How long will that coalition last? It is a flex.
Regardless of jersey color, downstate would be amused with big ol’ Chicago losing the Bears.
Bears
- Thread starter PowerI66
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Regardless of jersey color, downstate would be amused with big ol’ Chicago losing the Bears.
The Region Rat Bears! Jets and Giants play in New Jersey. I wouldn't like it but being a South Sider, I'm closer to NW Ind then Arlington Heights. I don't think it will happen though. It's a ploy
According to Forbes the Bears are the 10th most valuable sports franchise in the world. Not just football, all sports franchises. The Bears are valued at 8.2 Billion. Anyone who thinks they will be moving to NW Indiana, either Hammond or Gary, should be placed under a Guardianship.
Why is that value tied to them staying in the Chicago area? It won't happen, but if Indiana were to give them everything they want they would have a brand new stadium plus surrounding area for entertainment, retail, hotels, etc. that they would own which would increase their valuation.
They should just move to Will county because we are the leading county in uncontrolled growth and building, whether it be homes, apartments, townhomes or warehouses. It is gotten so hard to move around in this county with any speed. Hell, what's another 100,000 vehicles or so on the road? Put them near Joliet where not all the bridges work at any given time and I-80 is always a parking lot. Put them near Lockport with one bridge that is only two lanes and isn't crowded providing you use it at 3:00 AM.
Maybe out in Channahon/Minooka. Where warehousing is going crazy and it takes an hour to go from Minooka to Morris already. LOL. Why not the Plainfield area? Then the area can grow some more and they can build yet another high school.
I mean, let's get crazy! Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes. Will county is the land of 100,000 trucks. A few thousand more won't make a difference.
Maybe out in Channahon/Minooka. Where warehousing is going crazy and it takes an hour to go from Minooka to Morris already. LOL. Why not the Plainfield area? Then the area can grow some more and they can build yet another high school.
I mean, let's get crazy! Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes. Will county is the land of 100,000 trucks. A few thousand more won't make a difference.
Grandson Kevin McCaskey is entrenched in Arlington Heights as a lifelong resident and Viator grad. He owns a lot of the downtown area - look for his black Range Rover with Bears plates reading NFL as it sits outside the Metropolis Centre, which houses his Arlington Ale House.
Rome and Burden out Sat night, ouch.
George is not moving the Bears out of IL. Kevin Warren is a dope, I’m so sick of him with this stadium. Drop this news right before the biggest game in how many years??? All to get some leverage from the broadcast mentioning it and then say it isn’t about leverage.
George is not moving the Bears out of IL. Kevin Warren is a dope, I’m so sick of him with this stadium. Drop this news right before the biggest game in how many years??? All to get some leverage from the broadcast mentioning it and then say it isn’t about leverage.
Are you saying this is a distraction? I'm confident the coaches and players are not thinking about a new stadium.
Did you think a project this size in Illinois of all places would go quickly? None of them do, the only reason we know about an infrastructure project of this scope is because it involves the Bears.
I just wish Warren and Pritzker could meet and both agree that the Bears must stay in cook country and negotiate with no hidden agenda's or leverage plays or political plays.
From what Waddle and Silvy said - the bears just want the city/state to agree that they won't jack up the taxes to an unfair number for them. They want clarity & understanding on how much they will pay in taxes.
It shouldn't be that hard.
I would like property tax certainty and an agreement with my town, the county and the State that they won't jack up taxes to an unfair number for me. But I am not going to get that and neither are the property owners in Arlington Heights.
The Bears owe $356 Million on the renovation for Soldier Field, they will walk out on that and leave the debt to the City of Chicago. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...soldier-field-a-356-million-debt-stays-behind
If the McCaskey's are so worried about costs take a lesson from other owners in the NFL, sell to a billionaire who doesn't care about property taxes or infrastructure costs. That person only wants to belong to an exclusive club, own an NFL club and doesn't care how much it costs.
