If you close your eyes and think of Chicago, you probably hear it. That thick, over-enunciated "Daaaaa Bears." It's a phrase that has basically transcended comedy to become the unofficial anthem of an entire city. But honestly, if you go back and watch the original da bears SNL skit, it’s a lot weirder and more specific than the "guys in mustaches" trope it eventually became.
It wasn't just a parody of sports fans. It was a very precise takedown of a specific era of Chicago media that most people outside the 312 area code had never even heard of.
The Night It All Started
The sketch, officially titled Bill Swerski's Superfans, made its debut on January 12, 1991. This was Season 16, Episode 10. Joe Mantegna—a Chicago native through and through—was the host. He played the original Bill Swerski.
You've probably seen the later versions with George Wendt, who played Bill’s brother, Bob. But that first night, it was Mantegna leading the charge at the table. He was joined by Chris Farley as Todd O’Connor, Mike Myers as Pat Arnold, and Robert Smigel as Carl Wollarski.
They sat there in Mike Ditka’s sports bar, surrounded by empty beer mugs and plates of Polish sausage. The premise was simple: a local access-style sports talk show where the host and guests were so hopelessly biased that their predictions defied the laws of physics.
Why "Da Bears" Wasn't Actually Written That Way
Here’s a fun bit of trivia: Robert Smigel, who wrote the sketch, didn't actually write the word "Da" in the script. He wrote "The."
The "Da" happened naturally because the actors were leaning so hard into that specific "Inland North" dialect. You know the one—the flat vowels and the "th" sounds that turn into "d" sounds. It was Bob Odenkirk (yes, that Bob Odenkirk) who helped Smigel refine the characters. They had worked on a version of this during the 1988 writers' strike in Chicago.
Smigel had moved to Chicago in the early 80s and was fascinated by the guys he saw in the bleachers at Wrigley Field. He noticed they all looked like Mike Ditka. Every single one. The aviator sunglasses, the thick walrus mustaches, the navy blue sweaters. It was a uniform of "virility," as Smigel puts it.
The Anatomy of the First Sketch
In that January 1991 debut, the Bears were about to play the New York Giants in a playoff game. The Superfans were, predictably, optimistic.
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How optimistic?
- Todd (Farley): Predicted a 79-0 blowout.
- Carl (Smigel): Was slightly more "realistic," predicting 52-4.
- Bill (Mantegna): Went with 74-2.
The joke wasn't just the score. It was the logic. When an oddsmaker suggested the Giants might actually win, the table nearly revolted. They didn't just disagree; they treated him like a blasphemer.
The "Ditka vs. God" Philosophical Debate
Perhaps the most famous trope from the original da bears SNL skit is the obsession with Coach Mike Ditka. He wasn't just a coach to these guys; he was a deity.
One of the most iconic exchanges in the series involves a hypothetical golf match between Ditka and God.
"Now, it's a good golfer, Ditka," one of them says, before deciding that Ditka would win, but it would be close.
Then they move on to "Ditka vs. a Hurricane."
"But what if the hurricane's name was Hurricane Ditka?"
That's the moment where Chris Farley’s character usually has a "heart attack" from the sheer mental strain of the paradox. It was physical comedy at its peak, with Farley clutching his chest while mid-bite into a pork chop.
Real-Life Inspiration: The Sportswriters on TV
If the format of the sketch felt familiar to 90s viewers, it’s because it was a direct parody of The Sportswriters on TV. This was a real show on WFLD-TV in Chicago. It featured grizzled, cigar-chomping reporters like Bill Gleason and Rick Telander.
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The SNL version just took that energy and gave it to the fans.
It’s worth noting that the "Superfans" weren't meant to be a long-running series. Smigel thought the joke was too "regional" to work for a national audience. He was wrong. The catchphrase exploded. Within weeks, Chicago radio DJs were playing clips of the sketch on loop. Billboards started appearing.
"Da Bears" became a brand.
The Evolution of the Cast
While the first sketch featured Joe Mantegna, he couldn't return regularly due to his film schedule. That’s when George Wendt stepped in as Bob Swerski. Wendt was already a sitcom legend from Cheers, and his "Bob" became the definitive host of the segment.
Later, when Mike Myers left the show, John Goodman stepped in to play Pat Arnold. They explained the change in appearance by saying Pat had "massive weight gain."
The Core Superfans Lineup:
- Bob Swerski: George Wendt (Host)
- Todd O'Connor: Chris Farley (Heart attack prone)
- Carl Wollarski: Robert Smigel (The writer behind the madness)
- Pat Arnold: Mike Myers / John Goodman
When the Real Ditka Showed Up
The ultimate validation for the sketch happened when Mike Ditka himself appeared. This occurred in 1993, shortly after Ditka had been fired by the Bears.
Seeing the real "Iron Mike" sitting at the table with his parody clones was a surreal moment in TV history. He played along perfectly. Even Michael Jordan made an appearance later on, cementing the Superfans as a part of Chicago sports lore rather than just a mockery of it.
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Why It Still Matters in 2026
You might think a sketch from 1991 would feel dated. In some ways, it is—the Bears haven't won a Super Bowl since 1985, a fact the Superfans would likely blame on "not enough Polish sausage."
But the original da bears SNL skit captured something universal about sports fandom. It’s about that blind, irrational loyalty that makes you think your team can beat a literal natural disaster.
It also pioneered a specific type of SNL "character" comedy. Before the Superfans, sketches often relied on wordplay or situational irony. The Superfans relied on vibe. They were loud, sweaty, and deeply relatable to anyone who has ever yelled at a TV screen.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
If you want to revisit the glory days of the Superfans, start with the basics.
Watch the First Appearance: Search for the Season 16, Episode 10 sketch. It's the only one with Mantegna as the lead, and it sets the tone for everything that follows.
Look for the "Thanksgiving" Special: This is the one where Macaulay Culkin guests as a "mini-superfan" and they discuss the first Thanksgiving involving gifts of Polish sausage.
Check out the State Farm Commercials: Decades later, George Wendt and Robert Smigel reprised their roles for a series of ads. While they couldn't legally say "The Bears" due to copyright, the "Discount Double Check" era proved the characters still had legs.
Honestly, the best way to honor the legacy is to grab a cold drink, find a plate of ribs, and confidently predict a shutout victory for a team that is currently 2-10. Ditka would want it that way.