Whether the Chicago Bears actually blow town is a Windy City worry and mystery, the source of much handwringing and social media, hateful and otherwise. If we had to guess, let’s go with… no. The Halas Hall brain trust that leads this iconic NFL franchise is simply conducting business as it is done in Chicago. And what, pray tell, is that?
Test the political winds, create leverage, cut a deal.
Indiana Wants Me
Now that Indiana has paved a viable, inviting financial option to cross the state line and build a new stadium, the Bears will use that leverage in and on home state Illinois. Should you bet the farm, either in Illinois or Indiana on that outcome? No. Save your family farm and all that corn and soybean. Chicago politics is too nuanced and nasty to know with certainty the outcome. The point of realization today is that a move to Indiana and away from the once gleaming business center that was Chicago is not unthinkable and may even be preferable in the financial long run. How in the world did that happen? Let us count the ways.
Two States, One Team
For starters, the Illinois – Indiana state line is more than a boundary on a map. Not the city itself, but Chicagoland spills over this state line south of Lake Michigan into Northwest Indiana. Known to all, debated by some, but in reality…
- Illinois is high tax, Indiana low.
- Illinois is deeply indebted, Indiana not.
- Illinois is pro-union, Indiana pro-business.
- (Chicago) Illinois is blue, Indiana red.
- Chicago is woke… Indiana awake to the difference.
Outbound Illinois
Even if you wake up on the left side of the bed, it’s no secret Boeing, Caterpillar, Tyson, Citadel, Stellantis, a host of other companies and a tide of citizens arose one day and never came home to Illinois. Not to debate all of that migration, the Bears hibernating elsewhere would be just too much for Chicago… a bridge too far.
Truth be told, the Bears are Chicago. Their swagger and style mimic the city and surpass hyphenated baseball loyalty, once great basketball glory, and hockey championships. Moving from the lakefront to the suburbs and a proposed stadium in Arlington Heights seems foreign. Indiana seems other-worldly. But here we are. Or they are… we should say. Bears ownership, a governor with presidential aspirations, Chicago-area state legislators who wield influence in Springfield, and of course, those can-do leaders and business types in Indiana. What’s the play call at the line of scrimmage where finance and tradition meet?
Bears Memories, More Money
Some memories never fade. I remember the drive up Lake Shore Drive and Dad taking me to a football game at Soldier Field… the original version of this iconic stadium and it seemed bigger than life. Skyline in the background, wind blowing off the lake, a crisp autumn eve and all was well. That kind of sentiment makes for good memories and Bears fans can tell it far better. But the question now is the setting of future memories. Or the better query, who will finance them?
If it’s about the dollar… and when isn’t it… Indiana will build a plan and abate taxes to no end in hopes of enticing the Bears across the state line. But never underestimate a willingness in Illinois to take on even more debt, dare we say, expand taxation. Who wants to be the councilman, legislator, mayor, or governor who let the Chicago Bears blow town?
Test the political winds, create leverage, cut a deal.
