The Chicago Bears celebrate their 100th anniversary and it feels like something special is brewing.

On Friday night, the Chicago Bears kicked off their much-anticipated Bears 100 Celebration Weekend. The three-day celebration is meant to honor the incredibly rich history of one of the NFL’s most historic teams and a charter franchise.

Since the team’s inception 100 seasons ago, when they were founded as the Decatur Staleys before being renamed the Bears in 1922, the franchise has had its share of iconic moments and players.

Well, this week, those players still living, will come together to celebrate those iconic moments and the legends that made them possible.

But beyond the pomp and circumstance of such a historic celebration, the event has a special feel.

For starters, the fans’ level of engagement with this franchise hasn’t felt this strong in a number of years. However, since Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace breathes a breath of fresh air into this club, the city feels reinvigorated.

For evidence of this rejuvenation, look no further than the throngs of people who lined up for blocks outside the venue for the chance to celebrate their beloved.

And as the festivities commenced and the players — past and present — started filing in, there was as much talk about the present as there was that rich history.

First, it was Jim McMahon who commented on the creativity of dynamic nature of Nagy’s offense by saying how it’s the type of offense he would have really enjoyed playing in.

Next, it was the legendary Richard Dent who made the observation that the current Bears team reminds him of the 1984 and 1985 Bears and that they are gelling at the right time. This sentiment was shared earlier in the week by Kyle Long who said he hasn’t been on a team “that has gelled like this.”

You may remember the 1984 Bears went 10-6, won the division but lost in the conference championship.

However, the foundation was set for the following year when the Bears went on their amazing run to win the Super Bowl which will be the most celebrated moment of the weekend.

Will we look back in 100 seasons at the 2019 Bears and talk about how their foundation was laid the previous season? While that remains to be seen, it’s hard not to feel like something special is brewing in the Windy City.