Yep, The 'Fog Bowl' Is Still One Of The Weirdest Games In NFL History

On the football field, Mother Nature can be a force as brutal as any linebacker.

New Year's Eve marks the 26th anniversary of the infamous "Fog Bowl," a freak weather happening that crushed the hopes of the Philadelphia Eagles and would go down as one of the most bizarre games in NFL history.

After a sunny and clear first half of the first playoff game between the Eagles and the Chicago Bears on Dec. 31, 1988, a dense fog drifted over Soldier Field, obscuring the view for everyone from the commentators in the press box to the very players on the field.

"When I think about the last plague when Moses told the people the Death Angel was going to come in, it was like that," Bears linebacker Mike Singletary told Comcast Sports Net in 2013.

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(AP Photo/File)

In this Dec. 31, 1988, file photo, lights shine through the fog during an NFL football playoff game between the Chicago Bears and the Philadelphia Eagles in Chicago.

(AP Photo/Rob Kozloff)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Randall Cunningham (12) comes out of the fog to throw a pass during action in their semi-final NFC playoff game against the Bears in Chicago, Saturday, Dec. 31, 1988.

Jonathan Daniel/Allsport

31 Dec 1988: General view of a playoff game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears won the game, 20-12.

(AP Photo)

Chicago Bears running back Neal Anderson (35) is tackled by Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Todd Bell, left, and cornerback Eric Allen, right, during the NFC playoff game, Saturday, Jan. 2, 1988 in Chicago. Anderson scored one touchdown and rushed for 54 yards to help the Bears defeat the Eagles 20-12.

Ronald C. Modra/Sports Imagery via Getty Images

Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Divisional Playoff Game against the Chicago Bears on December 31, 1988 in Chicago Illinois.

Jonathan Daniel/Allsport

31 Dec 1988: General view of a playoff game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears won the game, 20-12.

(AP Photo/Mark Elias)

Chicago Bears free safety Maurice Douglass (37) runs out of the fog and is congratulated by teammates after intercepting a pass against the Philadelphia Eagles late in the fourth quarter in this Dec. 31, 1988 file photo in Chicago. (AP Photo/Mark Elias)

Bruce Dierdorff via Getty Images

Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka (with sunglasses) watches the fog roll in during the NFC Divisional Playoff, a 20-12 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on December 31, 1988, at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.

WGN meteorologist Tom Skilling told CSN the fog that blanketed Soldier Field -- which is perched on Lake Michigan -- was "a complete aberration of the weather elsewhere in the city that day."

"There hasn't been another game that was affected by atmospheric conditions quite like this one, I think, in the long history of the NFL," CBS announcer Verne Lundquist told ESPN in 2008.

Announcers couldn't see the field of play, fans couldn't see the players, and players couldn't see each other. Some of the Eagles coaches called for the game to be suspended, even though the NFL had never called a game due to fog.

The game continued, and in the end, the Eagles -- who had never beaten the Bears at Soldier Field, were on a hot streak and were considered the team to beat heading into the playoffs -- lost 12-20. Eagles Head Coach Buddy Ryan was so upset he dashed off the field without even shaking hands with Bears head coach Mike Ditka.

Though Eagles fans may see it differently, Singletary told NFL.com: "The "Fog Bowl" was the coolest game I'd ever play in in my life."

Check out some video of the event: