The mascot of the losing team is not usually known to be the center of attention at the end of a game.
But during the wild card matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier Field on Sunday night, online spectators couldn’t help but note the Chicago Bears mascot’s dramatic reaction to a dramatic loss.
He just fell in defeat, ever so slowly, and he did so with the utmost gravitas.
His soul was crushed, and the internet was smitten.
The Eagles ultimately triumphed 16-15 by shutting down the Bears at the last possible moment thanks to a missed field goal. Cody Parkey’s 43-yard field goal attempt hit the uprights, smacked into the crossbar, and fell back into the field of play in the final seconds, clinching the win for the Eagles.
It was bad news for the Bears and exciting news for fans of the 2018 Super Bowl champions, and the Bears mascot reacted accordingly.
In a different sport entirely, Philadelphia’s own Gritty, the hockey mascot for the Philadelphia Flyers, has a large internet fan base.
But on Sunday night, the internet was in love with a new guy, Staley Da Bear.
All agreed that his strong reaction on the field was something of a masterpiece and people have plenty to say about it.
The Eagles will advance to play the top-seeded New Orleans Saints in Sunday’s divisional round, but not before the internet recovers from some considerable internet breakage at the hands of the Bears mascot.
His antics are not entirely new, but they were appreciated.
He is the real most valuable player.
