Getty The Chicago Bears' Twitter account was hacked Sunday. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Sunday morning became an eventful one in a hurry for the Chicago Bears, and it had nothing to do with football. Fans and followers of the Bears Twitter account got a slew of bizarre tweets that had nothing to do with football.
The first in a series of Tweets said simply: “Welcome to our new owner,” followed by a photo of the Saudi Royal court advisor. The hackers didn’t stop at announcing new ownership, however.
The second Tweet hinted more at the reason the hacking happened in the first place. “We are here for 2 things,” the second tweet said. “1) Announce that we are back 2) Show people that everything is hackable.”
Multiple repeat tweets were sent out in a scary example of how easily those with hacking abilities can take over and ascertain the information and accounts of others — and professional sports teams are no exception.
Hackers Offer to Trade Star LB Khalil Mack to the Detroit Lions — At a Very Low Price
GettyHackers offered to trade All-Pro linebacker Khalil Mack of the Chicago Bears to their divisional rival Detroit Lions. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
The hackers also took the time to respond to a few tweets. When the Pride of Detroit’s Twitter account jokingly asked the Bears hacked account to trade Khalil Mack to the Detroit Lions for a sixth round draft pick, the hackers sent out a Tweet that said: “Done for $1.”
Chicago Bears TwitterA screenshot of one of the Tweets sent out by the individual(s) who hacked the Bears Twitter account
Many fans and sports media analysts immediately began to utilize the hacking as comedic fodder, with the Bears social media passwords becoming an easy target:
What was the #Bears Twitter Password:
The Bears’ twitter password was definitely Bears100, wasn’t it?
The hacked Tweets remained up on the Bears account for well over 30 minutes before they were taken down. It was the second round of drama via Twitter the franchise saw in the last 24 hours. On Saturday, the team’s top wide receiver, Allen Robinson, sent out a tweet recruiting Eric Berry, the former Kansas City Chiefs safety who plans to play football again in 2020 after taking this year off.
Current Bears’ safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix responded to Robinson with multiple tweets, letting the wideout know he wasn’t happy about being looked over for a different player.
Later Sunday, the Bears’ Twitter account responded to and apologized for the hack, saying the team was “back in the game & ready for the Pro Bowl.”
Apologies that our account was compromised this morning. We’re back in the game & ready for the Pro Bowl. 🐻⬇️
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