page_title: Chicago Bears
section_title: 1983–1985: Contenders, then Super Bowl Champions
hierarchical_section_title: Chicago Bears / Franchise history / 1983–1985: Contenders, then Super Bowl Champions
caption_attribution_description: Sailors from amphibious transport dock ship USS Cleveland (LPD 7) were welcomed by legendary football coach Mike Ditka in the press booth during a National Football League pre-season game between the Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, OH. The Sailors are in their ship's namesake town for Cleveland Navy Week. Twenty-six such Navy Weeks are planned this year in cities throughout the U.S., arranged by the Navy Office of Community Outreach (NAVCO) to increase awareness of the Navy in areas. The mission of NAVCO is to enhance the Navy's brand image in areas with limited exposure to the Navy.
context_page_description: The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League as a member club of the league's National Football Conference North division. The Bears have won nine NFL Championships, including one Super Bowl, 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 more victories than any other NFL franchise.
  The franchise was founded in Decatur, Illinois, on September 17, 1920, and moved to Chicago in 1921. 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 Bears have a long-standing rivalry with the Green Bay Packers.
  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.
context_section_description: 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.
caption: 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
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