Why the McCaskey’s NEED TO GO
Let me first preface my inflammatory title by saying I have the utmost respect for all of the great things that the Halas/McCaskey family have done for Chicago Bears football over the years. That being said, they should have bowed out decades ago. In their eyes, this is still just the family business. They are not even in the same league as some of these new Titans of Industry.
What do I mean when I say this? I mean that this franchise is not built to compete in the modern-day NFL, plain and simple. The Chicago Bears are using a strategy that has allowed them to reach only ONE Super Bowl since the ’85 Bears won it all. The Chicago Bears are one of the NFL’s Charter Franchises, and it is absolutely unacceptable that they have fallen so low on the totem pole in recent history.
I don’t think that the McCaskey’s need to sell the team, that is not my implication at all. But they need to back away from everything football operations-related. Their time has come, it has past, and it is very small in the rear view mirror. It takes a person with great integrity, intelligence, and strength to hand off something that they built from the ground up to someone else. I am not saying that it will be easy for them, but they have to realize that the time has come.
The human side of me really does empathize with the fact that for people like Virginia and George McCaskey, running this team is all that they know. But guess what? The NFL does not care at all when it comes to that. The rest of the NFL is passing the Bears by, and a lot of teams are speeding right past. Every 4 years or so the Bears front office provides a bandaid fix for their issues. This is usually done by a combination of the Bears hiring a new Head Coach and/or General Manager. But nothing will change when you have a flipping Finance Manager acting as your President for decades.
One thing the McCaskey’s are doing right? [Seemingly] moving the stadium to the suburbs. This is a very divisive topic, especially in a city that is losing population at an increasing rate. Taking away a [former] landmark from a city that needs to be grasping onto anything that will add intrigue and desirability to potential residents is absolutely going to be controversial.
That being said, Soldier Field is an absolute eyesore (inside and out), and it taints such a beautiful spot off of one of the more iconic roads in the city. It’s a cool spot, sure, but it’s just too far gone.
I will say that it is a little sad to see Arlington Park close down. My grandpa had an old boss who would bring him along to the racetrack once a week. He would give him $100 to bet with just for coming along with him, but my grandfather would usually bet $10 and pocket $90 (which he usually spent on his family). I never went inside the track, but I have a rather vague memory of being in the car with my grandma dropping him off a couple of times. It definitely was a big part of the area, but it pales in comparison to how huge it would be if the Bears played there. Good for Cook County, just not the City of Chicago.
“It takes too long to get there. It’s too hard, and if you’re on the west side of the stadium or in one of the end zones, frankly, it’s a crappy fan experience. You know, it’s a bunch of concrete, not enclosed. When the weather starts getting cold, it’s not a pleasant experience, and I think whether the Bears stay or go一 and I hope they stay, and we’re going to keep working on it一 we can do a lot more to enhance the quality of the fan experience and frankly, our assets and our revenue. I’ve been very clear, the deal that was struck 20-plus years ago doesn’t work for the Bears, but it also doesn’t work for the city. So we’ve got to rethink all of our options.”-Lori Lighfoot, in reference to Soldier Field.
Chicagoan's may not be very fond of Mayor Lightfoot, but if she can help coordinate a plan to get the Bears to stay in the city, then I guess they can’t say she did nothing, right?
Alright, lets swing back around to the big picture here. The Bears have got to change a lot more than just their stadium, and the fact that the stadium is the only thing that is getting significantly redone is alarming.
What should the priority be?
Justin Fields. That’s the answer. Everything the franchise does in the coming years should all be centered around him. Get him the weapons he needs. Get him the blocking he needs. Get him the coach he needs. You get the point. Is Matt Ebeflus the guy for the job? We’ll see. I am optimistic, overall his track record seems to be positive in my opinion, but only time will tell. I’ve been optimistic before, case and point: Matt Nagy.
Looking back at the hiring of Matt Nagy, it was clear that he lacked the necessary experience to coach an NFL team. This became apparent when after the 2018 season, where the Bears achieved a record of 12–4 and just narrowly lost in the playoffs, the team began to fall apart. And the main reason for that demise? Nagy’s inability to put together a game plan that wasn’t awful and/or predictable. The rest of the league figured Matt Nagy out, and Matt Nagy did not adjust properly. We can’t forget that Matt Nagy won Coach of the Year…in his first year! Obviously the man was doing something right; but what did he do wrong? He did not make any [meaningful] adjustments, and that is ultimately what got him fired.
Back to the new Matt [Eberflus]: will he be any different? At this point in time, it’s tough to say. With the way that this franchise is run, I truly believe that it is up in the air. I definitely think that the potential is there, however I thought the same thing about Matt Nagy. Is Nagy really the one to blame? In part, sure. But the real question needs to be: Does Matt Eberflus have what it takes to overcome the hand he has been dealt? That is what remains to be seen.
Until things at Halas Hall really start to shake up, what is there to do?
Bears fans simply need to hope and pray that this new regime is tough enough to handle the challenges faced being apart of this franchise. A lot of stock is going to be put into not only how Justin Fields has improved from Year 1 to Year 2, but also into how well this new offense runs with a new coach at the helm.
Until that day comes, where major front office changes occur, Bears fans need to put their trust in Justin Fields and this new coaching staff.
