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Jiggafini19Deux

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It was a big deal back before Chicago schools (both private and parochial) were included in the state playoffs. They still play it, but it's teams that have been bounced from the playoffs, and it's lost a quite a bit of it's former luster.

Chicago Prep Bowl
The Prep Bowl hasn't been at Soldier Field in a while. Maybe before the renovation.

Like you said, it's teams that get eliminated early or don't make the playoffs. And they're expanding the playoffs soon from what I understand.
I think more than anything it is more games to get your returning guys practice and reps. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't mean what it once did back in the 60s.
 

Jiggafini19Deux

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High taxes / bad business climate / incompetent mayor & governor have consequences.
The mayor has nothing to do with any of this. The incompetence here resides with Kevin Warren and George McCaskey. The IL state legislature is pushing back. The governor wants to get something done.

The governor is the only person who seems to know what he's doing while Kevin Warren dicks around and the rubes in Indiana's legislature think they have a done deal already. Governor Pritzker can basically call their bluff now and say "Go to Indiana if you want." Sure, the people who can't read or think critically will blame Pritzker, but this is about the point where it is all falling squarely on the Bears.

George McCaskey needs to sit down with Governor Pritzker and tell him what the fuck he wants, and Pritzker has finally come out publicly and said this more or less. This franchise bought a piece of land for $197M without any leverage prior to purchasing it. It's in suburban Cook County, which has nothing to do with Chicago or it's mayor, and the Bears are using Indiana as leverage which they probably should have done before buying the land in Arlington Heights.

Jerry Reinsdorf is 90 years old and he doesn't screw around. He went to the state directly and said what he wanted for a new baseball stadium (they said no). He met directly with people in Nashville. Say what you want about Jerry, he's not going to send middle men and fumble things around like Kevin Warren has.
 

pumpdog20

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Lake County residents would have a 1% additional food and beverage tax. The hotel tax in Lake county would jump from 5% to 10%. I don't want to pay that shit for when I come to ND games. Stay in Illinois damnit.
 

Jiggafini19Deux

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The Bears account for less than 20% of Soldier Field revenue. That number surprised me. The revenue comes from concerts, soccer matches and the parking garage. LOL.

They have a plan to revamp the facility when the Bears leave. More concerts, more events.
 

zelezo vlk

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The Bears account for less than 20% of Soldier Field revenue. That number surprised me. The revenue comes from concerts, soccer matches and the parking garage. LOL.

They have a plan to revamp the facility when the Bears leave. More concerts, more events.
That's good news imo, I really thought Soldier Field would sit unused outside of random concerts and events once the Bears moved on.
 

BleedBlueGold

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The Bears account for less than 20% of Soldier Field revenue. That number surprised me. The revenue comes from concerts, soccer matches and the parking garage. LOL.

They have a plan to revamp the facility when the Bears leave. More concerts, more events.

I don't follow MLS close enough, but since the Fire already play their games there, are they just going to turn it into their official home stadium, full-time, with the occasional use for concerts? Blackhawks should play an outdoor home game every year there too.
 

sfk324

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I don't follow MLS close enough, but since the Fire already play their games there, are they just going to turn it into their official home stadium, full-time, with the occasional use for concerts? Blackhawks should play an outdoor home game every year there too.
The Fire are building a new stadium along the river. The owner didn't ask for public funds and he got the okay pretty quickly.
 

zelezo vlk

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The Fire are building a new stadium along the river. The owner didn't ask for public funds and he got the okay pretty quickly.
I read that there was already TIF funds allotted to that parcel. Regardless, I think it's great that they were able to fit a small (<25K) stadium in the city.
 

pumpdog20

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The Bears account for less than 20% of Soldier Field revenue. That number surprised me. The revenue comes from concerts, soccer matches and the parking garage. LOL.

They have a plan to revamp the facility when the Bears leave. More concerts, more events.
$600m+ on top of the $350m the city still owes on the last renovation. Not good in my book.
 

Jiggafini19Deux

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The Fire are building a new stadium along the river. The owner didn't ask for public funds and he got the okay pretty quickly.
Everybody was looking at The 78 land in the South Loop. I probably would not have guessed The Fire would have gotten it in the end, but I'm glad they did. Screw Jerry Reinsdorf.

Was texting with my state rep last night about the Bears stadium. Based on what was said in those texts, I think now more than ever a deal is going to get done and the Bears will be in Arlington Heights. The consensus in Illinois is no money toward the stadium but infrastructure in the surrounding area makes complete sense.
 

Irish#1

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Everybody was looking at The 78 land in the South Loop. I probably would not have guessed The Fire would have gotten it in the end, but I'm glad they did. Screw Jerry Reinsdorf.

Was texting with my state rep last night about the Bears stadium. Based on what was said in those texts, I think now more than ever a deal is going to get done and the Bears will be in Arlington Heights. The consensus in Illinois is no money toward the stadium but infrastructure in the surrounding area makes complete sense.
Not surprising. I appreciate my state legislature wasting time playing a game they were never going to win.
 

Jiggafini19Deux

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Ah man an upgrade of the surrounding infrastructure would have been welcome on my last visit...
Parking is going to be a significant part of this. All of the museums are down there and such.

When we went to see Oasis at Soldier Field in August, I prepaid for parking and got a spot in the Soldier Field garage. To my amazement getting both in and out was pretty quick.

The easiest place to get to is the United Center for Bulls and Blackhawks. The other three venues suck in terms of the access. The Fire stadium should be interesting.
 

Jiggafini19Deux

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Not surprising. I appreciate my state legislature wasting time playing a game they were never going to win.
My friends and family over in the Hoosier State are not at all keen on paying for this stadium. All of them subscribe to the theory that the money being spent before and after games will be done in Chicago/IL on top of it all, and I agree with them. Where do people in Hammond stay and what is there to do before and after games?

Not seeing it.

New stadium in Arlington Heights and a Soldier Field revamp seems like the best outcome and most likely at this point.
 

sfk324

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My friends and family over in the Hoosier State are not at all keen on paying for this stadium. All of them subscribe to the theory that the money being spent before and after games will be done in Chicago/IL on top of it all, and I agree with them. Where do people in Hammond stay and what is there to do before and after games?

Not seeing it.

New stadium in Arlington Heights and a Soldier Field revamp seems like the best outcome and most likely at this point.
Anyone in the Southland or in NWI who thinks they will see any meaningful positive economic impact from a stadium in Hammond is delusional.
 
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