‘Bears Classics’ presented by Knauz Automotive Group to debut Wednesday, January 27 at 9:00 PM CT -- Exclusively on Comcast SportsNet
Narrated by Chicago Bears/Pro Football Hall of Fame legend DICK BUTKUS
Chicago, IL (January 21, 2016) – Comcast SportsNet and the Chicago Bears will debut a brand new installment of its partnered Bears Classics presented by Knauz Automotive Group Emmy-winning documentary series when the network will once again go back in time to highlight a momentous victory in team history, one that sent the Bears back to the Super Bowl for the first time in over two decades.
Debuting Wednesday, January 27 at 9:00 PM CT exclusively on Comcast SportsNet, Bears Classics will turn back the clock to January 21, 2007, the date of the NFC Championship Game against the rising New Orleans Saints. After a disappointing loss in the NFL Divisional Playoffs against Carolina the year prior, the 2006 Bears were determined to prove they were the real deal. Fueled by a standout defense, the blazing speed of a record-setting rookie, along with a quarterback under pressure both on and off the field, the Bears encountered a surging team from the bayou who were focused on bringing pride and happiness to a city that had recently experienced devastation of catastrophic proportions. For the Bears and Saints, this game was judgment day…with the winner heading to Miami for Super Bowl XLI.
This hour-long installment of Bears Classics, subtitled Divine Dominance, takes an in-depth look at this critical game in Bears history featuring candid interviews with Bears players and coaches, along with those who covered this massively-hyped battle.
This edition of CSN’s Emmy-winning Bears Classics documentary series will once again be narrated by Chicago Bears legend/Pro Football Hall of Famer Dick Butkus. Butkus played for the Bears from 1965-1973 and is credited for redefining the middle linebacker position. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979. Comcast SportsNet’s Sarah Lauch is the Executive Producer of Bears Classics, Willie Parker is the Producer, and Kevin Cross is the network’s Senior Director of News & Original Content.
In addition to the documentary narration by Butkus, among the numerous players/media/execs interviewed in this edition of Bears Classics include exclusive interviews with the following individuals:
REX GROSSMAN
Bears Quarterback (2003-08)
LANCE BRIGGS
Bears Linebacker (2003-14)
TOMMIE HARRIS
Bears Defensive Tackle (2004-10)
ADEWALE OGUNLEYE
Bears Defensive End (2004-09)
THOMAS JONES
Bears Running Back (2004-06)
BERNARD BERRIAN
Bears Wide Receiver (2004-07)
ISRAEL IDONIJE
Bears Defensive Tackle (2004-12)
ROBBIE GOULD
Bears Kicker (2005-present)
Please note the following quotes from Comcast SportsNet’s premiere airing of Bears Classics: Divine Dominance, debuting Wednesday, January 27 at 9:00 PM CT:
REX GROSSMAN (on being ready for the NFC Championship Game): “I felt more alive that day than I ever have in my life. Just all my senses were awake and I was ready to go…intense.”
LANCE BRIGGS (on 2006 Bears head coach Lovie Smith): “He always reminded us of how good of a team we are...his expectation for us was a lot higher than anybody else’s.”
TOMMIE HARRIS (on his appreciation of playing defensive line for the Bears): “I often wish we threw interceptions just to get back out there sometimes. That’s how much I wanted to display what I loved doing.”
ADEWALE OGUNLEYE (on Saints running back Reggie Bush scoring a touchdown, while also taunting Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher): “That p****d me off. You know like you had a great run, but then for you to turn around and taunt somebody? You just have to show more class than that.”
THOMAS JONES (on the feeling of clinching a Super Bowl berth): “I wish I could go back there sometimes...to know that you’re going to the Super Bowl…I don’t know if there’s a better feeling.”
Comcast SportsNet will also re-air this episode of Bears Classics on Mon, Feb. 8 at 9pm and on Tue, Feb. 23 at 7pm. In addition, fans can also get interactive prior and during every airing of Bears Classics with their thoughts, memories and comments by utilizing the Twitter hashtag #BearsClassics. Plus, CSNChicago.com will provide additional, online exclusive interviews and commentary write-ups from a variety of Comcast SportsNet on-air talent members and from CSNChicago.com’s Bears “Insider” John ‘Moon’ Mullin.
Comcast SportsNet Chicago, a partnership between the Chicago Blackhawks (NHL), Chicago Bulls (NBA), Chicago Cubs (MLB), Chicago White Sox (MLB) and the NBC Sports Group, features over 275 live pro games in high definition each year. In addition, CSN delivers extensive pre/post-game coverage for its core pro team partners, as well as the Chicago Bears, along with Emmy Award-winning regional sports news and analysis via SportsNet Central and SportsTalk Live. Through the network’s growing digital platform, CSNChicago.com, Chicago sports fans tap into the most comprehensive and dedicated 24/7 online destination for breaking news, up-to-the-minute game previews/recaps, highlights, multimedia video clips, blogs and standout coverage from CSNChicago.com’s team of “Insiders.” Follow the network on Twitter via @CSNChicago.
NBC Sports Regional Networks, part of the NBC Sports Group, consist of 11 regional networks that deliver more than 2,400 live sporting events annually, along with award-winning breaking news, comprehensive analysis, digital content and original programming to more than 43 million homes. The NBC Sports Regional Networks are: Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, Comcast SportsNet California, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, which serves Baltimore and Washington D.C., Comcast SportsNet New England, Comcast SportsNet Northwest, The Comcast Network, Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia and SportsNet New York. For more information, visit ComcastSportsNet.com. For more information about NBC Sports Group properties, including press releases, photos, talent and executive bios and headshots, please visit NBCSportsGroupPressBox.com.
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