Overview
In Bear With Me, George “Papa Bear” Halas' grandson, Patrick McCaskey, tells this and many other stories about his famous grandfather from a fresh and personal family perspective. Inviting readers to share and reminisce not only about George Halas, the founding of the NFL, and the history of the Chicago Bears, this collection is also about what it was like growing up in the family that founded and owns one of the most valuable franchises in all of professional sports.
Author Biography
Patrick McCaskey is the grandson of George Halas, a board member of the Chicago Bears, and the team's senior director of special projects. He currently serves on numerous boards and committees, including the Sports Faith International, the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund, and the Chicago Bears Outreach. He lives in Lake Forest, Illinois. Mike Sandrolini is an award-winning writer, editor, and columnist whose stories have appeared in several Chicago newspapers and nationally-published magazines.
Press Releases
In June 1915, a couple of George Halas' fraternity brothers from the University of Illinois knocked on the door of his mother's house to pay their condolences. They read his name in the paper listing him as one of the casualties of a horrific boating disaster on the Chicago River that killed 844 people. Fortunately for Halas, the Chicago Bears and for the National Football League, he had missed the boat and was very much alive and well.
Bear With Me: A Family History of George Halas and the Chicago Bears tells this story and many others from the perspective of his grandson Patrick McCaskey, who invites readers to share and reminisce not only about George Halas, the founding of the NFL and the history of the Bears, but also what it was like growing up in the family that founded and owns one of the most valuable franchises in all of professional sports. McCaskey shares many never before heard stories, including:
- The first year of the team when they were called the Chicago Staleys
- What happened in an automobile showroom in Canton, Ohio, in 1920 to form the NFL
- Why Art Rooney was sent on a secret mission to Philly to check out Halas' future son-in-law
- What it was like to have Bill Wade teach the finer points of playing quarterback
- What it was like to spend Sundays on the Bears sideline as a child.
McCaskey offers all this and much more, plus personal tales on many Bears greats including Walter Payton, Mike Ditka, Gale Sayers, Brian Piccolo and others. Bear With Me: A Family History of George Halas and the Chicago Bears is a book that no Bears fan will want to be without.
About the Authors:
Patrick McCaskey is the grandson of George Halas, a board member of the Chicago Bears, and the team's senior director of special projects. He currently serves on numerous boards and committees including the Sports Faith International, the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund, and the Chicago Bears Outreach. Patrick and his wife Gretchen live in Lake Forest, Illinois, and have three sons. He first began working on this book in 1969.
Mike Sandrolini, a native of Peru, Illinois, is an award-winning writer, editor, and columnist whose stories have appeared in several Chicago newspapers and nationally-published magazines. He has either contributed stories to, or has helped edit, five books. Mike is a graduate of Illinois State University.
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Contact: Bill Ames, Triumph Books, 312.252.1248, b.ames@triumphbooks.com