The Chicago Bears remain a joke to the wider NFL audience these days. It’s been that way for most of the past decade, thanks in large part to the ongoing blunders by team chairman George McCaskey and the rest of the ownership. He authorized firing Lovie Smith in 2013 and has had a direct hand in every failed successor since, from Marc Trestman to Matt Eberflus. Fans have been saying for years that nothing will change until the McCaskey family accepts reality and sells the team. That is easy to ignore, though. What isn’t is a high-profile celebrity saying the exact same thing on national television. Enter CM Punk.
The professional wrestler star was on Netflix before the Kansas City Chiefs-Pittsburgh Steelers matchup to promote WWE’s upcoming pay-per-view. Inevitably, the Chicago native was asked about the state of his hometown team. Punk, as has been his trademark for many years, kept it 100% real.
The McCaskey family took over ownership of the Bears in 1983 after George Halas’ death. After the team peaked with a Super Bowl title in 1985, things slowly went downhill. The true McCaskey era began in 1993 after Mike Ditka, Halas’ last hand-picked head coach, was fired. Since then, the team has made the playoffs seven times in over three decades. If you’re wondering why fans resent the family and want them out, that statistic sums it up. CM Punk was born in 1978. He got a taste of the last great era of Bears football. If anybody has a reason to feel bitter, it’s him. Sadly, any change in the status quo remains far off.
Family matriarch Virginia McCaskey turns 102 years old on January 5th. Most believe the only chance for a shift will be after she passes away. Rumors have circulated for years that the younger generation in the family wants to sell the team. Whether George will allow that to happen is anybody’s guess. If it does, there will be no shortage of potential buyers.
