I’ve had moments of extreme stress before. But never have I ever been closer to a heart attack when I found out the Chicago Bears might be moving to Indiana. It’s really easy to look at the present and think about how awful this is, but we need to look over the past couple of seasons to grasp the severity of this issue.

The Bears are an interesting franchise. They are one of the founding teams, have the oldest stadium in Soldier Field, and have helped create football as we know it today. With geniuses in coaching like George Halas, Mike Ditka, and now Ben Johnson, the Bears have truly solidified themselves as “the pride and joy of Illinois.” 

But that may change very soon, as the Indiana House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee unanimously passed a bill to pave the way for a Bears Stadium in Hammond. The Bears are moving in tandem with the Indiana State Government. They released a statement on Feb. 19, announcing they will prioritize this stadium location over the previous one in Arlington Heights, Illinois. This stadium debacle is indeed about the location, but that itself is just the tip of the iceberg. 

Hammond isn’t that far from Chicago, being only 20 minutes from Soldier Field. However, it isn’t a matter of distance that concerns people; it’s the stadium being in Indiana that upsets the fans. Chicagoland is big, stretching between DeKalb and Michigan City, Indiana, to Kankakee and Kenosha. While Hammond is functionally connected to the Chicago Metro Area, the cultural landscape is different. The uniform, conservative culture of Indiana doesn’t sync with the diverse urban culture of Illinois. 

The Bears have also been in Chicago for over 100 years, making the Bears synonymous with Chicago itself. When you think of the Bears, you think of Chicago. It’s just a common consensus. Having one of the most notable franchises suddenly leave for an unfamiliar location upsets the balance of the NFL. Why should a city with less than 80,000 population represent a franchise that’d previously represented millions? 

The decision to move to Indiana came at a point where CEO Kevin Warren was already negotiating with Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. What Warren essentially did was go behind the backs of those he was negotiating with in order to pay less for the stadium. Pritzker made a statement in which he said he was disappointed by Warren’s actions, primarily because of the whole “going behind their back” thing. Johnson, to put it in layman’s terms, fumbled the bag with the negotiations. While he is upset about the possible move, he basically gave up, saying he’s “done his part.” 

The most surprising response came from the Bears owner himself, George Halas McKaskey. He was livid, reportedly calling the situation a “colossal mess.” If the owner himself is mad, you know you messed up. He also said that the original plan of Arlington Heights should be the priority. It is clear that people are upset about this possible move, and it is evident that the move is a bad idea.

This might be the angriest that the Bears have ever made me. Even living through a majority of my life seeing a losing record, I have never felt more betrayed by this organization. Although nothing is set in stone, it is the possibility that my favorite football team could consider leaving behind their loyal fanbase, all just to save a couple of bucks. Hopefully, nothing happens, and the bears stay in Illinois where they belong.