Which Number Should the Bears Retire Next?
The other day I read about the Packers discussing retiring Brett Favre’s #4. Even though he singed the bridge, he didn’t burn it down, so some day probably before his wang is completely unrecognizable to Jen Sterger, the Packers will hold the ceremony and retire his jersey number. It got me to thinking two things about our Beloved Bears:
1. Which jersey number should be the next one the Bears retire?
2. Are there any current Bears whose jersey deserves to be retired?
Before we decide which jersey should be retired next, let’s look at the 13 jerseys have already been retired, after the jump…
Not only do you have some of the all-time greats on the list like George Halas, Sid Luckman, Bill George and Red Grange in there, but you have the most recognizable Bears like Sayers, Butkus and Payton. It’s really an impressive list. It’s kind of sad that most of the guys on this list are old-timers. Why aren’t we drafting more elite players nowadays? (And I’m not just ripping on Jerry Angelo here!)
So who is missing? In all fairness, I can’t speak to some of the old-timers but I’ll address a handful of Bears Hall of Famers whose numbers haven’t been retired yet and most that I’ve been fortunate enough to see in my lifetime:
#89 – Mike Ditka
While most of us know Ditka as Da Coach of Da Super Bowl XX 1985 Bears, Iron Mike was one hell of a tight end.
#50 – Mike Singletary
Many consider Samurai Mike as the lynchpin of Buddy Ryan’s 46-defense. It’s all in the eyes.
#95 – Richard Dent
The Colonel chewed up quarterbacks and spit them out throughout his career. It’s hard to argue with the MVP of the only Super Bowl that this storied franchise has won.
#99 – Dan Hampton
The number not only represents the jersey he wore on his back, but also the number of knee surgeries he had.
And the only current Bear I might even consider, which answer’s Question 2 above…
#54 – Brian Urlacher
We keep hearing that he’s a sure-fire Hall of Famer. You only wonder what kind of numbers he could have put up in his career if he wasn’t required to spring backwards at the snap of the ball to cover the deep middle in Lovie’s Cover-2 defense.
So, help us answer the question. If you vote Other or None, back up your opinions with a Comment.