Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - Score callers share how they're feeling about Bears' push for new stadium

Episode Date: February 26, 2026

Score callers shared their thoughts on the Bears’ push to build a new stadium.

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 Harris and Grotie, Midday's 10 a.m. To 2 on the score. This is Rahimi

Harrison Grotie on 104-3, The Score. We've talked a lot about progress being made in the state of Indiana, in 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? We're good. How are you? I'm doing wonderful. I just wanted to just talk a little bit, not about the politics. politics or anything in 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, you 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 complain that, 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 the – 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 a big of an issue, as 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 price of everything has gone up in the last decade. The price of everything has gone up since the salary. 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. 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 know, 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, 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 and not i actually grew up in chicago stones throw from indiana and um i was looking on the map and trying to decide where this parcel is is anybody seen the the you know area that's mapped out because i measured it and it's like 70 acres if if 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 or 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, that 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 Hammond at Wolf Lake. Yeah. Well, they don't, I don't see that. 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. Concepts of a plan. But for real, actually. 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 Lake says 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, as 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 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. Soldier Field'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 Leakin 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. 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. 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 poll 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 Rehemi Harrison Grady,

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 Schultz next. He is the NFL insider. We've heard him many times. He's the host to the Schultz report, and he's got a lot of breaking news. So we'll talk to him next.