Latest news with #VirginiaHalasMcCaskey
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chicago Bears will honor late Virginia Halas McCaskey, Steve McMichael with commemorative uniform additions
The Chicago Bears lost two franchise icons earlier this year. The organization will be paying tribute to both of them on the field this season. The Bears will honor the late Virginia Halas McCaskey with a jersey patch and the late Steve McMichael with a helmet decal. McCaskey, formerly the owner and matriarch of the Bears, died on Feb. 2. She was 102. Her initials are at the front and center of a football-shaped patch that's stitched onto the left breastplate of the Bears' 2025 jerseys. The football is orange, and McCaskey's initials are navy blue. The patch is strikingly similar to the one Chicago used during the 1983 season to commemorate McCaskey's father, George Halas, who founded, owned, coached and played for the Bears over the course of a Pro Football Hall of Fame career. "We thought it would be appropriate if her patch mirrored her dad's from 1983," George McCaskey, son of Virginia and current Bears owner, told the team's website. "So it's the same size, the same color combination. The only thing that's different, of course, is the initials. We thought that was the right thing to do." The "VMH" patch will make its debut on Aug. 10 when the Bears kick off preseason action at home against the Miami Dolphins. Also in honor of McCaskey, Chicago won't wear alternate or throwback uniforms this season. Per the team website, the Bears will wear navy jerseys and white pants at home and white jerseys and navy pants on the road. Players will be outfitted with the franchise's famous navy helmets for every game. On the back of each of those helmets will lie a football-shaped decal, with McMichael's No. 76 featured under the laces. That same logo will be painted on the grass of Soldier Field for every Bears home game this season. McMichael, a Hall of Fame defensive tackle who played for the organization from 1981-93, died at 67 years old on April 23 after battling ALS. McMichael was part of the 1985 Bears, who went 15-1 before winning Super Bowl XX. The decal logo will also be painted on the grass at Soldier Field for every Bears home game. Even though the 2025 season marks a new era for the franchise, with George McCaskey taking over as owner and Ben Johnson taking over as head coach, the Bears are faithfully remembering their past, too.
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chicago Bears will honor late Virginia Halas McCaskey, Steve McMichael on uniforms during 2025 season
The Chicago Bears lost two franchise icons earlier this year. The organization will be paying tribute to both of them on the field this season. The Bears will honor the late Virginia Halas McCaskey with a jersey patch and the late Steve McMichael with a helmet decal. McCaskey, formerly the owner and matriarch of the Bears, died on Feb. 2. She was 102. Her initials are at the front and center of a football-shaped patch that's stitched onto the left breastplate of the Bears' 2025 jerseys. The football is orange, and McCaskey's initials are navy blue. The patch is strikingly similar to the one Chicago used during the 1983 season to commemorate McCaskey's father, George Halas, who founded, owned, coached and played for the Bears over the course of a Pro Football Hall of Fame career. "We thought it would be appropriate if her patch mirrored her dad's from 1983," George McCaskey, son of Virginia and current Bears owner, told the team's website. "So it's the same size, the same color combination. The only thing that's different, of course, is the initials. We thought that was the right thing to do." The "VMH" patch will make its debut on Aug. 10 when the Bears kick off preseason action at home against the Miami Dolphins. Also in honor of McCaskey, Chicago won't wear alternate or throwback uniforms this season. Per the team website, the Bears will wear navy jerseys and white pants at home and white jerseys and navy pants on the road. Players will be outfitted with the franchise's famous navy helmets for every game. On the back of each of those helmets will lie a football-shaped decal, with McMichael's No. 76 featured under the laces. That same logo will be painted on the grass of Soldier Field for every Bears home game this season. McMichael, a Hall of Fame defensive tackle who played for the organization from 1981-93, died at 67 years old on April 23 after battling ALS. McMichael was part of the 1985 Bears, who went 15-1 before winning Super Bowl XX. The decal logo will also be painted on the grass at Soldier Field for every Bears home game. Even though the 2025 season marks a new era for the franchise, with George McCaskey taking over as owner and Ben Johnson taking over as head coach, the Bears are faithfully remembering their past, too.
