Winning Words 3/16/10
“Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.” (George Halas) When I was growing up, the Chicago Bears were “my” team, and I admired Papa Bear. Win or lose, he could never be accused of not giving his best as a coach. His quote is more than about playing football; it’s about playing the game of life. ;-) Jack

FROM JN IN MICHIGAN:
I see you're getting Winning Words online earlier. When you start at 5:30 a.m., I'll know you're fully recovered! FROM JACK: You've got it right. Maybe I'll be back on schedule in April.

FROM PRJS IN MICHIGAN: Da Bears have always been my favorite team. I think George Halas can be accused of not giving it his best...he was cheap to the core and it cost him dearly. There is a great book out entitled PAPA BEAR. You might enjoy reading it. Remember Luckman, Kavanaugh, Bulldog Turner, George McAfee, etc. from the 40s. What a great team. I think my favorite was Dr. Bill Osmanski. I thought it was so neat that he was a Dr. Later they had Dr. Bill McCall. Now we have Jay Cutler. Any hope for '10? FROM JACK: Then was then, and now is now. Money rules the game these days. Halas was simply going according to the rules of his day. My favorite game was when the Bears played Washington for the championship and beat them, 73 to 0. I remember listening to it in 1940 on the radio. Sid was QB.

FROM HAWKEYE GS: That's a good one. When I didn't give my best I regreted it. FROM JACK: I guess we all know what that means, especially those who are part of a team.

FROM SG IN TAMPA: That is definitely what life is all about, and everyone has her or her priorities in life. By the way, have you seen Soldiers Field since they built the new one around the old one? FROM JACK: In the Heyday of Halas the Bears played in Wrigley Field. That's when football was football. I've only seen the new Soldier Field on TV. It fits the new game. Speaking of games, I listened on radio to the Tigers as they took care of the Devil Rays on Sunday.

FROM MOLINER CF: Some of the people give it their very best all of the time and all of the people give it their very best some of the time. but not all of the people give it their very best all of the time - Abe Tillberg FROM JACK: "You do your best, boys; we'll do the rest, boys; fight on for old Moline!"

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: I have never regretted giving my best...even when it's just rooting for our Lions. FROM JACK: But do you know, and can you sing, the Lions' fight song?

FROM DC IN MICHIGAN: I need to tell you that my uncle Art, who was the first pastor at St. John's (Gloria Dei) was once recruited by George Halas, I think it was, who wanted Art to play for the Bears after Art graduated from Augustana, Rock Island. I heard the story, kind of, but then Scott Johnson's grandfather, who belonged to St. John's when Art was the pastor heard this story too. Anyway, this would have been in 1924, and I don't know if George Halas was the Bears' coach then or not. But anyway, some Bears' coach wanted Art
to play football for the Bears. FROM JACK: I'm going to check it out. MORE FROM JACK: GEORGE HALAS - Offered a position with the A. E. Staley Company, a Decatur, Illinois starch manufacturer, as a company representative, player on the company-sponsored baseball team, and player-coach of the company-sponsored football team, Halas selected his alma mater's colors — orange and navy blue — for the team's uniforms. In 1920, Halas represented the Staleys at the meeting which formed the American Professional Football Association (which became the NFL in 1922) in Canton, Ohio. After suffering financial losses despite a 10-1-2 record, company founder and namesake Augustus E. Staley turned control of the team to Halas in 1921. Halas moved the team to Chicago and took on teammate Dutch Sternaman as a partner. The newly minted "Chicago Staleys" won the NFL championship that year. They took the name Bears in 1922 as a tribute
to baseball's Chicago Cubs, which permitted the Bears to play their games at Wrigley Field.

FROM MO IN ILLINOIS: In his very short career as a Bear football player under George Halas, (pre-season, and broken knee during first game of the 1950 season...), Bill had great respect for Halas, and assured me he was definitely a "no nonsense" coach. The players seemed tough and mean in those days! Bill's name never appeared on the player roster of that year, as you had to complete an entire season to be listed on the team. It was always a satisfaction to him that he "made" the playing team, tho he decided not to return the following year, for many reasons, probably the most important being he was now married to me, and had responsibilities. Ha. FROM JACK: I remember being proud that an Augie football player that I knew made it into the pros.