Bears Principal Owner Virginia McCaskey in her “first extensive interview” after years of requests revealed she is “confident the Bears will be owned by her heirs long after she is gone,” according to Dan Pompei of THE ATHLETIC. McCaskey said the team will remain in the family "until the second coming.” The 93-year-old has “never talked much publicly.” She now “marvels at the reach of the league, the size of the Bears staff and the accommodations at Halas Hall.” But she said that for all the growth and change, football at its roots "remains very similar to the game her father helped popularize.” McCaskey said said the concussion issue in the NFL is “very troubling.” She "feels she understands it in a way some might not because her grandson Conor ... suffered a concussion playing high school football." McCaskey: “It helped me to realize things really needed to change as far as the league is concerned. I know there have been a lot of changes in recent years. I think we still have a long way to go, but I think we are on the right track. We certainly need to lead in this instance because what we do in the National Football League is going to trickle down and affect college football, high school football and grammar school football." As for her own health, McCaskey has a "remarkable memory, and is able to function independently." She "has some balance problems, and uses a walker." She also attends "every regular season game, home and away" (THEATHLETIC.com, 11/14).
