Chicago Bears: Reasons why the Lombardi Trophy should be named the Halas Trophy

Despite how great of a coach Vince Lombardi was, the Lombardi Trophy should have been named after Chicago Bears player, coach and owner George Halas.

It might not be America’s favorite past time, but the NFL is arguably the most successful sport in American history. The thing is, the NFL was not always this successful. In the beginning, there were five teams from Ohio, four teams from Illinois, two teams from Indiana, two teams from New York and one from Detroit. Of the original 14 teams, only two teams remain — Arizona Cardinals and the Chicago Bears.

In the beginning, the NFL champion was the team with the best record at the end of the season. The league switched to a playoff system in 1933. One of the biggest rivalries in football has always been between the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers. Despite the Bears being my favorite team, I have to admit that the Packers lead them in championships.

The Chicago Bears have nine championships to the team’s franchise. The first was when the team was still named the Chicago Staleys. Seven more happened before the NFL merged with the AFL in 1960. The Bears won another championship in 1963 before the Super Bowl era started in 1966. Finally, the team won its first and only Super Bowl in 1985.

The Packers on the other hand have won 13 combined championships. Six of them came before the NFL/AFL merger. Three more came after the merger and then the Packers went on to win four Super Bowls during the Super Bowl era.

It should be noted I am not admitting the Packers are better. They are not. However, we have to give the franchise the respect it deserves. The point is that just because the Packers have more championships than any other team in the NFL, it is not reason enough to name it the Lombardi Trophy. Here are the reasons why the trophy should indeed be named the Halas Trophy instead.