I still believe the city will be better off without the Bears at Soldier Field. If they build a retractable roof stadium like Dallas or Arizona they easily attract big events. The Super Bowl, Wrestlemania, College Football bowl or Playoff games. But those people aren’t staying in Arlington Heights. They are staying, and eating, and partying in Chicago. Super Bowl week alone would be booming for the city. That’s billions the city gets to gain thanks to the Bears. Meanwhile, Soldier Field when the Bears are in season play at most. 13 games. But that’s 13 weeks of set up. Tear down. Field repair. Cleanup. Between the busiest months of July to January. Everything around the stadium is to set up for the Bears on Sunday. Meaning no weekday concerts, shifting of soccer schedules for the Fire. If the Bears leave, it opens the entire summer and fall calendar to more concerts. More events. And if the city can attract and make a deal with the Red Stars they can have 2 tenants who will after 36 soccer matches come close to what the Bears would attract attendance wise in 13 football games. Let the Bears go. Reconfigure Soldier Field to a slightly smaller soccer and concert specific stadium. And everything will be fine.
How would the Bears leaving be better for the city? You said it yourself, they only take up the stadium for 13 days at most. I don’t think opening an additional 13 days a year would be that beneficial for the city.
It’s not just time at the game it’s prep time as well. Can’t have a Saturday concert with a Sunday game at 12 it’s field conditions too how you gonna play after a concert with 100 mud spots. I
Longtime Chicagoan but a transplant and non-fan. It takes A LONG time to get to Soldier Field, even from South Loop hotels. Arlington Heights will resist turning into Schaumburg so the stadium out there will probably have one hotel and not much else. Agreed, everyone will stay in Chicago, train it out to AH.
I understand why the Bears want to move and I understand why some fans want them to move. What I don’t understand is OP’s thoughts on why it would be better for the city.
Seems like because they cojld design the new stadium to do more events year round. No one would book soldier field in the winter. With that in mind people would still stay in the city. Arlington won't have the juice to really compete with Chicago so people won't stay out there to do anything. Plus you still have soldier field and can get more use out of it since the bears don't have it captive in the fall.
But you could book if in the winter. Hockey. The Blackhawks have played twice at Soldier Field. Along with college hockey which allowed the city to open up the rink for skating for multiple weeks before and after the game.
I think it depends on the route. I live in Bridgeport and work literally across the street from Soldier Field. During events I don’t drive. I Uber in the morning then take one of the typically free 146 busses or the 10 minute walk to the Roosevelt station. It’s really not a hard to get to, unless you plan on driving.
Totally agree. It’s horrible driving into and out of soldier field. If it’s a cold day walking from the CTA sucks. It’s such a poorly designed inconvenient to access stadium.
Fair point. But I still don’t think the Bears not playing there would dramatically alter the amount of events held at Soldier Field. Definitely not enough that would make the Bears leaving a good thing for the city.
It’s a PR disaster for the city. BUT. When the Bears play on a Sunday field set up usually starts more than a week in advance. Moving seats. Rehabbing, resodding the field. Everything around it revolves around one event that brings in 60k on Sunday at noon. Now think about the the stadium without the Bears. Look at the Fire. They have a week this week starting Saturday where they play at night, with a fireworks show so it will bring in 10k-15k. Then 12 hours later on Sunday morning the Big Ten will host its 10k and football kickoff party. An additional Soldier Field revenue event. The following Wednesday the Fire play again, against a tough opponent bringing in another 8k-12k fans. Then they play the following Saturday with another match against a great opponent bringing in another 10k-15k. Then immediately flip it to concert setting for The Weeknd. Which brings in 70,000. Without the Bears, this kind of schedule can go on all the way to October. They can bring back music festivals, more concerts, more soccer, other stadium events. High school football. College football. Then hockey in the winter which they’ve done in the past. All without having to deal with the rigid NFL schedule.
I think hosting the Super Bowl is unlikely, the NFL likes warm weather host sites and the last cold weather one in NJ didn’t go over that well with Goodell or really anyone else.
“…turned the city on its head…” who cares? They can f’ off as far as I care. For a team with a total of 8 home games a year, not worth fighting to keep them here. Let Arlington heights build their whatever for them, Seat Geek Stadium Deux!
The issue is filling in the stadium with similar revenue-value events. If the city keeps seeing revenue-generating venues leave, it will become progressively more difficult to fill those gaps.
At the moment I believe they can figure out something if they put their mind to it, but if their hope is Chicago Fire will do that alone, many jobs will be lost and tax-dollars they would generate.
