In Chicago, Liam Ford reports multiple suites that were "vandalized at Soldier Field over the weekend will be cleaned and ready" for tomorrow's Eagles-Bears preseason game. The vandalism occurred "sometime after the Bears Family Fest on Saturday" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 8/7). Police said that one suite had "writing carved into the walls and a pentagon shape painted on the carpet." They added that cabinets and glass "had been broken, and a fire had been started on one suite's carpeting." Police said that a third suite "had minimal damage, but the doors and cabinets had been opened" (SUNTIMES.com, 8/6).
SEEING IS BELIEVING: Browns President Alec Scheiner said the 40x192 videoboard above FirstEnergy Stadium's west end zone is "operational," and as of Monday, the scoreboard on the opposite end of the stadium was "about 70 percent complete." Scheiner said that there is "no doubt the renovations will be finished prior" to the Browns' preseason game against the Rams on Aug. 23 (CRAINSCLEVELAND.com, 8/6).
THE MORE THE MERRIER: Steelers President Art Rooney II said that plans to add nearly 3,000 seats to the open end of Heinz Field are "progressing nicely." He added, "We’re getting through the design process. I think we’re close to having a final design. We started contacting people on the waiting list to make sure we have up-to-date contact information and things like that. Once we have the final number of seats and locations, we can actually start to offer people the actual locations, and they can make a decision on where they want to be" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 8/7).
TRAFFIC JAM: In San Jose, Mark Purdy notes the 49ers have "promised" that transportation to Levi's Stadium "will improve significantly for the first NFL exhibition game" on Aug. 17. They "better be right," as the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority "has its reputation on the line." Purdy: "You simply can't air radio advertisements that urge people to take your trains to the stadium and then be astonished when 8,000-plus people show up to do so." That is what "seemed to occur Saturday" at an MLS match. The good news is that highway traffic "never backed up, before or after the game." Eventually, the "folks in charge will figure it all out" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 8/6).
