Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - Best of the Bears: Illinois, Indiana both make progress on stadium legislation

Episode Date: March 1, 2026

In the Best of the Bears on 104.3 The Score, WBBM political editor Geoff Buchholz joined the Mully & Haugh Show to share insight on Illinois and Indiana both advancing stadium legislation Thursday; David Haugh and Zach Zaidman shared their reactions to the latest developments in the Bears' stadium saga; and the Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show opened up the phone lines for Score listeners to sound off on where the Bears should build a new stadium.

Thanks, everybody. The Bears. You're listening to the best of the Bears. He's it for the touchdown. And the Chicago Bears have taken the league. A weekly mix of 670, the score's best NFL talk to get you ready for game day. Let me start by saying I want the Chicago Bears to stay in Chicago or stay in the state of Illinois. And right now it looks like the choice is going to be between Arlington Heights and Indiana for them.

but I also, you know, I was a businessman before I was governor. And I can tell you, because I've been involved with a lot of business deals over the years, that I'm not going to be shaken down. Welcome back. It's Molly and Haw, Chicago Sports Radio 104.3, the score. Zach Zademan is in for Mully. That was Governor Pritzker on Wednesday night. KSDK in St. Louis in studio talking about what is at stake and how he won't be shaken down.

Time now to go to the scores. Plummers 911. hotline plumbing emergency call 1-833 plum 911 local 130 plumbers get the job done right the first time jeff buckholz is a political editor at wbm joins us now good morning jeff how are you good morning i'm well gentlemen how are you uh good to be with you this morning thanks for joining us let's just get to the story yesterday in indiana governor mike brown brawn signed the bill that now will empower the authority to do what they want to do acquire the land test it and eventually build a football stadium in Hammond for the Chicago Bears. Meanwhile, in Springfield,

you had progress being made as well. Maybe not as much as some people had hoped, but there was progress with the Arlington Heights movement. How would you interpret for people wondering, what happened yesterday, how big was it? What do you think? So the developments in Indiana are significant, as you point out. It took Governor Braun about 90 minutes from the time the Senate in Indianapolis gave final approval to the stadium authority bill for him to sign the thing into law. And while that certainly sounds like a big deal and it is, there's still some work that has to be done. The local leaders in Lake and Porter County, for instance, still have to approve a whole raft of increased taxes on hotel stays, restaurant meals, entertainment,

and those kinds of things to create the pool of money that will pay back the bonds that the stadium authority will have to issue in order to build a stadium, which apparently is going to be near Wolf Lake in Hammond. So there's still some work to be done in Indiana, and a lot of it is the sort of below the line stuff that doesn't get a lot of attention. In Illinois, we were certainly expecting more action on the mega-projects bill. This thing was sponsored by Cam Buckner, friend of the score, the state representative from Chicago, whose district includes Soldier Field, by the way. This is the deal that would give the bears or any mega-project developer in Illinois, like a data center or large, any kind of large development,

the ability to lock in long-term property tax payments with local governments and that kind of thing. And would also, by the way, provide a break on sales taxes for the purchase of any building materials used in a mega project. And I haven't priced sheetrock recently, but that seems like it would be a pretty big savings. And then about an hour after that bill passed out of the House Revenue and Finance Committee, the full House adjourned until after the primary. So they're not back in town until March 18th. And my guess is that in those three weeks or so, two and a half weeks, what's going to happen is that Representative Buckner and a lot of the state legislative leaders

and the governor's people and the bears are going to have real conversations, about what Chicago needs and what Chicago's delegation in Springfield needs to see from the Bears in order to vote for anything that would make it easier for them to leave Soldier Field. So I think for Bears fans who've been kind of frustrated and feeling like the state has been kind of on the sidelines while Indiana has been doing all this work, they saw a little bit of activity, but this activity is going to tee up a larger conversation about the price tag that the folks in Chicago, the people who represent Chicago, are going to need before they're going to just vote for whatever the Bears want in order for them to build an

