It’s been a long winter for Bears fans trying to recover from the fallout that was the Trestman/Emery era. Many of us were cowering under the stairs licking our wounds from the abysmal defensive presence, or lack thereof, quarrels in the locker room, coordinators selling players out to the press, and most notably the egregious contract extension for Jay Cutler.

However, the McCaskey family finally read the writing on the wall and decided to clean house by firing everyone and replacing them with competent leaders to help right the sinking ship. It was a huge step in the right direction by hiring new head coach John Fox and young GM Ryan Pace. In a very short time I personally went from not wanting to read anything about the Bears because I was so disheartened, to trolling every source I could find to try and catch the next big move. With the draft now completed and mini-camps starting I feel confident in the team that has been assembled. Yet, I feel like there is something else missing; something to make Papa Bear grin from ear to ear: the Honey Bears.

The Bears Used To Have Cheerleaders

Few people even remember that the Bears actually used to have cheerleaders, likely because they only lasted a few years between the late 70s and early 80s. After George Halas passed away they were disbanded by his oldest daughter and heir Virginia, because she refused to have “dancing girls” represent the team. Well guess what? It’s been 30 years and the organization just went through a massive overhaul to bring their fans back, and what better way to do that than by adding additional entertainment on the sidelines. How perfect would it be to symbolize true change like bringing back our pep squad?

Many teams throughout the NFL still have cheerleaders in their organization; in fact the Bears are only one of six franchises without them. That is astounding in my eyes. The Blackhawks have the Ice Crew, the Bulls are endowed with the Luvabulls, and the Cubs have…well…their female fan base, which is close enough. These female crews are respected and are not grouped into that skanky stereotype fed to us from movies. They not only support the teams and entertain the masses, they also sell out road-watch events and help to promote the brand.

If the Bears were ever concerned about filling seats after the disappointment that was last season, resurrecting the Honey Bears would help sell those tickets. I can see it now: sporting my orange and navy with an $8 Dixie-cup beer in my hand, while watching the Honey Bears during the down time between plays.

#HoneyBearDown

Here’s a few pics of what the Honey Bears used to look like:

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