There's shared frustration -- from fans and from Bears players -- over Friday night's last-minute cancellation to Family Fest.
"It's a joke," linebacker Brian Urlacher said bluntly. "I don't understand why they don't have the field ready. It sucks for the fans because I'm sure it was a pain to get down there with all the traffic and everything."
And for many, it was.
"You have people that came here and traveled with kids, people staying nights," said one fan.
"I'm surprised the players didn't just stay and be introduced," said another. "It's ridiculous."
The annual event was canceled a little more than an hour before the practice was scheduled to begin. Team management blamed the Soldier Field playing surface.
Given the lockout-shortened season, most players said leaving the stadium and heading back to Bourbonnais was the right decision.
"It was unfortunate for them, but we definitely had to get back, had to practice," said safety Chris Harris.
Fans who stuck around the stadium after the cancellation were given full refunds for the event and for parking, as well as free food and non-alcoholic beverages.