Arlington Park. Jeff, you heard Governor Pritzker coming into the segment talking about not wanting to be shaken down. What is he referring to? Jack, what I think he's talking about there is the idea that the people, the, the bears want, and this is a widely held impression that what the bears are looking for is they want the state to build a stadium for them in the way that Indiana has promised to build a stadium for the bears, which the bears would then be able to rent with an option to buy. And the governors

made it clear from the very outset that he is not interested in giving the bears any money for a stadium. He is totally open to the idea of the state. paying for improvements in infrastructure around a stadium. He said, we do that for private businesses all the time in the state of Illinois. So you want to widen roads, upgrade sewer systems, that kind of thing, that states totally down with helping out with that kind of thing. But the actual payment for a stadium, actually building a stadium, that's going to be on the McCaskey family if the deal is done in Illinois.

and the McCaskey family has said that the actual building of the stadium in Arlington Heights, the team is going to pay for that. And so I think the governor's comments are designed to sort of provide a contrast to what's happening in Indiana, where the state is like, sure, we'll build you a stadium, come on over to Wolf Lake. And the governor is like, look, the people of the state of Illinois are struggling, the economy is struggling, affordability is our real focus here. And while we're certainly happy to help the Bears, as we would any private business with stuff happening around this development, we're not going to give them $2 billion for a stadium.

We're talking with Jeff Buckholz from the WBBM, the political editor for our sister station here on Moline Haugh, Chicago Sports Radio 1043, the score. Jeff, a couple of things surprised me yesterday. One was Stephen Marr, who testified the Chicago Acting Chief Financial Officer in opposition to the bill about the bears still wanting to maybe stay on the lakefront with the plan that I thought that had already been considered and rejected. And secondly, it was still the dispute or maybe debate is the better word over the remaining debt from the Soldier Field renovation back in 2003. We had talked to Cam Buckner, State Representative Cam Buckner, yesterday morning, about that. And he didn't seem to think it would be an issue, and yet it did come up. The Chicago problem, as it has been referred to, how do they address that?

Yeah, I'm glad you mentioned Stephen Marr's testimony, David. I was surprised by that, too, when I heard Curtis Tarver, the chairman of the committee, mentioned that Stephen Marr was speaking in opposition to the bill. I looked up, and I was like, what? And Stephen Mars comments had nothing to do specifically with the Mega Projects bill, which was the thing that was in conversation. Stephen Mar's comments were strictly about the city doesn't want the bears to leave the lakefront. And the chairman of the committee was somewhat incredulous at this, suggesting that, you know, the city would like the state. The city, according to Stephen Marr, wants the same commitment to infrastructure improvements

that the Bears have received in Arlington Heights. And then they want to come back with concrete proposals in the coming weeks and months. And, you know, in the meantime, Indiana is, you know, poised to give final approval to their stadium authority bill. And after, and Chairman Tarver pointed this out, after asking Stephen Marr, when did you become the CFO? of the city of Chicago, and the answer was 25 days previous. He took over, he's on an interim basis because the CFO, Jill Jaworski, just left for Navy Pier. But then his question was, Curtis Tarver's question was, y'all have been talking for three years with the Bears about this. Why now do you need more time? And Mars' answer was, well,

you know, the issue has been a lack of commitment from the Bears, which I, I, I, I, I, translated as they're just not that into you. Which is, which I think is, and I think that's, I think, I understand why he was there and I understand what he was doing. He was trying to advocate for the city and trying to advocate for Chicago. But it does tee up the broader question about how the bears make Chicago whole if indeed they wind up leaving the city, which seems clear. And Representative Buckner, and I know he said this to you guys, and he said it to reporters after the committee meeting yesterday.

We got a sense of what they're thinking about. And Buckner said, you know, the Bears a couple of months ago offered a parting gift of $25 million, and I told them I thought that was disrespectful to the people of Chicago, particularly when the Haslam family, the owners of the Cleveland Browns, is giving the city of Cleveland $100 million to move to the suburbs. And I suspect that $100 million number is the floor rather than the ceiling. And I suspect that that's what's going to happen here in the next two to three weeks, that we're going to get a better sense of what the city and the delegation is looking for.

