As talk of the Bears leaving Chicago intensifies, NBC TV commentator Chris Simms called the potential move âcrazyâ as the Indiana House on Tuesday passed a Bears stadium bill that could help finance a new NFL facility across the state line, raising fresh questions about the franchiseâs future at Soldier Field, where the Bears have played since 1971.
The Indiana House approved the bill, SB27, by a 95-4 vote, according to a report by WFLD-TV in Chicago. The legislation comes as part of a broader effort to create a funding mechanism for a proposed stadium project in Hammond, Indiana, a development that could give the Bears leverage in ongoing negotiations over stadium plans in Chicago and suburban Illinois. The legislation has fueled renewed debate over whether the team could ultimately relocate if a deal in Illinois does not materialize.
Speaking on Pro Football Talk ahead of the Indiana House vote, Simms did not hold back about the optics of Bears leaving Chicago.
âItâs crazy,â the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback said. âWe canât find ways to build stadiums in the cities where the teams are from anymore? Is that where weâve gotten?â
Simms added that the potential move was ânot a good look for the NFL, which always talks about worrying about the fan and the culture and all that type of stuff. I just go, man â why are we messing with this? Iâm shocked itâs gotten to this point.â
What Is in the Bears Stadium Bill the Indiana House Passed?
The bill passed by the Indiana House creates âa Northwest Indiana stadium authority to issue bonds to finance, build and lease a stadium as the state continues its process to lure the Chicago Bears south to Hammond, Indiana,â according to The Athletic.
The bill would raise about $1 billion in stadium funds for the Bears, largely by levying new or increased taxes on Indiana taxpayers, according to a report by WMAQ-TV in Chicago.
âAmong those taxes would be a 1% food and beverage tax surcharge assessed in Lake and Porter counties, on top of the stateâs existing 7% tax on those items. Lake Countyâs hotel tax would also double as a result of the bill, rising from 5% to 10%,â according to the WMAQ report. Tickets to Bears games at the proposed new stadium would carry a 12% tax.
If the Bears were to leave Chicago for an Indiana stadium, the state would become home to two NFL teams, along with the Indianapolis Colts. The five states that currently host more than one NFL team â California, with three teams; Florida, also with three; and Texas, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, with two each â all have significantly larger populations than Indianaâs 6.9 million.
‘Bad Deal’ For Taxpayers, Pro Football Talk Founder Says
Appearing Monday on Chicagoâs 103.3 The Score radio station, Pro Football Talk founder and editor Mike Florio also expressed skepticism about the Bears stadium bill.
âIf Indiana really wants it and theyâre willing to do a bad deal for the Indiana taxpayers, itâs a good deal for the Bears,â Florio said, adding that tax increases to fund new NFL stadiums routinely fail when put before voters rather than legislators.
âThey would fail miserably just like the Chiefsâ ballot measure in Jackson County, Missouri, failed miserably two years ago,â Florio said. âWhen the public gets a chance to speak, the answer is hell no. Thatâs what makes this whole dynamic so fascinating.â
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