George McCaskey has no intention for family to sell the Chicago Bears: ‘Another 100 years would be great'
PALM BEACH, Fla. — Chicago Bears Chairman George McCaskey is determined to keep the franchise in his family's hands for a long time to come, emphasizing Wednesday that he has no desire to entertain thoughts of a sale or power shift.
'We've said for many years that we intend to own the Bears for as long as possible,' McCaskey said at the NFL owners meetings. 'Another 100 years would be great.'
That was a firm declaration from the highest-ranking member of the McCaskey family as outside curiosity circulates regarding the team's future.
Less than eight weeks after the death of principal owner Virginia Halas McCaskey, George McCaskey said his mother long ago established a sustainable succession plan that the NFL approved.
'She gave us the playbook,' McCaskey said. 'She coached us up. Now we've got to execute the plan. And we're prepared to do that. We've got to stick together.'
As with any kind of significant plans among any family, spirited debate and differing desires remain part of the process. McCaskey acknowledged he isn't oblivious to those dynamics, and his 'stick together' rallying cry carries purpose.
'Part of (my parents') process was to have us study other family businesses,' McCaskey told the Tribune. 'That was to anticipate and avoid pitfalls. And I think history shows that in any family, two of the biggest enemies are greed and jealousy. So we are working on trust and communication to avoid those pitfalls.'
Asked whether the family has been successful on that front, McCaskey shrugged.
'It's an ongoing process,' he said. 'It's a constant challenge.'
When the Bears played their final home game last season — a brutal 6-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Dec. 26 — a dejected Soldier Field crowd reacted to the team's 10th consecutive defeat with loud chants of 'Sell the team! Sell the team!'
During such a turbulent, failure-filled season, it would be easy to discount such pleas as emotion-fueled reaction. But for some time now, critics of the Bears' long run of mediocrity — the team has a .412 winning percentage and zero playoff wins since McCaskey became chairman in 2011 — have reasonably wondered whether the team's path to greater glory might require different ownership.
The Bears haven't enjoyed three consecutive winning seasons since the late 1980s and are approaching the 40th anniversary of their lone Super Bowl triumph.
McCaskey was asked how he would respond to those who consider the 'Sell the team!' sentiment as prudent advice.
'We consider ourselves uniquely qualified to carry out George Halas' legacy,' he said. 'And we have every intention of doing that.'
McCaskey is joined on the Bears board of directors by three of his brothers — Pat, Brian and Ed Jr. — plus Pat Ryan and team President/CEO Kevin Warren.
While team officials have declined to detail how Virginia McCaskey's shares of the team were divided, George McCaskey said he doesn't anticipate a shift in the ownership structure.
'There shouldn't be,' he said. 'She set this up for a smooth transition. And it's a credit to her.
'In law school, I heard stories about people who just couldn't contemplate their mortality, and as a result it caused a lot of confusion and problems for the family. But she had the foresight to set it up so we don't have that problem.'
McCaskey further commended his mother and late father, Ed, for doing 'a remarkable job while they were with us of letting us know exactly what was going on, what their plan was, how it would be carried out and what was expected of us.'
