Chicago Bears: Is team irrelevant nearing end of 2017 season?

The Chicago Bears is one of the most historic franchises in the history of the NFL. Its actions over the past half-decade, however, make it irrelevant today.

The Chicago Bears suffered through another losing, frustrating season in 2017. After suffering through a three-win season last year, the team at this point is just one game better. Additionally, this is the fourth straight losing season. The last time they had a stretch of futility was between 1996 and 2000. That was a five-year stretch, but after four years they had 21 wins. In this four-year stretch, the Bears have only 18 wins.

This is a once-proud franchise. Before the Super Bowl era, the Bears went to 10 championship games, winning six of them. They’ve been in the Super Bowl just twice, winning one of them.

This franchise has 34 Hall of Fame players. Also, some of the biggest legends in the game played in Chicago. Players like Bronco Nagurski, George Halas, Dick Butkus, Walter Payton, Red Grange, and Mike Singletary helped make the NFL as great as it is.

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This is why the four seasons are so disheartening. A record of 18-44 and futility on offense really hurt, but the fall of the defense hurts even more. The Monsters of the Midway are hiding.

Peggy Kusinski of the Chicago Tribune wrote an opinion recently about the Bears. She asked if the Chicago Bears were irrelevant. Well, most fans answer that question with a resounding yes.

Kusinski wrote about a Bears season ticket holder who wrote a letter to team owner George McCaskey. In it, he wrote about how the recent losing and the lack of actions to stop it frustrates him. He wanted to pass down his season tickets to his children, but they aren’t interested.

"The 64-year-old Bears fan, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed his disappointment in the team’s “performance, management and ownership.This west suburban Chicago ticket holder gladly took over four season tickets from his father, but now he said his children and grandchildren are not interested. He told McCaskey his worst fears are coming true: The Chicago Bears are becoming irrelevant."

The frustrated fan never received an answer from McCaskey. In addition to that, the Bears never asked him why he didn’t renew his ticket order. As we see more and more empty seats at Soldier Field, it seems the team doesn’t care.

There are teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, and the Buffalo Bills are teams that suffered through many non-playoff seasons but are now in the playoff hunt. In fact, the Buffalo Bills haven’t even made it to the playoffs in the 21st century! The last time they went to the playoffs was in 1999.

When people talk about teams in the NFL, no longer do they mention the Chicago Bears. They’re just one of those middling teams.

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This is an important offseason. The Bears are at a crossroads. They need to make some changes in the coaching staff, and they need to get some better players or their drop continues even deeper. Even with the World Series win by the Cubs, the Stanley Cups by the Blackhawks, or the NBA FInals by the Bulls, Chicago is a predominately football city. You can hate the other teams or sports here, but we all love the Bears. The fans are dying to root for a winning Bears team. It’s time to give them one already.

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