Replacing Bears President Michael McCaskey with Ted
Phillips has resulted in the team re-establishing "a
dialogue with the city on a new stadium" and forging "a
better relationship with their fans," according to Mark
Potash of the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES. Phillips, on the status of
negotiations for a new stadium: "I think the feeling coming
back from City Hall is that they trust me." Phillips is
optimistic a deal can be reached soon: "I'm still saying by
the end of the year. I don't know if we'll be able to
accomplish that, but I'm still hopeful." Phillips "hasn't
given up" on being in a new stadium by 2002. Phillips, when
asked what the "hangup" is in reaching a final deal: "What
we're trying to do is just a part of an overall lakefront
improvement plan, which has other elements to it. That's
been more time-consuming, and it's taken longer than I
originally anticipated." Phillips added the stadium "will
be owned by a municipal authority, whether it be the city,
the park district or some sports authority." Phillips, on
whether the team will sell naming rights: "We're not far
enough along on that. ... We'll explore it, but at the same
time we want to be sensitive to the fact that Soldier Field
is an institution" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 11/29).