On his end, McCaskey remains determined to fulfill those expectations and will keep pushing for a unified family vision.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
7 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Shedeur Sanders is preaching patience as he settles in as the Browns' 4th-string QB
BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Shedeur Sanders is used to his every move being scrutinized. But one thing he hasn't been accustomed to is not getting all the snaps in practice. In his first couple of months in the NFL, Sanders has had to learn what life is like as a fourth-string quarterback. 'I'm managing it real well,' Sanders said Tuesday after the Cleveland Browns completed their first practice of their mandatory minicamp. 'I would say it's just a mindset, this adjustment. You got to go and understand the situation that you're in and be able to approach that and get the best out of it. You could view things as you're not getting reps in a negative way, or you could view it as, OK, when is my time to get out there? Let's be proactive and let's get going.' Sanders has shown steady progress since he was selected in the fifth round (144th overall) by the Browns and reported for the team's rookie minicamp on May 9. With Joe Flacco's workload reduced on Tuesday, Sanders got his first extensive snaps in full-team drills during practices that were open to the media. On the final snap, Sanders connected with Luke Floriea on a skinny post route while under pressure. One highlight came during a 7-on-7 drill when he threw a deep ball up the right sideline to Gage Larvadin with cornerback Dom Jones in coverage. Another big adjustment for Sanders is trying to get through his progressions quicker so that he avoids sacks. Sanders was sacked 94 times over his last two seasons at Colorado, the most by a QB in the Football Bowl Subdivision, and that contributed to his drop in the draft. 'It's definitely going through the progressions and getting comfortable and knowing the ins and outs of everything. So, when you go on the field, I already have a different type of confidence by myself, regardless,' he said, adding that when training camp begins, 'I'll be there.' Coach Kevin Stefanski said going through progressions is a bedrock of offensive efficiency, but mastering that skill can take time. 'Being able to get through a progression is not as easy as it sounds. Your eyes are studying the defenders and seeing what they're doing, and then ultimately, you're listening to your feet,' Stefanski said. 'To quote an old Gary Kubiak line, you have a prescribed drop for a play, and that drop, and those hitches will take you where the ball is supposed to go.' While some Browns fans would love to see him start the Sept. 7 opener against the Cincinnati Bengals — or soon thereafter — Sanders said his goal is to become as polished as he can. 'I got time to be able to grow and mature and be able to understand the ins and outs of the defenses and be able to get the good insight from the vets in the room,' he said. 'So, I look at it as a plus. I got time to actually be able to really have a great understanding. And whenever, you know, it's time for me to play, then it's time for me to play. 'But I'm not looking too far in the future about all that. I'm looking about every day in practice because I had some misses out there today that, you know, we got to go in there and correct, reads getting in and out drops a little bit faster from under center. So that's the main thing. I'm focused on the small things, and over time, the big things will happen.' One questions Sanders did not answer was about the health of his father — Pro Football Hall of Famer and Colorado coach Deion Sanders. The elder Sanders has not attended football camps at Colorado and discussed some health challenges on a recent podcast. ___ AP NFL:
Hamilton Spectator
10 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Tar Heels players embrace new world as part of coach Bill Belichick's first college team
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Jordan Shipp remembers the conversation with his roommates after learning Bill Belichick was North Carolina's new coach. 'It was just like, 'That's the greatest coach of all time,'' the receiver recalled, ''and he's about to be a coaching us.'' Belichick's arrival has triggered plenty of change for the Tar Heels, who are making a big bet on the man who won six Super Bowls as an NFL head coach to spark their football program . No one knows that better than the players — both the holdovers and the transfer-portal arrivals — after months of Belichick overhauling the roster and building the foundation on his first college team. North Carolina players hadn't spoken to reporters since last year's team ended its season with a Fenway Bowl loss to UConn three days after Christmas, all of which came after Belichick had been hired as coach for the 2025 season. So Tuesday marked the first time UNC had made players available to reporters since then to discuss Belichick's arrival. That has meant being coached by someone with a long track record of success at the sport's highest level, along with getting a peek behind the terse and grumpy persona he was known for with the New England Patriots. Defensive back Will Hardy said the players are used to curiosity that comes with being coached by the NFL lifer now giving college a try. 'There's a lot of that, you get a lot of 'How is Coach Belichick? What's new? What's different?'' Hardy said. 'So I've rehearsed these questions a lot with family and friends.' Formative stages The school hired Belichick in December to elevate the program at a time when football's role as the revenue driver in college sports has never been bigger. He and general manager Michael Lombardi have described their goal as building a pro-style model at the college level. It's been a key pitch as the 73-year-old Belichick made his first foray onto the recruiting trail, as well as the volume of players transferring in and out of the program. Belichick's first on-field work in Chapel Hill came during spring workouts, lodged between portal windows in December and April. 