Bears New Stadium Nonsense Repository

[Xee]

I miss Chris Farley . . .

I'm curious to know where the line is between "this is a negotiating tactic" and "this is seriously being considered".

[IotaNet]

If you're wondering why the NFL cares about this issue consider this:

Chicago is the largest market in the NFL with only one team -- yet it has the smallest stadium in the league.

What is the missed revenue opportunity for the league because of the Bears' stadium situation?

[Z Bear]

$125 x 20,000 more seats x 8 = $20,000,000 a year in NFL ticket sales alone. Not to mention parking, concessions, souvenirs. Those are also nosebleed prices, where the bulk of the extra seats will go. But it will be compounded if you make additions to club seats and suites, which I am sure will happen. So triple that average ticket price and you are up to $60,000,000. Not to mention they can now rent out the place for millions an event to other sports, concerts, and business conferences. I would say all told they would be looking at $100,000,000+ a year more revenue. Now some of that $100,000,000 will get eaten up by loan payments and maintenance for the facility, which they do not have to pay now.

[Arkansasbear]

Looks like this may be way more than a leverage move.

https://www.sportsmockery.com/chicago-b ... sino-deal/

I think it's 100% in the team long term best interest financially to make this move. May be some short term bad PR stuff to deal with but that will pass.

[TheWorldBreaker]

$125 x 20,000 more seats x 8 = $20,000,000 a year in NFL ticket sales alone. Not to mention parking, concessions, souvenirs. Those are also nosebleed prices, where the bulk of the extra seats will go. But it will be compounded if you make additions to club seats and suites, which I am sure will happen. So triple that average ticket price and you are up to $60,000,000. Not to mention they can now rent out the place for millions an event to other sports, concerts, and business conferences. I would say all told they would be looking at $100,000,000+ a year more revenue. Now some of that $100,000,000 will get eaten up by loan payments and maintenance for the facility, which they do not have to pay now.

And don’t forget about naming rights for the stadium.

[Grizzled]

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/submitting ... 49495.html

Churchill Downs and Rivers Casino are becoming corporate sponsors of the Bears. Neil Bluhm, a minority owner in the Bears is also a minority owner in Rivers Casino and one of its principal operators. He is also one of the richest guys in Chicago. Could there be a partnership between Churchill and the McCaskey family to develop the property with restaurants, stores, etc. and build a stadium which can be used year-round?

[wulfy]

The selection of a Churchill Down-owned casino as the "official betting partner of the Chicago Bears" certainly is not coincidental.

The thing I'm shocked about .... the Bears business organization, led by Ted Phillips, is being extremely savvy.

[cblaz11]

At this point, I want this to happen just to stick it to Lightfoot. Many other reasons....but that’s one of them.

[Otis Day]

I want this to happen. History be damned. Teams move and this team needs a place that is modern, on the cutting edge and just more fan friendly, team advantageous. I have had great experiences at Soldier Field, but it is time.

[The Cooler King]

The selection of a Churchill Down-owned casino as the "official betting partner of the Chicago Bears" certainly is not coincidental.

The thing I'm shocked about .... the Bears business organization, led by Ted Phillips, is being extremely savvy.

This shouldn't be shocking.

Ted Phillips is good at his job when he has a real football guy at the top of the personnel chain.

[IotaNet]

Ted Phillips is good at his job when he has a real football guy at the top of the personnel chain.

Bingo.

Phillips may not be a football guy but he is definitely a savvy finance guy. I believe that's why the family has kept him around all these years. He appears to have done an excellent job of managing the $$$.

[Z Bear]

Look at the value of the franchise when he took over to what it is worth today. That is the way to judge Phillips' proficiency....not wins and loses.

[wulfy]

Look at the value of the franchise when he took over to what it is worth today. That is the way to judge Phillips' proficiency....not wins and loses.

That has a whole hell of a lot more to do with the standing of the NFL, not Ted Phillips.

[The Cooler King]

Look at the value of the franchise when he took over to what it is worth today. That is the way to judge Phillips' proficiency....not wins and loses.

That has a whole hell of a lot more to do with the standing of the NFL, not Ted Phillips.

At the very least you have to measure it against their peers. Not sure how he compares there.

