB 1982–1988 54 Ed Brown QB/P 1954–1961 55 Johnny Lujack QB/DB 1948–1951 56 Roosevelt Taylor CB 1961–1969 57 Jim Osborne DT 1972–1984 58 Wally Chambers DT 1973–1977 59 Julius Peppers𝙝𝙤𝙛 DE 2010–2013 60 Khalil Mack LB 2018–2021 61 Willie Galimore𝐟 HB 1957–1963 62 Robbie Gould K 2005–2015 63 Mike Brown S 2000–2008 64 James "Big Cat" Williams OT 1991–2002 65 Dick Gordon WR 1965–1971 66 Mike Hartenstine DE 1975–1986 67 Ed O'Bradovich DE 1962–1971 68 Dick Barwegen OG 1950–1952 69 Bill Wade QB 1961–1966 70 Matt Suhey FB 1980–1989 71 Kevin Butler K 1985–1995 72 Mark Carrier S 1990–1996 73 Tommie Harris DT 2004–2010 74 Kyle Long OG 2013–2019 75 Akiem Hicks DT 2016–2021 76 J.C. Caroline DB 1956–1965 77 Bennie McRae DB 1962–1970 78 Donnell Woolford CB 1989–1996 79 Dennis McKinnon WR/KR 1983–1985 1987–1989 80 Alshon Jeffery WR 2012–2016 81 Brandon Marshall WR 2012–2014 82 George Blanda𝙝𝙤𝙛 QB/K 1949–1958 83 Willie Gault WR 1983–1987 84 Tom Thayer OG 1985–1992 85 Jay Cutler QB 2009–2016 86 Allan Ellis CB 1973–1977 1979–1980 87 Luke Johnsos E 1929–1936 88 Joey Sternaman QB/HB/K 1922–1925 1927–1930 89 Mike Pyle C 1961–1969 90 Beattie Feathers𝐟 HB 1934–1937 91 Bob Wetoska OT 1960–1969 92 Bill Osmanski FB 1939–1943 1946–1947 93 Herm Lee OT 1958–1966 94 Jim Dooley FL/DB 1952–1954 1956–1957 1959–1962 95 Larry Morris LB 1959–1965 96 Eddie Jackson S 2017–present 97 Bobby Joe Green P 1962–1973 98 Trace Armstrong DE 1989–1994 99 Doug Plank S 1975–1982 100 Patrick Mannelly LS 1998–2013  𝙝𝙤𝙛   Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee.  𝐟   Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist.  HAF   Helms Athletic Foundation Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee.[c]  vg   PFRA Hall of Very Good inductee.[243] All-Time Team During the week of June 3, 2019 the All-Time Team was announced in parts each day starting with the All-Time defensive players,[244] followed by the All-Time specialists[245] and then the All-Time offensive players.[246] Bold indicates those elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Larry Mayer of the Chicagobears.com would later state, that according to the voters "if they had included a long-snapper on the team it would have been Patrick Mannelly".[247] Offense Position Player Tenure Honors* QB Sid Luckman 1939–1950 4× NFL champion (1940, 1941, 1943, 1946) NFL Most Valuable Player (1943) NFL 1940s All-Decade Team Chicago Bears No. 42 retired FB Bronko Nagurski 1930–1937, 1943 3× NFL champion (1932, 1933, 1943) NFL 1930s All-Decade Team NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team Chicago Bears No. 3 retired RB Walter Payton 1975–1987 Super Bowl champion (XX) 2× NFL Most Valuable Player (1977, 1985) NFL 1970s All-Decade Team NFL 1980s All-Decade Team NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team Chicago Bears No. 34 retired WR Harlon Hill 1954–1961 NFL MVP (1955) Ken Kavanaugh 1940–1941, 1945–1950 3× NFL champion (1940, 1941, 1946) NFL 1940s All-Decade Team TE Mike Ditka 1961–1966 NFL champion (1963) NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team Chicago Bears No. 89 retired OT Joe Stydahar 1936–1942, 1945–1946 3x NFL champion (1940, 1942, 1946) NFL 1930s All-Decade Team Jim Covert 1983–1990 Super Bowl champion (XX) NFL 1980s All-Decade Team G Stan Jones 1954–1965 NFL champion (1963) Sporting News 1950's All-Decade Team Danny Fortmann 1936–1943 3× NFL champion (1940, 1941, 1943) NFL 1930s All-Decade Team Sports Illustrated 1940s All-Decade Team NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team C Clyde "Bulldog" Turner 1940–1952 4× NFL champion (1940, 1941, 1943, 1946) NFL 1940s All-Decade Team Chicago Bears No. 66 retired Defense Position Player Tenure Honors* DE Doug Atkins 1955–1966 NFL champion (1963) NFL 1960s All-Decade Team NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team Richard Dent 1983–1993, 1995 Super Bowl champion (XX) Super Bowl MVP (XX) DT Dan Hampton 1979–1990 Super Bowl champion (XX) NFL 1980s All-Decade Team Steve McMichael 1981–1993 Super Bowl champion (XX) PFR 1980's All-Decade Team MLB Dick Butkus 1965–1973 2× NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1969, 1970) NFL 1960s All-Decade Team NFL 1970s All-Decade Team NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team Chicago Bears No. 51 retired OLB George Connor 1948–1955 NFL 1940s All-Decade Team Joe Fortunato 1955–1966 NFL champion (1963) NFL 1950s All-Decade Team CB George McAfee 1940–1941, 1945–1950 3× NFL champion (1940, 1941, 1946) NFL 1940s All-Decade Team Chicago Bears No. 5 retired Charles Tillman 2003–2014 S Gary Fencik 1976–1987 Super Bowl champion (XX) PFR 1980's All-Decade Team Richie Petitbon 1959–1968 NFL champion (1963) Special teams Position Player Tenure Honors* P Bobby Joe Green 1962–1973 PK Robbie Gould 2005–2015 PR Devin Hester 2006–2013 3× Special Teams Player of the Year (2006, 2007, 2010) NFL 2000s All-Decade Team (PR) NFL 2010s All-Decade Team (KR) NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team KR Gale Sayers 1965–1971 NFL 1960s All-Decade Team NFL 50th Anniversary All-Time Team NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team Chicago Bears No. 40 retired * As a Chicago Bear Coaching staff For a more in-depth look into the history of the head coaches of the Bears, see List of Chicago Bears head coaches. Chicago Bears staffvte Front office Secretary of the board of directors – Virginia Halas McCaskey Chairman – George McCaskey President/CEO – Kevin Warren General manager – Ryan Poles Assistant general manager – Ian Cunningham Co-directors of player personnel – Jeff King and Trey Koziol Assistant director of pro scouting – Chris White Assistant director of college scouting – Breck Ackley Director of football administration – Matt Feinstein Director of football analytics – Krithi Chandrakasan Head coaches Head coach – Matt Eberflus Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Shane Waldron Offensive passing game coordinator – Thomas Brown Quarterbacks – Kerry Joseph Running backs – Chad Morton Wide receivers – Chris Beatty Tight ends – Jim Dray Offensive line/offensive run game coordinator – Chris Morgan Assistant offensive line – Jason Houghtaling Offensive assistant (quarterbacks/wide receivers) – Ryan Griffin Offensive assistant (quarterbacks/wide receivers) – Robbie Picazo Offensive assistant (running backs) – Jennifer King Offensive quality control – Zach Cable   Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Eric Washington Defensive line – Travis Smith Assistant defensive line – Brian Bing Linebackers – Dave Borgonzi Cornerbacks/defensive passing game coordinator – Jon Hoke Nickelbacks – David Overstreet II Safeties – Andre Curtis Defensive quality control – Kevin Koch Defensive quality control – Kenny Norton III Defensive analyst (advance/special projects) – Matt Pees Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Richard Hightower Assistant special teams – Carlos Polk Coaching administration Director of research and analysis – Harrison Freid Coaching administration manager – Chavis Cook Strength and conditioning Head strength and conditioning – Jim Arthur Assistant strength and conditioning – Noble Landry Assistant strength and conditioning – Pierre Ngo Player engagement/strength and conditioning – Isaiah Harris → Coaching staff → Management → More NFL staffs Minor league affiliates Although the NFL never had a formal farm system, contrary to the four other major sports leagues in North America, over the years some teams had "independent" minor affiliates throughout their existence. The Bears, along with the New York Giants, were at the forefront of those endeavors when in 1939 Halas purchased the American Association's Newark Tornadoes and renamed them the "Bears".[248] Halas stocked the team with talent that did not make the Chicago roster, and used the club to incubate talent and for easy return for injured players, thus making it pro football's first true farm team.[249] Newark's most notable names included Joe Zeller as coach and Gene Ronzani (that year Chicago also assigned Sid Luckman to Newark playoff game, which the Bears won 13-6, to win the Southern Division title). This practice continued sporadically until 1972, and ended with the collapse of several minor leagues along with the NFL labor disputes in the 1970's.[250] Other notable players assigned includes: George Gulyanics, Ed Ecker, Lloyd Reese, Raymond Schumacher, Jack Karwales and Doug McEnulty. Team League Location Stadium Affiliated Newark Bears American Association Newark, New Jersey Newark Schools Stadium 1939–1941 Wichita Aero Commandos Indepandent Wichita, Kansas Lawrence Stadium 1942 Akron Bears[d] American Football League Akron, Ohio Rubber Bowl 1946[251] Bloomfield Cardinals American Football League Bloomfield, New Jersey Foley Field 1947[252] Richmond Rebels American Football League Richmond, Virginia City Stadium 1948-1950 Quad City Mohawks Midwest Professional Football League Davenport, Iowa Brady Street Stadium 1970-1972[253] Chicago (/ʃɪˈkɑːɡoʊ/ ⓘ shih-KAH-goh, locally also /ʃɪˈkɔːɡoʊ/ shih-KAW-goh;[7] Miami-Illinois: Shikaakwa; Ojibwe: Zhigaagong) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and the third-most populous in the United States after New York City and Los Angeles. With a population of 2,746,388 in the 2020 census,[8] it is also the most populous city in the Midwest. As the seat of Cook County, the second-most populous county in the U.S., Chicago is the center of the Chicago metropolitan area. Located on the shore of Lake Michigan, Chicago was incorporated as a city in 1837 near a portage between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River watershed. It grew rapidly in the mid-19th century.[9][10] In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire destroyed several square miles and left more than 100,000 homeless,[11] but Chicago's population continued to grow.[10] Chicago made noted contributions to urban planning and architecture, such as the Chicago School, the development of the City Beautiful Movement, and the steel-framed skyscraper.[12][13] Chicago is an international hub for finance, culture, commerce, industry, education, technology, telecommunications, and transportation. It has the largest and most diverse derivatives market in the world, generating 20% of all volume in commodities and financial futures alone.[14] O'Hare International Airport is routinely ranked among the world's top six busiest airports by passenger traffic,[15] and the region is also the nation's railroad hub.[16] The Chicago area has one of the highest gross domestic products (GDP) in the world, generating $689 billion in 2018.[17] Chicago's economy is diverse, with no single industry employing more than 14% of the workforce.[14] Chicago is a major tourist destination. Chicago's culture has contributed much to the visual arts, literature, film, theater, comedy (especially improvisational comedy), food, dance, and music (particularly jazz, blues, soul, hip-hop, gospel,[18] and electronic dance music, including house music). Chicago is home to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Lyric Opera of Chicago, while the Art Institute of Chicago provides an influential visual arts museum and art school. The Chicago area also hosts the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and the University of Illinois Chicago, among other institutions of learning. Chicago has professional sports teams in each of the major professional leagues, including two Major League Baseball teams. Etymology and nicknames Main article: Nicknames of Chicago See also: Windy City (nickname) and List of Chicago placename etymologies The name Chicago is derived from a French rendering of the indigenous Miami-Illinois word shikaakwa for a wild relative of the onion; it is known to botanists as Allium tricoccum and known more commonly as "ramps". The first known reference to the site of the current city of Chicago as "Checagou" was by Robert de LaSalle around 1679 in a memoir.[19] Henri Joutel, in his journal of 1688, noted that the eponymous wild "garlic" grew profusely in the area.[20] According to his diary of late September 1687: ... when we arrived at the said place called "Chicagou" which, according to what we were able to learn of it, has taken this name because of the quantity of garlic which grows in the forests in this region.[20] The city has had several nicknames throughout its history, such as the Windy City, Chi-Town, Second City, and City of the Big Shoulders.[21] History Main article: History of Chicago For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Chicago history. Beginnings Traditional Potawatomi regalia on display at the Field Museum of Natural History In the mid-18th century, the area was inhabited by the Potawatomi, an indigenous tribe who had succeeded the Miami and Sauk and Fox peoples in this region.[22] An artist's rendering of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 Home Insurance Building (1885) Court of Honor at the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893 The first known permanent settler in Chicago was trader Jean Baptiste Point du Sable. Du Sable was of African descent, perhaps born in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (Haiti), and established the settlement in the 1780s. He is commonly known as the "Founder of Chicago".