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Monsters
- The 1985 Chicago Bears and the Wild Heart of Football
- Narrated by: Tom Taylorson
- Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins
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Publisher's Summary
The gripping account of a once-in-a-lifetime football team and their lone championship season.
For Rich Cohen and millions of other fans, the 1985 Chicago Bears were more than a football team: they were the greatest football team ever - a gang of colorful nuts, dancing and pounding their way to victory. They won a Super Bowl and saved a city.
It was not just that the Monsters of the Midway won but how they did it. On offense, there was high-stepping running back Walter Payton and Punky QB Jim McMahon, who had a knack for pissing off Coach Mike Ditka as he made his way to the end zone. On defense, there was the 46: a revolutionary,quarterback-concussing scheme cooked up by Buddy Ryan and ruthlessly implemented by Hall of Famers such as Dan "Danimal" Hampton and "Samurai" Mike Singletary. On the sidelines, in the locker rooms, and in bars, there was the never-ending soap opera: the coach and the quarterback bickering on television, Ditka and Ryan nearly coming to blows in the Orange Bowl, the players recording the "Super Bowl Shuffle" video the morning after the season's only loss.
Cohen tracked down the coaches and players from this iconic team and asked them everything he has always wanted to know: What's it like to win? What's it like to lose? Do you really hate the guys on the other side? Were you ever scared? What do you think as you lie broken on the field? How do you go on after you have lived your dream but life has not ended?
The result is Monsters: The 1985 Chicago Bears and the Wild Heart of Football, a portrait not merely of a team but of a city and a game: its history, its future, its fallen men, its immortal heroes. But mostly it's about being a fan - about loving too much. This is a book about America at its most nonsensical, delirious, and joyful.
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What listeners say about Monsters
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Frank S. Saltiel
- 11-18-21
For any Bears fans
A wonderful homage to the parent franchise of the NFL and a great trip down memory lane about the most unique and entertaining cast of characters every convened on one team in any sport ever!
1 person found this helpful
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- Regan Danner
- 04-24-18
bears fan
I enjoyed the stories and remember that team, enjoyed the historical information on Halas. Didn't want the authors politics.
1 person found this helpful
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- Nick
- 05-25-16
Decent.
it's more about the history of the Chicago bears than it is about the 1985 season. the latter is covered in just a couple chapters.
1 person found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 03-19-22
History of Da Bears
You learn the Bears history from the very beginning all the way up to the Super Bowl win and than years afterwards. Very informative and colorful language gives an authentic flavor as you listen and digest the content
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- JIM HOWELL
- 02-10-22
A love letter to the Bears
Anyone who is a diehard Bears fan – especially fans of that era – will absolutely enjoy this “love letter“ to the franchise, the players of that era, and especially George Halas. Those that are just football fans – and especially are not fans of the Bears – will enjoy the quotes and facts about that era, but the waxing nostalgic about the Bears will get tiresome at times.
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- Russ L.
- 01-22-22
Perfect Narrator for the Job
The narrator knew exactly how to read each character to make them sound realistic. He made listening the same as watching a movie where you are on the edge of your seat.
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- chris
- 01-17-22
Da Bears!
This is one of the best 1985 Chicago Bears books ever written! I highly recommend it if you're a fan of the 1985 Chicago Bears or a fan of football.
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- Patrick A McMaster
- 11-16-21
Excellent Work
Well researched finding so many of the players across the country. Nothing omitted from Coach Ditka’s tornado of a relationship with Defensive Coordinator and 4 6 Defense developed by Coach Buddy Ryan to Jim McMahons leadership. Well Done
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- Frank W. Gillespie
- 09-19-21
Simply marvelous.
This is a must read/listen for every football fan, whether you back the Bears or not. GREAT.
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- KJ
- 09-08-21
Pretty interesting
There is a lot of history here, both about the Bears and about football generally. I enjoyed learning that. The book jumps around in time a lot and I found that a bit irritating. Still would recommend.