Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - Callers on Bears: George McCaskey has a real decision to make about his legacy

Episode Date: February 19, 2026

Leila Rahimi and Marshall Harris opened up the phone lines for Score callers to sound off on the Bears’ stadium saga.

Layla Rahimi, Marshall Harris, Mark Grody, Rahimi, Harrison Grody on 1043 The Score. We appreciate your texts and your phone calls. I have a confession about the text line, guys. Sometimes, oftentimes, when the texts are logged, we can't read them because they break them up on our text line because that's just the software. And we can't read them correctly or all because you have like four paragraphs out of order. And you didn't text them that way, but they just come in that way. so I'm sorry that we're not reading a lot of texts. 312, 64, 64, 67, is our number.

People have been on hold. They want to talk about the Bears Stadium issue. The latest, we go to John on the south side. Hi, John. Hi, Leila. Hi, Marshall. What's up? He's off today because he can't work all of the time.

I got it. I got it. Okay, this is my point. I think I'm Team Chicago Bears, by the way, and I think they kind of got screwed for about, two years. They're wanting to build a stadium in Chicago. Well, first off, the other stadium in Arlington Heights, that was made by Ted Phillips. So I'm sure there's probably a lot of holes in that whole purchase and stuff. And that's probably why there's a lot of issues. But anyway, what I want to say

is they, I'm getting nervous and I'm sorry, guys. It happens. It's just us. You don't even want to know about my morning where I practically tripped over myself many times. Okay, the bears have tried to go to Chicago many times, and it's not working. Also, the taxpayers, repeatedly, I've heard on the airways, they don't want to pay for the bears. They don't want to pay for the bears. They don't want to pay for the bears. This is all the Chicago. Hey, guess what?

We're out of here. Now you can cry about it while they're in Indiana. Have a good way, guys. Love you. I mean, succinctly put. Love you, John. So simply put, though, right? And it's understandable from both sides.

I understand why taxpayers don't want to pay for another stadium. And I understand why the bears are like, we want somebody to pay for our stadium. And it's not like they're the only ones who wanted somebody to pay for their stadium. That's been a thing. Yeah. Kids, sea chiefs, Dallas Cowboys. Go down the list. There's a lot of public stadiums.

But the thing is, that's no longer in vogue. Okay, I did get this text because it's one line. 5-7-4. I'm sorry for you guys that you have. had entire program ready to go today and now you're having to do this. And guess what? We'll keep doing it because it's your money. It's the team you talk about and that's our responsibility. As much as I'm like, okay kids, kids, stop fighting. Stop. But stop it. I will turn this car around. And now I think that the car is being turned around. Somebody's turning around the car.

Definitely exited to a rest stop where we're going to decide if we're going to proceed with the rest of this trip. That is definitely where we are at this time. The rest of. That kills me. 312, 64, 64, 67. How about Sean and Romeoville? Hi, Sean. That's first time calling your show. Thank you.

Thank you for calling. Yeah, I'm homesick today. Usually I'm listening to you guys when I'm at school in my office, but you guys are like therapy for me sometimes. So, cool to call. You know, it's interesting. This doesn't really shake me up the way I thought it would. I mean, I feel more apathy than anything.

I think maybe they were moving to, like, Kenosha, you know, for obvious reasons that might bother me. But, you know, really as a fan, the Bears have just, they've been bad for so long or inconsistent for so long. I just want them to be good. So, I mean, that's, I mean, I don't go to games much anyway, you know. I like watching from the comfort of my own with home. But really, I just want them to be a really good football team that's competitive

and gives me a reason to watch every week. So, you know, someone might have mentioned this earlier, but I think, you know, I think the Giants actually play in New Jersey. Both the Giants and Jets play in New Jersey. Giants and Jets, yeah. So, I mean, so that, you know, someone might have mentioned that earlier. But really, yeah, I just want them to be a really good football team. And I'm getting older, man.

So, you know, I want them to be good and give me a reason to watch every Sunday and be good for a long time. So that matters to me a little bit more than where they play. I'll watch wherever. So thanks for taking my call. Thank you, Sean, and thanks for listening to us, and we hope you feel better. Thanks for having us out at your office, too. That's great.

Yeah, get well. And if you need to call out sick tomorrow, go ahead. It's Friday. Get yourself a four-day weekend. But here's the thing. I don't think Sean is in the minority. No, I think Sean is in the stark. Stark majority.

I think 75% or more people, but maybe it's 80% of people, they care in that, oh, we would wish the Bears were in Chicago, but it's not going. My point is this. It's not going to stop your fandom. I don't believe you when you say, we're not going to do this. Well, and similarly, take the emotion out of the money. And when you do that, that's when things get truthful. All emotion.

The saying is don't let your money get mad. I don't want it to get happy, sad, glad, anything. Take the emotion out and just start doing the math. Does it math? We go to Mario and Hyde Park. You're on Rahimi Harrison Grotie. Hey, guys. How y'all doing? What's up, Mario?

We're good. You know, I almost said it. Oh, I almost said, you know, go bears. I'm glad I didn't say that. Why not? You're the godfather. I'm just thinking this morning, imagine the bears are consistently good, right up to the point where their leaf ends,

and they go to Hammond or to another part of Indiana. And George McCasky has that albatross. around his neck of being the reason why the bears aren't in Chicago, because you know, as well as everybody that's listening to me knows, if the bears are good, those lakefront scenes are going to look better, that skyline is going to look better, knowing that they're leaving, and people are going to be like, don't leave, don't leave. And it's going to be so emotional, and you just said take the emotion out of it,

even if people are capable of taking the emotion out of it on February, whatever the hell day it is today, I don't know. If the day it's the last day, people are going to have that same kind of emotion that they do now or lack of. I think the Bears canceling that meeting today probably says if they canceled the meeting to be able to get it together to go back to Illinois and say this is it, this is what we want, then I think that's a good thing for the state and I think they'll stay. I'm in the minority. I'm pretty sure of it. I don't want them to leave. I don't go to football games anymore because Soldier Field is ridiculous.

Either way, however this goes down, I think George McCasky has a real, real decision to make about legacy. If it means anything to him and the Bears leave, that might be the death mail of public opinion for him for the rest of his life and quite possibly the rest of that line of McCasky's. Have a good day, everybody. that that may be a bargaining chip that we have not discussed enough thank you for your call very somber i don't think i've ever heard mario that somber but also truthful and uh everybody i don't know why i didn't see this until the two one nine number texted us happy two one nine day it's the 19th of february aka two one nine aka also an indiana northwest indiana area code so that's pretty funny uh i i like the coincidence but yeah you're right it i wonder how much george mcichael

Caskey's emotions play into this. But here's the thing, when you're faced with a multi-billion dollar bill, that might change things for everybody. Everyone. So the money absolutely talks. We have so many calls. I think we're going to have to do another segment of calls at some way later in our show. I got the time figured out. I got it all figured out. What time? 125. All right. Actually, Craig Wall from ABC 7 will be joining us. He just literally confirmed right now. Sorry, guys. Sometimes this just has to be done on the microphone with everybody because that's life on a four-hour radio. Live radio. Yes. Then maybe 1245? Yes. We can touch about 12.45, everybody. Sorry about that. We want to keep five on it at noon. Other things that aren't just the Bear Stadium, but also the Bear Stadium next. Have a good way, guys. Love you.