Thought The PR Nightmares Were Done? Take a Look at Chicago

Just as things started to get back to normal and fans put aside their displeasure and sour feelings about the lockout, the Bears canceled a much-anticipated “Family Night” event. Granted, I saw about 20 pictures of the dreaded Soldier Field turf that left you shaking your head and wondering how things had gone so wrong. It looked like a giant puzzle of a Phineas and Ferb-like scale the way the seams were splitting.

The explanation is simple, “We miscalculated.” OK, for the purposes of a family night practice, it’s easy to cancel things and chalk it up as a minor error. But this isn’t the first, second, third, 900th time that we’ve heard about the woeful field conditions at Soldier Field. At some point, somebody needs to step up and just get this thing right once and for all.

Bring in the brain trust of baseball field trustees (I can hear the cries for “The SodFather,” Roger Bossard, as I type this) and figure it out. I know that the October-January run in Chicago weather-wise is brutal. Trust me, I lived through my share of those. You have to figure this out.

Family Night Canceled in Chicago

The Bears canceled the big night, sending the huge crowd home without autographs, player meet-and-greets and a practice. Rather, they got their ticket price refunded, the parking paid for and saw some fireworks.

There’s a PR miss here. I understand that practices are a precious commodity in this lockout-shortened preseason. I’m not suggesting that players didn’t need to get on the bus and head back to Bourbonnais for a workout. That’s a must. And, you’re not going to risk a player’s health in this instance.

I’m just thinking that a few tickets could have been doled out or some pre-autographed merchandise. Bust out the paint pens and sign a few mini-helmets. Here’s a ticket for the preseason game against Buffalo next week.

Instead, fans leave with a sour taste in their mouths. So, it’s time to get back to the Al Davis mantra, “Just win, baby.”