Tag: Soldier Field

LOOK: Renderings for Bears’ proposed new lakefront stadium in Chicago

Take a look at the renderings for the Bears’ proposed new stadium on the Chicago lakefront.

The Chicago Bears unveiled plans for a domed lakefront stadium Wednesday during a presentation at Soldier Field.

It is a $4.6 billion project, according to the Sun-Times. On top of $2 billion from the team, additional stadium funds would come via NFL loan request ($300 million) and an Illinois Sports Facilities Authority bond request ($900 million), which brings it to a total of $3.225 billion. The rest would contribute to infrastructure. The organization said it would be 72% funded by them and the NFL.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said the building of a new Bears stadium will “result in no new taxes on the residents of Chicago.”

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“This is not an easy project, but Chicago doesn’t like it easy,” said Bears president/CEO Kevin Warren. “We like to do the difficult things … the things that resonate with people for generations to come.”

The project would require approval from the state, however, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker has expressed skepticism that a stadium project should involve taxpayer dollars.

The Bears shared renderings depicting a stadium atop the current South Parking lot of Soldier Field. The renderings feature an all-glass roof, keeping the historic colonnades in place. Te design shares some similarities with Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas) and U.S. Bank Stadium (Minnesota).

Here are the renderings, along with a video, via ChicagoBears.com.

Bears president Kevin Warren says intention is to build new stadium on lakefront

Bears president Kevin Warren spoke at the owners meetings on Tuesday and says he intents to break ground on a new stadium on the lakefront.

The Chicago Bears’ stadium saga continues to roll on, with little action taking place. The team is at an impasse with Arlington Heights and the 326-acre property they purchased over a year ago, and reports came out two weeks ago that indicate they have their sights set on a new stadium near Soldier Field.

On Tuesday, president Kevin Warren confirmed that the team intends to build a new stadium on the lakefront.

Warren met with reporters during the 2024 NFL owners meetings in Orlando, Florida, and was asked by CHGO’s Adam Hoge whether the Bears intended to build a new stadium in Chicago if everything came together. Warren didn’t mince words.

“The plan would be to put a shovel in the ground on the lakefront,” he said.

Ever since he was hired as team president and CEO, Warren has expressed his affinity for the city of Chicago. Last August, in an interview with Peter King, Warren talked about the possible options for a stadium location and couldn’t stop gushing about Chicago and its lakefront.

“God really kissed downtown Chicago with that lakefront,” Warren said via NBC Sports Chicago. “I don’t think there’s any place in the country that has that beauty of a city right upon a beautiful lake in Lake Michigan.”

The vision for a new stadium just south of Soldier Field comes after the difficulties the Bears have had with the Arlington Park property. Disagreements surrounding the proposed tax assessments have stalled progress, and even after the village recently proposed a fair compromise that would lower the current tax rate, the Bears are making their intentions clear.

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Arlington Heights proposes tax cut for potential Bears stadium

Don’t look now, but the Bears to Arlington Heights stadium isn’t dead yet.

Don’t look now, but Arlington Heights has put themselves back in the race for a new Chicago Bears stadium site.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Arlington Heights is proposing a tax cut compromise for a potential new domed stadium at the former Arlington International Racecourse, which was purchased by the Bears last February.

Arlington Heights proposed an agreement to accept the Cook County Board of Review’s assessed value of $124.7 million for the 2023 and 2024 tax years. This is in response to the disagreement between the Bears and local school districts involving the property tax bill.

Here are additional details from the Chicago Tribune about the tax breakdown:

The property would be assessed at the 25% commercial rate for half of 2023 and the 10% vacant property rate for the other half, resulting in a total tax liability of $6.3 million, according to Arlington Heights’ Feb. 27 proposal, which the village released publicly late Monday after an open records request by the Tribune.

For the 2024 tax year, the property would be assessed at the 10% rate, resulting in a tax bill of $3.6 million, according to the proposal. Both figures would be a big cut from taxes currently estimated to be near $10 million.

This move comes shortly after the Bears shifted their focus to building a new stadium on the Chicago lakefront just south of Soldier Field — where the organization announced they would commit $2 billion toward the stadium. According to the Chicago Tribune, the Bears remain interested in the Arlington Heights property, but their main focus remains the lakefront.

Could this have been a power play by Warren to use leverage for a secondary stadium site to get the original site he wanted all along? Or does Warren really have his sights set on a lakefront stadium? Guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Bears prepared to provide $2 billion in private funding for new lakefront stadium to replace Soldier Field

The Chicago Bears are closer to staying in the city than ever before.

The Chicago Bears are closer to staying in the city than ever before.

According to the Chicago Tribune’s Robert McCoppin, the Bears are preparing to provide $2 billion in private funding for a new publicly owned enclosed stadium on the lakefront that would replace Soldier Field.

