Illinois Senate Deadline Looms for Chicago Bears Stadium Deal

Summary

Forward Progress – A Chicago Bears Podcast

Episode: Illinois Senate Deadline Looms for Chicago Bears Stadium Deal
Date: May 26, 2026
Hosts: Dan Bernstein & Matt Abbatacola
Podcast: 312 Sports

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Dan Bernstein and Matt Abbatacola dive deep into the looming Illinois Senate deadline for the "payment in lieu of taxes" (PILOT) bill—legislation that could determine the future of a new Chicago Bears stadium in Arlington Heights. The discussion focuses on the complicated web of tax incentives, political agendas, and the broader economic and emotional ramifications for Bears fans, local schools, and Illinois taxpayers. The hosts also touch on notable NFL news, including the Brian Flores lawsuit and the newly enacted “Teddy Bridgewater Act” in Florida, before closing out with a conversation about Bears roster developments.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Stadium Deal: Tax Incentives, Political Deadlines, and Leverage

The Stakes and What’s at Risk

• The Illinois General Assembly's last week of session—especially in the Senate—will decide whether to pass a landmark PILOT bill, offering tax breaks for major projects like the Bears stadium.
• Failure to pass the bill by the May 31 deadline could be a "massive blow" to the Bears’ Arlington Heights plans.

  "There are many people who believe one way or another it's going to get done. ... It would be a massive, massive blow to the Bears if it does not happen." — Dan Bernstein [01:58]

Substance of the Proposed Deal

• Fox 32 reports projected property taxes for the Bears would drop from approx. $54M/year to under $4M/year under the bill, plus a 40-year property assessment freeze and no sales tax on construction materials.

  "If that's accurate, if it's less than 4 million a year... that seems way too low for me. For an NFL franchise, it just seems way too low." — Matt Abbatacola [02:46]

• There’s skepticism about the accuracy of both $54M (possibly inflated) and $4M (much too low) figures.

Impact on Public Schools and Local Economy

• The local school district stands to lose potential revenue, with the “rising tide” narrative of big developments often overstated.
• Both hosts argue that major public subsidies for sports teams rarely pan out as promised, especially for local taxpayers.

  "That economic impact is always, always wildly overstated." — Dan Bernstein [04:36]

Political Theater & The Bears' “Leverage”

• The Bears’ talk of moving out of Illinois (e.g., to Hammond, Indiana) is seen as mostly a negotiating ploy.

• The hosts doubt the Bears have honestly communicated their preferences to the NFL or would truly move if the bill fails.

  "They have one option which is viable where they want Arlington Park. And the second option was all leverage and all part of a show." — Matt Abbatacola [08:03]

• J.B. Pritzker, with possible presidential ambitions, is seen as the most powerful figure:

  "As long as the most powerful person in this equation, politically, financially... remains J.B. Pritzker... my gut will tell me that it will pass." — Dan Bernstein [06:26]

The Role of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson

• The hosts find Mayor Johnson’s attempts to re-engage with the Bears, even invoking support from the Pope, to be political distraction rather than substance.

  "This isn't accomplishing anything... what do you think you’re accomplishing?" — Dan Bernstein [11:31]

2. Behind the Scenes: Negotiation Mechanics

• The Bears, via lobbyists, are likely deeply involved in bill negotiations—no surprises are expected if/when a bill passes:

  "My best guess is... the Bears have a seat at the table and there’s a lot of back channel stuff going on." — Dan Bernstein [14:54]

• Increased tax obligations may end up being higher than the Bears want but necessary to close the deal, especially under public scrutiny.

• The cost of the stadium itself is ballooning due to inflation and delays; initial $2B estimates are not considered realistic.

  "It’s going to be double that." — Dan Bernstein [18:30]

• The hosts are skeptical the Bears’ ownership and leadership (namely CEO Kevin Warren) have managed the process effectively:

  “By their own actions... their own miscalculations... Kevin Warren has succeeded in making the Bears’ lives more difficult and considerably more expensive.” — Dan Bernstein [25:09]

Notable Quote on Negotiation Outcome

“A well crafted deal doesn't have anybody claiming absolute victory.” — Dan Bernstein [19:38]

3. Political Fallout & Public Perception

• Regardless of how much the Bears wind up paying, negative ads and narratives are ready to run against Pritzker—either as a “billionaire appeaser” or as the leader who let the Bears leave:

  “There’s going to be negative ads…saying Governor Pritzker bent over backward to appease billionaires and you want him to run the country.” — Dan Bernstein [23:30]

• Both hosts reiterate the importance of fair taxpayer representation and openly criticize other states for subsidizing stadiums for the ultra-wealthy.

4. NFL & Policy Headlines

Brian Flores Lawsuit Update [25:28]

• The Supreme Court declined to intervene in Flores’ case, so the lawsuit (alleging racial discrimination in NFL hiring) will proceed in open court, not NFL-controlled arbitration.