But my measuring stick is the Bears have gone from one of the worst reputations as spenders to one of the tops. The McCaskeys aren't funneling in money from outside businesses so they couldn't do that if he wasnt doing his job well. That's obviously a more qualitative than quantative measure, but a good one I think.

[IotaNet]

The McCaskeys aren't funneling in money from outside businesses so they couldn't do that if he wasnt doing his job well. That's obviously a more qualitative than quantative measure, but a good one I think.

Thats the key for me. Unlike with Arthur Blank, Jerry Jones, Stan Kronke, et al, the Bears are not some Rich Mans Toy … they’re the family business and the McCaskeys have a very narrow margin for (financial) error. Phillips has navigated the money for them for quite awhile.

[Hoog]

I just have one question:

Would we be the Arlington Heights Bears or just the Arlington Bears?

[G08]

I just have one question:

Would we be the Arlington Heights Bears or just the Arlington Bears?

District of Arlington Heights Bears.... DAH Bears for short

[Xee]

@Hoog Not sure if that is sarcasm but just in case it isn't the name wouldn't change. I believe others have already pointed out that there's plenty of teams who don't play in their namesake city or in the case of the New York teams, not even in the same state.

[The Cooler King]

I just have one question:

Would we be the Arlington Heights Bears or just the Arlington Bears?

District of Arlington Heights Bears.... DAH Bears for short

I like it.

[AZ_Bearfan]

Wasn't it the Phoenix Cardinals before they moved from Sun Devil stadium in Tempe out to Glendale? Now they're the Arizona Cardinals.

[AZ_Bearfan]

I'd hate to be the Illinois Bears and have to listen to people butcher the pronunciation.

[IotaNet]

Here’s something to consider: Is there a better use for the Soldier Field space than a football stadium?

The Bears to AH momentum is building and I think it’s going to happen. The question becomes “What happens to Soldier Field?” Since it is no longer a landmark, it can probably be torn down. I’m wondering if that might be an opportunity for something better to take its place?

Right now, you have a huge building sitting on a campus along with a world-class Museum, Planetarium, and Aquarium. Yet, it sits empty for most of the year, and the only people who can access the space are those well-heeled enough to pay to attend Bears games.

IMO, this is an opportunity to open that land up for better (and more frequent) public use. There are endless possibilities based on the location but I would think that the business and philanthropic community would jump at the chance to add another Museum-like structure there. Not to mention the Chicago Park District.

Everyone loves the Bears but maybe this is an opportunity to make more inclusive civic use of that prime real estate.

Thoughts?

[docc]

Wasn't it the Phoenix Cardinals before they moved from Sun Devil stadium in Tempe out to Glendale? Now they're the Arizona Cardinals.

No as they said at the time. Cardinals wanted to appeal to Tucson and the rest of the state. It was moron old man Boswell mistake.

Not a lot of love down here for Phoenix teams
There are more Bears bars like The Chicago Bar..and Phoenix teams not at all. There are Arizona Cardinal fans down here..not me

[Moriarty]

Here’s something to consider: Is there a better use for the Soldier Field space than a football stadium?

The Bears to AH momentum is building and I think it’s going to happen. The question becomes “What happens to Soldier Field?” Since it is no longer a landmark, it can probably be torn down. I’m wondering if that might be an opportunity for something better to take its place?

Right now, you have a huge building sitting on a campus along with a world-class Museum, Planetarium, and Aquarium. Yet, it sits empty for most of the year, and the only people who can access the space are those well-heeled enough to pay to attend Bears games.

IMO, this is an opportunity to open that land up for better (and more frequent) public use. There are endless possibilities based on the location but I would think that the business and philanthropic community would jump at the chance to add another Museum-like structure there. Not to mention the Chicago Park District.

Everyone loves the Bears but maybe this is an opportunity to make more inclusive civic use of that prime real estate.

Thoughts?

I think that's a fascinating possibility, but I've got nothing at the moment.


This is interesting and tangentially related
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucas_Mus ... icago_site

[Otis Day]

I think there would be a push for more soccer games (of some sort) to happen there. I can also see some more Northwestern games, maybe an ND game. Maybe they push for some type of neutral field game between some big schools. Concerts in the spring, summer and fall. They would not have to worry as much about tearing up the field.

