Bad news Bears
Thursday, May 21, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
* NBC 5…
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has continued pushing for the Bears to build a new stadium in the city, but the team may have strengthened his resolve.
In an interview with NBC Chicago’s Mary Ann Ahern, Illinois State Sen. Bill Cunningham, a cosponsor of the “PILOT” bill aimed at keeping the Bears in Illinois, said the team reached out to the city in recent weeks concerning what he believed was a hypothetical reunion on a stadium project if their Arlington Heights site doesn’t work out.
Cunningham said the outreach from the Bears has strengthened the opposition of Chicago lawmakers to the bill that would relocate the team to Arlington Heights.
“One of the problems that we’ve run into is that some of the outreach the Bears have done to the city of Chicago as late as four weeks ago has breathed new life into the mayor’s opposition to the bill,” he said. “We learned that there was contact between the Bears and the city sometime in late April when they talked hypothetically about looking back at the lakefront if the Arlington Heights site did not work out. And that has given the mayor the opportunity to point to that as a hope that a lakefront stadium is still possible. And that increased opposition among Chicago members.”
On Wednesday night, a source close to the negotiations told NBC Chicago’s Mary Ann Ahern that the talks between the Bears and city were focused on the parameters of the team’s lease at Soldier Field, not a reengagement on stadium conversation.
In other words, the city’s general counsel disclosed a confidential “hypothetical” conversation with the Bears’ GC. Not a smart move by the team to even hold that meeting, and now I doubt they’ll ever do that again.
The GC reached out to the mayors office to solve a problem with the current lease, and the Johnson administration used that to their advantage. It was the Johnson administration, I’m told, which broached the subject of what would happen if the megaprojects bill didn’t pass. So, I seriously doubt there will be any more such meetings.
* Tribune…
“The team has been clear with the city of Chicago and state leaders there are only two viable stadium locations under consideration, Arlington Heights and Hammond, and a decision is expected between the two later this spring or early summer,” the team said in the statement. […]
Still, Cunningham said talk of resurrecting a Chicago stadium has created a roadblock in ongoing discussions among lawmakers trying to meet a May 31 deadline to hammer out a deal before the end of the spring legislative session that could compel the Bears to move to Arlington Heights. Cunningham said the Chicago stadium idea has become a catalyst for lawmakers — many from Chicago — who have expressed “substantial opposition” to the current negotiations over helping the team move to a suburb.
This sticking point in negotiations comes a few weeks after Johnson and others in the city administration visited Springfield and discussed with lawmakers the mayor’s desire to keep the Bears in Chicago.
“But by virtue of the fact that the Bears did outreach to the city as (of) late April, that has given credence to the mayor’s claim that a lakefront site is still viable,” Cunningham said. “That has helped him to convince Chicago legislators to move slowly, to give the city a chance to better develop a new lakefront plan and to not support the Arlington Heights site.”
* Cunningham’s text to me…
Was told by a representative of the Bears that while the attorneys were having a discussion about the existing lease, they had a “hypothetical” conversation about reconsidering a lakefront site if Arlington Heights doesn’t work out. Not surprisingly, the mayor and his people have seized on that discussion and have used it to their advantage — telling Chicago members that the city is still a viable alternative and that Hammond is a bluff. I don’t personally believe the Bears are serious about the city. I think they are primarily focused on Arlington Heights first and Hammond second. But either they were intentionally laying ground work for a backup plan with the city or their GC went places she probably shouldn’t have in a conversation with the city. Either way, it’s provided the mayor with a talking point as he lobbies Chicago legislators.
I think the GC went places she shouldn’t have because, I’m also told, the Bears informed the governor and the two Democratic legislative leaders that this whole thing is concocted.
* Either way, the spin is working. And some progressive legislators have taken a stand against any more corporate aid…
Sen. Lakesia Collins, D-Chicago, is proposing a plan that would eliminate several economic development tax credit programs, such as programs that incentivize construction jobs, to free up $700 million in revenue annually, according to proponents. Many of the targeted programs, however, have support from the governor and members of both parties.
