🏈 Bears football is meant to be played in the cold

If the Bears move to Arlington Heights, as it looks like they're about to do. . .

The Daily Reader It's been an up-and-down relationship for me and Brian Urlacher over the years. Well, for me, anyway. Pretty sure Brian Urlacher doesn't know I exist.          As a long-suffering Bears fan, I rejoiced when they drafted Urlacher in 2000. He turned out to be a great linebacker—a Hall of Famer. I even liked saying his name; it sounded so football. Had this game with my kids where I'd say, "Urlacher"—all menacing like—and then pretend to tackle them.   Fun game! Feel free to try it. With your kids, of course—not mine.   But then Urlacher went MAGA on me, sucking up to Trump.   Even then I sorta forgave him. It was so obviously Brian's ploy to brownnose Trump into pardoning Casey Urlacher. Casey being Brian's younger brother, indicted by the feds for his role in an illegal gambling operation.   It worked. Taking a break from cheering on the insurrection, Trump pardoned Casey in January 2021, as he was heading out the White House door. Probably with a stack of secret documents in his suitcase.   When the pardon came down, I thought to myself—slick move, Brian! All that brownnosing paid off. And then . . .   Fast forward to a gathering last month in Las Vegas. Urlacher was on a panel talking about the joys of gambling on the NFL. One thing led to another, and the conversation turned to the Bears and their efforts to build a new stadium.   Urlacher said he hoped the Bears don't build a domed stadium. Cause Bears football is meant to be played in the cold, dammit!   But he could understand if the Bears move to Arlington Heights, as it looks like they're about to do, because . . .   "Downtown Chicago is not safe."   Oh, Brian, Brian, Brian. You had to go there, huh? Okay, one more time . . .   Yes, there's crime in Chicago. And, yes, it's a serious problem.   But, of course, there's always been crime in Chicago.   There was crime in Chicago in 2000 when the Bears drafted Urlacher. And there was crime in Chicago in 2001, when the city finalized the deal forking over hundreds of millions of dollars to rebuild Soldier Field. Thus helping underwrite Urlacher's salary with taxpayer dollars that would have been better spent fighting crime.   But you rarely heard Republicans talk about crime back then because Mayor Daley was in charge. And Daley was the kind of Democratic mayor Republicans fawned over—almost as much as they fawn over Trump.   You certainly never heard Mike Ditka or Urlacher or any other right-wing Bears criticize Daley about crime. It was like crime in Chicago was one of those unfortunate realities that no one mayor could possibly solve—especially a mayor so generous as to essentially fork over hundreds of millions of dollars to the Bears.   But that's changed. Daley's no longer the mayor. Now crime in Chicago is viewed as something created by State's Attorney Kim Foxx and Mayor Lightfoot. At least, that's how MAGA views it.   I've got my issues with Foxx and Lightfoot—especially Lightfoot. But it's unfair, inaccurate, and ultimately counterproductive to pretend crime in Chicago suddenly emerged under their watch. Not that MAGA's known for being fair, accurate, or productive.   As I said, Urlacher was in Vegas when he made those comments—a city that voted for Biden over Trump. Proving once again . . .   You can take the man out of MAGA, but you can't take the MAGA out of the man. Listen to The Ben Joravsky Show  The Two Lives of Sara by Catherine Adel West. Lovely novel about a young Black woman who has to run away from Chicago to Memphis in the early 60s. For a while, she finds solace and support. But then . . . things change.  Kelly Garcia on the Chicago cop who would be mayor  Ben Joravsky on the latest TIF hocus pocus  Manny Ramos on street takeovers in Chicago  Rummana Hussain on Sydney Sweeney and her party  Vinnie Iyer on the NFL 'Palette and Palate,' Shedd Aquarium, and more Things to do in Chicago for Tuesday 9/6/2022 by Micco Caporale and Salem Collo-Julin Warforged's new death-metal opus belongs on a shelf with early Opeth Plus: E. Woods drops a new slice of buttery, soulful pop, and Soso debuts with a ten-track EP of star-making R&B. by J.R. Nelson and Leor Galil Yola has persevered through peaks and valleys to stand for herself by Jamie Ludwig 💞 Forget the apps. Place a FREE Reader matches ad and try your luck at finding love the 90s way 📰   Issue of September 1 - 14, 2022 Vol. 51, No. 24 Download Issue (PDF) View this e-mail as a web page Forward this e-mail to a friend. Want to change how you receive these e-mails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Copyright © 2022 Chicago Reader, All rights reserved.   Our mailing address is: Chicago Reader, 2930 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 102, Chicago, IL 60616