conor mccaskey bears

Conor McCaskey's journey to Dobil Laboratories is anything but traditional. Halas said not yet. One of the first Bears games Sanborn remembers is the NFC championship game in January 2011, when Bears quarterback Jay Cutler was hurt and Rodgers led the Packers to a 21-14 win on the way to winning the Super Bowl. The other big problem facing Phillips is Soldier Field, where the Bears have been locked into one of the least profitable stadium deals in the NFL. Weve been the Chicago Bears. Mark led the charge on Devin, former Bears general manager Jerry Angelo told me for a story for the Chicago Sun-Times in 2017. She was convinced she had no choice but to make a sacrifice, to show Bears fans that she would no longer tolerate failure. Virginia Halas McCaskey. I know from many instances as a fan but also last year as a player. The McCaskeys kept control of the team, but the two clans remained bitterly divided. Started in 2021, the DEI department will continue to form an integrated approach to all DEI efforts that will permeate throughout the club while also advancing a culture of inclusivity and belonging resulting in more equitable outcomes. Officially, he was promoted, from president to chairman of the board, replacing his 80-year-old father, Ed McCaskey, but even spin doctors for the team have hardly bothered to pretend that Michael McCaskey improved his position. Maybe the kid failed because he wanted to please his mother. The relationships we have with those guys, weve communicated a lot better, just in terms of natural time on the job.. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is not willing to shut the door on a potential return of running back Ezekiel Elliott after the first wave of free agency and the draft, telling reporters the "ship has not sailed.". Bears owner Virginia McCaskey smiles April 25, 2023, at Halas Hall as the Bears named linebacker Jack Sanborn and former running back David Montgomery as co-recipients of the annual Brian Piccolo . My response has been: Hey, what about my brother, who got his legs cut out from under him by his mother?, Small problems dont intrigue, and they dont demand much creativity either., from chapter 8, The Executive Challenge. Syracuse offensive lineman Matthew Bergeron lines up against Virginia on Sept. 23, 2022 in Syracuse, N.Y. Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham speaks about the upcoming NFL draft on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at Halas Hall. Who are the local prospects to watch? Such was the power of the old mans personality; and even Tonquest concedes that Michael faced a monstrous burden when he inherited his grandfathers job. Every other year, she hosts an all-generations gathering at a nearby resort. He caught it without breaking his rhythm. Hes a tremendous talent. Sid Luckman, one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, taught him how to set up and throw the forward pass. Bears' McCaskey sees 'Concussion' beneficial to NFL safety Published Dec. 19, 2015 2:15 a.m. Former employees and city officials have described him as arrogant and aloof, the kind of guy who uses big words to make others feel inferior. No one competes harder than him, Smith said, according to The Beast. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. After the Minnesota Vikings spent a fifth-round pick on a quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah addressed the future of current starter Kirk Cousins beyond his contract year. Now, as the team begins a new season with a new president, a new coach, and a new quarterback, the McCaskeys dont want to talk about the recent past. Well, here are 10 players Im banging the table for if Im in the Bears draft room all of whom fit what coach Matt Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles want to build. George is the fourth Chairman in Chicago Bears team history. For all practical purposes, it sounds as if Phillips is fully in command, and he has already made several bold moves to correct some of the teams biggest problems. (Luis: Heck, it may have already begun. He previously worked at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he started in 2005 and covered the Blackhawks (2009-12) and Bears (2012-19). Whatever we do as far as the Bears are concerned, we want to do in the way he would be doing things.. The kid spent his summers with the team, too, out in the cornfields of sleepy little Rensselaer, Indiana, where the Bears held their training camp. How could the kid have failed to catch such a perfect spiral? He didnt think he was a real football man. Theres the view of him from ownership, which thinks hes the consummate professional, if not a member of the family. And you dont have character concerns to discuss internally with chairman George McCaskey and team president Kevin Warren. Since 1994, not a single member of the team has made the Pro Bowl (footballs all-star game), a remarkable record of failure. For football, in which most ownership issues are dull affairs, this