On 8/10/2026 at 1:39 PM, bmags said:

I was just at T-mobile and it was so great. That said, boy it needs a lot of space, and it luckily fits over a similar rail area to the one we'd build on. Fortunately it's situated beautifully with the sound and the skyline. I was sitting I believe under that pepsi banner 10 or so rows down so you got to see both, I was astounded.

My impression is that 'hitting dingers in the river' sounds more fun in practice than reality. That part of the branch is not big. It would still provide a lot of fun as a transportation area (bringing water taxis alive) and mini river walk, but it's very scenic going west. Just focus on getting some of the lake/skyline and let the river be a fun place outside the park.

Good point about the "HRs in the river" idea. Such a thing would be secondary to other draws at that location - skyline view, riverwalk/water taxis, proximity to downtown, stadium district. If they really do have the money and land to put in a retractable roof on a stadium there, the dingers in the river thing wouldn't be a deal breaker.

On 8/11/2026 at 4:58 PM, 77 Hitmen said:

Good point about the "HRs in the river" idea. Such a thing would be secondary to other draws at that location - skyline view, riverwalk/water taxis, proximity to downtown, stadium district. If they really do have the money and land to put in a retractable roof on a stadium there, the dingers in the river thing wouldn't be a deal breaker.

Do you know how many HRs have been hit in McCovey cove at Oracle this season? One. Anyway, the Chicago River is not a Bay and looks nothing like it. Instead it is a silty murky mostly stagnant canal that periodically gets controlled sewage overflow. The Canal is host to invasive species. Wrigley does fine without "skyline view, riverwalk/water taxis, proximity to downtown." Sox need a winning team, not a new stadium that is more inconvenient for many fans to get to.

"If they really do have the money and land to put in a retractable roof on a stadium there"

Not sure how any baseball stadium let alone a retractable dome (700 ft diam. just for the footprint) would fit within the latest approved TIF plan. (i.e., between 14th st. and 15th st. and between the LaSalle St. extension and Wells.) Money? I think Ishbia family wealth (Mat and Justin) is largely contingent on United Wholesale Mortgage, which hasn't been doing well.

Anyway 77.. I am focused on this season and this team, but I admit to being amused by your imagination.

Edited yesterday at 06:59 AM1 day by tray

1 hour ago, tray said:

Do you know how many HRs have been hit in McCovey cove at Oracle this season? One. Anyway, the Chicago River is not a Bay and looks nothing like it. Instead it is a silty murky mostly stagnant canal that periodically gets controlled sewage overflow. The Canal is host to invasive species. Wrigley does fine without "skyline view, riverwalk/water taxis, proximity to downtown." Sox need a winning team, not a new stadium that is more inconvenient for many fans to get to.

"If they really do have the money and land to put in a retractable roof on a stadium there"

Not sure how any baseball stadium let alone a retractable dome (700 ft diam. just for the footprint) would fit within the latest approved TIF plan. (i.e., between 14th st. and 15th st. and between the LaSalle St. extension and Wells.) Money? I think Ishbia family wealth (Mat and Justin) is largely contingent on United Wholesale Mortgage, which hasn't been doing well.

Anyway 77.. I am focused on this season and this team, but I admit to being amused by your imagination.

It would be like losing a big fat carp on your fishing line in the Des Plaines River. Disappointing at first, but you would realize you couldn’t have eaten it anyways so it would have been all for show. 🤣

Edited yesterday at 08:19 AM1 day by WhiteSox2023

1 hour ago, tray said:

Do you know how many HRs have been hit in McCovey cove at Oracle this season? One. Anyway, the Chicago River is not a Bay and looks nothing like it. Instead it is a silty murky mostly stagnant canal that periodically gets controlled sewage overflow. The Canal is host to invasive species. Wrigley does fine without "skyline view, riverwalk/water taxis, proximity to downtown." Sox need a winning team, not a new stadium that is more inconvenient for many fans to get to.

"If they really do have the money and land to put in a retractable roof on a stadium there"

Not sure how any baseball stadium let alone a retractable dome (700 ft diam. just for the footprint) would fit within the latest approved TIF plan. (i.e., between 14th st. and 15th st. and between the LaSalle St. extension and Wells.) Money? I think Ishbia family wealth (Mat and Justin) is largely contingent on United Wholesale Mortgage, which hasn't been doing well.

