Daily Herald opinion: A cry for attention?: Press conference’s main message was that Illinois leaders had better wake up

One can be forgiven for wondering just what exactly was the point of the Thursday press conference in which Bears President/CEO Kevin Warren and Chairman George McCaskey announced something that already had been delivered weeks ago with significant fanfare - that the franchise is focusing on Hammond, Indiana, in its search for a new stadium development location.

They did have an update on that search, notably that the team has determined one of two sites to be viable while due diligence studies of the second remain under way. But beyond that, their dominant message seemed to be that they have had, in their words, “minimal” interaction with Illinois government leaders regarding legislative options to keep them in the state.

That was not the stated theme of the press conference, but it is a message worth scheduling the event to deliver. It may have been the executives’ chief purpose. It certainly is the main point Gov. JB Pritzker and House and Senate leaders should be hearing.

There is in the statement a clear sense of frustration on the part of the Bears. The team’s protestations to the contrary notwithstanding, it is hard to believe they truly want to select a location far from their fan base over options, including Arlington Heights, right in the heart of it. In that context, the press conference can be seen as a cry for attention.

Consider Warren’s comparison between Illinois’ cold shoulder and Indiana’s compliant eagerness:

“The representatives from the state of Indiana, all the way from the governor’s office to representatives of northwest Indiana, have been phenomenal partners,” he said. “They’ve been stellar to work with, very professional.”

In contrast, the response from Pritzker was that the ball is practically all in the Bears’ court.

Noting the very different bills passed in the House and the Senate during the regular General Assembly session, Pritzker said “the Bears themselves have to figure out which ones of the parts of those bills they want in a final bill and, of course, to gather support from the legislature.”

It doesn’t sound like the franchise is in any big rush to do any of that, nor that Illinois government leaders are working very hard to persuade them to.

That latter point is the heart of the issue for Illinois government, and it’s a point whose significance none of the key leaders seems to grasp. Yes, there are political points to be made and a substantial public interest to satisfy by standing up to a wealthy business seeking public resources to help with its development goals. But there is also a political cost and signficant public interest risk in losing another high-profile economic driver to a neighboring state.

Losing the Bears to Indiana would surely become a signature example of the unfriendly business climate that dogs Illinois’ reputation, and the loss of revenue and influence will be a material impact to the state, not just a political embarrassment.

So, while there was not in fact much real news to be taken from Thursday’s Halas Hall press conference, there were important messages, both subtle and unmistakable, with the loudest being that Illinois leaders had better start paying attention.