We can sit here and dwell on all of the negative things we have seen on the field over the years as Ted Phillips was the President and CEO of the Chicago Bears. As we look at the team's official website, Phillips' name is still listed. However, I'd have to imagine that will change tomorrow as Kevin Warren officially steps into the role.
Phillips has spent his entire career with the Bears organization, working his way up through the ranks to become one of the most respected and successful executives in the NFL -- at least among ownership. When it comes to the fans and even the players, not many respect Ted Phillips. However, we have to admit he has done plenty behind the scenes to help the organization from a business perspective.
Ted Phillips is officially out of the Chicago Bears organization
Phillips first joined the Bears in 1983 as a staff accountant, working in the team's finance department. He quickly proved himself to be a valuable asset to the organization, demonstrating a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of the financial aspects of professional sports.
Over the years, Phillips took on increasing responsibility within the Bears organization, rising through the ranks to become the team's Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in 1993. In this role, he oversaw all of the team's financial operations, including budgeting, accounting, and payroll.
In 1999, Phillips was promoted to the position of President and CEO, making him one of the most powerful figures in the NFL. He was the first President and CEO of the Chicago Bears who was not part of the Halas-McCaskey family.
In this role, he is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the Bears organization, including player personnel, marketing, and stadium operations. This is both a good and a bad aspect of Phillips' career. He oversaw the Soldier Field renovations which turned out to be more of a disaster than a positive. However, he was also involved with the Halas Hall renovations. Ryan Pace gets a great deal of that credit, but the renovations actually started in 2012.
According to the Chicago Bears website:
"In 2012, Phillips oversaw a Halas Hall renovation project that added over 30,000 square feet to the team's headquarters, which opened in 1997. The renovations included additions to the weight and training rooms, an upgraded locker room, additional meeting spaces and offices, and a new event center which features a broadcast studio and conference space"
Ryan Pace and Ted Phillips then collaborated on the rest of the renovations that started in 2017 and finished in 2019. Some key additions include the addition of two new fields to the east of the Walter Payton Center, and further expansion of the weight room, locker room, and players' lounge. The changes have allowed training camp to be moved from the campus of Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, IL to Halas Hall in Lake Forest.
The team has not seen as much on-the-field success as it has seen off the field. While Ted Phillips was President and CEO of the Chicago Bears, the team has made it to only one Super Bowl. The team has only won the NFC North five times and only made the playoffs six times during his reign of over 20 years. Despite not having his hand directly impacting the football side of things, he still was involved with the hiring and firing process of those people. Blame has to be shifted in his direction and cannot sit solely on the general managers he hired.
The good news though is as we say goodbye to Ted Phillips, it appears that George McCaskey and the Chicago Bears made a good hire in Kevin Warren. Time will tell, but reports are the transition has been going smoothly. Out with the old and with the new. Here is to a new era in Chicago Bears football that is hopefully full of the sustained success this fan base deserves. A success that was lacking under Ted Phillps' watchful eye.