After the Bears, here's what else Indiana could take from Illinois
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Indiana clearly has an eye on Illinois.
The big picture: First, we came for its downstate Republican counties.
- Then, it was the Chicago Bears.
What's next? We asked Axios Chicago's Justin Kaufmann that very question — and had a little fun imagining what Indiana could try to swipe next.
Here's what else Indiana could be coming for:
⚾️ The White Sox: We don't have a Major League Baseball team … Chicago has two!
- "If you were going to take one sports team, it might as well be the White Sox," Kaufmann says. "Current ownership has flirted with moving to Nashville, so a move across the border would be better for fans."
- Besides, former broadcaster Hawk Harrelson lives in The Region, so maybe he'd come out of retirement for a better commute.
🤠 Wrigleyville: The Cubs are probably too much to hope for, but Kaufmann says Chicago would be willing to trade the country-bar-laden neighborhood around Wrigley Field for Broad Ripple.
- We think that's the last thing our once-quirky, artsy neighborhood needs. Pass.
- Between the lines: He tried to give us Malort, too. Once again, pass.
🦊 Qi: The Lincoln Park Zoo just acquired a red panda to join their habitat. We think he'd be a lovely addition to the Indianapolis Zoo, where he'd have two new friends in our pack, Randall and Maiya.
- Stealing Qi would definitely cross a line — and Chicago hasn't even met him yet.
🪑 Casey's giant rocking chair: We think it would look pretty good next to the Warm Glow candle store in Centerville.
- Transporting the 56-foot-tall, 46,200-pound chair would be a logistical challenge, but no harder than transporting dozens of counties or an iconic sports franchise.
🎩 Abraham Lincoln: Sure, his political career started in Illinois, but his formative years were spent in Indiana, and we think the state should get more credit than his "boyhood home."
- "Land of Lincoln?" As far as state slogans go, it's not bad.
🗿 Christopher Columbus statues: Kaufmann had another historical figure for us to consider.
- "We have a couple of statues of the Italian explorer rotting away in an undisclosed warehouse. Find 'em and they are yours!"
🍕 Deep dish pizza: We've already started on this one, with multiple locations of Chicago-born Giordano's.
- While it sounds great, Kaufmann warns it could have some unintended consequences.
- "While you would love it at first, you would start to feel the crust, sauce and loads of cheese settling in your stomachs," he said. "It would force you to start talking with 'Dems and Dooos' because your diaphragms couldn't take the extra weight. And you'd all grow mustaches."
- 💭 Our thought bubble: Again, might be #worthit
📬 Your turn: Reply to this email to tell us what else Illinois has that Indiana should set its sights on!