SouthernWorldwide.com – Former Chicago Cubs star Anthony Rizzo has expressed his belief that city officials are in a state of denial regarding the impending departure of the Chicago Bears to Indiana.
Rizzo, who is enjoying his post-retirement life in the Windy City, noted that the city is soon to be without a major sports team.
The Chicago Bears, a prominent National Football League franchise, are reportedly set to relocate from Chicago to Hammond, Indiana, a move of approximately 20 miles south of their current home stadium.
The Bears have been playing their home games at Soldier Field since 1971. Prior to that, they utilized Wrigley Field, the former home of the Cubs, for 50 seasons.
Despite the Bears’ clear intentions to leave, city officials have reportedly been making significant efforts to retain the team. Rizzo commented that these officials appear to be “in denial that they’re going.”
“Soldier Field was, is, awesome, in my opinion. It’s hard to get in and out of, and it definitely needed some renovations, but the city of Chicago and the fan base, it’s absolutely wild that they’re leaving for Indiana. I know it’s not too far away; it’s not even 20 miles south, but the fact that it’s in Indiana is different,” Rizzo stated.
He further drew a parallel to other teams, mentioning, “Then again, the New York Giants and the New York Jets play in New Jersey, so. The renderings of what they’re doing look amazing. If you build it, they will come, right?”
The Bears’ board of directors convened recently and voted to proceed with the stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana. The exact location for the stadium is yet to be determined. This decision was officially announced the following day.
In a joint statement, Bears Chairman George H. McCaskey and CEO Kevin Warren expressed their vision for the project. “We believe a world-class stadium project in Hammond will transform the region, connecting Northwest Indiana and the South Side of Chicago through the Loop and across the neighborhoods and suburbs stretching north of the city,” they said.
They added, “It will bring Chicagoland together and deliver new opportunities to its residents and businesses.”
However, even if this proposed stadium plan were to materialize, it would still result in the team relocating out of Chicago. The only other potential site within Illinois that has been considered a likely landing spot is Arlington Heights.
