CHICAGO — Relax, Chicago. Rex Grossman and Da Bears are indeed good enough for this Super Bowl, and they’ve already made it a historic one.
Few teams with such an impressive record have been as questioned, even maligned as the Bears. Yet after romping past the New Orleans Saints 39-14 on Sunday, they are headed to their first NFL title game since the 1985 team overwhelmed the league and shuffled in under Mike Ditka and Jim McMahon.
This time, Lovie Smith will lead them there, the first black head coach to make it to the title game in its 41 years.
They did it in true Bears fashion — big plays on defense and a steady running game in the sleet and snow, ending the Saints’ uplifting saga.
The Bears (15-3) will play either the Patriots or Colts, who met for the AFC title later Sunday, in Miami in two weeks.
All the worries about how genuine the Bears’ outstanding season was disappeared thanks to running back Thomas Jones, All-Pro kicker Robbie Gould and a defense that, while not dominant, made enough decisive plays.
For a moment, though, in the third quarter they seemed to be in trouble.
Reggie Bush’s electrifying 88-yard touchdown catch and dash to the end zone pulled the Saints within two points, 16-14. But from then on, Brian Urlacher and the Bears’ defense took over.
Chicago, which has won nine NFL titles but has been an also-ran for much of the last two decades, later went 85 yards in five plays in the worst of the weather. Often-criticized Grossman had four completions, including a 33-yarder to a diving Bernard Berrian that clinched it, sending the bundled-up fans in Soldier Field into foot-stomping hysteria and chants of “Super Bowl, Super Bowl.”
Jones had all 69 yards on an eight-play ground drive in the second quarter, scored twice and rushed for 123 yards. Gould nailed three field goals.
The Bears, who led the league with 44 takeaways, forced four turnovers, and when NFC passing leader Drew Brees fumbled less than a minute after Berrian’s TD, whatever karma the Saints (11-7) carried this season disappeared.
Cedric Benson scored on a 12-yard run, and from there it was a matter of searching for the sunscreen.
Smith and Bears owner Virginia McCaskey, daughter of Bears founder George Halas, accepted the Halas Trophy moments after Grossman tossed the ball deep into the stands after the final kneel-down.
It was a bitter, sloppy conclusion to the Saints’ remarkable turnaround from a nomadic 3-13 season in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina’s destruction to this winning season. As their city rebuilds, the team has provided an uplifting respite in the saga.
This was the first trip this far into the playoffs for the 40-year-old franchise, previously best known as the Aints, whose fans wore paper bags on their heads because the team was so bad.
Breaking News
Chicago Bears defeat New Orleans Saints to reach Super Bowl XLI
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UPDATE: Parke County homicide victim identified
ROSEDALE — The victim in a Parke County homicide that occurred last week has been identified as Kathryn A. Bays, 55, of Rosedale.
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Clay County resident dies in fire
A fatal house fire in southeastern Clay County near Coal City is under investigation.
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Two die in Clay County crash
Two people died after being ejected from a car that crashed early Saturday south of Harmony in eastern Clay County.
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Shockers knock off No. 1 Gonzaga
Gonzaga's gone.
Cleanthony Early and Ron Baker scored 16 points apiece and Wichita State hit a season-high 14 3-pointers, including seven straight late, to knock the top-ranked and No. 1 seeded Bulldogs out of the NCAA tournament 76-70 on Saturday.
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UPDATE: ISU football coach Trent Miles leaving for Georgia State
The Tribune-Star has learned that Indiana State football coach Trent Miles will depart the Sycamores' program to take the same job at Georgia State University.
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PHOTO UPDATE: Vigo roads improve; caution still urged
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Burks chosen to head Hamilton Center
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BREAKING: Casey Anthony to be freed late July or early Aug.
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August trial date in fatal Mecca alcohol-related crash
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UPDATE: Victim of Tuesday shooting dies
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Terre Haute South falls to Cathedral in 4A Semistate
In a memorable pitchers' duel, Terre Haute South's baseball team fell to Indianapolis Cathedral 1-0 in the Class 4A Plainfield Semistate on Saturday.