Anyway 77.. I am focused on this season and this team, but I admit to being amused by your imagination.

UWMC is 85-90% Mat

The two brothers have also made over $6 billion alone in cash dividends that are separate from tumbling share prices over the last five years.

Justin is much smarter than his brother.

15 hours ago, DoUEvenShift said:

McCaskey can go f*** off. I hope Lake and Porter County residents enjoy the extra taxes and tolls they’ll be paying to give the Bears $1B for a stadium.

Hopefully the Sox stadium plans go more like Manseuto’s than McCaskey’s.

How it started

how it’s going

59 minutes ago, Kyyle23 said:

How it started

how it’s going

I mean that guy seems like a fucking idiot but how could you be duped by that, truly?

Imagine not having to address this, George

43 minutes ago, Kyyle23 said:

Imagine not having to address this, George

This seems obvious. No other teams that play in other states have changed their name. The Jets and Giants both play in New Jersey for god's sake.

2 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

This seems obvious. No other teams that play in other states have changed their name. The Jets and Giants both play in New Jersey for god's sake.

The rumor that got out yesterday indicated the Bears were willing to add Indiana to their name. George is now fully caught between both sides muddying the water

3 minutes ago, Kyyle23 said:

The rumor that got out yesterday indicated the Bears were willing to add Indiana to their name. George is now fully caught between both sides muddying the water

Ah, I missed that.

Bears Turn Up the Volume on Hammond Stadium Push

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/sports-recreation/ccb-chicago-bears-hammond-stadium-20260813/

"Warren today also rejected the idea that the team has had any missteps in its Illinois stadium search, which has included multiple pivots from looking at sites both downtown and outside the city."

Bwahahahahahaha! So, first Arlington Heights was their "sole focus" and then Chicago was and then Arlington Heights was again and now it's Hammond? Oh, and how about those secret meetings with the Mayor's office this spring that helped Brandon Johnson successfully derail any legislation IL lawmakers were working on. Does anyone believe Warren made no missteps in this multi-year debacle?

Say what you want about Jerry's brazen request for taxpayer money for another new Sox stadium, but at least he showed up in Springfield to meet with lawmakers in person unlike George and Kevin. Just move next to the refineries already, soak the IN taxpayers, and put a stop to this bullshit.

Edited yesterday at 10:00 PM1 day by 77 Hitmen

21 hours ago, 77 Hitmen said:

Bears Turn Up the Volume on Hammond Stadium Push

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/sports-recreation/ccb-chicago-bears-hammond-stadium-20260813/

"Warren today also rejected the idea that the team has had any missteps in its Illinois stadium search, which has included multiple pivots from looking at sites both downtown and outside the city."

Bwahahahahahaha! So, first Arlington Heights was their "sole focus" and then Chicago was and then Arlington Heights was again and now it's Hammond? Oh, and how about those secret meetings with the Mayor's office this spring that helped Brandon Johnson successfully derail any legislation IL lawmakers were working on. Does anyone believe Warren made no missteps in this multi-year debacle?

Say what you want about Jerry's brazen request for taxpayer money for another new Sox stadium, but at least he showed up in Springfield to meet with lawmakers in person unlike George and Kevin. Just move next to the refineries already, soak the IN taxpayers, and put a stop to this bullshit.

Editorial: Bears, call us when you have a stadium deal.

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/opinion/editorials/ccb-chicago-bears-stadium-editorial-20260814/

Pretty good criticism of McCaskey and Warren in this Crain's editorial.

What is harder to swallow is the organization’s apparent conviction that it has handled all of this just about perfectly. Asked whether the Bears had made mistakes along the way, Warren offered a remarkable answer: “I don’t think we’ve made any mistakes.”

After years of effort, multiple stadium visions and no deal, no groundbreaking and no definitive timetable, Warren can’t think of anything the Bears might have done differently.

This is the same as what I posted above, but with some more context for those that aren't subscribed.

3 minutes ago, Sleepy Harold said:

This is the same as what I posted above, but with some more context for those that aren't subscribed.

Here's a little more info

Construction starting "Fall 2026" with 18-month timeline means work at the South loop yard could potentially begin as soon as Spring 2028.

3 minutes ago, Sleepy Harold said:

This is the same as what I posted above, but with some more context for those that aren't subscribed.

