SOFT NEWS Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot brutally shades Bears over proposal to move to suburbs

[Red Baron]

Fair Use Cited
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Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot brutally shades Bears over proposal to move to suburbs

By Jeremy Layton
June 18, 2021 | 11:10am | Updated

The Chicago Bears announced a proposal this week to buy the property at Arlington International Racecourse, a racetrack in the suburbs. It would open the door for the Bears to move out of the actual city of Chicago and build a brand new stadium, forgoing Soldier Field, where they have played since 1971.

Many in the city were unhappy with the announcement, but perhaps the most vocal critic was Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot, who leveled some not-so-subtle shade at the Bears in a statement responding to the bid.

“This announcement from the Bears comes in the midst of negotiations for improvements at Soldier Field,” the statement read. “This is clearly a negotiating tactic that the Bears have used before.

“As a season ticketholder and longtime Bears fan, I am committed to keeping the ‘Chicago’ name in our football team. And like most Bears fans, we want the organization to focus on putting a winning football team on the field, beating the Packers finally and being relevant past October. Everything else is noise.”

On the Bears bid to buy Arlington Racecourse… pic.twitter.com/FE6mBHB50U
— Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) June 17, 2021

Talk about hitting the organization where it hurts. Chicago has beaten their longtime rival in Green Bay just once since 2016 in ten attempts, and despite making the playoffs twice in the last three years, they only have one winning record since 2012.

The Bears are locked in a lease at Soldier Field, which is smack in the middle of the city on Lake Michigan, until 2033, so a move to the suburbs likely wouldn’t happen right away. The team has logical reasons for wanting a move: Soldier Field has the NFL’s lowest capacity at just 61,500, and the property at Arlington would allow for a much bigger stadium.

Lightfoot, however, appears determined to keep Chicago’s NFL team in within the city limits.

The mayor has been critical of the team in the past, saying in a 2020 interview on 670 The Score that the Bears’ 2019 season was “brutal” and that she wanted more from then-quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.

FILED UNDER CHICAGO , CHICAGO BEARS , 6/18/21

Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot brutally shades Bears over proposal to move to suburbs (nypost.com)

 

[bw]

Shade means criticize, apparently. Isn't that raciss?

 

[jward]

I too am confused. Way I learned it was shade meant to side eye or ignore to diminish perceived power and influence of the shade-ee... though I guess there's no shame in NOT being able to keep up with all the mean-girls-loser-lunch-table-denizens' techniques and tools, eh?

 

[Red Baron]

I wonder how many other businesses are planning on leaving Chicago?

Mayor Lightfoot getting all nasty about it is just going to increase the race for the exits.

Soldier Field is over 100 years old. Nobody that lives in the suburbs wants to drive downtown. There is little parking there and the drive is horrendous.

The Bear's owners are getting old and are planning on selling the team so they can distribute the money to their family.

Nobody wants to buy a team without a modern covered stadium.

Without a decent stadium, the Bears may be sold to another state entirely.

 

[Murt]

maybe she could challenge the team to score a touchdown for each person killed and a field goal for each person shot in the week prior to the game and see if that helps their record (the teams record)

 

[Illini Warrior]

the racetrack property would not only allow for a full sized multi-purpose covered stadium and plenty of parking >>> there would also be the opportunity for a convention type center with hotels & restaurants ....

already mentioned - the fan base that stadium participates is 100% white suburban - the part of the Lakefront where Soldiers Field, McCormick Place and the Science & Industry Museum Complex are all located >> is under ATTACK by Obammy's Jackson Park Presidential Center - wouldn't doubt the Bears are bugging out with this in mind .....

 

[flying screwdriver]

I swear, if I lived west outside the city, I’d never see Bears play home. Too many conventions at McCormick, cheap ass company books in Arlington Heights, that drive is brutal.
Drive down there and NOT get paid to do it?
Kiss my ass.

I’d rather drive to Green Bay than Lakefront.
If I’ma gonna do that....Go Packers.

 

[Red Baron]

Fair Use Cited
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Chicago Bears Insider Explains Real Reason For Arlington Racecourse Bid
By Erik Lambert
Jun 20, 2021

The Chicago Bears are nothing if not persistent. Believe it or not, the revelation that they placed a bid on the property of Arlington racecourse in the northwest suburbs shouldn’t be a surprise. After all, it’s technically the third time they’ve flirted with such a move. The first came in 1975 and the second in 1990. Both times the organization ultimately chose to stay at Soldier Field. More because they didn’t have the leverage to make the move happen.

That could finally change this time around. Owning a 326-acre property would give the Bears a critical piece of the puzzle to finally take the leap. Yet a lot of people still can’t understand why they’d do it. Why move out of Soldier Field? Sure it’s one of the smallest stadiums in the NFL but it’s an iconic landmark. It offers plenty of advantages from a weather perspective, especially in winter. Most importantly it’s actually in the city of Chicago.

