It was an emotional Wednesday for Chicago Bears chairman George McCaskey.
It was the first time he had spoken publicly since the passing of his mother and Bears' principal owner, Virginia McCaskey, on Feb. 6. She was 102 years old.
During his meeting with reporters, he was emotional. But, he also took care of the important business at hand.
In the month since his mother's passing, there were questions about the team's primary ownership. McCaskey said that the Bears submitted a succession plan to the NFL, and the league approved the plan.
McCaskey said he heard from friends and colleagues around the league after his mother's passing. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and other league attended her funeral in Des Plaines. Her impact and legacy were evident then. McCaskey talked about how her foresight prevailed on Wednesday.
"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," McCaskey said. "She had the foresight to set it up so we don't have that problem."
The Bears will remain in the McCaskey family now. McCaskey said Wednesday he wants to celebrate the history the Bears have created with his family founding and leading the franchise.
That has to come with the balance of finding success in the future, too.
"We've said for many years that we intend to own the Bears for as long as possible," George McCaskey said. "Another 100 years would be great. She set it up for us to accomplish that. She gave us the playbook. 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."
While McCaskey did mention private equity being something the franchise could look at to help fund a new stadium in the future, McCaskey said he does not anticipate any changes in the current ownership structure.
"She set it up for a smooth transition, and it's a credit to her," McCaskey said.
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