* Sun-Times…
A source close to the Bears said the General Assembly is “clearly calling the Bears’ bluff” and daring them to move to Indiana. […]
“The fact that they’ve been trying to get a stadium for three years, they pass a bill in the House, we wait weeks and weeks and weeks for the Senate to tell us what they think they’re going to do and then, the Senate files a bill at 11 o’clock at night? It wasn’t serious. They’re checking a box.”
* Tribune…
The [1988] Sox vote was met with great urgency as a governor, legislative leaders and a Chicago mayor all united to save the team. But the Bears appeared largely to be a political afterthought, with the House and Senate failing to agree on vastly different stadium plans. Gov. JB Pritzker acknowledged he had not even read the Senate’s last-ditch proposal, and said he doubts that the Hammond offer could ever come to fruition due to environmental site concerns. […]
Senate President Don Harmon, of Oak Park, told reporters that “the question I don’t think is ‘How this came together last night?’ but that we did anything at all” about the Bears.
“There was an enormous undercurrent in our caucus to not do anything,” he said. “People are worried about neighbors being thrown off of food stamps, people not being able to keep up with inflation because their wages aren’t coming up, losing their healthcare because the hospitals and healthcare providers that serve them are being undercut by Washington. There was no appetite at all to provide public dollars to a $10 billion sports franchise.” […]
But even Welch admitted later that “as the (Bears) conversations have continued, as legislation passed the House, as legislation passed the Senate (Monday morning), more and more it comes up at the kitchen table. People are saying, ‘Hey, Speaker Welch, don’t let the Bears leave, but don’t give them any money.’”
Senate President Harmon and Senate sponsor Bill Cunningham also used that line about “don’t let the Bears leave, but don’t give them any money” this week.
Thoughts?
…Adding… The Bears have been telling their lobbyists for weeks that this isn’t happening. And “recent” is a relative term, which the mayor should define. If it was this past weekend, that’s one thing. If it was April, that’s quite another…
- Sue - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 11:22 am:
The Bears ability to sell the team which allows members of the family to monetize their ownership interests is contingent on resolution of the stadium- the Bears’ ownership is not bluffing- unless Illinois can convince the Family a stadium deal is possible the team will announce no later then September that they will relocate to Hammond
- levivoted4judy - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 11:24 am:
I’ve been hearing the environmental argument a lot the last 48 hours so I went on-line and checked out the site - Wolf Lake Memorial Park. It already has a pavillion, you can swim, kayak and golf there and it must have already passed the high environmental standards that parks require. So unless, that is not the site, that argument is pretty weak. The property tax burden would fall on the impacted local IL communities, I guess mostly Arlington Hts. It’s also standard for government to pay for public infrastructure improvements and in Arlington Hts., some were going to happen anyway. I think IL could have played its hand better, much better.
- NIU Grad - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 11:37 am:
That source with the Bears represents an attitude that’s been indicative of their entire lobbying strategy. They think that they’re the Sox in 1988 and that there will be grave political repercussions for Illinois legislators if they leave for Indiana. What they don’t realize, is that many legislators think they would be booted from office if they bailed out the Bears at the expense of social service programs or education tax dollars in their own district.
- Distant Viewer - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 11:38 am:
I’m not sure if it is a bluff or not. But, Senator Harmon is right. No one I know wants public dollars being used to help out billionaire team owners.
- SIUDawg - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 11:38 am:
Well….bye.
- AlabamaShake - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 11:38 am:
**the Bears’ ownership is not bluffing**
Ah, I’m sure that Sue has an inside source in the Bears organization.
- Sue - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 11:42 am:
Alabama-actually I do
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 11:45 am:
===environmental argument===
The better environmental concern may be that Wolf Lake is an important wetland and nature preserve that should not be disrupted by development. Not the condescending “it’s a dump” argument City Hall is fond of.
I have hiked there before. It’s pretty nice.
- DuPage Saint - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 11:48 am:
The Bears made a ton of mistakes in this but the biggest, costliest, dumbest mistake was employing Kevin Warren
- Candy Dogood - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 11:48 am:
The fizzle out on the Bears bill was intentional?
Okay.
What’s next? Mayor Johnson is given credit for this bold move?
