Thursday throwback: The story behind the Chicago Bears’ rap song and music video ‘The Super Bowl Shuffle’

When looking back for stories related to the National Football League’s Thanksgiving Day schedule, one jumped out at me that I’d almost forgotten about. How could I?

How the Chicago Bears accidentally made an iconic rap song

The Chicago Bears were meant to be sulking. It was December 3, 1985 – 40 years ago almost to the day – the morning after the Miami Dolphins had ruined their hopes of undefeated season. Instead, though, the locker room of what was generally regarded as the league’s most intimidating defense was prepping for something else: a rap track and music video. And it was serious.

Clearly the idea wasn’t borne from the defeat, but it also wasn’t derailed by it, although it was in doubt for a moment. Producer Dick Meyer and receiver Willie Gault pushed ahead with their plan anyway, confident the project could raise money for Chicago’s homeless population. Players could have bailed but they showed up. What followed was part fundraiser, part swagger, part prophecy.

The result was the The Super Bowl Shuffle, which went on to crack the Billboard charts at number 41 and earned a Grammy nomination, a surreal achievement for a 46-man roster best known for flattening quarterbacks. It was a viral hit before social media was a thing.

HBO revisits The Super Bowl Shuffle

A new docuseries, launched this week, simple called ‘The Shuffle’, takes a look behind the scenes of that unlikely production. Directed by Jeff Cameron, there are interviews aplenty with the creators as well as some of the players involved. It also reveals that moment of doubt following the Dolphins defeat.

As you hear from the players’ recollections, when you shout about being in the Super Bowl before the regular season is even over, you’d better go out and perform.

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