​

So why move? The answer remains the simplest. Money.
Bears ownership has felt for a long time that as valuable as the franchise is, much of its financial potential was being wasted at Soldier Field. Both because of its low capacity and also the fact they don’t own the property outright. The Chicago Park District does. According to Dan Pompei of The Athletic, owning a brand new stadium would drastically increase the value of the organization. Especially if they plan to do something else that has been widely rumored for some time.

“THE BEARS NEED NOT BE BEGGARS IN THE STADIUM GAME ANYMORE. ACCORDING TO FORBES MAGAZINE, THE BEARS ARE THE SEVENTH-MOST VALUABLE FRANCHISE IN THE NFL AND THE 18TH-MOST VALUABLE SPORTS FRANCHISE IN THE WORLD, WORTH AN ESTIMATED $3.53 BILLION. WITH A WORLD-CLASS STADIUM, THE BEARS COULD BECOME THE MOST VALUABLE SPORTS PROPERTY IN HISTORY. THE COWBOYS ARE NO. 1 WITH A VALUE OF $5.7 BILLION, PER FORBES…
…THERE IS NO DEBATING THE INTENTION OF MANY MCCASKEYS IS TO HOLD THE TEAM FOR AS FAR AS THEY CAN SEE. BUT VIRGINIA MCCASKEY AND HER CHILDREN CANNOT SEE WHAT WILL HAPPEN AS SUBSEQUENT GENERATIONS BECOME MORE POWERFUL, OWNERSHIP BECOMES MORE DILUTED AND THE WORLD SPINS. THE MCCASKEYS CANNOT PRETEND THAT A SALE OF THE BEARS IS NOT A POSSIBILITY IN DECADES TO COME, AND THAT MEANS IT WOULD BE DELINQUENT FOR THEM NOT TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO MAXIMIZE THE VALUE OF THE TEAM. OWNING THEIR STADIUM IS THE ONLY WAY FOR THE BEARS TO GO NEXT-LEVEL FINANCIALLY.”

Moving to Arlington Heights isn’t the only persistent Bears rumor that resurfaced this offseason. So did the idea the McCaskey family might sell the team. Pressure has increased from the younger generation who own shares in the organization. Enough to where there could be a strong enough groundswell to do so in the event Virginia McCaskey passes away. This would explain the sudden urgency to purchase the property.

Chicago Bears were, are, and will remain a business
The duty of all businesses is to find every way possible to be successful. Find ways to make a profit for the owners and reward the employees. It has been that way forever. Traditionalists won’t like the idea of the Bears moving out of Soldier Field. Just like they didn’t like the Bulls moving out of Chicago Stadium or the Bears moving out of Wrigley Field. Change is never easy. Yet it always becomes necessary at some point.

​

Staying in that stadium forever was never an option. It was only a matter of time before the Chicago Bears changed venues again. That is unless the city was willing to make massive renovations to it. Something they already did once before in 2003 and that was a logistical nightmare to pull off. They’re tired of wading through the red tape. Owning their own stadium is something one could argue is long overdue.

Will it happen?
Winning that bid for Arlington could prove to be the tipping point. The Bears weren’t the only ones interested in it. If it falls their way, things could start happening in the coming years. The team remains under lease to Soldier Field until 2033. It is possible they might try to buy their way out of that while also finding private backers to build a new stadium. Not to mention restaurants, hotels, and even a casino. The possibilities are endless.

Chicago Bears Insider Explains Real Reason For Arlington Racecourse Bid (sportsmockery.com)

 

[Buick Electra]

Fair Use Cited
----------------
Chicago Bears Insider Explains Real Reason For Arlington Racecourse Bid
By Erik Lambert
Jun 20, 2021

The Chicago Bears are nothing if not persistent. Believe it or not, the revelation that they placed a bid on the property of Arlington racecourse in the northwest suburbs shouldn’t be a surprise. After all, it’s technically the third time they’ve flirted with such a move. The first came in 1975 and the second in 1990. Both times the organization ultimately chose to stay at Soldier Field. More because they didn’t have the leverage to make the move happen.

That could finally change this time around. Owning a 326-acre property would give the Bears a critical piece of the puzzle to finally take the leap. Yet a lot of people still can’t understand why they’d do it. Why move out of Soldier Field? Sure it’s one of the smallest stadiums in the NFL but it’s an iconic landmark. It offers plenty of advantages from a weather perspective, especially in winter. Most importantly it’s actually in the city of Chicago.

​

So why move? The answer remains the simplest. Money.
Bears ownership has felt for a long time that as valuable as the franchise is, much of its financial potential was being wasted at Soldier Field. Both because of its low capacity and also the fact they don’t own the property outright. The Chicago Park District does. According to Dan Pompei of The Athletic, owning a brand new stadium would drastically increase the value of the organization. Especially if they plan to do something else that has been widely rumored for some time.

Moving to Arlington Heights isn’t the only persistent Bears rumor that resurfaced this offseason. So did the idea the McCaskey family might sell the team. Pressure has increased from the younger generation who own shares in the organization. Enough to where there could be a strong enough groundswell to do so in the event Virginia McCaskey passes away. This would explain the sudden urgency to purchase the property.