I, the continued interest, and Mayor Johnson still talks about this a lot, that the only viable plan that's been presented is the one that he and Kevin Warren laid out two years ago, a big splashy press conference, you all remember it, I know, that would have remade the whole museum campus around this domed football stadium. There would have been significant demolition and reconstruction around the colonnades at Soldier Field, more, you know, new landscaping, new park, whatever. Another friend of the score, Jim Tenalia, the mayor of Arlington Heights, told me when I asked about this some weeks ago, that the NFL had determined that the lakefront site as proposed couldn't hold a Super Bowl

because of the NFL's requirements for space for security and logistics. And that this is something city leaders have been told a number of. of times. I asked the mayor's office to confirm that, and they did not respond to my request. And I don't know if you guys have heard any more about that or not, but that also makes the conversation around a lakefront site feel also especially futile if indeed the NFL has already said, hey, we can't have a Super Bowl on the lakefront, which would seem to be make any of those sites a non-starter. They would have to expand the capacity. And I don't know about the other safety, concerns, or security, but those are very good questions that we just can't answer.

Jeff, the other... Go ahead. Sorry, Jeff. I wanted to know why are the bears required to make the city of Chicago whole? I think the... A lot of the people who are going to have to vote on this thing represent the city of Chicago. And the Speaker of the House, Chris Welch, has a sort of policy that he doesn't bring any proposal to the floor unless he can get 60 votes. And that means that whatever the legislative

solution is here for the Bears, it's going to have to go through the Chicago delegation. That's the only way that they get votes to make this happen. And so in the sort of time-honored political horse trading tradition in Chicago and in Illinois, the bears are going to have to do something to demonstrate goodwill or come up with some kind of proposal that will get the that represent the city of Chicago to say, okay, sure, we'll do this. I think that's why. Well, I think also that's a very good answer. But when you look at how they discussed it yesterday, yes, the bears are only tenants.

And yes, they only represent around 20% of the annual revenue from Soldier Field. But as Cam Buckner said, yesterday, state representative, Kam Buckner, there is no soldier field renovation in 2002 without the bears demanding one. That's the exact quote. And so I think that's the hold up, isn't it, Jeff? Yeah, yeah, that is it. And technically the Bears portion of that loan has been paid off. So technically, the remainder, which is about a half a billion dollars, I think,

is sort of on the state and the city are kind of on the hook for that. But as you point out, that renovation doesn't happen without the Chicago Bears. So I think that that's part of what the conversation is going to be. So if you had to say on February 27th, we talked about what yard line they are close to, and where are the bears and the state of Illinois, Arlington Heights, Where are the bears in terms of field position in this project? So I'm more of a basketball fan. Okay.

I don't have a great sense of football strategy in X's and O's. I'm the guy who watches the Super Bowl for the commercials. But my guess is that the state of Illinois has probably scored, has probably just recorded a first down. I think they're still pretty deep in their territory right now. And I think Indiana is well into Illinois territory, though I wouldn't call that a touchdown either. There's a lot of work that needs to be done. And I do think, and I talked about this with Layla and Marshall yesterday,

I really do think that this is going to come down to whether George McCasky is really interested in, alienating a whole bunch of fans of the Chicago Bears so that he can get a deal out of the state of Indiana. I think he's looking for any reason to not have to say yes to Indiana and then get stared down by people the next time he has to go to a city club of Chicago lunch. All right. So let's look at it this way. March 18th, what does George McCasky need to hear

to make Arlington Heights a viable site to start putting shuttles in the ground and start building. He needs to hear a number that he can get behind. And that means a number for, you know, an amount of money sufficient to mollify, to borrow a word from Governor Britsker the other day, the Chicago delegation. And he needs to hear a commitment from the, the speaker and from the governor that, okay, if this is the number, then we're going to get the votes together and we're going to make this happen before. And we're going to make it happen

before the end of the regular legislative session, which is not, which is, and I'm going to say, it's not until the end of May, but the end of May is going to be here before we know it. So that's what he needs to hear. Jeff, thanks so much for your time and expertise. I really appreciate it. Look forward to talking again. Absolutely, gentlemen. Thanks very much. great day. Jeff Buckholz, the political editor at WBBM. When we come back, you already have some people who

want to weigh in. 312, 644, 67, 67. Zach Zademan, in for Mully. Mullenhaw, Chicago Sports Radio 104-3, the score. It's PICS with Mullian Hall, where we debate the top six sports stories of the day, and then

open it up to you, the Chicago sports fan. Call us at 312 644-67, or you can tweet your thoughts at Mully Haugh. Pick Six with Mully and Haw starts now. How would you interpret Thursday's events where the Indiana governor signed into law, a bill that allows the state to authorize a football stadium for the Bears in Hammond, hours after Illinois legislators adjourned until March 18th after advancing its bill for the Arlington Heights Project?

