2021-2022 NFL Season

[cheebs09]

Some foreshadowing from this summer. Bluhm and CDI are already partners. This deal was done months ago.

With the Bears gone from Soldier Field, Lori now owns one of the most valuable pieces of property in the world. What will she do with it? I am sure Rivers Casino would also like to help her out too.

https://www.letsgambleusa.com/chicago-bears-inks-exclusive-deal-with-rush-street-interactive/

I think this question was answered before, but what will the general thought be if Soldier Field turned into a Casino? If that happened with Lambeau, I'd worry about riots.

Is there less nostalgia attached to Soldier Field, especially when the spaceship was added?

[Dish]

Yes but only because Khan is from Illinois. The dude has money to burn, he gave his son an entire wrestling company just to mess around with.

You stole my thunder here. All the Kahn's have residence in Chicago. I went to school with Shad's son-in-law, and have stayed friends with him (my kids have more Jags gear than Bears gear).

Tony Kahn's success with AEW should not be ignored here. Their version of WrestleMania has been a mega success at Sears Centre/Now Foods Arena. If the Kahn's moved the Jags and had a 50% stake in DraftKings Field, AEW could hold their WrestleMania there every year for next to nothing. I get it's just one event, but I've felt for years the Jags moving to Chicago eventually may be a realistic possibility.

[Dr. Blackheart]

On another note ...

Packers are 6.5 home favorites over a lost-looking Steelers team. Doesn't seem like enough points to me, almost like the Steelers are getting credit for being Steelers teams of past years.

The Steelers still have a very good defense. Sixth against the run. Slow the offensive tempo and try to find turnovers to stay in the games but their O line is bad, making Ben worse.

[The Sultan]

I think this question was answered before, but what will the general thought be if Soldier Field turned into a Casino? If that happened with Lambeau, I'd worry about riots.

Is there less nostalgia attached to Soldier Field, especially when the spaceship was added?

A couple things.  First, the Packers don't have an owner who can enrich themselves off the side benefits that a stadium can bring.  Sure they generate a ton of non-football income that can be plowed back into the team, including giving the people who run the team a very nice income and lifestyle, but the pure profit motivation for a new stadium just isn't there.

Second, yeah if the team eventually constructed a new stadium...I don't know...somewhere in the Green Bay area, fans might bitch but they'd still go to games.  I actually think they could move to Milwaukee and not lose much loyalty after the initial outrage.  Those are all short term things.

[Pakuni]

You stole my thunder here. All the Kahn's have residence in Chicago. I went to school with Shad's son-in-law, and have stayed friends with him (my kids have more Jags gear than Bears gear).

Tony Kahn's success with AEW should not be ignored here. Their version of WrestleMania has been a mega success at Sears Centre/Now Foods Arena. If the Kahn's moved the Jags and had a 50% stake in DraftKings Field, AEW could hold their WrestleMania there every year for next to nothing. I get it's just one event, but I've felt for years the Jags moving to Chicago eventually may be a realistic possibility.

The elephant in the room here is whether three-fourths of NFL owners would turn their backs on one of the league's founding families/franchises and allow a second team in their home territory. It's an especially dubious suggestion when one considers that it wouldn't move the needle when it comes to expanding the league's footprint.

If the financing makes it necessary, or makes sense, bringing in a team to play second fiddle to the Bears at a new stadium might make sense. Bringing in a team to play at Soldier Field (the league's smallest venue, I should note) doesn't.

[MU82]

People don't seem to want to come to the conclusion that Big Ben is done.

That's what I'm thinking, too.

[JWags85]

There was talk of a second Chicago team the last couple of times the Bears were threatening to move to the burbs, too.

I just don't see it, but I guess stranger things have happened. If the Jags move, would Chicago be more attractive than, say, San Antonio? Not to mention Austin, Oklahoma City, Portland or ... London?

Austin/SA, maybe.  But OKC and Portland I can't see even being remotely appealing.  Cities around the same size as Milwaukee that don't open up much in terms of new regions. Toronto, Mexico City, and maybe another team in the Bay Area with a new stadium or somewhere like Orlando.

[Dr. Blackheart]

The elephant in the room here is whether three-fourths of NFL owners would turn their backs on one of the league's founding families/franchises and allow a second team in their home territory. It's an especially dubious suggestion when one considers that it wouldn't move the needle when it comes to expanding the league's footprint.

