Earlier this month, the Cubs put up large boards in the left field bleachers to block views of the Horseshoe Casino ad on the roof of the building across the street on Waveland Ave.
To my surprise yesterday, I opened up my new issue of Vine Line Magazine, which is the Cubs official magazine, and on about eighth or ninth page, what do I see? A full page ad for Horseshoe Casino!
Um. WTF!
I just find it humorous that the Cubs find the ad outside the ballpark to be wrong, but have no problem having an ad for the same place inside their official team magazine.
Are they being hypocritical here? Or are they just trying to get a share of the money for the ad?
7 comments:
I don't think the Cubs have a beef with Horeshoe Casino as they do with the owner of the building across Waveland.
Actually, the Cubs have been upset about the ad since it was put up before last season. They never really had a problem with the Budweiser sign. Baseball is so paranoid about anything related with gambling...oh well.
I still think, though, that this ad blocking is, in fact, the Cubs way of trying to open up negotiations with that building's owners so they can do something more with the site (video board???)
The strategy worked with the rooftop owners.
I would love to see a video board up there.....wonder what it would take to get one?!?!
To get a video board at Wrigley? Well, at this point it will take one of two things.
1. The Ricketts's need for addition revenue...video board can be huge revenue generators for a team.
2. Public support. I would guess that a majority of serious Cub fans would be against a video board at the ballpark.
I would like to think about 3 or 4 years from now, the Ricketts's will have no choice but to seriously consider putting a video board up somewhere.
Too bad they can't make a Jumbotron in the shape of the current scoreboard and stick a mechanical clock on top. Not only would it add revenue, but they could cut one or two employees from the payroll since they wouldn't need all those guys running around inside updating the scores.
Doing much of anything to the center field score board is difficult...first because it is neat and unique as it is and most fans love it...but second because it is protected by the landmark status on the ballpark.
Which is why I wrote "too bad". Certainly someone could design a Jumbotron or similar large display in a frame the exact size and shape of the legendary center field score board. You could easily place a mechanical clock on it, have the flags and anything else.
There are no technical issues standing in the way of such a display. But because of preservationists and fans with misplaced loyalties, the old piece of crap scoreboard has to remain as is.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. I think Wrigley is one of the issues that prevents the Cubs from being winners. I'd love to see the park dissolve to dust.
Oh, did you ever see the "Life After People" espisode that shows Wrigley Field.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/history-channel-imagines-post-apocalyptic-wrig?urn=mlb,160026 .
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