No Clever Moniker wrote:
The only people for whom this registers are the media, and why? Because some (a few radio hosts who choose such) have to talk about a press conference and baseball opening day? Its like complaining that there's too much dessert to choose from for the school lunch. Yes Timmy, you can have both.
As for the Reinsdorf/UC deal vs. the Bears/Daley/Park District deal, the McCaskey family had an inept front man who squandered their leverage at every turn and didn't have the wherewithal to put them halfway towards having the new stadium paid by now. The McCaskeys had options but no vision and they feared being saddled with major debt, so they wanted a public handout. Sure, they put up some of their money, but only enough to get a credit from the NFL revenue sharing for having a new stadium.
The people who've totally gotten fucked are the Chicago taxpayers who got saddled with finance bonds that are all but unserviceable, relying on a hotel room tax that will not longer be sufficient to serivce the bonds in 4 years (2018).
There is no love loss between Reinsdorf and the McCaskeys. Reinsdorf was going to buy 15% of the Bears at one time, but the McCassholes used their ROFR (I know a bunch of you here have no idea what that means, but you are much smarter than I, so no need to explain) and instead found Pat Ryan to buy.
At this time, it was Mike Mccaskey running things. He had/has ZERO connections and is/was kind of a pud that felt he was untouchable, he owned the Bears and everyone should kiss his ass. Almost a social retard. It was one of the major reasons Phillips was given the President title, because Mommy knew her son would never go and get a stadium. He was not capable of it.
Neither was Ted Phillips, but Phillips at least didnt have burned bridges. Phillips goes to talk to Daley who says, go talk to Reinsdorf about the ISFA, which was their bullshit government collective kickbacks to buddies.
Reinsdorf lays out a deal for Phillips, that will get them about $400 mill for the Soldier Field renovation. Includes daleys millenium park plan, Sox $38 M payment to cut off the upper deck, $5M to u of I, $5 M to Kankakee, $2 M to George Ryans buddies, etc etc it was a $600 mill package.
The deal passed amazingly quickly. Jerry called in all his chips. For the record, Pat Quinn was the only one who voted against it and wanted it to be a public vote.
I don't think there is anything document restricting a dome, but Jerry ran the whole thing, so if a dome was introduced he would just shut it down. So it was an understanding, nothing legal.
That should be enough for now.