Bears stadium deal delayed as Illinois focuses on budget

With time running out in the legislative session, balancing the state's budget has superseded efforts to reach an agreement that would entice the Bears to remain in Illinois. Talks on a plan to prevent the team from accepting an offer to build a new stadium in Hammond, Indiana have taken a back seat to budget negotiations. milkshakeslot.lat

Absent an eleventh-hour resolution, the Bears will face a critical decision. The question becomes whether Hammond is simply a negotiating tactic to secure a deal in Arlington Heights, or if the team will abandon efforts to stay in Illinois and cross the border to Indiana, following a pattern seen with other NFL teams relocating in recent years.