[23][24][25] In 1795, following the victory of the new United States in the Northwest Indian War, an area that was to be part of Chicago was turned over to the U.S. for a military post by native tribes in accordance with the Treaty of Greenville. In 1803, the U.S. Army constructed Fort Dearborn, which was destroyed during the War of 1812 in the Battle of Fort Dearborn by the Potawatomi before being later rebuilt.[26] After the War of 1812, the Ottawa, Ojibwe, and Potawatomi tribes ceded additional land to the United States in the 1816 Treaty of St. Louis. The Potawatomi were forcibly removed from their land after the 1833 Treaty of Chicago and sent west of the Mississippi River as part of the federal policy of Indian removal.[27][28][29] 19th century The location and course of the Illinois and Michigan Canal (completed 1848) Duration: 50 seconds.0:50 State and Madison streets, once known as the busiest intersection in the world (1897) On August 12, 1833, the Town of Chicago was organized with a population of about 200.[29] Within seven years it grew to more than 6,000 people. On June 15, 1835, the first public land sales began with Edmund Dick Taylor as Receiver of Public Monies. The City of Chicago was incorporated on Saturday, March 4, 1837,[30] and for several decades was the world's fastest-growing city.[31] As the site of the Chicago Portage,[32] the city became an important transportation hub between the eastern and western United States. Chicago's first railway, Galena and Chicago Union Railroad, and the Illinois and Michigan Canal opened in 1848. The canal allowed steamboats and sailing ships on the Great Lakes to connect to the Mississippi River.[33][34][35][36] A flourishing economy brought residents from rural communities and immigrants from abroad. Manufacturing and retail and finance sectors became dominant, influencing the American economy.[37] The Chicago Board of Trade (established 1848) listed the first-ever standardized "exchange-traded" forward contracts, which were called futures contracts.[38] In the 1850s, Chicago gained national political prominence as the home of Senator Stephen Douglas, the champion of the Kansas–Nebraska Act and the "popular sovereignty" approach to the issue of the spread of slavery.[39] These issues also helped propel another Illinoisan, Abraham Lincoln, to the national stage. Lincoln was nominated in Chicago for U.S. president at the 1860 Republican National Convention, which was held in a purpose-built auditorium called the Wigwam. He defeated Douglas in the general election, and this set the stage for the American Civil War. To accommodate rapid population growth and demand for better sanitation, the city improved its infrastructure. In February 1856, Chicago's Common Council approved Chesbrough's plan to build the United States' first comprehensive sewerage system.[40] The project raised much of central Chicago to a new grade with the use of jackscrews for raising buildings.[41] While elevating Chicago, and at first improving the city's health, the untreated sewage and industrial waste now flowed into the Chicago River, and subsequently into Lake Michigan, polluting the city's primary freshwater source. The city responded by tunneling two miles (3.2 km) out into Lake Michigan to newly built water cribs. In 1900, the problem of sewage contamination was largely resolved when the city completed a major engineering feat. It reversed the flow of the Chicago River so that the water flowed away from Lake Michigan rather than into it. This project began with the construction and improvement of the Illinois and Michigan Canal, and was completed with the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal that connects to the Illinois River, which flows into the Mississippi River.[42][43][44] In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire destroyed an area about 4 miles (6.4 km) long and 1-mile (1.6 km) wide, a large section of the city at the time.[45][46][47] Much of the city, including railroads and stockyards, survived intact,[48] and from the ruins of the previous wooden structures arose more modern constructions of steel and stone. These set a precedent for worldwide construction.[49][50] During its rebuilding period, Chicago constructed the world's first skyscraper in 1885, using steel-skeleton construction.[51][52] The city grew significantly in size and population by incorporating many neighboring townships between 1851 and 1920, with the largest annexation happening in 1889, with five townships joining the city, including the Hyde Park Township, which now comprises most of the South Side of Chicago and the far southeast of Chicago, and the Jefferson Township, which now makes up most of Chicago's Northwest Side.[53] The desire to join the city was driven by municipal services that the city could provide its residents. Chicago's flourishing economy attracted huge numbers of new immigrants from Europe and migrants from the Eastern United States. Of the total population in 1900, more than 77% were either foreign-born or born in the United States of foreign parentage. Germans, Irish, Poles, Swedes, and Czechs made up nearly two-thirds of the foreign-born population (by 1900, whites were 98.1% of the city's population).[54][55] Labor conflicts followed the industrial boom and the rapid expansion of the labor pool, including the Haymarket affair on May 4, 1886, and in 1894 the Pullman Strike. Anarchist and socialist groups played prominent roles in creating very large and highly organized labor actions. Concern for social problems among Chicago's immigrant poor led Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr to found Hull House in 1889.[56] Programs that were developed there became a model for the new field of social work.[57] During the 1870s and 1880s, Chicago attained national stature as the leader in the movement to improve public health. City laws and later, state laws that upgraded standards for the medical profession and fought urban epidemics of cholera, smallpox, and yellow fever were both passed and enforced. These laws became templates for public health reform in other cities and states.[58] The city established many large, well-landscaped municipal parks, which also included public sanitation facilities. The chief advocate for improving public health in Chicago was John H. Rauch, M.D. Rauch established a plan for Chicago's park system in 1866. He created Lincoln Park by closing a cemetery filled with shallow graves, and in 1867, in response to an outbreak of cholera he helped establish a new Chicago Board of Health. Ten years later, he became the secretary and then the president of the first Illinois State Board of Health, which carried out most of its activities in Chicago.[59] In the 1800s, Chicago became the nation's railroad hub, and by 1910 over 20 railroads operated passenger service out of six different downtown terminals.[60][61] In 1883, Chicago's railway managers needed a general time convention, so they developed the standardized system of North American time zones.[62] This system for telling time spread throughout the continent. In 1893, Chicago hosted the World's Columbian Exposition on former marshland at the present location of Jackson Park. The Exposition drew 27.5 million visitors, and is considered the most influential world's fair in history.[63][64] The University of Chicago, formerly at another location, moved to the same South Side location in 1892. The term "midway" for a fair or carnival referred originally to the Midway Plaisance, a strip of park land that still runs through the University of Chicago campus and connects the Washington and Jackson Parks.[65][66] 20th and 21st centuries Men outside a soup kitchen during the Great Depression (1931) 1900 to 1939 Aerial motion film photography of Chicago in 1914 as filmed by A. Roy Knabenshue During World War I and the 1920s there was a major expansion in industry. The availability of jobs attracted African Americans from the Southern United States. Between 1910 and 1930, the African American population of Chicago increased dramatically, from 44,103 to 233,903.[67] This Great Migration had an immense cultural impact, called the Chicago Black Renaissance, part of the New Negro Movement, in art, literature, and music.[68] Continuing racial tensions and violence, such as the Chicago race riot of 1919, also occurred.[69] The ratification of the 18th amendment to the Constitution in 1919 made the production and sale (including exportation) of alcoholic beverages illegal in the United States. This ushered in the beginning of what is known as the gangster era, a time that roughly spans from 1919 until 1933 when Prohibition was repealed. The 1920s saw gangsters, including Al Capone, Dion O'Banion, Bugs Moran and Tony Accardo battle law enforcement and each other on the streets of Chicago during the Prohibition era.[70] Chicago was the location of the infamous St. Valentine's Day Massacre in 1929, when Al Capone sent men to gun down members of a rival gang, North Side, led by Bugs Moran.[71] Chicago was the first American city to have a homosexual-rights organization. The organization, formed in 1924, was called the Society for Human Rights. It produced the first American publication for homosexuals, Friendship and Freedom. Police and political pressure caused the organization to disband.[72] The Great Depression brought unprecedented suffering to Chicago, in no small part due to the city's heavy reliance on heavy industry. Notably, industrial areas on the south side and neighborhoods lining both branches of the Chicago River were devastated; by 1933 over 50% of industrial jobs in the city had been lost, and unemployment rates amongst blacks and Mexicans in the city were over 40%. The Republican political machine in Chicago was utterly destroyed by the economic crisis, and every mayor since 1931 has been a Democrat.[73] From 1928 to 1933, the city witnessed a tax revolt, and the city was unable to meet payroll or provide relief efforts. The fiscal crisis was resolved by 1933, and at the same time, federal relief funding began to flow into Chicago.[73] Chicago was also a hotbed of labor activism, with Unemployed Councils contributing heavily in the early depression to create solidarity for the poor and demand relief, these organizations were created by socialist and communist groups. By 1935 the Workers Alliance of America begun organizing the poor, workers, the unemployed. In the spring of 1937 Republic Steel Works witnessed the Memorial Day massacre of 1937 in the neighborhood of East Side. In 1933, Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak was fatally wounded in Miami, Florida, during a failed assassination attempt on President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1933 and 1934, the city celebrated its centennial by hosting the Century of Progress International Exposition World's Fair.[74] The theme of the fair was technological innovation over the century since Chicago's founding.[75] 1940 to 1979 The Chicago Picasso (1967) inspired a new era in urban public art. During World War II, the city of Chicago alone produced more steel than the United Kingdom every year from 1939 – 1945, and more than Nazi Germany from 1943 – 1945.[76] Protesters in Grant Park outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention The Great Migration, which had been on pause due to the Depression, resumed at an even faster pace in the second wave, as hundreds of thousands of blacks from the South arrived in the city to work in the steel mills, railroads, and shipping yards.[77] On December 2, 1942, physicist Enrico Fermi conducted the world's first controlled nuclear reaction at the University of Chicago as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project. This led to the creation of the atomic bomb by the United States, which it used in World War II in 1945.[78] Mayor Richard J. Daley, a Democrat, was elected in 1955, in the era of machine politics. In 1956, the city conducted its last major expansion when it annexed the land under O'Hare airport, including a small portion of DuPage County.[79] By the 1960s, white residents in several neighborhoods left the city for the suburban areas – in many American cities, a process known as white flight – as Blacks continued to move beyond the Black Belt.[80] While home loan discriminatory redlining against blacks continued, the real estate industry practiced what became known as blockbusting, completely changing the racial composition of whole neighborhoods.[81] Structural changes in industry, such as globalization and job outsourcing, caused heavy job losses for lower-skilled workers. At its peak during the 1960s, some 250,000 workers were employed in the steel industry in Chicago, but the steel crisis of the 1970s and 1980s reduced this number to just 28,000 in 2015. In 1966, Martin Luther King Jr. and Albert Raby led the Chicago Freedom Movement, which culminated in agreements between Mayor Richard J. Daley and the movement leaders.[82] Two years later, the city hosted the tumultuous 1968 Democratic National Convention, which featured physical confrontations both inside and outside the convention hall, with anti-war protesters, journalists and bystanders being beaten by police.