Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - 5 On It: Is Bears' exploration of stadium in Indiana motivating Illinois lawmakers?

Episode Date: February 10, 2026

Leila Rahimi, Marshall Harris and Mark Grote discussed a variety of sports topics in the 5 On It segment.

The score. It's time for five on it. Rahini Harrison Rooney. Bring you five topics on their minds today. On 104-3, the score. I got five on it. Number one. Illinois lawmakers and the bears are reportedly close to a deal on public infrastructure funding

and property tax legislation tied to a proposed Arlington Heights Stadium with the team pledging to cover construction costs. Governor J.B. Pritzker says talks are ongoing in any agreement must protect taxpayers while lawmakers continue working through details like ticket affordability and tax certainty. Indiana has advanced its own stadium proposal to lure the bears adding pressure as its legislative session nears an end through Illinois, though Illinois leaders say they're not negotiating out of competition. Thanks to Fox 32 for all those details I'll just laid out for you there. So here's the question. On a scale of 1 to 10 on the BS meter, where do you rate the idea that

lawmakers are not all of a sudden upping their game because of Indiana. Well, that's what we need clarity on, right? So when Cam Buckner says in his story, we're not in competition with Indiana, well, the Bears made you guys somewhat in competition. So what does that mean when it comes to the discussion about the tax rate? What does that mean as far as what the Bears want? Here's the other part of this. If the Bears have to give up more than they wanted in this deal,

if they're like, okay, we'll stay in Illinois, okay, we'll go to Arlington Heights, you know, to that place we got. I don't think we're going to hear that from the Bears, you know, so. They're going to spin it differently. Correct. So I don't, I think at this point it's really, what is the property tax discussion going to look like? What are the rates that you're trying to negotiate do? Like, what do those do? How much profit should the state get from this?

And profit's not the right word. How much should the state get as far of their taxing entity share? and then where does that go from here? So really it's the question of again, who pays, who loses, who benefits? Does the state of Indiana lose, even though they decided to go full steam ahead with this? Does the state of Illinois lose the bears?

Do they think they're not losing because they don't want to pay for this? So those are the questions that I think we further need answered. All of this, by the way, should have happened three years ago when they bought the property or before. Just to reiterate. But, you know, that's not an option right now.

So what's your number? the number on the meter? B.S. Meter. B S. Meder. Trademarked. It's very important. We need a number. I don't know. I mean. Where do you rate the idea of Illinois lawmakers are not all of a sudden up in the game because of Indiana? I don't know. Five. Okay. It's a neutral for me. Like either the bears could be wanting to come to the table.

Like them saying they're covering all of the property costs, given that at one point, the difference in that was several billion dollars. I think that that's a fair trade. on a scale of 1 to 10 on the BS meter, trademarked. I rate the idea that Illinois lawmakers are not all of a sudden upping their game because of Indiana at a 9.5 because there was no rush. There was no impetus.

There was nothing moving this thing forward. There's a reason that shovels weren't in the ground in 2025, and that's because Illinois was like, yeah, you guys got to come back to the table with something better. And they did. They came to the table with an offer from Indiana. that apparently has an expiration date end of this month. So now they're moving.

So that's the BS meter is at 9.5, Grody, because you know what? You wouldn't be moving this quickly, Illinois lawmakers, if this wasn't something that was contesting what you're trying to do, which is wait for the bears to say they'll pay for everything except for infrastructure. It's a 10 on the BS meter.

Very simply, one sentence. The Bears in the state of Illinois have been meeting regularly since December when the Bears put out the press release that they were interested in building a stadium in Hammond, Indiana. Don't forget about the photos. The photos. Those really set it off.

Roger Goodell. By the way, he visited Arlington Heights as well. But it was just the Indiana did it better in terms of publicizing where they were looking. And they put their money where their mouth was. They sure did. When you decided to create a bond issuing authority and you put the law to it, then the net shows how serious you are. The House didn't vote on anything, but the Senate said, yeah, let's do this. because it's their bill.

Illinois State rep, Cam Buckner, will join Spiegel and Holmes this afternoon at 4, so more stadium discussion to come then. Number two. Do you think this idea from Packers Pass rusher, Micah Parsons, could actually work for the NFL? This is on front office sports. I almost think we should create an international team. I know it would be uneven in divisions, but I look at it like, make it like the Notre Dame of the NFL. I'll be the first one on board to go over.