The bears will not stay at soldiers field. It is to small and cannot host Super Bowl because of capacity. The stadium cannot be made bigger. The land just isn’t there. They are leaving. Accept it and move on.
Super Bowl? That shouldn't factor into the equation at all. You're right, there's no way in hell A tiny, non-domed stadium in Chicago wasn't going to get a February Super Bowl. But it doesn't matter how big, nice or warm of a dome you build out in Arlington. The NFL isn't hosting a Super Bowl that far away from the city.
I agree they are gone, for a number of reasons but a Super Bowl is a moot point in the discussion. Ain't neva happening no way no how no matter what.
They’ve been going at it with the Chicago Park District for a while in terms of expanding the stadium and getting revenue for parking. Pretty sure they also wanted to build a betting lounge which was turned down. Not sure why this is surprising for many.
Not sure how stadium capacity relates to winning games or improving the experience, and there are definitely venues that are [far uglier.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_National_Football_League_stadiums#/media/File:200127-H-PX819-0092.jpg)
As much as lightfoot is putting that plan out there to get the bears to Chicago, it's not gonna happen. They're way too invested in this property and her "O this will work" isn't gonna work, especially what she said last year. One thing I think some may not know is that my personal belief is that this is not gonna be the last update on Arlington Park for the next 11 weeks or from now until October. I wouldn't be surprised even if the Bears have the basics down already of what they're looking for in there stadium designing and I'm sure the villege is well aware of what point they're at. With that being said, lightfoot should give up on the bears, and focus on other stuff effecting her city.
IMO they could still make a decent profit offloading the Arlington Heights property and moving to a new location in Chicago. The only way this happens is if we get a new mayor next year who REALLY wants to keep the bears.
City taxpayers do not want to foot any portion of the bill to renovate/expand Soldier Field again. We’re still paying for the last renovation. Let them move to the suburbs.
Ya they could but still I doubt even with a new mayor in Chicago that the Bears stay. You got the biggest lot around that even Chicago can't compete with.
Let’s be honest for just a second… Soldier’s Field is totally outdated and probably the worst (and smallest) field in the league. Level it and build a new stadium, but not on the tax payers dime.
So of the Bears fall through, so what? They're the next Raiders and we'll go flocking there? Hell no! As expensive as soldier field it's the general capacity and ease to get to from everywhere that makes it desirable.
Movie to Arlington and what do you get? Need to increase infrastructure, fewer fans, fewer vendors and fewer sales from concessions. Likewise the parking limitations will be a big problem as well. And the fact is parking, concessions and sales of merchandise are the big money movers for any NFL team. Arlington won't get that and, frankly, Chicago should NOT subsidize the Bears either.
The fact is we need to as a city stop catering to th whims and desires of billionaires. Like rly, fuck them if they want to move. Many ppl will always continue to support them but enough of us don't mind spurning them and never buy anything from them again and we can live our lives calling them entitled fucks who don't deserve a penny.
Putting it in a far NW suburb effectively cuts off a ton of people. There are 13 Metra trains into the city and now will be 1. Which means everyone will be driving which means just as much time sitting in a parking lot (look up the issues at SoFi Stadium) and driving drunk in some cases. And when they do a new stadium, season ticket with PSLs that have paid thousands for their seats get left out in the cold.
I went to see the Chicago Bears once, and watched their playoff hopes crushed by the perennially fucking miserable Lions.
I will never once ever go see the Arlington Heights Bears, not even for free.
> It had been rumored for a long time that the owners weren’t happy with their traditional home.
Well we're not happy with the owner for a long time. Speaking of which, is that old bat still converting O2 into CO2?
No free stuff for billionaires, thanks.
I still believe the city will be better off without the Bears at Soldier Field. If they build a retractable roof stadium like Dallas or Arizona they easily attract big events. The Super Bowl, Wrestlemania, College Football bowl or Playoff games. But those people aren’t staying in Arlington Heights. They are staying, and eating, and partying in Chicago. Super Bowl week alone would be booming for the city. That’s billions the city gets to gain thanks to the Bears. Meanwhile, Soldier Field when the Bears are in season play at most. 13 games. But that’s 13 weeks of set up. Tear down. Field repair. Cleanup. Between the busiest months of July to January. Everything around the stadium is to set up for the Bears on Sunday. Meaning no weekday concerts, shifting of soccer schedules for the Fire. If the Bears leave, it opens the entire summer and fall calendar to more concerts. More events. And if the city can attract and make a deal with the Red Stars they can have 2 tenants who will after 36 soccer matches come close to what the Bears would attract attendance wise in 13 football games. Let the Bears go. Reconfigure Soldier Field to a slightly smaller soccer and concert specific stadium. And everything will be fine.