[83] Major construction projects, including the Sears Tower (now known as the Willis Tower, which in 1974 became the world's tallest building), University of Illinois at Chicago, McCormick Place, and O'Hare International Airport, were undertaken during Richard J. Daley's tenure.[84] In 1979, Jane Byrne, the city's first female mayor, was elected. She was notable for temporarily moving into the crime-ridden Cabrini-Green housing project and for leading Chicago's school system out of a financial crisis.[85] 1980 to present In 1983, Harold Washington became the first black mayor of Chicago. Washington's first term in office directed attention to poor and previously neglected minority neighborhoods. He was re‑elected in 1987 but died of a heart attack soon after.[86] Washington was succeeded by 6th ward alderperson Eugene Sawyer, who was elected by the Chicago City Council and served until a special election. Richard M. Daley, son of Richard J. Daley, was elected in 1989. His accomplishments included improvements to parks and creating incentives for sustainable development, as well as closing Meigs Field in the middle of the night and destroying the runways. After successfully running for re-election five times, and becoming Chicago's longest-serving mayor, Richard M. Daley declined to run for a seventh term.[87][88] In 1992, a construction accident near the Kinzie Street Bridge produced a breach connecting the Chicago River to a tunnel below, which was part of an abandoned freight tunnel system extending throughout the downtown Loop district. The tunnels filled with 250 million US gallons (1,000,000 m3) of water, affecting buildings throughout the district and forcing a shutdown of electrical power.[89] The area was shut down for three days and some buildings did not reopen for weeks; losses were estimated at $1.95 billion.[89] On February 23, 2011, Rahm Emanuel, a former White House Chief of Staff and member of the House of Representatives, won the mayoral election.[90] Emanuel was sworn in as mayor on May 16, 2011, and won re-election in 2015.[91] Lori Lightfoot, the city's first African American woman mayor and its first openly LGBTQ mayor, was elected to succeed Emanuel as mayor in 2019.[92] All three city-wide elective offices were held by women (and women of color) for the first time in Chicago history: in addition to Lightfoot, the city clerk was Anna Valencia and the city treasurer was Melissa Conyears-Ervin.[93] On May 15, 2023, Brandon Johnson assumed office as the 57th mayor of Chicago. Geography Main article: Geography of Chicago Chicago skyline at sunset in October 2020, from near Fullerton Avenue looking south Topography Aerial view of the Chicago Loop in 2012 Downtown and the North Side with beaches lining the waterfront A satellite image of Chicago Chicago is located in northeastern Illinois on the southwestern shores of freshwater Lake Michigan. It is the principal city in the Chicago metropolitan area, situated in both the Midwestern United States and the Great Lakes region. The city rests on a continental divide at the site of the Chicago Portage, connecting the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes watersheds. In addition to it lying beside Lake Michigan, two rivers—the Chicago River in downtown and the Calumet River in the industrial far South Side—flow either entirely or partially through the city.[94][95] Chicago's history and economy are closely tied to its proximity to Lake Michigan. While the Chicago River historically handled much of the region's waterborne cargo, today's huge lake freighters use the city's Lake Calumet Harbor on the South Side. The lake also provides another positive effect: moderating Chicago's climate, making waterfront neighborhoods slightly warmer in winter and cooler in summer.[96] When Chicago was founded in 1837, most of the early building was around the mouth of the Chicago River, as can be seen on a map of the city's original 58 blocks.[97] The overall grade of the city's central, built-up areas is relatively consistent with the natural flatness of its overall natural geography, generally exhibiting only slight differentiation otherwise. The average land elevation is 579 ft (176.5 m) above sea level. While measurements vary somewhat,[98] the lowest points are along the lake shore at 578 ft (176.2 m), while the highest point, at 672 ft (205 m), is the morainal ridge of Blue Island in the city's far south side.[99] Lake Shore Drive runs adjacent to a large portion of Chicago's waterfront. Some of the parks along the waterfront include Lincoln Park, Grant Park, Burnham Park, and Jackson Park. There are 24 public beaches across 26 miles (42 km) of the waterfront.[100] Landfill extends into portions of the lake providing space for Navy Pier, Northerly Island, the Museum Campus, and large portions of the McCormick Place Convention Center. Most of the city's high-rise commercial and residential buildings are close to the waterfront. An informal name for the entire Chicago metropolitan area is "Chicagoland", which generally means the city and all its suburbs, though different organizations have slightly different definitions.[101][102][103] Communities See also: Community areas in Chicago and List of neighborhoods in Chicago Community areas of Chicago Major sections of the city include the central business district, called the Loop, and the North, South, and West Sides.[104] The three sides of the city are represented on the Flag of Chicago by three horizontal white stripes.[105] The North Side is the most-densely-populated residential section of the city, and many high-rises are located on this side of the city along the lakefront.[106] The South Side is the largest section of the city, encompassing roughly 60% of the city's land area. The South Side contains most of the facilities of the Port of Chicago.[107] In the late-1920s, sociologists at the University of Chicago subdivided the city into 77 distinct community areas, which can further be subdivided into over 200 informally defined neighborhoods.[108][109] Streetscape Main article: Roads and expressways in Chicago Chicago's streets were laid out in a street grid that grew from the city's original townsite plot, which was bounded by Lake Michigan on the east, North Avenue on the north, Wood Street on the west, and 22nd Street on the south.[110] Streets following the Public Land Survey System section lines later became arterial streets in outlying sections. As new additions to the city were platted, city ordinance required them to be laid out with eight streets to the mile in one direction and sixteen in the other direction, about one street per 200 meters in one direction and one street per 100 meters in the other direction. The grid's regularity provided an efficient means of developing new real estate property. A scattering of diagonal streets, many of them originally Native American trails, also cross the city (Elston, Milwaukee, Ogden, Lincoln, etc.). Many additional diagonal streets were recommended in the Plan of Chicago, but only the extension of Ogden Avenue was ever constructed.[111] In 2016, Chicago was ranked the sixth-most walkable large city in the United States.[112] Many of the city's residential streets have a wide patch of grass or trees between the street and the sidewalk itself. This helps to keep pedestrians on the sidewalk further away from the street traffic. Chicago's Western Avenue is the longest continuous urban street in the world.[113] Other notable streets include Michigan Avenue, State Street, 95th Street, Cicero Avenue, Clark Street, and Belmont Avenue. The City Beautiful movement inspired Chicago's boulevards and parkways.[114] Architecture Main article: Architecture of Chicago Further information: List of tallest buildings in Chicago and List of Chicago Landmarks The Chicago Building (1904–05) is a prime example of the Chicago School, displaying both variations of the Chicago window. The destruction caused by the Great Chicago Fire led to the largest building boom in the history of the nation. In 1885, the first steel-framed high-rise building, the Home Insurance Building, rose in the city as Chicago ushered in the skyscraper era,[52] which would then be followed by many other cities around the world.[115] Today, Chicago's skyline is among the world's tallest and densest.[116] Some of the United States' tallest towers are located in Chicago; Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) is the second tallest building in the Western Hemisphere after One World Trade Center, and Trump International Hotel and Tower is the third tallest in the country.[117] The Loop's historic buildings include the Chicago Board of Trade Building, the Fine Arts Building, 35 East Wacker, and the Chicago Building, 860-880 Lake Shore Drive Apartments by Mies van der Rohe. Many other architects have left their impression on the Chicago skyline such as Daniel Burnham, Louis Sullivan, Charles B. Atwood, John Root, and Helmut Jahn.[118][119] The Merchandise Mart, once first on the list of largest buildings in the world, currently listed as 44th-largest 2013 as September 9, 2013, had its own zip code until 2008, and stands near the junction of the North and South branches of the Chicago River.[120] Presently, the four tallest buildings in the city are Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower, also a building with its own zip code), Trump International Hotel and Tower, the Aon Center (previously the Standard Oil Building), and the John Hancock Center. Industrial districts, such as some areas on the South Side, the areas along the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, and the Northwest Indiana area are clustered.[121] Chicago gave its name to the Chicago School and was home to the Prairie School, two movements in architecture.[122] Multiple kinds and scales of houses, townhouses, condominiums, and apartment buildings can be found throughout Chicago. Large swaths of the city's residential areas away from the lake are characterized by brick bungalows built from the early 20th century through the end of World War II. Chicago is also a prominent center of the Polish Cathedral style of church architecture. The Chicago suburb of Oak Park was home to famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, who had designed The Robie House located near the University of Chicago.[123][124] A popular tourist activity is to take an architecture boat tour along the Chicago River.[125] Monuments and public art Replica of Daniel Chester French's Statue of The Republic at the site of the World's Columbian Exposition Main article: List of public art in Chicago Chicago is famous for its outdoor public art with donors establishing funding for such art as far back as Benjamin Ferguson's 1905 trust.[126] A number of Chicago's public art works are by modern figurative artists. Among these are Chagall's Four Seasons; the Chicago Picasso; Miro's Chicago; Calder's Flamingo; Oldenburg's Batcolumn; Moore's Large Interior Form, 1953-54, Man Enters the Cosmos and Nuclear Energy; Dubuffet's Monument with Standing Beast, Abakanowicz's Agora; and, Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate which has become an icon of the city. Some events which shaped the city's history have also been memorialized by art works, including the Great Northern Migration (Saar) and the centennial of statehood for Illinois. Finally, two fountains near the Loop also function as monumental works of art: Plensa's Crown Fountain as well as Burnham and Bennett's Buckingham Fountain.[127][128] Climate Main article: Climate of Chicago Chicago, Illinois Climate chart (explanation) J F M A M J J A S O N D   2.1  3218   1.9  3622   2.7  4731   3.6  5942   4.1  7052   4.1  8062   4  8568   4  8366   3.3  7558   3.2  6346   3.4  4935   2.6  3523 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches Metric conversion The Chicago River during the January 2014 cold wave The city lies within the typical hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfa), and experiences four distinct seasons.[129][130][131] Summers are hot and humid, with frequent heat waves. The July daily average temperature is 75.4 °F (24.1 °C), with afternoon temperatures peaking at 84.5 °F (29.2 °C). In a normal summer, temperatures reach at least 90 °F (32 °C) on 17 days, with lakefront locations staying cooler when winds blow off the lake. Winters are relatively cold and snowy. Blizzards do occur, such as in winter 2011.[132] There are many sunny but cold days. The normal winter high from December through March is about 36 °F (2 °C). January and February are the coldest months. A polar vortex in January 2019 nearly broke the city's cold record of −27 °F (−33 °C), which was set on January 20, 1985.[133][134][135] Measurable snowfall can continue through the first or second week of April.[136] Spring and autumn are mild, short seasons, typically with low humidity. Dew point temperatures in the summer range from an average of 55.8 °F (13.2 °C) in June to 61.7 °F (16.5 °C) in July.[137] They can reach nearly 80 °F (27 °C), such as during the July 2019 heat wave. The city lies within USDA plant hardiness zone 6a, transitioning to 5b in the suburbs.[138] According to the National Weather Service, Chicago's highest official temperature reading of 105 °F (41 °C) was recorded on July 24, 1934.[139] Midway Airport reached 109 °F (43 °C) one day prior and recorded a heat index of 125 °F (52 °C) during the 1995 heatwave.