I will let someone else answer the question.

_________________
"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

it is political...and it is stupid. Chicago needed a retractable dome. Instead they got a SMALL outdoor stadium with a shitty playing surface. dumb!

_________________
Proud to be UNVERIFIED.

I don't want a dome of any form.

It has nothing to do with "Bear weather" or anything else.

I am fine with a new stadium, but I just think football needs to be played outside. Just my 2 cents.

_________________
"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

We already have a shitty 'dome in Wrigley.

_________________

Why can't they just get a better playing surface?

_________________
This is my signature...

Because taxpayers are already on the hook for the Cell and US and can't afford it, right bigfan?

_________________

We need a bigger arena for Monster Truck races and Tractor Pulls that we can use in the winter.

1. I'm soft and can't handle cold weather.

2. Couldn't we have done better w/ 600mil?

3. We're making such a big deal over an outdoor hockey game. I know, I know...once in a lifetime. But wouldn't it be cooler if we had a facility for a Final 4? A super bowl? THOSE are events.

4. We're making an olympic pitch and talking about "blowing up a stadium" in washington park like a moonwalk at a carnival. If the city had any vision, they would've built a world class facility w/ soldier field.

I love this city and the traditions of our ballparks and stadiums. Just thought a retractable dome that had a larger capacity would've benefitted everyone better. Also thought Reinsdorf should've built the new comiskey near the intersection of roosevelt and canal. On the river, the skyline in the background. Instead we now have a bunch of malls in that area.

By the way...Happy Holidays to all. Thanks for listening. Thanks for the comments good and bad. I'll keep reading. I look forward to a great 09 and hope we can plan another outing soon and get to meet more of you.
Thanks for a cool site Bigfan.

If you really think about it there are only 1 or 2 bad weather Bears games a year. September, October and November are, for the most part, decent weather for Bears games. Usually in the 40s. Maybe the 30s. Sometimes you get rain but that's rare if you look back at Bears games, through the years, in those months.

Walter's soul would not have been able to get thru the dome roof to lift up Alex Brown to block that FG.

_________________

Last night's temps weren't too bad. I mean, my feet are already starting to thaw out!

_________________

They should have moved the game into the United Center like they did in the old Chicago Stadium days.

_________________
"All crowds boycotting football games shouldn't care who sings or takes a knee because they aren't watching." - Nas

Lets examine Silvy's point #2?
"2. Couldn't we have done better w/ 600mil? "

You would think so.

Remember how quickly this $600 mill was approved too? Pat Quinn was outraged and wanted a public hearing and a vote on this.

Guess who pulled $34 million out of this $600 mill? The White Sox

Guess who gave the "Thumbs up" to all his polticial buddies to get this done? Jerry R.

Guess who could not get a stop sign put in because they have ZERO political connections? McLaskeys

Sweaty Teddy gets made President of the Bears and his mission was to get a new stadium,he knows he needs politicans to back him on this one, knows McCaskeys have ZERO connections. Has his meeting with Reinsdorf who agrees to help, for a chunk ($34 million) for the ongoing Improvements to the State of Illinois Taxpayer Park ($15 million this year for a new entrance) and one more thing NO DOME! A Dome would possibly then create a much better place for The Circus, Walking with Dinosaurs show,Big 10 tourney, NCAA games, Kanye, Celine Dion, Tom Petty, Stones, Disney on Ice, Miley Cyrus and on and on. Then who loses out? The United center. think about it, because it happened.

And I am 100% sure they could have kept the same facae as they did for this shitty stadium

On a semi related note. The NEW soldier Field SUCKS! It is built with the least expensive material, seats, product etc. The Bathrooms suck, the entrance is terrible, the concourse is terrible. Of anything, built, rehabbed, etc in the past 5-10 years this might the single worst place around.

_________________
"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

As a Bears season ticket holder, I would have loved for them to have re-built Soldier Field with a retractable roof. In all honesty, I think all new outdoor stadiums should have retractable roofs. In baseball, you wouldn't have any rainouts (or snow outs) and therefore, fitting in games before the season ends wouldn't be a problem. In football, you wouldn't have players throwing snow/ice at the fans and vice versa .

