The Chicago Bears are one of the two charter members of the NFL still in existence. The Bears are a National Football Conference (NFC), North Division team.  In 1919 A.E. Staley Co. formed the Decatur Staleys.  The following year George Halas was hired to run the team.  Later that year, after becoming a charter member of the National Football League (NFL), Halas took full control of the team.  Halas then purchased the team for $100. In 1921 the Staleys moved from Decature to Chicago and soon became the Chicago Bears.

 

The Chicago Bears have won nine NFL title crowns (eight NFL Championships and also Super Bowl XX), trailing only the Green Bay Packers, who are the Bears most fierce Rival and have won twelve championships.  The club has played in over a thousand games since becoming a charter member of the NFL in 1920. Through the 2007 season, they lead the NFL in overall franchise wins with 693 and have an overall record of 693-508-42 (going 677-491-42 during the regular season and 16-17 in the playoffs).

 

Lovie Smith was hired in January 2004 as the third and current post-Mike Ditka head coach. Smith was a rookie head coach and brought the highly successful Tampa 2 defensive scheme with him to Chicago, from his previous coaching position with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Before his second season as Bears head coach, the team rehired their former offensive coordinator and current Illinois head coach Ron Turner to improve their struggling offense.  In 2005, the Bears won their division and reached the playoffs for the first time in four years.  The Bears improved upon their success the following season, clinching their 2nd consecutive NFC North title during week thirteen of the 2006 season, winning their first playoff game since 1995, and earning a trip to Super Bowl XLI. However, they fell short of the championship, losing 29-17 to the Indianapolis Colts. After the teams success in 2006, the club gave Lovie Smith a five year contract extension through 2011.