If the financing makes it necessary, or makes sense, bringing in a team to play second fiddle to the Bears at a new stadium might make sense. Bringing in a team to play at Soldier Field doesn't.

Exactly. If we are talking a second football team using the stadium, I just note that Bluhm, Ryan and McKenna are all NU Alums. And the B1G headquarters are nearby.

[tower912]

You're assuming there will be a next Lions win


Never mind, they get Trestman Nagy twice this year.

I am not assuming anything.

[MU82]

Austin/SA, maybe.  But OKC and Portland I can't see even being remotely appealing.  Cities around the same size as Milwaukee that don't open up much in terms of new regions. Toronto, Mexico City, and maybe another team in the Bay Area with a new stadium or somewhere like Orlando.

Sure. I was just throwing some out there. I like your list better!

[Dish]

The elephant in the room here is whether three-fourths of NFL owners would turn their backs on one of the league's founding families/franchises and allow a second team in their home territory. It's an especially dubious suggestion when one considers that it wouldn't move the needle when it comes to expanding the league's footprint.

If the financing makes it necessary, or makes sense, bringing in a team to play second fiddle to the Bears at a new stadium might make sense. Bringing in a team to play at Soldier Field (the league's smallest venue, I should note) doesn't.

Oh yeah, no team is going to take over Soldier Field.

If the Bears utilize Legends Hospitality to sell PSL's and work through concessions, then you'll get near 100% commitment from fellow NFL owners. Jerry Jones would ensure that happens.

Does it expand the league's footprint? An expansion team would, but I don't think the Chicago market would work for an expansion team. Outside of Austin/San Antonio, I'm not sure where else in the US the NFL can go. We know it's not St. Louis or San Diego. It really comes down to where the money is more than anything else. Is the value of a current NFL franchise worth more as a secondary team in Chicago than in their current home market?

The league's footprint is going to be expanded simply by creating more inventory. A move to 36 teams creates more inventory. How they rearrange things with expansion and markets of course matters, but having a brand new privately financed 80,000 seat stadium in the third largest media market would certainly help the NFL figure that out.

[🏀]

By the time this stadium is built, the McCaskey's won't have much say in the franchise.

[Dish]

By the time this stadium is built, the McCaskey's won't have much say in the franchise.

This.

[Herman Cain]

Here is my plan:
The Worst , most dangerous neighborhood , and everything around it,on the South Side is condemned and a new special district called Bearsville is created.

The State and City fund a new stadium in Bearsville and authorize Casinos in Bearsville.

The displaced people of Bearsville are then sent to the land the Bears Bought in Arlington into a new town house and high rise condo development called Bears Village . The Bears fund Bears Village .

There is something for everyone in this deal.

[Pakuni]

Here is my plan:
The Worst , most dangerous neighborhood , and everything around it,on the South Side is condemned and a new special district called Bearsville is created.

The State and City fund a new stadium in Bearsville and authorize Casinos in Bearsville.

The displaced people of Bearsville are then sent to the land the Bears Bought in Arlington into a new town house and high rise condo development called Bears Village . The Bears fund Bears Village .

There is something for everyone in this deal.

I suspect the leaders and residents of Arlington Heights, Palatine and Rolling Meadows would not agree with your final assessment. Nor would they ever grant the zoning and approvals to allow it.

[The Sultan]

Oh yeah, no team is going to take over Soldier Field.

If the Bears utilize Legends Hospitality to sell PSL's and work through concessions, then you'll get near 100% commitment from fellow NFL owners. Jerry Jones would ensure that happens.

Does it expand the league's footprint? An expansion team would, but I don't think the Chicago market would work for an expansion team. Outside of Austin/San Antonio, I'm not sure where else in the US the NFL can go. We know it's not St. Louis or San Diego. It really comes down to where the money is more than anything else. Is the value of a current NFL franchise worth more as a secondary team in Chicago than in their current home market?

The league's footprint is going to be expanded simply by creating more inventory. A move to 36 teams creates more inventory. How they rearrange things with expansion and markets of course matters, but having a brand new privately financed 80,000 seat stadium in the third largest media market would certainly help the NFL figure that out.

Yeah the league literally just decreased its footprint a couple of seasons ago.  Just after it went a couple decades without a team in the second largest metropolitan area in the country.

Increasing the NFL to 36 teams means an additional 34 games a year - something like a 15% increase.  Hell, but that point they may even have an 18 game season.  That's what's valuable to the league.  Having two teams share a stadium in Chicago to get there just lowers your costs, but allows the Chicago market to have games in all sorts of time slots.