So Michael Parsons with front office sports, what do you think of this whole international team idea? Okay. I don't hate it. Is that wrong? Micah, right there in that soundbite, said he'd be glad to be a member of that team. Yeah, I think there are actually a lot of people

would probably want to play for the team. But then does the international team really just not deserve any home? Like, at some point you need some regularity with your life. You know, you have to, like, know where you're practicing each week and, like, have some routine. Some routine, right? Like, that's the whole point of football teams is to provide schedule and routine, bears. So they don't have a home base, or they just come together? Well, he said it's like Notre Dame. So I guess they, uh, it has to be like they have a home

base. I assume they'd be independent. But, like, they're always traveling to other places. Like, do they have their own home stadium? Maybe it's every year or every three or four years you move the location. Now, I understood that Notre Dame has its own home stadium. I'm not saying that. I'm saying like the concept of them being independent. Yeah, like what's their home then? Like where do they practice? Pick a city. Pick an international city that's had longstanding ties to the NFL.

Do you have the vote on that? It'll be like the Pope. Or we don't vote on the Pope, but I'm saying like anybody in the world could be awarded the team? Yes, I think that it's more like an expansion team situation. I'm old enough to remember people saying the Jacksonville Jaguars are going to go to Europe. Yeah. Well, they're London's team. Yes.

So that's what I'm saying. Does London want the Jack? They're a good relationship. They like the owner. Yeah. Shot Khan. Yeah. They have like a very good relationship.

So I think this is somewhat doable. Maybe not in the way that Michael Parsons is thinking about it, but certainly if a team decided to move. Now, expansion, you wonder how Roger Goodell looks at this. I mean, I'm old enough to remember when they came up with NFL Europe. It's kind of like this minor league system, which also was supposed to get a Europeans more excited about American football. The Ryan Fire.

Yes. RIP to the Ryan Fire. The only NFL Europe team I can remember. But understand this. This is the goal. Bad Bunny was out there, bad bunny in for a reason. They want this thing international. And it may take close to the next decade,

but I expect between half decade to a decade, there will be an international franchise somewhere. Yeah, I think that there would be a team in London proper before there would be an international team. I feel like that's a plausible direction. I don't know if it would be Jacksonville necessarily relocating. I doubt that. Maybe they would just make a whole new team there.

But I could see that happening. The international thing is definitely intriguing, but does not feel plausible, like, in a real estate. Look, we got our hands full with Bears, too, as well. We can't be thinking about another team to put together. Bears, too, will play anywhere the stadium is built. They are ready. Bears 2 would probably play Hammon.

Bears 2 is saving all of their own money. Bears 2 doesn't care. Bears 2 might even play in Kenosha. They've been that bold. They've been camping out in Hamon. Trying to get Bears' leftovers. We'll be there. Bears 2 will have cheerleaders.

We're Bears too. And maybe some of the inappropriate names are you guys suggested. Bears 2. Number 3. This is 5 on it on 104 3. The score with Leila Rahimi, Marshall Harris, and Mark Grody. Here's question number 3. Which Cubs player do you think has a higher likelihood of signing a

contract extension this spring, second baseman Nico Horner or outfielder Pete Crow Armstrong, aka PCA. Well, if it isn't part two of the discussion that plagued our lives last year on the midday show, I look at Marshall with a smirk and he looks back at me with a smirk. It was the extend PCA conversation. He deserves all this money and the price were way up and then the price went down. And now I don't know what the price is. It might even be taken off the board and trading, yes, sir?

Let's not forget the time last season that PCA rounded the bases doing the make-it-rain symbol as he crossed the second base. That was first-half. First-half PCA was a good, a good, first-half. First-half PCA is a good... He didn't have any spots to pull it off in the second half. But what about the totality of the season, Nico Horner, A? Especially with his name being brought up by all these other teams. These other teams want him.

They told you that your guy has... value. And this is a guy the Cubs drafted and developed. So it would make sense that Nico Horner may get the extension before PCA does. But what if first half PCA comes back in the chat? Then we have a whole

other discussion. If first half PCA comes back in the chat, it's all good because spring will be over. So I think Nico Horner's the answer here because I think the Cubs are much closer to making a decision on whether they really want to keep him.

beyond this year. And I don't think either of these things are likely to happen during spring training, but if I had to pick one, it's got to be Nico Horner, mainly because I don't think Pete Croharmstrong has signed anything. He's like, let me run back that first half from last year and get my money back up. And then I might agree to a deal. But if it's not starting with nine figures, I don't think PCA signing. So we're doing this with the idea that they can't possibly give extensions to both of

these guys. First. because I think that they're more interested in the future of and the projection of Pete Crow Armstrong. Because Pete Crow Armstrong has superstar potential. We saw it in the first half, right? Nico Horner does not have superstar. He has a very good baseball player. And maybe that's what PCA turns into.