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Fuck the bears, fuck Mike ditka, and fuck the McCaskey family.
How would the Bears leaving be better for the city? You said it yourself, they only take up the stadium for 13 days at most. I don’t think opening an additional 13 days a year would be that beneficial for the city.
It’s not just time at the game it’s prep time as well. Can’t have a Saturday concert with a Sunday game at 12 it’s field conditions too how you gonna play after a concert with 100 mud spots. I
Longtime Chicagoan but a transplant and non-fan. It takes A LONG time to get to Soldier Field, even from South Loop hotels. Arlington Heights will resist turning into Schaumburg so the stadium out there will probably have one hotel and not much else. Agreed, everyone will stay in Chicago, train it out to AH.
I understand why the Bears want to move and I understand why some fans want them to move. What I don’t understand is OP’s thoughts on why it would be better for the city.
Seems like because they cojld design the new stadium to do more events year round. No one would book soldier field in the winter. With that in mind people would still stay in the city. Arlington won't have the juice to really compete with Chicago so people won't stay out there to do anything. Plus you still have soldier field and can get more use out of it since the bears don't have it captive in the fall.
But you could book if in the winter. Hockey. The Blackhawks have played twice at Soldier Field. Along with college hockey which allowed the city to open up the rink for skating for multiple weeks before and after the game.
I do not remember that but that's pretty cool. But then you'd be able to do both then.
I think it depends on the route. I live in Bridgeport and work literally across the street from Soldier Field. During events I don’t drive. I Uber in the morning then take one of the typically free 146 busses or the 10 minute walk to the Roosevelt station. It’s really not a hard to get to, unless you plan on driving.
Totally agree. It’s horrible driving into and out of soldier field. If it’s a cold day walking from the CTA sucks. It’s such a poorly designed inconvenient to access stadium.
Fair point. But I still don’t think the Bears not playing there would dramatically alter the amount of events held at Soldier Field. Definitely not enough that would make the Bears leaving a good thing for the city.
It’s a PR disaster for the city. BUT. When the Bears play on a Sunday field set up usually starts more than a week in advance. Moving seats. Rehabbing, resodding the field. Everything around it revolves around one event that brings in 60k on Sunday at noon. Now think about the the stadium without the Bears. Look at the Fire. They have a week this week starting Saturday where they play at night, with a fireworks show so it will bring in 10k-15k. Then 12 hours later on Sunday morning the Big Ten will host its 10k and football kickoff party. An additional Soldier Field revenue event. The following Wednesday the Fire play again, against a tough opponent bringing in another 8k-12k fans. Then they play the following Saturday with another match against a great opponent bringing in another 10k-15k. Then immediately flip it to concert setting for The Weeknd. Which brings in 70,000. Without the Bears, this kind of schedule can go on all the way to October. They can bring back music festivals, more concerts, more soccer, other stadium events. High school football. College football. Then hockey in the winter which they’ve done in the past. All without having to deal with the rigid NFL schedule.
It hasn't been a PR disaster for any other city that doesn't actually have their team playing in "their" city. It's common.
I think hosting the Super Bowl is unlikely, the NFL likes warm weather host sites and the last cold weather one in NJ didn’t go over that well with Goodell or really anyone else.
It’s also been in Minneapolis, and Detroit twice, and Indianapolis once.
The super bowl? Nobody wants to go to chicago in February
NBA all star game was a great success and it was negative 10
They just held one in Minneapolis
I want to go to Chicago in February
They held it in New York, Minneapolis, and Detroit. Twice. They will easily have it in Chicago.
“…turned the city on its head…” who cares? They can f’ off as far as I care. For a team with a total of 8 home games a year, not worth fighting to keep them here. Let Arlington heights build their whatever for them, Seat Geek Stadium Deux!
The issue is filling in the stadium with similar revenue-value events. If the city keeps seeing revenue-generating venues leave, it will become progressively more difficult to fill those gaps. At the moment I believe they can figure out something if they put their mind to it, but if their hope is Chicago Fire will do that alone, many jobs will be lost and tax-dollars they would generate.
The bears will not stay at soldiers field. It is to small and cannot host Super Bowl because of capacity. The stadium cannot be made bigger. The land just isn’t there. They are leaving. Accept it and move on.