Chicago Bears were, are, and will remain a business
The duty of all businesses is to find every way possible to be successful. Find ways to make a profit for the owners and reward the employees. It has been that way forever. Traditionalists won’t like the idea of the Bears moving out of Soldier Field. Just like they didn’t like the Bulls moving out of Chicago Stadium or the Bears moving out of Wrigley Field. Change is never easy. Yet it always becomes necessary at some point.

​

Staying in that stadium forever was never an option. It was only a matter of time before the Chicago Bears changed venues again. That is unless the city was willing to make massive renovations to it. Something they already did once before in 2003 and that was a logistical nightmare to pull off. They’re tired of wading through the red tape. Owning their own stadium is something one could argue is long overdue.

Will it happen?
Winning that bid for Arlington could prove to be the tipping point. The Bears weren’t the only ones interested in it. If it falls their way, things could start happening in the coming years. The team remains under lease to Soldier Field until 2033. It is possible they might try to buy their way out of that while also finding private backers to build a new stadium. Not to mention restaurants, hotels, and even a casino. The possibilities are endless.

Chicago Bears Insider Explains Real Reason For Arlington Racecourse Bid (sportsmockery.com)

I wanted to see who (aside from Da Bears) is bidding on it. Article doesn't say, and after reading, I'd be surprised of the Bears get it, but interesting article nonetheless.

Bids in for Arlington Park sale — and Bears move still ‘on the table,’ mayor says

Only one group has made their offer for the historic racetrack public. The Chicago Bears have yet to rule themselves out.

chicago.suntimes.com

Bids in for Arlington Park sale — and Bears move still ‘on the table,’ mayor says
Only one group has made their offer for the historic racetrack public. The Chicago Bears have yet to rule themselves out.
By Mitchell Armentrout@mitchtrout Jun 16, 2021

The fate of Arlington International Racecourse has been narrowed down to a list of potential buyers for the storied suburban track.

Churchill Downs Inc. closed its bidding period for Arlington on Tuesday, with representatives for the horse racing-turned-gambling corporation saying only that it received “strong proposals from numerous parties” interested in taking over the 93-year-old oval.

Arlington Heights Mayor Thomas Hayes said Wednesday he’d met with “less than 10” possible bidding groups before the deadline, and only one of those, led by former Arlington Park president Roy Arnold, has gone public with an offer that promises to keep the horses running beyond Sept. 25.

A spokesman for Churchill Downs declined to say how many proposals were submitted. The corporation said it would “provide an update on the sale process at the appropriate time in the coming weeks.”

The bids could mark the final turn for horse racing at Arlington, one of Illinois’ three remaining racetracks — an outcome few predicted two years ago when Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a massive gambling expansion into law that allows tracks to install slot machines and casino table games.

Churchill Downs stunned the state’s foundering horse racing industry in the summer of 2019 when the corporation announced it wouldn’t make Arlington a “racino” as it had long fought to do.

That was viewed as the ultimate stab in the back by the horse owners and trainers who run at the track, and who have accused the corporation of trying to stifle competition against the other nearby gambling house owned by Churchill Downs: Rivers Casino in Des Plaines.

After denying reports the track would be put up for sale, Churchill Downs officially put Arlington on the block in February. The Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association has since urged Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office to open an antitrust investigation into the corporation for alleged “efforts to neutralize the threat of major gaming competition.”

The only bidding group to publicize their proposal says they’d turn Arlington into a racino “consistent with the intent” of the state’s gambling expansion — and keep the ponies running well into the future.

The group led by Arnold, a hospitality consultant who served as president of Arlington from 2006-11, also includes the Loop development firm Sterling Bay and other “high net worth individuals,” he said.

“We have the capital and the passion to make thoroughbred racing work at Arlington Park,” Arnold said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing the legacy that is Arlington.”

Their bid for the 326-acre plot also calls for a mid-size arena “suitable to host a minor league hockey team,” plus an entertainment district, a 300-unit housing development and 60 acres of industrial space.

Arnold declined to disclose their offer price.

Other bidders remain unknown, but the highest profile dark-horse candidate might still be in the race: the Chicago Bears.

Representatives for the team — who have conspicuously declined to quash suggestions the team could make a move to the northwest suburbs — did not respond to requests for comment on whether the team or anyone in its ownership group made an offer for Arlington.

Hayes, the suburban mayor, said a Bears bid “remains a possibility because neither they nor anyone else has told me it’s not going to happen.”

“Until someone tells me that, I’m going to consider it on the table,” Hayes said. “A professional sports team would be exciting. Even if they were to come, you’d see some other redevelopment prospects as well.”

Village Board members passed an ordinance in May barring certain uses for the property, including warehouses, distribution facilities, gas stations, “adult uses and other things that are not befitting our community and the legacy of the property,” said Hayes, who added that keeping horse racing alive remains a priority for him.

“Arlington Park has been a big part of our community for almost 100 years. We have a horse head on our village flag. It’s a huge part of our community from an image, an attraction and an employment standpoint,” he said. “We want to see it put to its highest and best use.”