Rushmore Mountain Chicago Bears Mike Ditka Coach shirt

The thought of Mount Rushmore, but with a Chicago Bears twist, immediately conjures up a specific image: a gigantic stone face of Coach Mike Ditka, his steely gaze fixed on the horizon, maybe even a tiny, perpetually-worn, Bears-orange mustache sculpted into the granite. It’s a ridiculous, completely over-the-top, fantastic idea that somehow makes perfect sense. I mean, Ditka -was- the Bears. My grandpa, a die-hard fan from way back, would have absolutely loved it. He used to yell at the TV every Sunday, the volume cranked so high the whole house rattled, but whenever Ditka appeared on screen, a peculiar kind of reverence would settle over him. I remember, as a kid, I’d try to sneak out of the room during the games, but the sheer force of my grandpa’s passion always seemed to pull me back in, slowly converting me into a Bears believer, too.

Picturing Ditka’s stern visage alongside the faces on Mount Rushmore would be a genuine spectacle. You’d need an equally powerful personality to complement him on that mountain, someone who epitomizes the franchise’s history. Walter Payton is, of course, a must-have. Sweetness, etched in stone, would be a moving monument to his grace and grit. I can almost feel the chill wind whipping around their stone heads. I’ve always thought Payton’s quiet strength and relentless work ethic represented the best of the city itself.

Selecting the other two players for the Bears’ Mt. Rushmore is where it gets really interesting, and honestly, a little more difficult. Do you lean towards defensive legends, the guys who terrorized quarterbacks, or do you favor another offensive superstar? I’d probably go with Gale Sayers, a dazzling runner who helped usher the team into a new era, alongside a player that made the 85′ Bears defense, like, legendary, like Dick Butkus. They’d all stand there, stone-faced, forever guarding Soldier Field and the hopes of every Bears fan.