Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot blasts Bears football team over relocating rumors
President & CEO Ted Phillips issued a statement confirming a bid for the Arlington International Racecourse property
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot threw some major shade at the Chicago Bears on Friday, just one day after the organization announced it made a bid for land in Arlington Heights with plans to possibly build a new stadium there.
Lightfoot, a self-declared "longtime" fan, issued a statement slamming the announcement as just "noise."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The Bears are locked into a lease at Soldier Field until 2033. In addition, this announcement from the Bears comes in the midst of negotiations for improvements at Soldier Field. This is clearly a negotiating tactic that the Bears have used before," Lighttfoot’s statement read.
"As a season ticketholder and longtime Bears fan, I am committed to keeping the ‘Chicago’ name in our football team."
To further convey her point, Lightfoot took a jab at the Bears.
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"Like most Bears fans, we want the organization to focus on putting a winning football team on the field, beating the Packers finally and being relevant past October. Everything else is noise."
The Bears have played at Soldier Field since 1972 and despite ongoing talks about renovations, capacity plays a big role in the organization's desire to relocate.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}President & CEO Ted Phillips issued a statement on Thursday confirming a bid for the Arlington International Racecourse property, which sits just 35 miles outside Chicago.
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"It's our obligation to explore every possible option to ensure we're doing what's best for our organization and its future. If selected, this step allows us to further evaluate the property and its potential."