Super Bowl XLI - Chicago Bears Arrive In Miami - Miami Herald

Bears touch down in Miami
The Bears landed at Miami International Airport armed with camcorders and cameras to record an unforgettable week.
BY SARAH ROTHSCHILD - Miami Herald

Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith, wearing a navy-colored suit with an orange shirt and tie, emerged from the team plane Sunday afternoon leading a contingent of his players, who captured the moment with their digital cameras and camcorders.

The Super Bowl-bound Bears had arrived.

The procession of players, coaches and team employees lasted about 15 minutes and featured several familiar faces, including former Florida Gators quarterback Rex Grossman and defensive end Alex Brown.

Moments earlier as the plane taxied down the Miami International Airport runway, a large Bears logo on the side of the plane came into clear view and the pilot opened his window to show off a Chicago Bears flag.

United flight 9900 landed at Miami International Airport at about 3:40 p.m. amid little fanfare aside from the media horde of about four dozen photographers and cameramen; the team's arrival was closed to the public and players did not speak to the media.

''We're treating this as a presidential arrival,'' airport media relations manager Marc Henderson said.

Media had to arrive at the airport about two hours before the Bears landed because of security protocol. A packed shuttle escorted the media onto the runway, where dogs sniffed their belongings and security personnel screened media with a security wand.

Nearly 90 minutes later the Bears made their grand entrance before being whisked away by a police caravan to the nearby Hilton Miami Airport Hotel.

The Bears' fate in Super Bowl XLI won't be decided until Sunday at Dolphin Stadium. But the Bears already held one edge over the Indianapolis Colts: being the first team to arrive.