The “Teddy Bridgewater Act” in Florida [26:46]

• The law allows high school football coaches to spend up to $15K of their own money per year to help student-athletes, following Bridgewater's suspension for violating amateurism rules.
• Both hosts view this as a distraction from the real social problem: child hunger and poverty.

  “The problem…isn’t that the coach…It’s that you have hungry children. Why are children hungry?” — Dan Bernstein [31:46]
  “That’s the problem.” — Matt Abbatacola [31:45]

5. Bears Football News & Roster Analysis

Tight End Rankings [34:59]

• Bucky Brooks’ NFL.com ranking places the Bears’ tight end group (featuring Cole Kmet, Colston Loveland, Sam Roush) at #4 in the NFL.
• The hosts are particularly excited about Ben Johnson’s plans for creative use of “12 and 13 personnel” and the potential for this group to help quarterback development.

Defensive Concerns & Roster Construction [37:52]

• Skepticism remains about the current defensive strategies and talent, especially in the secondary:

  "You cannot do what they think they're going to do without elite safety play." — Dan Bernstein [38:49]

• Recent focus on versatile DBs like Dylan Thieneman, Cam Lewis, and Kobe Bryant is highlighted.
• Concerns about pass rush and defensive health/luck (e.g. Kyler Gordon's injuries) linger.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On the Bears' leverage:

  "The second option was all leverage and all part of a show." — Matt Abbatacola [08:03]

• On the politics of stadium deals:

  "He is in a narrow range of options here, and yet he remains the most powerful force involved in these negotiations..." — Dan Bernstein [21:13]

• On Illinois politics and PR risk:

  "Even if the Bears are kept, people will be pouring through every bit of the tiniest print of this deal." — Dan Bernstein [23:05]

• On mismanagement:

  "They. By their own actions, their own inactions... Kevin Warren has succeeded in making the Bears lives more difficult and considerably more expensive." — Dan Bernstein [25:09]

• On public policy failing students:

  "Why are children hungry? Not, what do we do about our football team?... How about all the people who aren't playing football?" — Dan Bernstein [32:41]

• On compromise:

  "A well crafted deal doesn't have anybody claiming absolute victory." — Dan Bernstein [19:38]
  "Only idiots say that." — Matt Abbatacola [19:57]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Illinois Senate Stadium Bill Overview: [01:58]
• Tax Numbers and School District Impact: [02:46–05:53]
• Political Dynamics (Pritzker, Bears Leverage): [06:26–09:38]
• Mayor Brandon Johnson's Role: [11:22–13:14]
• Negotiation Mechanics and Potential Outcomes: [13:46–19:10]
• Media & Political Fallout: [19:38–25:09]
• Brian Flores Lawsuit Discussion: [25:28]
• Teddy Bridgewater Act & Social Commentary: [26:46–34:18]
• Bears Tight End Group & Offseason Moves: [34:59–37:41]
• Defensive Scheme Concerns: [37:52–40:44]

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Tone and Style

The hosts maintain their trademark mix of sardonic wit, analytical rigor, and unvarnished fan passion. They never shy from criticizing both franchise management and public officials, while providing detailed breakdowns of policy implications and on-field strategies. Their candid, sometimes irreverent banter underscores a podcast designed “for the fan who wants the real story, not the press release.”

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Useful For:

• Bears fans tracking the stadium saga
• Policy-watchers interested in sports tax incentives
• NFL observers following legal and social developments
• Listeners seeking intelligent, passionate, and sometimes biting football conversation

Transcript

[Dan Bernstein]

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[Matt Abeticola]

Vitamix Only the essential.

[Dan Bernstein]

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[Matt Abeticola]

So I took it all.

[Dan Bernstein]

Even the gun.

[Matt Abeticola]

It was time.

[Dan Bernstein]

Cello American Afterlife presented by Pair of Thieves. The number one fiction and drama podcast in America. Listen wherever you get your favorite podcasts available now. I mean, if you're a Bears fan, you're thinking Forward Progress. Come on.

[Matt Abeticola]

Forward Progress A Chicago Bears podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matabaticola on 312 Sports.

[Dan Bernstein]

We give you forward progress here on 312 Sports. Talking Chicago Bears and NFL Dan Bernstein. Mattabaticola A big week is upon us for the Chicago Bears and this last week of session for the Illinois General assembly, the state legislature, particularly the Senate, will they come up with their own version of the payment in lieu of taxes? Megaprojects bill. That is something that could make it to the governor's desk and sign it. There are many people who believe one way or another it's going to get done. We can parse some of the comments, but it would be a massive, massive blow to the Bears if it does not happen.

