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* Something occurred to me during the Senate Appropriations Committee meeting yesterday. Perri Irmer, who runs the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority said the state would be a good steward for Wrigley Field and pointed out how Tribune Co. had allowed the stadium to fall into ruin.
Considering the state of our roads, schools, budget, etc., I’m not so sure the state would be such a great steward of that park, but she was right about Mother Tribune.
The company has added seats, cut lucrative deals with neighboring businesses, sold out just about every game, but they haven’t bothered to fix the basic infrastructure of their stadium - which is at the very heart of the franchise. No Wrigley, no Cub Mania. Yet the Trib has shamefully allowed the place to become a dangerous dump.
So, now the state is asked to step in and do what Tribune Co. would not. Fix the place up. God only knows how prospective private owners might react when they figure out the place is about to fall down around their ears. You can bet that crossed Sam Zell’s mind as he plotted to sell the team.
Zell himself didn’t allow the park to deteriorate, but nobody forced him to buy the Tribune. And now we’re supposed to be left with this atrocity of a building.
Perfect.
* When the Tribune wanted to put lights at Wrigley it ran editorials threatening politicians who would dare vote against its interests. We can probably expect the same this time around as the deal grows closer, but yesterday’s hearing revealed a whole lot of reluctance and downright hostility to this idea. Here are some quotes from a Daily Herald story..
“It is stunning to me that we are dithering around with this issue, wasting one second of time, talent that we have in the state that we could put anywhere else,” said Sen. Christine Radogno, a Lemont Republican, during hearings at the Capitol. […]
“We have to pay pensions — that’s what we have to do. We have to pay schools — that’s what we have to do and we have to have pay our Medicaid bill,” [Sen. James Meeks] said. “And then to go on and find something that we don’t even have to do, that’s just what alarms me.”
There was more, but you get the idea.
* The Tribune’s story today was entitled “Getting to Wrigley sale may take lots of pitching.” They’re gonna need a whole lot more than that to sell this turkey.
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Apr 2, 08 @ 5:44 am
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I am heartened to see a few in the General Assembly get it.
Rich you made a great point about tribune being a slum ,ord, pulling out all the profit without doing any repairs or upgrades, and then expecting the public to cover the cost of profit syphoning. Zell may not have directly benefited, but you can bet the price he paid included a discount to reflect the Stadiums current status, so I bet he still pulls profit form the stadium if we erase his discounted slae price with public funds.
Comment by Ghost Wednesday, Apr 2, 08 @ 8:27 am
Wrigley is a dump, and needs to be torn down and rebuilt. Just preserve the outfield; vines, scoreboard, etc. It’s the worst stadium in the big leagues, with more bad seats and bad sightlines. On opening day the men’s bathrooms were overcrowded and many people left the park because they couldn’t even get into them! Tear it down!
Comment by Legal Eagle Wednesday, Apr 2, 08 @ 9:01 am
I see no reason why we should enrich the pockets of the transition experts involved in the issuance of Bonds to finance the purchase of Sam, the real estate expert, Zell.
There millions in meat a’cooking which would go to politically connected unsderwriters and people like Jim Thompson who would act as legal shepherd.
Let’s see, by the way, if Jimbo would offer to do the deal pro bono as he and his firm did for Georgie Porgy.
In fact, in view of civic pride, the Chicago based underwriters ought to do the same thing. The New York boys should be kept out. I am sure that the powers what be would approve of memorializing their contributions in brick on the outfield walls.
Not bloody likely.
If Wrigley is a marketable entityy, let the private sector do it to itself.
Comment by Truthful James Wednesday, Apr 2, 08 @ 9:01 am
Wrigley Field is a hole in the ground. We the taxpayers shouldn’t be stuck with the bill for fixing the Zellhole.
Comment by jerry 101 Wednesday, Apr 2, 08 @ 9:34 am
The state should not spend one dime on Wrigley. (Nor should state money have been spent on other stadiums…)
Should we be surprised when kids do poorly at school when we tell them with our dollars that sports are more important?