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Orange crushes ISU's NCAA dream
Indiana State won a lot of friends Friday night. The Sycamores drew plenty of oohs and aahs from an appreciative crowd of 20,164 at Quicken Loans Arena hoping to witness an upset by the 14th-seeded Sycamores.
Unfortunately for ISU, it couldn’t win against a big, tough Sycacuse team in a second-round NCAA Tournament East Regional game. The No. 3-seeded Orange defeated the Sycamores 77-60 as ISU’s season came to an end. -
BREAKING: Police name victims in double homicide near Bowling Green
Indiana State Police and the Owen County Prosecutor’s office are investigating a double homicide that occurred just before 8 p.m. Thursday in Owen County at 9125 W. State Road 46 near Bowling Green.
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PHOTO UPDATE: Contractor arrested for home improvement fraud
A contractor who received more than $80,000 in grant money to do home repairs for seven clients affected by the June 2008 flooding in the Wabash Valley has been arrested for home improvement fraud.
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BREAKING: Indiana Democrats to spend weekend in Illinois
Indiana House Minority Leader Pat Bauer says he and about 30 other Democrats will stay in Illinois at least through the weekend as they try to prevent votes on contentious education and labor legislation backed by Republicans.
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BREAKING: Body found outside Clinton residence
Clinton Police are investigating a death on the city’s north side after a body was found early this morning outside a residence. The deceased did not live at that address, according to police, but was a resident of the city.
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Egypt’s ElBaradei celebrates Mubarak’s resignation
Leading Egyptian democracy advocate Mohamed ElBaradei has cheered President Hosni Mubarak’s resignation.
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DELAYS, CLOSINGS: Vigo schools closed Wednesday
Due to the inclement weather, all Vigo County Schools will be closed Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011.
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Honey Creek Mall closes early Monday
Honey Creek Mall closed early on Monday, at 7:30 p.m., because of inclement weather conditions. Sears at Honey Creek Mall was to remain open until 9 p.m. Operating hours for Tuesday and Wednesday are also under review. For more information on mall hours during this week’s weather conditions, visit HoneyCreekMall.com.
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Vigo schools closed Tuesday
All schools in the Vigo County School Corp. will be closed Tuesday because of severe winter weather. There will also not be any after-school activities on Tuesday.
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BREAKING: Governor directs Homeland Security to coordinate storm preparations
Numerous state agencies are preparing to respond to the winter storm that forecasters expect could dump up to 18 inches of snow in northwestern Indiana and an inch or more of ice in the state’s midsection.
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Vigo schools announces cancellations
Due to incoming severe weather, all Vigo County School Corp. activities scheduled for tonight are canceled. This includes any outside organizations that have a use of facility request for this evening.
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FATAL CRASH UPDATE: Terre Haute woman killed in Sunday crash; husband in stable condition
City police have released the names of two people involved in Sunday’s fatal car accident on North 16th Street near Carl Avenue.
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NEW: WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 7 PM EST SATURDAY
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN INDIANAPOLIS HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 7 PM EST SATURDAY.
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BREAKING: Chicago Cubs great Ron Santo dies
Ron Santo, one of the greatest players in Chicago Cubs history and a longtime WGN radio announcer whose devotion to the perennial losers was made obvious night after night by his excited shouts or dejected laments, has died. He was 70.
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BREAKING: Chelanga, Cowboys repeat wins at men’s NCAA cross country
Samuel Chelanga of Liberty won his second straight national title, taking the individual men’s crown in the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships this afternoon at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course in Terre Haute.
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BREAKING: Wildcat women take individual, team NCAA titles
Villanova’s women repeated as national champs this afternoon, winning the NCAA Division I Cross Country title at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course in Terre Haute.
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BREAKING: One airlifted from wreck near Terre Haute North Vigo
One person has been airlifted to an Indianapolis hospital as the result of a collision between a tanker truck and a passenger vehicle this morning near Terre Haute North Vigo High School.
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ISU football clinches first winning season since 1996
The Indiana State football team defeated Youngstown State 30-24 on Saturday. The victory clinches ISU's first winning season since 1996.
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