“It’s the ‘Chicago Bears,’” one fan tweeted after team president Ted Phillips announced the Bears have placed a bid to buy the Arlington International Racecourse property.
After much speculation, the Bears took a concrete step towards moving the historic franchise by placing a bid to buy the Arlington International Racecourse property Thursday — and as expected fans had much to say.
Some fans applauded the move, as they hoped for a larger new stadium that could be more accessible by car or Metra — while others were outraged by the mere idea of the team leaving the city.
I’m not sure how I feel about da bears moving away from soldier field.
— Cannabis Farmer: Jim Belushi (@JimBelushi) June 17, 2021
Nicole Richardson, a lifelong fan, told the Sun-Times that Soldier Field is “iconic” even with the renovation that some have compared to a “spaceship.”
“It’s the ‘Chicago Bears,’” Richardson wrote. “If the owners want to move outside of the city they need to relinquish the name.”
If Lori Lightfoot loses the Chicago Bears I will escort her out of the city myself lmaofffffff
— Dhan Julio Jones (@DapperDhan) June 17, 2021
Mayor Lori Lightfoot took to Twitter and issued a similar statement, affirming her commitment to “keeping the ‘Chicago’ name in our football team.”
In the announcement Thursday, team president Ted Phillips said the Bears are exploring “every possible option,” adding if their bid is selected it would allow them to “further evaluate the property and its potential.”
Chicago Bears are one of the premier franchises in the NFL. They should have a stadium that reflects that. They easily have the worst stadium in their division.
— TomLoxas (@TomLoxas) June 17, 2021
Since the Park District owns Soldier Field, the team is looking for more control over changes it wants to see at the 97-year-old building.
The Bears would not face such restrictions in Arlington Heights, opening the door for a larger stadium possibly with a dome.
Way too many football purists, imo. Having a stadium on the lakefront is cool but if the @ChicagoBears can build an awesome modern stadium with great amenities and a DOME, im down (no cold weather has never helped thew Bears, they still lose. Just makes games miserable in winter)
— Noel Crespo (@cresponl) June 17, 2021
Another lifelong fan, Jamal Neff, fully supports the potential move, hoping it will make games more accessible and affordable.
As an adult, Neff said he has been to only one game at Soldier Field.
“When I was there, the price of the tickets was just outrageous — to sit in an angle that was cumbersome [and] to look at playing that was atrocious,” Neff said.
Like many others, Neff remembers the excitement of the ‘85 Super Bowl season but says the stadium itself had nothing to do with that.
“I remember the city being electric, the neighborhoods coming alive,” Neff said. “I remember the song and how it united the city and it wasn’t really about being at the stadium or in the Museum Campus. It was just about being in the neighborhoods that make up Chicago.”
But Neff said he is positive on the Bears outlook for the future, saying regardless of location “the future is bright” for the team.