- New Day - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 11:51 am:
Respectfully, Levi, the Hammond site environmental issues are all too real.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/19/chicago-bears-stadium-slag-heap-hammond/?share=cau0scocwmsacscaduhi
- DS - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 11:57 am:
I’ve yet to hear it articulated why the Arlington Heights Bears and the costs incurred to make that happen would be better for City of Chicago residents than the Hammond Hams. Not sure why anybody is surprised that Chicago reps balked. It was all downside.
- Skeptic - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 11:59 am:
One difference between the Sox situation and the Bears (aside from a billion dollars or so) is the Sox were threatening to move to a completely different market and not just across a dotted line on the map.
- New Day - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 12:00 pm:
“The Bears made a ton of mistakes in this but the biggest, costliest, dumbest mistake was employing Kevin Warren”
AMEN
- Homebody - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 12:02 pm:
Pro sports teams are emotional terrorists who want to hold your feelings hostage to get payouts. Does any other for profit industry work this way when it comes to government largess?
- Jocko - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 12:05 pm:
==the Bears’ ownership is not bluffing==
$855 million vs. Roger Goodell saying “It’s gonna be AH or Hammond.” Your move McCaskeys.
- wut - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 12:06 pm:
This ain’t 1988 and the political climate could not be more different. Corporations and rich people shoudl read the room. And some reporters acting like the state should bend over backwards to hand out money to billionaires like they did in 1988 should probably do the same
- jimbo - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 12:10 pm:
The goal was having a stadium that would be used all the other days of the year. I just don’t see how Gary works for that. For sure, enough Bears fans will drive to Gary to see a game- but will concert goers and promoters really routinely book Gary instead of Rosemont/United/Soldier Field? I don’t see it happening.
- OneMan - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 12:12 pm:
One of the sports shouting shows had a guy who basically said the Bears had hired all the high quality assistance for Springfield and then chose to ignore them.
Yes, I think to a degree they called their bluff. Good luck getting all those other events you were going to get in Arlington Heights to come to Hammond.
- Big Tent - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 12:19 pm:
None of these three “leaders” are willing to lean in and get this done, for fear of wearing the Indiana Bears jacket. It appears the Senate bill provided what everyone clamors about.
“Keep the Bears in Illinois, don’t give them a penny.”
- Steve - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 12:20 pm:
I hope Illinois legislators don’t spend any more time on the Bears. There are other issues in Illinois to spend time on. The Bears can go where they want to go.
- B - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 12:21 pm:
Sue has an inside source like I have a shot at starting QB for the Bears.
Calling their bluff is smart. Even if tbey announce Hammond, it will be a year or 2 until shovels hit the ground, that gives Illinois plenty of time to then react and suddenly pass what is needed. There is no real down side in seeing if it is a bluff. There is a massive down side in giving money to billionaires esp more than needed to keep them.
Alao if they do move, so what. Indiana gets the “privelage” of paying their money for our team with our name on it.
The city has already shown how little the Bears actually make the city revenue wise. The players will all still leave near the pracrice facility. When people fly in for events or games it will be into 1 of the 2 Chicago airports and 90% will stay in downtown Chicago which is on their way from the airports.
Chicago gets 90% of the benefit for 0% of the cost. Indiana somehow thinks this is some sort of burn against us and boon to them LOL. They are still paying off Lucas Oil Stadium. NW Indiana residents havent even had their say in all this yet either.
Acting like this is a done deal if the bears announce Hammond is absurd, and being mad the state called their bluff and didnt hand over tax payer money to billionaires like Indiana loves to do is even more absurd. There is a reason Indiana is at the bottom of almost every quality of life ranking for its residents.
- Ducky - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 12:21 pm:
Joining the chorus. 1988 was totally different. The Soxs were threatening to leave the market entirely. The Bears are not threatening to move to say Mexico City or London. The discussion would be totally different if that is what was being threatened.
- Benniefly2 - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 12:22 pm:
Regarding the environmental issues… Under the Brownfield Revitalization Act of 2002, the Bears wouldn’t be under any obligation to remediate the entire site. They can more or less pave over the site to eliminate exposure pathways and be done with it.
The soils are crap in that area, so I assume that they will have to support the stadium on pylons anyway vs digging out a huge area for a normal foundation anyway. There will be some extra disposal costs for any contaminated soils that they dig up while excavating the pylon areas if they can’t find a way to use the materials on site. There also might have to be some temporary water treatment facility at the site during construction, but nothing that would be a deal breaker on 2 to 3 billion dollar facility that the State of Indiana is willing to give them money to build.