Reuters
01-08-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Bears to honor Virginia Halas McCaskey, Steve McMichael
August 1 - The Chicago Bears will honor late team owner Virginia Halas McCaskey with a jersey patch this season and late Hall of Fame defensive tackle Steve McMichael with a football-shaped helmet decal. McCaskey, owner of the Bears for more than 40 years, died on Feb. 2 at the age of 102. She will have her initials displayed on the left breastplate of the Bears jersey. The patch is nearly identical to the design worn by the 1983 club when her Hall of Fame father George Halas died. She assumed ownership upon his death on Oct. 31, 1983. Her son, George, has run the franchise since he became chairman in 2011. "We thought it would be appropriate if her patch mirrored her dad's from 1983," George McCaskey said. "So it's the same size, the same color combination. The only thing that's different, of course, is the initials. We thought that was the right thing to do." McMichael died on April 23 after a long battle with ALS. He was 67. The Bears will honor McMichael by wearing a decal of his No. 76 on their helmets. The team also will honor the Super Bowl XX champion team with a logo on the grass at Soldier Field. "We wanted to have the decal, and we'll also have a field stencil at every home game this season," George McCaskey said. "This is the 40th anniversary of our Super Bowl team, so we want to properly acknowledge and honor Steve at that celebration." A two-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, McMichael enjoyed a 15-year career in the NFL as a defensive lineman. Originally selected by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 1980 NFL Draft, McMichael spent the next 13 years in Chicago, where he rose to stardom, becoming a regular starter in 1983. --Field Level Media
Yahoo
30-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chicago Bears to honor Virginia McCaskey, Steve McMichael in 2025
The Chicago Bears will honor matriarch Virginia Halas McCaskey and Hall of Fame defensive tackle Steve McMichael with jersey patches during the 2025 season, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Bears chairman George McCaskey told the Sun-Times that the Bears will wear a football-shaped patch with Virginia McCaskey's initials inside for every game this season, starting with next week's preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins. Virginia McCaskey passed away on Feb. 6 at the age of 102. The patch will be placed on player's jerseys above their hearts. The football is orange with navy stitches and a white outline. The navy 'M' is outlined in white and larger than the other two letters — V to the player's right, and H, for Halas, to the left. It's a nod to Virginia's father, George S. Halas, who died on Oct. 31, 1983. The Bears wore a similar patch for the remainder of the season, and it soon became permanent with the "GSH" on the left jersey sleeve which remains to this day. 'We thought it'd be appropriate to have a patch that mirrored her dad's after he passed away,' McCaskey told the Sun-Times. 'It came out great. We like the look of it.' The Bears also will not be wearing an alternate or throwback uniform this season as they remember Virginia McCaskey. The Bears will also honor McMichael, who passed away in April after a battle with ALS, with a decal on the back of their helmets. It will feature a navy football outlined in orange with white laces and his No. 76 in the middle. That same logo will be featured on Soldier Field grass on game day. McMichael was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August 2024, less than a year before his death. The Bears have found a way to honor two important figures in their storied history who passed away this season, and fans will get their first glimpse on Aug. 10 when Chicago hosts the Dolphins for their first preseason game. This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Chicago Bears to honor Virginia McCaskey, Steve McMichael in 2025
CBS News
13-02-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Bears greats turn out to pay final respects to Virginia McCaskey as she is laid to rest
MOUNT PROSPECT, Ill. (CBS) -- Longtime Chicago Bears matriarch Virginia Halas McCaskey was laid to rest this morning. Mrs. McCaskey died Thursday, Feb. 6, at the age of 102. She was the eldest child of "Papa Bear" George Halas Sr., a founding father of both the Bears and the National Football League. He came on as a player/coach with the team – originally the Decatur Staleys – in 1920, and built it into an American sports powerhouse. Born in 1923, Mrs. McCaskey learned all about the team from her father, and inherited the team after his death in 1983. Her only brother, George "Mugs" Halas Jr., had died of a heart attack in 1979, leaving her as the sole heir to the franchise. A memorial service for Mrs. McCaskey was held at St. Emily Catholic Church in Mount Prospect, near where Mrs. McCaskey and her husband raised their 11 children. Dozens of current and former members of the Bears organization were in attendance to pay their final respects to Mrs. McCaskey on Wednesday, including current Bears President and Chief Executive Officer Kevin Poles, General Manager Ryan Poles, and Head Coach Ben Johnson. Several former Bears icons were also in attendance—including representatives of the 1985 Super Bowl champion team and the 2006 Super Bowl contenders. Among those who turned out were former head coaches Lovie Smith and Matt Forte, and former linebacker Brian Urlacher, placekicker Robbie Gold, former cornerback Charles "Peanut" Tillman, defensive tackle Dan Hampton, and former safety Gary Fencik. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, New York Giants owner John Mara, Green Bay Packers President Mark Murphy, and Chicago Cubs co-owners Laura and Tom Ricketts also turned out to pay their respects.
