People say “bear down” because it’s an old English phrase meaning to press hard, exert maximum effort, or move toward something with strong, almost crushing force.

Core meaning

  • In everyday English, “bear down” means to press with weight or to work harder and more intensely at something.
  • It can also mean moving toward a target in a powerful, threatening way, as in “the storm is bearing down on the coast.”

Where the phrase comes from

  • The verb “bear” here comes from the sense “to carry or support weight,” not from the animal.
  • The use meaning “to weigh down upon” dates back to the 1600s, while the sense of “rapidly/forcefully approaching” developed later, around the 1700s, especially in nautical language like a ship “bearing down” on another.

Why you hear it in sports and slogans

  • Because it means “give maximum effort,” it fits naturally as a motivational or sports phrase, so teams and fans shout it to mean “go all out” or “push as hard as you can.”
  • Some teams have turned it into a signature motto or song title (for example, “Bear Down, Chicago Bears” and the University of Arizona’s “Bear Down” battle cry), which helped spread and cement the slogan in sports culture.

TL;DR: They say “bear down” because it’s a long‑standing English expression for pressing hard, putting in full effort, or advancing with strong force, which makes it perfect as a pumped‑up warning or rallying cry.