[Matt Abeticola]

It would be a a huge blow, Dan, you're exactly right on that. And I'm leaning to the fact that I'm not very confident it's going to get passed before the 31st. I was looking at an article from from Fox 32 and looking at some of the numbers and these are just some of the numbers that I've read according to again, what Fox had to say and they estimated what the Bears would pay in property tax and that came out to be around somewhere around $54 million a year. But under this bill, that would be a little less than 4 million a year. From the Bears also saw that there would be property assessment freeze over the next 40 years so they wouldn't evaluate the value of the property to then increase those taxes. I also saw there'd be no sales tax on construction material whatever on those. Except the, the thing, the thing, the thing about the less than 4 million a year. I don't know. I, I'm not a Cook county resident. I have stated before on this show it doesn't matter to me where the Bears play. I think it'd be stupid if they played outside of Illinois, but it doesn't matter to me where they play. I just think that if that's accurate, if it's less than 4 million a year in property tax or in lieu of property tax, that seems way too low for me. For an NFL franchise, it just, it seems way too low.

[Dan Bernstein]

Are you basing this off the House version of the bill?

[Matt Abeticola]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. So obviously that's, that's based off what we know. That's all. That's what we know. So it could change obviously what's, what's in the, in the Illinois Senate, how this could change. And, but to me, that just seems like not enough money for them to pay as an NFL franchise.

[Dan Bernstein]

I think that the school district.

[Matt Abeticola]

54 million is a bit high. That doesn't seem realistic to me. But 4 million is way too low. And you were, you were saying about the school district.

[Dan Bernstein]

Sorry, yeah. I think that they are, they've got the big beef there. If they were looking for a potential payday from this or any other mega project. If we look at this just as the Bears, it's probably shortsighted to think about what, what other big businesses they would be trying to lure with these, these lower taxes where they're, you know, there's supposed to be this, the, a rising tide benefit when a major tax base improvement comes in. And if the incentive cancels out a lot of that reason to make yourself available to big businesses, it ends up being a wash in that regard. And then there's also the, the governor and the, and the Senate's responsibility to look out for the individual taxpayers and make sure we're using real info that big teams and companies say, oh, bringing jobs and economic impact. That's always, always wildly overstated. So the other important thing is that the data is correct and I understand

[Matt Abeticola]

the conundrum of it because you do want to attract big business here. In this case with the Bears, it's about not wanting to lose the Bears from the state of Illinois. I understand that. I don't think that's in the realm of possibility from what the McCaskeys want to do. But I think you shouldn't err so far on the one side where they don't pay enough money just for the whole idea of, oh, we can't afford to lose the Chicago Bears. You certainly can't afford to lose the Chicago Bears. Sure, you wouldn't want to. That'd be stupid. But you can certainly do it as far as the state's concerned, of course.

[Dan Bernstein]

And with sports teams, there is, there's, there's more narrative and there is certainly more headline and when a governor does plan to run for president, that those narratives can take on lives of their own and become things that they are not and certainly become easy to sell nationally in other ways. And as long as the most powerful person in this equation, politically, financially, the single most powerful person remains J.B. pritzker. And that's why my gut will tell me that it will pass. Interesting is that were it not to, and I don't know what the NFL was told here, I don't know how open the Bears have been in their talks with the NFL. When Roger Goodell comes in here and they have one of their blue ribbon committees and they sit down, tell us what's really going on. Are the Bears being honest about their lack of desire to go to Hammond? That's what I don't know. Have the Bears really told them, hey, I, we don't want, we don't want to go to Hampton at all. Because the question is, if this doesn't pass and the league expects them to immediately say, well, that's that, this is done, we now have our secondary choice. It's our plan B and that's it. Here we go. We're in Indiana. Because I don't think that's necessarily the case.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, I would have no reason to, to say this with 100% confidence, but if I'm going to speculate on it, I don't believe the Bears have been honest with the league for when Roger Goodell made that, gave that statement last week, which was really a whole lot of nothing. It was, oh, the Bears have two options. And we know that they don't have two viable options. They have one option which is viable where they want Arlington Park. And the second option was all leverage and all part of a show that

[Dan Bernstein]

was handed to them. Even though they do not want to try to build on that site, they don't want to clean it up. They don't want to be there. They do not want to be the ownership that took the Bears out of Chicago, despite everything else that was said. The question is, who also knows this to be true and who will call their bluff? And if, in fact, they get to the end of this week and we don't have an 11th hour, Jim Thompson style White Sox political effort and they don't end up making this work, I'm not saying it's bad for the taxpayer. It might be great for the taxpayer. Could be a lot of stress on the Chicago Bears, a lot of whether or not they're like, yeah, we're moving our timetable again because we'd ra. And at that point, you've got to figure out what Kevin Warren does for a living and what you're paying him to do.

[Matt Abeticola]

Right. If, if this doesn't happen by the 31st and the NFL is expecting the Bears to then turn to option two, which would be Hammond, and that's not going to happen. And you're sitting on this property, not building on it for another year again, waiting for the next session to come into play in Illinois politics. Yeah, that, that's gonna, that's going to require some change from George McCaskey. He's. He's going to have to reevaluate that relationship and that job and why he was brought in of Kevin Warren. He has to,

[Dan Bernstein]

because that's a failure.