This lakefront site, which would be in the area of Waldron Drive (just south of Soldier Field), would replace the current stadium while also increasing open space on the museum campus by 20 percent. It would give the Bears an idea location to host the Super Bowl, NCAA Final Four and other big events.

While this new state-of-the-art stadium would replace Soldier Field, the project would include saving the Soldier Field colonnade in honor of veterans.

“The future stadium of the Chicago Bears will bring a transformative opportunity to our region — boosting the economy, creating jobs, facilitating mega events and generating millions in tax revenue,” Bears president Kevin Warren said in a statement. “We look forward to sharing more information when our plans are finalized.”

Just over a year ago, the Bears purchased the Arlington International Racecourse site with plans to build a new state-of-the-art stadium. But disagreement on increased property taxes have stalled matters, and the focus has shifted to a new stadium on the Chicago lakefront.

More than $100K of maintenance equipment stolen from Soldier Field

What else could go wrong for the Bears this week?

The hits keep on coming for the Chicago Bears this week. According to a manager at Soldier Field, approximately $100,000 worth of equipment was stolen sometime Wednesday night. The news was first reported by ABC7 Chicago.

The manager said the stolen equipment includes John Deere Gator utility vehicles and lawnmowers used to prepare the field. The equipment was taken from one of the parking structures at the stadium, and the thieves took down a security fence to drive the mowers and Gators out of the garage. According to ESPN, the equipment was the property of a contractor and not the Bears. The equipment has yet to be located.

The Bears haven’t played at Soldier Field since their Week 1 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 10. They’re playing another away game this week when they take on the Kansas City Chiefs, so fortunately the stolen equipment won’t make an impact. They return to the lakefront next week to take on the Denver Broncos.

It’s just another odd story to add to the growing list of issues facing the Bears this week. After their Week 2 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago has been in the media for everything under the sun. First there were comments made by Justin Fields regarding the coaching staff that gained traction. Then there was the sudden resignation of defensive coordinator Alan Williams, about which nobody at Halas Hall can speak. And now equipment has been stolen at the stadium.

What else can go wrong for the Bears this week? We probably shouldn’t ask that because, at this point, anything can happen.

Justin Fields is adamant about the Bears getting an indoor stadium

The Bears quarterback isn’t a fan of the cold and windy conditions at Soldier Field and believes it slows him down.

Whether fans like it or not, the Chicago Bears are slowly inching towards a move to Arlington Heights to play in a climate-controlled stadium instead of the outdoor elements at Soldier Field. While some former players have pushed back on the notion of playing indoors, count Bears quarterback Justin Fields as a big fan of the idea.

Fields, speaking on Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take podcast this week, expressed his displeasure with adjusting to the bitter cold temperatures and howling winds that can be found at Soldier Field late in the season. “It is very difficult to adjust to it, especially with the wind,” Fields said. “That’s what it’s all about is the wind. It can be cold, it can be 10 degrees. With no wind, you’re fine but with that 15-20 mph wind, you can’t fight it. It’s tough.”

The cold and windy weather at Soldier Field, better known as “Bear weather,” has been considered a key factor for Bears games over the last 50 years. Defensive players love it, knowing opposing offenses will likely struggle. But Fields can’t stand it and even offers up why it puts him at a disadvantage.

“The thing is about that weather, when it’s that cold, you have to bundle up,” Fields said emphatically. “Put a bunch of layers on and stuff like that. Your body’s cold so you’re not warmed up. I feel way slower in that cold weather so it’s tough. You of course want to try and stay warm on the sideline but it’s hard to stay warm in that weather.”

In case he wasn’t clear by those answers, Fields made sure to spell it out. “I hope we just get a dome. I don’t care if we’re at Soldier Field, Arlington Heights, I hope we get a dome.”

It’s not surprising to hear a quarterback talk about wanting to play in warmer elements. But with speed being such an important part of Fields’ game, hearing that he even feels slower in the cold weather puts things in a different perspective. Fields is one of the fastest quarterbacks in the league and has broken multiple runs of 60 yards or more. If he were playing indoors more frequently, would his production increase? Would it improve his scrambling ability?

Fields already set multiple NFL records this past year and became just the third quarterback in league history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season, totaling 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns. Interestingly enough, Fields totaled more than 70 rushing yards in all but one game at Soldier Field after the calendar turned to November, though his lowest output did come on Christmas Eve against the Buffalo Bills, one of the coldest games in Bears history. Fields had just 11 yards on seven carries the entire day.

Fields may need to wait a few years, but the Bears continue to move towards a move to Arlington Heights. They’re expected to close on the 326-acre property no later than the end of March and that date could even be pushed up according to ESPN 1000’s David Kaplan. Chairman George McCaskey already indicated last fall the team will look to build an enclosed stadium on the property should the deal materialize, erasing any doubt about any plans for an outdoor field.

For now, however, Fields will need to continue adapting to the cold weather. Hopefully it doesn’t slow him down too much but based on his production last year, he appears to be handling the elements well.

