# 2021 NFL QB Carousel Thread aka the NFL Offseason Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** football-nfl\ **Created:** [February 9, 2021, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-nfl-qb-carousel-thread-aka-the-nfl-offseason-thread/932489 "2021-02-09T03:25:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 21
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-nfl-qb-carousel-thread-aka-the-nfl-offseason-thread/932489/401 "2021-06-17T21:53:40Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Also, all the rumors about a Arlington Heights casino sort of dried up when the Rosemont casino opened up a few miles down the Kennedy. And, since 2019, the majority owner of that casino (Rivers) is Churchill Downs, which also owns Arlington Park. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-nfl-qb-carousel-thread-aka-the-nfl-offseason-thread/932489/402 "2021-06-17T21:55:45Z")
I did not know that, but if that land goes up for sale all bets are off. Churchill Downs didn’t want to compete with themselves, but a new owner would have no such reservations. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-nfl-qb-carousel-thread-aka-the-nfl-offseason-thread/932489/403 "2021-06-17T22:01:24Z")
Found this article (paywall warning). > **[Arlington Heights to consider prohibiting Churchill Downs from barring...](https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20210430/arlington-heights-to-consider-prohibiting-churchill-downs-from-barring-gambling-in-track-sale/)** > > Arlington Heights trustees Monday will consider prohibiting Churchill Downs Inc. from placing a restrictive covenant on the Arlington Park land, as part of the municipality's effort to preserve redev... > Arlington Heights trustees Monday will consider prohibiting Churchill Downs Inc. from placing a restrictive covenant on the Arlington Park land, as part of the municipality’s effort to preserve redevelopment options for the massive site – including its continued operation as a horse racing track or adding other forms of gambling there. So clearly the current owners are afraid of a competitor popping up there. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2021, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-nfl-qb-carousel-thread-aka-the-nfl-offseason-thread/932489/404 "2021-06-18T00:15:27Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Edit: Come to think of it, there’s probably already a policy in place since the Raiders moved to Vegas. Not sure what that is but maybe it’s a model the Bears are eying. The NFL has been relaxing their stance on gambling, that’s one of the big reasons why they were okay with a team being in Vegas when for many years they were against it. Case in point… > **[NFL announces tri-exclusive official sports betting partners](https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-announces-tri-exclusive-sports-betting-partners)** > > The National Football League today announced its first-ever U.S. sportsbook partnerships as Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings and FanDuel have reached agreements to become Official Sports Betting Partners of the NFL. And for a little more background… > **[NFL is now betting big on once-taboo gambling industry](https://apnews.com/article/sports-denver-broncos-nfl-football-las-vegas-raiders-3a293d22ccedb1d3373ad57c5c8728cc)** > > DENVER (AP) — It wasn’t that long ago that the NFL nixed Tony Romo’s fantasy football convention at a Nevada casino because of the league’s strict policy against having anything to do with sports betting. So the NFL has gone from doing everything they could to avoid even the appearance of having any sort of support for gambling to announcing an official partnership with people to facilitate betting on sports. They made a complete 180 in a few years. I think the smell of money was just too appetizing for them to pass up. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2021, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-nfl-qb-carousel-thread-aka-the-nfl-offseason-thread/932489/405 "2021-06-18T02:20:16Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Edit: Maybe the Bears are simply buying themselves some leverage for the next lease renegotiation with the Park District. Having some land in the burbs already in the pocket would make any threats to move a lot more believable. Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot had a press conference today, and she said pretty much exactly that – that she thought that the Bears were looking to use it as a negotiating point for changes to Soldier Field. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2021, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-nfl-qb-carousel-thread-aka-the-nfl-offseason-thread/932489/406 "2021-06-21T22:08:08Z")
