Rants and Raves 2024 Edition

I had hope before this season that the Bears may have lifted this curse that seems to be on this team, but that curse lives on with Virginia still drawing oxygen.
The future of this team died in 79 with the mysterious death of Mugs Halas after one year of marriage to his 2nd wife when there was a possibility he would reunite back with his first wife.
Mugs was the GM for a while from 63-73, but pried Jim Finks away from the Vikings to replace himself (some reports say Mugs used Rozelle and back channels to avoid tampering charges to hire Finks away from the Vikings). Finks left after Papa Bear hired Ditka without his consent and Jerry Vanisi was promoted to GM. Those were IMO the last 2 GMs of his organization worth a fuck, but after a difference of opinion with Michael McCaskey Vanisi was fired after 86 season and wasn't replaced until 5 years later, and the downward spiral continues.
BWW pointed out with the reorganization of the ownership to Virginia the kids control nothing. Here's a link from the Chicago Tribune about the mysterious death of Mugs and the legal battles after.
COVER-UP CHARGED IN DEATH OF HALAS – Chicago Tribune

 

I can't read the article.
Bloody hell.

 

Sorry fucking Tribune, I ain't paying for something I got free for 45 years, because they give you access to like 3 clicks a month.
I found a similar story about Mugs and how he transformed the franchise by recognizing talent without the need for a consultant consortium.
Finks also understood the importance of building a team from the inside out rather than outside in.
Here's an excerpt:
Does Mugs have a profound legacy with the Bears? Damn right, he does. In 1974, George, Jr., convinced his pop to let him pitch Jim Finks, who had built the Minnesota Vikings into a perennial NFL power, about bolting to Chicago to run the club with complete authority over every phase of the operation. Along with a small percentage of the team.

Honest to God, I don’t know – I would love to know – what Mugs said to his dad to convince him to stand down. It was a move that vaulted a woebegone franchise into the 20th century. Finks engineered the creation of Halas Hall in Lake Forest and ushered the Bears downtown offices from the sorrowful atmosphere at 173 W. Madison St. to dramatically upscale headquarters at 55 E. Jackson Boulevard.

Did I mention that Finks used his first draft pick as Big Bear to dice Walter Payton out of Jackson State (No. 4 overall in 1975)?

By this time, Mugs had found his niche. He became active in NFL affairs, winning league-wide respect for his ability to stabilize and upgrade one of the league’s most strategically important franchises.

Now, let’s suppose Mugs had not passed away in 1979. He remains the club president and in turn I have no doubt he would have kept Jim Finks on the payroll for as long as Finks felt properly compensated, challenged and appreciated.

There is also no way in hell Mike Ditka would have ever coached the Bears.

Here's a link to it : Mugs Halas

 

WOW...........what a great article Cover Up Tuna and I managed to read it.

Not been a Chicago Bears fan I had NO idea about this story........WTF Mugs (George Halas jr) his First Wife exhumed his body .....WHY ???........I presume to clarify if Virginia McCuskey had murdered him so she could control the team ???

This whole story stinks and it's to bad the Chicago Bears are a Storied Franchise in the NFL.

 

If I suspected anyone it would be his 2nd wife of one year, because a couple weeks prior he planned on getting back together with his first wife, and she wasn't having it.

 

My cousin was a Cook County Sheriff's detective in those days and while he had nothing to do with the case he was friends with an investigator that was hired to look into things once the lawsuit was filed. He always said the general opinion was that something real fishy definitely went down but there was just never any smoking gun to prove it.

Only thing I'm sure of is that no one with McCaskey blood commited the murder because they're all fucking idiots.

 

Is that a useable defence in a court of law?

 

Without A single doubt. If your last name is McCaskey and the trial was held in Cook County, I don't think there are 12 people in the County that would object to that defense when all you need is a reasonable doubt.

 

That's pretty funny. Proven innocent because they are fucking idiots.

 

Savage AND the absolute truth

 

After umpteen interruptions I've finally finished the article. What an intriguing story. Thanks Tuna.

 

I work in property law in Florida, and spend all day tracking down property histories, heirs, etc. Not knowing a thing about Illinois law, it's pretty clear that they've got Virginia protected and have removed items from public record. No deeds, etc. However, yes, she very much owns that house. There are tons of records of Kevin, Michael, etc. buying a shit ton of property, though, so it may very well be where she lives.

 

It is a bizarre story and probably should be a Movie.........I just find it hard to believe.

BWW says the Family are bunch of Idiots.........I don't mean to be Devils Advocate But I think Virginia McClusky is a pretty smart woman.

She will be 102 years old in January/25........she won 5 NFC Conference titles in the 80's......she won the Super Bowl in the 80's....she was nominated for the NFL HOF.

I'm baffled by these achievement's because you don't get them because your an Idiot......BUT Jumping Jesus did she Murder her Brother to Control "Da Bears".......lets not forget she is Catholic and Catholic girls don't lie......LOL

 

You can't even spell her actual fucking last name.

So maybe you're the idiot. Maybe you're related to her. At the very least she'd probably hire you.

I don't recall ever seeing her on the field though. Also....no she fucking didn't. The Bears won a grand total of 1 NFC conference title in the 80s. I know this because they went to a grand total of 1 Super Bowl. And I know that because I was at that Super Bowl. The franchise has a total of 2 conference titles under it's belt They've played in the NFC title game a total of 5 times....3 of those came in the 80s.

Shut the fuck up.

Seriously, shut up. I realize you're far too ignorant to be embarrassed when you're wrong...but I'm embarrassed on your behalf.

Smart people also don't fire their GM when he's the only guy in the front office that actually knows anything about football and then put their son that went to business school in charge of football operations. But old Virg did and then the team went in the shitter for a decade.

Maybe you shouldn't comment about stuff when you have no clue on the subject matter. For you this likely means never commenting on anything ever again and I know that's probably hard. I'll ask Tim to create a section on this board for you. Maybe like a section dedicated to smelling your own farts and then trying to guess what you ate last. Or the intricacies of navigating life being an inbred moron in rural Canada. There's gotta be something in your wheelhouse. We will find it.

 

This is my favorite accomplishment of hers. How'd she do it? Let's discuss.

A very long time ago her Dad founded what would go on to become the NFL.

Sometime later he got some lady that was likely a bit soft in the head pregnant. Nine months after that this dumb c unt was born and they named her Virginia. Fast forward years and years where she basically did absolutely nothing with her life and her brother died. Her Dad looked around and say oh fuck, I don't have another son...guess this team goes to my idiot daughter now and her dumb fuck husband. Hope that doesn't end poorly. Then her legend of father died and she inherited the team. She did almost nothing with in during her tenure but the bitch won't die either so now she's the longest tenured owner in the sport because she also won't sell the cash cow to someone that actually wants to win football games.

That's it. That's her accomplishment. Being lucky enough to be born George Halas' daughter. Hall of Fame.

 

Defense.