drama qualified as practically Shakespearean. The occasion is a black-tie fundraising gala presented by Bears Care, the teams charitable organization. Good enough, anyway, to play a little college ball at Yale. If youre looking for a Day 1 starter for your offensive line who wouldnt force a significant reshuffling for your current players, Wright makes sense on the right side. Even as the team charged toward its Super Bowl, some players and staff began to resent the team presidents cold, businesslike approach, his tightness with cash, and his seemingly massive ego. Those close to the team say the negotiations left McGinnis believing he couldnt trust McCaskey well enough to work for him. Eig had speculated that McCaskey might eventually step into Virginias role as the ultimate power broker, but it was not to be. It was one of the most stunning family dramas ever played out on Chicagos public stage: Bears president Michael McCaskey, grandson of the teams legendary founder, George Halas, was fired by his mother. His arms might not be as long as Eberflus would prefer, but he has the light feet and urgent hands to be a gap disruptor, Brugler wrote. He was phenomenal. Over her four decades of ownership, Chicago has earned 14 postseason bids, won 11 division titles and made two Super Bowl appearances. He co-hosts the "Hoge & Jahns" podcast. Traditionally, those issues tend not to pop up until the rubber meets the road (a.k.a. He doesn't spend his free time meddling in politics and. Martin might not be the first-round pick that Witherspoon is, but Martin will be selected on Day 2, maybe earlier than some rankings suggest. 10 to No. Michael McCaskey and Mayor Daley got along so badly during their negotiations that, eventually, they could not be in the same room. Bears head coach Matt Eberflus greets owner Virginia McCaskey on April 25, 2023, at Halas Hall. It could also involve the sale of some equity pic.twitter.com/AMU8RbGglQ, Michael Cerami covers the Chicago Cubs, Bears, and Bulls at Bleacher Nation. Or maybe he failed because George Halas could never be replaced, not by anyone. In the late 70s, on the tennis courts at Harvard, McCaskey met Nancy Richardson, a doctoral candidate in psychology who had never even heard of George Halas. In 1983, however, at the age of 88, Halas died, and Virginia chose her oldest son the brightest, most obedient, and best educated of the bunch to run the family business. Linebacker Jack Sanborn, left, rookie winner of the Brian Piccolo Award, and head coach Matt Eberflus talk April 25, 2023, at Halas Hall. Ryan Poles was named the seventh general manager in franchise history on January 25, 2022. Cade McNown, the teams top draft pick, has the potential to be Chicagos best quarterback since McMahon. He is tall, thin, and, at 55, still possessed of a fine, athletic build. 9 in the NFL draft? When George Sr. passed away four years later, McCaskey assumed the role of principal owner of the franchise, a position she continues to hold to this day. By Patrick Finley Martin can play safety and inside at nickelback. . He didnt have much regard for his grandson, says the Halas family friend. His gray hair, swept gently from front to back, stands high above the crowd. rules in the past out of respect for Halas senior, those days are likely long gone in my opinion. Bears NFL Draft Big Board 3.0: Projecting Round 1, 2 and 3 fits for Chicago. 53 in the second round. Linebacker Jack Sanborn, left, rookie winner of the Brian Piccolo Award, and head coach Matt Eberflus talk April 25, 2023, at Halas Hall. The beefy jocks, with their bald heads and rented tuxedos, form a line, protecting one another from unwanted conversations. But not tonight. After earning his JD, he passed the Illinois bar exam in 1981, but now describes himself as a recovering lawyer. He worked in television news in Phoenix; Peoria, Illinois; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Chicago, before serving as an assistant states attorney in Lee County and DeKalb County, Illinois. But if Eberflus needs an endorsement of Witherspoon, Lovie Smith will be happy to give it. He walked onto the field during practices, marched along the sidelines during games, and talked to the players in the locker room. By Marshall Harris. Among the citys current cast of owners, Michael McCaskey, the former Harvard associate professor and the author of a book on business management, has been the most widely despised of all. I guess its an olive branch, says Bryan Harlan. [[Don't miss] What to know about the 2023 NFL draft: When will the Chicago Bears pick? For the Bears to rebuild a weak team and get stadium negotiations back on track with the city, officials will have to undo nearly two decades of damage. Its played with heart and desire and instincts and basics and fundamentals. . Well make those decisions then.. There are 21 grandkids and 26 great-grandkids. After a stint in Ethiopia for the Peace Corps, McCaskey went to work on his doctorate in business at Case Western Reserve. The