Raiders DE Carl Nassib comes out as gay. A legitimate NFL player unlike the Michael Sam story from a few years ago. > **[Raiders' Carl Nassib comes out as openly gay - ProFootballTalk](https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/06/21/raiders-carl-nassib-comes-out-as-openly-gay/)** > > Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib came out today, making him the NFL’s only openly gay player.“I just want to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay,” Nassib said in a video he posted on his verified Instagram account. “I’ve been meaning to do this... ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2021, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-nfl-qb-carousel-thread-aka-the-nfl-offseason-thread/932489/407 "2021-06-21T22:28:25Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Raiders DE Carl Nassib comes out as gay. A legitimate NFL player unlike the Michael Sam story from a few years ago. > > [Raiders' Carl Nassib comes out as openly gay - NBC Sports](https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/06/21/raiders-carl-nassib-comes-out-as-openly-gay/) This is great to see. But Michael Sam was a legitimate story, even if he turned out to not be an NFL-caliber player. Even seven years ago, it took a lot more courage for a football player to come out, especially a marginal player for whom it might have hurt his draft prospects. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2021, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-nfl-qb-carousel-thread-aka-the-nfl-offseason-thread/932489/408 "2021-06-22T03:42:33Z")
Not to beat the horse any more, but I read that Churchill Downs put an arbitrarily short deadline out there for bids as a response to the city prohibiting any covenants on the sale. The presumption is that they are doing this so that no potential buyer has the opportunity to do the kinds of negotiations and due diligence required to open any kind of gambling or horse betting business. So, the Bears were sort of forced into putting up a bid if they wanted to retain this location as a future option, even if just for negotiation leverage. Once it’s sold to someone else and developed the Bears lose their only even marginally plausible alternative to the plum downtown location. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2021, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-nfl-qb-carousel-thread-aka-the-nfl-offseason-thread/932489/409 "2021-07-03T22:24:10Z")
We’re deep into the doldrums of the offseason, when there is nothing really going on at all. But I did want to comment on a few things that caught my eye recently. 1. Fuck the NFL for, once again, giving refusing to hold the owners to anything even close to resembling accountability. Dan Snyder, a rich assholes’ rich asshole, and the WFT skate with only a $10 million dollar fine and Snyder will have to walk away from the day to day operations for “several months” (as if) after a decade of toxicity, sexual harassment, and likely legal violations. Bullshit outcome. 2. Josh Gordon has (once again) filed for reinstatement to the NFL. He was last seen playing in the Fan Controlled Football league (which sounds as bizarre and fun as hell). 3. The biggest attention whore franchise in the NFL gets to attention whore a bit more this year as Dallas is, once again, the Hard Knocks team this year. Jerry is ready for his closeup Mr. Deville. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2021, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-nfl-qb-carousel-thread-aka-the-nfl-offseason-thread/932489/410 "2021-07-04T01:47:52Z")
You left out the drama around Zach Wilson and his nutso mother. The Jets will Jets this whole thing up, it’s gonna be hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2021, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-nfl-qb-carousel-thread-aka-the-nfl-offseason-thread/932489/411 "2021-07-04T05:32:12Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > You left out the drama around Zach Wilson and his nutso mother. For some info: > **[Jets' Zach Wilson offered to pay mom to delete Instagram: 'I don’t need your...](https://www.foxnews.com/sports/zach-wilson-mom-delete-instagram)** > > New York Jets’ quarterback Zach Wilson offered to give his mom money to delete her Instagram but Lisa Wilson says she won’t give in to the internet trolls. If you can’t read Fox News here’s another take but with less info: > **[Zach Wilson mom reveals why she won't delete IG after son offered money](https://clutchpoints.com/jets-news-zach-wilsons-mom-reveals-why-she-refuses-to-delete-instagram-after-son-offered-money)** > > Zach Wilson isn't a fan of the attention that his mom receives on the daily. The Jets QB has offered money to delete her Instagram. Here's why she refused. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2021, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-nfl-qb-carousel-thread-aka-the-nfl-offseason-thread/932489/412 "2021-07-04T21:55:18Z")
Wilson seems to be getting along a lot better with his mother than Drew Brees did with _his_ mom. “In an interview with the Associated Press in October 2006, Drew Brees recalled back to his senior season at Purdue. That’s when the relationship with his mother, Mina, who was a lawyer at the time, “crumbled” after he refused to hire her as his agent. He said she later undercut his dealings with other agents and tried to sell a book about him to Sports Illustrated without his knowledge.” “There is definitely history,” Brees said of his relationship with his mom. “I’ve just gotten older, and my eyes have been opened to the lies and manipulation.” "Drew Brees asked his mom that same year to stop using his picture in TV commercials as she was running for the Texas 3rd Court of Appeals. When asked about the situation, Brees said the relationship with his mom was “non-existent.” > **[Drew Brees Was Working on 'Non-Existent' Relationship with Mother at Time of...](https://www.sportscasting.com/drew-brees-was-working-on-non-existent-relationship-with-mother-at-time-of-her-mysterious-death/)** > > Drew Brees has a happy family life today. It's different from the "non-existent" relationship he developed with his mom after he rejected her when she asked to be his agent. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2021, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-nfl-qb-carousel-thread-aka-the-nfl-offseason-thread/932489/413 "2021-07-04T22:12:47Z")
