Happy Bears Birthday Owner Virginia McCaskey

96 years young, Chicago Bears Owner Virginia has attended 15 of Chicago’s 19 title games since her birth in 1924. She has taken by her mother to the famous Red Grange Barnstorming Tour from 1926 to 1929 that saved the Chicago Bears and the NFL from bankruptcy. Her grandfather founder owner and player for the Bears put his trust in his grand daughter as the majority owner in 1983. She hired and fired her son Mike McCaskey as team President and then inserted her son George as President.

She picks her spots on decision making. Just last month she finally succeeded in disbanding the cheerleading outfit after waiting out a contract commitment, having determined that the group was unneeded despite the popularity of other such squads around the NFL. According to the "history" section of tribute website ChicagoHoneyBears.net, McCaskey "was known to think that cheerleaders were sexist and degrading to women," and there were also reports that she was concerned with either the existence of or potential for fraternization with players.

Fast forward to last Friday, when the San Antonio Spurs issued a press release announcing the dissolution of their Silver Dancers and their replacement by a "family-friendly" group of diverse in-game entertainers. Though the Washington Post reports that the Spurs claim the move has no connection to "a series of high-profile complaints and lawsuits involving NFL cheerleaders," the timing can't be coincidental.

Ahead of her time? Maybe

Judge for yourself as you watch two HOF Production exclusives, including a one on one interview with the Bears owner:

https://profootballhof.box.com/s/rnktcw981hy2yjr0fy82wyly9ljr514f - McCaskey award

https://profootballhof.box.com/s/psgfwm03wpfmlr68q61hhu3hgn25mwo4 - HOF One on One Exclusive

This weekend as the Bears take on the Eagles this Sunday in a rematch of the Fog Bowl the Bears owner offered direct comments to her 96th edition of the Chicago Bears.

“One of the things Mrs. McCaskey came in and said to us was that teams that won a lot of games around here were the most confident,” defensive end Akiem Hicks said Tuesday, via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times.

That confidence has been evident by at least one part of the team this year.

The Bears have historically been built around their defense and it took off this season with the addition of Khalik Mack.  In its lone championship in the last 30-plus years, the 1985 defense dominated the opposition en route to a victory in Super Bowl XX. The 2006 defense was also tremendous and put the Bears on the path toward an appearance in Super Bowl XLI. Not to mention the storied history of the “Monsters of the Midway from Bill George to Hall of Famers Butkus, Singletary and last year Brian Urlacher

For McCaskey, the chance to see another championship in Chicago remains high on her list. Despite a lack of consistent success in recent years, Virginia is credited for being one of the most influential women in the NFL. When Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson passed away in March 2014, Virginia became the oldest owner in the league.

McCaskey likes when her team has some confidence and there is no doubt this current version of the defense carries itself like others in Bears history. So far this season it has paid off as the Bears look to win their second Super Bowl ever and repay their owner for her confidence in them.