When Chicago Bears President and CEO Ted Phillips introduced final week he’ll retire on the finish of the 2022 season, it created extra change for a franchise that already is eyeing lots of it.
In the center of the Bears’ exploration of constructing a brand new stadium and leisure advanced in Arlington Heights, the group is also looking for a brand new president.
Bears Chairman George McCaskey and Phillips sat down Friday with the Tribune and a reporter from the Chicago Sun-Times to deal with among the many questions that include such a search.
Here are a few of their solutions on what the Bears are in search of within the subsequent president, how the Arlington undertaking shall be dealt with as Phillips prepares to depart, how Phillips displays on his tenure and extra.
The interview was edited for size and readability.
The seek for a brand new president
How far are you within the search course of for a brand new president? Who’s concerned and what is going to it entail?
George McCaskey: We’ve had loads of discussions. We’ve acquired the search agency on board. The inside group consists of Tanesha Wade, Ted and myself. We’ve had good discussions with Nolan Partners. We established a rapport very early on with them. We be ok with the choice to have them help us within the course of. And we’re trying ahead to a very good outcome.
What are you in search of within the subsequent president?
McCaskey: Leadership, imaginative and prescient, humility, consensus constructing. You take a look at the qualities of excellent leaders, and we predict we’re going to have the ability to usher in an distinctive candidate to succeed Ted and lead the Bears.
What kind of consideration shall be given to individuals contained in the constructing and is there an attraction to going outdoors the constructing?
McCaskey: We’re open to all prospects. I might examine it to a head coach search. There’s no limitation on school or professional, offense or protection. The identical precept applies on a broader scale to this place.
When you had a GM search just lately, what did you find out about the best way organizations labored across the league, if something, that may inform your president search?
McCaskey: Well, one good thing about that kind of expertise is you get somewhat intel on how different organizations work, in order that’s useful. I’ll depart it at that.
You mentioned in January that you just didn’t get the attraction of a “football czar.” Does that maintain right here and may you say with certainty you’re in search of a enterprise individual versus a soccer man to fill the president function?
McCaskey: We don’t anticipate any change within the construction, however we’re not locked right into a enterprise or soccer individual.
So common supervisor Ryan Poles would nonetheless report back to you?
McCaskey: It would depend upon the candidate.
Would you want somebody with a steadiness of soccer and enterprise experience or does that not matter to you?
McCaskey: Again, we don’t need to get locked right into a quote-unquote soccer individual or a quote-unquote businessperson. What we’re in search of extra are the qualities I recited only a second in the past.
Quite a lot of groups have constructed stadiums just lately. Would somebody who has expertise on this big enterprise of constructing a stadium have an attraction to you?
McCaskey: Not essentially. If that individual didn’t have that kind of background, we might depend on her or him to seek out the appropriate individuals with that experience.
Ted, what do you assume the Bears want in your alternative?
Phillips: Besides what George has mentioned, I might say somebody that may make powerful choices. It’s essential. Someone who can deal with lots of totally different balls within the air every day as a result of daily is totally different. Someone who understands what it means to be a Bear. Culture right here is necessary. You don’t have the appropriate match, you will be the neatest individual on Earth however received’t get it finished.
Someone that’s in a position to cope with totally different personalities from politicians to enterprise leaders to the media. It’s not simple, so we want somebody who can perceive all these totally different dynamics. Someone who can groom youthful individuals. I take into consideration that as a result of I acquired lots of nice alternatives once I was youthful and thru my complete profession. So I like that, and I feel that’s necessary for somebody to have the ability to are available and be capable to pay attention greater than they discuss and be taught from others, together with those that aren’t on the identical degree as them. It’s necessary.
Do it’s good to discover the appropriate character match for Halas Hall?
Phillips: Not a lot for Halas Hall however for the household, I do, sure. I do assume that’s necessary. Because with out that, you’re simply one other company. And that doesn’t work.
Ted, when are you retiring?
Phillips: Feb. 28.
George, when would you want a brand new president in place? Would you want her or him to spend just a few months with Ted?
McCaskey: Just just like the broad scope of the search, we’re not going to be locked in by somebody’s availability. It’s going to be every time the timing is correct. If we discover any person in late February and Ted has to remain on for an additional six months…
Ted, will you seek the advice of with the Bears on a stadium undertaking?
Phillips: George and I’ve simply touched on that concept and have left the door open if it is smart on the proper time and it is smart for the Bears and for me. I’d take into account it. It’s arduous to say no if you’ve been someplace for 40 years.
McCaskey: It is smart for the Bears.
The Arlington Heights stadium undertaking
What steps are you doing to guarantee the handoff of the Arlington undertaking to the subsequent president goes easily?
Phillips: That’s going to be a giant part of my successor’s function. What I’m pleased about is that we now have good individuals right here internally who’ve been concerned within the Arlington undertaking, so assuming we shut, assuming we develop it, there are lots of people with experience right here, and clearly whoever that new CEO is, I’ll sit down with him, discuss to him, clarify all of the ins and outs of what we’ve been going by way of. So I don’t see it being a tough transition in any respect from that standpoint.
