Watch parties planned in Chicago area, NW Indiana for Bears-Packers playoff game

6 days ago 2

Much of the Chicago area will come to a stop on Saturday night when the Bears-Packers playoff game kicks off, and that includes a couple of towns hung to become the future home of the Bears.

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Hammond, Indiana's Sportsplex is one of the largest athletic facilities of its kind in the Chicago area. The bar here will play home for one of the biggest watch parties for Bears fans Saturday night.

"The Bears dominate Northwest Indiana," Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott said. "This is a Bears town, a Bears region. I'm excited about the playoffs, just like many of my neighbors."

Hammond's Byway brewing company is even offering free wings to Bears fans if Coach Ben Johnson mentions Indiana Bears fans in his postgame speech to the team.

"Northwest Indiana bears fans are as dedicated and die hard as any Illinois fan," said Phil Taillon with the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority. "We have been rooting for the Bears since we were born."

And many are also rooting for the Bears to build their new stadium in town. They say the Northwest Indiana city of 80,000 just over the state line has a number of areas including near Wolf Lake that would make an ideal location for a new Bears stadium.

"We'd be very excited to have the Bears in the city," Sportsplex general manager Kym Roberts said. "It would be tremendous."

The Bears have expanded their search for a new home to Northwest Indiana since Illinois lawmakers have apparently put stadium infrastructure funding on hold. That leaves Arlington Heights, which was the Bears first choice, also on hold. But they will still be watching Saturday and hope to be celebrating after the game.

"The Bears have put together a great team and hopefully our state lawmakers will see that and do what they need to do to keep the Bears here," said Jon Ridler with the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce.

Indiana Bears fans say the Bears stadium decision is still down the road, but the game is this weekend.

"I think everybody's expectations are really high," Hammond Bears fan Tinissa Greenwell said. "We're expecting a great game."

People in Hammond say they are Bears fans win or lose, and whether the Bears build their stadium there or not, they're still hoping to send the Packers home packing for a long off-season.

Meanwhile in Chicago on Tuesday, Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch called the Bears an "iconic" franchise, dismissed the idea of state funding for a new stadium.

The Bears recently said the team is looking at a possible move to Indiana in its quest for a new stadium due to funding issues.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has said private business development shouldn't come at the expense of taxpayers.

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