Chicago sports talk radio host Laurence Holmes lambasted the Bears for bringing out a pastor to say a prayer at a press conference announcing the plans for a new stadium in the city.
Wednesday, the Bears revealed their plans for a new multi-billion dollar venue on the Chicago lakefront, just south of Soldier Field.
Included in the press conference was Rev. Dr. Charlie E. Dates, who led a prayer for the plans to be consummated.
“We thank you for all the people who will benefit from the Bears staying in Chicago,” the reverend said in a message to God.
“I don’t know that you played football, but I am asking you to help us — help us to win some games, help us to get a Super Bowl here, help us to play in a Super Bowl, and bring back the 1985 roaring, cheering fans we had for your glory and for our good.”
He was speaking with a twinkle in his eye, and the press conference attendees laughed aloud as the camera from the local Fox affiliate panned to Bears president Kevin Warren and chairman George McCaskey putting their hands together in a prayer motion.
Not everyone thought it was a laughing matter.
Speaking on 670 the Score, Holmes laid into the franchise and the church leader.
“The neighborhood where his church resides is the neighborhood I grew up in. There are plenty of people in that neighborhood and around Chicago that need prayer,” Holmes said.
“You chose to ask for God’s grace for a stadium. You should be ashamed, Pastor, and your congregation should be ashamed, too, that they follow you.
Holmes continued, telling the pastor to “repent” and saying that this was an abdication of the duties of the scripture to bring grace to the “poor and downtrodden.”
“You are using the word of God to try and fleece the flock for billionaires,” Holmes said, referring to the portion of the stadium plans that would be publicly funded.
The Bears paid nearly $200 million to buy land in suburban Arlington Heights last year and demolished a popular horse race track in the process.
Nevertheless, there has been a battle over property taxes in the suburb, and Warren said Wednesday that his “focus” now was to build a new stadium inside Chicago.
The plan was backed by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who also spoke at the press conference.
However, the idea has been met with skepticism from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, so it remains unclear if the new plans will ever actually come to fruition.