Ted, how a lot of your life has been dedicated to the stadium the final 18 months? Is it exhausting?
Phillips: It’s not exhausting. That’s not why I’m retiring if that’s what you’re getting at.
(But) it’s an enormous problem. The thought it would take 5 years, 10 years if we go ahead, extra? That performed somewhat little bit of a task in my determination to retire. … When I get right into a undertaking I am going full bore, and I nonetheless am full bore.
I imagine, I hope, that by the point I retire this undertaking shall be in a spot the place we all know if we’re going to shut, perhaps we now have closed, hopefully we now have closed. And that there’s a path to the place we need to go, both creating or not creating. If I can get to that time, then the remainder of it, we’ve acquired good those that know what’s occurred, and I’ll be sure the transition is clean. I’ve promised George that, so I’ve no downside doing that.
You mentioned 10 years to finish the undertaking. Is there a world during which this takes that lengthy?
Phillips: Well, the entire growth might take 10 years plus, for positive. And that’s simply our preliminary guess, estimate, proper?
With the stadium, is it extra like 5?
Phillips: Can’t inform. We haven’t designed it. We haven’t designed the stadium. I feel you guys know that now. We’ve nonetheless acquired 12 years, 11 years left on our lease at Soldier Field, in order that performs a task in it too.
There’s a strategy to finish that lease earlier?
Phillips: We might attain a settlement with the town. We might.
What are the largest challenges in getting funding for this undertaking, together with public funding, and do you’ve got confidence that funding will in the end be obtained?
McCaskey: Before we get to that, we now have to find out whether or not we’re going to have the ability to shut on the land. So we’re persevering with our monetary evaluation. It’s not full but. But the main target within the brief time period is the property.
If you shut and get funding for the stadium, what occurs to PSL (private seat license) holders at a brand new stadium?
Phillips: We haven’t gotten to that degree of element as a result of the stadium shouldn’t be designed. But we predict we all the time deal with our long-term season ticket holders. … And if and once we get to that time, we are going to provide you with a plan that we hope shall be useful to the long-term PSL holders that we presently have. It’s necessary to us. But what that’s, we don’t know but.
Last evening on the assembly in Arlington Heights, you talked concerning the 100-year seek for a everlasting residence for the Bears. Have you all the time felt that method? Did you flip over a brand new leaf sooner or later? How did you come to the conclusion that this is likely to be you fulfilling the dream of George Halas?
McCaskey: Well, George Halas in his e-book talks about how the Bears got here to play at Wrigley, and the way he had a handshake settlement. Over the course of the 50 years that they have been there, it grew to become much less and fewer workable as a soccer venue. I imply, one of many finish zones wasn’t even 10 yards deep for crying out loud.
… The transfer to Soldier Field in ‘71 was presupposed to be momentary. We performed one recreation in Evanston in 1970. But in every of these conditions, the constructing had been designed and constructed primarily for different occasions or one other group. This is our 100-year alternative to design it for us.
Have you believed that for years, that it’s future?
McCaskey: No, I might examine it to a house owner that rents yr after yr after yr. I imply, there are benefits to that, however there are some important disadvantages to that additionally.
Phillips’ tenure
Ted, as you mirror in your tenure, is there something you may have finished in a different way to arrange the group for higher success on the sphere?
Phillips: I do know what’s been mentioned. Obviously. I don’t have regrets. I don’t function that method. Am I disenchanted? Absolutely. We haven’t been capable of finding a persistently profitable group. We’ve had moments of success which have been actually enjoyable to be round. But whether or not or not the construction would have made a distinction, I’m not satisfied that it might. I feel you want a soccer decision-maker, which we’ve all the time had. And sooner or later that individual all the time experiences as much as possession.
I feel we’ve finished a very good job right here, and I’ll use Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus as the latest instance of being informed, “Put together the structure you need to give yourself the best chance of success.” Evaluating expertise, there’s an artwork to it. It’s a tough job. You might be unsuitable 40% of the time and be within the Hall of Fame. I feel proper now Ryan has put collectively a extremely sturdy personnel division that has layers, not simply of troopers however of leaders, together with himself. And that’s going to be a giant assist.
So to reply your query: Would I do one thing in a different way? No. Maybe encourage previous GMs to verify they’ve acquired the appropriate individuals in place who can have lots of affect and take heed to them. Again, we’ve taken the strategy that the GM is the ultimate decision-maker. I don’t see that being a difficulty in the event that they make the appropriate selections going ahead.
You mentioned you’ve heard what’s been mentioned. What have you ever heard?
Phillips: Of course, everybody says I’m not a soccer man. It makes me chuckle somewhat bit. I’m not a coach. I’m not an evaluator. I’ve been within the enterprise for 40 years, and I feel I’ve discovered somewhat bit. I’ve by no means made the choices of who ought to coach and who ought to play. So I assume that’s what I’m saying, the those that write that, I don’t fairly perceive it. But it’s OK.