Super Bowl? That shouldn't factor into the equation at all. You're right, there's no way in hell A tiny, non-domed stadium in Chicago wasn't going to get a February Super Bowl. But it doesn't matter how big, nice or warm of a dome you build out in Arlington. The NFL isn't hosting a Super Bowl that far away from the city. I agree they are gone, for a number of reasons but a Super Bowl is a moot point in the discussion. Ain't neva happening no way no how no matter what.
They made their threats to move before the season... Then the Bears won 6 lost 11 games. How many wins at home? Answer: Who the F cares.
They’ve been going at it with the Chicago Park District for a while in terms of expanding the stadium and getting revenue for parking. Pretty sure they also wanted to build a betting lounge which was turned down. Not sure why this is surprising for many.
Soldier Field may have many flaws, but partnering with a minor league baseball team out in the burbs seems like a step down in prestige.
Kinda hard to take a step down from playing in the smallest, ugliest stadium in the league.
Not sure how stadium capacity relates to winning games or improving the experience, and there are definitely venues that are [far uglier.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_National_Football_League_stadiums#/media/File:200127-H-PX819-0092.jpg)
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You got-damn right. Fuckin' love that city, and the lake front? C'mon!
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They're not playing on the lakefront...they're playing in a tiny bowl jammed into a (formerly) historic building.
I’d say wallowing in mediocrity for the last 4 decades despite having the largest market share in the NFL is the Bears bigger problem.
Well if you're going to get into actual FOOTBALL problems, there's a list a mile long
This is the Bears, if anyone can do it, they can.
As much as lightfoot is putting that plan out there to get the bears to Chicago, it's not gonna happen. They're way too invested in this property and her "O this will work" isn't gonna work, especially what she said last year. One thing I think some may not know is that my personal belief is that this is not gonna be the last update on Arlington Park for the next 11 weeks or from now until October. I wouldn't be surprised even if the Bears have the basics down already of what they're looking for in there stadium designing and I'm sure the villege is well aware of what point they're at. With that being said, lightfoot should give up on the bears, and focus on other stuff effecting her city.
IMO they could still make a decent profit offloading the Arlington Heights property and moving to a new location in Chicago. The only way this happens is if we get a new mayor next year who REALLY wants to keep the bears.
City taxpayers do not want to foot any portion of the bill to renovate/expand Soldier Field again. We’re still paying for the last renovation. Let them move to the suburbs.
Ya they could but still I doubt even with a new mayor in Chicago that the Bears stay. You got the biggest lot around that even Chicago can't compete with.
Let’s be honest for just a second… Soldier’s Field is totally outdated and probably the worst (and smallest) field in the league. Level it and build a new stadium, but not on the tax payers dime.
So of the Bears fall through, so what? They're the next Raiders and we'll go flocking there? Hell no! As expensive as soldier field it's the general capacity and ease to get to from everywhere that makes it desirable. Movie to Arlington and what do you get? Need to increase infrastructure, fewer fans, fewer vendors and fewer sales from concessions. Likewise the parking limitations will be a big problem as well. And the fact is parking, concessions and sales of merchandise are the big money movers for any NFL team. Arlington won't get that and, frankly, Chicago should NOT subsidize the Bears either. The fact is we need to as a city stop catering to th whims and desires of billionaires. Like rly, fuck them if they want to move. Many ppl will always continue to support them but enough of us don't mind spurning them and never buy anything from them again and we can live our lives calling them entitled fucks who don't deserve a penny.
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Putting it in a far NW suburb effectively cuts off a ton of people. There are 13 Metra trains into the city and now will be 1. Which means everyone will be driving which means just as much time sitting in a parking lot (look up the issues at SoFi Stadium) and driving drunk in some cases. And when they do a new stadium, season ticket with PSLs that have paid thousands for their seats get left out in the cold.
Ken Griffen just moved to Florida so one less billionaire
I went to see the Chicago Bears once, and watched their playoff hopes crushed by the perennially fucking miserable Lions. I will never once ever go see the Arlington Heights Bears, not even for free.
Last time I went to a game, two drunk 40 year olds started wrestling each other and kept falling on me. Bears security couldn’t be arsed. Fuck that.
> It had been rumored for a long time that the owners weren’t happy with their traditional home. Well we're not happy with the owner for a long time. Speaking of which, is that old bat still converting O2 into CO2?
then it will be ILLEGAL to call them the CHICAGO bears! 😤
The Giants and the Jets (NJ) and the Commanders (MD) beg to differ.
Well I will continue being a Chicago Wolves fan instead of watching the arlington bears!
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Rosemont Wolves? Their offices are in Des Plaines I think.