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Trib recuses itself, but timing is questionable

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Illinois

* Sometimes, the big guys can surprise you. Take, for instance, today’s Chicago Tribune editorial about the potential sale of Wrigley Field to the state.

I had figured that Mother Tribune would go all medieval on Illinois legislators in order to force them to approve the sale, just like they did with lights at Wrigley Field. Back then, the editorial page labeled recalcitrant aldermen ‘’boneheads'’ and ‘’political bums” for refusing to go along with the program.

Today was different, though. Here’s part of the editorial…

Neither the Cell nor Soldier Field was a matter of magnitude to Tribune Co. and its thousands of employees.

By contrast, the potential public purchase of Wrigley Field is.

In this case, we haven’t found a way to work around the financial implications for ourselves of such a deal, or to divorce ourselves from them. Hence, our recusal.

* Then again, this news broke yesterday…

In an about-face, Tribune Co. CEO Sam Zell said he may end up selling the Cubs and Wrigley Field as a package, despite months of negotiations to split the assets in a bid to maximize his take from the deal.

If a politician had waited and waited until making a decision, then finally made one when it might very well be moot, he’d probably be ridiculed by the Trib. So, I guess the attaboy shouldn’t be all that intense.

Then again, this has to be welcomed news for legislators who worried that the ivory towered paper was going to slam them every day about the sale.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 7:02 am

Comments

Does the recusal mean they don’t cover the story either…too bad they did not have that session of the ed board before the webcam like the endorsement dances….Don’t ya hate when folks ask for consistency
BTW Nice catch by Capt. Fax on tieing insiders to the lottery “lease” after TR’s partner talked about the deal on the JRT Center.
“No Such conversation ever occured”
Sounds like one the T Shirts

Comment by Reddbyrd Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 7:07 am
I wonder how much splitting Wrigley from the Cubs in a sale was from Zell and how much from our governor. Scratching and clawing for anything positive to come from his office, ‘rescuing’ Wrigley would have been a big one (at least in his eyes). As a package the Cubs will sell for at least $750 million—if Bud Selig doesn’t control the market for his buddies.

Comment by Trapped In The Metro East Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 8:29 am
Maybe Zell should hire Paul Lis. I hear he used to be able to sell the Trib editorial board on anything.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Apr 18, 08 @ 10:17 am