NFL intercepts plan for bash at Soldier Field

The Chicago Park District tried to make the Super Bowl a home game for Chicago Bears fans. The NFL, though, blew the whistle on that idea Friday.

The Park District, which owns and operates Soldier Field, inquired whether it could open the stadium for a "nominal fee" as a charity fund-raiser and show the game on its huge video screens.

In a memo, the NFL said policy prohibits "mass out-of-home viewing broadcasts" -- because they could water down television ratings.

Viewers in stadiums -- as well as other "outdoor festivals" -- are "not measured by the rating system," according to the memo from the NFL's legal department.

The NFL has control because it is the copyright holder of football telecasts. It also notes that all of its post-season games are on free over-the-air broadcasts -- an offering made possible because of high TV ratings, the league said.

"We would have loved to share Soldier Field and the Bears game experience with fans who may not have otherwise been able to attend a game," said parks spokeswoman Jessica Maxey-Faulkner.

The Park District pitched the event as a way to "promote the NFL and the city of Chicago while raising money for charity."

The district had been considering opening Soldier Field a few hours ahead of the 5:25 p.m. kickoff to show footage from the 1985 Super Bowl-winning Bears team, she said.

The Soldier Field parking lots will be open with a regular rate of $15 for would-be tailgaters, said Maxey-Faulkner.

aherrmann@suntimes.com