I can't see them tearing the place down though. It is part of the Chicago downtown.

[IotaNet]

I can't see them tearing the place down though. It is part of the Chicago downtown.

Only until it isn't. I'm old enough to remember when there was no such thing as Millineum Park and when there was such a thing as "The Conrad Hilton." Chicago has always reinvented itself.

This is interesting and tangentially related
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucas_Mus ... icago_site

That's PRECISELY the kind of thing I'm talking about. Who needs an old relic of a stadium that's been obsolete for YEARS?

That's Chicago's front yard -- put something in that space that's worthy of a world-class city.

I realize that I'm channeling Daniel Burnham here but that's what Chicago is all about.

(Man, sometimes I miss that city SO much.)

[The Cooler King]

Here’s something to consider: Is there a better use for the Soldier Field space than a football stadium?

The Bears to AH momentum is building and I think it’s going to happen. The question becomes “What happens to Soldier Field?” Since it is no longer a landmark, it can probably be torn down. I’m wondering if that might be an opportunity for something better to take its place?

Right now, you have a huge building sitting on a campus along with a world-class Museum, Planetarium, and Aquarium. Yet, it sits empty for most of the year, and the only people who can access the space are those well-heeled enough to pay to attend Bears games.

IMO, this is an opportunity to open that land up for better (and more frequent) public use. There are endless possibilities based on the location but I would think that the business and philanthropic community would jump at the chance to add another Museum-like structure there. Not to mention the Chicago Park District.

Everyone loves the Bears but maybe this is an opportunity to make more inclusive civic use of that prime real estate.

Thoughts?

Did Lucas ever end up putting his museum elsewhere? If not that, I'm sure that area could attract another museum. And that was basically only supposed to eliminate parking. If Bears were gone, that's much less of a concern.

I think they'd keep SF more or less as is. But they wouldn't need 60k seats for soccer. Maybe they could remove the 3rd level on the west side, thus toning down the saucer part and improve the asthetics, while adding extra premium box seats for soccer and fully cover the lower bowl.

Back to those two south parking lots perhaps the city can make it true Park space with some limited commercial development that would allow some restaurants and other vendors for a pre and post game soccer village experience as well as other events like small festivals.

[southdakbearfan]

Wasn't it the Phoenix Cardinals before they moved from Sun Devil stadium in Tempe out to Glendale? Now they're the Arizona Cardinals.

They were. 1988-1994 their name was the Phoenix cardinals.

[Arkansasbear]

Help out the guy that doesn't know the "lay of the land" so to speak.

Is Arlington Heights an actual incorporated city/town with it's own government or it is just an unincorporated area?

Also I did a route on my phone from Soldier Field to Arlington park and it shows it's a 35 mile drive. I assume if you made that drive, you would never never when you left one city and went to the next? Much like Dallas and all the cities that surround it. If you don't see the sign or know what's going on, you never you have entered the next city.

Finally, I think they stay the Chicago Bears, much like the Cowboys who are no longer in Dallas. I don't think the city or state can pass a law / ordinance that would prohibit them from keeping the name as they are already incorporated as the Chicago Bears.

[Moriarty]

Help out the guy that doesn't know the "lay of the land" so to speak.

Is Arlington Heights an actual incorporated city/town with it's own government or it is just an unincorporated area?

Also I did a route on my phone from Soldier Field to Arlington park and it shows it's a 35 mile drive. I assume if you made that drive, you would never never when you left one city and went to the next? Much like Dallas and all the cities that surround it. If you don't see the sign or know what's going on, you never you have entered the next city.

Finally, I think they stay the Chicago Bears, much like the Cowboys who are no longer in Dallas. I don't think the city or state can pass a law / ordinance that would prohibit them from keeping the name as they are already incorporated as the Chicago Bears.

It's a suburb of 75k

It's a solid metro area all the way from the city to AH. I mean, I suppose it should occur to you once the skyscrapers start receding into the distance that you've left the city proper. But there's no breaks in settlement along the way (aside from a modest forest preserve here and there) and you'd never know if you drove through 7 suburbs or 2 to get there.