[Matt Abeticola]

It would be a complete failure. It's already been. I mean, we're, It's. It's already been a failed process. And for it to not pass by the 31st and to then go another year of not being built upon in Arlington Heights and to have this fiasco lay at their feet right now. Yeah, people will have to change jobs for sure.

[Dan Bernstein]

It would be. The, the, the massive embarrassment that this would be. Would be incalculable. And especially when you have. And the, the best thing the Bears have going for him right now are the ambitions of the governor of Illinois and him being seen as having the ability to do this because of the way that the state legislature's populated, et cetera. And we then have Brandon Johnson just, just clowning right now. I don't know what this is with saying, I'm gonna go visit the Pope, and the Pope agrees with me that the Bears should be in Chicago.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, dude. What's, what's going on?

[Dan Bernstein]

So what?

[Matt Abeticola]

Right.

[Dan Bernstein]

That has nothing to do with anything.

[Matt Abeticola]

Correct.

[Dan Bernstein]

This isn't accomplishing anything. I, I do not understand what Brandon Johnson is doing in this regard or what he thinks he's doing, what kind of after the fact games he's playing when he's just not a player in this.

[Matt Abeticola]

Well, he's not a player in this, but he was. Was made a distraction in this when someone inside the Bears reached back out and spoke to the mayor's office. That's the issue.

[Dan Bernstein]

And they're exploiting that mistake.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

To what end? I don't know. Other than his own short term political leverage opportunity, which isn't. It doesn't really work when you play that out to. To do what? Ending in what? I haven't found a rational explanation for when they had that aha moment and somebody in the mayor's office said, oh, wait a second, yeah, you know, Kevin Warren said, well, what if, what if this falls through? Are we still here on this? And now we have an opening to come in and Chicago's not out of it yet. And they shut it down immediately. Statements came from the governor, from the Bears. They are out of it. We're not. No matter what, we're not going to be in Chicago. And however they're addressing that internally is different. If George is saying, kevin, the hell's going on here? What are you doing? I didn't tell you to go back to them and ask this stuff. The own goal on this we have talked about in fine detail and whether or not that's affected the relationships within Hallis hall are different. But the actual reality of this is it's not going to do anything. And appealing to the Pope and talking about the Bears in Chicago, why, what are you doing? What do you think you're doing? What do you think you're accomplishing?

[Matt Abeticola]

Right. Because you're not accomplishing anything. And even if the Pope thinks the Bear should be in Chicago, great, that's. It's a nice thought to have, but it doesn't mean anything as far as what's actually going to happen. Business side of things. So let me ask you this. If. Now if the Senate's looking at. And if they amend the bill, which they will. Which they will. Is it just, hey, here's the bill and here's how your, you know, what you're going to pay in lieu of property taxes works out or do the Bears. Are the Bears privy to the information of what it's going to look like?

[Dan Bernstein]

I think they're. They and their lobbyists and everybody involved are well informed of the negotiations.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay, so under the House bill, like I said, they would pay less than 4 million a year in lieu of property taxes. What if it comes back and it's oh through the Illinois Senate, it's, it's amended to $10 million a year. Are the Bears gonna be like, oh yes, that works or no, that doesn't work, that's too high. I mean they don't have any play in it though.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, they have a say of where they go. I mean ultimately, if you look at this as the, the mega projects bill on its own right now is about the bears, but it's about a lot more than the bears. And if, if the bill I, the question is, would the, is the governor going back to the Bears during the negotiations saying is this good enough? Would this be acceptable?

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, that's what I'm wondering. That's how that would, would work. Because if it comes out and the bill passes, gets the governor and it works out where the bears would have to be 15 million a year. And the bears say well, we don't want to do that. No, it's not going to go. No, they would know. There's conversations.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes, yes, there's going to be no surprises. Okay, there's going to be no surprises. My, my best guess is if this gets rammed through in some way shape or form, the bears have a seat at the table and it's, there's a lot of back channel stuff that's going on. I don't know exactly who the specific negotiators are and what committees and getting into some of the nitty gritty there's. But I do know that there are, the bears are represented, if not officially by proxy within the negotiations where there's, there's a list of things that say like, well, you know, check, check, check, check. As long as there's enough of this and everything remains somewhat negotiable. So the question is if somebody in there is saying, hey, I know the bears don't want to go to Hammond. I know it. And if they're driving the bargain down, down, down for on behalf of the school districts, you know, I, I don't, I don't mind that if they think they can squeeze the bears nuts a little bit here. Yar. And, and actually say, yeah, you're not going to Hammond and you don't want the embarrassment of this failing, so you're gonna have to pay a little more in taxes. Right. Because we don't believe you. And it depends on. And if the bears like nope, no deal. Because this is going to go to the, this will surprise me if it doesn't go to the Last minute and goes to the 11th hour and best and final and all that. Deadlines make deals, deadlines make deals. And it may just be that the bears have to swallow a little harder and cut a check. And then we get back to the other question is do they have the money? Do they have enough money? Have they, do they have enough people as a part of this who said well when it comes to soldier field we can do this. When it comes to, I don't know about the taxes, you know, we're gonna have to pay a little more. This is gonna end up being a little more expensive than we thought. Well obviously you're trying to do a stadium deal in the middle of an unprecedented inflationary, you know, self caused inflationary jolt here where the markets are swaying wildly with everything that happens. A ceasefire. It's not a ceasefire. We're bombing people in self defense and they're bombing him. And this is real and this isn't. How many times have we been through the exact same news cycle by the way on we got a deal to end the war. We just haven't agreed on any of what we're going to make the deal. We're right there, we're right there, we're right there. It's going to be over, it's going to be over, it's going to be over. And then you have people going, well it can be over but it's a terrible deal.

