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Bears considering move to Arlington - Can they break Soldier Field Lease???


Guest DT

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https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/mayor-of-city-in-illinois-says-bears-are-seriously-considering-a-move-out-of-soldier-field-and-to-his-town/

Bears have the smallest stadium capacity in the NFL.  They could probably sell out 100,000 for every home game in Arlington Park.

Maybe a new start with a new home is what the franchise needs.

Bobref - can they break existing lease?

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4 minutes ago, Irishman said:

I joke with friends that the renovation of Soldier Field was so hideous, it jinxed the team. 🤣

Northwestern should take over Soldier Field.  LOL

Just now, DT said:

Northwestern and Illinois  should take over Soldier Field.  It might help recruiting and expand their respective fan bases.  

 

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1 hour ago, DT said:

Bobref - can they break existing lease?

 A party to a lease, like any contract, always has the option to choose not to perform. Prudent parties with competent lawyers address the consequences of that choice in the contract provisions.

So, can the Bears get out of their lease to play somewhere else? Absolutely. But the real question is what are the economic consequences of breaching the lease?

Caveat: The NFL may have rules about how their franchisees deal with landlords, and that might affect such decisions.

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15 minutes ago, Muda69 said:

As long as this new venue is privately funded and not a public (aka tax) funded boondoggle like Lucas Oil,  U.S. Bank Stadium,  etc.  then I'm game.

 

You know, you and I have gone on about this topic before.  The more you and I chatted (THANK YOU), the more and more I agree w/ your assessment.

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The more I hear about it on Chicago radio the more I'm convinced they are legitimately thinking about moving to Arlington Heights. Mayor Beetlejuice would once a again look like a fool for proclaiming the Bears would never leave the city. I think the NFL would love to see the Bears get a bigger stadium that could also host a Super Bowl as I'm sure it'll be retractable. It would be odd though watching a winter Bears game if they closed the roof.

The Bears have the smallest stadium in the NFL and a fanbase that will sellout any sized stadium. They can't keep playing in Soldier Field at it's current capacity.

 

 

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On 5/7/2021 at 7:55 AM, Muda69 said:

As long as this new venue is privately funded and not a public (aka tax) funded boondoggle like Lucas Oil,  U.S. Bank Stadium,  etc.  then I'm game.

 

But it probably will be a boondoggle though....

Edited by coachkj
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  • 3 weeks later...

Forget new stadium, juse the idea of the McCaskey's selling the team is incredible. The best part is business wise it makes sense. I don't believe the McCaskey family has acquired any sort of substantial wealth outside of the NFL. The only way they cash in on their inherited wealth through Virginia is to sell the team. Pat Ryan, a Chicago billionaire, current Bears board member, namesake of Northwestern's Ryan Field and Welsh Ryan Arena, has first refusal rights if the Bears to go on the market.

 

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On 6/4/2021 at 4:08 PM, Boilernation said:

Forget new stadium, juse the idea of the McCaskey's selling the team is incredible. The best part is business wise it makes sense. I don't believe the McCaskey family has acquired any sort of substantial wealth outside of the NFL. The only way they cash in on their inherited wealth through Virginia is to sell the team. Pat Ryan, a Chicago billionaire, current Bears board member, namesake of Northwestern's Ryan Field and Welsh Ryan Arena, has first refusal rights if the Bears to go on the market.

 

This reminds me a little of the old musicians who are selling off their music catalogs so they can get paid for their lifes work and pass the money on to next generations.

The game passed the McCaskey family by decades ago.  The Bears are probably the most under marketed, financially mis managed core franchise in major sports.  These changes will be good for the team, for the family and for the city.  Hopefully as well for the fans eventually.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hmmmm…. And at the end, Mayor Lightweight chimes in.

https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-bears-submit-bid-to-buy-arlington-park/

Chicago Bears submit bid to buy Arlington Park

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. — The Chicago Bears announced Thursday the organization has submitted a bid to buy Arlington Park.

Bears President and CEO Ted Phillips released a statement to WGN News that said:

We recently submitted a bid to purchase the Arlington International Racecourse property. It’s our obligation to explore every possible option to ensure we’re doing what’s best for our organization and its future. If selected, this step allows us to further evaluate the property and its potential.

Developers and investors needed to submit offers to the owners of Arlington International Racecourse by this week.

Currently, there are fewer than 10 prospective buyers who have serious proposals on the table when it comes to sealing the deal.

Churchhill Downs Inc., which owns Arlington Park, announced plans to sell the property in February. 

“On behalf of Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI), real estate firm CBRE has received strong proposals from numerous parties interested in redeveloping the 326-acre Arlington International Racecourse site. All proposals will be evaluated confidentially. CDI will provide an update on the sale process at the appropriate time in the coming weeks,” President Tony Petrillo said.

