The Chicago Bears' new web series "1920 Football Drive brought to you by CDW" opens with coach Matt Nagy addressing his team following the season-ending win against the Minnesota Vikings last December.
Nagy conveyed the disappointment stemming from an 8-8 season while emphasizing his determination to make the 2020 season different.
"I hope we learn from this lesson right this year," said Nagy. "That's the most important thing that we all need to do. What I've learned from this is that you guys have resolve, and you fight. Is it going to be the same team next year? No. It's not. It's going to be a different team, but whoever it is, you learn from it, and then you've got to get better."
The next time we see Nagy, he's masked up and socially distanced from general manager Ryan Pace. The redemption arc promised by the first scene has met its first hurdle. The camera follows Nagy as he jokes with other staff members before addressing the entire team in-person for the first time in months.
These are the moments "1920 Football Drive" seeks to share with Bears fans everywhere. The first episode will be released Monday at 8:00 p.m.
The idea for "1920 Football Drive" has been in the works for several seasons, but when the Bears moved training camp to Halas Hall and the Coronavirus pandemic eliminated the ability to have fans at practice, it provided a strong motivation.
"Because we don't have fans at training camp," said Greg Miller, the team's Vice President of Content and Innovation, "we wanted to make an effort to bring as much of training camp to the fans as possible."
The series will give an in-depth look into the day-to-day process that goes into being a part of a professional football team.
"You'll see what it's like in a team meeting," said Miller, "what it's like in a positional meeting, what it's like at practice through mic'd up players and coaches."
While the Bears may be associated with Soldier Field, nestled between the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan, the players and coaching staff spend the vast majority of their time in the remote compound in Lake County. The show's title comes from Halas Hall's address in Lake Forest, which is an homage to the year of the team's founding.
The show seeks to give Bears fans a glimpse into the weekday work that goes into the product they watch on Sundays.
Pandemic procedures have forced the crew producing the series to adjust their approach to stay within strict safety protocols. Even with the adjustments, "1920 Football Drive" will provide the most intimate look to date at the Chicago Bears' internal workings.
