1985 Bears get White House visit at last
By Lynn Sweet blogs.suntimes.com/sweet October 3, 2011 11:24PM
Mike Ditka carried away by the Frig and Steve McMichael after the game. (photo by Phil Velasquez 1/1986) Super Bowl championship
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Updated: November 15, 2011 12:27PM
WASHINGTON — Mike Ditka. Jim McMahon. Richard Dent. Otis Wilson. Gary Fencik. Willie Gault. Jimbo Covert.
Some of the biggest names on the 1985 Bears, who rolled to the Super Bowl XX title, will receive a belated honor Friday: a White House reception hosted by President Barack Obama.
The Bears confirmed some of the players who are scheduled to
attend the ceremony, which was postponed in 1986 because of the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger and the death of its crew. William ‘‘Refrigerator’’ Perry might have health issues that will prevent him from attending.
Members of the McCaskey family also will be on hand, including chairman George McCaskey and former president Mike McCaskey, now a member of the Bears’ board of directors.
The team will get a tour of the White House, then will be honored at a reception. A charter plane will take Chicago-area members of the team to Washington for the trip.
Former defensive lineman Dan Hampton told WLS-AM (890)
he was declining the invitation
because wives and children weren’t included, then added: ‘‘Second, I’m not a fan of the guy in the White House. And third, it was 25 years ago. Let it go.’’