Bears have been in the McCaskey family for nearly 100 years, and that won't be changing any time in the near future. I think intellectual is fine. In a recent Hoge & Jahns episode, Brandon Thorn, an expert in offensive line play who has his Trench Warfare series on Substack, raved about Ojularis bend on film. He threatened to move the team to the suburbs, then backed off. George McCaskey bringing up Bears fans chanting "fire Nagy" at Matt's son's high school football game for absolutely no reason. Virginia Marion Halas McCaskey (born January 5, 1923) is an American football executive who is the principal owner of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). It's just a media site that happens to cover MLB, the NFL, the NBA, the NHL, the Chicago Cubs, the Chicago Bears, the Chicago Bulls, and the Chicago Blackhawks. We have one (1) playoff win since Virginia McCaskey was born. The team might then have invested in better players and begun to win again. Tonquest moved all the way to Oklahoma, where she achieved a measure of objectivity. He ran as fast as he could 10 yards . That title run, which came in the midst of five straight division crowns from 1984-88, remains the Bears' only Super Bowl triumph to this day. Linebacker Jack Sanborn, left, rookie winner of the Brian Piccolo Award, and head coach Matt Eberflus talk April 25, 2023, at Halas Hall. His dog mentality sets the tone for that secondary, a scout told Brugler for The Beast. In fact, she quotes her son Pat and says the team will remain in the family “until the second coming.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

[SHOP BEARS: Get your Bears gear right here<\/a>]<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 93-year-old McCaskey also talked about how she still attends every Bears game and that she's not happy about the way the 2016 season has gone, but she looks to her late father when times get tough.<\/p>\n

“Losing is hard,” McCaskey said. Mugs, in fact, was in small measure responsible for the Bears Super Bowl win in 1986. They know from experience that you dont want a McCaskey, any McCaskey, taking the measure of a prospective employee, in the same way you didnt want Phillips involved in the hiring of a coach or a general manager. Why bring this up? 259 overall pick to select Toledo defensive lineman Desjuan Johnson, otherwise known as the new Mr. He has been a member of the Bears' board of directors since 2004. They get all the blame for losing and little credit for winning. But what goes through a kids mind as he runs patterns? But the Wannstedt era was marked by a series of questionable football decisions. Some of his best film came against Alabama's . Download Full Image. Born on Jan. 5, 1923, Virginia Halas McCaskey has served as principal owner of the Chicago Bears since 1983, when she inherited the franchise from her Hall of Fame father, George "Papa Bear" Halas . Born on Jan. 5, 1923, Virginia Halas McCaskey has served as principal owner of the Chicago Bears since 1983, when she inherited the franchise from her Hall of Fame father, George "Papa Bear" Halas. If they choose to adjust the rules to make it easier for their heirs to keep the teams as generations change, that is entirely and completely their prerogative. His next stop was Yale University, where he majored in philosophy; but, even as he fell deeply under the spell of Plato, he played on the football team as a receiver. Stroud, Will Anderson, Anthony Richardson and more, 2023 NFL Draft Odds: How sports books see the first round playing out according to betting odds, Why the 2023 NFL Draft only has 31 picks in Round 1. McCaskey had to run a business and a football team, and he had to answer to stockholders who also happened to be his brothers and sisters, people he couldnt avoid. One of the club's recent developments and accomplishments has been the addition of the Bears Diversity, Equity and Inclusion department within the front office. I told Michael that I would never say anything about what went on, he says. Finally, after all the years of operating in his grandfathers shadow, Michael McCaskey would have the chance to prove himself. She bid farewell to her dear husband of 60 years in 2003, but she remains surrounded and enriched by family. After he was fired, he got the consolation prize of chairman, a role he kept until 2011. The Bears did make the playoffs in 1994, losing in the second round to San Francisco, but they have not returned. Morale within the Bears organization nose-dived. We were able to take Braxton Jones last year in the fifth round. He was in your face. There were poor first-round draft picks (John Thierry, Rashaan Salaam), and terrible trades (giving up a first-round pick in 1997 for Rick Mirer, a quarterback with a lousy record that grew lousier in his short stint with the Bears). And that could cause a ton of friction (lawsuits, exits, desires to sell, etc.) That arrangement did not sit well with Mugss widow and her children, who filed suit challenging the McCaskeys for control of the team. When you get to the point where you think youre gonna outsmart em, its pretty hard. Christine Ledbetter: Why the loss of newspaper cultural critics hurts us as citizens, Cook County prosecutors take step to streamline evidence tracking in court system long plagued by delays, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. None of the McCaskeys have grown rich. So it seems the tides of change at Halas Hall are going no further than head coach, GM, and after the season, team president. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune). 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. With NFL+, stay connected throughout the rest of the NFL offseason with special content from Training Camp, Hall of Fame, and more! Were trying to build a family atmosphere, he says, which might sound funny considering that the Bears are a family business, with five brothers on the payroll. 30 and when he looked toward the sky the football was right where he had expected it, spiraling toward his open arms. Were looking for enthusiasm and support.. There are two disparate views of Phillips, who will be retiring in six months. Q: If someone gave you$40millionto solve one problem on our planet, what would you tackle? So, yeah, its just learning each other and feeling each other out., Bears linebacker Jack Sanborn, left, and running backs coach David Walker hold trophies as the team recognized Sanborn and former running back David Montgomery as winners of the Brian Piccolo Award on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at Halas Hall. Photos used are the property of Bleacher Nation, are used under a license with Getty Images, are used with permission, are fair use, or are believed to be in the public domain. What, exactly, was he running after? At 6-5 and 333 pounds, Wright is an imposing lineman who got better every year he played at Tennessee, especially after he moved to right tackle. He played defensive back on the football team. Bears president/CEO Ted Phillips to retire in February, Bears draft review: Pieces in place for Justin Fields, 7 big questions facing Bears after NFL Draft. How Bears chairman George McCaskey walked 196 miles from Decatur to Soldier Field On July 15, he took the first step out of 196 miles from Tate & Lyle, the former A.E. Who to replace him? Even when the Bears won a Super Bowl early in McCaskeys presidency, fans always had a nagging sense that McCaskey was more comfortable on a yacht than on the gridiron. He would not be the first. Holy Jumpin the Florida Panthers Just Upset the Boston Bruins! Bears linebacker Jack Sanborn, left, and running backs coach David Walker hold trophies as the team recognized Sanborn and former running back David Montgomery as winners of the Brian Piccolo Award on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, at Halas Hall. <br> <br>Conor started out his professional career as a Volunteer Firefighter in his hometown of Mt. And while he wishes Phillips a successful tenure, he hopes to see another family member back in the top spot someday. Sanborn and Edwards are both from the northwest suburbs, had the same high school coach, Luke Mertens, and played together at Wisconsin. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. @BG_Football pic.twitter.com/tV9M5fqiQF, Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner) February 2, 2023. He didnt have the mentality for football. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune), Bears head coach Matt Eberflus greets owner Virginia McCaskey on April 25, 2023, at Halas Hall. So please go check it out. Instead, he settles into long chats with two or three friends, grinning often, smiling rarely. Losing is hard, McCaskey said. Yet, while many people close to the team were happy to see him taken down, the sight of Virginia McCaskey making her announcement on live television muted their glee. The best things people have said to me were dad and Mugs did what was best for the good of the league rather than what was best for the Chicago Bears.. You gotta respect people. Bears fans everywhere could be heard to groan, Here we go again.. His first part-time job, at age 14, was as an office assistant at the teams headquarters in Chicagos Loop. Migrant children have been put to work in hazardous jobs, in violation of child labor laws, according to recent news reports. He offers a dynamic pursuit package with his explosive traits and unrelenting effort, Brugler wrote. In 1963, he had three catches for 34 yards and no touchdowns, but the rest of his college career was spent on the practice squad and on the bench. He was also hired by George Halas, not a McCaskey. DE/DT (rushed in 2-point some at BG). Five QBs go in the first round of our latest mock draft, but several slide down the board, which opens up chances for trades. Seats at Soldier Field were left empty by the tens of thousands. Witherspoon wants to hit. Well see what he does in New York.. Perhaps he never should have been handed the job in the first place, Tonquest says. Jim McMahon was among the first to publicly predict that McCaskeys approach would ruin the Bears. But its definitely rewarding and its definitely extra confidence and extra hunger and motivation to continue to improve and continue to help this team, help this organization become a winning team for this city. Hes also only 21 years old. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Click here to read the complete story on TheAthletic.com. He co-hosts the "Hoge & Jahns" podcast. The Bears have a plan to keep the team in the family when Virginia McCaskey dies Specifics weren't provided but would require re-consolidating control of at least 30% of the team into a single wing of the McCaskey family. She is the eldest child of Bears founder and owner George Halas, who left the team to his daughter upon his death in 1983, and Minnie Bushing . You can find him on Twitter @Michael_Cerami. "2018 was a great ride: 12 wins and a division title . Its how they seem to end up with the same kind of people at Halas Hall year after year, decade after decade people who think and act like the family does. Kancey wins with quickness, handwork and aggressiveness. Follow all of The Athletics NFL Draft 2023 coverage. Answer:It wasn't really a surprise, but just reinforced what I learned long ago that time management and sticking to a schedule are crucial to completing the work on time. It always ends in something that is not a Super Bowl title. Behind his back, sports reporters have referred to him as Montgomery Burns, the miserly and merciless cartoon boss on The Simpsons . Ed and Virginia recently moved from the house in Des Plaines where they raised their children to a smaller place in the same city. Subscribe to one or more of our free e-mail newsletters to get instant updates on local news, events, and opportunities in Chicago. The McCaskeys won't. Bears president Ted Phillips (left) and chairman George McCaskey listen to new head coach Matt Nagy speak during an introductory press conference in 2018. Someone to oversee the football department, which is the only department that should matter to a football team. He went from Yale to Harvard to running his own consulting firm to running the Bears. In addition to news, Bleacher Nation publishes both rumor and opinion, as well as information reported by other sources. With rumors swirling leading up to the Thanksgiving game in Detroit, chairman George McCaskey addressed the Chicago Bears on Wednesday, saying coach Matt Nagy would not be fired after the holiday . Hed know the patterns, hed know the defense, hed know the strategies. Its just that theres a way that you do business, especially at this level and especially in this league, and if you dont start out correctly its not going to be right.. Kara Jacksons debut album is earning raves. It could also involve the sale of some equity. Witherspoons ball production doesnt require projection. After trading D'Andre Swift to the Eagles on Saturday, Lions GM Brad Holmes went on record as saying that the exchange was a "win-win for all parties involved." With 10 children, (Tim, her second oldest, passed away in 2011 at the age of 66), McCaskey said she is confident the Bears will be owned by her heirs long after she is gone. The losses and the growing discontent among fans and his own family must have weighed heavily on Michael McCaskey. As Brugler noted, Oklahomas scheme complicates evaluations of Harrison, but if the Bears want athletes up front, Harrison should be high on their list, especially when Day 2 opens. But he offered a thank you to the Bears and Chicago fans through running backs coach David Walker. He projects best as a three-technique who can be flexed up/down the line. Brooks did well against the better competition at the Senior Bowl, too. Kevin Warren was named President and Chief Executive Officer of the Bears on Jan. 12, 2023. Hes the fastest guy Ive ever seen with the ball in his hands.. It didnt help that her son had never been embraced by Bears followers, as Jonathan Eig pointed out in his September 1999 Chicago article Sacked!. if not handled delicately. Bears 7-round mock draft 4.0: Offensive tackles in Round 1, D-line in Rounds 2-3. But he also points out several times that he would not have accepted the job if Virginia McCaskey had not assured him that he would have the power to make whatever moves he thought necessary. Every other year, she hosts an all-generations gathering at a nearby resort.<\/p>\n

