Sports Journalists and Fans Weigh in on Bears' Possible Move

INDIANAPOLIS — The Chicago Bears are one step closer to calling Indiana “home” after the team’s Board of Directors met and voted to advance stadium plans in Hammond, Indiana.

Hoosier politicians are celebrating, maybe prematurely, since this is far from a done deal. Illinois officials have fired back, saying the Bears belong in their backyard.

The stadium saga started back in December with the Bears expanding their search for a site to northwest Indiana. That came after an ongoing stalemate with Illinois politicians and a bill that would give the team a tax break during construction of a stadium in Arlington Heights. The Bears closed on its purchase of a 326-acre property there in 2023.

Sports journalists and analysts FOX59/CBS4 talked to agree that Illinois has seemingly dropped the ball in the battle for the bears.

”The Bears are the most historic franchise in the NFL,” sports journalist Mark Montieth said. “For them not to be playing out of Chicago seems impossible, but business is business and politics is politics and all sorts of crazy things can happen in pro sports these days.”

Fast forward to Monday, the Illinois Senate passed a bill that would have cleared the way for the Bears to not pay property taxes on a new stadium in the state. The Illinois House adjourned without taking up the measure on the last day of the spring legislative session.

“Illinois is playing chicken with the Bears and at some point you’ve got to turn or go head-on and I just don’t see where Illinois is making that move,” FOX59/CBS4’s Mike Chappell said.

Although the vote is a step in the right direction for Indiana’s economic growth, Illinois officials are staying in the game.

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Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s office stated that he wants the team to stay in Illinois and is open to a “sensible solution that protects taxpayers.”

“The Bears have built a storied legacy in Illinois for over 100 years but have spent the last six years, and especially the last few months, shifting their position on a stadium location. That has hindered their progress. Today appears to be another instance of that after Illinois leaders have been working with the Bears in good faith. Governor Pritzker has always been clear that he wants the Bears to stay in Illinois and still remains open to a sensible solution that protects taxpayers,” a spokesperson for Pritzker said.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office released the following statement.

“Over the last several years the Bears have stated their intentions in multiple jurisdictions, today’s announcement is not surprising.

It’s also not surprising that Bears officials have stated this vote does not mean a move to Hammond is a done deal.

Without a final site selection, until we see shovels in the ground in Hammond, the City will continue to engage in discussions grounded in the interests of our residents.“

Here in the Hoosier state, some diehard Bears fans hope Illinois is able to back up those words with tangible action and legislation.

“(Illinois politicians) should have taken this a little more seriously with a little more urgency,” David Cohn, owner of Chicago Beef and Dog, said. “I get there’s a lot of things going on, but this is what you do, so do it.”

The possibility of two NFL teams in the same state may seem hard to swallow, but the New York Giants and Jets both moved to New Jersey under similar circumstances. There’d be no overlap between the Colts and the Bears due to a 75-mile marketing limit through the NFL.

“It would be strange for Indiana to have two NFL franchises,” Montieth said. “ … A lot of people regard Hammond and that area as a suburb of Chicago and don’t think of that area as Indiana, but it certainly is.”

The Colts shared the following statement regarding the Hammond news.

“We’re happy for the Bears and wish them the best in their stadium initiative. We also hope this will mean great things for community and economic development for our fellow Hoosiers in northwest Indiana.”

Just as any good game keeps fans on the edge of their seats, the battle for the Bears continues to be worth watching.

”I’ve heard (the Bears’) focus is on Arlington Heights, I’ve heard our focus is on the lakefront campus in Chicago, I’ve heard it’s on Hammond and Arlington Heights, I believe none of it until I see shovels in the ground,” ESPN Chicago host David Kaplan said.

Bears chairman George McCaskey and CEO Kevin Warren said the exact site in Hammond has yet to be selected, but the city has pitched a site on its public golf course at Wolf Lake. City officials are eager to get started. Mayor Tom McDermott said in a radio interview Wednesday, “We can be under construction this summer.”