When is the Last Time the Chicago Bears, Blackhawks and Bulls all had Winning Records Simultaneously?
Chicago sports haven’t exactly been on a historic run in the 2020s. The Blackhawks’ dynasty era is long gone. The Bulls don’t seem interested in being competitive. The White Sox are setting records, but not in a good way. The Cubs are good enough only to tease you. Your beloved Chicago Bears? Well, they have been the same ol’ Bears for quite some time now.
However, is the wind starting to finally blow in the other direction? The Bears are off to a promising 4-2 start under first-year head coach Ben Johnson. The Blackhawks are actually watchable again, with a 3-2-2 start under, again, first-year head coach Jeff Blashill. The Bulls started the NBA season with a winon Wednesday night and sit at 1-0 on the young season. Start planning the parade.
With those records, all three teams are above .500 in terms of winning percentage. None of these teams has done a whole lot of winning over the last several years, so that is actually something to be excited about. So, when was the last time all three held a winning record at the same time? Let’s turn back the clock.
November 22, 2013, was 4,353 days ago to the date. That was the last time these three teams all managed to have a winning record at the same time. You might be saying to yourself, “That isn’t even a high bar,” and you would be correct. To put this into perspective, an 11-year-old Chicago sports fan just saw this “accomplishment” for the first time.
Story continues below.
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Where were you the last time this happened? I am a 28-year-old with my first child on the way. The last time this happened I was a junior in high school stocking shelves at a grocery store. How far we have all come, right? Let’s dive into where each of these three teams was 4,353 days ago.
Chicago Bulls
Apr 25, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose (center) on the bench during a time out in the first quarter of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs against the Brooklyn Nets at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY SportsCredit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
If there is one thing that symbolizes the early 2010s Chicago Bulls, it is Derrick Rose in a suit at the United Center. This team had so much potential with Rose, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, Jimmy Butler, Carlos Boozer, and the “bench mob.” However, with an often-injured Derrick Rose, the Bulls never had a chance to get over the hump.
On November 22, 2013, the Bulls played the Portland Trail Blazers in Portland. It was one of the few games that Rose and Deng both played in that season. Rose led all Bulls scorers with 20 points and Chicago lost 95-98. The loss brought the team’s record to 6-5. They would fall under .500 3 days later, after losing to the Utah Jazz, to move to 6-7 on the season.
The 2013-14 Bulls went 48-34 and finished as the 4-seed in the Eastern Conference. However, injuries were once again a problem, as the team did not have Rose or Deng for the playoffs. They lost in the first round of the playoffs in 5 games to the Washington Wizards. Taj Gibson was the leading scorer for Chicago in a series that ultimately became a perfect symbol for what these Bulls teams unfortunately were.
When these Bulls teams were healthy, they were one of the best teams in the league. However, these Bulls teams were simply never healthy. Rose played 10 games in the 2013-14 season. Deng played in only 23 games. Even when depleted, they still fought like hell in the regular season to hold a good record. However, when the playoffs came around, they just didn’t have enough in the tank to go anywhere.
Head Coach Tom Thibodeau was fired following the 2014-15 season and that essentially symbolized the end of those Bulls. Since firing Thibodeau 10 years ago, the Bulls have only finished with a winning record twice in 10 seasons. Chalk it up as another win for fans in the Jerry Reinsdorf experience.
Chicago Blackhawks
Jun 1, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick (32) shakes hands with Chicago Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford (50) after game seven of the Western Conference Final of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Now for the team that has actually had some modern-day success. Things have been bleak for the Chicago Blackhawks since firing coach Joel Quenneville in 2018. However, November of 2013 was right in the middle of the greatest era in Chicago Blackhawks history.
The Blackhawks were coming off their 2nd Stanley Cup in 4 seasons and had another deep team ready to make another run at back-to-back championships. On November 22, 2013, the Chicago Blackhawks were 15-4-4, coming off a 6-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. The Hawks got goals from Marian Hossa, Patrick Kane, Brandon Saad, Patrick Sharp, Ben Smith, and Jonathan Toews. Corey Crawford stopped 22 of 25 Jets shots on the night.
The 2013-14 Blackhawks finished with a 46-21-15 (107 points) record and were in third place in the Central Division. After losing the first two games of round 1 of the playoffs in St Louis, Chicago won the next four games to defeat the Blues 4-2 and move on to the second round. Chicago again won the series in 6 games over the Minnesota Wild. This would be the second of three straight years eliminating Minnesota from the playoffs.
