2007-06-02 16:39:34 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Football (American)
The Bears were originally the Decatur Staleys; Decatur is a city in Illinois between Champaign-Urbana and Springfield. When Halas moved them to Chicago, they played at Wrigley Field - before it was even named Wrigley Field. And the Bears name was derived from the Cubs; it was the pattern of the era to name football teams after the pro baseball teams (I don't even want to count the number of New York Yankee football teams that failed, and the New York Giants played at the Polo Grounds with the Giants).
The Bears have an unbreakable tie with the University of Illinos. Halas played football and baseball for the Illini. The Bears colors were copied from the Illini colors. And once Red Grange graduated from Illinois and joined the Bears, the NFL finally had a chance to succeed.
2007-06-02 17:08:55 · answer #1 · answered by David B 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
In 1922, Halas changed the team name from the Staleys to the Bears. The team moved into Wrigley Field, which was home to the Chicago Cubs baseball franchise. As with several early NFL franchises, the Bears derived their nickname from their city's baseball team. Halas liked the bright orange-and-blue colors of his alma mater, the University of Illinois, and the Bears adopted those colors as their own, albeit in a darker shade of each (the blue is a Navy Blue, and the orange is Pantone 1665, similar to burnt orange).
2007-06-02 16:47:10 · answer #2 · answered by chris b 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
They were named after the Chicago Cubs. It was a common practice back then to name a football club after a local baseball franchise.
2007-06-02 16:44:00 · answer #3 · answered by Joe F 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
A bear is slang for a hairy homosexual. Halas took a look at his team and said, what the hay.
2007-06-02 17:09:55 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 5⤋
It was the only mascot that rhymed with chairs.
2007-06-02 20:51:22 · answer #5 · answered by Peter Dragon 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