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Chicago Bears: George McCaskey tells brilliant fan complaint story

By Erik Lambert

27 Nov 1995: Quarterback Erik Kramer of the Chicago Bears gives instructions to his teammates during a game against the New York Giants at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Bears won the game 27-24. Mandatory Credit: Simon Bruty /Al
27 Nov 1995: Quarterback Erik Kramer of the Chicago Bears gives instructions to his teammates during a game against the New York Giants at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Bears won the game 27-24. Mandatory Credit: Simon Bruty /Al /
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Chicago Bears owner George McCaskey took over primary control of the organization in 2011, but he was well-versed in the franchise identity long before that.

It was established many years ago that the Bears were a team identified by great defense. That was their calling card. Whenever they had one, the team won a lot of football games. It was true in the 1940s, again in the late 1950s and early ’60, the 1980s, and finally the 2000s. It’s no coincidence that the vast majority of Hall of Famers the team has trotted to Canton come from the defensive side of the ball.

Even though McCaskey knew this to an extent when he first became engrossed with the franchise, he didn’t fully comprehend just how much that culture had melded to the Bears fanbase. Not until a fateful encounter in 1995 with a season ticket holder who said something that has stuck with the team owner to this day as he told Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune.

"Chicago loves great defense. I remember back in the mid-’90s, I think it was a season ticket holder that said to me when we had two 1,000-yard receivers and Erik Kramer was throwing the ball lights out, but we had trouble stopping people — the guy said to me: “All these years I was praying for a decent offense. Now that we have one, I want to go back to great defense.” (Laughs)"

McCaskey made sure to reiterate that desire when Ryan Pace was hired

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It’s easy to understand that frustration. For the first time in forever the Bears actually had a great offense in ’95. Kramer set every notable single-season passing record. They scored 392 points and Rashaan Salaam ran for over 1,000 yards. They went 9-7 though and just missed the playoffs. The reason? Their defense, having lost the last remaining members of the ’80s era, was a shell of its former self. It finished 22nd in points allowed and were 27th against the pass.

Perhaps the reason head coach Dave Wannstedt is so reviled by many fans today is because that was a problem he never really was able to fix. Not until the arrival of Dick Jauron and Greg Blache was that identity restored. Then a decade later, it all went wrong again, but to a far worse extent under Marc Trestman and Mel Tucker.

McCaskey was so traumatized by that experience that one of the first things he made clear to new GM Ryan Pace was that he wanted the team to get back to playing great defense. It took a few years but this past season was the culmination of that hard work. Sure enough the same year the Bears posted their first #1 defense since 2005 was also the first year they’d made the playoffs in almost a decade.

So the reality holds true. As the defense goes, so goes the Bears.

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