The greatest rivalry in the NFL — and perhaps in all of sports — is between the Chicago Bears and my beloved Green Bay Packers.

That's why the possibility of the Bears leaving Chicago feels wrong. Not because I suddenly feel sorry for Bears fans. Trust me, I don't. Yet some teams belong where they started. The Packers belong in Green Bay. The Bears belong in Illinois, not Indiana.

For more than a century, the Bears have represented the Windy City. They have played football in Chicago since 1921 and at Soldier Field for more than five decades. Now that relationship could be coming to an end.

The Bears' board of directors voted June 4 to advance a stadium development project in Hammond. While the exact location has not been determined, the move signals that the franchise is seriously considering leaving the city it has called home for generations.

As a sports fan, I don't want to see the Bears leave Chicago. Just like I wouldn't want to see the Packers leave Green Bay.

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But I also understand why taxpayers are reluctant to hand over billions of dollars to build a new stadium.

The Bears are hardly the first professional sports franchise to threaten a move when public officials refuse to subsidize a new home. Across the country, team owners routinely argue that taxpayers should help finance stadiums and arenas that will ultimately increase the value of privately owned franchises.

That's where I have a problem. If billionaire owners believe a new stadium will generate billions in future revenue, they should be willing to invest more of their own money to build it.

Sports bring us together at a fraught time in our history

When a team uproots and leaves a city, it creates a void that is nearly impossible to replace. That's because sports are one of the few things that still bring people together.

For a few hours, the problems in your life don't seem quite as heavy. Hit a pothole, need $500 worth of car repairs? At least Khris Middleton just hit a game-winning shot. Didn't get the raise you were hoping for? Well, the Packers just beat the Bears and moved two games ahead in the standings.

It may sound silly to people who aren't sports fans, but losing a hometown team can feel a lot like a divorce. The team you've rooted for your entire life suddenly belongs to someone else.

That's one reason lawmakers have introduced the Home Team Act, legislation that would make it more difficult for professional sports franchises to relocate.

The proposal, introduced by U.S. Rep. Greg Casar and Sen. Bernie Sanders, would give local communities the right of first refusal by requiring owners to offer a team to local buyers before moving it elsewhere.

Supporters argue that when a team leaves, communities lose far more than a logo and a stadium. They lose jobs, economic activity, civic pride, and a piece of their identity.

And whether you agree with the bill or not, they have a point. Sports consume an enormous amount of our time, money, and energy because they become part of who we are.

Leave the Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears rivalry alone

For selfish reasons, I don't want the Bears to move to Indiana. It would change the most storied rivalry of my lifetime.

The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers have faced each other more than 200 times since the rivalry began in 1921. Along the way, there have been memorable moments, heartbreaking losses, legendary players, and more than a few cheap shots.

Remember when Packers defensive lineman Charles Martin body-slammed Bears quarterback Jim McMahon long after the whistle in 1986?

Remember Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers reminding Bears fans that they "owned" Chicago?

That's what rivalries are built on, but what I love most about Packers-Bears isn't what happens on the field. It's the culture; the good-natured trash talk between neighbors; the tailgates, family arguments, and friendships that somehow survive despite one person wearing green and gold while the other wears navy and orange.

Some of us (a good friend) even married Bears fans. Lord knows I don't understand why. My fear is that if the Bears leave Chicago, something important gets lost. Even if they keep the name Chicago Bears, a team playing in Indiana just feels wrong.

You know what else feels wrong? The Bears playing in a new domed stadium. The Packers and Bears are old-school franchises with old-school fans. They're supposed to play in snow, freezing temperatures, rain, and whatever else Mother Nature decides to throw at them.

That's part of the identity. That's part of the rivalry.

And if the Bears leave that behind, they leave part of themselves behind, too.

So, for the sake of football tradition, for the sake of one of the greatest rivalries in sports, and for the sake of giving Packers fans someone to pick on every fall, I hope the Bears stay right where they belong: in Chicago.

Because if they move, the Packers may have to find a new team to own.

Hello, Detroit.

Reach James E. Causey at jcausey@jrn.com; follow him on X @jecausey.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Moving the Bears to Indiana would destroy NFL's best rivalry | Opinion

The greatest rivalry in the NFL — and perhaps in all of sports — is between the Chicago Bears and my beloved Green Bay Packers.

