An upcoming documentary from HBO about the iconic 1985 Chicago Bears, titled The Shuffle — about their iconic “Super Bowl Shuffle” song — is coming, and the first trailer is here.
The trailer begins with a montage of footage of the team playing during the 1985 season. While they had success on the field and boast arguably the best defense of all time, they were also known for their iconic “Super Bowl Shuffle” song.
“What do you think of football players doing a rap song and a line dance?” someone poses early in the trailer.
Even Mike Singletary is still at a loss for words 40 years later. “What the heck have we gotten ourselves into?” he asked in a clip from present day.
It sounds like some didn't think it would be that bad. “How bad can it be?” Gary Fencik asked in hindsight. Jim McMahon added his thought process, reasoning, “Nobody's gonna hear it other than the people in Chicago, right?”
Well, that was wrong. The song went “viral like wildfire,” and even worse, the stakes were raised since it was released mid-season. Singletary acknowledged this, saying, “If we don't go to the Super Bowl, we're gonna be the biggest idiots ever. We gotta win this thing, man.”
Did the “Super Bowl Shuffle” help the 1985 Bears win the Lombardi Trophy?
Spoiler alert: the Bears won the Super Bowl to cap off the 1985 season with their iconic team. So, even though the “Super Bowl Shuffle” meant they were “taking a superstitious chance,” as someone in the trailer says, it worked out.
They went 15-1 in the regular season, earning a first-round bye in the playoffs. The Bears would beat the New York Giants in the Divisional Round before beating the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Conference Championship, pitching shutouts in both games.
Then, they faced the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. The Bears blew out the Patriots, winning the game 46-10 to win the franchise's lone Super Bowl.
One year earlier, the Bears had similarly made it to the NFC Championship Game. However, they lost to the San Francisco 49ers. The franchise has been back to the Super Bowl just once in the four decades since, losing to Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI. They are currently 6-3 and in first place in the NFC North, so anything is possible.
The Shuffle will premiere on Nov. 25 on HBO Max.
