Sports Management: The Chicago Bears by CJ Kelly

The Chicago Bears are a member of the National Football League, better known as the NFL. They provide the city of Chicago as well as most of Illinois with a professional American football team. The Bears serve as an excellent source of entertainment for fans of the game as well as a perfect source of recreation.

The NFL and the Bears were both founded by University of Illinois alum George Halas. Halas along with the owners of the other football “club” owners and together in 1920 began the American Professional Football Association, and the organization later became the NFL. Halas at the time was the owner of the Decatur Staley’s who were renamed to the Chicago Bears in 1922. According to the Chicago Bears website (www.chicagobears.com), “pro football [left] its cradle” with the first true football signing of another University of Illinois alum, the infamous “galloping ghost” Harold “Red” Grange in 1925. The Bears initially called Wrigley Field in Chicago their home, but as of 1971 the Bears officially call Soldier Field, located at 1410 S. Museum Campus Dr., their home.

The Bears, being such a large organization, have an extensive list of employment opportunities. According to job boards listed on the NFL’s website (www.nfl.com) teams offer positions in the following areas: Administration/General Management, Broadcast, Communications, Community Relations, Facility Operations/Security, Finance, Football Operations, Information Systems/Technical, Internet/New Media, Legal, Retail/Food & Beverage, Sales & Marketing, Volunteer Club Members, and Internships. The method of applying for positions is done online via the Bears and the NFL job opportunities websites. Anyone who meets the prerequisites is eligible to apply, and if the human resources personnel sees them fit for the job they will be interviewed. Being signed as a player on the team is also considered employment by the Chicago Bears, but the process is obviously very difficult in comparison to other occupations.

Currently since the NFL is in season, the Chicago Bears participate in games on every Sunday with the exception of the bye weeks, and the games are the most prominent trend that would be noticed by the public. Games offer numerous activities that keep the fans involved in a fun atmosphere as well with things such as giveaways, halftime games, promotions, and entertainment kiosks located around Soldier Field. Aside from games, the Chicago Bears put forth a reasonable amount of effort to give back to the community. The organization offers programs such as “Bears School Outreach”, players visit and speak at Chicago public schools; “Hello to our Heroes”, players assist middle school students in writing letters to members of the military; and “Bear Hugs”, Staley the Bear(Bears children’s mascot) visits children sick in hospitals. The Chicago Bears also take part in a variety of volunteer programs in which all members of the organization(coaches, players, and all staff) are involved in events such as an annual coat drive with partner Jewel-Osco, “Paws for Cause” in which the organization addresses helping needy children and their families, and additional programs that focus on community service.

The Chicago Bears meaning of leisure is pure entertainment and fun. The organization spends millions of dollars each year paying for players and coaches that in the owner’s and manager’s minds will provide the best opportunity to win games. A major benefit that the Chicago Bears provide is the pride fans gain just being fans. Today, professional athletics is such an enormous part of the American lifestyle that many people take great joy in the camaraderie that is part of being fellow fans.

My experience with the Chicago Bears was quite enjoyable being the avid fan that I am. Due to the fact that the organization itself is so large it was difficult to get a good grasp of everything that goes on behind the scenes, but from what I was able to gather it was extremely impressive how the system works. In my opinion I think that the way each season and year is different than the last would be a pro, because any job that you might be doing would change in some way shape or form. Being a very successful organization, the pay would most likely be very sufficient at higher positions. I believe a major con working for the Bears would be that the security of employment positions relies a lot on others, with the success of the organization being based on a winning team that will sell tickets. Soldier Field being in a city as large as Chicago could have its ups and downs as well. If one wasn’t used to commuting to work among millions of other people, he or she may have a hard time adjusting. All in all, I believe the opportunity to work for and or with the Chicago Bear would be a positive experience.