Who knows what he is. But I would almost still say that the Cubs would invest in, give an extension to P.C. Carr Armstrong before Nico Horner at this point, just on their projections. And I'm also calculating the possibility that Nico Horner gets traded eventually. And I don't want that, but that's, you have to listen. Jed kind of backed you up on inside the clubhouse with our friends David Hahn, Bruce Levine. Jed Hoyer did back you up on that. He's like, it's my job to listen.

That's all I've said throughout this whole process. And I'm like, is it really, Jed? Is it really your job to listen? And it's hard. A hundred percent is his job to listen. We have a relationship with Nico Harlanor. So that makes it even more difficult. He has birthed us many good pizzas from Rinali.

He has. He's a staple on the afternoon show, all of that. But let's not get silly. You have to listen to the offers. And if they blow you away, you take them. Now we got people moving all the teams to other places. I love the concepts of A, where you want to build your stadium, B, what you're calling the new honeybears, and C, which teams are you moving where?

This is very compelling to me as listener feedback. Number four. We bring you all the hot button issues on Rahimi Harrison Grotty, including this question, former White Sox shortstop, Alexi Ramirez. Lexi! Yes! It's set to become the oldest player in world baseball classic history when he suits up for Team Cuba at the age of 44.

What retired former White Sox or Cub would you most want to see come out of retirement for the WBC? So let's be real, guys. I think there's people out here with Axis to Grind who want to remind you who they are. So the list starts for me with Frank Thomas. Frank, Frank, Frank, Frank. Frank. Frank Thomas is 57 years old. But Frank Thomas looks like he can still hit that ball a long ways.

Remember, he's a contact hitter who just happens to hit line drives that go out of the park. I love the idea of seeing Frank Thomas on Team USA. say let's go. That's a hard answer to top. Because also just like you, Frank, ages and reverse. Like, Frank is... I'm aging at a perfectly normal rate. Frank, nah, and you're all your friends joke with you about aging and reverse.

You know this. And Frank, Frank also is ageless. And after his response the other day on the internets to Alec, I have a feeling that Frank probably has a few good home runs left in the tank. If there's one thing I know about Frank, he can still put contact on a a ball, there's no doubt. I just want to introduce that the best insult that I've ever seen came from Frank Thomas on Twitter last week when he said to someone, you plant! I will now be calling people plants. Call him a plant. You plants. Yeah, he was, just like everything else he does.

Frank was Hall of Fame level at his commentary online for sure. We always have time for Frank. I work with a man for many years. If you ever wants to talk to us, it's always there for him because that's what he deserves. So Frank Thomas, I think, is like the easy number one answer. Like, just for fun, just to enjoy my life. I will go back and look at Frank Thomas' stats. And the sad part is his OPS during the strike shortened season. That's the one that's the most tragic because of what the socks were doing that year.

But in the meantime, Frank could still put a hurt on a ball. So here's where I'm intrigued and just travel with me on this path real quick. How old do we really think Ruben Sierra is? Oh, wow. he's listed at 60. He's got to be 70. Exactly. And Ruben Sierra did play for the Wise Sox in 2008.

So I nominate Ruben Sierra, if nothing else, so we can figure out how old he really is. If we're ever going to find out, I'm pretty sure Rubin is timeless. So I would be willing to, like, see how old Ruben Sierra really is. Or if he's still got anything left in the tape because I think the man is timeless and also doesn't age. So Ruben is, Ruben is my guy. I submit Ruben Sierra for the discussion. The four-time All-Stars, Silver Slugger, ALRBI leader. He's also in the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame for whatever that's worth,

which at the time was not much because it was like Rubin and Juan Gonzalez and some other dudes. Bo Boshet's dad. Boa. You got the idea. Nolan Ryan, obviously. That's all. I'm going to go with, in that same vein, in Alexei Ramirez's teammate. Let's see, Paul, yeah.

out there. Let's see Pauli Knerko get up and go. Let's see what he's got. An honorable mention to, this doesn't just be White Sox, right? No. Carrey Wood. Carrey Wood. Carrey Wood still looks like Carrie Wood. He does. You know, like he always just looks like Carrie Wood, tall, skinny guy. And does he have the arm? It would just be, it would be very interesting. Wait, isn't he, like, just for the love of the game and out at New Trier? Isn't he, isn't he like an assistant coach at New Trier? Maybe. I'm not sure. Do those kids even know how good they have it? They don't.

