Like 94 between Bass Pro Shop and the crappier Ryan Express isn’t already a dystopian nightmare….
#TakeTheSouthShoreLineMyPeeps
The flight away from crime infested hell holes and terrible policies, continues across the country.
Indiana with two NFL teaams now, crazy stuff.
https://x.com/GovBraun/status/2062932385973289336
■■■■ the bears.
■■■■ Chicago
■■■■ Ben Johnson.
He said he went to the Bears, because he wanted to live there… Vacations there with his family every summer
HAHHAHAHAHAAHA
I still like Ben. That creative genius bastard.
Well, great. Now the damn Bears are officially closer to me than the Lions are. I guess I better make the wardrobe change. /s
Damn those Pistons and Lions! They did it backwards!
Actually, the population of Chicago has remained relatively stable over the past couple of decades. It remains the third largest city in the United States. They still would have two MLB teams, one NHL team, and one NBA team. Their crime rate is down quite a bit since peaking in the early 90s. How do you explain the lions, tigers, Red Wings, and Pistons all being in the hell hole of Detroit? All having stayed there or moved there in the last couple of decades. The Bears sure like the money of Chicago because they are staying within driving distance. Not surprisingly, the non-hell holes don’t have the money or infrastructure to support a pro sports team. This is just another money grab by a billionaire Owner. It has absolutely nothing to do with the crime or policies of Chicago.
So if it has nothing to do with policy then why exactly are they moving, not only out of the City, but out of the State? Are Tax policies not policies?
I agree that it has nothing to do with the crime in Chicago. But certainly the driving force behind this is the State and Local policies.
Metro ChicagoLand has seen an approximate 3% increase in population in the last 25 years. City limits of Chicago proper has seen a 0% increase in population in the last 25 years, which given that the population of the country is increased means it is contracted on a net basis, unlike most metro areas.
I doubt the ownership is reacting to Crime but I am sure they are reacting to the ability to make more money. Comes both from an offensive and defensive mindset with the defensive mindset being not paying as high of taxes, which are clearly lower in Indiana and not being in the city of Chicago proper. Those are just easily researchable facts. The offensive side of it is that the land is cheaper in Hammond Indiana by a wide margin so you can buy more so you can do what has become more and more popular which is develop a lot of sports adjacent and non-sports Enterprise around the stadium area and have multiple cash flow lines that way instead of just relying on sporting event only Revenue. This is been a strong trend for the last 15 years in all sports with a couple of the really big examples being the Brooklyn Nets and the Truist Park area for the Atlanta Braves among many others.
We don’t need this become politically motivated so let’s knock off this s*** about crime. It’s about economics
I can’t thumbs up this enough times. Perfectly stated.
Up until recently, I lived in Chicago, lived there for over 15 years. Its a beautiful city. It has so much going for it. Loved living there. It has an awesome waterfront, cool downtown, all the museums and parks etc. The best thing about it, that separates it from a lot of other cities, are its neighborhoods. The number of locally owned businesses, restaurants, corner stores and bars in the city is immense. Sure, everyone is dealing with the modern economic climate.. now instead the stadium is going to be built in a freaking parking lot outside of gary indiana.. because, yes they have lower taxes. There is barely anything of interest at that site. Nothing else to go to. Nothing else to see. You will get in your car, go to the game, get back into your car and go home. Nothing like going to a sporting event in a cool city. Its a huge loss and a short sighted move.
Sounds like Pontiac
I went to the Cardinals stadium when it was brand new. They built it far away from Phoenix in the middle of nowhere. There were just a small number of new bars and restaurants to choose from when I went. Then I went a few years later, and the dining and drinking options had greatly expanded.
I get what you are saying though. This move will hurt legacy business in the neighborhoods around the existing stadium, but this may also boost businesses along the mass transit routes, right? That would be my guess. Whenever I go to a Broncos game in Denver, I never drive. I take the mass transit train, and there are a lot of options to jump off and dine and drink. Taking the train for my friends and family is much less stress and costs less money than driving and parking.
Yep this is why I said take the South Shore Line. For those who don’t know what that is, it is the Chicago Transit Authority long distance train into the city from the South Bend Michigan City area and it stops in Hammond. Don’t try to drive that last 30 Miles dudes, trust me. I have a stepdaughter that lives up in McHenry near the Illinois Wisconsin border and having lived in West Michigan all my life I’ve gone back and forth to Chicago a bazillion times and that stretch of 94 is the f****** devil. In fact I hope this makes them upgrade the South Shore Line.
Hope they site on this photo.
Guys. We are not gonna open the crime angle because it leads to politics.
End of story. Plenty of the Rest of The Whole Freaking Internet for that.
Hammond is not Naperville. Understood.
Everyone in Chicago vacations in Wisconsin and Michigan.
So what are they going to be called now. Indiana Bears? The football team Bears?
Yeah, Im sure they will develop around the site.. but all of the business will be larger chains, regional restaurant groups, etc. None of the money, other than a few low paid local employees will stay in the area. Vs when you have a team in an actual city, so many more businesses and local entreprenuers benefit. A lot more of the money actually stays in the area. Instead, in Hammond, the money shoots right out of the area, and none of it will be in chicago, or even around Hammond.