"The team's longtime home has been Soldier Field, built in 1924. It is the oldest stadium in the NFL, and open to the elements. When icy snows fall, opposing teams shiver in the lake winds. The Bear players wear short sleeves, and sling touchdown passes. Bear down, as we fans say. Domes are for tea parties, not football."
"And devotion to Da Bears seems to fit Chicago's sense of civic identity: the 'City of the Big Shoulders,' as the poet Carl Sandburg called it. As Jim McMahon, who quarterbacked the team to a Super Bowl title in the 1885 season, has said, 'This is a hard-working town, and these fans appreciate hard-working players.'"
"But NFL clubs play just eight or nine home games a season - or even fewer, with many now playing a game or two overseas, in cities from Munich to Melbourne. And plenty of teams have already relocated to the suburbs. The New York Giants and Jets play their home games in East Rutherford, New Jersey; the San Francisco 49ers play in Santa Clara."
Indiana Governor Mike Braun signed legislation offering financial incentives, tax breaks, and infrastructure support to attract the Chicago Bears to build a domed stadium in an entertainment district near Hammond, Indiana. The Bears have played at Soldier Field since 1924, the NFL's oldest stadium, which embodies Chicago's tough, hard-working identity. However, NFL teams play only eight to nine home games annually, and several franchises have already relocated to suburban areas or other states. The proposed move represents a shift from traditional geographic team identities toward branding considerations. Northwest Indiana faces economic challenges from decades of industrial decline, making the stadium project potentially beneficial for regional revitalization.
Read at www.npr.org
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