Spoiled North Shore. What was it? Frat Boys? That was a Parkins thing. Parko. He went to Newtrier, didn't he? I know. Number five.

It's five out of nine. 104.3, the score. We haven't had our first spring training game officially yet, but there's already been an error in honor of the White Sox, misspelling Wunitaka Morikami's name at his spring training locker. What's the worst way someone messes? up your name? Well, having the name

Leila Rahimi growing up was not the easiest, especially in suburban Dallas, Texas. So I got a lot of variations. Is it Leila was usually the most common? Substitute teacher, everybody in the class would say it's Leila. I just stopped answering

because, you know, your friends helped you out. But Beela was probably the worst. And I also say it because it's not like, it was bred by somebody who had read my name like multiple times a week in school. And I'm like, how did you call me Bayla? Bela?

Also, in the spirit of messing up names, I was thinking of Steve Bouchel and not Dante Bouchette. Sorry, the brain is reloading. Football brain is reloading to baseball brain, and it's a transition. But the point is, yeah, Bayla, which I still laugh at. I got the mispronunciations, but what's the way, worst way they misspelled it? Bayla with a B? like they just wrote down Oh they heard Bayla

You said Layla and they heard Bayla Mrs. Krep who used to read The announcements and attendance and all this other stores She was the school secretary And somehow after reading my name Hundreds of times in this point Called me Bayla And that's the best

Like I can't top that Oh Even with Texas Layla I was looking for the spelling Because that's But the way they messed up my name Bayla But so the spelling for me

And I looked at it I was like, this is what, like, you know, you go to a coffee shop, whatever. Yeah. Sometimes they write your name on stuff. Right. And it was M. E. R. C.

H. A. L. Merchal. Merchal. Merchal. I was like, what? I was, you know, I had my stuff, so I'm happy. But I was like, how did you hear Marshall and write that?

Merchal Harris. Maybe that's what it was. Is it child or shall? at that point. I don't even know. I don't speak enough Spanish. Medchal? Merchal. I can't do the R on the tip of my tongue. I have to do it at the back. Merchal?

You know, I can't roll anything. I mean, the only way my name gets pronounced, mispronounced, constantly growing up was grope because my name is spelled G.R. Yeah, yeah. Mark Rote. A lot of people say Mark Routé. But Chack, you know, made it famous, of course. So yeah, most people do not, it's G-R-O-T-E, so people are afraid to use the long E. So a lot of groat going on in my life. It went fine.

I am Groot. Yes. Ryan after Sandberg, I was called Renee. No. Oh. And another text of clarity. North Shore Winnetka frat boy. That's what it was.

I think it was a caller. It was a list. Yeah, yeah, we got Tammy back to you can confirm. Thank you, Danny. Oh yeah. Sweat that one out. I forgot that everybody always used to assume I was Leah Remini. And I know I would get a lot of social media posts.

And they were like, shut up and go back to Scientology. And I was always like, still not Lear Remedy. Did you get Princess Leila? No. No, no, no, I mean, no. There were jokes about the first syllable of my first name being Lay. But Mark wrote is my favorite. Are you with the score?

Yeah. Yeah, you heard it right there. You heard an example of how exactly how my name is occasionally mispronounced. I feel so bad for him. You're famous now. Now people know me. Give me my long E. Yo.

Yeah. Well, he didn't want to get it. Accented. Accent. I think the actual German, it's a German name, is Grota. Grota. Grota is the actual way that they say it. I think it is.

Yeah. That's it. Yeah. I prefer Grote. Coming up next. next on Grota, Maudichal and Bela. We are going to talk about an addition to the Kail Williams-Drake-May discussion we had yesterday.

If Caleb Williams were Drake May for the Patriots in the Super Bowl, would he have done better? I say yes. Kurt Warner chimed in. Okay, so a guy who's played quarterback in the Super Bowl. Okay, fine. We'll listen to him. Next. North Shore Winnetka Frat Boy.