US EditionRays Rookie Jake Mangum Relishes Seeing Father Back at Soldier Field with Former Bears Teammates
Soldier Field's turf suffered significant damage from five consecutive concerts, leading to safety concerns as the Chicago Bears prepare for their NFL season opener.
- Rookie outfielder Jake Mangum joined his father, former Bears player John Mangum Jr., at the Monday night Bears-Vikings alumni game on September 8, 2025, in Chicago.
- Jake’s appearance alongside his 58-year-old father reflects their family’s deep Chicago ties, as his parents lived there for a decade and cherish the city.
- Mangum, who debuted in the majors in March 2025 and had been hitting nearly.300 with 23 stolen bases across 99 games for the Tampa Bay Rays, also appreciated a September schedule that included two Monday off days.
- Jake described arriving at Soldier Field early in the second quarter and witnessing his dad on the field for the first time he can remember, calling the experience "something spiritual."
- This game and Jake’s connections to Chicago highlight his sports legacy, while concerns about Soldier Field's turf condition before the season raise safety issues for the Bears.
22 Articles
22 Articles
Associated Press News
Rays rookie Jake Mangum relishes seeing father back at Soldier Field with former Bears teammates
The September schedule for the Tampa Bay Rays worked out quite nicely for Jake Mangum. The rookie outfielder joined his father, John Mangum Jr., for the Chicago Bears’ game against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night.
Soldier Field’s grass under scrutiny (as usual) as Bears open season vs. Vikings
A national television audience will get a good look at one reason the Bears are working urgently to build and move into a new stadium. Despite the field being re-sodded last month after multiple concerts, crews worked Monday to tamp down and fill in patchy areas so the field will at least look like it’s in good condition at the start of the game between the Bears and Vikings to open the season. A look at the turf of @SoldierField from the @viki…
NFL media calls out bad Soldier Field conditions for Bears-Vikings MNF matchup
Monday’s NFC North matchup between the Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings had several intriguing storylines heading into the game, including J.J. McCarthy’s NFL debut and the first game for Caleb Williams with Ben Johnson as his head coach. But unfortunately, the field conditions at Soldier Field was a talking point in itself for all the wrong reasons. Leading into the 2025 season, Soldier Field had been the host of five different concerts …
Bears' grass in bad shape hours before MNF due to 'unprecedented' scheduling
This is not what you want to see hours before kickoff. The Chicago Bears will welcome the Minnesota Vikings to Soldier Field for the first Monday Night Football game of the year, but there’s just one problem. View Tweet: https://twitter.com/SoldierField?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw The grass surface of Soldier Field looks to be in very poor condition. In a video posted to X by KFAN’s Chris Hawkey, he captured the grounds crew trying to plant sand and see…
Everyone Is Praying For Anyone Playing On Soldier Field Tonight During ‘MNF’ Game Between Vikings-Bears After Sketchy Video Surfaces
Soldier Field workers preparing the playing surface (Photo via @Chris_Hawkey X/Twitter) NFL fans are praying for the Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings after a video surfaced of Soldier Field crew workers preparing the surface for “Monday Night Football.” The first “MNF” game of the 2025 season will see JJ McCarthy and the Vikings take on Caleb Williams’ Bears at Soldier Field in an NFC North battle featuring a pair of 2024 first-round pick…
Soldier Field, Home Of The Chicago Bears, Looks AWFUL Ahead Of Monday Night Football Matchup Against Minnesota Vikings
Soldier Field’s real turf is looking rough, and concern about player safety is ramping up. The NFL season is officially here, and it appears that someone forgot to tell the Chicago Bears that. I’m not making a joke about their play (only time will tell how that goes). I’m instead pointing out something that a producer for the Minnesota Vikings radio network has pointed out in the hours before Monday Night Football. The Bears and the Vikings will…
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