You’ve seen the mustache. You’ve heard the voice. If you grew up anywhere near the Midwest in the nineties—or if you just have a working television—you can’t hear the words "Chicago Bears" without someone in the room immediately grunting "Da Bears."
It’s inevitable.
What started as a simple sketch on Saturday Night Live back in 1991 didn’t just become a popular bit; it basically became the unofficial cultural identity of an entire city. Honestly, it’s kinda weird how a group of guys sitting around a table eating "polska saussage" and having heart attacks became the definitive portrait of Chicago sports fandom. But here we are, decades later, and the "Bill Swerski’s Super Fans" sketch is still the gold standard for how to parody a very specific, very loud type of person.
The Secret Origin of the Mustaches
The whole thing didn't actually start in a writers' room at 30 Rock. It started at Wrigley Field. Robert Smigel, the legendary SNL writer who also gave us Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, moved to Chicago in the early eighties. He was fascinated by the guys he saw in the stands. We’re talking about a very specific "uniform": aviator sunglasses, a thick walrus mustache, a mesh-back hat, and an Oxford shirt tucked into jeans, usually with a windbreaker over the top.
Smigel saw these guys and realized they all looked like Mike Ditka.
It wasn't just a coincidence. They wanted to be Ditka. They worshipped the man.
Smigel eventually teamed up with Bob Odenkirk—yeah, the Better Call Saul guy—who was also a Chicago native. Odenkirk was the one who insisted on the "hiss" at the end of words. It wasn't just "Bears." It was "Bearsss." That tiny phonetic detail made the whole thing feel authentic to people who actually lived in Cook County, rather than just being a broad midwestern caricature.
Who Were the Original Superfans?
When the sketch finally debuted on January 12, 1991, the lineup was a comedy powerhouse. You had:
- Joe Mantegna as the original Bill Swerski.
- Chris Farley as Todd O’Connor (the guy who always had the heart attacks).
- Mike Myers as Pat Arnold.
- Robert Smigel as Carl Wollarski.
Mantegna was the host of the fictional show "Bill Swerski’s Quiz Masters," but because he was a big-shot actor with a busy schedule, he couldn't do every episode. That’s how we got George Wendt. Wendt, who everyone knew as Norm from Cheers, stepped in as "brudder" Bob Swerski. It was a perfect fit. Wendt is a Chicago guy through and through, and his real-life nephew is actually Jason Sudeikis, which is a fun piece of trivia for your next bar night.
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Why "Da Bears" Works (Even If You Hate Football)
The genius of the da bears snl skit isn't really about football. It’s about delusional confidence.
These guys would sit there, clutching their chests while finishing a tray of ribs, and predict scores that were physically impossible. "Bears 79, Giants 0." Or better yet, the debates about Mike Ditka’s god-like powers.
One of the most famous bits involved the question: "Who would win in a fight, Ditka or a hurricane?"
The answer was Ditka, obviously.
But then the follow-up: "What if the hurricane was named Hurricane Ditka?"
That’s the moment Chris Farley’s character would usually clutch his left arm and slump over. It was a commentary on the "virile" swagger of the Chicago blue-collar guy who thinks his team’s coach could literally stop a natural disaster.
The Real People Behind the Names
If you're a hardcore Chicago sports nerd, those names might sound familiar. The writers didn't just pull them out of a hat. The name "Bill Swerski" was a direct riff on Chuck Swirsky, a famous Chicago sportscaster. The format of the sketch itself—guys sitting around a table with beer and snacks—was a parody of a local show called The Sports Writers on TV.
That show featured guys like Bill Gleason and Rick Telander, who actually talked like that. SNL just turned the volume up to eleven.
The Heart Attack Gag and Chris Farley
You can’t talk about this sketch without talking about Chris Farley. His performance as Todd O’Connor was physical comedy at its peak. He wasn’t just playing a fan; he was playing a man whose blood was 40% gravy.
Every time the tension got too high—usually because someone suggested the Bears might actually lose—Farley would go into a full-blown cardiac event. He’d take a sip of beer, grunt "I’m fine," and keep eating.
It was dark, sure. But it hit home because every Chicago family has that one uncle who eats like he has a death wish and lives for the Sunday kickoff.
The Impact Today: From SNL to the Vatican
The Superfans only appeared in about nine regular sketches during the early nineties, but their footprint is massive. They’ve shown up in commercials for State Farm and Old Navy. They’ve appeared at Bulls championship rallies.
In a weird twist of fate, even the Catholic Church isn't safe from the sketch. Recently, when a Chicago-born cardinal named Robert Prevost was being discussed in circles, locals started referring to him as "Da Pope." There’s literally a T-shirt.
Even in 2026, the legacy continues. Fans still show up to Soldier Field in the shades and the mustaches. It’s a shorthand for a certain kind of toughness—and a certain kind of stubbornness.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans
If you want to revisit the magic or embrace your inner Superfan, here’s how to do it right:
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- Watch the 1991 Thanksgiving Special: This is widely considered the "perfect" version of the sketch, where the guys talk about what they're thankful for (mostly Ditka).
- Get the Dialect Right: It’s not just a "D" instead of a "TH." It’s about the vowels. It’s "khakis," not "kah-kees." It’s a flat, nasal sound that you can only get if you’ve spent at least one winter waiting for a bus on Michigan Avenue.
- Respect the Polish Sausage: The "polska saussage" mentioned in the skits is a staple of Chicago's Maxwell Street Market. If you're going for authenticity, don't put ketchup on it. Ever.
The Superfans represent a time when Chicago sports were on top of the world with Jordan and Ditka. Even when the teams are struggling, the sketch reminds us why we care so much in the first place. It’s about the community, the snacks, and the unwavering belief that next year, the Bears are definitely going to win 173 to 0.