[140] The lowest official temperature of −27 °F (−33 °C) was recorded on January 20, 1985, at O'Hare Airport.[137][140] Most of the city's rainfall is brought by thunderstorms, averaging 38 a year. The region is prone to severe thunderstorms during the spring and summer which can produce large hail, damaging winds, and occasionally tornadoes.[141] Like other major cities, Chicago experiences an urban heat island, making the city and its suburbs milder than surrounding rural areas, especially at night and in winter. The proximity to Lake Michigan tends to keep the Chicago lakefront somewhat cooler in summer and less brutally cold in winter than inland parts of the city and suburbs away from the lake.[142] Northeast winds from wintertime cyclones departing south of the region sometimes bring the city lake-effect snow.[143] Climate data for Chicago (Midway Airport), 1991–2020 normals,[a] extremes 1928–present Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high °F (°C) 67 (19) 75 (24) 86 (30) 92 (33) 102 (39) 107 (42) 109 (43) 104 (40) 102 (39) 94 (34) 81 (27) 72 (22) 109 (43) Mean maximum °F (°C) 53.4 (11.9) 57.9 (14.4) 72.0 (22.2) 81.5 (27.5) 89.2 (31.8) 93.9 (34.4) 96.0 (35.6) 94.2 (34.6) 90.8 (32.7) 82.8 (28.2) 68.0 (20.0) 57.5 (14.2) 97.1 (36.2) Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 32.8 (0.4) 36.8 (2.7) 47.9 (8.8) 60.0 (15.6) 71.5 (21.9) 81.2 (27.3) 85.2 (29.6) 83.1 (28.4) 76.5 (24.7) 63.7 (17.6) 49.6 (9.8) 37.7 (3.2) 60.5 (15.8) Daily mean °F (°C) 26.2 (−3.2) 29.9 (−1.2) 39.9 (4.4) 50.9 (10.5) 61.9 (16.6) 71.9 (22.2) 76.7 (24.8) 75.0 (23.9) 67.8 (19.9) 55.3 (12.9) 42.4 (5.8) 31.5 (−0.3) 52.4 (11.3) Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 19.5 (−6.9) 22.9 (−5.1) 32.0 (0.0) 41.7 (5.4) 52.4 (11.3) 62.7 (17.1) 68.1 (20.1) 66.9 (19.4) 59.2 (15.1) 46.8 (8.2) 35.2 (1.8) 25.3 (−3.7) 44.4 (6.9) Mean minimum °F (°C) −3 (−19) 3.4 (−15.9) 14.1 (−9.9) 28.2 (−2.1) 39.1 (3.9) 49.3 (9.6) 58.6 (14.8) 57.6 (14.2) 45.0 (7.2) 31.8 (−0.1) 19.7 (−6.8) 5.3 (−14.8) −6.5 (−21.4) Record low °F (°C) −25 (−32) −20 (−29) −7 (−22) 10 (−12) 28 (−2) 35 (2) 46 (8) 43 (6) 29 (−2) 20 (−7) −3 (−19) −20 (−29) −25 (−32) Average precipitation inches (mm) 2.30 (58) 2.12 (54) 2.66 (68) 4.15 (105) 4.75 (121) 4.53 (115) 4.02 (102) 4.10 (104) 3.33 (85) 3.86 (98) 2.73 (69) 2.33 (59) 40.88 (1,038) Average snowfall inches (cm) 12.5 (32) 10.1 (26) 5.7 (14) 1.0 (2.5) 0.0 (0.0) 0.0 (0.0) 0.0 (0.0) 0.0 (0.0) 0.0 (0.0) 0.1 (0.25) 1.5 (3.8) 7.9 (20) 38.8 (99) Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) 7 (18) 7 (18) 4 (10) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 1 (2.5) 4 (10) 7 (18) Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 11.5 9.4 11.1 12.0 12.4 11.1 10.0 9.3 8.4 10.8 10.2 10.8 127.0 Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 8.9 6.4 3.9 0.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 1.6 6.3 28.2 Average ultraviolet index 1 2 4 6 7 9 9 8 6 4 2 1 5 Source 1: NOAA[144][137][140], WRCC[145] Source 2: Weather Atlas (UV)[146] Climate data for Chicago (O'Hare Int'l Airport), 1991–2020 normals,[a] extremes 1871–present[b] Sunshine data for Chicago Time zone As in the rest of the state of Illinois, Chicago forms part of the Central Time Zone. The border with the Eastern Time Zone is located a short distance to the east, used in Michigan and certain parts of Indiana. Demographics Main article: Demographics of Chicago Historical population Census Pop. Note %± 1840 4,470 — 1850 29,963 570.3% 1860 112,172 274.4% 1870 298,977 166.5% 1880 503,185 68.3% 1890 1,099,850 118.6% 1900 1,698,575 54.4% 1910 2,185,283 28.7% 1920 2,701,705 23.6% 1930 3,376,438 25.0% 1940 3,396,808 0.6% 1950 3,620,962 6.6% 1960 3,550,404 −1.9% 1970 3,366,957 −5.2% 1980 3,005,072 −10.7% 1990 2,783,726 −7.4% 2000 2,896,016 4.0% 2010 2,695,598 −6.9% 2020 2,746,388 1.9% 2021 (est.) 2,696,555 −1.8% United States Census Bureau[152] 2010–2020[8] During its first hundred years, Chicago was one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. When founded in 1833, fewer than 200 people had settled on what was then the American frontier. By the time of its first census, seven years later, the population had reached over 4,000. In the forty years from 1850 to 1890, the city's population grew from slightly under 30,000 to over 1 million. At the end of the 19th century, Chicago was the fifth-largest city in the world,[153] and the largest of the cities that did not exist at the dawn of the century. Within sixty years of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the population went from about 300,000 to over 3 million,[154] and reached its highest ever recorded population of 3.6 million for the 1950 census. From the last two decades of the 19th century, Chicago was the destination of waves of immigrants from Ireland, Southern, Central and Eastern Europe, including Italians, Jews, Russians, Poles, Greeks, Lithuanians, Bulgarians, Albanians, Romanians, Turkish, Croatians, Serbs, Bosnians, Montenegrins and Czechs.[155][156] To these ethnic groups, the basis of the city's industrial working class, were added an additional influx of African Americans from the American South—with Chicago's black population doubling between 1910 and 1920 and doubling again between 1920 and 1930.[155] Chicago has a significant Bosnian population, many of whom arrived in the 1990s and 2000s.[157] In the 1920s and 1930s, the great majority of African Americans moving to Chicago settled in a so‑called "Black Belt" on the city's South Side.[155] A large number of blacks also settled on the West Side. By 1930, two-thirds of Chicago's black population lived in sections of the city which were 90% black in racial composition.[155] Around that time, a lesser known fact about African Americans on the North Side is that the block of 4600 Winthrop Avenue in Uptown was the only block African Americans could live or open establishments.[158][159] Chicago's South Side emerged as United States second-largest urban black concentration, following New York's Harlem. In 1990, Chicago's South Side and the adjoining south suburbs constituted the largest black majority region in the entire United States.[155] Since the 1980s, Chicago has had a massive exodus of African Americans (primarily from the South Side) to its suburbs or outside its metropolitan area.[160] High crime and high cost of living were the leading reasons for the declining African American population in Chicago.[161][162][163] Most of Chicago's foreign-born population were born in Mexico, Poland and India.[164] Chicago's population declined in the latter half of the 20th century, from over 3.6 million in 1950 down to under 2.7 million by 2010. By the time of the official census count in 1990, it was overtaken by Los Angeles as the United States' second largest city.[165] The city has seen a rise in population for the 2000 census and after a decrease in 2010, it rose again for the 2020 census.[166] According to U.S. census estimates as of July 2019, Chicago's largest racial or ethnic group is non-Hispanic White at 32.8% of the population, Blacks at 30.1% and the Hispanic population at 29.0% of the population.[167][168][169][170] Racial composition 2020[171] 2010[172] 1990[170] 1970[170] 1940[170] White (non-Hispanic) 31.4% 31.7% 37.9% 59.0%[c] 91.2% Hispanic or Latino 29.8% 28.9% 19.6% 7.4%[c] 0.5% Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 28.7% 32.3% 39.1% 32.7% 8.2% Asian (non-Hispanic) 6.9% 5.4% 3.7% 0.9% 0.1% Two or more races (non-Hispanic) 2.6% 1.3% n/a n/a n/a Ethnic origins in Chicago Map of racial distribution in Chicago, 2010 U.S. census. Each dot is 25 people: ⬤ White ⬤ Black ⬤ Asian ⬤ Hispanic ⬤ Other Racial and ethnic composition as of the 2020 census[173][174]  Race or Ethnicity Race Alone Total [d] White 35.9%   45.6%   Black or African American 29.2%   30.8%   Hispanic or Latino[e] — 29.8%   Asian 7.0%   8.0%   Native American 1.3%   2.6%   Mixed 10.8%   — Other 15.8%   — Chicago has the third-largest LGBT population in the United States. In 2018, the Chicago Department of Health, estimated 7.5% of the adult population, approximately 146,000 Chicagoans, were LGBTQ.[175] In 2015, roughly 4% of the population identified as LGBT.[176][177] Since the 2013 legalization of same-sex marriage in Illinois, over 10,000 same-sex couples have wed in Cook County, a majority of them in Chicago.[178][179] Chicago became a "de jure" sanctuary city in 2012 when Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the City Council passed the Welcoming City Ordinance.[180] According to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey data estimates for 2008–2012, the median income for a household in the city was $47,408, and the median income for a family was $54,188. Male full-time workers had a median income of $47,074 versus $42,063 for females. About 18.3% of families and 22.1% of the population lived below the poverty line.[181] In 2018, Chicago ranked seventh globally for the highest number of ultra-high-net-worth residents with roughly 3,300 residents worth more than $30 million.[182] According to the 2008–2012 American Community Survey, the ancestral groups having 10,000 or more persons in Chicago were:[183] Ireland (137,799) Poland (134,032) Germany (120,328) Italy (77,967) China (66,978) American (37,118) UK (36,145) recent African (32,727) India (25,000) Russia (19,771) Arab (17,598) European (15,753) Sweden (15,151) Japan (15,142) Greece (15,129) France (except Basque) (11,410) Ukraine (11,104) West Indian (except Hispanic groups) (10,349) Persons identifying themselves in "Other groups" were classified at 1.72 million, and unclassified or not reported were approximately 153,000.[183] Religion Religion in Chicago (2014)[184][185]   Protestantism (35%)   Roman Catholicism (34%)   Eastern Orthodoxy (1%)   Jehovah's Witness (1%)   No religion (22%)   Judaism (3%)   Islam (2%)   Buddhism (1%)   Hinduism (1%) According to a 2014 study by the Pew Research Center, Christianity is the most prevalently practiced religion in Chicago (71%),[185] with the city being the fourth-most religious metropolis in the United States after Dallas, Atlanta and Houston.[185] Roman Catholicism and Protestantism are the largest branches (34% and 35% respectively), followed by Eastern Orthodoxy and Jehovah's Witnesses with 1% each.[184] Chicago also has a sizable non-Christian population. Non-Christian groups include Irreligious (22%), Judaism (3%), Islam (2%), Buddhism (1%) and Hinduism (1%).[184] Chicago is the headquarters of several religious denominations, including the Evangelical Covenant Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It is the seat of several dioceses. The Fourth Presbyterian Church is one of the largest Presbyterian congregations in the United States based on memberships.[186] Since the 20th century Chicago has also been the headquarters of the Assyrian Church of the East.[187] In 2014 the Catholic Church was the largest individual Christian denomination (34%), with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago being the largest Catholic jurisdiction. Evangelical Protestantism form the largest theological Protestant branch (16%), followed by Mainline Protestants (11%), and historically Black churches (8%). Among denominational Protestant branches, Baptists formed the largest group in Chicago (10%); followed by Nondenominational (5%); Lutherans (4%); and Pentecostals (3%).[184] Non-Christian faiths accounted for 7% of the religious population in 2014. Judaism has at least 261,000 adherents which is 3% of the population, making it the second largest religion.[188][184] A 2020 study estimated the total Jewish population of the Chicago metropolitan area, both religious and irreligious, at 319,500.[189] The first two Parliament of the World's Religions in 1893 and 1993 were held in Chicago.[190] Many international religious leaders have visited Chicago, including Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama[191] and Pope John Paul II in 1979.[192] Economy Main article: Economy of Chicago See also: List of companies in the Chicago metropolitan area Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago The Chicago Board of Trade Building Chicago has the third-largest gross metropolitan product in the United States—about $670.5 billion according to September 2017 estimates.[193] The city has also been rated as having the most balanced economy in the United States, due to its high level of diversification.[194] The Chicago metropolitan area has the third-largest science and engineering work force of any metropolitan area in the nation.[195] Chicago was the base of commercial operations for industrialists John Crerar, John Whitfield Bunn, Richard Teller Crane, Marshall Field, John Farwell, Julius Rosenwald, and many other commercial visionaries who laid the foundation for Midwestern and global industry. Chicago is a major world financial center, with the second-largest central business district in the United States, following Midtown Manhattan.[196] The city is the seat of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, the Bank's Seventh District. The city has major financial and futures exchanges, including the Chicago Stock Exchange, the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (the "Merc"), which is owned, along with the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), by Chicago's CME Group. In 2017, Chicago exchanges traded 4.7 billion in derivatives.