However, this, according to the village mayor is a soft deadline. The racetrack has been around for almost 100 years, with horseracing being a huge part of its history.

The Bears have been at Soldier Field since 1971 after playing at Wrigley Field from 1921-1970. The Chicago Park District owns Soldier Field and the Bears’ lease with the stadium is up after the 2033 season.

In 2002, the Bears played at Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois as Soldier Field was being renovated. The controversial reconstruction left the Bears with the smallest stadium in the NFL — with a capacity of 61,500.

Mayor Lightfoot released a statement slamming the franchise, saying “and like most Bears fans, we want the organization to focus on putting a winning team on the field, beating the Packers finally and being relevant past October.”

 

 

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1 hour ago, Bobref said:

Hmmmm…. And at the end, Mayor Lightweight chimes in.

https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-bears-submit-bid-to-buy-arlington-park/

Chicago Bears submit bid to buy Arlington Park

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. — The Chicago Bears announced Thursday the organization has submitted a bid to buy Arlington Park.

Bears President and CEO Ted Phillips released a statement to WGN News that said:

We recently submitted a bid to purchase the Arlington International Racecourse property. It’s our obligation to explore every possible option to ensure we’re doing what’s best for our organization and its future. If selected, this step allows us to further evaluate the property and its potential.

Developers and investors needed to submit offers to the owners of Arlington International Racecourse by this week.

Currently, there are fewer than 10 prospective buyers who have serious proposals on the table when it comes to sealing the deal.

Churchhill Downs Inc., which owns Arlington Park, announced plans to sell the property in February. 

“On behalf of Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI), real estate firm CBRE has received strong proposals from numerous parties interested in redeveloping the 326-acre Arlington International Racecourse site. All proposals will be evaluated confidentially. CDI will provide an update on the sale process at the appropriate time in the coming weeks,” President Tony Petrillo said.

However, this, according to the village mayor is a soft deadline. The racetrack has been around for almost 100 years, with horseracing being a huge part of its history.

The Bears have been at Soldier Field since 1971 after playing at Wrigley Field from 1921-1970. The Chicago Park District owns Soldier Field and the Bears’ lease with the stadium is up after the 2033 season.

In 2002, the Bears played at Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois as Soldier Field was being renovated. The controversial reconstruction left the Bears with the smallest stadium in the NFL — with a capacity of 61,500.

Mayor Lightfoot released a statement slamming the franchise, saying “and like most Bears fans, we want the organization to focus on putting a winning team on the field, beating the Packers finally and being relevant past October.”

 

 

Does anyone give a s*** what she has to say?

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1 hour ago, Bobref said:

Hmmmm…. And at the end, Mayor Lightweight chimes in.

https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-bears-submit-bid-to-buy-arlington-park/

Chicago Bears submit bid to buy Arlington Park

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. — The Chicago Bears announced Thursday the organization has submitted a bid to buy Arlington Park.

Bears President and CEO Ted Phillips released a statement to WGN News that said:

We recently submitted a bid to purchase the Arlington International Racecourse property. It’s our obligation to explore every possible option to ensure we’re doing what’s best for our organization and its future. If selected, this step allows us to further evaluate the property and its potential.

Developers and investors needed to submit offers to the owners of Arlington International Racecourse by this week.

Currently, there are fewer than 10 prospective buyers who have serious proposals on the table when it comes to sealing the deal.

Churchhill Downs Inc., which owns Arlington Park, announced plans to sell the property in February. 

“On behalf of Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI), real estate firm CBRE has received strong proposals from numerous parties interested in redeveloping the 326-acre Arlington International Racecourse site. All proposals will be evaluated confidentially. CDI will provide an update on the sale process at the appropriate time in the coming weeks,” President Tony Petrillo said.

However, this, according to the village mayor is a soft deadline. The racetrack has been around for almost 100 years, with horseracing being a huge part of its history.

The Bears have been at Soldier Field since 1971 after playing at Wrigley Field from 1921-1970. The Chicago Park District owns Soldier Field and the Bears’ lease with the stadium is up after the 2033 season.

In 2002, the Bears played at Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois as Soldier Field was being renovated. The controversial reconstruction left the Bears with the smallest stadium in the NFL — with a capacity of 61,500.

Mayor Lightfoot released a statement slamming the franchise, saying “and like most Bears fans, we want the organization to focus on putting a winning team on the field, beating the Packers finally and being relevant past October.”

 

 

That is the nicest thing I have ever heard anyone ever call her.

I think she is purposefully trying to not get re-elected.

Guarantee she gave that quote to a POC, since she refuses to speak w/ any white reporters.  I am done.  Carry on.

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