BHP Meets WWE

BHP Meet WWE

Each season we start the Bear Tracks season with some ideas that are related to BHP and the football team but not directly tied to on-field play or upcoming games. The last couple of ideas have been alternative uniforms, the wave your flag series, and the stadium atmosphere post. This year I wanted to take a little look back through the lens of my teenage years.

Before we start getting deep into football and what we expect from the Bears this year, let's daydream about what would happen if we crossed the WWE with BHP! In this post, we will try to capture the energy and sheer intimidation factor of some of my favorite wrestling entrances and translate them to how the Bears could use them to take to the field.

Although admittedly, I wasn’t the biggest wrestling fan growing up, and technically the last time I actually watched an episode was well over a decade ago, I can still vividly see these entrances in my mind, and how they affected the crowd and their opponent.

So in the famous words of Michael Buffer - “Let's get ready to rumble!”

The Undertaker

We will start with the Dead Man himself. The most intimidating entrance in all of professional wrestling, The Undertaker.

The Undertaker has had many different iterations of his entrance (as has his character backstory) and sometimes it gets more extravagant when the match has higher stakes. Although the connecting trait of all of his entrances is the darkness. From the outfit to music to actual darkness, the Undertaker portrayed intimidation every step of the way.

Let’s start translating this to the BHP football entrance. As we start, let’s start with ideas that might be “practical” and then maybe move up to WWE absurdity.

Setting the stage: it is late October and there is a crisp feeling in the air. The stadium lights go dark and smoke starts rising from the field house locker room doors. The Undertaker’s church bells and organ music starts. Then the locker room doors open with the smoke slowly rolling out and the team is backlit only showing silhouettes. Led by Coach Blackston in a trenchcoat, the team slowly walks through the “cemetery”, tombstones in the grassy area behind the endzone, with the only light being a spotlight illuminating their every step. Then the team continues the walk to the sideline as the lights begin to come back on.

The darkness, the imagery, and the slow methodically walk towards the inevitable would work together to strike fear in the hearts and minds of the Bears’ opponent.

Other than the stadium lights going dark, that scenario seems plausible. Now let’s step it up. We will keep the first scenario but with an Undertaker twist. As the team walks/stalks towards the sideline, there is a hearse (hearses, hearsi, I don’t know) procession driving around the track of the field. The hearse parks in the “cemetery” we described in the first scenario during the game, adding to the intimidation factor throughout the game. Whenever the Bears score a touchdown, the hearse flashes its lights. On defense, maybe instead of a turnover chain, there is a Paul Bearer urn that is passed around when a turnover is caused or a sack made.

Whenever the stakes got high, the Undertaker’s entrances become even more intimidating. Now, just like a Wrestlemania entrance, let's step this up to another level.

Let’s say the Bears are undefeated going into the last game of the regular season with the region championship in the balance. The fans looking toward the field house waiting for the lights to go off and the Bears to emerge as in the first two scenarios. But, instead of the field house doors swinging open, smoke starts rising from under the bleachers. Then, a spotlight shines down to show Coach Blackston and the Bears emerging from under the bleachers. Smoke surrounds the team, Coach Blackston wears a trench coat and black hat, and a full funeral procession starts slowly moving around the field. As the team gets to the center of the field, fire erupts from the top of the field goal post and the lights suddenly come back on to reveal the Bears are ready to rumble.

Would this entrance be Intimidating? Absolutely! Over the top? Quite possibility. But just like a wrestling entrance, a team entrance needs to be part theatrics and part show of force. By channeling their inner Undertaker, Them Bears would undoubtedly create the greatest entrance in high school sports.

Even though I proclaimed the Undertaker’s entrance to be the most intimidating, I have a few more entrances up my sleeve (or dare I say vest).

Stone Cold Steve Austin

If I asked you what first comes to mind when I say breaking glass, you may say a baseball through a window or a falling drinking glass. For me, being a male teenager in the late 90s and early 2000’s, the sound of breaking glass will always conjure up images of Stone Cold Steve Austin.