As we have discussed, I think essentially it was the state of Indiana doing all that they needed to do within their established time frame so they can leave today and adjourn and go home and feel like they're satisfied with what's in front of the bears, with what they put in front of the bears. It is an enticing deal full of concessions, full of things that would make any professional sports franchise stop, look, and concessing. consider. But based on the tone of the response from the bears, I think that you can surmise that they aren't exactly as celebratory at Hallas Hall as they might be at the Indiana State House. This was Indiana led by Indiana Governor Mike Braun telling the bears, we love you. And this was the bears collectively saying, thanks. They went in for the hug, and they got a handshake. And I just don't know what else you can take out of that,

because this is exactly what the Bears maybe wanted originally. They wanted to have an option. They have that option now. There's no doubt about it. Indiana made it happen. They got it done. They can feel very satisfied with the offer. It's commensurate.

It is similar to. why the chiefs left Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, and they planned to build across the state line in Kansas. It's a very similar in terms of the incentives and enticements. It's a deal that the Bears will find very difficult to refuse. But as I said early, and I do believe this, if it were only about the best business deal, the Bears would have been celebrating as well last night.

sense that they did. I think it's deeper than that. I think legacy matters. And in the end, the Bears will get a deal when the Illinois session reconvenes and it may take more time, but I would be surprised. This is just me speaking personally if they were to get any further with Indiana before they move forward with Illinois. If George McCasky was not involved, I believe by March 1st, we would have cranes and shovels in the air in northwest Indiana if you want to believe what the bear's president is all about because he's about like digging, moving forward, getting stuff.

Indiana's open for business. They're ready to go. They are where the Bears wish Illinois was. And again, I am no political expert. I am no business expert, but I am going to lean on an expert here. and this is somebody that we've talked about behind the scenes. But Brendan Moore, who works for Capitol News in Illinois, this is from his story.

But final passage remains an uphill climb amid enduring skepticism from rank-and-file lawmakers in both parties. Now, I haven't had time yet. It's a six-page article that I've provided to both of you. I haven't had time to comb through all of it yet. But my point is that, so it, they did what they had to do so that we would stop talking about it maybe for two weeks, maybe.

But is every, it's still, it just got like, while we're hearing from the Indiana governor saying now all we got to do is get it across the goal line, which means the bears have to jump on board. I mean, I think this thing is at the 50 at the best if we're going to use that kind of an analogy. There's still,

there's still a bunch of stuff to go through. Also, the guests that we have, had on yesterday. Very good guest. Cam, he was great, but this whole idea about the Bears need to pay the city of Chicago if they go to Arlington

Heights, like you need to make good. You got to pay us if you're going to get out of town. But if they go down to Indiana, they don't have to pay anything, supposedly. This is like a Chicago tax if they are to stay in and that could hold this up. Darren lives the rub.

So I'm just saying, I don't, I don't, I don't feel the same way you do, David. I'm curious and I'm open to listening about it. I think the conversation is worth having. But this to me was almost semantics that the boat that we got in Illinois happened. It just stopped the pressure of talking. But I'm just relying on what Brendan Moore said. This is an uphill climb amidst enduring skepticism.

That doesn't sound good unless I'm not understanding it. I think you clearly understood what's. going on. The Bears are moving to Indiana, and that's not a bad thing, unless Illinois lawmakers make it worth the Bears while to put shovels in the ground in Arlington Heights. And the first step to that happening is March 18th. I think there's a belief David brought it up. I think you brought it up a little bit, Dustin. There's a belief that eventually things are going to pass on March 18th that give the Bears the incentive to stay here in Illinois and build on the Arlington Heights property. But it still is the state of Illinois. And as we all know, politics

it's complicated in this state. And it may not happen. And I think you have to, if you're a Bears fan, mentally prepare yourself that there's a really good likelihood that that team is going to move to Indiana. And it's not going to be the end of the world and they'll have a mega facility. And Yeah, you're going to complain and mutter when you're stuck in traffic on your way to northwest Indiana every Sunday to watch the Bears. But that very well may happen unless the state of Illinois creates some competition and give something for the Bears to think about. We just don't know if it's going to happen. I think the Bears would like to stay in Arlington Heights, but you have to make it financially feasible for them to want to do so. And right now, it's a non-starter.

