The Bears’ Mike Ditka tribute turned Soldier Field into a sea of fake mustaches Thursday night, as Chicago handed out the facial-hair props to fans attending the team’s Week 7 game against the New England Patriots. It marked the Bears’ first home game since Ditka died earlier in October at age 86, according to Bleacher Report.
The giveaway paired the mustaches with another nod to the late coach’s signature look. The first 10,000 fans through the gates received Bears knit headbands designed to match the sweater Ditka wore on the sideline, according to Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report.
A Tribute Built Around An Iconic Mustache
Ditka did not sport facial hair during his playing days in the 1960s and early 1970s. He grew the mustache only after taking over as a coach, and it became inseparable from his public image once the Bears won Super Bowl XX, according to Yahoo Sports. The look gained enough cultural traction to earn a reference on Saturday Night Live, cementing Ditka as a figure who extended beyond football.
Handing out mustaches to fans was a direct, visual way for the organization to put that image back in front of a stadium full of supporters on the first night it could do so at home since his death.
Moment Of Silence And Field Markings
Before kickoff, the Bears held a moment of silence for Ditka and displayed a stencil and flag honoring him on the field, according to Bleacher Report. The ceremony set the tone for a night built around the coach’s legacy rather than simply the matchup against New England.
Connection To The 1985 Championship Team
The opponent carried its own symbolism. Ditka led the Bears to a Super Bowl 20 title following the 1985 season, a run that ended with a 46-10 rout of the Patriots. Thursday’s matchup against the same franchise gave the tribute added weight, tying the giveaway directly to the signature achievement of Ditka’s coaching career.
Ditka coached the Bears from 1982 through 1992, reaching the playoffs seven times and winning the one Super Bowl. His connection to the franchise started well before that. As a player, he set a rookie receiving yards record for a tight end in 1961 and helped Chicago capture the 1963 NFL championship. He later played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys before his career ended.
Part Of A Season-Long Series Of Tributes
Thursday’s giveaway was the latest in a string of gestures the Bears have made since Ditka’s death. At a Week 5 game against Green Bay, the team used helmet decals featuring his number along with a moment of silence, according to Bleacher Report. The following week, in Atlanta, the Bears debuted jersey patches bearing his number. The mustache and headband giveaway extended that pattern into the team’s first home date since he died.
Chicago entered Thursday coming off a Week 6 win over the Falcons in which quarterback Caleb Williams returned from a hamstring injury to help lead the offense. Bleacher Report also reported that the Bears-Patriots game was on track to become the most expensive NFL game of the season by ticket price, with kickoff set for 8:15 p.m. ET.
What’s Next
The Bears continue their season with Ditka’s legacy now woven into multiple game presentations this fall, following the helmet decals in Week 5, the jersey patches in Week 6 and the mustache and headband giveaway in Week 7.
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