brasilbear brought this up in the Shoutbox and I thought it would make an interesting thread to discuss. Here is Brasil's question:
"To those in Chicago: Is all the move to Arlington Heights just talk? I don't really care...but I do enjoy the stadium at the lake. Is it political? Do the Bears want a re-negotiated lease? Or is it just Arlington Heights trying to get in the news?"
LINK A Bears executive didn't deny that the team was mulling a possible move when asked about it by Crain's Chicago Business last week. The race track in Arlington Heights is about 30 miles away from Soldier Field, so Bears fans in Chicago would still be within easy traveling distance of a potential new stadium.
Even if the Bears want to move though, it's not going to be so easy. As Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot recently pointed out, the team has a lease at Solider Field for at least the next 13 seasons.
"I've seen a couple of reports [of a possible move] but a couple of data points that I think you should be aware of are the Bears have a lease with Soldier Field until 2033 and the NFL doesn't let any teams break their leases," Lightfoot said.
Despite the fact that there's a lease in place, Hayes isn't discounting a possible move before 2033.
"I know there's contracts involved and lease agreements," Hayes said. "But a good attorney will tell you, you can always get out of those. There might be a significant price involved, but I would think if they wanted to make it happen, they could make it happen."
It seems the Bears are hoping to get some renovations done at Solider Field and it's possible they want the city to help pay for the project. Lightfoot admitted to talking to the Bears in recent weeks, but didn't specify whether the team asked the city to help with anything.
"It's a great, iconic site," Lightfoot said of Soldier Field. "But it's a challenging site, and I think it's incumbent on us as a city to step up and look at ways in which we can make sure that the Bears fans, but also the Bears as an organization, have the best opportunities to maximize the fan experience and, of course, maximize revenues."
Soldier Field opened in 1924 and hasn't undergone any sort of major renovation since 2003. The stadium only seats 61,500 and due to spacial constraints, it's unlikely that number will ever be expanded by much, which might be one reason why the Bears eventually make the move to Arlington Heights.
"It seems the Bears are hoping to get some renovations done at Solider Field and it's possible they want the city to help pay for the project. Lightfoot admitted to talking to the Bears in recent weeks, but didn't specify whether the team asked the city to help with anything."
I wonder if this is behind it all. I say that because it must be a pretty sweet deal that the McCaskeys have with the City by not having to own or maintain an NFL stadium. The City and downtown businesses and hotels gain by having games draw in people. We live downstate so most of the time we plan a mini-vacation or long weekend around the Bears game, and stay downtown at one of the hotels. We do come back home a bit poorer afterwards :-)
It's a smaller stadium and not fancy. But that has never bothered me. I do enjoy watching games there. I can't picture the McCaskeys spending a bazillion dollars to build a modern stadium if they are footing the bill themselves. Virginia isn't Jerry Jones. And I'm okay with that.
EDIT: But I'd be fine if the Bears did build a state-of-the-art NFL stadium in Arlington. Being able to host a SB would be cool too.
I didn’t find the other thread about that Arlington Heights move, so I can’t post what I wrote back then. But I’ll repeat what I've said so many times before.
Love it or hate it, Soldier Field is an iconic landmark of Chicago. It’s filled w/ history and the location is kind of unique in the NFL. Traffic in the area is horrible and parking is ridiculously expensive, but the view and atmosphere are worth it.
And frankly, who cares if Chicago ever gets to host a Super Bowl? Cities are only interested in hosting the big game because of the tourists that stay over the weekend. The real local fans couldn’t care less because most of them would never pay 3-5k to attend the game. New Jersey hosted SB 48. Are the Giants and Jets really better off now? What exactly did they gain? What about the city of Detroit and their SB 40?
I may be in the minority here, but I hope that we never move. Can you imagine the Packers leaving legendary Lambeau Field because some sissies have a problem playing outside in the cold?
Do you guys really want to move to yet another soulless dome w/ a corporate name?
Most Cheeseheads, Seahawks, Steelers, Bills and Pats fans don’t seem to mind attending games outside. If you’re that cold, put on a second layer.
The different kinds of weather that can affect the game make it so much more interesting than a boring Arena Football League game.
Cherish the history. I sure as hell don't ever wanna see the Bears play their home games at the Giordano's Pizza Dome. (nothing against Giordano's though ).
I didn’t find the other thread about that Arlington Heights move, so I can’t post what I wrote back then. But I’ll repeat what I've said so many times before.
Love it or hate it, Soldier Field is an iconic landmark of Chicago. It’s filled w/ history and the location is kind of unique in the NFL. Traffic in the area is horrible and parking is ridiculously expensive, but the view and atmosphere are worth it.
And frankly, who cares if Chicago ever gets to host a Super Bowl? Cities are only interested in hosting the big game because of the tourists that stay over the weekend. The real local fans couldn’t care less because most of them would never pay 3-5k to attend the game. New Jersey hosted SB 48. Are the Giants and Jets really better off now? What exactly did they gain? What about the city of Detroit and their SB 40?
I may be in the minority here, but I hope that we never move. Can you imagine the Packers leaving legendary Lambeau Field because some sissies have a problem playing outside in the cold?
Do you guys really want to move to yet another soulless dome w/ a corporate name?
Most Cheeseheads, Seahawks, Steelers, Bills and Pats fans don’t seem to mind attending games outside. If you’re that cold, put on a second layer.
The different kinds of weather that can affect the game make it so much more interesting than a boring Arena Football League game.
Cherish the history. I sure as hell don't ever wanna see the Bears play their home games at the Giordano's Pizza Dome. (nothing against Giordano's though ).
Just my two cents.
That is a great post, Grizz. As I read it I was thinking of some of the bitter cold games we've attended in past years. Some were epic cold games. One I thought we were gonna die of the cold. Nosebleed seats, bitter, bitter cold and wind gusts were like 40mph that day. But we beat the Packers that game and we had a GREAT day. And we still have fantastic memories. But yeah we gutted it out in horrific cold, and from our nosebleed seats the players looked about the size of ants :-)
But we had fun.
I'm fine if the Bears stay at Soldier Field. But if they move, hey, they moved from Wrigley Field and the world didn't end. Stuff changes. I figure I have no control over these things so why worry?
Post by weneedmorelinemen on May 10, 2021 17:06:49 GMT -6
Having more seats and the ability to host Superbowls is what they should have focused on in 2002. When they had the chance to take two years and make Soldier Field right.
Instead they half assed it and made a small stadium that can't host Superbowls.
The AH mayor must be dreaming if he thinks the Bears would foot the bill for 10 games a year. He's need to make Arlington Heights like Ravinia times 10.
Post by GrizzlyBear on May 12, 2021 6:50:42 GMT -6
Is this really what you guys are looking for at Arlington Heights?
A billion dollar dome filled w/ pretentious millennials and gen z idiots who are not even paying attention to the game, because they’re too busy looking at their stupid phones, making selfies and posting them on social media during the game #havingfunatthedome.
Really? Is this the future of the NFL? Making “stadiums” look more and more like Six Flags or Disney World, where football is only the second or third most interesting thing?
No, thank you. I’d rather spend three hours in the freezing cold at SF or Lambeau cheering for my team. This is what football used to be about.