'Look, these are great kids to work with, they really are,' Belichick said Tuesday. 'We've had great buy-in. There have really been no problems at all. These guys are on time, they're early, they work hard, they put in the work in the weight room, out on the field. They spend time on their own, whether it's doing extra training or coming over and watching film and that type of thing. 'They've made a ton of improvement and these guys are a lot better than they were when we started in January, on every level. So it's exciting to see where that's going to take us.' Enticing opportunity For the players, part of the adjustment had been the reality that their coach was winning Super Bowls with quarterback Tom Brady while they were growing up and watching on TV. Intimidating much? 'I mean, maybe at first when you see him, all you see is the Super Bowls that he's won,' said offensive lineman Christo Kelly, a Holy Cross transfer and Belichick's first portal commitment. 'But when you get here and you see the way he cares, you see the way that he approaches the game, you see how hard he works, there's no question why he has the success that he has. 'The attention to detail, the emphasis on fundamentals, and really just kind of creating competition for the guys, that's what's getting built here. Guys are embracing it. He treats everybody with tremendous respect and it's been great.' Defensive back Thad Dixon had met Belichick before when he was at Washington, playing under Belichick's son Steve — now the Tar Heels' defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. The two shared a few conversations then, and he jumped at the chance to head east. 'I really just wanted the opportunity just to learn from somebody like that, that had did it in the league for so long,' Dixon said. Behind the curtain Yet not every surprise has been about X's and O's. Sometimes it's simply when Belichick has dropped the all-business facade to expose an unexpectedly humorous side. 'I feel like that's the biggest curveball, you're coming to the first meeting and you're expecting it to be serious, 100% locked in,' said Shipp, who played 12 games for UNC last season. 'He comes in and he introduces himself and then he busts a joke. That's the second thing he said.' Hardy pointed that vibe, too. 'There are times when he'll just crack a joke out of nowhere,' he said. 'And just him being kind of monotone sometimes will make those jokes so funny.' Still, Hardy noted it's mingled amid the work, such as film sessions when 'there's no hiding' when Belichick highlights a mistake. UNC opens the season on Labor Day against TCU in a college version of Monday Night Football. 'I've loved having 1-on-1 conversations with him,' Hardy said. 'It's cool to see and meet him personally, because you grow up and see him on TV and everything. And he's just a completely different coach and guy when you get to be around him all day. It's cool.' ___ AP college football: and
Associated Press
22 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Jim Irsay's daughters embrace his NFL legacy as they take their turn running the Colts
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jim Irsay did everything possible to prepare his three daughters for taking over his beloved Indianapolis Colts. Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson now want to continue their late father's legacy by chasing another Super Bowl trophy. 'His greatest love beyond his family was having the blessing to be a steward for the Indianapolis Colts,' Irsay-Gordon said. 'It's our privilege and honor to share this same responsibility and opportunity today.' The sisters spoke at a news conference Tuesday, a day after the Colts announced the ownership transition featuring Irsay-Gordon as the team's CEO with Foyt as executive vice president and Jackson chief brand officer. Irsay-Gordon said their father's 'foremost wish' was to keep the Colts in the family. He died last month at age 65. He had long battled issues of health and addiction and had been far less visible following a fall at his home in December 2023. 'We've spent decades in our family business learning every aspect of our organization under our dad's leadership,' Irsay-Gordon said. 'It was sometimes trial by fire, and I'm forever grateful for the invaluable experience that I've gained. It has prepared me and my sisters for moments like today.' Irsay started working in the Colts' equipment room and took over as owner when his father Robert Irsay died in 1997. Irsay-Gordon said she had to take a different path as a woman, interning in departments like marketing, administration and football operations. She said their father was so proud to see each of his daughters find her own niche in the franchise. Foyt recalled countless training camps along with answering telephones at the front desk and working in marketing before working for the NFL in London. She returned to the Colts' front office in 2007 and said she and her sisters all have the same horseshoe tattoo as their father symbolizing the franchise as family. 'We've been around the NFL and the team a long time,' Foyt said. 'We've grown up here in Indy and the city. We just know the value of our commitment to the team and the city of Indianapolis is just as important as when he was there.' The Irsay sisters had held the title of owner since 2012 when they were named vice chairs. Irsay-Gordon has represented the Colts at various NFL meetings since 2004. Jackson has been leading the family's initiative to raise awareness of mental health. Jackson called Tuesday 'extremely bittersweet' as she and her sisters fulfill possibly their father's biggest dream in taking over the Colts. She said Irsay knew he wouldn't be able to see this moment in person, but that no decision will be made without them hearing his voice in the back of their minds. 'This is an extremely amazing opportunity, and we do not take that for granted in any way,' Jackson said. ___ AP NFL:
