Veteran sports commentator Rachel Nichols blasted the Chicago Bears ownership for what she called “vanity,” demanding that the McCaskey family sell the team rather than allow a move to Indiana. On the same day that Nichols delivered her rant on the Fox Sports program The Herd, the national political publication Axios conducted a poll showing overwhelming fan opposition to the proposed move.
According to the Axios poll of approximately 1,000 self-identified Bears fans, 74 percent say they would “carry a grudge” against the team if the McCaskeys caused it to leave Chicago.
The McCaskeys have owned the team since 1924 when legendary owner and coach George Halas purchased the Bears for the sum of $100. Halas’s daughter, Virginia McCaskey, controlled the ownership group until she died last year at age 102. Her son, George McCaskey, is now the controlling partner.
“The idea of a team whose ownership is worth one and a half billion dollars going to Indiana instead of staying in Chicago for tax money just blows my mind,” Nichols said on the Herd broadcast. “You are not the owners of a team like the Chicago Bears, you are the stewards of a team like the Chicago Bears. And if you don’t have the resources to keep the Bears in Chicago, you sell the team to someone who does.”
Chicago Bears Move to Indiana Sparks Ownership Debate
As the Bears weigh a potential move to Indiana, the focus has shifted from stadium logistics to accountability. Critics, including Nichols, have questioned whether the McCaskey family should pursue public funding outside Chicago or consider selling the team to preserve its legacy in the city.
The McCaskeys’ net worth is estimated to fall between $1.3 billion and $1.7 billion, and the current worth of the Bears franchise is estimated at $8.9 billion according to the financial publication Forbes.
GettyA new poll shows fans overwhelmingly oppose public funding for a stadium to replace Soldier Field.
“You do not hold on to (the team) for the vanity of holding onto it and move them to Indiana. I am so fired up,” Nichols said. “The economics are tough for a lot of Americans right now, and to say we are going to give a billionaire family taxpayer money for a stadium, and not only do it, but to move the team to Indiana, the Chicago Bears? I’m not in for it. I’m sorry.”
The Indiana state House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday unanimously passed legislation to bring the Bears to Hammond, Indiana, about 30 miles south of Chicago. The Bears then issued a statement declaring that the organization was “committed to finishing the remaining site-specific necessary due diligence to support our vision to build a world-class stadium near the Wolf Lake area in Hammond, Indiana.”
Poll: 74% of Chicago Bears Fans Would ‘Carry Grudge’ Over Indiana Move
An Axios survey of approximately 1,000 self-identified Chicago Bears fans found deep resistance to the proposed Indiana relocation, with 74% saying they would “carry a grudge” against the franchise if it leaves Chicago. The poll highlights mounting backlash over the Bears’ stadium standoff and underscores the political and emotional risks facing the McCaskey family as negotiations over public funding continue.
“Readers were also clear on who they blame for the ongoing drama: 76% hold the Bears accountable, while 11% blame Gov. JB Pritzker,” Axios reported.
At the same time respondents to the Axios reader poll overwhelmingly opposed public funding for a new Bears stadium, once the team leaves 102-year-old Soldier Field.
“Only 7% of readers believe Illinois lawmakers should carve out more taxpayer money to keep the Bears here, while 39% say the state should pursue revenue-sharing solutions instead,” the publication reported.
Rachel Nichols Erupts in Rant Over Chicago Bears Indiana Escape: ‘Sell the Team’