- Not Rich - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 12:23 pm:
DuPage was spot on. The biggest problem is Kevin Warren. Incompetent, meets with 3 politics and tells each of them a different pitch/story. Plus he’s a bully, and not really the person the team needs up front. If you thought Ted Phillips was bad .. meet K W
- Pundent - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 12:32 pm:
=The Bears ability to sell the team which allows members of the family to monetize their ownership interests is contingent on resolution of the stadium=
The Bears, with all of their stadium issues, are conservatively worth $8B today. And there would be no shortage of interested buyers with or without a new stadium.
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 12:45 pm:
==the team will announce no later then September that they will relocate to Hammond==
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
- Rudy’s teeth - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 12:47 pm:
Surprised that the state of Indiana is willing to lavish so much money to draw the Bears to Hammond. When will the employees/retirees from Indiana feel the pinch when their salaries and pensions are diminished to fund the Bears?
Indiana has a huge reserve for a reason. Potholes and roads would like a word. Indiana is ranked the worst state in the nation for pollution in the air, water, and soil.
- hisgirlfriday - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 12:50 pm:
Reminds me of Bailey’s current politicking in bashing Pritzker for not passing the Bears subsidy bill he opposed
- Downstate - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 12:50 pm:
Selfishly, going to an ND home game on Saturday and a Bears game on Sunday (only 75 minutes away) is very attractive. Throw in a little time at a casino and it makes for a great weekend.
I realize I can do the same with Soldier Field, but it just seems a little tougher with parking, hotels, navigation, etc.
- JDub - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 12:52 pm:
“You’re the pride and joy of Illinois”
We need an edit stat!
- New Day - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 1:07 pm:
https://x.com/thescorechicago/status/2061831364152856966?s=46&t=p1cZY_8lEHgEDbZUlH79_g
- Casper the Ghost Bus - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 1:12 pm:
The Bears are a professional sports entertainment industry. Has anyone seen a worse marketing effort? Volunteer advocates do a better job every single day pushing the need for their special interests and issues in Springfield than the Bears have. A multi-billion dollar entertainment corporation essentially did nothing to drum up support. They relied on veiled threats, social media commentary and, apparently Sue.
The school kids who got the milk snake declared the state snake a few years ago look like the state of the art Taylor Swift marketing enterprise compared to the Bears abysmal efforts to get what they want. The Bears are about as sympathetic a figure as an old rich guy demanding help to leave his loyal wife for a younger woman.
- Huh? - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 1:17 pm:
Are the bears really going to walk away from the $200 million plus cost of demo that they paid for Arlington Park?
- low level - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 1:38 pm:
==the team will announce no later then September that they will relocate to Hammond==
Oh. OK, bye. That was easy…
- Mister Ed - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 1:44 pm:
I am not a big fan of the Governor or the legislature but they got this Bears travesty right. The Bears are worth at least 10 billion dollars. They can afford to build their own stadium. Have any of the McCaskeys worked a day in their lives. Papa Bear Halas made them all mega-rich. Jst sayin!
- Frida's Boss - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 1:47 pm:
I think one of the biggest issues in this whole debate, the Bears did not communicate to the public. This entire scenario feels cloak-and-dagger, behind-closed-doors hustling. Had the Bears run a PR campaign, coming off a great season, to explain a world-class venue, year-round concert series, Final Fours, an entire entertainment district and so much more, I think that could’ve helped.
Hindsight is 20/20, but seemingly sitting on the sidelines never being fully forthcoming with their conversations or intent has made the public frustrated.
- May soon be required - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 1:51 pm:
Also why are they waiting for September to announce, what would happen between now and then?
- Remember the Alamo II - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 2:04 pm:
At this point, just move to Indiana. I am sick of hearing about this topic.
- New Day - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 2:23 pm:
“Hindsight is 20/20, but seemingly sitting on the sidelines never being fully forthcoming with their conversations or intent has made the public frustrated.”
It wasn’t hindsight. They were advised. Kevin Warren ignored.
- Think Again - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 2:27 pm:
=The Bears are a professional sports entertainment industry. Has anyone seen a worse marketing effort? =
I would say a supermajority legislature, matched with a Governor with potential national aspirations, failing to work out a deal is worse.
- Remember when? - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 2:41 pm:
The Chicago Bears were offered the opportunity to share the new Illinois sponsored stadium with the Chicago White Sox, but passed.
