Sometimes, Chicago Bears fans voice their discontent over the ownership of the team.  Other times, the family history is a topic of intense pride.  But we all know that figuring out who is really calling the shots, or, who should have their face on the bulls-eye, can be a bit less clear.

The McCaskeys own the team, and have a small amount of responsibility in the day-to-day operation.  Ted Phillips is the President, and Jerry Angelo the General Manager, and Lovie Smith has somewhat of a say as well.

When you look at the Bears successes since the 1980s, there isn't a lot of consistency, especially in the last decade or so.  But, what is the weakest link?  The McCaskeys, Phillips, Angelo, and Lovie have all been together for a considerable amount of time, and we could conclude that the product on the field has been average.

Are the owners just average?  What about Phillips?  Is it Angelo's responsibility?  Is Smith simply average?  When you look at the great teams in the NFL, even since the creation of Free Agency, there is always something that is consistently great.  All of the pieces aren't always there, but most of the pieces are.

If you had to assign grades to the current management team, would they all get a "C" grade?  Or could we simply be one or two pieces away from ascending to greatness?

We'll take a look at this scenario in parts... Volume One is the ownership.  Let us know what you think...

We'll take a look at other areas as the week progresses.