The mayor of Chicago hit back at the Bears this afternoon after the team said it is considering buying a stadium-sized piece of property in the suburbs.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot dismissed the Bears’ move as a mere negotiating ploy, and said she wishes the team would focus on more important things, like beating the Packers.
“Our city is home to some of the world’s finest sports teams who have played a vital role in the city’s re-opening,” Lightfoot said in a statement. “As part of the city’s recovery, many organizations are doubling down on their commitment to Chicago, and we expect the Chicago Bears to follow suit. The Bears are locked into a lease at Soldier Field until 2033. In addition, this announcement from the Bears comes in the midst of negotiations for improvements at Soldier Field. This is clearly a negotiating tactic that the Bears have used before. As a season ticketholder and longtime Bears fan, I am committed to keeping the ‘Chicago’ name in our football team. And like most Bears fans, we want the organization to focus on putting a winning team on the field, beating the Packers finally and being relevant past October. Everything else is noise.”
The property the Bears are bidding on is the Arlington International Racecourse in Arlington Heights, about 30 miles from Soldier Field.