Some really interesting stuff in that Crain's article:

"Amtrak’s real estate team is negotiating the purchase of the two trapezoidal Union Pacific yards on over 60 acres of land. Ishbia offered to design and construct all of Amtrak’s maintenance facilities on both the southern tip of its current site and the Union Pacific yard. A new indoor facility would be large enough to accommodate six trains to be serviced simultaneously. Amtrak’s current location only allows for one."

and this one was really noteworthy to me:

"Ishbia is also in advanced talks to purchase a roughly 20-acre rail yard owned by railroad operator BNSF adjacent to Amtrak’s 14th Street yard, giving him greater control to reshape the industrial tract while preserving active tracks into Union Station. Metra has a maintenance facility at the BNSF yard and is planning its own move, according to sources familiar with the project."

This seems to answer the question of how they'd be able to squeeze a ballpark into the rather narrow Amtrak property. It still sounds like any stadium development would come later, with the initial development being focused on the medical campus on the property. But the fact that he's also planning to buy the BNSF/Metra land suggests to me that they really do envision a ballpark eventually being part of the development.

4 minutes ago, 77 Hitmen said:

Some really interesting stuff in that Crain's article:

"Amtrak’s real estate team is negotiating the purchase of the two trapezoidal Union Pacific yards on over 60 acres of land. Ishbia offered to design and construct all of Amtrak’s maintenance facilities on both the southern tip of its current site and the Union Pacific yard. A new indoor facility would be large enough to accommodate six trains to be serviced simultaneously. Amtrak’s current location only allows for one."

and this one was really noteworthy to me:

"Ishbia is also in advanced talks to purchase a roughly 20-acre rail yard owned by railroad operator BNSF adjacent to Amtrak’s 14th Street yard, giving him greater control to reshape the industrial tract while preserving active tracks into Union Station. Metra has a maintenance facility at the BNSF yard and is planning its own move, according to sources familiar with the project."

This seems to answer the question of how they'd be able to squeeze a ballpark into the rather narrow Amtrak property. It still sounds like any stadium development would come later, with the initial development being focused on the medical campus on the property. But the fact that he's also planning to buy the BNSF/Metra land suggests to me that they really do envision a ballpark eventually being part of the development.

That's great! I'm not subscribed to Crain's so I missed that part. Getting the BNSF portion of the yard (or even half of it) would remove pretty much all stadium constraint issues.

9 minutes ago, 77 Hitmen said:

Some really interesting stuff in that Crain's article:

"Amtrak’s real estate team is negotiating the purchase of the two trapezoidal Union Pacific yards on over 60 acres of land. Ishbia offered to design and construct all of Amtrak’s maintenance facilities on both the southern tip of its current site and the Union Pacific yard. A new indoor facility would be large enough to accommodate six trains to be serviced simultaneously. Amtrak’s current location only allows for one."

and this one was really noteworthy to me:

"Ishbia is also in advanced talks to purchase a roughly 20-acre rail yard owned by railroad operator BNSF adjacent to Amtrak’s 14th Street yard, giving him greater control to reshape the industrial tract while preserving active tracks into Union Station. Metra has a maintenance facility at the BNSF yard and is planning its own move, according to sources familiar with the project."

This seems to answer the question of how they'd be able to squeeze a ballpark into the rather narrow Amtrak property. It still sounds like any stadium development would come later, with the initial development being focused on the medical campus on the property. But the fact that he's also planning to buy the BNSF/Metra land suggests to me that they really do envision a ballpark eventually being part of the development.

Yeah there is way the Sox leave their current site in 2029. This might be an 8 to 10 year timeline to get EVERYTHING done with all of the complexities that need to happen before a ballpark can even start.

28 minutes ago, DoUEvenShift said:

That's great! I'm not subscribed to Crain's so I missed that part. Getting the BNSF portion of the yard (or even half of it) would remove pretty much all stadium constraint issues.

Yeah, it's not cheap but I coughed up for a subscription to Crain's a few months ago.

I'd imagine they'd have to re-route the active tracks to the western edge of the property where the BNSF/Metra maintenance building is now. I wonder where they'd move that maintenance yard too? Perhaps along the tracks somewhere between Halsted and Western?

And yes, adding the BNSF property resolves the space constraint questions for a ballpark on part of the site.