CHICAGO _ The Chicago Bears have axed a perk for season ticket holders that prompted one long-time participant, a Green Bay Packers fan, to sue the football team.
The "Pregame On-Field-Warm-Up Experience" allowed season ticket holders who had enough points to stand on the sidelines, watching the team gets ready for a home game at Soldier Field.
Last year, Bears season ticket holder and die-hard Packers fan Russell Beckman sued the team, alleging that in 2016, Bears officials refused him access to the sidelines before a Bears-Packers game if he wore the Packers' green-and-gold gear.
Beckman filed a lawsuit in federal court in Chicago against the Bears to force the team to allow him access to the field for special pregame experiences wearing his Packers gear, which includes, a Packers' jersey and hat and a neck-full of beads highlighting his substantial beard. Sometimes Beckman switches up his outfit, donning beard dye and a different hat. In previous football seasons, Beckman said he and a companion were allowed to stand on the edge of the playing field to observe the pregame warmups.
During a Jan. 11 hearing on the suit, Bears attorney Paul Greenwalt told the court, "The Bears' organization, as they often do, are changing their marketing mix for next year. And this program is one of the programs that is being eliminated." As a result, he said Beckman's lawsuit is moot, according to a court transcript of the hearing.
Last year, the Bears asked Judge Joan Gottschall to dismiss the case, a motion she denied. Gottschall has now given the Bears until mid-February to file a motion to dismiss the case.
The Bears declined to comment, citing the pending litigation.
