Have You Seen New England’s Cringey Response to ‘The Super Bowl Shuffle’ From 1986?
Contrary to popular belief, Tom Brady did not take the New England Patriots to their first Super Bowl in the early 2000s. Nor did his predecessor, Drew Bledsoe, in the '90s.
That distinction belongs to the 1985 Patriots, who made a surprise run to the Big Game in January of 1986 where they lost 46-10 to Mike Ditka and “Daaaaa Bears.”
Each year, New Englanders are reminded of this unfortunate display when the ’85 Bears live on through their legendary performance of “The Super Bowl Shuffle.”
When I first saw the “Shuffle,” I thought it was no wonder the Bears were able to run up the score. They were cool. They were intimidating. Most importantly, they could shuffle.
I often wondered why New England didn’t respond with a song of its own. An anthem to rally the region. And I was today-years-old when I discovered a song called “The Patriots and We.”
I’ll say this: it’s an incredibly fun trip down memory lane; a musical who’s who of New England sports and media personalities of the '80s. You’ll see Mayor Ray Flynn, “Spenser: For Hire” star Robert Ulrich, and of course, the great Bob Lobel.
Lobel’s then-wife Susan Wornick and one-time rival Mike Lynch also appear, along with several Patriots themselves. And on paper, it has all the makings of something special.
On paper. But then I pressed play...
In a word - wow.
After many years of hearing how the Patriots failed to show up for their big showdown with the Bears, I almost feel as though we owe them an apology.
It’s a wonder they didn’t try to bolt for Connecticut then and there. With respect to all those involved in this...attempt...thank goodness Brady and Belichick seem to have buried the hatchet to reassume ownership of the Patriots' legacy.