It was off to the Western Conference Finals for a rematch of 2013’s WCF with the Los Angeles Kings. In what many consider one of the greatest playoff series of all times, the Blackhawks found themselves in 3-1 hole in the series. Chicago won Game 5 in double overtime with a goal from Michal Handzuš. The Blackhawks then won Game 6 4-3 in Los Angeles to force a Game 7.
Game 7 of the 2014 WCF will go down as one of the most haunting games in Blackhawks history. A back-and-forth game of two goliaths went to overtime tied 4-4. In overtime, Kings defenseman Alec Martinez let a shot go from the blue line. The puck hit Blackhawks defenseman Nick Leddy in the chest and trickled past Corey Crawford to send the Kings to the Stanley Cup Final, where they would go on to win the Cup.
Obviously, the Blackhawks would go on to win the Stanley Cup the next season to capture their third championship in six years. However, 2014 will always go down as the biggest “what if” in Blackhawks history. They were “One Goal” away from a three-peat and a fourth Stanley Cup in 6 seasons. 11 years later, I still hate Alec Martinez.
Chicago Bears
Dec 29, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) meet at midfield after the game at Soldier Field. The Green Bay Packers win 33-28. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY SportsCredit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
The 2013 season for the Chicago Bears was one of great change. Head coach Lovie Smith was fired following the 2012 season and was replaced by Marc Trestman. Trestman and his offensive mind came in and led the Bears’ offense to the 2nd ranking in points per game. However, the defense took a massive step back under first-year defensive coordinator Mel Tucker. The Bears’ defense ranked 30th in points allowed.
On November 22, 2013, the Bears were coming off a 23-20 OT win against the Baltimore Ravens. Josh McCown started at QB for the Bears in place of an injured Jay Cutler. McCown went 19-31, threw for 216 yards, and scored a touchdown. David Bass returned an interception for a touchdown, and Robbie Gould drilled three field goals to contribute to the win. The victory propelled the Bears to a 6-4 record before losing their next two games to fall to 6-6.
The story of the 2013 season came down to week 17. The Green Bay Packers came to Soldier Field to play the Bears. Both Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler were back from injuries. The winner of the game would capture the division title and go to the playoffs. The loser would be eliminated. Some might say this game was the ultimate turning point for the future of both franchises.
This matchup became an all-timer and went back-and-forth the entire game. Matt Forte scored 3 touchdowns to help put the Bears ahead 21-20 in the 3rd quarter. Brandon Marshall caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Cutler to extend the Chicago lead to 28-20 early in the 4th. However, Eddie Lacy added a touchdown 3 minutes later to draw the Packers within 1.
12 years later, this game still hurts to write about. If only 17-year-old me would have known this was only the beginning of the massive heartbreak the Bears would put me through in the coming years. If only I knew that Aaron Rodgers was to be feared every second he stepped foot on Soldier Field grass. “The Boogeyman” was born on December 29, 2013.
The Bears had Rodgers and the Packers down to their last life with 38 seconds left in the 4th quarter. It was 4th and 8 from the Bears 48 yard line. Green Bay was down to their last time out. A defensive stop would send the Bears to the playoffs and their hated rival home. All they needed was one stop.
Mel Tucker sent a 7-man blitz, leaving all 4 Packers receivers in single coverage. Rodgers avoided the rush, rolled out to his left and there was Randall Cobb wide open. “Rodgers gets out. Floats it. COBB! TOUCHDOWN. RANDALL COBB!” Joe Buck’s call still plays over and over in my head to this day.
The Bears still had a chance, but Jay Cutler’s Hail Mary pass was intercepted, and the Packers were off to the playoffs. Probably the worst Hail Mary in Bears history, right? The season was over, and that one pass very well may have sent the Bears down one of the darkest paths in franchise history. Aaron Rodgers would go on to beat Chicago pretty much every time he played them after that game.
Trestman was fired following the 2014 season after a 5-11 record. The Bears are on their 5th permanent head coach since firing Lovie Smith after a 10-6 record in 2012. The 2013 season that saw Rodgers break their heart was the springboard to a decade-plus of complete incompetence.
4,353 days. November 22, 2013. That is the last time these three teams all managed to have some level of competence at the same time.
Chicago needs this to be true change of wave. The Blackhawks are young and fun. They seem to be building towards something. Ben Johnson has the Bears becoming respectable again, and it appears the only way is up. The Bulls’ one win to start the season could very well be their high point of the season, but anything is possible, right?
Here’s to hoping for hope. Sports in Chicago have been a dark, lonely place for several years now. We need to not go another 4,353 days of suffering. No more heartbreaking, soul-sucking losses. Less tankathon and more playoffs. Let this be the springboard we need to success.