I am uncertain if the Bears organization ever explained the team’s rationale for declining to move. Perhaps the Bears did not want to play in a stadium designed primarily for baseball, but whatever the case may be the football team stayed at Soldier Field.
- low level - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 2:42 pm:
== At this point, just move to Indiana. I am sick of hearing about this topic.==
Agreed x 100,000.
- Benjamin - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 2:47 pm:
The other big difference between now and 1988: we have a much better understanding of what an economic loser stadium construction subsidies are. Forty years ago, educated people could make an argument that dollars spent on a stadium would come back with interest in economic impact. But now we know that’s definitely not so.
- Benjamin - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 2:50 pm:
@Think Again: you could also say that the legislature and governor protected Illinois taxpayers by not subsidizing a wealthy private enterprise.
- Proud Papa Bear - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 2:59 pm:
@Think Again
Time will tell, but you might be surprised at how few people are enthusiastic about subsidies for stadiums they’ll likely never set foot in.
- B - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 3:03 pm:
@Thing Again is the type of person that would of trashed JB and Illinois government if it spent tax payer dollars on this in time like this.
We know his type, the type that voted for the ones making everyones lives worse off and miserable and then still focuses his hate on JB.
- Don't Let the Door Hit You - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 3:03 pm:
I am equally tired of this endless debate. The Bears need to spend their own money or move to Hammond.
The Halas/McCaskey family has owned the franchise since 1921. After 100 plus years, they have had ample time in which to develop their own stadium.
They have always asked others to let them live rent free for the most part.
Kudos to P. K. Wrigley for telling his tenant (Halas) to take a hike when he asked him to remodel Wrigley Field dramatically in order for the Bears to play seven home games per season with additional seats.
- Central - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 3:09 pm:
Wow. If the Bears were really having side talks with the city, that progressed enough to get to a near term sheet, they were telling a lot of people - from members to stakeholders - some real whoppers in Springfield.
- Johnny B - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 3:12 pm:
Why do these legislators think the Bears would commit to build a stadium without knowing what the property taxes will cost.
Unlike other large projects, they only have 10-12 dates to cover the expense of the stadium.
Other cities have figured that out and that is why the highest property taxes in the NFL are in LA at the brand new SOFI stadium where 2 NFL teams play.
If the taxes were $50-$70 million a year that would require them raise ticket prices over $100 each each game.
Why would they build the stadium when they would be at such a competitive disadvantage to the other NFL teams?
- Arsenal - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 3:18 pm:
==The Bears ability to sell the team which allows members of the family to monetize their ownership interests is contingent on resolution of the stadium==
I have no idea if the Bears are bluffing or not, but this is absolutely not true. Big Four sports teams are basically the most valuable assets in America, the McCaskeys could sell the team for billions of dollars under basically any condition.
==I would say a supermajority legislature, matched with a Governor with potential national aspirations, failing to work out a deal is worse.==
Well, that wasn’t a marketing effort, it was a legislative effort.
- Department of Gubernatorial Readiness - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 3:19 pm:
Meanwhile the budget passed early Monday AM maintains $1 billion in data center subsidies. Guess their lobbyists were better! We shouldn’t be funding either of course.
- JoanP - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 3:20 pm:
I’m guessing the Bears lobbyists will not be nominated for a Golden Horseshoe this year.
- Lagartha's Shield - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 3:26 pm:
Wait. We’re supposed to feel bad that our elected officials didn’t do all they could to help the “family to monetize their ownership interests?” I didn’t realize that was the objective here.
- Think Again - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 3:28 pm:
=still focuses his hate on JB=
Never once have I used cross words towards JB or any elected official - Policy differences, for sure but no hate.
- Skeptic - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 3:29 pm:
“Time will tell, but you might be surprised at how few people are enthusiastic about subsidies for stadiums they’ll likely never set foot in.”
Didn’t part of the state want to secede because they were fed up with their taxes going to Chicago?
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 3:38 pm:
JoanP, the problem was not the lobbyists. The problem was the team didn’t listen to the lobbyists.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 3:40 pm:
===this is absolutely not true===
They can get more for the team with a new stadium complex. So, you’re wrong.
- B - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 3:48 pm:
@Think Again it’s the same thing. You vote for the destruction in the WH and focus your ire on JB and Illinois. And have the audacity to be mad they didnt hand billionaires billions.
- Stuart - Tuesday, Jun 2, 26 @ 5:29 pm:
Thank you Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas for having the guts to come out early against this Bears Bill Disaster.