I Bear Witness unveils sobering truths on the Bears
After an exhilarating off-season, one that produced enormous optimism from a rabid fan base, the Chicago Bears again are in disarray. After falling to 4-6, the Bears seemingly are headed for yet another coaching change.
The Bears’ 20-19 loss to the Packers in Week 11 marked Green Bay’s record 11th consecutive win in the series. Expectations are coach Matt Eberflus will be fired after the year and the Bears will be rebooting. Again.
Comes now, the release of I Bear Witness, authored by Dan McNeil, a Chicago sports radio mainstay. In I Bear Witness, McNeil unveils new information on the McCaskey family’s continued interference with football operations. President Kevin Warren and general manager Ryan Poles spent the winter and spring in a tug-of-war with chairman George McCaskey. About what? I Bear Witness enlightens.
From Mike Ditka and Walter Payton — to Eberflus and Caleb Williams — IBW illuminates how the 1985 Super Bowl champs devolved to one of the most dysfunctional franchises in American sports.
McNeil unearths unreported details on the Bears’ failure to land qualified and available coaches, as well as players. The Bears long have been regarded as “frugal” and IBW confirms that with news on how Michael McCaskey went on the cheap and slighted his team on their Super Bowl XX rings. “What was supposed to be 14-karat gold became 10-karat,” writes McNeil. “Blue sapphire became aluminum with blue enamel paint.”
So why did McCaskey deduct $1,500 from the production costs of each ring? Read I Bear Witness.
Furthermore….
* What did McCaskey say to coach-to-be Dave McGinnis that led to McGinnis spurning the Bears? Or Nick Saban, Bruce Arians and Dan Quinn?
* Who makes the final decision on coaching hires, draft picks or compensation in trades?
* Which legendary Bears had their season tickets discontinued or suspended via form letter?
* How did the Bears adjust to a new NFL when White vs. the NFL anti-trust ruling led to free agency in 1993? How does Team McCaskey compare with its NFC North rivals in terms of facilities and stadium?
* Why was Walter Payton so unpredictable and chronically unhappy?
The shocking answers are revealed in I Bear Witness.
McNeil also celebrates the triumphs with insightful, compelling contributions from Hall of Famers Dan Hampton, Richard Dent, Jimbo Covert, Brian Urlacher and Steve McMichael. IBW is sourced with more than 100 Bears and NFL alumni, including 2-time NFL coach of the year Ron Rivera, Jim McMahon, Gary Fencik, Mike Holmgren, Warren Moon, Tony Dungy, Jerry Angelo, Herm Edwards, Mike Martz, John Jurkovic, Rodney Peete, Jarrett Payton and many others.
CONTACT Eckhartz Press (rick@eckhartzpress.com) for an interview with McNeil, who began his Chicago radio career in ’85 at WGN, then the Bears’ flagship station. Danny Mac was an original cast member of the Score, Sports Radio 670 and enjoyed his greatest success at ESPN1000 on the Mac, Jurko & Harry show between ’01 and ’09. Today, he is a podcaster for the BetRivers gaming network and currently writing his radio autobiography.
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