The way we were...Chicago Bears vs Miami Dolphins, Dec. 2, 1985

Twenty five years ago....Dec. 2, 1985

The 12-0 Chicago Bears take on the 8-4 Miami Dolphins in a nationally televised Monday night match-up at the Orange Bowl.

Tens of thousands of words were written and spoken about the game. And that was before either team set foot the field.

There was plenty of trash talk from both sides.

"We're going to kick their butts," said Dolphins receiver Mark Duper.

Dolphins coach Don Shula was a little more circumspect saying simply, "It can't get more important than this."

On game day, the front page of the Miami News featured a superbly drawn cartoon - by the legendary Don Wright - of Bears defensive lineman William "The Refrigerator" Perry.

Inisde the paper, the editorial page carried another of Wright's cartoons, making it crystal clear which team Wright was picking to win the game.

Click image to enlarge.

Wright told me by phone today that he doesn't remember the cartoons he drew that week but does remember being among the 75,000 plus fans at the Orange Bowl that night who saw the 'Fins beat the Bears, 38-24.

(Also on hand for the game that night: 137 uniformed cops and a 45-member medical team.)

As Wright left the OB that night, he was no doubt already starting to think of the cartoon he would draw for the Wednesday, Dec. 4, 1985 issue of the paper.

Click image to enlarge.

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