Public polling in 2014 showed a majority of Americans no longer consider the Dallas Cowboys to be "America's Team," but don't tell Jerry Jones that.
Just last year, Netflix released a documentary on Jones and the franchise titled “America’s Team" after decades of nostalgia and marketing dominance over the title.
Does America even want a team? Either way, there isn't a clear team crowned. Fans of other franchises have made their arguments over the years — the Packers, Patriots and Chiefs among them.
But, one columnist in Chicago is making a bold claim: the Bears are the new “America’s Team.”
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In a Jan. 24 column for the Chicago Sun-Times, Scoop Jackson laid out his case just days after the Bears’ season ended in the divisional round of the playoffs. Jackson cited three primary reasons for the distinction — overcoming adversity, star power and television ratings.
Dubbed “The Cardiac Bears,” this year’s team earned a reputation for dramatic comebacks. Quarterback Caleb Williams delivered one of the postseason’s defining moments in last weekend’s loss to the Rams, launching a moonshot to Cole Kmet to force overtime.
Williams continues to build his national profile, and having the backing of the third-most populous city in the United States certainly does not hurt. Add other teammates like Colston Loveland and head coach Ben Johnson, and you have the evidence for the anointment, Jackson wrote.
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In Jackson’s defense, Chicago natives are a little excited after the franchise’s best season in 15 years — winning the NFC North and knocking off the Packers in the playoffs. It was something of a rare sight in recent decades.
But one thing is undeniable: Chicago’s television ratings were through the roof. Last week’s game became the most-watched divisional round matchup in NFL history, averaging 45 million viewers and peaking at 52.6 million during overtime.
“That’s proof that the Bears no longer belong to just us,” wrote Jackson.
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