The Daily Herald indicated earlier in the spring that the Chicago Bears ownership is suffering internal strife. Some within the organization are interested in selling the team. Thus far Virginia McCaskey has prevented such a thing from happening, but how much longer can she do this at 98-years old? There are many who believe once she is out of the picture, there is a good chance the team will be sold.
Since then, more and more connections have come together to fuel this fire. Most recently the team placing a bid on Arlington International Racecourse and its 326-acre properity. Now that by itself doesn’t say much. It says the Bears may desire a new stadium. As they should. However, when combining that with the new deals the team made with BetRivers and Rivers Casino? A plan seems to be unfolding.
One with the intent of maximizing the sales value of the organization.
Adding a world-class stadium or at least the property to build one would do that overnight. So what will happen when legalized betting is added tot he mix? According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the financial ramifications would be enormous. Keep in mind the Carolina Panthers sold for $2.25 billion back in 2018. Florio was told the gambling influx could quadruple that number for the next team to go on the market. In this case the Denver Broncos.
Owners believe that, sooner rather later, the average, random team will be worth $8 billion to $10 billion, thanks to legalized gambling. https://t.co/jrt4nMnBKN
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) June 30, 2021
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Now try to imagine how much the Bears might go for if they have legal gambling connections in place and the foundation for a brand new stadium as well. Not to mention them being in the third-largest media market in the country. A founding franchise. There really isn’t any precedence for something like this. The amount of money flowing would be astronomical.
Chicago Bears could be elevated even further in another way
Think about this. They have land for a new stadium. The legalized gambling money comes in. Then on top of it all? They happen to employ a franchise quarterback. Justin Fields has a chance to bring everything together if he’s the real deal. This is probably a big reason why the Panthers went for as much as they did. Due to the presence of Cam Newton. Remember the Buffalo Bills went for just $1.1 billion four years prior. They didn’t have a quarterback. Nor did any of the ten previous teams that were sold since 1999.
The fact that the Chicago Bears might be able to hit the trifecta if Fields works out? Lord have mercy. The McCaskey family could be looking at a price well in excess of $10 billion.
That is some serious cheese.
Whether it ultimately happens remains to be seen. They still have to win the bid for Arlington. Then they need to find a way out of their Soldier Field lease. Last but not least, they need Fields to be good.
A lot of moving parts to this thing. Yet it’s easier than ever to see what the Bears ownership might be trying to accomplish. If everything comes together, that family is going to be way richer in the near future.