OT: ESPN 30 FOR 30 - 1985 Chicago Bears

[BigEastPhil]

A terrific watch...2 hours and you will be glued to the tube.

The 1985 Bears remind me so much of the 1986 Mets in that:

- Both teams dominated their sport that respective year in a way rarely ever matched.
- Both teams had numerous superstars and "characters" on their teams
- Both teams are so revered - not only in their home towns - but also nationally
- Both teams should have won numerous titles - but external factors and bad luck - prevented it
- Both teams have endured tragedies - deaths of Walter Payton; Dave Duerson and Gary Carter.

I would love to see a 30 for 30 on the 86 Mets as there are so many storylines....

 

[T2Kplus10]

A terrific watch...2 hours and you will be glued to the tube.

The 1985 Bears remind me so much of the 1986 Mets in that:

- Both teams dominated their sport that respective year in a way rarely ever matched.
- Both teams had numerous superstars and "characters" on their teams
- Both teams are so revered - not only in their home towns - but also nationally
- Both teams should have won numerous titles - but external factors and bad luck - prevented it
- Both teams have endured tragedies - deaths of Walter Payton; Dave Duerson and Gary Carter.

I would love to see a 30 for 30 on the 86 Mets as there are so many storylines....

Taping the 3 am showing on ESPN2. Looking forward to it!

 

[willisneverrana43]

I would love to see a 30 for 30 on the 86 Mets as there are so many storylines....

Read the book, "The Bad Guys Won." That'll more than satisfy you.

 

[Saint Puppy]

A terrific watch...2 hours and you will be glued to the tube.

The 1985 Bears remind me so much of the 1986 Mets in that:

- Both teams dominated their sport that respective year in a way rarely ever matched.
- Both teams had numerous superstars and "characters" on their teams
- Both teams are so revered - not only in their home towns - but also nationally
- Both teams should have won numerous titles - but external factors and bad luck - prevented it
- Both teams have endured tragedies - deaths of Walter Payton; Dave Duerson and Gary Carter.

I would love to see a 30 for 30 on the 86 Mets as there are so many storylines....

Really good 30 for 30 on the '85 Bears (is it possible to have a bad one with so much Ditka?).......the Bears D was so ridiculously talented. Never new McMichael was such a nut, and Singletary seems like an amazing stand up guy (kind of knew that already since since 'A Football Life' about him on the NFL network). But great comparison between the '85 Bears and '86 Mets - 2 teams that had a ton of character, absolutely dominated for a year, but underachieved big time over the long run when it came to Championships.

 

[bitnez]

There are some comparisons between the 85 Bears and 86 Mets but I think you have overstated the dominance and reverence of the 86 Mets. I'm not saying it wasn't a great team with great players but the 85 Bears are considered one of the great teams of all time and the 86 Mets are not.

 

[Sect120]

Well done, worth watching

 

[jreinsdorf]

What is the best way to see this 30 for 30 if it was missed?

 

[RUaMoose]

30/30...the only reason to watch espn

 

[Section124]

There are some comparisons between the 85 Bears and 86 Mets but I think you have overstated the dominance and reverence of the 86 Mets. I'm not saying it wasn't a great team with great players but the 85 Bears are considered one of the great teams of all time and the 86 Mets are not.

Plus the Mets were lucky to win the Houston series and even luckier against the Red Sox. The Bears destroyed everyone in the playoffs.

 

[red sail]

What is the best way to see this 30 for 30 if it was missed?

I watched last night with my wife and 10 year old son. Even my wife who's not much of a sports fan remembers the Bears shuffle song. ESPN will replay this about 50 more times. I wouldn't worry about missing last nights. It was very well done.

 

[G- RUnit]

Plus the Mets were lucky to win the Houston series and even luckier against the Red Sox. The Bears destroyed everyone in the playoffs.

It's baseball, different game and those close wins and impropable comebacks actually add to the Mets' legend and lore. Add in Game Six, not a bad comparison at all. Plus one of the Greatest Seinfeld episodes ever!

 

[LotusAggressor]

The '86 Mets were lucky. The '85 Bears were great.

 

[RULoyal]

Agree with everything! Well...except for any of the Mets comparisons.

 

[Abro1975]

Bears QB Jim McMahon is all messed up now health wise from all the head shots he took.

 

[MGSA99]

The 85 Bears allowed 10 points during the entire postseason. That includes a Patriots FG after a Bears fumble (The bears forced a 3 and out on that) and a garbage time TD for the Patriots. They were a sick defense and offensive lines just crumbled when facing them. Only after an offseason of offensive coordinators having time to figure out how to stop the 46 defense did they start to loss their dominance.

 

[BrunswickBob]

More akin to the 82-83 Sixers. Incredibly dominant, never won another championship, and have endured two deaths (Darryl Dawkins and Caldwell Jones).

 

[zappaa]

85 Bears, 76-77 Canadiens, 76 REDS, most dominant teams for a given year I've ever see,

85 bear defense literally pushed you backwards

 

[mdk01]

I was shocked at Buddy Ryan's deterioration in health. Hadn't heard or read about it.

However, another worthwhile 30 for 30.

 

[G- RUnit]

Yet for all the talk of the '76 Reds, they were not so dominant in their Division. Dodgers a mere ten games back. Mets were a whopping 22.5 games ahead and actually were more dominant than those Reds and had much better starting pitching. Mets v Houston and Mets v Red Sox were both amazing series. Mets had tougher competition than da Bears!