[Matt Abeticola]

Right.

[Dan Bernstein]

So as that all goes on and, and, and these, the prices, no sales taxes is just a drop in the ocean there of what, of what things cost to build things as all goes on.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, it's a small thing. It's still something that would, I'm sure is still going to be in there, but it's not. Again that's why I kind of shared it but kind of brushed over it.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, I'm glad you did. But, but it's the, I think everything's negotiable and I think the price, the price of this deal because of things in their control and outside their control is, is spiraling on the bears here. Yeah.

[Matt Abeticola]

And then to also just big picture of it Talking about a 2 billion dollar stadium that, and I'm sure, I'm sure it's enough to get a stadium built. I just don't know how. It's the world class stadium that the bears all envision it to be at 2,2 billion. It seems a little low to me but it ain't going to be 2 billion.

[Dan Bernstein]

It could be, it's going to be double that okay, it's going to be double that.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, I know. I don't know. And, and like I said from the, the version of the bill that's passed through the house, 54 million a year, that sounds, that sounds unreasonable. 4 million a year doesn't sound like nearly enough for an NFL franchise. So I'd be really curious to see how that negotiating, how it's going back and forth and what the Bears are willing to come up to because I again, and I don't even know how to even come up with a number. But is, is 10 million a year a fair number? As long as you know the school systems in Oregon Heights are getting a fair share of that money. Is 15 million a year? You know, is 8 million a year? I don't know.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't know.

[Matt Abeticola]

And what are the Bears willing to do? I would really love to hear those conversations. Not that we ever would, but like how those negotiations go back and forth and if they do settle on something, what it comes down to, I don't feel very confident that it does happen. You know, I'm sure you're probably, you're probably correct on this, that it does, that something does get pushed through. But I just, I don't feel very confident. Not with the way it's been handled so far. Not with the players that are involved on the bear side of things.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, we all know that the art of compromise is summed up in both sides reaching a mutual point of satisfaction and disappointment. A well crafted deal doesn't have anybody claiming absolute victory.

[Matt Abeticola]

Only idiots say that.

[Dan Bernstein]

The only thing that matters is proper to me personally, proper representation for the taxpayer. That we don't end up like these stupid other states and counties and municipalities throwing hard earned money at billionaires to build them stadiums that give them every break in the world. And I think we're past that point. The way this is arranged, I don't think that this can be spun. And the last thing that could possibly happen for Pritzker with the way the wind is blowing right now, if he is seen as a friend to billionaires and sort of in the pocket of billionaires and it can be spun that way, he is toast.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yep.

[Dan Bernstein]

And he is smart enough to know that.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. I also think he's not going to go to the other extreme end of it and do whatever he can't does to do whatever it is that to stop this from happening.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, because then, because then, then he's all then that spun as the anti business climate of the blue state of Illinois has lost Something as big and meaningful as the Chicago Bears, like that's an embarrassment, too.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

There's. He. He is in. He's. He's in a narrow range of options here, and yet he remains the most powerful force involved in these negotiations when it comes to what. He controls the purse strings of the state. And it's his own ambitions that might be boxing him in a little bit here. But I don't think he has made any of these decisions along the way or put any of his lieutenants in charge of doing these things without playing out what he believes is reasonable. I have asked as honest a question as I can directly to the governor's office and waiting for a response back, because I got. I thought that the most recent comments we got from him were a mixed message because he said he remained hopeful that it passes. But then he said, I've seen miracles happen before, and when I say, okay, I never heard the word, you know, you're using the word miracle there. So I'll give you exactly the question that I asked. I asked, does the characterization of the chances of the pilot bill passing as a miracle indicate new uncertainty or pessimism, or is there still a reasonable expectation that this bill passes? And I will wait for an answer to that question if they want to answer it, because there's a lot riding on this, a lot beyond local, a lot beyond the bears. You've got people ready to go with negative ads right now. No matter what happens here. And even if the bears are kept, people will be pouring through every bit of the tiniest print of this deal.

[Matt Abeticola]

Oh, yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

To come up with opposition ads. Here's what Pritzker gave away. Here's what Pritzker did. You think he's helping and looking out for Illinois taxpayers? Look what he gave the bears. I mean, that. That stuff is already storyboarded. All the ads are ready to go.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, but I think in that regard, though, Dan, any opposition to Pritzker, no matter what the bears end up paying, is not going to be enough.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, there's going to be. Yeah, there's going to be negative ads that come with this somehow saying Governor Pritzker bent over backward to appease billionaires and you want him to run the country. We don't need a president who appeases billionaires. We need a president that looks out for you, the regular people. Like, that's. That's automatic.

