Sam Zell talks about selling naming rights to Wrigley

[Howling Mad]

He considers it an asset and says he would look into selling the naming rights if it was the right investment.

Saw the video of it on Chicago Trib LIVE.



There are some things you just don't do.

[SportsWorld]

[Posey H8er]

There are some things you just don't do.

Bob Dylan wrote:

The Times They Are a-Changin'

[WEFFPIM]

Only if they sell it to Wrigley, other than that, dumb

[SportsWorld]

Meh, the Under Armour sign doesn't bother me at all. It's not like it's in the ivy, it's just on a door.

[SportsWorld]

I hate Jay Mariotti but this was a good article:
Sell Wrigley name? Go to Zell
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/mariotti ... 07.article

I would like to like Sam Zell. Know any other 66-year-old who wears designer jeans, drops obscenities at news conferences, leaves his shirt wide open at the neck and comes off as a cross between Jack Nicholson and Foster Brooks? He's the complete, eccentric antithesis of a nameless, faceless hierarchy -- call it the StantonCookDennisFitzSimonsDonGreneskoCraneKenney blob -- that no longer is running the Tribune Co. and, by extension, the Cubs.

My only question is, can I trust this wildman with the American institution at the corner of Clark and Addison?

On his very first day as the company's new chairman and chief officer, Sam scared the Zell out of me. All I want him to do is sell the Cubs soon, hopefully to a fellow business maverick like the two-decades-younger Mark Cuban, and get out of the way. But already, Zell is trying to lighten the company's $13 billion debt burden, and he was much too quick Thursday to embrace an idea that will make Cubdom collectively hurl its most recent meal.

He wants to sell naming rights to Wrigley Field.

The last line of the article made me laugh:

I just had a wicked thought. If Ronnie Wickers had the money, he'd ante up and change the name to Woo Woo Field. And you know what Zell would do? He'd take the money and run.

[PJ Brown]

The mystique of Wrigley is worth way more than the relative pittance you'll get in naming rights. Sullying the legacy is a bad investment, Sam.

[SportsWorld]

Ryan Theriot (TheriotGhostbusters), Lou Piniella (PiniellaTailOnTheDonkey), Kerry Wood (lumberjacks_kerrywood), and Jason Marquis (grand_marquis) featured in today's Dugout article.
http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/12/ ... ley-field/

[hermes]

if they change the name

everyone will still call it wrigley

[Howling Mad]

As long as you put the money back into the organization then I'm fine with it, but Zell doesn't plan to do that.

Punk.

[Howling Mad]

I hope Cuban buys it, names it Mark Cuban Park for one day, the change it back to Wrigley Field.

That'd be awesome.

[Howling Mad]

More news about Sam Zell...

He plans to sell PSL, which are basically deeded seats at the field. They allow you to "own" the seat so you can buy season tickets.

If you kow PSLs with the Bears you know about this.


So basically Sam Zell wants to drain every possible profit from the Cubs, then he plans to sell the team. Hellooooo, how much do you think its going to sell for? U think these execs that are going to buy it won't know?

Sam Zell you're a doooofus.

He plans to sell...

1) The field to a state run organization, which will rehab it to meet state owned standards, which will make it lose its landmark status.

2) The naming rights which ruins it for the purist

3) PSLs to the seats which drive up prices and is a one time sale for whomever establishes the PSLs.


I just read about PSLs today and thats just a nightmare. Basically anyone who wants season tickets will have to buy the "deed" for someone else, so Sam Zell selling the PSL will make all the money first, then if someone wants to buy season tickets, they'll have to wait till the PSL owner sells the PSLs to someone else.

What a crock of ish.

[Howling Mad]

PSL = Personal Seat License

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_Seat_License

[Howling Mad]

REPOST because I'm pissed and Sam Zell is a money grubbing idiot.

More news about Sam Zell...

He plans to sell PSL, which are basically deeded seats at the field. They allow you to "own" the seat so you can buy season tickets.

If you kow PSLs with the Bears you know about this.


So basically Sam Zell wants to drain every possible profit from the Cubs, then he plans to sell the team. Hellooooo, how much do you think its going to sell for? U think these execs that are going to buy it won't know?

Sam Zell you're a doooofus.

He plans to sell...

1) The field to a state run organization, which will rehab it to meet state owned standards, which will make it lose its landmark status.

2) The naming rights which ruins it for the purist

3) PSLs to the seats which drive up prices and is a one time sale for whomever establishes the PSLs.


I just read about PSLs today and thats just a nightmare. Basically anyone who wants season tickets will have to buy the "deed" for someone else, so Sam Zell selling the PSL will make all the money first, then if someone wants to buy season tickets, they'll have to wait till the PSL owner sells the PSLs to someone else.

What a crock of ish.

[SportsWorld]

Today's Sun Times:

[SportsWorld]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/ ... d=tab1pos2

The possibilities are frightening:

[SportsWorld]

Jim Rome:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra2j1OczX3Y

[Howling Mad]

Now we know why John McDonough left the Cubs.

Pretty much 1 month to the day... Zell publicly spoke about selling the naming rights to Wrigley, among F'ing up other things ...McDonough resigns in late November.

Trib Live was the first to speak of the naming rights fiasco(to my knowledge, and its fitting-Trib compnay=Trib Live), that happened in late December.

Oh, the irony.

John McDonough is the sole man responsible for the Cubtastic atmosphere that is Wrigley Field. He marketed the team, as well as the experience, the field, and the neighborhood. Every condo building owner in Wrigleyville should send a thank you to this guy. I did. When he left, I sent the man a letter thanking him for his contributions to, not only the Cubs, but to the neighborhood. Without him I would've never been able to afford Cub tickets.

[Posey H8er]

I hope this post-McDonough era doesn't ruin the Cubs with ticket prices, fan relations, etc. This Zell character is a piece of ****.

[SportsWorld]

Jim Rome:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra2j1OczX3Y