That's why the possibility of the Bears leaving Chicago feels wrong. Not because I suddenly feel sorry for Bears fans. Trust me, I don't. Yet some teams belong where they started. The Packers belong in Green Bay. The Bears belong in Illinois, not Indiana.

For more than a century, the Bears have represented the Windy City. They have played football in Chicago since 1921 and at Soldier Field for more than five decades. Now that relationship could be coming to an end.

The Bears' board of directors voted June 4 to advance a stadium development project in Hammond. While the exact location has not been determined, the move signals that the franchise is seriously considering leaving the city it has called home for generations.

As a sports fan, I don't want to see the Bears leave Chicago. Just like I wouldn't want to see the Packers leave Green Bay.

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But I also understand why taxpayers are reluctant to hand over billions of dollars to build a new stadium.

The Bears are hardly the first professional sports franchise to threaten a move when public officials refuse to subsidize a new home. Across the country, team owners routinely argue that taxpayers should help finance stadiums and arenas that will ultimately increase the value of privately owned franchises.

That's where I have a problem. If billionaire owners believe a new stadium will generate billions in future revenue, they should be willing to invest more of their own money to build it.

Sports bring us together at a fraught time in our history

When a team uproots and leaves a city, it creates a void that is nearly impossible to replace. That's because sports are one of the few things that still bring people together.

For a few hours, the problems in your life don't seem quite as heavy. Hit a pothole, need $500 worth of car repairs? At least Khris Middleton just hit a game-winning shot. Didn't get the raise you were hoping for? Well, the Packers just beat the Bears and moved two games ahead in the standings.

It may sound silly to people who aren't sports fans, but losing a hometown team can feel a lot like a divorce. The team you've rooted for your entire life suddenly belongs to someone else.

That's one reason lawmakers have introduced the Home Team Act, legislation that would make it more difficult for professional sports franchises to relocate.

The proposal, introduced by U.S. Rep. Greg Casar and Sen. Bernie Sanders, would give local communities the right of first refusal by requiring owners to offer a team to local buyers before moving it elsewhere.

Supporters argue that when a team leaves, communities lose far more than a logo and a stadium. They lose jobs, economic activity, civic pride, and a piece of their identity.

And whether you agree with the bill or not, they have a point. Sports consume an enormous amount of our time, money, and energy because they become part of who we are.

Leave the Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears rivalry alone

For selfish reasons, I don't want the Bears to move to Indiana. It would change the most storied rivalry of my lifetime.

The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers have faced each other more than 200 times since the rivalry began in 1921. Along the way, there have been memorable moments, heartbreaking losses, legendary players, and more than a few cheap shots.

Remember when Packers defensive lineman Charles Martin body-slammed Bears quarterback Jim McMahon long after the whistle in 1986?

Remember Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers reminding Bears fans that they "owned" Chicago?

That's what rivalries are built on, but what I love most about Packers-Bears isn't what happens on the field. It's the culture; the good-natured trash talk between neighbors; the tailgates, family arguments, and friendships that somehow survive despite one person wearing green and gold while the other wears navy and orange.

Some of us (a good friend) even married Bears fans. Lord knows I don't understand why. My fear is that if the Bears leave Chicago, something important gets lost. Even if they keep the name Chicago Bears, a team playing in Indiana just feels wrong.

You know what else feels wrong? The Bears playing in a new domed stadium. The Packers and Bears are old-school franchises with old-school fans. They're supposed to play in snow, freezing temperatures, rain, and whatever else Mother Nature decides to throw at them.

That's part of the identity. That's part of the rivalry.

And if the Bears leave that behind, they leave part of themselves behind, too.

So, for the sake of football tradition, for the sake of one of the greatest rivalries in sports, and for the sake of giving Packers fans someone to pick on every fall, I hope the Bears stay right where they belong: in Chicago.

Because if they move, the Packers may have to find a new team to own.

Hello, Detroit.

Reach James E. Causey at jcausey@jrn.com; follow him on X @jecausey.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Moving the Bears to Indiana would destroy NFL's best rivalry | Opinion

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