Say it ain’t so! Soldier Field may not be home to the Chicago Bears for much longer.
The team announced Wednesday morning they have agreed to purchase the Arlington Park property in Arlington Heights.
We asked Chicago Sun-Times readers on Facebook and Twitter what they thought of the news. Here are some of the best responses:
“About time! Chicagoland deserves an amazing state-of-the-art stadium. Soldier Field is great but it’s not awesome. It’s too small. Arlington Park is a great location with the train already there.” — Mackenzie Currans
“In retrospect, they probably should have built a new stadium elsewhere in Chicago 20 years ago instead of trying to fit a modern stadium at Soldier Field. The NFL has changed since then, so this might be the best option.” — Kurt Regep
“Would hate to see them leave, but it makes a lot of sense for them to make the move. It doesn’t seem as Chicago can even remotely provide the space and resources to generate to compare. The Bears could potentially build a top-notch stadium with a dome to attract other events, including the Super Bowl and control all the space around the stadium to build out bars, restaurants, other entertainment venues. That isn’t possible in Chicago, unless they are willing to knock down the Old McCormick place which isn’t really utilized anymore and build out a new stadium with a dome and top-notch amenities that produced increased revenue for the Bears, I can’t see them staying around.” — John Holton
“Bear management has shown us time and time again that all they care about is money — not the players, not the city, not the fans. Let them move. But they should forfeit the right to use ‘Chicago’ in their name.” — Greg Berezewski
“San Francisco does not play in San Francisco, New York does not play in New York, Dallas does not play in Dallas. It’s okay if the Chicago Bears play in Arlington Heights.” — Gloria Chevere
“Maybe with additional seating the prices will come down. Wishful thinking, I guess. I love Soldier Field, but it’s hard to find parking and prices are so high… maybe I’d get a chance to see the Bears play.” — Penny Curran
“They lose in the city and they will lose in Arlington Heights too.” — Diane Gioia-Esposito
“Won’t actually happen, they don’t have the money to pay for a new stadium and all the infrastructure upgrades… and the public isn’t going to pay for it. This is all just a ploy for leverage in their negotiations with the City.” — Robert Ivaniszyn
“They better put a great product on the field because all of the pregame and postgame excitement of going to a Bears game will be forever removed. Moreover, there will no longer be the wonderful shots of the city that make Soldier Field the most beautifully set stadium in the NFL.” — Daniel Giudice
