We've heard Tom Ricketts stomp
his feet & tell everyone to get out of his way. Ald. Tunney has
given the familiar refrain about parking & security, (surprised he didn't
throw in "better schools" for good measure). We've heard (too
much) from the rooftop owners. Springfield - still sour about the New
Comiskey fiasco – won’t even look in this direction. M-Rahm just wants
this mess to go away. Crane Kenney continues to embarrass himself &
insult our intelligence by insisting this is a "historic
restoration." And we've read management-approved, canned quotes from
players about "bringing Wrigley into the modern era." But in all that noise, why haven’t we heard a
word from the fans?
Ricketts has done one thing successfully
- creating the most apathetic, uninvolved & undemanding fan base possible.
Over the past few years, the third-generation die-hards have quietly been
turning in their season tickets. The knowledgeable, fun, loud, (and
sometimes offensive,) regulars that used to pack the park & make game day
such a raucously enjoyable experience have disappeared. In their place,
we've found a ballpark full of expense account-toting managers in their
striped button-downs, teenage girls posting self-portraits on Facebook, and a few drunken college bros
who are confused by the ramp system. And let's not forget the
legions of first-timers still traveling to Wrigley from out-of-state, a bit
thrown-off by the lethargic atmosphere they encounter. But don't
worry about them - they'll stop coming soon, too.
At what point did we just stop
caring? At what point did us fans decide that it didn't matter anymore,
that we would just let the billionaire's son turn our neighborhood park into
his personal ATM machine? Following Tom
Ricketts' proposal to turn Wrigley Field into a flashing, baseball-themed
amusement park, the most common response from Cubs fans has been simply one of
resignation. Just a few years ago such short-sighted, insensitive
additions to Wrigley would've been met with arms linked & Clubs raised.
The ubiquitous "No Lights!" signs of the 1980s would've reappeared
across the neighborhood. Tribune editorialists
would've elbowed each other out of the way over who could be the most
outraged. Fans in modern ballparks like Milwaukee would've
snickered into their beer cups saying "wait, you want
to be more like us?" But now, Cub fans just don't
have the energy to fight back. "It could be worse," we say, moving
on to other concerns. Ricketts has trained us into having no expectations
for our team, and an even lower standard for its owners.
Tom Ricketts loves to repeat his
line that he "just wants to be able to run his business like a
business," because he "bought a private business, not a museum."
Spare us the lies. When you purchased a community institution like
the Chicago Cubs, you were never naïve enough to think you
were buying an Al's Beef franchise. The Cubs have thrived for so many
generations because of the passionate support of their fans. Professional
sports is a give-and-take relationship - Ricketts can't expect to get whatever
he wants without repercussions, simply because he bangs his spoon on the table
loud enough. Does Wrigley need a bit of a face-lift? Definitely.
But the proposed alterations to Wrigley go beyond what is necessary
or even tolerable. They cover up the very exact atmosphere & charm
that the Cubs spend so much time promoting. The renovations gut the very
soul of a stadium that has survived so long because of its
character, not in spite of it.
Wrigley Field is an incredible
asset for the future, not some impediment from the past. For an
organization with such a unique home, we sure haven't heard much in the way of
independent thinking. Everything from the Front Office is about imitating
other stadiums, rather than enhancing the one-of-a-kind ballpark we already
have. When it comes to putting fans (& dollar signs) in the seats,
Wrigley gives the Cubs a natural competitive advantage over every stadium in
America that other teams would kill for. Despite all the talk of a need
for a jumbotron & "modern amenities" to keep up with other
stadiums, fans travel across the country to Wrigley precisely because it doesn't include
all these modern additions. For nearly a century now Wrigley has
(successfully) operated on the radical premise that fans might come out to a game
on a nice afternoon to actually watch baseball, without the contrived
distractions & cheap side shows.
The most reliable formula for
increasing revenue is quite simple - put a winning product on the field.
Hiring Theo was a step in the right direction - now let him start building
a winning lineup. Stop trying to fool us with the notion that Wrigley
needs to produce even more revenue, because more revenue will mean more wins.
Remember 2010? Our $146 million payroll (3rd highest,) earned us a
whopping 75 wins, good for 5th place. Story wasn't much different the
year before, or the year after. Dollar signs don't equal wins, Tom.
If Ricketts wants to keep shouting
unimaginative threats of moving the team to Rosemont or Schaumburg, let him.
Run off to Memphis for all we care. He’s spitting in the face of
the dedicated fans who have kept this hapless team afloat for years, and not
for the first time. There's a healthy fan base right here on the North
Side - pockets stuffed with ticket & beer money - just waiting for an
organization worth caring about again. Waiting for an owner who realizes
that in the long run a good shortstop is far more valuable than a
"branding opportunity," (or 41,000 square feet of them).
Hopefully Ricketts will remember
those younger days in the bleachers he loves to tell us stories about. Hopefully he’ll recognize what an
irreplaceable ballpark he has, before there's nothing left of it.
