Chicago Can't Bear it Any Longer
By: Andrew Ferguson
It’s the middle of June and I’m still looking for anything to talk about when it comes to football. Are we there yet!?!?! Close enough my friends, close enough. Not really, we still have 3 months until kickoff and am I the only person actually looking forward to seeing Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels open up against TCU in week 0 to get the college season underway? Imagine this game being in the middle of the season. Nobody would care. But right now, Americans have countdowns on their phones waiting for this game. Timing is everything. In the meantime, the NFL is keeping us occupied with rumors of a potential move of the Chicago Bears. But why are fans upset and why is it a big deal?
Da Bears have played in Soldier Field in Chicago since 1971. In that 55 year run, the city has seen one Super Bowl championship from the legendary 1985 team coached by Mike Ditka. One of the most iconic teams in NFL history. Before 1971, and the move to Soldier Field, the Bears have been playing in Chicago since 1921. Imagine you, a young lad, coming out of WWI from the Western Front of France and the next thing you know, your city is starting up a football team. People really did just move on with their lives better back then. Nowadays, guys are dying their hair blue and can’t eat certain breads because it wasn’t baked fresh at Sprouts with ingredients only found in the Amazon. We’re so soft. Anyway, what a transition. But after residing in one city for nearly 105 years, is there any bigger transition than to leave the state entirely and cross the state border?
The Bears have been actively trying to build a new stadium in Chicago within the city limits but it’s just not working out. Soldier Field currently sits right on Lake Michigan. A beautiful view to say the least, but that exact location tends to complicate expansion ideas. At the end of the day, space is tight, and investors and the state of Illinois can’t agree on how to appropriately fund an expansion project. So what happens now and where would they go?
There are a couple of options here and one isn’t even in the state of Illinois. But to keep die-hards and natives happy, the organization has purchased an area called Arlington Heights, an old raceway northwest of the city. The Bears officially purchased this lot in 2023 for $197 million with a vision to pour $5 billion into a new stadium and an entirely new complex. A perfect location to stay within their roots. However, progress has since stalled because of disagreements over how the property would be assessed and taxed. Negotiations between the Bears, Arlington Heights, and local school districts continue to disagree on various proposals aimed at providing tax certainty for the project. While this is the preferred area to make the move, the Bears have now expressed interest in crossing over into Hammond, Indiana to keep their options open. “Blasphemy! You can’t be the Chicago Bears and play in Indiana?” Well, this neighborhood is literally called ‘East Chicago’ so it’s really not that far away. Well I want everyone to take a deep breath and I’ll explain why this will be a great move.
I personally dealt with a move like this where I had doubts. In 2016, the Atlanta Braves decided to pull out of downtown and move their franchise to the suburbs. At the time, everyone thought it was crazy. And it’s hilarious because I’m not sure what we were so scared of? The only thing we
did down at Turner Field was sit in the parking lot with no shade and pre game and get… Well you know where this is going. Turner Field was in a horrible area of Atlanta and there was nothing to do around the stadium. Now we’re 10 years into the Battery of Atlanta where the Braves now play and I couldn’t imagine life and baseball without this. The amount of opportunities this brought to that area was life changing and it’s such a top tier experience for all fans. There are so many beautiful restaurants, hotels and just different things to do when you visit the Battery. It’s more than just a baseball experience. Chicago is really aiming to mimic this to make their NFL experience, one of the best in the country. People like to hold onto the past and the memories and given the long tenure in Chicago, I understand how it can be tough to just up and move, especially when a boring, dorky state like Indiana is the new home, but I promise you, you’ll never look back.
If the Bears were able to complete this move, it would take some help. The organization has already planned to contribute $2 billion into the new stadium. They would then be looking for state government contributions to cover more of the expenses. But there is good news, this type of funding wouldn’t directly hit tax payers pockets. There seems to be a lot that makes sense for this area to be the new home, but again, you have to get over the fact you’re playing in Indiana. How important is that to the franchise, and to the fans? Go ask the Jets, they don’t play in New York. Maybe that’s a bad example, the Jets suck. You get my point though, they don’t even play in their represented state! But at the end of the day, the everyday fan will have a better and safer time in Hammond, Indiana.
Another reason the Bears are even entertaining such a massive move is because, for the first time in what feels like forever, they actually have a reason to believe. Hope has returned to Chicago, and Bears fans are embracing the new regime. The Bears landed the Number 1 overall pick and selected Caleb Williams, a quarterback who has finally dragged this organization out of football purgatory. Then they paired him with Ben Johnson, one of the most respected offensive minds in the league. Suddenly, the Bears aren't just relevant again, they're interesting. And that's really what this entire stadium debate comes down to.
Fans will tell you it's about tradition and history. They'll tell you the Chicago Bears belong in Chicago and nowhere else and they're not wrong. This franchise has been part of the city's identity for more than a century. Generations of families have passed down Bears fandom like a family heirloom, right alongside an irrational hatred of the Green Bay Packers. But winning changes everything.
If Caleb Williams develops into a superstar, if Ben Johnson turns this offense into a machine, and if the Bears start hosting playoff games in a shiny new stadium, nobody is going to be standing outside saying, "Yeah, but remember Soldier Field?" Everyone will move on.That's usually how these things work.
So whether the Bears end up in Arlington Heights, Hammond, or somehow squeeze a new stadium onto the shores of Lake Michigan, the truth is fans don't stay loyal to parking lots. They stay loyal to football.
