The Chicago Bears have endured one of the most headache-inducing sagas of trying to build a new stadium in recent memory. It started with a plan to move to Arlington Heights, then it was pushing for a new downtown complex, then it was back to Arlington Heights. Now, team president Kevin Warren has pivoted again, this time openly stating the Bears are considering northwest Indiana as a potential spot. The state has been actively petitioning the franchise to entertain the idea, having already passed legislation to make such a move possible. This is the first time the Bears have openly mentioned the possibility. Some believe this threat is very real. Others believe it’s the classic George Steinbrenner move.
That is what Sports Mockery insider Jeff Hughes believes based on what he’s heard.
For those who are unfamiliar, Steinbrenner was the late former owner of the New York Yankees. While his time saw the organization win seven World Series championships between 1977 and 2009, it was also characterized by constant controversies. Steinbrenner would feud with players, coaches, and even the New York media. Yet one of his most notorious moments came when he threatened to move the Yankees out of the city if they didn’t receive funding to build a new stadium. He eventually got his way in 2006. Dan Pompei of The Athletic, who has deep connections to the Bears, echoed what Hughes said as well.
George Steinbrenner, for all his faults, understood politicians.
If you wanted their attention, you have to hit them where it hurts. There was no way he was going to get the money necessary for a new stadium unless he had the kind of leverage that threatened all of their chances at re-election. The Yankees’ departure from New York for another state would certainly have qualified. Eventually, the governor was forced to compromise, and George Steinbrenner got his funding. For the past three years, the Bears have been unwilling to bring out the big guns in their push for state help.
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That finally changed this week. The threat of Indiana might be a bluff, but it’s one that Governor J.B. Pritzker and his democratic government cannot ignore. On the off chance it is real, imagine what happens if the Bears do move. It would be a public relations catastrophe. Fans will blame everybody in Springfield for letting the Bears leave. There is a strong possibility that many of them will lose their seats as a result.
In 1971, the New York Giants decided to move from the city to East Rutherford, New Jersey. They played their last game in Yankee Stadium two years later. That same year, both the sitting governor and mayor in New York City lost their respective elections. Pritzker needs to be very careful.
