FIFA Snubs Soldier Field, Minicamp Pics, Wild June, and Other Bears Bullets

Jun 17, 2022

The NBA season is OVAH! And while I’m happy about my favorite player (Stephen Curry) celebrating with a fourth ring, I still hold out hope the Bulls have a run in them coming soon.

Soldier Field was a host site for the World Cup in 1994. Fast-forward 32 years, and 11 NFL stadiums will get to provide the turf for fútbol’s biggest stage. But Chicago’s stadium site will not be one of them this time:

Your #FIFAWorldCup 2026 Host Cities:

🇺🇸Atlanta
🇺🇸Boston
🇺🇸Dallas
🇲🇽Guadalajara
🇺🇸Houston
🇺🇸Kansas City
🇺🇸Los Angeles
🇲🇽Mexico City
🇺🇸Miami
🇲🇽Monterrey
🇺🇸New York / New Jersey
🇺🇸Philadelphia
🇺🇸San Francisco Bay Area
🇺🇸Seattle
🇨🇦Toronto
🇨🇦Vancouver— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 16, 2022

So. Many. NFL. Stadiums. The homes of the Falcons (Mercedes-Benz Stadium), Patriots (Gillette Stadium), Cowboys (AT&T Stadium), Texans (NRG Stadium), Chiefs (Arrowhead Stadium), Rams/Chargers (SoFi Stadium), Dolphins (Hard Rock Stadium), Jets/Giants (MetLife Stadium), Eagles (Lincoln Financial Field), 49ers (Levi’s Stadium), and Seahawks (Lumen Field) will all host World Cup games. The fact Chicago isn’t a part of the action bums me the heck out. And I don’t even like soccer.

It also almost makes you wonder what if the city had gotten it right with Soldier Field renovations in the early 2000s. Instead, we’re facing the growing reality of the Bears leaving city limits for a posh new pad out in the ‘burbs that will look something like the stadiums set to get the opportunity to be the home of these premier soccer matches. The city really fumbled the bag here.

One of the notes in Jeff Hughes’ random collection of thoughts at Da Bears Blog is this, regarding the Bears’ looming move to Arlington Heights:

While I’ve been a seemingly lone voice against the Bears leaving Soldier Field, it is highly likely to happen now as the city is not budging when it comes to the organization’s needs/demands. Make no mistake about it, the Bears moving to Arlington Heights is not an inevitability. Chicago could stop the move. But right now, that’s simply not happening, and the team does not expect that to change.

None of that sounds good. And I think this situation will get messier between now and when the Bears move out of town. This is all setting up to be a throwback, Chicago-style battle. These never end with both sides looking good after haymakers are thrown and land in various different places. Then again, we had an idea it would go in that direction when Mayor Lori Lightfoot threw down the gauntlet in 2020.

Just something to keep in mind, especially since the Bears are probably hanging around Soldier Field until the cost of breaking their lease with the city slips. Remember, the Bears would have to pay Chicago $84 million if the team was to break the lease in 2026. It would cost considerably more to do so earlier.

On a lighter note, Cam Ellis (670 The Score) ranks the Bears’ “crises” that went down in June. I needed the chuckle. And if things that have happened in the last month have pushed you to feel strongly one way or another, you probably needed the laugh, too.

Wrapping up veteran minicamp with some flicks:

That's a wrap on vet minicamp! 🙌
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) June 17, 2022

Bumping some minicamp thoughts from the last two days here and here.

Over at BearsWire, they’ve collected the best pics from the Bears’ offseason training workouts.

I’m itching to get out there:

Expect the tempo at #Bears training camp to pick up big time. Matt Eberflus wants tempo and they aren't there just yet.
— Bear Report (@BearReport) June 16, 2022

This man is *NOT* playing around:

Bears HC Matt Eberflus making it abundantly clear that he fully expects every player to show up in shape and ready to go day one of training camp.— Mark Grote (@markgrotesports) June 16, 2022

More on the Bears honoring Brian Piccolo on the 52nd anniversary of his death from Larry Mayer over at the team’s official web site.

Ugh, this stinks: ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports Boston College offensive lineman Christian Mahogany will miss the 2022 college football season due to a torn ACL injury. You never want to hear about a player suffering an injury while training in the offseason, and you especially don’t want to hear it when it is a college player entering a pivotal year. As Thamel notes, ESPN NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. had Mahogany as the No. 2 guard prospect for the 2023 draft. A strong year from Mahogany would’ve gone a long way toward certifying his status as a top OL prospect. And when you’re as blocking-starved as the Bears are, every bit of news like this matters to us. Here’s hoping for a swift and full recovery.

This is is worth keeping tabs on, as the sports-viewing market continues to evolve:

REPORT: Bulls, #Blackhawks, and White Sox Thinking About Starting Their Own Network https://t.co/cJK6E5ZqDA pic.twitter.com/lKKcmCgUXg
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) June 16, 2022

Rounding up some basketball rumors with Eli:

Rumor Roundup: The Busy 76ers, Ayton’s Market, Grant Finally on the Move? Morehttps://t.co/5DATrowUKK pic.twitter.com/1ZJNlkVJiI
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) June 16, 2022

OPE!

Lorenzo Cain Just Got the Rare Outfield Cup Checkhttps://t.co/hJ3Nqc3oDz pic.twitter.com/B8UL6533gT
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) June 17, 2022

written by

Luis C. Medina

Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

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FIFA Snubs Soldier Field, Minicamp Pics, Wild June, and Other Bears Bullets

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