If we think about what made the Steve Austin entrance memorable and intimidating, I would think of the breaking glass intro, the cocky strut, black vest and jean shorts, and a mean son of a ahh umm well… attitude. All of these can be translated into a fantastic team entrance.

Like the Undertaker, Austin had a “normal” entrance, and when the lights shone brighter in big matches, his entrances became more over the top.

Go with me here - it’s just minutes before the game, the other team has already entered the field and is waiting on their sideline. The stadium is hushed, then the quiet is split with the sound of the broken glass of Steve Austin’s intro music. The doors to the field house swing open and following Coach Blackston, the whole team does the Stone Cold walk to midfield. Coach Blackston, shaved head and black vest, stares down the opposing coach then smashes two water bottles together and chugs the water at mid-field (as the fans go wild).

Let’s take this a little further. As the glass breaks and the doors open, a line of four-wheelers circles the field as the team makes their way to the sideline.

The cockiness, the determination, the “I’m the baddest man on the planet” attitude just oozes from Austin in his entrances. That same feeling could translate directly to the Bears and create the baddest entrance in all of football and that's the bottom line.

So we have covered the entrances that are the most intimidating and have the most attitude, but now let’s think of one that is a little more stylin (and profilin).

Ric Flair

Whooooooo! The Nature Boy! Whoooooo!

That's right the “Rolex wearing, diamond ring wearing, kiss stealing, wheelin dealin, limousine riding, jet flying son of a gun” himself. Can you think of more of a showman, more of an entertainer than Ric Flair? I cannot. So why can that same showmanship not translate to a football entrance?

Just as in the other entrances I have portrayed, the field house becomes the focus of the crowd. The trumpets start with that initial note we all love from “2001 - Space Oddessy”. And as the drums hit, the doors come open, and dressed in the iconic Nature Boy robe struts Coach Blackston followed by the team (we will have to think how the hair could match Flair’s). The slow walk to the center of the field climaxes with fireworks going off as Blackston extends his arms and spins to show the home crowd, “How Bout Them Bears” embellished on the robe, and of course, the fans go absolutely berserk.

Let’s take this one step further. It’s the biggest home game of the year. The crowd is waiting for the team to come out on the field, but the next thing that is heard over the loudspeaker is “If you don’t like it, learn to love it” then “2001” starts, but instead of the entrance from the field house, a row of limousines drive down and stop right behind the home bench. The doors open to show Blackston robed and “dripped” out exiting the vehicle. Whoooo!

Plus, just think, Touchdown Robe!

This seems fun, and sports should be fun. Plus, the aura of Ric Flair provides some fun opportunities for a football entrance. And remember, Rick Flair is so cool, the Migos even made a song about him. Whooooo!

Rapid Fire

We had fun with those first three entrances, now let’s run through some other entrances that could have a fun translation to a football entrance.

Hacksaw Jim Duggan

This is a personal favorite of mine, and it is a simple entrance. All that is needed is a 2 by 4 and an American Flag.

Roddy Piper

Just think, kilts and bagpipe music.

Hulk Hogan

Bandanas, boas, and shirts being ripped at midfield, enough said.

Sting

Descending from a zipline with a bat.

Macho Man Randy Savage

Think about the outfit. Coach Blackston in a neon-colored leather jacket (and pants) with a cowboy hat to match. OHHH YEAAAA!

Not to mention pomp and circumstance as the intro music.

Plus, Slim Jims could be everywhere.

The Rock

As the crowd is silent, some of the most famous words in WWE history blare from the speakers. “If you smellllllll what the Rock is cooking!”

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No matter what, we are just excited for the Bears to make their entrance this season. We know a lot of hard work has been put in and we are looking forward to seeing the show they put on.

What wrestling entrances do you think would make a great team entrance? Let us hear it in the comments or on our social media accounts ( Facebook or Twitter).

Also, we have a couple of upcoming posts to lead us into the 2022 season. Look for our Top 5 Questions and Bold Predictions post before we get to our Week 1 Bear Tracks post coming later this month.

Go Bears!