Soldier Field set to host City Hockey Classic played on February 17, 2013 (Photo via Yahoo! Sports)

Move over Chicago Bears, Soldier Field will be playing host to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2014.  The rumors have been swirling around for some time now, but it’s been made official early on Wednesday as the NHL announced expansion of their outdoor game package beyond the Winter Classic.

The Chicago Blackhawks will host the Pittsburgh Penguins at Soldier Field on March 1, 2014 at 7PM, so it will be prime time viewing.

“Our fans and our teams love outdoor games,” Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “The Chicago game, at Soldier Field, will be a match-up of two recent Stanley Cupchampions at a landmark stadium.”

This won’t be the first trip outdoors for the Blackhawks.  They hosted the Detroit Redwings at Wrigley Field back on January 1, 2009.  This won’t be the first hockey action that Soldier Field has seen either.  Earlier this year, the home of the Chicago Bears hosted the Hockey City Classic in which Notre Dame faced Miami University and Minnesota played Wisconsin.

With the recent lockout, the NHL is trying to bring back the fans and is adding several of the popular games to the outdoor docket, calling it the 2014 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series.  The rest of the games int he series haven’t been made official yet, but here’s a look at the full rumored schedule:

* Jan. 1: Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium, Red Wings vs. Maple Leafs

* Jan. 25: Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Kings vs. Ducks

* Jan. 26: Yankee Stadium in New York, Rangers vs. Devils

* Jan. 29: Yankee Stadium in New York, Rangers vs. Islanders

* Mar. 1: Soldier Field in Chicago, Penguins vs. Blackhawks

* Mar. 2: BC Place in Vancouver, Senators vs. Canucks

I like the matchups in Yankee Stadium leading up to the hype of Super Bowl XLVIII to be played in New York/New Jersey on February 2, 2014.  I think an outdoor game played in LA is doomed from the start.

With the regular season records of the Blackhawks and Penguins, this matchup could be a re-match of the Stanley Cup Finals.  The Bears head to Pittsburgh this season and will face the Steelers in Prime Time on Sunday Night Football in Week 3 of the upcoming NFL season, so it looks like we’ve got a little rivalry brewing with the Steel City.

Commissioner Roger Goodell did his “state of the union” leading up to Super Bowl XLVII.  Covering a myriad of topics including an emphasis on player safety.  Goodell alluded to changes that could have an impact on the Chicago Bears and Soldier Field:

The Competition Committee’s agenda will include looking at eliminating certain dangerous low blocks; further taking the head out of the game and expanding the standards for the quality of our playing fields.

This is clearly in response to the knee injury that Washington Redskins quarterback RGIII suffered in the opening round of the playoffs, where poor field conditions may have contributed to his injury.

It’s no secret that the quality of the  Soldier Field turf has been questionable from time to time.  Numerous Bears players have ripped the poor condition of the field, including kicker Robbie Gould earlier this season.  The Bears had to cancel a family night practice at Soldier Field in the 2011 preseason, an embarrassment to the team and the Chicago Park District alike.

There are two problems with the Soldier Field situation.  The first is that the Bears don’t own Soldier Field; they’re just the most high profile tenant of the Chicago Part District.   The Bears have an influence over the field, but they don’t have final say.  The City of Chicago allows various high school and college games, concerts, soccer games and other special events that tear up the field.

The other factor is that the Bears don’t want artificial turf.  Ted Phillips has pointed to studies that indicate that lower leg injuries, like the one that RGIII suffered, occur more frequently on artificial turf as compared to natural grass.  Here’s a snippet from a Tribune article that touched on this back in 2010:

The Park District was interested in changing the surface — despite a busy summer schedule at the stadium that includes five concerts - but the Bears indicated they aren’t.

One of the complicating factors is the Bears still are awaiting results of a league study on injuries incurred on infill playing surfaces. They are concerned because preliminary findings have suggested lower leg injuries occur at a higher rate on infill.

“The Chicago Bears will always put a premium on player safety,” Phillips said in a statement to the Tribune. “Each year we will continue to discuss the pros and cons of grass and infill surfaces, and then make a decision.”

I’ll be really interested to see what the Competition Committee finds and how it will affect the Bears.   Could the RGIII rule change the face of Soldier Field?

Which team will a sloppy field help?  Who can benefit the most?  The traditional thinking is that a sloppy field would favor a running attack, so the Bears with Matt Forte and Michael Bush should gain some edge.   In general, a wet track would favor offensive players because they know where they’re going and defenders don’t.

What scares me is that it could help level the playing field, so to speak.  The Bears appear to be the better team, but a mishandled snap or a slippery ball could give the Lions an unexpected edge.  Of course, that goes both ways, but you never know.  The Bears entered Week 7 as the third ranked team in turnover margin with a +9 while the Lions entered the week at 18th with a -1.

On the flipside, Devin Hester could have an advantage.  Directional kicking and coverage teams could be out the window on a stormy night, so the Windy City Flyer could be set up for a special night.  Devin is a mudder.  His father was a mudder, his mudder was a mudder…

For up-to-the-minute details, check out the weather here.  If you’re going to the game, bring a poncho and as always…

BEAR DOWN!!!