“Isn’t it time that we take a stand showing exactly what our values are here in Illinois, instead of allowing the state’s wealthiest corporations to double dip, racking in both federal and state tax breaks?” Collins said
Another cluster.
- Rahm's Parking Meter - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 8:49 am:
This is just nuts.
- Better/Worse Things to Worry About. - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 8:51 am:
Let them leave.
- Candy Dogood - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 8:51 am:
Whether or not anyone likes it all of this sounds a little bit like a plan.
===wealthiest corporations to double dip, racking in both federal and state tax breaks?===
Hating on billionaires is so hot right now.
- Save Ferris - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 8:52 am:
LOL. Kevin Warren’s built a gang that’s less accurate than Cody Parkey. He’s already cost the McCaskey’s $2 billion in inflated construction costs by chasing free money at the lakefront. How much more will he cost them now?
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 8:56 am:
===a confidential “hypothetical” conversation===
People may consider confidential whatever they want. However, legally, conversations between two counterparties in a lease are not privileged in any way. Many organizations consider communications as confidential that the law does not.
- Sox Fan - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 8:59 am:
Sell the team! They’re going to end up in Hammond, the surrounding “stadium district” will consist of a TGI Fridays that nobody will go to 345 days a year and they’ll look to love back to the city in 20 years.
- Johnny B - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 9:07 am:
If you hate billionaires who acquired their fortunes through free market capitalism, you can always move to a country where the billionaires acquired their fortunes through central planning and state ownership of all key assets.
The opponents to the PILOT bill are throwing Hail Mary’s at the end of the 4th quarter.
The clock will run out soon on this Alcoa fantastic finish.
- 48th Ward Heel - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 9:09 am:
Is the stadium in Chicago a different level of unserious than the stadium in Hammond?
- Jurist - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 9:18 am:
Incredible. It’s like watching Week 18 between two winless teams—the Bears’ business and legal teams vs MBJ. Not good for the Bears that the MBJ administration just outmaneuvered their GC.
- Tony T. - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 9:30 am:
Getting enough Chicago members to vote for the Arlington Heights tax breaks has always been the biggest obstacle to passing the Bears’ bill. Engaging in any discussion with the city that even vaguely references a new stadium on the lake is really dumb — the equivalent of shouting “bomb” on an airplane. The Bears should know this, but they’ve proven repeatedly they don’t know what they’re doing.
- Steve - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 9:49 am:
If the Bears stay in Chicago: consider building west of the United Center. Easy to get there and get in and out because of the location.
- Rahm's Parking Meter - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 9:57 am:
Kevin Warren should be fired at this point, or sidelined by George McCaskey.
- Johnny B - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 9:59 am:
Way too expensive to acquire that land and demolish the buildings , especially considering that Sox Park will probably be torn down in a few years and there will most likely be 80 acres free right next to the Dan Ryan and Red Line.
- Candy Dogood - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 10:01 am:
===where the billionaires acquired their fortunes through central planning===
Really funny to read when the discussion is about whether or not the State of Illinois is going to provide billions in taxpayer funding to support a privately owned billion dollar sports franchise or whether the State of Indiana is going to do it.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 10:02 am:
The Bears’s lease with the Park District contains so many options that the team can keep playing this game for many, many years. Guaranteed Rate Field’s lease only has an option to 2030. People are focusing on the wrong stadium.
- Count Floyd - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 10:16 am:
===billionaires who acquired their fortunes through free market capitalism===
The McCaskey clan acquired their fortune the “old fashioned way”- via inheritance.
- Sue - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 10:40 am:
Question for the commentariat: why is it assumed that the Sox *must* leave Rate Field when the lease is up? Why wouldn’t they extend it indefinitely?
- Candy Dogood - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 10:40 am:
===via inheritance.===
Don’t forget the anti-competitive and monopolistic practices or the exploitation of workers while lying to them about the long term health effects of performing the work.
- fs - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 10:41 am:
== The Bears’s lease with the Park District contains so many options that the team can keep playing this game for many, many years. Guaranteed Rate Field’s lease only has an option to 2030. People are focusing on the wrong stadium.==
They could, but the catch to that is every year they wait, the price tag goes up
- DS - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 10:41 am:
It’s expected that city of chicago politicians (and their voters) to ask “what’s in it for us?” And I continue to not understand how this process helps city of chicago residents specifically.