Comment by Pot calling kettle Wednesday, Apr 2, 08 @ 9:38 am
Well said by Meeks and Radogno. Rod has hung one in your wheelhouse, legislators — go yard.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Apr 2, 08 @ 9:42 am
Great point re: Tribune made billions off the Cubs without putting one dime back into the infrastructure of the stadium - they even recycled old batting cage netting to hang from the underside when the cement chunks were falling! G-Rod’s proposal for the State to do what the Tribune was to cheap to do falls right in line with their philosophy - let someone else pay for it!! I love Wrigley and go to 30 plus games a year - in spite of the team not because of it. And I would gladly go to the Cell for a year if renovations were made - but the new owner should be the one who makes that decision (and pays for it). Look at Lambeau - with an atrium Wrigley too could be a year-round money-maker
Comment by doofusguy Wednesday, Apr 2, 08 @ 10:04 am
Looks like the odds are stacked against JT and Zell, and for a myriad of good reasons. Daley’s against it due to the sales tax TIF (how ironic), which means of course Ald. Tunney is against it. Most importantly, the GA hasn’t embraced it. I wonder - if Blago wasn’t involved, would the state legislators be more willing to listen?
Comment by The Doc Wednesday, Apr 2, 08 @ 10:04 am
It’s a “silly silly silly” idea and any state legislator that wants to be reelected should oppose it strongly.
The CUBS are valued at possibly one BILLION dollars and they need government intervention?
Now as to the person who said Wrigley should be torn down I agree. I suggest we paint big “X’s” in the outfield one night and wait for “da mare” to send Frank Kreusi and the bulldozers over.
The Cubs can play on the southside for a year or so while a new stadium is built. Don’t hold your breath though as some CUBS fans would chain themselves to the stadium and lay in front of bulldozers before any demolition began.
Comment by irishpirate Wednesday, Apr 2, 08 @ 12:19 pm
I am encouraged that the legislators are coming out of the box thinking about the taxpayers and their real responsibilities.
Lets hope the pay to play crowd does not prevail.
The future owners of the Cubbies should be allowed the maximum flexibility to develop their new asset as the please with their own money.
Comment by plutocrat03 Wednesday, Apr 2, 08 @ 1:02 pm
Ya know, if the State could set up a Board regarding the running of Wrigley Field, and then Blagojevich would agree to step down as Governor to be the Executive Director of the new Board, it might just be worth the State buying Wrigley.
If Sam Zell were then the Chairman of the Board and he got to yell profanities at Rod all day, that would just be icing on the cake.
Comment by Trafficmatt Wednesday, Apr 2, 08 @ 4:42 pm
Let’s face it, gang. If Ray Long’s story is correct
…The Illinois Sports Facilities Authority made a formal bid to buy Wrigley from Tribune Co. late last month that the company rejected but countered, said Thompson, who expects to come back with another proposal. He compared the give and take to negotiations on a house…
all Sam has to do is accept the offer and Shazam. The Sports Authority has a binding contract to purchase at a specific price. One Wide Elephant on the Authority’s hands as it scrounges around to find a way to pay for it. No doubt Mr. Zell will bind the Cubs into the deal with a lease to cover debt service payments. Bonds are sold and everybody is happy, aren’t we?
The lease will be tricked up with lower payments if TIF money comes into play, thus making the club more valuable (lower expenses increase the sales price.) But that is the future. In the meantime, Bond issue fees pay out all the expenses including a hunka, hunka birning love for the attorneys and the investment bankers go away happy too.
So let the legislature bloviate for awhile, no big deal. Renovate an historical landmark. Not necessary. You won’t sell one more beer or ticket — Going to Wriggly is like going to a tavern without instant replay and it is show time for corporate customers of season ticket holders.
Naming rights come later and can pay for many repairs, just to spruce up the joint.
The train, the train has about left the station
Comment by Truthful James Wednesday, Apr 2, 08 @ 6:49 pm