Tom Dundon wants a team in Raleigh, and he's a fucking idiot for wanting it. He is even more blatant than Tom Ricketts about baseball as an entertainment and mixed use real estate play. Nobody here wants to pay $50 for a baseball ticket, NC is the epicenter of minor league baseball (9 affiliated teams) and people are used to paying $30 for a night out for it including deck parking a block away and a beer.

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

Yeah, I don't think it makes sense, and neither does Nashville, for that matter. There just aren't really that many markets that can sustain that much ticket and television inventory. Tampa Bay could be one of them, in theory, but it looks like that thing is just about done.

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Apparently they want shovels in the ground this year. Seems like bluster to me.

For Ginny's grave?

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I still think they are stalling until Ginny finally dies. None of them could have assumed that she's still be alive at 102, they must be carrying her around in a bucket.

They know they don't have money to build a stadium, and when Ginny dies they will sell the franchise after an appropriate mourning period to somebody who can build with their own capital either in Arlington Heights or in the city, and try to keep 10% of the AG property ownership for an ongoing revenue stream for the family.

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

They could do all of that with plans and entitlements in place.

No way they are breaking ground in 25. Zero chance. If they have more refined architectural plans, they would have revealed them. It will take a year just to get all of the permits and approvals

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Maybe he'll dig up a potted plant at the architect's office.

And they simply do not have the political will or public standing to breeze the process. More people oppose them than support them, and that’s before you even factor in the public money element.

I think we somewhere between 8-15 months away from an announcement that Soldier Field will get another renovation that improves some components of the stadium and gives it a style more in line with the rest of Museum Campus. The Bears will play 2027 at the new Ryan Field in Evanston. The government will foot the bill but it’ll remain the Park District’s building.

Chicago is warming rapidly and the viable season for an outdoor venue is growing by weeks. There’s no need for a dome is a climate with only really 3-4 cold months. Back when winter started mid-October and ended mid-May, but not anymore. Chicago has highs in the 40’s next week and that has become a yearly occurrence. No dome.

Exactly why Kevin Warren has to be removed immediately (yes, I know that won't happen). As of next week, He'll have 2 years on the job and they've actually regressed on stadium progress....his single, #1 job.

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That and the team success he really does need to go, but it won’t happen for a long time. The Bears care more about HR than football or even their stadium.

A renovated stadium that matches the Museum Campus would be great and would alleviate one of the two big problems with the place. It wouldn't be hideous anymore, but it still sucks to drive to and it's a long walk for anyone not coming from the south burbs or Indiana. I will say, though, you don't hear much about the Shedd or the Field failing to draw a crowd, and they're no easier to get to.

I'd like to see them play some games at Wrigley for old times' sake if the NFL lets them (they let the Chargers play at a 20,000-seat soccer stadium, who cares). Maybe six games through November and December at Wrigley, just in case the Cubs need it for October. lol.

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Owning a dome stadium would open up the potential to host lucrative events all year long.

This of course would require a considerable amount of vision that the McKaskey family does not seem to possess.

Yeah, they could host Taylor Swift and the Rolling Stones.

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Well they don't host those now, so this would be an improvement.

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In ten years Chicago’s climate will be the same as Nashville’s now. If you’re gonna build a dome you’re building it for the heat in August, not the cold in December. As for the concerts, this isn’t an issue for New York, Boston, Philadelphia etc.

When you think about it in those terms, it’s kind of absurd that the NFL team that only plays 8-9 games a year there should be the beneficiary of all the other events. Unless they are paying for all of it.

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This is pretty dumb.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Yeah, winter temps are increasing much faster than summer ones.

I agree. Building a $5B domed stadium for 25 events a year is pretty dumb.

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Are you saying I’m wrong? Because I’m not even if I really truly wish I was.

Even if, for the sake of argument, our winters weren't getting shorter and/or milder (they are), it would still be dumb to build a new domed stadium for a hapless NFL team when there are far greater priorities. We don't need one at all.

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I don’t know how you could be facing the profound issues Chicago faces (this just in: second worst traffic in the world in 2024) and justify spending ten billion dollars on a vanity project for a bad football team.

Good news! With the Red Line extension the far South Side can finally attend Bears games at Soldier Field

They'll also be able to get to Arlington.

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"I honestly don't see a good bet on the board here."

I'm glad they pulled off the 95th-130th extension (Yellow Line to Old Orchard next?), but it's very confusing to have a "Michigan" stop on a north-south line. Why couldn't they put the station at the cross street and be consistent? Also, why can't Brandon Johnson get through a single press conference without embarrassing himself?

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Part of the Jason Goff geography school

We'll get that 35th/Stony station someday. Make no small plans.

But yeah it makes more sense to call it 116th, since I'm sure there will end up being an alternate entrance at 116th. Ah, what do I care, I'll never take the Red Line south of 35th anyway.

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The Chicago Park District gets all the revenue from the events you mentioned, if the Bears owned the stadium they would get event rental fees, also could sell naming rights, and would get concession and parking fees from events.

Odd that this is a surprise to people, though everyone knew that not owning Soldier Field costs the Bears tens of millions of dollars a year.

OK great then they should buy it themselves.