Amazing Tales from the Chicago Bears Sideline: A Collection of the Greatest Bears Stories Ever Told

by Steve McMichael, John Mullin, Phil Arvia

The Chicago Bears are more than a football team—they are a legend. Founded in 1919, the Bears have won more regular season games than any other NFL franchise. With twenty-six players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and thirteen retired jerseys, it’s no wonder the Bears can be defined by three Big, tough, and full of characters.

The Bears, like Chicago, are not just people. They are personalities. In Amazing Tales From the Chicago Bears Sideline , Bears fans can read about the men who have made the Bears one of the greatest franchises in pro football—George Halas, Dick Butkus, Mike Ditka, Walter Payton, and many others.

Former Bears star Steve McMichael takes a front row seat in this collection of stories. Readers get to walk through the most vibrant years of a charter NFL franchise—as seen through the eyes of a legendary player. McMichael covers it all, from training camp misadventures in Lake Forest, Illinois, and Platteville, Wisconsin, and Ditka’s locker room tirades to nights on the town with Dan Hampton and friends and behind-the-scenes glimpses of extraordinary teammates.

Genres: Sports

384 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2011

About the author

Stephen Douglas McMichael, nicknamed "Mongo", "Ming", and "Ming the Merciless," was an American professional football player and professional wrestler. He was a defensive tackle for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily for the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the Texas Longhorns and was selected by the New England Patriots in the 1980 NFL draft. After retiring from playing football, he wrestled in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and was part of The Four Horsemen stable.
While playing for the Bears, he was a two-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro, winning Super Bowl XX with the team. He ended his football career with the Green Bay Packers, before making appearances for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) ahead of WrestleMania XI.
In World Championship Wrestling (WCW), he started off as a color commentator before ultimately obtaining a career as a professional wrestler. He would be a member of the Four Horsemen stable and was a one time WCW United States Heavyweight Champion. Before retiring from public appearances, McMichael was a regular presence on Chicago sports radio and was the namesake of a restaurant in the southwest suburbs of Chicago.
From 2007 to 2013, McMichael was the head coach of the Chicago Slaughter of the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL). He ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Romeoville, Illinois southwest of Chicago. In 2021, he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). McMichael was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024.

Reviews

[Doug]

McMichael was always one of my favorite players, still is, maybe more so now. I've read an awful lot about that franchise and followed them for decades....still, there were things I didn't know in this book, and a lot more makes sense now about how some stuff went down. Must read for any Bear fan

[Sam]

Some of the most disorganized, poorly edited words ever put to print. Meathead's delight! I liked it!

[Kim]

For a very long time fan of the Bears, and a native Chicagoan to boot, this book was literary crack cocaine.
Stories from Bears' players of many generations plus an outstanding look at the Monsters of the Midway of 1985 gave me great pleasure.
Want to see what old-time defenders think of their successors? It's delicious!

[CynReads]

Good tidbits, but stories not chronological, jumped from topic to topic or person to person. Not well written, but still entertaining.

[Jessica]

A good collection of stories from the glory and gory days of the Chicago Bears. No one tells those tales quite like Steve McMichael. This book rates an easy 3.5 stars on for nostalgia alone.

[Brian Meierhoff]

Disorganized.

[Shane Shipley]

It is an amazing book for reading about the past of the Chicago Bears

[Scott Roberts]

Good Stories