[Matt Abeticola]

Right. Even though the billionaires are being looked out for right now, of course.

[Dan Bernstein]

And then. And then if the bears pack up and leave and say, look what happened when all of the oppressive regulation in red tape and tax structure of a blue state let the venerable Chicago Bears just walk over the border to offend? It's so reductive and easy to write all these things, even though the truth is so much more complicated. Right?

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, because like that, that Fox story, it estimated that the Bears would pay like 54 million a year based on, on the, on the property. Now, if they do end up paying, you know, they're going to end up paying a lot less than that. So any, any negative ad is going to say, oh, see, this is what they should have paid, but this is what, you know, Governor Pritzker gave the bears. Instead of 54 million, they're paying 12 million. And where is that money? That money could have gone to schools and could have gone to these different programs and services. So no matter what happens, he's going to have people that are gonna, are gonna have those opposition ads for it as well. And yeah, again, it's, it's not a, a spot I envy any of these people involved in right now. But I think the thing you said last week about it really sums it up very clear is that the Bears made this process a lot harder than it had to be.

[Dan Bernstein]

And more expensive. Yes.

[Matt Abeticola]

And yes. And now more expensive a lot.

[Dan Bernstein]

They. By, by their own actions, their own inactions, their own M calculations, and by they. The guy they hired to do it.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yep.

[Dan Bernstein]

Kevin Warren has succeeded in making the Bears lives more difficult and considerably more expensive.

[Matt Abeticola]

Correct.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. I do want to note that we've had a little bit of football news today. There's a couple things we want to get to the. Apparently the Supreme Court is not going to intervene in the Brian Flores lawsuit against the NFL, though there was a last second appeal to the Supreme Court by the NFL, who has been arguing that this entire case should be handled by Roger Goodell, the entire case should be handled by their own arbitration process. And Flores has said, no, no, no, we're going to court. This should be handled in open court in New York where it was filed, because they've been. The NFL's trying to keep total control and believe that this, this is an arbitration issue. And the Supreme Court has, it will not take it up, which means it then defaults back to the previous rulings and that are that those sightings with the plaintiffs to allow this in open court. So essentially, that's what's going to happen, is there's going to be discovery, this is going to be public. We're going to get all this so it's going to be fascinating now. And it's, you know, when it. When in doubt, let the courts decide. Not a private company. I like it.

[Matt Abeticola]

Another interesting happening within the NFL. Well, not actually within the NFL, but within. Within state politics in Florida. I don't know if you saw the, the Teddy Bridgewater Act.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abeticola]

By, by Governor DeSantis.

[Dan Bernstein]

And this was one of those things where when I read the genesis of it and it sounded like it was in good faith, and then I. Then, of course, because it's Florida and you keep reading and then you start to think maybe not so much.

[Matt Abeticola]

So here's what, here's what happened. So Teddy Bridgewater, obviously former NFL quarterback, was coaching a school down. In a high school down in Florida. They won the championship in 2024. Then he was suspended for the 2025 season because they found out that he was using his own money to help some of the student athletes by a. Buying meals, providing free rides, like, through Uber services and other, like, healthcare services, like treatments and whatnot for. For the students. And of course, you can't. You can't do that. Not allowed to do that. So what Florida puts together is this. The. The Teddy. The Teddy Bridgewater act, allowing a head coach of a football program, a high school football program, to use money from his own pockets, his own, his own expenses to provide things for students and for members of his team, like rides, like clothing, like food if needed. But they capped it at $15,000 per team per year and only can come from the head coach. So a couple different things on it because Bridgewater said he spends anywhere from like 23 to 24,000 of his own money just for, like, training camp costs and apparel. He said he was spending at least $6,000 a week on food and, you know, treatment and services and rides for these kids, which is. It just seems crazy to me. There's got to be a different way for the state to help these schools out other than your solution is, okay, a head coach can do it, but it's kept at $15,000 a year.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't know, maybe have a state

[Matt Abeticola]

income tax, maybe that could be a possibility. You think, like, instead of finding a realistic solution to this, where there is a certain. I mean, there is a definite need from some underprivileged kids playing sports in Florida instead of solving the problem, they say, all right, you know what? The head coach can continue to do that, but only at $15,000 a year.

[Dan Bernstein]

So now you're going to have the choices made by schools to hire Coaches who, who have the ability to do this. And then you're going to have dark money is what you're going to have.

[Matt Abeticola]

Correct. Because you think it stops at 15 grand a year.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, no, that'll be what's. It'll, it'll all look like that when they file all the paperwork and it gets reported. Yes, of course. But what you're going to have is teams aren't even going to look at hiring a coach who may not have the individual wherewithal to max out all of that stuff.