 

[T2Kplus10]

85 Bears, 76-77 Canadiens, 76 REDS, most dominant teams for a given year I've ever see,
85 bear defense literally pushed you backwards

Don't forget the 1998 Yankees! Most dominating baseball team since the Reds. As for the 86 Mets, the only people that remember them and their "lore" are Mets fans. That team wasn't that good.

 

[fischy5000]

What is the best way to see this 30 for 30 if it was missed?

http://espn.go.com/30for30/film?page=85bears

looks like Feb 6th at 1am (ESPN 2)

 

[JPhoboken]

I can see how Walter Payton was a little miffed about not scoring in the super bowl. Yes, I get the decoy angle, and they were keying on him, but didka did mention he regretted that. I know he got a ring and all, but did a should have thought of it. He was the "man" at that time.

 

[Red Hysteria]

I remember when the Giants had to play them in the playoffs that year in Chicago. I was 11 and it was the first year that I was fully rabid about football. I went with my dad to the Grand Union in Paramus that morning and it was grey outside and you felt the tension. Everybody was in a hurry to get home for the game. Then of course the game was a blood bath.

 

[socaldave]

Great watch, I moved to Chicago to start on the cbot, in 1985, what a team it was incredible. I moonlighted as a bar tender on RUSH street. I bar tended the game, we gave out free shots every time the Bears scored. I worked my ass off lol! That night the city was up for grabs. Even though it was 0 degrees
Out.
Best team ever, the 30 for 30 really captured what I remember.

 

[brgossRU90]

Mixed feelings about that team. They would seem to be the turning point from the NFL as sport to the NFL as "entertainment" with a lot of ego-inflating and off the field cheeseball sh*t thrown in.

 

[G- RUnit]

Don't forget the 1998 Yankees! Most dominating baseball team since the Reds. As for the 86 Mets, the only people that remember them and their "lore" are Mets fans. That team wasn't that good.

Great Yankee team indeed which broke Mets record for most cumulative wins. But as good and as dominant as they were with the artificial DH not as fun or exciting as '86 Mets. Didn't capture imagination.

 

[LotusAggressor]

Yet for all the talk of the '76 Reds, they were not so dominant in their Division. Dodgers a mere ten games back. Mets were a whopping 22.5 games ahead and actually were more dominant than those Reds and had much better starting pitching. Mets v Houston and Mets v Red Sox were both amazing series. Mets had tougher competition than da Bears!

The Mets were 22.5 games clear of the field because the NL East collectively quit before the All-Star break.

 

[AreYouNUTS]

The '86 Mets were "nationally" revered? Really? Also, hate to say it, but "shoulda, coulda, woulda," and neither team even won a 2nd title let alone more.

 

[G- RUnit]

No Seinfeld episodes on '98 Yankees!

 

[rudad02]

'85 Bears defense was absolutely BRUTAL.

 

[AreYouNUTS]

No Seinfeld episodes on '98 Yankees!

Uhm....the last episode was in like May of the '98 season....lol!

 

[NewJerseyGuy]

Read the book, "The Bad Guys Won." That'll more than satisfy you.

Great read.

Here's another good book for Mets fans:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/622300.The_Worst_Team_Money_Could_Buy

 

[RUaMoose]

'85 Bears defense was absolutely BRUTAL.

2000 Ravens and the 2002 Bucs had damn good defenses too.

 

[RUaMoose]

Dup

 

[beaced]

And yet ,the Dolphins beat them down at Miami.The Fins were hugely motivated to make sure that their 1972 undefeated season was not going to be matched. Interesting how such motivation can get people to do the almost impossible.

 

[BrunswickBob]

2000 Ravens and the 2002 Bucs had damn good defenses too.

The '91 Eagles defense, with a defensive line that had 3 All-NFL members (Reggie White, Clyde Simmons, Jerome Brown) was better than both. Seth Joyner, Andre Waters, Wes Hopkins and Eric Allen were Pro Bowlers too. In fact, according to statistics-oriented site Football Outsiders, only the 2002 Bucs had a better pass defense and only the 2000 Ravens had a better run defense, but the '91 Eagles defense was more balanced than both. And they must have set a record for QB's knocked out of games. Unfortunately they often get forgotten in this discussion because their own QB, Randall Cunningham, went out for the season with an injury in game 1 and they had zero offense.

 

[Ataylor1989x]

Finally catching this tonight.....I was too young when they were first around, but now realize how this has to be the single most interesting football team of my lifetime.

 

[newell138]

watched it last night, as with all the 30 for 30s it was really good.

 

[pawildcat]

And yet ,the Dolphins beat them down at Miami.The Fins were hugely motivated to make sure that their 1972 undefeated season was not going to be matched. Interesting how such motivation can get people to do the almost impossible.

Was basically due to Marino, who had maybe the quickest release of any QB ever. He got the ball off before the blitzes got home, despite the fact that he had bad knees and was relatively immobile. As a Bears fan, I was pleased when the Patriots knocked them off in the playoffs as I felt Marino was the only QB who had any chance to beat the Bears in the playoffs that year.

 

[willisneverrana43]

The Mets were 22.5 games clear of the field because the NL East collectively quit before the All-Star break.

Yeah, that, and the 108 wins.