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Instant analysis of the Bears’ Week 15 loss to Eagles

The #Bears lost a close one in this gritty matchup against the Philadelphia #Eagles

The Chicago Bears did their best to grit out a tough win in front of the Soldier Field crowd on Sunday, but couldn’t quite overcome the conference-best Philadelphia Eagles. Quarterback Justin Fields held his own on offense, rushing for 95 yards and coming back to make a daring fourth-quarter comeback attempt.

It was over when…

… Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ offense converted a first down in Bears territory after the two-minute warning. Chicago had run out of timeouts and was unable to stop the clock when the Eagles went into victory formation.

Game balls

QB Justin Fields: Fields led the Bears in rushing and put up almost 200 yards in the passing game along with two touchdowns and no interceptions. His comeback attempt in the fourth quarter should stick with Chicago’s fans for a long time to come, even if the Bears didn’t manage to win.

CB Kyler Gordon: The Bears’ rookie cornerback fought hard against the Eagles and came down with an impressive interception of Jalen Hurts. Philadelphia has some of the best receivers in the NFL, and this game could’ve gotten out of hand if it weren’t for the work Gordon put in against them.

Key stat

6 Sacks: Chicago’s offensive line allowed six sacks on the day, which made it nearly impossible for Fields to move the ball through the air. Everything he accomplished today was in spite of his offensive line.

Quick hits:

  • Running back David Montgomery found the endzone on a nine-yard touchdown run that gave the Bears an early lead in the first quarter.
  • Seven Bears combined for five or more tackles on the day, and the team was led by linebacker Nicholas Morrow who tallied 11 in the game.
  • Justin Fields ended the game with a passer rating of 119.5.
  • Chicago fumbled the ball four times in this matchup, losing only one.
  • The Bears were outscored by just five points despite being out-gained by nearly 200 yards on offense.
  • Chicago was penalized six times in this game for a total of 30 yards.
  • Byron Pringle led the team in receiving, catching two balls for 39 yards and a touchdown.

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Notre Dame football: The coldest games in recent memory

Coldest you’ve ever been at a sporting event?

When Notre Dame hosts Boston College for senior day on Saturday it will be one of the coldest games in recent memory at Notre Dame Stadium.  According to the Notre Dame game notes from the 2013 win over BYU, that particular day was then the coldest game at the stadium since 1991.  There have certainly been cold ones since but I haven’t found one officially listed as colder.

Temperature is one thing but wind, rain, snow, and perhaps icy seats can make things significantly worse, even if the temperature is warmer.  With this game in mind and the idea of bundling up in my head I threw a question out to the masses on social media.  I simply asked: “What is the coldest you’ve ever been at a sporting event? (Not necessarily the air temp but worst physical cold feeling you sat thru)”

I’ve got answers that involve Notre Dame and have nothing to do with Notre Dame.  Living around Chicago my entire life has provided plenty of April baseball games and winter football games to freeze my rear-end off at.

Here are some of the best replies to the question.  The only ones I posted are related to Notre Dame but my mentions are full of classic memories of fans freezing their fingers off while watching their teams.

7 Takeaways from the Bears’ comeback victory over the 49ers

From Justin Fields outdueling Trey Lance to the impactful play of the Bears rookies, here are our takeaways from Sunday’s win.

A new era of Chicago Bears football began on Sunday as the team kicked off the 2022 NFL season with a new regime in place against the San Francisco 49ers. Head coach Matt Eberflus made his regular-season debut and braved the elements at Soldier Field. Torrential downpours made conditions tough for both teams, but it was the Bears who were able to overcome them when it was all said and done.

After a sluggish first half with no points and very little offensive production that resulted in a 7-0 lead for the 49ers, things began to turn around. With key adjustments by the offensive staff, quarterback Justin Fields settled into a groove and the Bears scored 19 unanswered points to defeat win 19-10.

It was an ugly win for an ugly game, but thanks to timely offense and clutch defense, they got the job done and start the year off 1-0. Here are our takeaways from the game.

The rain at Soldier Field for Bears-49ers was so bad, Fox had to digitally add field markings

A game of Madden or a rainy day at the stadium?

It was a wild and wet afternoon on Sunday in Chicago for Bears-49ers.

Earlier in the day, rain in Chicagoland made for a terrible playing surface at Soldier Field. As the game wore on, and Justin Fields did Justin Fields things for the Bears (+6.5), Chicago ground out an upset 19-10 win.

But not before the rain picked back up in a downpour late in the fourth quarter. Conditions got so poor on the field the wetness actually washed away all the field markings. As a result, Fox had to add digital field markings through the end of the contest so that viewers could discern what was happening on their TVs.

Yes, this was wild:

I have to admit: I wasn’t sure what I was quite looking at first glance. Was this a throwback to the eight-bit video game era or an NFL football game in 2022? Despite the inclement weather, kudos to the Fox crew for trying to finish the broadcast well.