Calling The Bears' Bluff: Two-Thirds Of Chicago Fans Welcome The Move?

A recent poll from Daily Herald out of Arlington Heights, Ill., revealed that two-thirds of fans no longer want the Bears in Chicago. They want them in Arlington Heights.

Christopher Placek of the Daily Herald reported that the poll, conducted by Inverness-based political consulting firm Cor Strategies from June 17 to 21, "showed half of respondents 'strongly' support the move, 16% 'somewhat' support it, 7% 'somewhat' oppose it, 15% 'strongly' oppose it, and 11% are unsure."

Wait a minute. Half of those polled don't want the Chicago Bears to play in Chicago?

All of this came about after Bears president and CEO Ted Phillips released a statement saying that the team has placed a bid to purchase the Arlington International Racecourse as it looks into "every possible option."

This naturally resulted in fans dreaming of Arlington Heights as the Bears' new home.

"The poll found suburbanites in particular back the move: 77% in suburban Cook County 'strongly' or "somewhat" support it, as do 70% in DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties," Placek wrote.

In the event that weren't enough, even Chicagoans themselves favor the idea of the Bears leaving town. Per the poll, 44% of those living in the city want the Bears to play elsewhere.

And truth is, the Bears could probably use a new stadium. It's been nearly 100 years since Soldier Field broke ground (August 1922), and the Bears moved from Wrigley Field and began calling Soldier Field home in 1959. It had previously been the home stadium of the old Chicago Cardinals.

"These numbers tell us this should be more than just a negotiating tactic with the city," Collin Corbett, founder of Cor Strategies, told the Daily Herald. "The Bears should strongly consider moving to Arlington Heights."

From the sounds of things, Bears fans agree.