On January 26, 1986, the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots and won Super Bowl XX. Since then, the Bears have only made it back to the big game on one occasion, in 2006 when they were defeated by the Indianapolis Colts. Much like we're accustomed to killing time while deep dish pizza bakes, we're used to waiting around for our city's teams to win championships (Cubs fans have been singing the blues for more than a century). That being said, we really want to see Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall do the Super Bowl Shuffle.
RECOMMENDED: Our guide to the Chicago Bears
Just to give you an idea of how long it's been since the Bears finished the season on top, we put together a list of some important events that have occured since the 1986 Super Bowl.
June 11, 1986 - Ferris Bueller’s Day Off premieres
September 8, 1986 - The Oprah Winfrey Show airs for the first time
August 17, 1987 - Charlie Trotter’s opens
July 31, 1987 - Madonna’s first outdoor performance in Chicago at Soldier Field
August 8, 1988 - First night game at Wrigley Field
September 26, 1989 - Cubs clinch first of four division titles since 1985
September 30, 1990 - Last game at the old Comiskey Park
February 14, 1990 - Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery is born
April 13, 1991 - Steppenwolf Theatre Company moves into its current location, going from 211 to 515 seats
October 7, 1991 - Harold Washington Library opens
April 13, 1992 - 250 million gallons of water flood the Loop
February 21, 1993 - CTA train lines are assigned colors, tourists become less confused
September 9, 1994 - Last game at Chicago Stadium
August 15, 1995 - Chief Keef is born
1996 - State Street pedestrian mall closes and cars return to the street
1997 - Kanye West becomes a college dropout
October 1997 - Millennium Park construction begins and it seems like they have plenty of time to finish
September 4, 1998 - Google is founded—only 40 more years until it becomes self aware and initiates Judgement Day
1999 - Chicago’s first Chipotle opens, burrito lovers rejoice
February 20, 1999 - Film critic Gene Siskel dies
January 15, 2000- The Coctails play the final show at Lounge Ax
March 31, 2000- High Fidelity, filmed in Wicker Park, premieres
January 2001 - Hot Doug’s opens its original location in Roscoe Village, the one with shorter lines
April 23, 2002 - Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is released
April 16, 2003 - Michael Jordan’s final game—as a Washington Wizard
July 31, 2003 - Mike Ditka becomes the official spokesman for erectile dysfunction drug Levitra
February 10, 2004 - Kanye West releases The College Dropout
July 16, 2004 - Millennium Park opens (only four years late)
September 23, 2004 - Thanks to extensive renovations, Soldier Field is delisted as a national historical landmark
July 23, 2005 - Chicago becomes the permanent home of Lollapalooza and a yearly influx of dudes in tank tops
October 26, 2005 - White Sox win the World Series, while the Cubs continue to flounder
June 25, 2006 - Trains begin running on the CTA's Pink Line
September 9, 2006 - Marshall Field’s becomes Macy’s on State Street
September 14, 2007 - Chicago enters its bid for the 2016 Summer Olympic games
January 1, 2008 - The Smoke Free Illinois Act goes into effect, banning smoking in public places
January 29, 2009 - Rod Blagojevich is removed from office
May 16, 2009 - The Art Institute of Chicago's Modern Wing opens
Summer 2010 - Longman & Eagle opens, beginning Logan Square's endless chain of restaurant openings
Sept 6, 2011 - The water in the Chicago River is upgraded from "toxic" to "highly polluted", but you still shouldn't swim in it
May 2012 - Soldier Field becomes the first stadium in the NFL to achieve LEED certification
April 24, 2013 - Time Out Chicago goes digital-only
May 13, 2014 - Mike Ditka becomes the official spokesman for Al's Beef
September 9, 2015 - Time Out Chicago releases a free fall print issue.