A Brief History
In 1921, the A.E. Staley company of Decatur, IL turned over its company football team to its coach George S. Halas. Tomorrow, nearly 86 years later, George's daughter Virginia will watch the team her father took over and which she still owns play for its tenth NFL title, its twelfth appearance in a championship game.
26 Bears are enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of fame, more than any other club. 13 numbers will ever be seen again in orange and blue, again more numbers than any other NFL team has retired. Included among these are names and numbers that every student of the game should know: 77, 42, 51, 34.
It's ironic that commentators tomorrow will call every Bear run a "return to classic Bears football" because it was George Halas and Sid Luckman who introduced the T-Formation to the NFL. Prior to them, professional football was almost entirely run plays with the occasional pass thrown in for novelty. With the T-Formation's revolutionary direct snap from center and the backs lined up behind the QB, pass plays were disguised as run plays and vice versa. Soon, other teams were copying this innovative offense, with the San Francisco 49ers modifying it into the Shotgun and the Kansas City Chiefs molding the T into the I.
The Bears fight song reminds every Bears fan of this innovation with the line "we'll never forget you thrilled the nation/with your T-Formation." In the 1940s this line had literal meaning, but to me today, 60+ years later this line is about altering the game to find a way to win. Halas and Luckman decided to change the way offense was seen to win. Dick Butkus altered the role of the linebacker to propel his team to victory. Walter Payton re-wrote the record book and his 1985 teammates redefined confidence in route to Da Bears' last NFL title.
Tomorrow, a new set of Bears will have their chance to be mentioned in the same breath as the greatest Bears. But, to do so, they will have to find new meaning for thrilling the nation with their T-Formation.
I believe they will.
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