[citation needed] Chase Bank has its commercial and retail banking headquarters in Chicago's Chase Tower.[197] Academically, Chicago has been influential through the Chicago school of economics, which fielded 12 Nobel Prize winners. The city and its surrounding metropolitan area contain the third-largest labor pool in the United States with about 4.63 million workers.[198] Illinois is home to 66 Fortune 1000 companies, including those in Chicago.[199] The city of Chicago also hosts 12 Fortune Global 500 companies and 17 Financial Times 500 companies. The city claims three Dow 30 companies: aerospace giant Boeing, which moved its headquarters from Seattle to the Chicago Loop in 2001;[200] McDonald's; and Walgreens Boots Alliance.[201] For six consecutive years from 2013 through 2018, Chicago was ranked the nation's top metropolitan area for corporate relocations.[202] However, three Fortune 500 companies left Chicago in 2022, leaving the city with 35, still second to New York City.[203] Manufacturing, printing, publishing, and food processing also play major roles in the city's economy. Several medical products and services companies are headquartered in the Chicago area, including Baxter International, Boeing, Abbott Laboratories, and the Healthcare division of General Electric. Prominent food companies based in Chicago include the world headquarters of Conagra, Ferrara Candy Company, Kraft Heinz, McDonald's, Mondelez International, and Quaker Oats.[citation needed] Chicago has been a hub of the retail sector since its early development, with Montgomery Ward, Sears, and Marshall Field's. Today the Chicago metropolitan area is the headquarters of several retailers, including Walgreens, Sears, Ace Hardware, Claire's, ULTA Beauty, and Crate & Barrel.[citation needed] Late in the 19th century, Chicago was part of the bicycle craze, with the Western Wheel Company, which introduced stamping to the production process and significantly reduced costs,[204] while early in the 20th century, the city was part of the automobile revolution, hosting the Brass Era car builder Bugmobile, which was founded there in 1907.[205] Chicago was also the site of the Schwinn Bicycle Company. Chicago is a major world convention destination. The city's main convention center is McCormick Place. With its four interconnected buildings, it is the largest convention center in the nation and third-largest in the world.[206] Chicago also ranks third in the U.S. (behind Las Vegas and Orlando) in number of conventions hosted annually.[207] Chicago's minimum wage for non-tipped employees is one of the highest in the nation and reached $15 in 2021.[208][209] Culture and contemporary life Main article: Culture of Chicago Further information: List of people from Chicago The National Hellenic Museum in Greektown is one of several ethnic museums comprising the Chicago Cultural Alliance. Andy's Jazz Club in River North, a staple of the Chicago jazz scene since the 1950s The city's waterfront location and nightlife has attracted residents and tourists alike. Over a third of the city population is concentrated in the lakefront neighborhoods from Rogers Park in the north to South Shore in the south.[210] The city has many upscale dining establishments as well as many ethnic restaurant districts. These districts include the Mexican American neighborhoods, such as Pilsen along 18th street, and La Villita along 26th Street; the Puerto Rican enclave of Paseo Boricua in the Humboldt Park neighborhood; Greektown, along South Halsted Street, immediately west of downtown;[211] Little Italy, along Taylor Street; Chinatown in Armour Square; Polish Patches in West Town; Little Seoul in Albany Park around Lawrence Avenue; Little Vietnam near Broadway in Uptown; and the Desi area, along Devon Avenue in West Ridge.[212] Downtown is the center of Chicago's financial, cultural, governmental and commercial institutions and the site of Grant Park and many of the city's skyscrapers. Many of the city's financial institutions, such as the CBOT and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, are located within a section of downtown called "The Loop", which is an eight-block by five-block area of city streets that is encircled by elevated rail tracks. The term "The Loop" is largely used by locals to refer to the entire downtown area as well. The central area includes the Near North Side, the Near South Side, and the Near West Side, as well as the Loop. These areas contribute famous skyscrapers, abundant restaurants, shopping, museums, a stadium for the Chicago Bears, convention facilities, parkland, and beaches.[citation needed] Lincoln Park contains the Lincoln Park Zoo and the Lincoln Park Conservatory. The River North Gallery District features the nation's largest concentration of contemporary art galleries outside of New York City.[citation needed] Lakeview is home to Boystown, the city's large LGBT nightlife and culture center. The Chicago Pride Parade, held the last Sunday in June, is one of the world's largest with over a million people in attendance.[213] North Halsted Street is the main thoroughfare of Boystown.[214] The South Side neighborhood of Hyde Park is the home of former U.S. President Barack Obama. It also contains the University of Chicago, ranked one of the world's top ten universities,[215] and the Museum of Science and Industry. The 6-mile (9.7 km) long Burnham Park stretches along the waterfront of the South Side. Two of the city's largest parks are also located on this side of the city: Jackson Park, bordering the waterfront, hosted the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893, and is the site of the aforementioned museum; and slightly west sits Washington Park. The two parks themselves are connected by a wide strip of parkland called the Midway Plaisance, running adjacent to the University of Chicago. The South Side hosts one of the city's largest parades, the annual African American Bud Billiken Parade and Picnic, which travels through Bronzeville to Washington Park. Ford Motor Company has an automobile assembly plant on the South Side in Hegewisch, and most of the facilities of the Port of Chicago are also on the South Side.[citation needed] The West Side holds the Garfield Park Conservatory, one of the largest collections of tropical plants in any U.S. city. Prominent Latino cultural attractions found here include Humboldt Park's Institute of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture and the annual Puerto Rican People's Parade, as well as the National Museum of Mexican Art and St. Adalbert's Church in Pilsen. The Near West Side holds the University of Illinois at Chicago and was once home to Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Studios, the site of which has been rebuilt as the global headquarters of McDonald's.[citation needed] The city's distinctive accent, made famous by its use in classic films like The Blues Brothers and television programs like the Saturday Night Live skit "Bill Swerski's Superfans", is an advanced form of Inland Northern American English. This dialect can also be found in other cities bordering the Great Lakes such as Cleveland, Milwaukee, Detroit, and Rochester, New York, and most prominently features a rearrangement of certain vowel sounds, such as the short 'a' sound as in "cat", which can sound more like "kyet" to outsiders. The accent remains well associated with the city.[216] Entertainment and the arts Further information: Theater in Chicago, Visual arts of Chicago, and Music of Chicago See also: List of theaters in Chicago The Chicago Theatre The spire of the Copernicus Center is modeled on the Royal Castle in Warsaw. Jay Pritzker Pavilion at night Renowned Chicago theater companies include the Goodman Theatre in the Loop; the Steppenwolf Theatre Company and Victory Gardens Theater in Lincoln Park; and the Chicago Shakespeare Theater at Navy Pier. Broadway In Chicago offers Broadway-style entertainment at five theaters: the Nederlander Theatre, CIBC Theatre, Cadillac Palace Theatre, Auditorium Building of Roosevelt University, and Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place. Polish language productions for Chicago's large Polish speaking population can be seen at the historic Gateway Theatre in Jefferson Park. Since 1968, the Joseph Jefferson Awards are given annually to acknowledge excellence in theater in the Chicago area. Chicago's theater community spawned modern improvisational theater, and includes the prominent groups The Second City and I.O. (formerly ImprovOlympic).[citation needed] The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) performs at Symphony Center, and is recognized as one of the best orchestras in the world.[217] Also performing regularly at Symphony Center is the Chicago Sinfonietta, a more diverse and multicultural counterpart to the CSO. In the summer, many outdoor concerts are given in Grant Park and Millennium Park. Ravinia Festival, located 25 miles (40 km) north of Chicago, is the summer home of the CSO, and is a favorite destination for many Chicagoans. The Civic Opera House is home to the Lyric Opera of Chicago.[218] The Lithuanian Opera Company of Chicago was founded by Lithuanian Chicagoans in 1956,[219] and presents operas in Lithuanian. The Joffrey Ballet and Chicago Festival Ballet perform in various venues, including the Harris Theater in Millennium Park. Chicago has several other contemporary and jazz dance troupes, such as the Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Chicago Dance Crash.[citation needed] Other live-music genre which are part of the city's cultural heritage include Chicago blues, Chicago soul, jazz, and gospel. The city is the birthplace of house music (a popular form of electronic dance music) and industrial music, and is the site of an influential hip hop scene. In the 1980s and 90s, the city was the global center for house and industrial music, two forms of music created in Chicago, as well as being popular for alternative rock, punk, and new wave. The city has been a center for rave culture, since the 1980s. A flourishing independent rock music culture brought forth Chicago indie. Annual festivals feature various acts, such as Lollapalooza and the Pitchfork Music Festival.[citation needed] Lollapalooza originated in Chicago in 1991 and at first travelled to many cities, but as of 2005 its home has been Chicago.[220] A 2007 report on the Chicago music industry by the University of Chicago Cultural Policy Center ranked Chicago third among metropolitan U.S. areas in "size of music industry" and fourth among all U.S. cities in "number of concerts and performances".[221] Chicago has a distinctive fine art tradition. For much of the twentieth century, it nurtured a strong style of figurative surrealism, as in the works of Ivan Albright and Ed Paschke. In 1968 and 1969, members of the Chicago Imagists, such as Roger Brown, Leon Golub, Robert Lostutter, Jim Nutt, and Barbara Rossi produced bizarre representational paintings. Henry Darger is one of the most celebrated figures of outsider art.[222] Tourism Main article: Tourism in Chicago See also: List of beaches in Chicago Ferries offer sightseeing tours and water-taxi transportation along the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. Aerial view of Navy Pier at night Magnificent Mile hosts numerous upscale stores and landmarks, including the Chicago Water Tower. In 2014, Chicago attracted 50.17 million domestic leisure travelers, 11.09 million domestic business travelers and 1.308 million overseas visitors.[223] These visitors contributed more than US$13.7 billion to Chicago's economy.[223] Upscale shopping along the Magnificent Mile and State Street, thousands of restaurants, as well as Chicago's eminent architecture, continue to draw tourists. The city is the United States' third-largest convention destination. A 2017 study by Walk Score ranked Chicago the sixth-most walkable of fifty largest cities in the United States.[224] Most conventions are held at McCormick Place, just south of Soldier Field. Navy Pier, located just east of Streeterville, is 3,000 ft (910 m) long and houses retail stores, restaurants, museums, exhibition halls and auditoriums. Chicago was the first city in the world to ever erect a ferris wheel. The Willis Tower (formerly named Sears Tower) is a popular destination for tourists.[225] Museums Further information: List of museums and cultural institutions in Chicago Among the city's museums are the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, the Field Museum of Natural History, and the Shedd Aquarium. The Museum Campus joins the southern section of Grant Park, which includes the renowned Art Institute of Chicago. Buckingham Fountain anchors the downtown park along the lakefront. The University of Chicago's Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, West Asia & North Africa has an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern archaeological artifacts. Other museums and galleries in Chicago include the Chicago History Museum, the Driehaus Museum, the DuSable Museum of African American History, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, the Polish Museum of America, the Museum of Broadcast Communications, the Pritzker Military Library, the Chicago Architecture Foundation, and the Museum of Science and Industry.