Lesley Weidenbener: Bears debate is story, even if team stays put

Editor’s note: This column was written before the Chicago Bears on Friday said they planned to move forward with stadium development in Indiana.

It was at IBJ Media’s Innovate Central Indiana event on Dec. 11 that I first raised the possibility of the Bears moving to Indiana with Gov. Mike Braun.

During a one-on-one chat on stage at the Westin Indianapolis, I asked the governor whether the state might pitch the NFL team on moving across the border to play its games in Indiana.

Braun appeared surprised by the question, but it didn’t seem like a new idea to him. “Why wouldn’t you want to be discussing it?” he said.

Still, he wouldn’t confirm any conversations with the team. “I have had discussions on a lot of different things,” he said.

At the time, the exchange got quite a few laughs, many from people who thought the idea was ludicrous. But I didn’t ask the question on a whim. I had received a tip that there had already been conversations between the Bears or someone representing the team and state officials.

Less than a week later, the Bears — frustrated by what they saw as inaction from the Illinois Legislature — announced they were expanding their search for a new stadium site to include northwest Indiana. Braun said immediately after that he’d be willing to work with the team to make it happen.

Again, there were more snickers than anything else. And over the weeks and then months, as IBJ and Inside INdiana Business reported on the story — including the steps Indiana lawmakers were taking to create a stadium financing deal — we heard from readers who believed that we and the Braun administration were being duped by the Bears.

“Indiana is being used,” Tim O. wrote in a comment on an IBJ story. “Can’t believe the IBJ is falling for this scam.”

“Pipe dream. Never going to happen,” wrote Randy S. on one story.

“Badly disguised leverage play,” wrote John M.

“Braun is just a pawn for the Bears to get a better deal in Illinois,” said Mike M.

So why would IBJ spend so much time and energy writing about the possibility of an NFL team moving to Indiana — especially an idea that seemed farfetched not just to our readers but to those of us in the newsroom, too?

We asked ourselves that question, too. But we understood from the beginning that even if Indiana’s efforts to attract the Bears to play in Indiana were ultimately unsuccessful, the attempt was interesting; involved the attention and resources of state officials, including the governor; and certainly could impact actions in Illinois.

Plus, as much as IBJ focuses on central Indiana, our larger company — IBJ Media — is a statewide news organization. Inside INdiana Business covers stories across the state and has a reporter based in South Bend. Our combined newsroom — IBJ, Inside INdiana Business and The Indiana Lawyer — regularly writes about issues from all corners of the state.

Finally, IBJ has had good sources who from the beginning have told us that while the Bears prefer to stay in Illinois, they’re willing to make the jump to Indiana if it makes business sense.

So here we are six months later. The Illinois Legislature has adjourned its spring session without a stadium bill or tax incentive package for the Bears. Indiana, meanwhile, is prepared to act and has a site right on the Illinois state line that the franchise apparently thinks would work for a stadium.

Could it still be a ruse? Might the Bears still just be playing Indiana to get what the team wants from Illinois? Absolutely. But is it all a story? You bet.•

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Weidenbener is editor and assistant publisher of IBJ and The Indiana Lawyer. Email her at [email protected].