Twitter seems really happy about this and personally I don't see why. Soldier field is tiny obviously, but I like having a downtown stadium. Someone want to explain the appeal to me?
It's a negotiating ploy but the Bears dont own Soldier Field. They lease it from the city. There's a lot they dont control around the facility. Im sure that has a lot to do w it, but really, it's probably mostly posturing.
Having lots of space to tailgate and party before the game is 100% better than some downtown experience.
Just a different experience in my opinion. Tailgating in Chicago is more hitting up bars and such over actual traditional tailgating.
Soldier field lots aren’t great but they could be worse. Also plenty of industrial type lots within a half mile. This is a negotiation tactic and a pretty solid investment because that property will 100% be developed into commercial/residential space within 15 years
Soldier Field’s capacity is way less than what it needs to be and the renovation turned it into an eyesore. That said, the lakefront location is pretty cool.
I’ve only been when it’s warm, but yeah, I can imagine the breezes off the lake being pretty brutal from November on.
Soldier Field is a crappy stadium that's not particularly accessible despite being "downtown." But having it next to the lake is cool.
Build a modern retractable roof stadium- so you can attract other damn events. Soldier Field is awful after October- sitting in the upper decks with the wind off the lake is a miserable experience
The cold weather isn't even the worst thing about it. It is an eyesore and a logistical nightmare getting in and out.
I’m helping plan a bachelor party for the ND/UW football game. Having worked around Chicago I have a pretty good lay of the land. A guy told me he has a place set up 15 minutes between Soldier and Schaumburg where we are doing Top Golf Friday. I asked him were we taking a helicopter or his jet to get there? He hasn’t spoken to me since.
As long as the Sox don't get any ideas about relocating there when the lease at GRF expires I'm good with whatever they replace that dumpster fire of a stadium with.
I get the argument of wanting to have the stadium in the city but the actual stadium sucks and there’s no denying that. It would be super strange to have the team in Arlington heights but many nfl teams have their stadiums in the suburbs, so I can see it happening. At the end of the day, I’m sure this is just a negotiation tactic to get the city to help pay for a new stadium/renovations.
Just like everyone else ‘from Chicago’ they’re actually from the western suburbs. SuBearban Chicago O’Bears Bearlington Heights
My dad has multiple Gary Bears shirts at home this shit isn’t new- the bears owners played this card 25 yrs ago https://www.google.com/amp/s/chicag...-move-suburbs-gary-mayor-richard-m-daley/?amp
Lol they still have $688 million in debt on the last Soldier Field renovation. The ISFA issued Muni bonds on it, so not a mortgage loan, but I highly doubt that the park district is sitting on cash to pay back the principal.
The aerial shots of Soldier Field on SNF or MNF are pretty cool. Based on this opinion, it would be a goddamn travesty if the Bears moved.
No one has mentioned the Bears are the 7th highest valued team in the NFL I believe, something like that, and the only NFL team not to own their stadium. This is a billion dollar decision and would likely put the teams value in the top 3 if they were to own their own stadium. More than just posturing IMO.
Cubs never had a specific threat, it was more or less “maybe we’ll consider going to the suburbs,” which nobody took seriously including Tom Ricketts