Score callers share how they're feeling about Bears' push for new stadium

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Rahimi & Grote Show 10 min 4 speakers 5 chapters transcribed

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What are callers saying about the Bears' stadium push?

Rahimi Harrison-Grody 0:02

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 be... 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 place. Put some hot sauce on my burrito, baby. Rahimi Harrison-Grody. Middays, 10 a.m. to 2, on The Score. This is Rahimi Harrison-Grote 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?

Rahimi Harrison-Grody 0:43

312-644-6767 is our number. Let's go to South Bend and Steve. Hi, Steve.

Steve 0:51

How are you guys doing today?

Rahimi Harrison-Grody 0:53

We're good. How are you?

Steve 0:54

I'm doing wonderful. I just wanted to just talk a little bit Not about the politics or anything of 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 to get to 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 lot, 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.

Steve 1:55

They're there to enjoy the football game, and they're having a great time. I've never heard anybody complain that, Oh, we have a drive. We had to pay the tolls. It's so far. It, it, it, a football game is like a mini vacation. People pay what, whatever the, it, 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 what I mean? Whatever it is, you got to pay. We're parking a South lot. It's not, it's not $10 anymore. Like it used to be. You've, 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.

Steve 2:42

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.

Rahimi Harrison-Grody 2:53

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?

How does the location of Hammond compare to Arlington Heights for the Bears' stadium?

Rahimi Harrison-Grody 3:14

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.

Unknown 3:26

Steve's right because the price of everything has gone up in the last decade. The price of everything has gone up since the pandemic. Well, no, I'm just saying that we as consumers pay for whatever. 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.

Rahimi Harrison-Grody 3:50

People are.

Unknown 3:51

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. There's still a waiting list to get to Soldier Field.

Rahimi Harrison-Grody 4:14

Yeah, I still refrain that the most frustrating part is... You know, we'll take your calls and we like your opinions and varied.