There's nothing to make the Bears. want to put shovels in the ground in Arlington Heights just yet. That may change on March 18th. But again, I go back to what David said at the start of the week. Why aren't we hearing from George McCasky? Because quite frankly, he's not the most important guy right now. The most important person in all of this is you, the Illinois citizen calling the lawmakers to get something passed on March 18th

if you want to keep the bears in the state. Rahimi Harrison Grody. The great Kevin Harlan. I just pulled through the Taco Bell drive-thru, and I've got a couple of big, nasty, Supreme burritos right here waiting to beat. You know, the first thing they ask you now, are you using the app?

The app, no, I just want my burrito. I don't want to use an app. Bring a lot of mild sauce, because I'm going to squirt it all over the plate. Put some hot sauce on my burrito, baby. Rahimi Harrison Grody, Midday's 10 a.m. to 2 on the score. This is Rahimi Harrison Grotty.

Rodie on 104, 3, the score. We've talked a lot about progress being made in the state of Indiana and the state of Illinois on the Bears Stadium decisions, at least from a governmental standpoint. So what about you? 312-644-67-67 is our number. Let's go to South Bend and Steve. Hi, Steve. How are you guys doing today?

We're good. How are you? I'm doing wonderful. I just wanted to just talk a little bit, not about the politics. anything of the stadium, but logistics. So the site in Hammond is technically closer to Soldier Field

than the site in Arlington Heights. And a lot of people are saying, well, we don't want to drive, we don't want to pay the tolls to get the Hammond and all this stuff. It's literally closer. It's faster also when you get on the tollway and the skyway and stuff.

So I'll give you an example. I've worked for the athletic department, for over 40 years at Notre Dame. Every home game, you can walk out in our lots, and you will see literally thousands of Illinois plates. None of them are complaining that they have to take the toll road in, which 99% do, and that it's a 90-minute or more drive to get to South Bend.

They're there to enjoy the football game, and they're having a great time. I've never heard anybody complained, Oh, we had to drive. We had to pay the tolls. It's so far. A football game is like a mini vacation. People pay whatever.

I go to the Bears games. I've been going for over 50 years. You know, I never thought I'd pay $15 for a beer in my life. You know, I mean, whatever it is. You've got to pay. We're parking a South lot. It's not $10 anymore like it used to be. The cost is not about.

A big of an issue is everybody's saying. It really isn't because if the 1% tax goes up in Indiana, well, they'll be the same as Michigan. They'll both be 7%. You've got to pay taxes. You've got to live. You've got to die. But when you go to a football game, whether it's Notre Dame or Chicago, people are going to travel. They're going to pay whatever the cost is.

And they're going to enjoy themselves. Thank you for calling. And especially with your background in the logistics. And I think Steve is right. Like for the amount of games that happen, just football games, it's not very many. Notre Dame is the best example because they always draw. But I think the people who want to go will go. It's just a matter of, is it enough?

You know, is that ingress, egress, enough on those few days you have every year to pay for everything on time, how you want it to? And Indiana does have the room to pay more in taxes if they want. He's correct about that as well. Steve's right because the, the, the, price of everything has gone up in the last decade. The price of everything has gone up since the salaries. Pandemic.

Well, no, I'm just saying that we as consumers pay for whatever. The price has gone. Your streaming has gone up. Remember when Netflix was cheap? Netflix used to be cheap. It's not. People are not, well, the exception of me. People are not just getting rid of their Netflix because the price is going up.

People are. The profits would tell you otherwise. Look, here's what I think. There will be complaints. If the Bears were to move to Indiana, don't think it's going to happen. But if it happened, there would be complaints. But it wouldn't matter because ultimately, as Steve just laid out, the people who are going to go to the games are still going to go to the games.

They're still a waiting list to get to Soldier Field. Yeah, I still refrain that the most frustrating part is, you know, we'll take your calls and we like your opinions and varied. But the frustrating part of this is we don't get the accurate, we don't get the accurate sample of how everybody feels. and since everybody has to pay for it, I think it should always be voted on. But you don't get that option in either case here.