[Matt Abeticola]

Correct.

[Dan Bernstein]

And they'll just say, all right, well, if you don't, it's like, yeah, I'd love to coach. I'm a good coach and I'm the, I happen to be the, the phys ed teacher here and I'll work for my stipend. Yeah. But if, if other school, if we hire this guy or we hire the friend of this lawyer or this doctor or this, this, this alum, that's an extra 15 grand we can plow into the program this year.

[Matt Abeticola]

Right. The 15 grand we have to report.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right. Not, not the other stuff that was part of a different fund that's coming into the school that, you know, that Brett Favre made sure happened for us or something like that.

[Matt Abeticola]

Right. Like, it's unfortunate that a guy like Teddy Bridgewater as a head coach would have to provide like just basic necessities for kids on his team, and yet the state has an option to do something about it and this is the option they pick.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, this my worries that when Bridgewater said, when I decided to coach, those players became my sons. I'm a protector, I'm a father first. I want to make sure that I just protect them in the best. Miami Northwestern is in a tough neighborhood and sometimes things can happen when kids are walking home and different things like that. So I tried to protect them, give them a ride home instead of having to take those dangerous walks. So if you're having kids have dangerous walks home and, or having trouble feeding themselves, listen to this. Bridgewater said, I have a big heart. I get it from my mom. I always said I was once those kids. I know what it's like to be in their shoes. I know what it's like to walk those halls at Miami Northwestern and have your stomach growling and rumbling at 12 o' clock in the afternoon because you didn't have any lunch money or you don't get the free lunch. That's the problem, right?

[Matt Abeticola]

That's the problem.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's the problem. It isn't that the coach. It's that you have hungry children. Why do you ask those questions? Why are children hungry? Not, what do we do about our football team? How do we keep our football team, our coaches, from getting in trouble? Because this is going to change our football team. How about, why are kids hungry in your state?

[Matt Abeticola]

Right. That's a better question to ask instead of why is the head coach taking money out of his own pocket to provide for these kids?

[Dan Bernstein]

Exactly. And we have. Well, this can't happen. We have to limit this.

[Matt Abeticola]

We're exactly right. We can't let this happen. So, you know what, what should we do? Well, no, let's regulate it and you can do it without getting in trouble. No. Have a better solution. Fix the actual problem.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's the bigger issue. I'm not even worried about the football players. How about all the people who aren't playing football? How about the other kids? They don't have a coach looking out for them. What about the kids in band or

[Matt Abeticola]

the kids that don't play band?

[Dan Bernstein]

What about the kids in Model un? What about the kids in the art program? What about those kids just show up

[Matt Abeticola]

and go to classes? Because that's, that's, that's all they're going to do, right?

[Dan Bernstein]

Does the, does the music teacher get to do the same thing? Does the music. And, and why should they?

[Matt Abeticola]

Right. They shouldn't have to. That's the whole point. They shouldn't have to. I mean, you know, you mentioned, you know, early on in this conversation about sales tax. Yeah. You don't have sales tax. That's great. I get why a lot of people are incoming to Florida.

[Dan Bernstein]

You don't have income tax.

[Matt Abeticola]

Right.

[Dan Bernstein]

There's no state income tax.

[Matt Abeticola]

So it's like, let's, let, let's, let's fix the actual problem. But that'd be too simple, Right? Not that it's an easy solution. It's not. I get all that. I get it. I understand it. But there's other things you can do other than saying, oh, yeah, you know, we're gonna, we're gonna allow the coach to continue to do this without getting in trouble for it, but we're gonna cap it and regulate it as well.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, just to ask different questions. That's the question. Isn't how do we make it legal for coaches to. To feed kids and protect kids? That is the question. The question is why? Where's the disparity coming from that allows for hungry and endangered children? Am I crazy?

[Matt Abeticola]

No, you're not.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay, you're not.

[Matt Abeticola]

But you know the sympathy for Teddy Bridgewater being suspended last year is the reason why this even happened.

[Dan Bernstein]

But that's not the injustice.

[Matt Abeticola]

It's not the injustice.

[Dan Bernstein]

It doesn't hurt him, he says. So he's suspended. Big deal. And he's telling you what injustice is.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yes. And no one's listening to it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, well, I, I don't know. But football, I guess. I guess nothing happens. Nothing happens unless football's involved. Because the only thing anybody gives a about. Well, are we going to, are we going to have businesses come to the state here? Well, I don't know. We'll see if a football team can, can help force this thing through. We'll, we'll. We'll make laws. We'll make all kinds of new laws regarding big businesses, but only because of football. Well, it's okay if that kid actually doesn't endanger himself on his walk home or actually has enough food. Well, why are we doing this? Football? Okay. Not just because.

[Matt Abeticola]

All right, one positive note. I can share NFL.com they did a breakdown of the teams in the NFL with the top tight ends. So by position, tight end position. And I was, I saw the headline. I'm like, well, I know exactly that. I know. I know at least one team will be in the top five. And that's the team that I learned.

