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* ABC 7…
[On Thursday, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson] held a meet-and-greet with lawmakers and labor leaders at the American Federation of Labor & Congress of Industrial Organizations, or AFL-CIO, Illinois headquarters. […]
The mayor also joined with labor leaders in advocating for a new Bears stadium in Chicago, which would provide many new jobs.
“The problem that we have is we have a 100-year-old building that is owed hundreds of millions of dollars in debt. And it doesn’t have real public access, public benefit or for public use,” Johnson said.
* The Question: Now that the stadium plan the mayor negotiated with the Chicago Bears has been declared a “non-starter,” do you think the Bears will use that as an excuse to move to Arlington Heights? And, if so, who gets the blame? Explain.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, May 10, 24 @ 1:30 pm
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I think the unifying political issue in Illinois is that the Chicago Bears is a terribly managed team and the franchise would be better off if the general manager and rest of the management team would be better if it was selected in the same fashion as a Cook County jury pool is created.
Even if the Bears came out and blamed someone for whatever action they take, why should anyone care what they say about anything? Look at the last decade of awful choices and just ask why anyone would believe that the Bears organization has any credibility for anything?
Comment by Candy Dogood Friday, May 10, 24 @ 1:34 pm
I blame the McCaskeys. Frankly, I think the whole stadium effort has been designed from the start to inflate the price of the Bears for the inevitable need to sell in the not too distant future.
Comment by 47th Ward Friday, May 10, 24 @ 1:37 pm
The only blame the Mayor should get is for allowing himself to be a shill for the Bears. The Bears should end up in Arlington they bought the place 3 years ago. The blame should all be on the Bears ownership for wasting time
Comment by DuPage Saint Friday, May 10, 24 @ 1:42 pm
I’m frankly still not over how they absolutely ruined Soldier Field and got it delisted as a National Historic Landmark. That was publicly funded, less than 25 years ago, still deeply in debt, an absolute catastrophe, and now the same team under the same ownership wants us to buy them a NEW stadium because they wrecked the old one with the renovations that were going to set them up for the 21st century?
Move to NWI, I beg you.
Comment by Suburban Mom Friday, May 10, 24 @ 1:51 pm
I wouldn’t say they’ll use that as an *excuse*, but the odds of them moving up there just increased dramatically. The only other viable alternative right now is to soldier on at Soldier Field (no pun intended).
Comment by Benjamin Friday, May 10, 24 @ 1:54 pm
And the Bears helped to destroy horse racing in Illinois and even tore down the Arlington Park grandstand just to try to lower their taxes! They play nine home games a year - let em build their own stadium.
Comment by Lincolnpark Friday, May 10, 24 @ 1:54 pm
Bears unveiled the new stadium on the lakefront after buying Arlington Park. The mayor cut the deal mistakes were made
Comment by Rabid Friday, May 10, 24 @ 2:00 pm
Hopefully. Any blame for leaving falls squarely on the McCaskeys, they seem to feel entitled to public money and can’t even be bothered to field a winning team.
Credit goes to the governor and Democratic legislative leaders for nipping this whole thing in the bud. Mayor Johnson never had a chance to secure the funding and damaged his already tanked credibility further by flip flopping on a no brainer issue for someone that’s supposed to be a progressive.
Comment by Excitable Boy Friday, May 10, 24 @ 2:03 pm
The Bears will grind it out with line play, while distracting their fans with some higher paid “skill” players. Hail Mary passes and on-side kicks are not signs of strength.
Hizzoner has taken up the public roles of winner and loser, whether or not he really has anything to do with it.
“You think the school districts are tough? Wait til you meet Friends of the Park.”
(I can’t think of any other evasive answers)
Comment by Walker Friday, May 10, 24 @ 2:03 pm
Seems to me there will be good union jobs whether a new stadium is located in Chicago or Arlington Heights. I don’t know or care care who blames who, but I would love to see the Bears in AH.
Comment by Responsa Friday, May 10, 24 @ 2:05 pm
As of last September, Forbes says the Bears are the 5th highest valued team in the NFL at 6.3 Billion, an increase of 9% over the previous year. This isn’t personal, this is business. A pretty good one.
Comment by The Magnificent Purple Walnut Friday, May 10, 24 @ 2:06 pm
‘it doesn’t have real public access, public benefit or for public use,” Johnson said.’
As opposed to what? What’s the public benefit or public use of a lakefront dome?
No idea what he’s talking about re: Soldier Field having a ‘lack of access’ to the public. Sounds like he’s just cycling through buzzwords he’s heard in meetings. Or maybe the idea is everybody gets to sleep in the dome if LSD gets shut down by another blizzard.