[citation needed] Cuisine See also: Culture of Chicago § Food and drink, Chicago farmers' markets, and List of Michelin starred restaurants in Chicago Chicago-style deep-dish pizza A Polish market in Chicago Chicago lays claim to a large number of regional specialties that reflect the city's ethnic and working-class roots. Included among these are its nationally renowned deep-dish pizza; this style is said to have originated at Pizzeria Uno.[226] The Chicago-style thin crust is also popular in the city.[227] Certain Chicago pizza favorites include Lou Malnati's and Giordano's.[228] The Chicago-style hot dog, typically an all-beef hot dog, is loaded with an array of toppings that often includes pickle relish, yellow mustard, pickled sport peppers, tomato wedges, dill pickle spear and topped off with celery salt on a poppy seed bun.[229] Enthusiasts of the Chicago-style hot dog frown upon the use of ketchup as a garnish, but may prefer to add giardiniera.[230][231][232] A distinctly Chicago sandwich, the Italian beef sandwich is thinly sliced beef simmered in au jus and served on an Italian roll with sweet peppers or spicy giardiniera. A popular modification is the Combo—an Italian beef sandwich with the addition of an Italian sausage. The Maxwell Street Polish is a grilled or deep-fried kielbasa—on a hot dog roll, topped with grilled onions, yellow mustard, and hot sport peppers.[233] Chicken Vesuvio is roasted bone-in chicken cooked in oil and garlic next to garlicky oven-roasted potato wedges and a sprinkling of green peas. The Puerto Rican-influenced jibarito is a sandwich made with flattened, fried green plantains instead of bread. The mother-in-law is a tamale topped with chili and served on a hot dog bun.[234] The tradition of serving the Greek dish saganaki while aflame has its origins in Chicago's Greek community.[235] The appetizer, which consists of a square of fried cheese, is doused with Metaxa and flambéed table-side.[236] Chicago-style barbecue features hardwood smoked rib tips and hot links which were traditionally cooked in an aquarium smoker, a Chicago invention.[237] Annual festivals feature various Chicago signature dishes, such as Taste of Chicago and the Chicago Food Truck Festival.[238] One of the world's most decorated restaurants and a recipient of three Michelin stars, Alinea is located in Chicago. Well-known chefs who have had restaurants in Chicago include: Charlie Trotter, Rick Tramonto, Grant Achatz, and Rick Bayless. In 2003, Robb Report named Chicago the country's "most exceptional dining destination".[239] Literature Further information: Chicago literature Carl Sandburg's most famous description of the city is as "Hog Butcher for the World / Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat / Player with Railroads and the Nation's Freight Handler, / Stormy, Husky, Brawling, City of the Big Shoulders." Chicago literature finds its roots in the city's tradition of lucid, direct journalism, lending to a strong tradition of social realism. In the Encyclopedia of Chicago, Northwestern University Professor Bill Savage describes Chicago fiction as prose which tries to "capture the essence of the city, its spaces and its people". The challenge for early writers was that Chicago was a frontier outpost that transformed into a global metropolis in the span of two generations. Narrative fiction of that time, much of it in the style of "high-flown romance" and "genteel realism", needed a new approach to describe the urban social, political, and economic conditions of Chicago.[240] Nonetheless, Chicagoans worked hard to create a literary tradition that would stand the test of time,[241] and create a "city of feeling" out of concrete, steel, vast lake, and open prairie.[242] Much notable Chicago fiction focuses on the city itself, with social criticism keeping exultation in check. At least three short periods in the history of Chicago have had a lasting influence on American literature.[243] These include from the time of the Great Chicago Fire to about 1900, what became known as the Chicago Literary Renaissance in the 1910s and early 1920s, and the period of the Great Depression through the 1940s. What would become the influential Poetry magazine was founded in 1912 by Harriet Monroe, who was working as an art critic for the Chicago Tribune. The magazine discovered such poets as Gwendolyn Brooks, James Merrill, and John Ashbery.[244] T. S. Eliot's first professionally published poem, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock", was first published by Poetry. Contributors have included Ezra Pound, William Butler Yeats, William Carlos Williams, Langston Hughes, and Carl Sandburg, among others. The magazine was instrumental in launching the Imagist and Objectivist poetic movements. From the 1950s through 1970s, American poetry continued to evolve in Chicago.[245] In the 1980s, a modern form of poetry performance began in Chicago, the poetry slam.[246] Sports Main article: Sports in Chicago Top: Soldier Field; Bottom: Wrigley Field Top: United Center; Bottom: Guaranteed Rate Field The city has two Major League Baseball (MLB) teams: the Chicago Cubs of the National League play in Wrigley Field on the North Side; and the Chicago White Sox of the American League play in Guaranteed Rate Field on the South Side. The two teams have faced each other in a World Series only once, in 1906.[247] The Cubs are the oldest Major League Baseball team to have never changed their city;[248] they have played in Chicago since 1871.[249] They had the dubious honor of having the longest championship drought in American professional sports, failing to win a World Series between 1908 and 2016. The White Sox have played on the South Side continuously since 1901. They have won three World Series titles (1906, 1917, 2005) and six American League pennants, including the first in 1901. The Chicago Bears, one of the last two remaining charter members of the National Football League (NFL), have won nine NFL Championships, including the 1985 Super Bowl XX. The Bears play their home games at Soldier Field. The Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA) is one of the most recognized basketball teams in the world.[250] During the 1990s, with Michael Jordan leading them, the Bulls won six NBA championships in eight seasons.[251][252] The Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL) began play in 1926, and are one of the "Original Six" teams of the NHL. The Blackhawks have won six Stanley Cups, including in 2010, 2013, and 2015. Both the Bulls and the Blackhawks play at the United Center.[253] Major league professional teams in Chicago (ranked by attendance) Club League Sport Venue Attendance Founded Championships Chicago Bears NFL Football Soldier Field 61,142 1919 9 Championships (1 Super Bowl) Chicago Cubs MLB Baseball Wrigley Field 41,649 1870 3 World Series Chicago White Sox MLB Baseball Guaranteed Rate Field 40,615 1900 3 World Series Chicago Blackhawks NHL Ice hockey United Center 21,653 1926 6 Stanley Cups Chicago Bulls NBA Basketball 20,776 1966 6 NBA Championships Chicago Fire MLS Soccer Soldier Field 17,383 1997 1 MLS Cup, 1 Supporters Shield Chicago Sky WNBA Basketball Wintrust Arena 10,387 2006 1 WNBA Championships Chicago Red Stars NWSL Soccer SeatGeek Stadium 5,863 2013 1 WPSL Elite championship Chicago Half Marathon on Lake Shore Drive on the South Side Chicago Fire FC is a member of Major League Soccer (MLS) and plays at Soldier Field. The Fire have won one league title and four U.S. Open Cups, since their founding in 1997. In 1994, the United States hosted a successful FIFA World Cup with games played at Soldier Field.[254] The Chicago Red Stars are a team in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). They previously played in Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), of which they were a founding member, before joining the NWSL in 2013. They play at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois. The Chicago Sky is a professional basketball team playing in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). They play home games at the Wintrust Arena. The team was founded before the 2006 WNBA season began.[255] The Chicago Marathon has been held each year since 1977 except for 1987, when a half marathon was run in its place. The Chicago Marathon is one of six World Marathon Majors.[256] Five area colleges play in Division I conferences: two from major conferences—the DePaul Blue Demons (Big East Conference) and the Northwestern Wildcats (Big Ten Conference)—and three from other D1 conferences—the Chicago State Cougars (Western Athletic Conference); the Loyola Ramblers (Atlantic 10 Conference); and the UIC Flames (Missouri Valley Conference).[257] Chicago has also entered into esports with the creation of the Chicago Huntsmen, a professional Call of Duty team that participates within the CDL.[citation needed] Parks and greenspace Main articles: Parks in Chicago, Chicago Boulevard System, and Cook County Forest Preserves Portage Park on the Northwest Side Washington Square Park on the Near North Side When Chicago was incorporated in 1837, it chose the motto Urbs in Horto, a Latin phrase which means "City in a Garden". Today, the Chicago Park District consists of more than 570 parks with over 8,000 acres (3,200 ha) of municipal parkland. There are 31 sand beaches, a plethora of museums, two world-class conservatories, and 50 nature areas.[258] Lincoln Park, the largest of the city's parks, covers 1,200 acres (490 ha) and has over 20 million visitors each year, making it third in the number of visitors after Central Park in New York City, and the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington, D.C.[259] There is a historic boulevard system,[260] a network of wide, tree-lined boulevards which connect a number of Chicago parks.[261] The boulevards and the parks were authorized by the Illinois legislature in 1869.[262] A number of Chicago neighborhoods emerged along these roadways in the 19th century.[261] The building of the boulevard system continued intermittently until 1942. It includes nineteen boulevards, eight parks, and six squares, along twenty-six miles of interconnected streets.[263] The Chicago Park Boulevard System Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.[264][265] With berths for more than 6,000 boats, the Chicago Park District operates the nation's largest municipal harbor system.[266] In addition to ongoing beautification and renewal projects for the existing parks, a number of new parks have been added in recent years, such as the Ping Tom Memorial Park in Chinatown, DuSable Park on the Near North Side, and most notably, Millennium Park, which is in the northwestern corner of one of Chicago's oldest parks, Grant Park in the Chicago Loop.[citation needed] The wealth of greenspace afforded by Chicago's parks is further augmented by the Cook County Forest Preserves, a network of open spaces containing forest, prairie, wetland, streams, and lakes that are set aside as natural areas which lie along the city's outskirts,[267] including both the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe and the Brookfield Zoo in Brookfield.[268] Washington Park is also one of the city's biggest parks; covering nearly 400 acres (160 ha). The park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in South Side Chicago.[269] Law and government Government Main article: Government of Chicago Daley Plaza and Chicago Picasso, with City Hall-County Building visible in background. At right, the Daley Center contains the state law courts. The government of the City of Chicago is divided into executive and legislative branches. The mayor of Chicago is the chief executive, elected by general election for a term of four years, with no term limits. The current mayor is Brandon Johnson. The mayor appoints commissioners and other officials who oversee the various departments. As well as the mayor, Chicago's clerk and treasurer are also elected citywide. The City Council is the legislative branch and is made up of 50 alderpersons, one elected from each ward in the city.[270] The council takes official action through the passage of ordinances and resolutions and approves the city budget.[271] The Chicago Police Department provides law enforcement and the Chicago Fire Department provides fire suppression and emergency medical services for the city and its residents. Civil and criminal law cases are heard in the Cook County Circuit Court of the State of Illinois court system, or in the Northern District of Illinois, in the federal system. In the state court, the public prosecutor is the Illinois state's attorney; in the Federal court it is the United States attorney. Politics Main article: Political history of Chicago Presidential election results in Chicago[272] Year Democratic Republican Others 2020 82.5% 944,735 15.8% 181,234 1.6% 18,772 2016 82.9% 912,945 12.3% 135,320 4.8% 53,262 During much of the last half of the 19th century, Chicago's politics were dominated by a growing Democratic Party organization. During the 1880s and 1890s, Chicago had a powerful radical tradition with large and highly organized socialist, anarchist and labor organizations.