With 10 children, (Tim, her second oldest, passed away in 2011 at the age of 66), McCaskey said she is confident the Bears will be owned by her heirs long after she is gone. Sanborn said he has talked to Edmunds and admires his hunger to get better. Pretty remarkable, especially considering she wasn't initially groomed to inherit the team. If we were, we could have taken the money and run. Tim McCaskey agrees. 20 . The McCaskeys wont. It was one of the most stunning family dramas ever played out on Chicagos public stage: Bears president Michael McCaskey, grandson of the teams legendary founder, George Halas, was fired by his mother. Stress and excitement reside neither in the situation nor in the person, but in the interaction of the two. None of MLB, the NFL, the NBA, the NHL, the Cubs, the Bears, the Bulls, the White Sox, or the Blackhawks have endorsed, supported, directed, or participated in the creation of the content at this site, or in the creation of the site itself. There are three main suitors. Halas Intrigue, Episode 282: Recapping the Bears 2023 draft, Draft notes: New Bears WR Tyler Scott knows he needs polish, The Edgar haircut is one more thing kids, parents can disagree on, Dear Abby: When I travel, friend checking my home also snoops through my things, Shoplifter stabs Loop Target employee, leading to store closure, The heart of labor is beating strong in Chicago and Illinois, Why were launching The Democracy Solutions Project, Opioid crisis cant be tackled without better pain management training for doctors, A workplace shouldnt be hazardous to anyones health. By Jonathan Eig. If your first complaint is that Van Ness wasnt a starter in his two years at Iowa, then youre doing this wrong. These days, upon reflection, Ditka says he probably deserved to be fired. He has been serving as the chairman since 2011 and previously worked with the organization as their Ticket Officer director. But his evaluation needs to be more than that. As they embark on that campaign, one question will surely continue to haunt them: How did Michael McCaskey the man who wrote the book on executive challenge, the man who seemed to have been born and bred to run the Bears fail so badly? If there is one man in the crowd with the background comfortable among this strange convergence of power brokers and power backs, it is Michael McCaskey. The concerns of others in the draft room were overruled. He went to his first Bears game at Wrigley Field before his first birthday. He has vowed not to move the team to the suburbs, and he has hired a local architect to design a proposal for the renovation of the lake-front stadium. I get that Kancey cant do everything Jalen Carter can do. Thats the Bears right there. Highlights For Your Friday Night? For one thing, though it might have been the right thing to do, he fired Ditka, the most popular coach in the teams history. Bowling Green edge Karl Brooks (top 5 nat'l in pressures this year) has worked inside and out this week at the Senior Bowl, 6-3, 303. Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles gave assistant GM Ian Cunningham the stage Tuesday at Halas Hall for the annual pre-draft news conference. Before George Halas passed away, he divided his 49.35% control of the team into 13 equal stakes for his grandchildren (3.8% each). A:Hunger. Hes obviously a great player, Sanborn said. McCaskey never did hire another GM. Phillips says McCaskey is not involved in the day-to-day football operations. Download Full Image, Since I got my undergraduate degree from ASU, as well as my JD (from the Sandra Day OConnor College of Law at ASU), it just made sense to pursue my LLM at SDO, said McCaskey, who earned his ASU bachelors degree in broadcasting in 1978 and his ASU Law degree in 1981. Jim Prisching/Associated Press. In his spare time, George enjoys officiating youth sports, including baseball, soccer and basketball. 9 in Thursdays first round. They have no vacation home. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune), Patrick McCaskey and head coach Matt Eberflus high-five on April 25, 2023, at Halas Hall as the Bears name linebacker Jack Sanborn and former running back David Montgomery as co-recipients of the annual Brian Piccolo Award. Hes not the biggest receiver (5-9, 182 pounds) and he doesnt have the fastest time in the 40, but Flowers is the best playmaker among the receivers. He later worked for several summers as a ball boy at Bears training camp, calling it one of the best experiences of his life. Maybe the kid didnt learn that in business school. McCaskey and her family still own an estimated 80% of the Bears, a team worth $1.7 billion despite recent mediocre results on the field. You have to relate to people. [Don't miss] What to know about the 2023 NFL draft: When will the Chicago Bears pick? Bears fans ripped George McCaskey after it's clear nothing's changed NFL Draft Podcast Teams AFC East Bills Dolphins Jets Patriots AFC North Bengals Browns Ravens Steelers AFC South Colts. (Paul Sancya / Associated Press). A look back at the family-drama-filled firing 21 years ago of Bears exec Michael McCaskey, who died in May, Michael B. McCaskey left a large if complicated footprint on Bears history. Warren is only the fifth person to serve as president of the franchise following George S. Halas, George "Mugs" Halas, Jr., Michael McCaskey and Ted Phillips. George Blanda, a Hall of Famer, taught the kid how to kick field goals. He has absolutely no people skills.. Bears fans have been screaming from the rooftops begging, pleading, demanding the McCaskey's sell the team.