The 1985 Chicago Bears Team Photo - A Story About Joe Namath - Shaun Gayle

Tommy with Head Coach Jack Pardee. Jack Pardee was a linebacker on the Redskins when they won a Superbowl under George Allen. Jack Pardee asked Tommy if he wanted to be a Ball Boy for the Bears and Tommy told him no, he wanted to instead play football himself. Tommy got the Bears to give him two red Cs for his helmet because his white ones were peeling off. They did.

At a certain point we stopped asking players for autographs. It had to be annoying to come off the field, hot and tired, and be asked to sign hundreds of autographs that would be eventually lost or sold. We usually asked players and coaches to shake their hand or take a picture. We stopped asking for autographs. However, one day Tommy's grandpa, Howard Stenberg, was in a restaurant in Las Vegas. At a table in front of him was Joe Namath and several players from the New York Jets. Broadway Joe. The Joe who predicted the Jets would win the Superbowl and they did. The first AFL team to win the Superbowl. Grandpa Stenberg was a WWII war hero and he weighed over three hundred pounds. He was the size of a footall lineman. He wanted to get Joe's autograph for Tommy, so he walked up to him with a napkin to sign and he said, "Wo wo wo woould you you pa pa please si sign thi this for for me?" Joe Namath replied, " Wha wha what do do you you wan want me me to wri write." So now Tommy has Joe Namath's autograph on a napkin. What is valuable is not only the autograph, but the thought of his loving grandfather, Howard, getting it for him. Tommy's middle name is Howard.

Wally Chambers was an outstanding defensive lineman. Paul Hornung used to rave about him during TV coverage of the Bear games.

This picture is autographed, but the writing is in silver and doesn't show up on the blog. My secretary knew that I liked the Bears and she called up Halas Hall and asked them to send me one for my 25th anniversary with Jewel Food Stores. The receptionist at Halas Hall said she would have anyone of interest who walked by sign it. It has a dedication from Mike Ditka and signatures of Mike Tomczak, Jim Harbaugh, Dan Hampton, and others.

Tommy with Bob Avellini, the quarterback when Mike Ditka took over the team. Bob was drafted as a sixth round pick out of Maryland in 1975.

Neil Armstrong when asked how the Bears would do against their next opponent would say in a Texas drawl, "There a good football team." Neil brought Buddy Ryan to run the defense. Buddy stayed at the request of the players and Mike Ditka replaced Neil Armstrong.

I miss Iron Mike. Chicago misses Da Coach.