Obama to Honor Chicago Bears— the '85 Bears

Challenger disaster prevented initial celebration
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 23, 2011 9:16 AM CDT
President Obama to Honor 1985 Chicago Bears
In this Jan. 26, 1986 file photo, Chicago Bears' Richard Dent sacks New England Patriots' Steve Grogan during the Super Bowl XX football game in New Orleans.   (AP Photo/Lennox McLendon, File)

Two and a half decades later, the legendary 1985 Chicago Bears team is finally getting its White House ceremony. The original one was canceled because of the Challenger disaster; now, President Obama is inviting the team back on Oct 7. Though two of the team’s central players, Walter Payton and Dave Duerson, have since died, most of the team is likely to show up, Bleacher Report notes—with the possible exception of those now coaching.

Another interesting tidbit from Bleacher Report: The 1985 team's head coach, Mike Ditka, was mentioned as a possible opponent to Barack Obama for Senate in 2004. Click for more. (More President Obama stories.)

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