Brian Urlacher was drafted by the Chicago Bears in 2000 and retired in 2013. That entire 13-year run was spent at Soldier Field. It was his NFL home. The place where he built his Hall of Fame career. One would imagine he has emotional ties to the building. That is true, but only to a certain extent. Something about Urlacher that is rarely appreciated enough is his pragmatism. The guy always understood the business side of the game.
That is what made his answer about the idea of the Bears leaving Soldier Field so interesting. He appeared on Uncut with Jay Cutler to talk about his career, the Bears, and the current state of football. His former QB asked the question point blank. Urlacher explained that he understood the decision. A new stadium means more money. The organization has every right to improve its financial prospects. However, he did have one demand of the Bears.
Brian Urlacher still understands Chicago at its core.
One of the things that always made the Bears iconic was getting to watch them play in November and December. That was when the weather would get bad, winds would howl off Lake Michigan, and snow would sometimes blanket that turf. The weather could be a huge advantage for the team in the right circumstances. Putting the Bears in a dome would immediately negate that. Not to mention it would make viewing them too much like so many other teams in the league.
Plenty of fans agree with Brian Urlacher on this. They feel the team can expand the seating, modernize the experience, and make it a great venue without needing a dome. The Patriots, Giants, and Commanders all rank among the most valuable franchises in the NFL. All play in colder weather cities with no domes. Hosting Super Bowls and making it a year-round attraction sounds nice. In reality, such benefits wouldn’t come around often.
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Keeping some of the identity that makes the Bears a must-see attraction would be best. Outdoor football is part of it.
“The weather could be a huge advantage for the team in the right circumstances.” I don’t think this has applied in decades. And I can recall games where teams did halftime adjustments for weather way better than the Bears. The biggest advantage is a good team that can kick ass.
And if there’s a dome, crowd noise will be louder and the stupid, annoying air raid siren won’t be needed. I think that’s one thing we fans can all get behind.
Love and respect Urlacher, but I would prefer a Retractable Dome.
A retractable dome would solve the issue for most. Super cold, close it. Leave it open for most games throughout the season….BUT, make sure to ask the team and coaches what THEY WANT for that day coming up.
I disagree because I prefer a domed stadium. Take the weather out of it and make it more enjoyable in good conditions.
I agree with Urlacher, you can build suites for those that prefer inside viewing but the game needs to be played outside. I remember a night game where the Falcons and Vick rolled into soldier field. Vick was dressed with extra layers and the entire Bears defense was in short-sleeves. The game might as well have been over before it started. I re?ber Urlacher showing blitz with his breath blowing across the line starring at Vick. You could tell in their eyes who was going to win.