Two years in the past, if you determined to deliver again Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy, you had that quote about every part however the quarterback is in place.
Phillips: It was taken out of context, however that’s OK.
What’s the appropriate context to view that?
Phillips: It’s by way of the individuals. They each introduced lots of good issues to the group. Some of the errors that have been made have been high-profile errors. Those are powerful to return again from. The Achilles’ heel, the one factor I’d change: Get the quarterback proper, please. That’s what I’d change. It is. It hurts if you see. I noticed it. You’ve all seen the scrolling listing. I feel for the reason that Super Bowl yr there’s been 45 totally different beginning quarterbacks. It’s disappointing. Hopefully, we’ve acquired that proper now.
George, what do you admire about Ted’s tenure right here?
McCaskey: Well, I’m sorry to be repeating myself. But it’s tough to place into phrases my excessive private regard for Ted and my excessive skilled regard for him. The method he’s dealt with the varied conditions that he simply described to you — all of the personalities. He touched on just some of them, and there’s so many extra.
When he was my boss, I might take a look at a difficulty that confronted the group and take into consideration how I might deal with it. And typically the trail Ted took after he defined it was so clear and made a lot sense that I used to be questioning why I used to be puzzled about it within the first place.
That’s the sort of chief that he’s. He talks about making powerful choices. Not all people can try this. And if you make powerful choices typically you make individuals sad. But he’s all the time thought of what was finest for the Chicago Bears. And simply very grateful to Ted and indebted to him for all he’s finished for the Bears and all he’s finished for our household.
Is this emotional for you, Ted?
Phillips: Of course it’s. Forty seasons. It’s a blessing. George used the phrase that I had in my head. I’m grateful. Grateful for the alternatives. Grateful for all of the individuals right here which have made my job simpler. It’s been an incredible group effort. I’ll miss it.
Potential Soldier Field renovations
What do you consider the proposal of placing a roof on Soldier Field?
McCaskey: Our singular focus is Arlington Park.
Have you talked with Mayor Lori Lightfoot or the town about that proposal in any respect?
McCaskey: She referred to as me shortly earlier than that proposal was offered. We had a very good dialog. I’ve all of the respect on the planet for Mayor Lightfoot.
What are these talks like? Are they frank, formal, informal?
McCaskey: She simply referred to as me up. I’m not going to share the small print of the dialog.
Phillips: I can add somewhat shade, from the standpoint of we’ve been very clear with Mayor Lightfoot and the town. So you ask concerning the dome proposal. She is aware of we now have an settlement with Churchill Downs. We have a mutual understanding that we’ll not discover some other web site whereas we’re underneath contract for that land. She is aware of that. The metropolis is aware of it. We’ve been very candid with them. So after they define that publicly, we haven’t see any of the small print as a result of we informed them we weren’t partaking in these discussions.
That settlement contains Soldier Field?
Phillips: Correct. We can interact on present operations. But we agreed with Churchill Downs that we might not pursue some other web site whereas we’re underneath contract with Arlington Park.
That contains renovations to your present web site?
Phillips: Long-term renovations, yep. It does.
Other matters
How do you measure success this yr?
McCaskey: Wins are all the time a gauge of success and progress. Beyond that, I’d prefer to see among the themes that Matt has been emphasizing — self-discipline, sensible play, hustle, swarming protection, takeaways, going for the ball. Three-and-outs. Getting the run recreation going. Minimizing errors. And studying from errors. He talks about getting higher every week, and that’s a very good gauge.
What reveals you that what wanted fixing has been mounted?
McCaskey: In our seek for the GM, we relied on Bill Polian and his intelligence community to inform us whether or not a candidate was a very good expertise evaluator. I don’t know that there’s any query you may ask or any foolproof analysis that you may do that might reply that query. We’re counting on his sources for that. And then simply what (Poles) conveys within the interview. And what we noticed within the interview I feel you’re seeing play out on a daily foundation right here. His group, his management. His what I might describe as a preternatural calm. Just has a way about him that when there’s chaos throughout him, he’s going to stay calm and make sound choices.
George, how’s your mother doing?
McCaskey: Doing properly. Thank you.
Why the orange helmets? Why mess with a very good factor, just like the New York Yankees?
McCaskey: That was a consideration. And I feel in terms of uniforms, the Yankees are the Bears of Major League Baseball, if I’ll borrow from Jerry Reinsdorf. That was a consideration. But we’ve retained the traditional look, however through the years we now have made minor changes infrequently. In ‘62 we added a decal to the helmet. In ‘73 we put the orange in the decal. In ‘84 we added the GSH monogram. In recent years we’ve added the alternate jersey, which is admittedly, in my opinion, a throwback to the Thirties once we have been setting a report for many consecutive regular-season wins. That group was a juggernaut.
We see this as yet one more enhancement of a traditional look. And I feel, just like the orange jerseys, individuals mentioned, “Ugh! That’s too much!” And then we received just a few video games in them and so they grew to become fairly widespread. I’m hoping it’s a lot the identical with the orange helmet, orange jersey mixture.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com