Stadium Status, Watch Fields Boogie, Eyes On Olave, and Other Bears Bullets

It sounds like those storms hit hard around Chicagoland. Hope everyone was able to stay safe and is doing well this morning.

•   I texted a friend this morning just to check in on how they were doing. And once I was able to confirm they were doing well, I closed our thread with “onward.” To which they responded: “Onward to Arlington Heights!” Proving once again that any conversation at any given time can pivot toward the Bears at a moment’s notice. The Arlington Heights stuff just won’t go away.

•   Mark Potash (Sun-Times) writes the Bears need a new stadium (no argument here!) no matter where it goes (I’d quibble with that because of my own preferences). The good news here, as Potash points out, is that the Bears’ bid to purchase the Arlington International Racecourse property is a nod to reality and acknowledgment that Soldier Field — in its current state — simply won’t do as a home. It’s got the smallest capacity in the league, its parking limitations are frustrating, and accessibility via public transportation (while available) isn’t ideal. Even after its renovations in 2002, Soldier Field already feels out-dated. That’s not great. Ideally, the Bears can find space within city limits, build something with a retractable roof, and stay until my time on this planet expires. Just a preference.

•   Speaking of preference, I’d like a retractable roof instead of a strict dome because I still want the Bears to be playing outside as much as possible. Is there anything more beautiful than watching football in the snow? Much like baseball was made for summer sunshine, football season is for stiff-arming would-be tacklers while dodging snowflakes. Admittedly, I’m asking for too much. But I have to ask!

•   This is an interesting Daniel Burnham quote to use here on the teaser:

•   This quote juxtaposed with the worst-case scenario of this stadium being NFL’s version of Yankee Stadium, something that feels like a cookie-cutter suburban mall that happens to have a football stadium attached. Don’t get me wrong. I want a new stadium and have been craving one for some time. However, the slippery slope to making a mistake away from the lake is gonna keep me up at night.

•   On a lighter note:

•   Next stop: Training camp. We’ve got a month of downtime, so don’t mind me as I re-visit anything and everything related to minicamp:

•   Daniel Jeremiah scouts Chris Olave, the Ohio State receiver who was Justin Fields’ top target last year. Even though he probably would’ve been a Round 2 guy had he gone into the 2021 NFL Draft, another year on campus could elevate his stock into the first round. Comparisons to Will Fuller and Jerry Judy are eye-opening, to be sure. Considering the Bears’ future needs at the receiver spot, we’ll be watching him (and others) with great interest.

•   Carve some time out of your day to read this:

•   This NCAA situation is worth keeping an eye on:

•   It’s Prime Day at Amazon, so if you’ve been thinking about getting anything lately, check there, because it’s probably on sale. Or just go peruse. It’s a ton of stuff – basically their Black Friday in June. #ad

•   This feels like it could be one of those offseason where the Blackhawks have “interest” in a bunch of big names as the franchise tries to turn a corner:

•   Hope springs eternal:

•   Oh, my:

written by

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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