Do we bring up Aaron Rodgers here? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2021, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-nfl-qb-carousel-thread-aka-the-nfl-offseason-thread/932489/414 "2021-07-05T19:22:13Z")
So far 33 posts in this thread have mentioned him so I think we’re allowed to. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2021, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-nfl-qb-carousel-thread-aka-the-nfl-offseason-thread/932489/415 "2021-07-05T21:31:21Z")
After spending the weekend up in Green Bay, and seeing how much development the Packers are doing with the land that they own that’s across the street from Lambeau Field, I have a hypothesis about the Bears and [their bid to buy Arlington International Racecourse](https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-bears-arlington-racecourse-park-soldier-field/10859730/) in Chicago’s northwestern suburbs. As @Omniscient noted, when the news first came out a couple of weeks ago, the Bears have another 12 years left on their lease at Soldier Field, which would not be cheap to break. But, if the Bears purchase Arlington, and announce plans to build a new stadium there, it could easily be five years or more before that new stadium is ready for play; every year that it takes is one less year left on the Soldier Field lease, and it becomes less expensive to buy out. But, beyond that, and where my rambling is going: the Bears undoubtedly see what the Packers are doing at Lambeau, what the Cubs have done with building mixed-use amenities around Wrigley Field, and what Jerry Jones has done in Dallas – those teams have figured out ways to attract fans to come to the stadium area year-round, and spend money at the restaurants, hotels, and attractions which the teams themselves own there. My understanding is that in the NFL, those sorts of income streams are something that teams don’t have to split with the other members of the league (unlike the TV contract and gate revenue from home games), and I know that, in the case of the Packers, it’s become pretty lucrative for them. The Bears currently have none of that – they don’t own Soldier Field, which now has the smallest capacity of any NFL stadium. They make money at Soldier Field from their home games, but otherwise, it’s not their joint, and I suspect that they don’t make any money from the concerts or other events that are held there. The Arlington property is 300-odd acres, which could let the Bears build a stadium, other attractions, hotels, a new practice facility, etc., and turn it into a year-round income generator. And, if they build a stadium with a roof (retractable or not), they could put themselves into the running to host a Super Bowl, as well. Maybe it’s all just a bargaining chip. Maybe they have no interest in leaving the city proper. Maybe they’ll buy it and leave it as a horsetrack. But, it seems like it could well be worth the move for them. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2021, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-nfl-qb-carousel-thread-aka-the-nfl-offseason-thread/932489/416 "2021-07-05T23:38:30Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > The Arlington property is 300-odd acres, which could let the Bears build a stadium, other attractions, hotels, a new practice facility, etc., and turn it into a year-round income generator. And, if they build a stadium with a roof (retractable or not), they could put themselves into the running to host a Super Bowl, as well. That’s still pretty far off the beaten path. I have no idea about Green Bay, having never been. But I live in Wrigleyville and I can definitely understand the appeal of coming here even on a non-game day. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2021, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-nfl-qb-carousel-thread-aka-the-nfl-offseason-thread/932489/417 "2021-07-05T23:51:48Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I have no idea about Green Bay, having never been. When the Packers renovated and expanded Lambeau in 2001-2003, one of the goals of that renovation was to create a space which could be visited by fans 365 days a year; the Packers had regularly been approached by fans and organizations who wanted to hold private events at Lambeau, but the original stadium had no facilities for such events. During that renovation, they built the “Atrium,” which is adjacent to the eastern side of the stadium; it’s an enclosed atrium that contains the Packers Hall of Fame, the Packers Pro Shop (retail store), a bar and restaurant, and a large open area which can be used for meetings, parties, weddings, etc. Over the past few decades, the Packers have also been buying up real estate around the stadium, particularly the properties to