‘Bears Classics’ presented by Knauz Automotive Group to debut Wednesday, November 25 at 7:00 PM CT -- Exclusively on Comcast SportsNet
Narrated by Chicago Bears/Pro Football Hall of Fame legend DICK BUTKUS
Chicago, IL (November 18, 2015) – Comcast SportsNet and the Chicago Bears will debut a brand new installment of its partnered Bears Classics presented by Knauz Automotive Group Emmy-winning documentary series when the network will once again go back in time to highlight one of the NFL’s most dominant and unstoppable defensive schemes in league history that was the centerpiece of the 1985 Chicago Bears run to a Super Bowl championship.
Debuting Wednesday, November 25 at 7:00 PM CT exclusively on Comcast SportsNet, Bears Classics will turn back the clock to the 1980’s and the Bears unforgettable Super Bowl title season that featured the infamous “46” defense orchestrated by the team’s defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan and perfected by a group of players that struck fear into the hearts of every offensive player they faced.
This hour-long edition of Bears Classics, subtitled The 46, takes an in-depth look at that stellar defensive force featuring candid interviews with players and coaches from the Bears and from around the league, along with those who covered that historic time period in Bears history.
This edition of CSN’s Emmy-winning Bears Classics documentary series will once again be narrated by Chicago Bears legend/Pro Football Hall of Famer Dick Butkus. Butkus played for the Bears from 1965-1973 and is credited for redefining the middle linebacker position. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979. Comcast SportsNet’s Sarah Lauch is the Executive Producer of Bears Classics, Willie Parker is the Producer, and Kevin Cross is the network’s Senior Director of News & Original Content.
In addition to the documentary narration by Butkus, among the numerous players/media/execs interviewed in this edition of Bears Classics include exclusive interviews with the following individuals:
DOUG PLANK
Bears Safety (1975-82), who wore #46
RICHARD DENT
Bears Defensive End (1983-93; 1995)
MIKE SINGLETARY
Bears Middle Linebacker (1981-92)
OTIS WILSON
Bears Linebacker (1980-87)
DAN HAMPTON
Bears Defensive Tackle/End (1979-90)
RON RIVERA
Bears Linebacker (1984-92)
REX RYAN
Buffalo Bills Head Coach; son of Bears Defensive Coordinator Buddy Ryan
BOB COSTAS
NBC Sports; Pre/Postgame host of Super Bowl XX
Please note the following quotes from Comcast SportsNet’s premiere airing of Bears Classics: The 46, debuting Wednesday, November 25 at 7:00 PM CT:
DOUG PLANK: “I remember (Buddy) grabbing a piece of chalk...and he circled my number three times and said ‘we’re gonna call this The 46 Defense.”
RICHARD DENT: “We knew we had something great. The way we beat the Rams, the Cowboys, the Redskins...all those guys were there.”
MIKE SINGLETARY: “A lot of young guys that had a vision of going to the Super Bowl, and we stuck together and made it happen.”
OTIS WILSON: “You’re talking about aggressive young men that knew how to play some damn good football....so when you said ’46,’ that was the ‘go get ‘em.”
DAN HAMPTON: “It was almost like a tidal wave...one way or the other, we’re gonna get you.”
RON RIVERA: “Having been on a defense that was so successful, the crazy thing about it was in ’86, we were a better defense statistically.”
REX RYAN: “My dad put this defense in to find ways to put pressure on the quarterback....that’s really where this thing was created.”
BOB COSTAS: “They wouldn’t just defeat you...they would humiliate you, they would intimidate you.”
Comcast SportsNet will also re-air this episode of Bears Classics on Wed, Dec. 9 at 9pm – and again on Christmas Night (Fri, Dec. 25) at 7pm. Details regarding the next installment of Bears Classics will be announced in the coming weeks.
In addition, fans can also get interactive prior and during every airing of Bears Classics with their thoughts, memories and comments by utilizing the Twitter hashtag #BearsClassics. Plus, CSNChicago.com will provide additional, online exclusive interviews and commentary write-ups from a variety of Comcast SportsNet on-air talent members and from CSNChicago.com’s Bears “Insider” John ‘Moon’ Mullin.
Comcast SportsNet Chicago, a partnership between the Chicago Blackhawks (NHL), Chicago Bulls (NBA), Chicago Cubs (MLB), Chicago White Sox (MLB) and the NBC Sports Group, features over 275 live pro games in high definition each year. In addition, CSN delivers extensive pre/post-game coverage for its core pro team partners, as well as the Chicago Bears, along with Emmy Award-winning regional sports news and analysis via SportsNet Central and SportsTalk Live. Through the network’s growing digital platform, CSNChicago.com, Chicago sports fans tap into the most comprehensive and dedicated 24/7 online destination for breaking news, up-to-the-minute game previews/recaps, highlights, multimedia video clips, blogs and standout coverage from CSNChicago.com’s team of “Insiders.” Follow the network on Twitter via @CSNChicago.
NBC Sports Regional Networks, part of the NBC Sports Group, consist of 11 regional networks that deliver more than 2,400 live sporting events annually, along with award-winning breaking news, comprehensive analysis, digital content and original programming to more than 43 million homes. The NBC Sports Regional Networks are: Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, Comcast SportsNet California, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, which serves Baltimore and Washington D.C., Comcast SportsNet New England, Comcast SportsNet Northwest, The Comcast Network, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia and SportsNet New York. For more information, visit ComcastSportsNet.com. For more information about NBC Sports Group properties, including press releases, photos, talent and executive bios and headshots, please visit NBCSportsGroupPressBox.com.
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