This isn't on a ballot in either Illinois or Indiana. We stay with the phones 312, 644-67, and Dave and Lyle, you're on Rahimi Harrison Grotie. Hey, good show, guys. I just wanted to chime in. I've been following this closely. I grew up in that area. I actually grew up in Chicago.

So stones throw from Indiana. And I was looking on the map and trying to decide where this parcel is. Is anybody seen the area that's mapped out because I measured it? And it's like 70 acres if you're not going east of Calumet Avenue. And there's a golf course there. I believe that's also a nature preserve. So if they're only talking about a 70 acre land, I mean, that's barely enough room. for the stadium and parking, let alone all the things that they had planned on

knowing in Arlington Heights. Has anybody seen like a mapped out area that they're talking about? Well, they don't have a set location. Yeah. They don't have a set location. Like Hammond Mayor said that, yeah. Well, that's only the area that I can see in Hammond that would be viable. My bet is if by chance this goes to Indiana, it's not.

going to be in Hammond. It's going to be in Gary or somewhere where they have a bigger area. I know. They said Wolf Lake. They just don't have the set parameters. It's been understood and agreed upon that it will be in Hamid and Wolf Lake. Yeah. Well, they don't, I don't see the, they don't have the space there.

Honestly, that's a question to answer. I mean, they do not have the space to put that facility there. If you're talking 70 acres, it's not going to work. Well, that's the thing. Because they don't have a set location just yet. And I understand what you're saying, you're looking at the perimeter saying, well, where

could they put it? They may have something completely different in mind. I don't know the details because they don't know the details. But certainly there has to be some plan of a plan, if you will. Concepts of a plan. But for real, actually. Yeah, not to use it as a joke, but actual understanding. To get to this point.

Right. And so I think that that's very important. Yeah. Adam Hogue had the quote here from the 19th. Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott, still not ready to discuss specific location around Wolf Lakes as it's the Bears Project. So it's up to them to decide when to talk about the location. So they have not disclosed the set location yet.

So that's also kind of strange and a good point from our caller about how much land is it really going to take. And are they not saying it because it might be underwhelming? Like that's something people deserve to know as well. No, I don't think that's what it is. I think they just haven't done the requisite due diligence to figure out exactly where it needs to be. Well, 312, 644, 67 is our number as we continue to discuss what's going on with the Bear Stadium. And it's also, I think, important as we wrap up the conversation to understand that this is only part of what is a very long set of steps. But I remain confident in knowing that the more progress Indiana makes, the more progress, the more progress.

Illinois makes, the more the bears are going to have to actually try to build the stadium. Oh, no, they're going to build it. And if it progresses through both states, like you're talking about... Guess what they haven't done. They haven't put shovels on the ground? They haven't built a stadium. Yes.

Soldierfield's been here for a really long time. I get it. They haven't built one. Isn't that why they brought Kevin Warren here? Because he knows about stadium building? At this rate... Stadium building and pull tabs. Somebody could, like, leak and log construct a high-rise. at the same rate this is going right now.

I would like to see that. The pull tab thing is really compelling to me. I didn't know about this. You're wondering about this. And I'm very intrigued. Pull tabs and Lincoln logs in one sentence is just, oh my goodness. The other thing is I love like a smaller conceptual game. You know what I'm saying?

But on a grand scale, obviously. Like a queen of hearts raffle. Yeah, I, I'm into this stuff. And I don't know why, but I am. Can bingo? pay for a stadium? Sure. I have been to some very competitive bingo halls in my day.

You get the marker out. Can we get a shuffled door? The same reason that Social Security is about to run out is the same reason why Bingo could pay for the stadium. There's enough people who play bingo now to support that. I need more people to tell me about these pole tabs because I am curious and it sounds like a good bar activity.

You know what else is a good bar activity? Talking about real football? Drinking. That too. Yeah. eating cheese curds and pull tabs is not a bad idea it's not a bad idea for a night coming up next on rami harrison grody let's get back to some actual football and not even actual there's a bunch of trades being proposed it's just one of those conceptual days but i do think some of these can happen

there's a lot of bears being named guys i didn't think we would be discussing today as far as possible trades now at the nfl combine so let's bring in jordan shultz next he is the nfl insider we've heard him many times he's the host of the Schultz report, and he's got a lot of breaking news. So we'll talk to him next.