Staff Reports
The Chicago Bears’ board just gave Indiana the green light to move forward on a Hammond stadium plan, and the reactions have been predictably loud. Former Governor Rod Blagojevich didn’t hold back, calling Illinois leadership asleep at the wheel. If you care about the team, your wallet, or basic common sense, it’s time to pay attention.
Board vote, Hammond plan, and the money on the table
The Bears’ Board of Directors, led by Chairman George H. McCaskey and Team President & CEO Kevin Warren, voted to advance a stadium development project focused on Hammond, Indiana. Indiana lawmakers and Governor Mike Braun passed SEA/SB 27 to create a Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority and lay out roughly $1 billion in public-incentive capacity for infrastructure and district costs. The team says it would put in billions privately, while the public pieces would be tax-backed bonds and special district revenues. This is not a done deal, but it is a very big step toward a stadium across the state line.
Who gets blamed — and who actually moved
Former Governor Rod Blagojevich called it “gubernatorial malpractice,” saying Governor JB Pritzker got outplayed while Indiana moved fast. That line lands because it highlights a real problem: politics and process matter. Indiana wrote the playbook, passed the law, and showed the Bears a clear option. Illinois leaders argue they still want the team to stay, but when competing governments offer different packages, action beats speeches. Chicago fans are tired of waiting for last-minute deals and legislative theater while other states write checks and pass laws.
Politics, taxpayers, and the real cost
Pocketbook vs. pride
Let’s be blunt: stadium deals are about politics as much as economics. Indiana’s package uses hotel, restaurant, and admission taxes plus a bond authority to free up near-$1 billion for infrastructure. That sounds generous until you read the fine print — local taxpayers often shoulder the risk if development falls short. Illinois can choose to fight with its purse or with pride. If Springfield wants to keep the Bears, it needs a faster, smarter offer that protects taxpayers instead of repeating the same costly mistakes. Otherwise, voters should stop pretending public money is free and start asking tough questions.
What happens next — and what leaders should do
The board vote to advance in Hammond opens a site-selection and approval process that still needs NFL review and many permits. Illinois leaders have time to present a credible alternative, but time is not on their side. If Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago officials want to keep the Bears, they must act decisively and responsibly — not with last-minute promises or theatrical pronouncements. Or they can watch as another state rewrites the rules for economic development and grabs the trophy. Either way, voters will remember who moved and who mumbled.
In the end, this is a test of leadership. Break up with tradition if tradition means sitting on the sidelines while other states seize opportunity. Do it with common-sense financing, protect taxpayers, and stop treating professional sports like a civic birthright to be traded for headlines. If Illinois wants the Bears to stay, it’s time to stop whining and start negotiating — or accept that team loyalty can be bought where leaders show up with a plan.