Comment by Larry Bowa Jr. Friday, May 10, 24 @ 2:06 pm
I originally felt AH was a slam dunk. I’m not so sure about that now. I think the Bears will ultimately sell to another more asset-rich owner and they will breathe new life into the stadium project using their own net worth to leverage the project. The Bears are worth $6 billion according to Forbes; the McCaskey’s will make their nut regardless of where the team plays.
Comment by DuPage Dad Friday, May 10, 24 @ 2:09 pm
As a citizen of the Northwest Suburbs - I hope the Bears stay in Chicago where they belong. I would rather see my tax money go to the school districts than some billionaire sports team owner.
Comment by Waldi Friday, May 10, 24 @ 2:10 pm
I didn’t mind MBJ endorsing the idea, but he came across like the shill in an infomercial.
The blame will fall on Kevin Warren, despite the fact that the McCaskeys come across as greedy and tone deaf.
Comment by Jocko Friday, May 10, 24 @ 2:12 pm
I’m getting whiplash here. How would Mayor Johnson’s stadium have a real public benefit or public use?
The McCaskeys showed their hand. They do not want to leave the nest of the Park District. Hold their feet to the fire and make them pay up.
Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Friday, May 10, 24 @ 2:26 pm
Kevin Warren sold George McCaskey a bill of goods. He did nothing in St Louis, was more upper middle management ( more with legal issues ) in Minneapolis and was losing his job in the Big 10. The whole way this has been rolled out and then change of direction has made this a clown show.
Comment by Long time Independent Friday, May 10, 24 @ 2:31 pm
@Benjamin
=== The only other viable alternative right now is to soldier on at Soldier Field (no pun intended). ===
The idea that this pun was not intended beggars belief. But then, according to the McCaskeys, beggars can be choosers.
Comment by W44 Friday, May 10, 24 @ 2:32 pm
Doesn’t seem the Bears have given up on the lakefront yet. I sense they’re still holding out hope that labor will eventually muscle this through the GA. (Problem is, they need JB’s signature too and he is much less likely to be moved by labor than the legislature is.)
If the veto and lame duck sessions come and go without action, I think the Bears will shift back toward Arlington Hts. The sheer audacity of the Bears’ lakefront “ask” almost makes the Arlington PILOT seem more doable. They’ll have to finalize a deal with the locals and offer to pay-off the Soldier Field debt to have even a snow ball’s chance in Springfield on the Arlington plan.
As far as the “blame” is concerned. It’s squarely on the Bears. First, their Arlington Hts PILOT proposal miscalculated what should have been the obvious difficulty of getting Chicago legislators to vote to move a Chicago business to the suburbs. Then they badly miscalculated the value of having a politically weak mayor on board with a lakefront proposal that needs state, not city, approval.
Comment by Telly Friday, May 10, 24 @ 2:41 pm
Arlington Heights was always a bad idea.
I did take the train to the race track and it wasn’t a bad train trip, but I never got off at the AH city center stop and I doubt if any tourist or city person would decide to get off to search out a great restaurant or really find anything to do after or before a game in Arlington Heights.
Not thinking tourists or Bear fans from around the state or country would be looking to stay in a hotel so far from the wonderful family attractions, restaurants and shopping in Chicago.
The Bears are offering 2 Billion to build a stadium owned by the public. It is no wonder that unions, the Mayor of Chicago and business internets want the stadium to be built in the city.
Arlington Heights makes little ir no sense.
In terms of Pritzker’s statements, if the Mayor is in favor of it Pritzker will be against it-just petty political games.
The Bears belong in Chicago.
Comment by Back to the Future Friday, May 10, 24 @ 3:21 pm
I absolutely do think President Warren will use this as an excuse. He took the job as President of a for-profit, privately owned corporation that needs to find its own source of capital to build their new headquarters facility. Just like other companies do.
My suggestion for President Warren would be to go to the next Chamber of Commerce meeting and network.
Comment by Jerry Friday, May 10, 24 @ 3:23 pm
The Bears should get all the blame, but the Mayor’s leap to get on that sinking ship was weirdly impressive.
Comment by Montrose Friday, May 10, 24 @ 4:28 pm
Originally AH was a slam dunk but the Bears ineptness destroyed that over a few million in taxes. I really dont believe they will ever do anything there but sell the property to new owners who might build a new stadium. Who gets blame? Mccaskeys as usual. In the future the mayor will say i tried and life will go on.
Comment by Regular democrat Friday, May 10, 24 @ 4:43 pm