There is more at play here. A bill needs to be passed and there are upset congressmen that want to know what the Bears are going to do about the debt still owed on Soldier Field renovation and they are basically saying it’s a non-starter until there’s more clarity. And then you have the whole anti-public funds argument..Warren thought he would bully Chi/Cook/AH/IL and they are not just rolling over. But yes, I believe more transparency and actual talking instead of posturing needs to happen. I’ve talked to some local government folks and the bears are trying to be a bully, until they actually step back and really talk this will be what we have.
My question regarding the money owed on the renovation is, what was the agreed upon split between the Bears and the city? Also, is the city still using the hotel tax that was supposed to be used to pay their end of the bill or did they move it to another gaping budget hole? That would be a very Chicago thing for the city to do. Some people forget it's the Chicago Park District that owns Soldier Field, not the Bears.
The project in AH is estimated to cost $5 billion and the Bears seek $885 million in public funds as well as a property tax freeze. I don't see how that's all that unreasonable as the project will benefit AH year round and not just during football season as well as creating housing and jobs.
Before people come at me saying the people of AH don't get to have a property tax freeze so why should the Bears. To that I would say, put up a $5 billion project and you'll be surprised and how many concessions a city will give you.
Anywho, Jacobs and Watson are questionable for Saturday so this game could be a war of attrition to see who's left standing by the 4th quarter.
They need a bill to pass for the property tax stuff and maybe the public funds (don't quote me on that part). The property tax stuff had been agreed in principal from the local level but they need the votes statewide. From what I have been told, the Bears wanted the bill in fall session but were not putting forward any effort to lobby. Like or hate lobbying, you have to play the game.
I mean he has been ready to go, Pritzker has publically said the Bears aren't a priority.
Of the teams currently in playoff position the Bears have the lowest odds to actually make the playoffs. That can't be good when a team 3 games worse than you has a better shot to make it.
I feel like Saturday is going to be a very ugly game with both teams having so many injuries. Bears gonna need to lean on both TEs and RBs out of the backfield in the passing game.
I feel like Saturday is going to be a very ugly game with both teams having so many injuries. Bears gonna need to lean on both TEs and RBs out of the backfield in the passing game.
But has he really? They came to the property tax agreement locally but hasn’t seemed ready to sit down and actually talk and lobby about issues that have been out there. Seems like he is ready to go on his terms. Every time he doesn’t get his way it’s an open letter, here a Chicago plan/talking to Aurora/Naoerville/now NW Ind…same thing over again. We know you want AH, they know you want AH…do the work and figure it out. Enough with the posturing and open letters.
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Distraction to the team? Absolutely not. But don’t tell me it isn’t a leverage play when it’s obvious you dropped right before a HUGE game knowing you will get the national press on the broadcast. That’s what bugs me, we know what you are doing, don’t lie to us.
Well said. And it has gotten national attention. I listened to it discussed on ESPN’s PTI last night. Michael Wilson, a Chicago guy, dismissed it as a ploy that will never happen.
As you said in an earlier post, it’s a new location but the same tactic we’ve seen. Warren needs a new playbook.
What is there to talk and lobby about? Bears want $885 mil in public funding and a property tax freeze. I'm certain there's a million other small details, but these are the key items. My question would be why is the state dragging their feet on putting it to a vote?
The way I see it is that the ball is in the lawmakers court to at least put it on the agenda. To me this not posturing by the Bears but rather Pritzker trying to dictate terms to prove he's the big man, figuratively of course, literally he's always going to be the bigger man.
A friend of mine started a pool attempting to guess the next city/region the Bears float as the site of their future stadium. I’ve got Kenosha.
From what I’m being told Bears haven’t provided many of the small details. Gov has said overall plan seems fine but needs more. They have been lacking details…again from what I’m told from folks on the local level. I live in AH, so I get a lot of talk about it..some good some not as good.