Papa Bear : The Life and Legacy of George Halas Book

"The founder of the National Football League and creator of the mighty and feared Chicago Bears, Hall of Famer George Halas single-handedly changed the way we spend our Sundays. He worked night and day, year after year, to make his game America's true national pastime." "The son of immigrants, George Halas did not get the name "Papa Bear" because he was loveable and cuddly. He was the original grizzly. Raised on the hardscrabble streets of Chicago's lower west side, Halas thought sentiment was for softies. He was a hard coach who cast his beloved Bears in his own image: proud, defiant, and tough as nails. For 40 seasons he stood alone on the sidelines, a commanding figure under the shadow of a gray fedora, driving his team to eight NFL championships and 324 victories, more wins than any other coach in his lifetime. Halas was so identified with Chicago and the Bears that people tended to forget who he really was, if indeed they knew him at all." Today, nearly 20 years after his death, Halas remains one of the towering legends of professional sports - rivaling Vince Lombardi - yet there has never been an authoritative biography published about this great American sports hero. Until now. Papa Bear delivers the full-fledged, no-holds-barred story of the mystery and the man who made pro football America's secular religion.