Midwest
Former Illinois governor slams Pritzker for ‘malpractice’ as Bears look to flee to red state
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Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich argued Gov. JB Pritzker got “outplayed and outflanked” as the Chicago Bears look to leave the state for Indiana.
On Thursday, an Indiana House panel approved legislation to help finance a potential new NFL stadium for the team. The facility could be constructed near Wolf Lake in Hammond, Indiana, just across the state border.
“The Indiana legislature did what it did, and it caught our governor asleep,” Blagojevich said Saturday on “Fox & Friends Weekend.”
A general view inside Soldier Field during the national anthem prior to the game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Chicago Bears in Chicago, Illinois, on Dec. 26, 2024. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
“Governor Pritzker really is guilty of gubernatorial malpractice, and this isn’t the first time a major business is about to leave Illinois,” he added.
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Blagojevich blamed the blue state’s high taxes as a reason the team may be considering the move, noting other major companies like Boeing and Tyson Foods that have already left.
“He [Pritzker] spent $3 billion on illegal immigrants, migrants, and apparently doesn’t have the money or has paid the attention to try to keep the Bears in Illinois,” he said.
Fox News Digital reached out to representatives of Pritzker but did not immediately hear back.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson push back on Trump’s plan to send National Guard and boost ICE enforcement in Chicago on Sept. 2, 2025, in Chicago, Illinois. (Getty Images; Scott Olson)
“He’s been outplayed and outflanked by this Indiana governor because his priorities are all about defending sanctuary for illegal immigrants,” Blagojevich said.
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The Bears released a statement on the development plans, calling them the “most meaningful step forward” in their quest for a new stadium.
Chicago leaders, however, aren’t giving up hope. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said during a news conference that the Bears “belong” in Chicago, adding that the door is open for conversations with the team about remaining in its namesake city.
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“[Pritzker] turned his back on a working-class fan base of the Chicago Bears,” Blagojevich said.
“This would be a disgrace if Pritzker allows the Bears to leave and allows the governor of Indiana to intercept our Bears.”
Chicago Bears helmets before the start of the game against Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on Sept. 28, 2025, in Paradise, Nevada. (Kiyoshi Mio/Imagn Images)
Pritzker told reporters he was “very disappointed” and caught off guard by the Bears’ latest announcement, saying his staff spoke to the franchise for more than three hours on Wednesday.
While Illinois leaders expressed shock at the news, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun revealed the Bears approached his state five months ago after being “rebuffed” by its own government.
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“This is dereliction because they’ve been trying to work with the state, with the city, for three years,” Braun said Saturday on “Fox News Live.”
The Indiana governor confirmed he has no intention of changing the team’s title, noting that “Chicago Bears” remains an “iconic name” regardless of the zip code. He said he’s looking to give the franchise a “better home” in a state where the “dollar goes a lot farther.”
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Iowa
Former Iowa State star Milan Momcilovic withdraws from 2026 NBA Draft
Iowa State basketball’s TJ Otzelberger on Milan Momcilovic departure
Iowa State basketball coach TJ Otzelberger on the conversations leading up to Milan Momcilovic’s departure for the NBA Draft process and portal.
Former Iowa State basketball star Milan Momcilovic is not going to the NBA just yet.
Anticipation was building ahead for fans to see what the former Cyclone would do leading into the May 27 deadline, which gave players one final opportunity to decide whether or not they were continuing with the NBA Draft process or maintaining NCAA eligibility for another season of college basketball.
After plenty of debate among college basketball fans regarding whether he would or wouldn’t continue, Momcilovic officially made his decision, electing to withdraw from the NBA Draft pool and return to college basketball on Wednesday night, according to multiple reports.
He and the rest of the NBA Draft candidates with remaining eligibility had until May 27 at 10:59 p.m. CT to decide whether or not they were committing to the NBA Draft process or return to college.
The 6-foot-8 sharpshooter had simultaneously entered the transfer portal when first declaring for the NBA Draft back in April. He will be a highly sought-after player. According to ESPN’s transfer rankings, he is the No. 1 overall player in the transfer portal. In the mock drafts that Momcilovic was included in, he was mostly projected to be a second-round pick.
He has reported interest from Kentucky, Louisville, St. John’s and Arizona.
Momcilovic is coming off a career-best year as a junior. The All-Big 12 second-team selection led the Cyclones with 16.9 points per game, while shooting 50.6% overall and 48.6% from deep. He led the country in 3-point shooting percentage and total 3-point makes, with 136. That mark is also an Iowa State single-season record, surpassing the previous mark set by Dedric Willoughby’s 102 3-pointers in the 1996-97 season.
He also had the fifth-highest true shooting percentage (69.3%) in the country and an effective field-goal percentage of 67.2%, which was good for 13th in the nation.
“I love Milan, he’s my guy. Obviously, I had a couple-year relationship prior to him even coming to Iowa State,” said Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger at the Cyclone Tailgate Tour opener in Des Moines on May 18. “What you want for everybody in your program is for their dreams to become a reality and obviously, with the season he had and how he’s continued to develop, he put himself in a great position for the draft. Yet, at the same time in the climate and landscape of college athletics, it’s important to keep your options open and leave that available at the end if it isn’t to go your way.
“All the conversations were great, really respect how he went through and made his decisions. I don’t think there’s anybody that’s a loser in this situation, right? We had a great experience with him for three seasons, he’s put himself in a great position to go get drafted. If that’s not able to happen for him, it’s important that he’s able to find a landing spot at college that fits what he’s looking for.”
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
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