Politics ain’t beanbag.
- Johnny B - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 10:45 am:
The Sox don’t have to leave, but their next majority owner Justin Ishbia, has acquired the 47 acre Amtrak rail yard in the South Loop .
It’s across the river from the new soccer stadium which could be a new ball park.
- Homebody - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 10:48 am:
Neither the Johnson administration nor the Bears have handled this process well, but I am much more inclined to blame the Johnson team for this most recent mess.
As a Chicago resident who voted for Johnson mostly because he wasn’t Paul Vallas, I support Pritzker’s comments from the other day. Johnson and his team not only are in over their heads here, but they don’t even understand how in over their heads they are.
- Keyrock - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 10:54 am:
Caleb Williams deserves better than this ownership.
And the taxpayers have no reason to subsidize this ownership.
Let Indiana give the McCaskeys money; Illinois shouldn’t.
- Candy Dogood - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 10:58 am:
===because he wasn’t Paul Vallas===
What, you weren’t convinced by Dick Durbin?
- ChicagoVinny - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 11:06 am:
== Hating on billionaires is so hot right now. ==
Many billionaires brought the hate on themselves with their behavior.
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 11:06 am:
Hilariously overestimating one’s value is a hallmark of Dunning-Kruger.
Which this outfit appears to have in spades.
- Sox Fan - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 11:37 am:
==Question for the commentariat: why is it assumed that the Sox *must* leave Rate Field when the lease is up? Why wouldn’t they extend it indefinitely?==
My impression is that the timing of the sale of the team is all tied in with the pending end of the Rate Field lease. By the time Ishbia assumes control of the Sox, the details of what happens beyond 2030 will hopefully already be worked out and announced. I could see a couple of year to year lease extensions depending on when construction begins.
I think an interesting question that was raised above is, what does the state do with ~100 acres of vacant land directly accessible by 4 transit lines and a major expressway once the Sox leave? Seems like a pretty valuable piece of property.
- Candy Dogood - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 11:54 am:
===Dunning-Kruger===
No one on this planet is immune to the Dunning-Kruger effect.
- Rahm's Parking Meter - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 11:57 am:
Sox fan - you should see the Josh Nelson article about this on Sox Machine last week. Really good - signed - a Cubs fan who wants game 3 back
.
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 11:57 am:
“No one on this planet is immune to the Dunning-Kruger effect.”
No, however most have enough humility to keep it in check
- Rich Miller - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 11:59 am:
===Josh Nelson article about this on Sox Machine last week===
Yeah, I need to post that. But here you go for now https://soxmachine.com/2026/05/justin-ishbias-path-in-building-a-new-white-sox-ballpark
- JB13 - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 12:10 pm:
It was heartening to hear the governor say the other day, clearly and loudly for those who pretend otherwise, that there is no path that leads to the Bears staying in Chicago.
It is a fact that should have been obvious from the start. Yet here we are yet again, with Chicago Democrats once again acting as if the state of Illinois exists only ever to benefit the city of Chicago and the rest of us can enjoy whatever crumbs fall from their table.
The attempt by them to force the Bears to stay in Chicago has been just as brazen and shameful as has been the Bears at understanding the racket.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 12:24 pm:
===The attempt by them to force the Bears to stay in Chicago===
I believe what they’re really doing is pushing blame onto the governor for allowing the team to leave the state. They obviously know there’s no chance for Chicago, so they’re trying to avoid the historical ignominy of losing the team to the suburbs.
- Pundent - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 12:31 pm:
=Whether or not anyone likes it all of this sounds a little bit like a plan.=
Based on a confidential hypothetical conversation? Sounds more like a dream than a plan.
The Johnson administration is starting to look a lot like the Trump administration absent the loyalists and enablers.