the west of Lambeau, across Ridge Road – they tore down most of the small old businesses that were there, and have been building the “Titletown” complex, which currently has a hotel, a brewpub, a restaurant, a health clinic, and a skating rink and sledding hill. They’re now building apartments, townhouses, and an office complex further to the west on that property. And, yeah, Arlington Heights is just over 30 miles from downtown, which, I suppose, does qualify as “off the beaten path,” but the racecouse property is immediately adjacent to a major highway exit (the Northwest Highway exit off of IL 53), and only a couple of miles north of the I-90/I-355 interchange. For fans from the western and northern suburbs, It would likely be _easier_ to get to than Soldier Field is, and could likely have far more parking available. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2021, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-nfl-qb-carousel-thread-aka-the-nfl-offseason-thread/932489/418 "2021-07-06T11:40:40Z")
I thought you lived in the Chicago area @kenobi_65. I think it’s pretty safe to say that the entertainment/leisure dynamics between Chicago and Green Bay don’t have a lot in common. I haven’t been to Jerry World yet, so I’m not sure if that template makes sense here. A massive entertainment complex in Arlington Heights isn’t going to draw anyone out of Chicago for dinner, drinks or shopping. It would be competing with Rosemont, and I’m not sure that experiment counts as a roaring success. Rosemont is in a WAY better location too. Traffic bring what it is in Chicago, that 30 mile trip up the Kennedy might as well be the moon for southsiders and downtown folks. The Bears would lose 60%+ of their season ticket holders. And the public transit options are not viable. There’s a train but few people in the city live in a place where it’s easy to access a station. It would take a couple hours to get there via train if you had to use the L to get to Union Station. Arlington track isn’t actually off the highway. It’s about 5 miles north of 90 and the artery would not be able to handle the crush of game day traffic. Navigating up 53 is both out of the way and makes you deal with the snarl of traffic around Woodfield. Logistically that location is pretty much only advantageous for the adjacent suburbs. Now, maybe they don’t care about the existing fans, but creating a year round destination out that way is a fool’s errand. Schaumburg and the aforementioned Rosemont have been trying to pull that off for decades and it’s never worked. The area already has a lot of suburb style attractions, this wouldn’t stand out. Comparing it to Wrigleyville entirely misses what makes Wrigley special. And to be honest, the Ricketts investments there aren’t exactly booming. There’s a lot of empty square footage and there’s a ton of independent bars that are doing better. Certainly the Bears doing something stupid and anti-fan would be completely on brand. But the McCaskeys are not innovators. Them creating a multifaceted entrainment and hospitality ecosystem would be like a bunch of obese raccoons launching a mission to Mars. There have been a couple rumors about the McCaskeys finally selling the team. If they were doing this to sweeten the sales pitch, that actually could make a little sense. But the new owner would still be facing a lot of headwinds. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2021, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-nfl-qb-carousel-thread-aka-the-nfl-offseason-thread/932489/419 "2021-07-06T13:53:21Z")
I’ve only been to Chicago once, so I can’t say anything intelligent about this idea for the Bears. However, the Patriots’ Gillette Stadium is 30 miles south of Boston and they’ve been doing the same thing as the Packers - creating Patriot Place, a year round destination for shopping, eating, hotels, etc. So, as a concept it can work, even outside of a city center. Of course, the stadium has always been there and wasn’t moved there after having been in the city for decades, so that’s a huge difference. I wonder if the Bears’ owners are thinking they might get as many or more people from outside the city to attend to make up for those they would lose from inside the city? ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2021, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-nfl-qb-carousel-thread-aka-the-nfl-offseason-thread/932489/420 "2021-07-06T14:52:28Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Traffic bring what it is in Chicago, that 30 mile trip up the Kennedy might as well be the moon for southsiders and downtown folks. The Bears would lose 60%+ of their season ticket holders. I mean, you’re acting like no one lives in the suburbs and that everyone who’s a ticket holder lives in the loop. I have to imagine they’ve got pretty good data on where their fans live. Soldier Field is an iconic location and I would hate to see them leave, but on the other hand, I’m currently number 7002 on the season ticket waiting list and it’s faster for me to get to Arlington Heights than to get to Soldier. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-nfl-qb-carousel-thread-aka-the-nfl-offseason-thread/932489.md?page=20) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-nfl-qb-carousel-thread-aka-the-nfl-offseason-thread/932489.md?page=22)