[273] For much of the 20th century, Chicago has been among the largest and most reliable Democratic strongholds in the United States; with Chicago's Democratic vote the state of Illinois has been "solid blue" in presidential elections since 1992. Even before then, it was not unheard of for Republican presidential candidates to win handily in downstate Illinois, only to lose statewide due to large Democratic margins in Chicago. The citizens of Chicago have not elected a Republican mayor since 1927, when William Thompson was voted into office. The strength of the party in the city is partly a consequence of Illinois state politics, where the Republicans have come to represent rural and farm concerns while the Democrats support urban issues such as Chicago's public school funding.[citation needed] Chicago contains less than 25% of the state's population, but it is split between eight of Illinois' 17 districts in the United States House of Representatives. All eight of the city's representatives are Democrats; only two Republicans have represented a significant portion of the city since 1973, for one term each: Robert P. Hanrahan from 1973 to 1975, and Michael Patrick Flanagan from 1995 to 1997.[citation needed] Machine politics persisted in Chicago after the decline of similar machines in other large U.S. cities.[274] During much of that time, the city administration found opposition mainly from a liberal "independent" faction of the Democratic Party. The independents finally gained control of city government in 1983 with the election of Harold Washington (in office 1983–1987). From 1989 until May 16, 2011, Chicago was under the leadership of its longest-serving mayor, Richard M. Daley, the son of Richard J. Daley. Because of the dominance of the Democratic Party in Chicago, the Democratic primary vote held in the spring is generally more significant than the general elections in November for U.S. House and Illinois State seats. The aldermanic, mayoral, and other city offices are filled through nonpartisan elections with runoffs as needed.[275] The city is home of former United States President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama; Barack Obama was formerly a state legislator representing Chicago and later a U.S. senator. The Obamas' residence is located near the University of Chicago in Kenwood on the city's south side.[276] Crime Main articles: Crime in Chicago and Timeline of organized crime in Chicago Chicago Police Department SUV, 2011 Chicago's crime rate in 2020 was 3,926 per 100,000 people.[277] Chicago experienced major rises in violent crime in the 1920s, in the late 1960s, and in the 2020s.[278][279] Chicago's biggest criminal justice challenges have changed little over the last 50 years, and statistically reside with homicide, armed robbery, gang violence, and aggravated battery. Chicago has attracted attention for a high murder rate and perceived crime rate compared to other major cities like New York and Los Angeles. However, while it has a large absolute number of crimes due to its size, Chicago is not among the top-25 most violent cities in the United States.[280][281] Murder rates in Chicago vary greatly depending on the neighborhood in question.[282] The neighborhoods of Englewood on the South Side, and Austin on the West side, for example, have homicide rates that are ten times higher than other parts of the city.[283] Chicago has an estimated population of over 100,000 active gang members from nearly 60 factions.[284][285] According to reports in 2013, "most of Chicago's violent crime comes from gangs trying to maintain control of drug-selling territories",[286] and is specifically related to the activities of the Sinaloa Cartel, which is active in several American cities.[287] Violent crime rates vary significantly by area of the city, with more economically developed areas having low rates, but other sections have much higher rates of crime.[286] In 2013, the violent crime rate was 910 per 100,000 people;[288] the murder rate was 10.4 – while high crime districts saw 38.9, low crime districts saw 2.5 murders per 100,000.[289] Chicago has a long history of public corruption that regularly draws the attention of federal law enforcement and federal prosecutors.[290] From 2012 to 2019, 33 Chicago alderpersons were convicted on corruption charges, roughly one third of those elected in the time period. A report from the Office of the Legislative Inspector General noted that over half of Chicago's elected alderpersons took illegal campaign contributions in 2013.[291] Most corruption cases in Chicago are prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's office, as legal jurisdiction makes most offenses punishable as a federal crime.[292] Education Schools and libraries When it was opened in 1991, the central Harold Washington Library appeared in Guinness World Records as the largest municipal public library building in the world. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is the governing body of the school district that contains over 600 public elementary and high schools citywide, including several selective-admission magnet schools. There are eleven selective enrollment high schools in the Chicago Public Schools, designed to meet the needs of Chicago's most academically advanced students. These schools offer a rigorous curriculum with mainly honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses.[293] Walter Payton College Prep High School is ranked number one in the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois.[294] Chicago high school rankings are determined by the average test scores on state achievement tests.[295] The district, with an enrollment exceeding 400,545 students (2013–2014 20th Day Enrollment), is the third-largest in the U.S.[296] On September 10, 2012, teachers for the Chicago Teachers Union went on strike for the first time since 1987 over pay, resources and other issues.[297] According to data compiled in 2014, Chicago's "choice system", where students who test or apply and may attend one of a number of public high schools (there are about 130), sorts students of different achievement levels into different schools (high performing, middle performing, and low performing schools).[298] Chicago has a network of Lutheran schools,[299] and several private schools are run by other denominations and faiths, such as the Ida Crown Jewish Academy in West Ridge. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago operates Catholic schools, that include Jesuit preparatory schools and others. A number of private schools are completely secular. There are also the private Chicago Academy for the Arts, a high school focused on six different categories of the arts and the public Chicago High School for the Arts, a high school focused on five categories (visual arts, theatre, musical theatre, dance, and music) of the arts.[300] The Chicago Public Library system operates 3 regional libraries and 77 neighbourhood branches, including the central library.[301] Colleges and universities For a more comprehensive list, see List of colleges and universities in Chicago. The University of Chicago, as seen from the Midway Plaisance Since the 1850s, Chicago has been a world center of higher education and research with several universities. These institutions consistently rank among the top "National Universities" in the United States, as determined by U.S. News & World Report.[302] Highly regarded universities in Chicago and the surrounding area are: the University of Chicago; Northwestern University; Illinois Institute of Technology; Loyola University Chicago; DePaul University; Columbia College Chicago and University of Illinois at Chicago. Other notable schools include: Chicago State University; the School of the Art Institute of Chicago; East–West University; National Louis University; North Park University; Northeastern Illinois University; Robert Morris University Illinois; Roosevelt University; Saint Xavier University; Rush University; and Shimer College.[303] William Rainey Harper, the first president of the University of Chicago, was instrumental in the creation of the junior college concept, establishing nearby Joliet Junior College as the first in the nation in 1901.[304] His legacy continues with the multiple community colleges in the Chicago proper, including the seven City Colleges of Chicago: Richard J. Daley College, Kennedy–King College, Malcolm X College, Olive–Harvey College, Truman College, Harold Washington College and Wilbur Wright College, in addition to the privately held MacCormac College.[citation needed] Chicago also has a high concentration of post-baccalaureate institutions, graduate schools, seminaries, and theological schools, such as the Adler School of Professional Psychology, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, the Erikson Institute, The Institute for Clinical Social Work, the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, the Catholic Theological Union, the Moody Bible Institute, and the University of Chicago Divinity School.[citation needed] Media Further information: Media in Chicago and Chicago International Film Festival WGN began in the early days of radio and developed into a multi-platform broadcaster, including a cable television super-station. Chicago was home of The Oprah Winfrey Show from 1986 until 2011 and other Harpo Production operations until 2015. Television The Chicago metropolitan area is a major media hub and the third-largest media market in the United States, after New York City and Los Angeles.[305] Each of the big four U.S. television networks, CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox, directly owns and operates a high-definition television station in Chicago (WBBM 2, WLS 7, WMAQ 5 and WFLD 32, respectively). Former CW affiliate WGN-TV 9, which was owned from its inception by Tribune Broadcasting (now owned by the Nexstar Media Group since 2019), is carried with some programming differences, as "WGN America" on cable and satellite TV nationwide and in parts of the Caribbean. WGN America eventually became NewsNation in 2021. Chicago has also been the home of several prominent talk shows, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, Steve Harvey Show, The Rosie Show, The Jerry Springer Show, The Phil Donahue Show, The Jenny Jones Show, and more. The city also has one PBS member station (its second: WYCC 20, removed its affiliation with PBS in 2017[306]): WTTW 11, producer of shows such as Sneak Previews, The Frugal Gourmet, Lamb Chop's Play-Along and The McLaughlin Group. As of 2018, Windy City Live is Chicago's only daytime talk show, which is hosted by Val Warner and Ryan Chiaverini at ABC7 Studios with a live weekday audience. Since 1999, Judge Mathis also films his syndicated arbitration-based reality court show at the NBC Tower. Beginning in January 2019, Newsy began producing 12 of its 14 hours of live news programming per day from its new facility in Chicago.[citation needed] Television stations Most of Chicago's television stations are owned and operated by the big television network companies. They are: WBBM-TV (2), owned and operated by CBS. WMAQ-TV (5), owned and operated by NBC. WLS-TV (7), owned and operated by ABC. WGN-TV (9), an independent station owned by Nexstar Media Group. WTTW (11), a PBS member station owned by Window to the World Communications, Inc. WCIU-TV (26), a CW and MeTV affiliate owned by Weigel Broadcasting. WFLD (32), owned and operated by Fox. WWTO-TV (35), owned and operated by TBN, licensed in Naperville. WCPX-TV (38), owned and operated by Ion Television. WSNS-TV (44), owned and operated by Telemundo. WPWR-TV (50), owned and operated by MyNetworkTV (Fox), licensed to Gary, Indiana. WYIN (56), a PBS member station owned by Northwest Indiana Public Broadcasting, Inc., licensed in Gary, Indiana. WTVK (59), an independent station owned by Venture Technologies Group, licensed in Oswego, Illinois. WXFT-DT (60), owned and operated by Unimas. WJYS (62), an independent station owned by Millennial Telecommunications, Inc., licensed to Hammond, Indiana. WGBO-DT (66), owned and operated by Univision. Newspapers Two major daily newspapers are published in Chicago: the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times, with the Tribune having the larger circulation. There are also several regional and special-interest newspapers and magazines, such as Chicago, the Dziennik Związkowy (Polish Daily News), Draugas (the Lithuanian daily newspaper), the Chicago Reader, the SouthtownStar, the Chicago Defender, the Daily Herald, Newcity,[307][308] StreetWise and the Windy City Times. The entertainment and cultural magazine Time Out Chicago and GRAB magazine are also published in the city, as well as local music magazine Chicago Innerview. In addition, Chicago is the home of satirical national news outlet, The Onion, as well as its sister pop-culture publication, The A.V. Club.[309] Movies and filming Main articles: List of movies set in Chicago and List of television shows set in Chicago Radio Chicago has five 50,000 watt AM radio stations: the Audacy-owned WBBM and WSCR; the Tribune Broadcasting-owned WGN; the Cumulus Media-owned WLS; and the ESPN Radio-owned WMVP. Chicago is also home to a number of national radio shows, including Beyond the Beltway with Bruce DuMont on Sunday evenings.