Commentary: Bears moving to the suburbs is not the answer |
Many Bears fans were surprised in the summer of 2021 when the McCaskey Family purchased the race track at, Arlington Heights. I thought like most Bears fans, that it was a negotiation tool to get the city to remodel Soldier Field, but now iike the Bears might actually move there, and in the mind of this Bears fan, it would be the wrong move.
The problem lies when Soldier Field was remodeled in 2002 and 2003, the problems are really coming to the surface. How could the NFL's third largest market, and for a while second largest when there were no Los Angeles teams, have the smallest seating capacity in the NFL? What needs to be done is to increase the capacity to at least 70,000. In this Bears fan's eyes they should remodel Soldier Field again, and this time do it correctly. I'm glad they changed the kind of grass they have there now from Kentucky Blue grass to Bermuda Style. Hopefully, it holds up better as the weather changes, and now they have to find a way to increase seating. I understand the want and need to put a dome on Soldier Field so Chicago will be able to host Super Bowls, Finals Fours, the College Football Playoff, and the Big Ten Football Championship, but it will put the end to one of the best sayings of a Bears Fan-Bear weather. Who didn't love the steam coming off of Brian Urlacher's head, or the breath coming from Mike Singletary's mouth, with his eyes staring at an opponent? That is Bear Tradition. If the Bears do move to the suburbs of Chicago, we can forget about seeing games like we did last Sunday vs. the 49ers, or the Fog Bowl vs. the Eagles in the 1988 Play-Offs, heck, every Bears fan that has been to a game at Soldier Field remembers seeing a game in not ideal weather. Mine was when I watched them play the Cowboys in 2013 on Monday Night Football, and I swear the high was 0 degrees. Heck, in both the NFC Championship games, the Bears have won in Chicago, Bear weather. Also, if the Bears move to the suburbs, it would be a major blow to the downtown economy, which depends on the Bears to help their businesses. I know that the McCaskeys have talked about how much money it will bring into the surrounding areas and how many jobs it will create by building their businesses around the new stadium, but knowing the McCaskey's does any Bears fan think they are going to put that extra money they are making into the team? The Cubs threatened to move to the suburbs before they installed lights at Wrigley Field, and I bet every Cubs fan is glad they stayed at Wrigley Field, and Soldier Field is the same way now with the Bears. Generations of Bears fans have come and gone with friends and family there and created great memories, and one day, I hope to take one of my best friends and biggest Bears fan there soon. I have told her it's a fantastic place to watch the Bears. So, if you have to put a retractable roof over Soldier Field, keep it open when the Bears play, so we get Bear weather. Please don't move to the suburbs, like Wrigley Field is to the Cubs; Soldier Field is to the Bears.
