Monsters of the Midway

Lore & Background

The nickname Monsters of the Midway originally referred to the University of Chicago Maroons, a college football program led by Amos Alonzo Stagg. The Maroons were a prominent collegiate football program in the early 1900s, winning two national championships in 1905 and 1913. The nickname was a reference to the Midway Plaisance, a long, green swath of boulevard space bordering the southern end of the campus between 59th and 60th Streets and running from Washington Park to Jackson Park on Chicago's South Side. The University of Chicago's football program ceased operations in 1939. The Chicago Bears won six championships between the 1930s and 1940s. Fans and the media referred to the Bears as the Monsters of the Midway, especially after their lopsided 56–7 victory over the New York Giants in 1943. The Bears also adopted the Maroons’ wishbone 'C' logo in 1962. The University of Chicago later revived their football program in 1969. The nickname is commonly misattributed to Chicago's Midway International Airport or a geographic reference to the city's location in the Midwestern United States.

In Their Own Story

Lake Michigan's wind screamed across Wrigley Field, whipping snow into a blinding whiteout that turned the frozen turf into an ice rink. The visiting team huddled, breath pluming in the sub-zero air, eyes wide as they looked toward the Bears' sideline where figures loomed like granite statues carved from the Chicago winter itself. They had heard the legends, but hearing about the Monsters was nothing compared to facing them. As the referee signaled the snap, the crowd's silence shattered under the heavy thud of cleats on ice. The line surged—a tidal wave of black and orange—swallowing the opposing quarterback before he could even drop back. There was no escape from the Midway tonight; the Monsters had arrived to reclaim their territory.

Reader's Guide

The nickname was revived in 1985 by the Chicago Bears' dominant defense. The team used the '46 defense' to generate immense pressure on opposing offenses and devastate quarterbacks. The 1985 Bears were notorious for knocking opposing quarterbacks out of games with injuries. Former Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann reflected on playing against the Bears in a 45–10 loss that season, commenting 'Their intention was to take us out. If you had that kind of physical talent and a scheme that allowed you to take shots at the quarterback, if you didn't take us out legally, you'd be crazy.' The 1985 Bears' defense, which was spearheaded by future Pro Football Hall of Famers Mike Singletary, Richard Dent, Dan Hampton, and Steve McMichael, allowed the fewest points and yards that season. The team cruised to a 15–1 regular season record, followed by back-to-back shutouts of the New York Giants and Los Angeles Rams in the playoffs. The season culminated with a 46–10 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX. The 1985 Bears are regarded as one of the greatest teams in NFL history. The Monsters of the Midway moniker remained as no other team won more combined games than the Bears between 1984 and 1988. The Monsters of the Midway nickname has also been a reference to the Bears' defenses, especially the franchise's long history of Hall of Fame middle linebackers, including Bill George, Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary, and Brian Urlacher. The nickname saw a resurgence in 2006, when Urlacher and the Bears' defense led the team to Super Bowl XLI, where they ultimately lost to the Indianapolis Colts.

Did You Know?

• TSR published a game entitled Monsters of the Midway in a 1982 edition of their magazine Dragon. It was a football simulation with various fantasy characters taking the place of football players.
• The 1993 Mutant League Football referenced the name, calling one of its fictional teams the 'Midway Monsters'.
• The 2017 Mutant Football League video game featured a fictional team called the 'Midway Mutants'.
• In 2013, the Bears partnered with Two by Four/Chicago to create a new marketing campaign, 'Believe in Monsters', inspired by the nickname.
• The Bears formally trademarked 'Monsters of the Midway' in 2013.