- Sox Fan - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 12:32 pm:
Thanks Rahm and Rich, I hadn’t seen that. I agree with the premise of that article. I’ve always thought the potential was there for Bridgeport (and all the vacant former CHA land just east of the Ryan) to really transform given all of the structural advantages. It just seems that Reinsdorf/Ishbia have no intention of capitalizing the way Reinsdorf has near the United Center.
- H-W - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 12:53 pm:
Let me start by saying, I get it Rich. You are most likely 100% correct in thinking the Chicago deal is now dead. I get that.
But when the Bears say “we are now completely done with Chicago, because Chicago announced they were talking about keeping the Bears in Chicago,” what sort of logic is that? Of course Chicago has been working to keep the Bears in Chicago. Would anyone think otherwise, really?
And when the story says, “Chicago stadium idea has become a catalyst for lawmakers — many from Chicago — who have expressed substantial opposition to the current negotiations over helping the team move to a suburb,” is that surprising too?
I just don’t get it. This is more about the politics of a deal, than the art of a deal.
All that to say this. I do not want any of my taxes paid to Illinois to be used to build the infrastructure of a stadium, unless I am guaranteed that the State of Illinois and the City of Wherever receive full and complete reimbursement in a very reasonable time. Otherwise, I will be paying taxes to support the Bears, whom I will never see except on television.
- thisjustinagain - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 1:02 pm:
“The Bears are who we thought they were” (banned punctuation).
I mean, why did their GC even have the hypothetical conversation at this point, especially with a mayor who can’t pull off a deal anyway?
Kevin Warren and ownership continue a needless soap opera.
- Jerry - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 2:01 pm:
Agree with H-W. Not. One. Dime. For. The. Moochers.
- Jerry - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 2:44 pm:
And you’ll be paying to watch them, H-W.
- Demoralized - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 3:00 pm:
==And you’ll be paying to watch them, H-W.==
So? That’s not an argument to keep them in Illinois.
Besides, all sports on on the path to being behind paid subscriptions.
- Johnny B - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 3:02 pm:
Get some rabbit ears for that Zenith H-W and you will be good
All of the Bears games on on free tv in the Chicago area
- Michelle Flaherty - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 4:08 pm:
It’s always a great idea, right before your wedding, to call your ex — purely hypothetically, of course — just to see if they’d still be available should this whole marriage thing not work out.
- hisgirlfriday - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 4:30 pm:
The Bears just came out and said flat out that only Arlington Heights and Hammond are under consideration.
What’s your next attention-seeking move, BJ?
- Some Guy - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 4:50 pm:
“If you hate billionaires who acquired their fortunes through free market capitalism,”
The McCaskeys inherited their money & the NFL practices socialism between the 32 teams. It ain’t like George McCaskey is playing a leading role in the league’s TV and revenue streaming. Arguably no one in the USA does less to earn their money than a person who inherits an NFL team.
- Moneybuys - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 4:51 pm:
Ahhh politics.. The art of the assignment of blame.
- OurMagician - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 5:25 pm:
I’m beginning to think Brandon may not have a great handle on governing…..
- ZC - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 7:40 pm:
Might it be marginally better for Chicago, economy-wise, if the Bears go to Hammond instead of to Arlington?
I am trying to extend a principle of charity that Johnson’s team know what they’re doing, trying to scuttle Arlington, which I know could be a mistake.
- Just a guy - Friday, May 22, 26 @ 12:33 pm:
- Count Floyd - Thursday, May 21, 26 @ 10:16 am:
===billionaires who acquired their fortunes through free market capitalism===
The McCaskey clan acquired their fortune the “old fashioned way”- via inheritance.
Don’t leave out the part where Virginia and clan then found ways to force anyone who’s last name was Halas out of anything remotely connected to Bears ownership. That part of the story about the loving matriarch is always conveniently left out of the narrative.
- Just a guy - Friday, May 22, 26 @ 12:35 pm:
I’d also say that every time I think Brandon can’t do anything any dumber than he’s already done, he proves me wrong. This is like the jilted ex who sees their old partner out with a couple of folks from the opposite sex, and tries to force their way into a conversation to put themselves back in the mix. Sorry Mr. Mayor…you lost the Bears a long time ago.