George McCaskey knew Bears fans would hate his decision — he did it anyway

Bears chairman George McCaskey and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel talk in 2016.With no fans allowed at Soldier Field games or its adjacent tailgating lots, Bears chairman George McCaskey found a more modern way to gauge fan reaction.

“For the last several weeks,” he said Wednesday, “I’ve been faithfully responding to my hate mail.”

His email inbox got a lot fuller after McCaskey announced that the Bears’ three principal leaders — president/CEO Ted Phillips, general manager Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy — would return for another season.

“Sometimes you have to take the route that you think is best, even when it’s not the most popular decision,” he said. “And we’re aware of that. And we’re prepared…