We Are the Bears Shufflin Crew

2007 Bears Nothing To Shuffle About

By: Tim Placher

Herald News, January 2007

We are the Bears Shufflin’ Crew,

Shufflin’ on down, doin’ it for you.

We’re not here to start no trouble,

We’re just here to do the Super Bowl Shuffle.

If there’s one thing that instantly rekindles memories of the Chicago Bears’ last run to the Super Bowl, it’s listening to “The Super Bowl Shuffle.” Recorded in early December, 1985, the song took the nation by storm as sports everywhere fans hopped on the bandwagon of fun and bravado created by Chicago’s all-time greatest cast of sports characters.

The “Chicago Bears Shufflin’ Crew” included, among others, Bears greats Walter Payton, Jim “The Punky QB” McMahon, “Samurai” Mike Singletary and William “The Refrigerator” Perry.

The players rapped their way into America’s collective consciousness with immortal lines like, “They call me Sweetness, and I like to dance. Runnin’ the ball is like makin’ romance,” and “You’re lookin’ at the Fridge. I’m the rookie. I may be large, but I’m no dumb cookie.” By the time the Bears disposed of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX, the “Shuffle” had sold more than two million copies and been nominated for a Grammy award.

But this year, there’s nothing comparable to mark the Bears’ return to glory. You’d think in this age of savvy marketing strategies, someone would have tried to capitalize musically on the 2006 Bears’ Super Bowl run. Why didn’t anybody update the “Super Bowl Shuffle” with this season’s new roster of players?

Maybe it’s because this year’s Bears don’t seem quite as lovable as the ’85 gang. I mean, who are you going to include in a current edition of the “Shufflin’ Crew?” Tank Johnson?

You’re lookin’ at Tank, ’n’ my kind of fun

Is buyin’ up loads and loads of guns.

You wanna see my crib? One thing’s for sure—

You’re gonna need a judge’s signature.

People, theythought I'd be cut loose

For making the Bears look bad in the news.

But if I keep on makin’ the plays,

The team’s gonna look the other way!

I’m always out there lookin’ for trouble,

Instead o’ just doin’ the Super Bowl Shuffle!

And what about middle linebacker Brian Urlacher? Over the last year, his off-the-field relationship with Tyna Robertson has drawn nearly as much attention as his football exploits.

It’s Brian here, I’ll rock you good.

No one messes in my neighborhood,

Except one girl, I’m sad to say,

Who wound up in a family way.

I shoulda know better than to make romance

With a woman who slept with the “Lord of the Dance.”

So now there is a court decree,

Establishing paternity.

I got that woman into “trouble,”

Instead o’ just doin’ the Super Bowl Shuffle.

Bears cornerback Ricky Manning, Jr. doesn’t exactly give fans the warm fuzzies, either. He pled no contest last spring to felony assault charges stemming from a 3:00 a.m. altercation at a California restaurant.

I’m Ricky Manning, Jr., fans.

I’m makin’ my Super Bowl travel plans.

To leave the state, I must confer

With my probation officer.

For two more years, I’m on the hook

For a late-night Denny’s donnybrook.

A patron, messin’ with my boys,

Was talkin’ smack and makin’ noise.

That guy, he was just lookin’ for trouble,

And so he got the Super Bowl Pummel.

With players like these guys to choose from, it’s no wonder nobody was beating down their door to make another “Shuffle.” When it comes to this year’s Bears, there seems to be a little too much “dumb cookie” and not nearly enough “Sweetness.”

Tim Placher cand be reached at