The nickname Monsters of the Midway was originally applied to the University of Chicago "Maroons", a strong College Football team under the leadership of Amos Alonzo Stag. "Midway" is a reference to the Midway Plaisance, a long, green swath of boulevard space bordering the southern end of the campus between 59th and 60th Streets and running from Washington Park to Jackson Park on Chicago's South Side. The U of C decided to drop its football program in 1939, about the time when the Bears became dominant in the NFL by beating the Packers every year; the tag was appropriated by the Bears, even though their home turf was Wrigley Field on the North Side of the city (roughly 12 miles from the Midway). (They also borrowed the "C" symbol on their helmets from the U of C Maroons.) The moniker is also used by the university's Velo Club bicycle racing team, for their annual criterium , which takes place in May on the Midway.
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