There was plenty to say about Sunday night’s Chicago Bears loss to the Chargers, but tucked between plays in the 30-13 loss was an ear-perking conversation about the team’s future in Chicago.
It appears the announcers during the Sunday Night Football matchup on NBC have some feelings about the Bears’ potential move out of the city.
During the game, Bears President Kevin Warren, who is spearheading the team’s stadium plans, was shown on camera, prompting a discussion between Cris Collinsworth and Mike Tirico.
“They’ve purchased a lot of property out by Arlington Park, the racetrack used to be. A lot of folks thinking they’re gonna move out there,” Mike Tirico said on air. “But there’s still some conversations about other places in Chicago. Kevin Warren helped build that beautiful stadium in Minnesota that we all love. And that’s one of the main things that he’ll be handling and see if the city of Chicago steps up and gets involved in the conversation because, for some of us, the Bears on the lakefront — that just feels really good.”
For months, the Bears had been solely focused on the site of the former Arlington International Racecourse with the intention of exploring building a closed-roof stadium. Demolition work was completed earlier this month, according to the Daily Herald. The team, though, is now at an impasse with Arlington Heights over property valuation, as it affects future tax bills for the Bears.
As the Bears face some hiccups with the Arlington Heights location, several other suburbs have thrown their hats into the ring, while Chicago has continued to be in discussions.
Warren said in August that “everything is on the table.”
“There have been a lot of people sort of stepping up and saying, ‘What about our community? That’s a great thing if you’re with the Bears because you’re driving the price,” Collinsworth said.
Other locations added to the mix included Naperville, Waukegan, Aurora and Country Club Hills.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Warren have also had two separate meetings.
“Today we met and discussed our shared values and commitment to the City of Chicago, the importance of deep roots and the need for equitable community investment throughout the city,” the pair said in a joint statement following their most recent meeting. “We are both committed to the idea that the city and its major civic institutions must grow and evolve together to meet the needs of the future. We look forward to continuing the dialogue around these shared values.”
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