[Dan Bernstein]

You're saying that the Bears with their, with this new group now of. I almost said Colson Montgomery, Colston Loveland. Yep. Cole Comet and Sam Roush.

[Matt Abeticola]

Sam Roush. I thought all right, for sure that those. That threesome would have to be in the top five. And I went and looked. This is Bucky Brooks on NFL.com had the Rams number one. This is by tight end position. The Bills number two, Raiders number three, and then your Chicago Bears at number four and the Steelers number five. Okay, so yeah, that makes sense. Just wanna. Want to make sure that the, that it was accurate that he had the beloved in there, in the, in the top five.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. But yeah, Rams, Bills, Raiders, Bears and Steelers. Again, just really excited to see what Ben Johnson does with this and how this does impact because again, a lot of things we've talked about in this off season is how the Bears didn't address the wide receiver properly and they let DJ Moore go because everyone seems to forget that the best receiver on this team is an actual tight end. And they're gonna play a lot of 12 and 13 personnel.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't mean to be annoying, but did they look at all tight ends as the same position? Even though we know they're not.

[Matt Abeticola]

They did not.

[Dan Bernstein]

They did so. They did. They did not look at it at the same position.

[Matt Abeticola]

No.

[Dan Bernstein]

So they looked at it as. Did they looked at you tight ends versus Y tight ends? No, they.

[Matt Abeticola]

They looked at the actual. The. The roster, the positions, the. The way that the teams utilize the 12 or 13 personnel. Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay, good. I'm glad because a lot of places still will lump all tight ends into, into one basket and you shouldn't because they have drastically different roles and body types and responsibilities.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. I'm just, I'm really excited to see, as we get. What are we, I think 14 or 15 weeks away from the season, starting to see what Ben Johnson is going to do with his offense and how having these three guys, or even just Cole Comet and Colson Loveland on the field, how it hopefully elevates Roma Dunes A even more, even further because he needs to take a big step to see what Luther Burden does in his second year as a receiver. Just very excited about what's going to happen with this, with this offense under Ben Johnson because I'm not feeling the same about the defense just yet.

[Dan Bernstein]

I am not either. But, but, but hey, if you can

[Matt Abeticola]

win 52 to 48, it's still a win.

[Dan Bernstein]

They're going to coach him better.

[Matt Abeticola]

We'll take it.

[Dan Bernstein]

They're going to coach him better.

[Matt Abeticola]

I'll take that, too.

[Dan Bernstein]

Everything's going to be fine. They'll figure it out. And. Oh, we got to tell him to do this instead of this. I'm going to. I'm learning more about what some of the expectations are from, from how Dennis Allen might use this defense and maybe what we saw in the Rams game and what they think. I don't think that they think their pass rush has to be that good for them to have an effective defense.

[Matt Abeticola]

We know that, Dan. They said that.

[Dan Bernstein]

Just. I, I mean, I know, I know.

[Matt Abeticola]

Said all they need is the other quarterback to hold the ball a few seconds longer.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's also. It's also the success that they've had with some disguised secondary blitzes as a supplement. But, man, that you, those, those safeties, you overhauled your safeties. You cannot do what they think they're going to do without elite safety play.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. Which is why they drafted Dylan Thieman first, which is also why in the off season they signed Kobe Bryant and Cam Lewis. Because if Thienaman can move around to both safety positions and play that, that nickel corner, you're going to see those three guys, Cam Lewis, Kobe Bryant and Dylan Feneman on the field a lot together.

[Dan Bernstein]

And they better be right about letting Bayard go. They better be right about him not being a linchpin that was holding a lot of that stuff together back there. Because I think. I think we can kind of squint and see what they want to do. The other thing is an injured Kyler Gordon is it ruins a lot of this.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yes, it does. Yeah. Which is. Which is why I just said you're gonna have, you know, thienamin. He can play either corner or either safety spot. They said he can play nickel quarter. That's what they said. And then, you know, that's why you signed Cam Lewis as well, too. That's why you went on. You signed two. You signed two safeties in free agency and then drafted a safety in the first round.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's. We're gonna get an indication of what they think they can do. And the fact that they're still going with who they're going with up front tells me that much of their pass rush is going to be based on stealth and surprise and smaller guys rather than bigger guys. That's. That's just. That's just sort of a view from afar. For now. I. I reserve the right to change that opinion. I reserve the right to massage that. Those thoughts. But that's. That's my thought at the moment.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, but if that's the. If that's the thought, that's the. The. The big picture perspective of it. That doesn't really jive with the fact that they're going to coach these guys harder and better on technique and the fundamentals.

[Dan Bernstein]

This.

[Matt Abeticola]

That seems like two different things. We'll see.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, we shall see. And that will do it for today's forward progress, which is a Bears and NFL podcast that we bring you on 312 sports. Forward progress is stopped. 10, 219219

[Matt Abeticola]

forward progress. A Chicago Bears podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abeticola on 312 Sports.