Please remember this is NOT the Bears Stadium. It is the City of Chicago's, thus the drastic need for REAL additional income and not the SWAC championship game as the major income producer outside of a Bears game.

One of the great unreported stories in this city, The money diverted to Reinsdorf's interests by his pocket politicans.

9% of ALL hotel revenue in the city! Estimated at $30-40 million a year. Goes to the ISFA, which owns Comiskular, so the money goes nowhere else.

Any foregone fees for Soldier Field if it had a dome for some major events. I would have even been OK with Jerry getting certain events from ever being at "The Verizon Dome" at Soldier Field, like the circus, the ice capades, big ten tourney, etc.

Anyone think we could have handled a Final Four or a Super Bowl in this City? the chance to do this was right in front of us and was screwed over by King Richard, Blago and Mike Madigan. But now King Richard wants the Olympics to save the city?

When you give away $50 million , or more, in revenue annually time to open a casino I guess.

_________________
"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

I like the new Soldier Field, what is the major beef with it other than the fact that it is small. Being small I am closer to the action (for the seats I can afford) than I would be if it were larger. Its failure to attact other events does not bother me. Like we need more events going on (and more LSD congestion) than just 10 Bears games a year plus otherrandom events. And anotherthing SCREW THE OLYMPICS

So Screw the Olympics, no additional events for city income (Final 4, Super Bowl, Major Concerts, Political Conventions)

But hey, crank up my real estate taxes, ticket anyone that runs a yellow light, double all fees just to have a business in the city of chicago, require permits and licenses for pretty much everything.

Glad you have a good view Green Lantern, welcome to the board! and if you have been to ANY new facility, Soldier Field is terrible in relation to any place you go.

_________________
"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

That's why you would put a hole in the top, like at Texas Stadium. Duh...

Only in Chicago do we build Stadiums for 2 teams and then got sponsors for the Stadiums (US Cell and Chase) and then let the teams keep the money?

If you are not aware CHASE is the sponsor of Soldier Field, or as they say Business Partner

_________________
"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

US Cell was not sponsored until 2001 or 02.

_________________

Yes and we, or Jerry, gathered his pocket politiciians to rewrite the lease so he could get the money , in one lump sum I might add, for the naming rights.

1, The statement that "All the money went back into the ballpark" is so foolish, because who then takes the money that the improvements create? The Sox, except of course the $1-$3.00 the State gets per ticket.

2. I promise you that Jerry Reinsdorf or anyone he knows, would never re-write a lease for a Tenant so they could have naming rights to anything for "Nothing" in exchange.

US Cellular was a terrible deal for this state. It's not the first or the last terrible deal for the State of Illinois, but it is one that has been treated like a cash cow by the Sox since it was signed. Anything they have wanted they have got and more. Please note this years $15 million gate 5 improvements. Gate 5 was such a problem for the last 15 years.

Now look at the Bears and Soldier Field. Always a fight about something. They cant even get a decent playing surface.

_________________
"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Thats the City for you. Park District to be exact.

_________________

Big Fan do you honestly believe that revenues from extra events like the Super Bowl, Final Four or more concerts will save taxpayers money? Or will the rich just getricher off of these events

I do believe it would help. It would stop the Alderman from having extra sessions to come up with the bottled water tax of .05 cents per bottle, which was suppossed to be because of the need to clean them up.

_________________
"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

A Neutral Site BCS game would have sucked in Chicago!

If you have been to ESPN zone and the entire River North area it was redeveloped for Tourists! The Hotels, etc. all done for major events. So all this development for Major events and the city does nothing but lose events? or not capitalize on something like "a dome" for events.

_________________
"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

It's all about the Olympics. Once we have them, Daley can retire and leave the rest of the mess to the sad sack who takes over after him.

_________________
"All crowds boycotting football games shouldn't care who sings or takes a knee because they aren't watching." - Nas