[Billy Hoyle]

Oh yeah, no team is going to take over Soldier Field.

If the Bears utilize Legends Hospitality to sell PSL's and work through concessions, then you'll get near 100% commitment from fellow NFL owners. Jerry Jones would ensure that happens.

Does it expand the league's footprint? An expansion team would, but I don't think the Chicago market would work for an expansion team. Outside of Austin/San Antonio, I'm not sure where else in the US the NFL can go. We know it's not St. Louis or San Diego. It really comes down to where the money is more than anything else. Is the value of a current NFL franchise worth more as a secondary team in Chicago than in their current home market?

The league's footprint is going to be expanded simply by creating more inventory. A move to 36 teams creates more inventory. How they rearrange things with expansion and markets of course matters, but having a brand new privately financed 80,000 seat stadium in the third largest media market would certainly help the NFL figure that out.

San Antonio has shown to not be a viable market and the Alamodome is too old for a team to move into and the NFL would demand a whole new stadium.

I wouldn't write off STL or SD, the issues were more about the owners than support for the franchise (similar to Charlotte in the NBA). STL was even willing to step up but Kronke was not willing to hear it. That said, options are extremely limited. Toronto? Mexico City? London? Most likely the league will have to look outside US borders.

[Herman Cain]

Richard Sherman to the Bucs  .  Tampa had a lot of injuries in the Defensive secondary . If Sherman can stay legally eligible to play , this is a big addition.

Sherman sighted Tom Brady as one of the Bucs people who reached out to him.

[JWags85]

Richard Sherman to the Bucs  .  Tampa had a lot of injuries in the Defensive secondary . If Sherman can stay legally eligible to play , this is a big addition.

Sherman sighted Tom Brady as one of the Bucs people who reached out to him.

Sherman has been on a decline for awhile.  2019 was an aberration and he still got toasted pretty bad multiple times in the SB.  Add to that a significant injury and the offseason stuff, he'll be less of an impact than Antonio Brown.  Its not the early 2010s anymore and after 30, great CBs are far more likely to go the way of Darrell Revis than Woodson or Darrell Green

[The Sultan]

Oh yeah, no team is going to take over Soldier Field.

If the Bears utilize Legends Hospitality to sell PSL's and work through concessions, then you'll get near 100% commitment from fellow NFL owners. Jerry Jones would ensure that happens.

Does it expand the league's footprint? An expansion team would, but I don't think the Chicago market would work for an expansion team. Outside of Austin/San Antonio, I'm not sure where else in the US the NFL can go. We know it's not St. Louis or San Diego. It really comes down to where the money is more than anything else. Is the value of a current NFL franchise worth more as a secondary team in Chicago than in their current home market?

The league's footprint is going to be expanded simply by creating more inventory. A move to 36 teams creates more inventory. How they rearrange things with expansion and markets of course matters, but having a brand new privately financed 80,000 seat stadium in the third largest media market would certainly help the NFL figure that out.

What about the Bills and their lease that runs out in 2023?  Good team with young QB.

[Herman Cain]

Sherman has been on a decline for awhile.  2019 was an aberration and he still got toasted pretty bad multiple times in the SB.  Add to that a significant injury and the offseason stuff, he'll be less of an impact than Antonio Brown.  Its not the early 2010s anymore and after 30, great CBs are far more likely to go the way of Darrell Revis than Woodson or Darrell Green

Those are all good points . However , everything is relative. The Bucs secondary is riddled with I juries and what remains is not very good. So Sherman gives them some experience and depth which they need at those positions .

[Silkk the Shaka]

What about the Bills and their lease that runs out in 2023?  Good team with young QB.

LOL not a chance

[JWags85]

What about the Bills and their lease that runs out in 2023?  Good team with young QB.

The difference is the Bills have a deep pocketed owner with substantial investment in Buffalo.  Pegula owns the Sabres, their AHL affiliate, and the arena the Sabres play in, plus a bunch of waterfront development.  He won't move the Bills.

[The Sultan]

The difference is the Bills have a deep pocketed owner with substantial investment in Buffalo.  Pegula owns the Sabres, their AHL affiliate, and the arena the Sabres play in, plus a bunch of waterfront development.  He won't move the Bills.

Good points.

[Loose Cannon]

Virgil Carter/Chicago Fire