[citation needed] Chicago Public Radio produces nationally aired programs such as PRI's This American Life and NPR's Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!.[citation needed] Infrastructure Transportation Further information: Transportation in Chicago Aerial photo of the Jane Byrne Interchange (2022) after reconstruction, initially opened in the 1960s Chicago is a major transportation hub in the United States. It is an important component in global distribution, as it is the third-largest inter-modal port in the world after Hong Kong and Singapore.[310] The city of Chicago has a higher than average percentage of households without a car. In 2015, 26.5 percent of Chicago households were without a car, and increased slightly to 27.5 percent in 2016. The national average was 8.7 percent in 2016. Chicago averaged 1.12 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8.[311] Parking Due to Chicago's Wheel Tax,[312] residents of Chicago who own a vehicle are required to purchase a Chicago City Vehicle Sticker.[313] In established Residential Parking Zones, only local residents can purchase Zone-specific parking stickers for themselves and guests.[314][315] Chicago since 2009 has relinquished rights to its public street parking.[316] In 2008, as Chicago struggled to close a growing budget deficit, the city agreed to a 75-year, $1.16 billion deal to lease its parking meter system to an operating company created by Morgan Stanley, called Chicago Parking Meters LLC. Daley said the "agreement is very good news for the taxpayers of Chicago because it will provide more than $1 billion in net proceeds that can be used during this very difficult economy."[317] The rights of the parking ticket lease end in 2081, and since 2022 have already recouped over $1.5 billion in revenue for Chicago Parking Meters LLC investors.[318] Expressways Further information: Roads and expressways in Chicago Seven mainline and four auxiliary interstate highways (55, 57, 65 (only in Indiana), 80 (also in Indiana), 88, 90 (also in Indiana), 94 (also in Indiana), 190, 290, 294, and 355) run through Chicago and its suburbs. Segments that link to the city center are named after influential politicians, with three of them named after former U.S. Presidents (Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Reagan) and one named after two-time Democratic candidate Adlai Stevenson. The Kennedy and Dan Ryan Expressways are the busiest state maintained routes in the entire state of Illinois.[319] Transit systems Chicago Union Station, opened in 1925, is the third-busiest passenger rail terminal in the United States. The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) coordinates the operation of the three service boards: CTA, Metra, and Pace. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) handles public transportation in the City of Chicago and a few adjacent suburbs outside of the Chicago city limits. The CTA operates an extensive network of buses and a rapid transit elevated and subway system known as the Chicago "L" or just the "L" (short for "elevated"), with lines designated by colors. These rapid transit lines also serve both Midway and O'Hare Airports. The CTA's rail lines consist of the Red, Blue, Green, Orange, Brown, Purple, Pink, and Yellow lines. Both the Red and Blue lines offer 24‑hour service which makes Chicago one of a handful of cities around the world (and one of two in the United States, the other being New York City) to offer rail service 24 hours a day, every day of the year, within the city's limits. Metra, the nation's second-most used passenger regional rail network, operates an 11-line commuter rail service in Chicago and throughout the Chicago suburbs. The Metra Electric Line shares its trackage with Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District's South Shore Line, which provides commuter service between South Bend and Chicago. Pace provides bus and paratransit service in over 200 surrounding suburbs with some extensions into the city as well. A 2005 study found that one quarter of commuters used public transit.[320] Greyhound Lines provides inter-city bus service to and from the city at the Chicago Bus Station, and Chicago is also the hub for the Midwest network of Megabus (North America). Passenger rail Amtrak train on the Empire Builder route departs Chicago from Union Station. Amtrak long distance and commuter rail services originate from Union Station.[321] Chicago is one of the largest hubs of passenger rail service in the nation.[322] The services terminate in the San Francisco area, Washington, D.C., New York City, New Orleans, Portland, Seattle, Milwaukee, Quincy, St. Louis, Carbondale, Boston, Grand Rapids, Port Huron, Pontiac, Los Angeles, and San Antonio. Future services will terminate at Rockford and Moline. An attempt was made in the early 20th century to link Chicago with New York City via the Chicago – New York Electric Air Line Railroad. Parts of this were built, but it was never completed. Bicycle and scooter sharing systems In July 2013, the bicycle-sharing system Divvy was launched with 750 bikes and 75 docking stations[323] It is operated by Lyft for the Chicago Department of Transportation.[324] As of July 2019, Divvy operated 5800 bicycles at 608 stations, covering almost all of the city, excluding Pullman, Rosedale, Beverly, Belmont Cragin and Edison Park.[325] In May 2019, The City of Chicago announced its Chicago's Electric Shared Scooter Pilot Program, scheduled to run from June 15 to October 15.[326] The program started on June 15 with 10 different scooter companies, including scooter sharing market leaders Bird, Jump, Lime and Lyft.[327] Each company was allowed to bring 250 electric scooters, although both Bird and Lime claimed that they experienced a higher demand for their scooters.[328] The program ended on October 15, with nearly 800,000 rides taken.[329] Freight rail Chicago is the largest hub in the railroad industry.[330] All five Class I railroads meet in Chicago. As of 2002, severe freight train congestion caused trains to take as long to get through the Chicago region as it took to get there from the West Coast of the country (about 2 days).[331] According to U.S. Department of Transportation, the volume of imported and exported goods transported via rail to, from, or through Chicago is forecast to increase nearly 150 percent between 2010 and 2040.[332] CREATE, the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program, comprises about 70 programs, including crossovers, overpasses and underpasses, that intend to significantly improve the speed of freight movements in the Chicago area.[333] Airports Further information: Transportation in Chicago § Airports O'Hare International Airport Chicago is served by O'Hare International Airport, the world's busiest airport measured by airline operations,[334] on the far Northwest Side, and Midway International Airport on the Southwest Side. In 2005, O'Hare was the world's busiest airport by aircraft movements and the second-busiest by total passenger traffic.[335] Both O'Hare and Midway are owned and operated by the City of Chicago. Gary/Chicago International Airport and Chicago Rockford International Airport, located in Gary, Indiana and Rockford, Illinois, respectively, can serve as alternative Chicago area airports, however they do not offer as many commercial flights as O'Hare and Midway. In recent years the state of Illinois has been leaning towards building an entirely new airport in the Illinois suburbs of Chicago.[336] The City of Chicago is the world headquarters for United Airlines, the world's third-largest airline. Port authority Main article: Port of Chicago The Port of Chicago consists of several major port facilities within the city of Chicago operated by the Illinois International Port District (formerly known as the Chicago Regional Port District). The central element of the Port District, Calumet Harbor, is maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.[337] Iroquois Landing Lakefront Terminal: at the mouth of the Calumet River, it includes 100 acres (0.40 km2) of warehouses and facilities on Lake Michigan with over 780,000 square meters (8,400,000 square feet) of storage. Lake Calumet terminal: located at the union of the Grand Calumet River and Little Calumet River 6 miles (9.7 km) inland from Lake Michigan. Includes three transit sheds totaling over 29,000 square meters (310,000 square feet) adjacent to over 900 linear meters (3,000 linear feet) of ship and barge berthing. Grain (14 million bushels) and bulk liquid (800,000 barrels) storage facilities along Lake Calumet. The Illinois International Port district also operates Foreign trade zone No. 22, which extends 60 miles (97 km) from Chicago's city limits. Utilities Electricity for most of northern Illinois is provided by Commonwealth Edison, also known as ComEd. Their service territory borders Iroquois County to the south, the Wisconsin border to the north, the Iowa border to the west and the Indiana border to the east. In northern Illinois, ComEd (a division of Exelon) operates the greatest number of nuclear generating plants in any U.S. state. Because of this, ComEd reports indicate that Chicago receives about 75% of its electricity from nuclear power. Recently, the city began installing wind turbines on government buildings to promote renewable energy.[338][339][340] Natural gas is provided by Peoples Gas, a subsidiary of Integrys Energy Group, which is headquartered in Chicago. Domestic and industrial waste was once incinerated but it is now landfilled, mainly in the Calumet area. From 1995 to 2008, the city had a blue bag program to divert recyclable refuse from landfills.[341] Because of low participation in the blue bag programs, the city began a pilot program for blue bin recycling like other cities. This proved successful and blue bins were rolled out across the city.[342] Health systems Prentice Women's Hospital on the Northwestern Memorial Hospital Downtown Campus The Illinois Medical District is on the Near West Side. It includes Rush University Medical Center, ranked as the second best hospital in the Chicago metropolitan area by U.S. News & World Report for 2014–16, the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago, Jesse Brown VA Hospital, and John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, one of the busiest trauma centers in the nation.[343] Two of the country's premier academic medical centers reside in Chicago, including Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the University of Chicago Medical Center. The Chicago campus of Northwestern University includes the Feinberg School of Medicine; Northwestern Memorial Hospital, which is ranked as the best hospital in the Chicago metropolitan area by U.S. News & World Report for 2017–18;[344] the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (formerly named the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago), which is ranked the best U.S. rehabilitation hospital by U.S. News & World Report;[345] the new Prentice Women's Hospital; and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. The University of Illinois College of Medicine at UIC is the second largest medical school in the United States (2,600 students including those at campuses in Peoria, Rockford and Urbana–Champaign).[346] In addition, the Chicago Medical School and Loyola University Chicago's Stritch School of Medicine are located in the suburbs of North Chicago and Maywood, respectively. The Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine is in Downers Grove. The American Medical Association, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, American Osteopathic Association, American Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, American College of Surgeons, American Society for Clinical Pathology, American College of Healthcare Executives, the American Hospital Association and Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association are all based in Chicago. Sister cities Main article: List of sister cities of Chicago See also Chicago area water quality Chicago Wilderness Gentrification of Chicago Index of Illinois-related articles List of cities with the most skyscrapers National Register of Historic Places listings in Central Chicago National Register of Historic Places listings in North Side Chicago National Register of Historic Places listings in West Side Chicago USS Chicago, 4 ships Notes  Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.  Official records for Chicago were kept at various locations in downtown from January 1871 to 31 December 1925, University of Chicago from 1 January 1926 to 30 June 1942, Midway Airport from 1 July 1942 to 16 January 1980, and at O'Hare Airport since 17 January 1980.[147][148]  From 15% sample  The total for each race includes those who reported that race alone or in combination with other races. People who reported a combination of multiple races may be counted multiple times, so the sum of all percentages will exceed 100%.  Hispanic and Latino origins are separate from race in the U.S. Census. The Census does not distinguish between Latino origins alone or in combination. This row counts Hispanics and Latinos of any race.
  • Condition: Used
  • League: National Football League (NFL)
  • Sport: Football
  • Product: Plaque
  • Team: Chicago Bears

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