As I took a look back at the 2010 Chicago Bears season to date, I found myself wondering, how did this rag tag group of players win seven games?  Then, as I read about the Eagles CB Ellis Hobbs being out for the season and CB Asante Samuel possibly out this week, it hit me.  The Bears have been unbelievably healthy all season and the familiarity they have had with each other has bred success.  That worries me the most.

The only significant injuries that the Bears have sustained were LB Hunter Hillenmeyer’s concussion, which landed him on the IR during the preseason, and a finger injury to untested, but talented rookie S Major Wright, who has missed five games.  Other than that, a guy or two have missed a game here or there, every once in awhile.  To put it simply, the football gods have been nice to the Bears this year.  To me, it just sounds a little too good to be true, don’t ya think?

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Cutler hopes to move forward this week against Seattle and forget the sackfest he experienced in New York.

Jay Cutler has played 20 games for the Chicago Bears and in that span we have seen just how good and just how bad he can be.  His concussed outing against the New York Giants in Week 4 was a reminder that he still has maturing to do.  Though his poor performance was partially the O-line’s fault, he often held the ball too long and didn’t see all of his open receivers.  However, throughout his career he has shown resilience after a disappointing effort.  Also, people sometimes forget that he has only played three full seasons in the NFL and just turned 27 this year.  Some of the greats struggled early on and when you compare the stats, Cutler still has a shot at a long and successful NFL career.

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Bears fans will be getting screwed in the parking lots surround Soldier Field this season.   First, we get the news that the Chicago Bears will be offering alcohol-free tailgating in the upcoming season.  This from Cheryl Jackson’s Sun Times article:

Teetotaling tailgaters with kids, there’s a now spot for you outside Soldier Field. About 100 parking spaces will be set aside this season for alcohol-free tailgating outside Chicago Bears games.

The “Family Friendly” spots, in the parking lots south of the Adler Planetarium, are an experiment in response to fan comments, said Soldier Field General Manager Tim LeFevour.

“We decided to try it for families who might want to enjoy a sandwich and setting up a grill and not have to deal with a lot of alcohol-related issues around them,” he said.

A 10-game parking pass costs the same as it will for most of the other booze-friendly tailgating spots this season: $460, plus a $15 administration fee.

Those found with booze in the area could lose parking privileges and might have to give up their game tickets.

Here’s a quick question – WHY???

First off, a great majority of people that are tailgating are responsible and safe in their pre- and post-game rituals.  Just check out these fans:

Do they look like they’re troublemakers? I don’t think so either.  Besides, do you really think that you’ll be able to keep the idiots – and I mean the true idiots -  clear of the “Family Friendly” lot?  There’s no shortage of ‘em and they’re always swarming around.

Here’s my suggestion – if you’re that concerned about “alcohol-related issues,” leave the kids at home or skip the tailgating.  And while you’re at it, unplug the TV and internet.  Home school them so they don’t come across any bad influences.

Isn’t it bad enough that the Bears cut down the number of tailgating spots when the remodeled a few years ago?   Now they’re cutting back normal tailgating spots even more?

Parking for the season in the family friendly lot will set you back $460 for the season, but that’s cheap compared to the premium spots.  In this separate article from the Daily Herald, they’re reporting that premium parking will set you back a pretty penny:

According to a letter sent to ticket holders, one pass for premium parking at the Adler Planetarium, the East Museum or the South Lots on game days could cost as much as $1,010, plus a $15 administration fee – a total of $1,025 – for eight home games and two preseason games. That’s about $102 per game to park.

If you’re a season ticket holder, you should really sign up for the raffle, which will cut your price in half.  Check this:

Those are the expected prices for ticketholders who bypass an Internet raffle to obtain parking spots. The raffle prices are considerably lower, though still attention getting.

Ticketholders selected in the raffle and assigned to purchase season parking passes at the Adler, the North Garage, the South Lot or the Waldron Deck, will pay $460, plus a one-time $15 administration fee, for the season – a mere $47.50 per game average.

If you need info or to sign up for the raffle, go to the official Soldier Field Parking site starting June 11th.  Registration runs thru July 2nd.

It’s sad when nearly $50 is a bargain for parking!  If you’re not getting screwed out of your God-given right to booze it up while tailgating, you’re getting screwed in the wallet.  Either way, Bears fans are getting screwed in the parking lot.

BEAR DOWN!!!

You know it’s bad when the news geeks are laughing at you.

With this latest resurfacing added to the re-work in September after the U2 concert and s o far the park district has dropped a half a million dollars on sod.  A few more of these sod jobs and the Bears could almost afford to fire their head coach.  (more…)

As Bears fans, we’ve put up with viewing our favorite team on one of the worst surfaces in the NFL or years.  When news broke this morning about the Chicago Park District rejecting the Payton family’s request to place a Walter Payton statue for outside of Soldier Field, I couldn’t be silent any more.

The Bears are the Chicago Park District’s primary tenant for Soldier Field.  When the Bears aren’t using it, which amount to about 355 days a years, the CPD is free to host other events there.   Last weekend, U2 kicked off their North American tour with 2 sold-out shows at Soldier Field last weekend.  Sounds great, right?  I’m a huge U2 fan and to think that they were playing in my home town was an exciting prospect until you see what they did to the playing surface.

Soldier Field looked amazing with the "War of the Worlds" looking stage for U2.

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