LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) – Bears chairman George McCaskey has reiterated that his family has no intention to sell the franchise.
The family remains committed to maintaining its primary ownership stake of the Bears, McCaskey said at Halas Hall on Friday. His comments came just a day after news broke that the organization was valued at $8.8 billion in a transaction that split a 2% ownership stake of the late Andrew McKenna between the McCaskeys and the family of billionaire and minority owner Pat Ryan, according to a report from Sportico.
The McCaskeys own about 77.5% of the organization, Sportico reported, with the Ryans owning the rest. George McCaskey declined to directly discuss that transaction but did emphasize his family commitment to the Bears while referencing the leadership of his late mother, Virginia Halas McCaskey.
“She gave us the game plan, she coached us up and we need to execute the game plan,” McCaskey said. “Our goal is to remain owners of the Bears, my brother Pat says, until the second coming. I say another 100 years. Either
of those would be great. But we've got to stick together, that's the important thing.
“The Halas-McCaskey family was, is and will remain what the NFL calls the controlling owner.”
Virginia McCaskey died on Feb. 6 at the age of 102. She was the daughter of the late George Halas, who founded the franchise back in 1920.
The Bears will play the Dolphins on Sunday at Soldier Field in their preseason opener. McCaskey was emotional in looking ahead to the first Bears season without his mother by his side.
“It will be an adjustment,” he said. “Sunday and (the second preseason game Aug. 17) will help, because I think Sept. 8, it will be difficult. But again, she showed us the way. Her leadership, her guidance, her direction have been invaluable. And we’re all the beneficiaries of it.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.