Stymied by the state of the economy and seemingly eternal delays in the nearly two-year-old saga that is the sale of the Chicago Cubs, Tribune Co. owner Sam Zell today directed team management to turn ownership of the ballclub and 95-year-old Wrigley Field over to 12 lucky fans.
Cubs Chairman Crane Kenney announced the promotion, saying, "There will be six games during the 2009 season, one every month (except October, where there are only four games), in which the first 20,000 fans to arrive at Wrigley Field will get a scratch-off card. Two cards at each game will have the "Congratulations, you are a winner!" underneath the scratch-off circle. Those fans will be designated Owner of the Cubs for a month, beginning with May. Having two winners each month will assure us of having an owner year-round; we'll do more scratchoffs during the 2010 season and in the years to follow."
Kenney said that each winning owner would have all the rights that Zell now has -- to be able to hire and fire, sit in a box seat or suite of his or her choice, and would be able to go to owners' meetings in swanky resort towns. The winner would have to provide the means to keep running the team during his or her reign; Kenney stated that the ticket price increases would assist the winning owners in meeting payroll, as well as advertising revenue from WGN radio and TV and the team's 25% stake in Comcast Sports Net, as well as any ticket resale schemes and marketing of anything they can slap an ad on at Wrigley Field.
When asked if this wasn't going to be a little bit like the failed College of Coaches that the Cubs tried in the early 1960's, Kenney bristled. "You don't see the word 'college' in there, do you?" he said. "There's no educational requirement to win this ownership contest."
Players were philosophical, although center fielder Reed Johnson worried that different owners might have different policies on facial hair. Derrek Lee wondered, "Will each new owner be bound by no-trade clauses?" And, Ryan Theriot expressed concern that certain owners might not like certain players and, during their month, would downplay the sale of souvenir jerseys bearing certain names and numbers.
Fans were excited. Patricia Grabowski of downstate Hoopeston said she'd make sure to attend every game where these scratchoffs were a giveaway: "Maybe I can meet Mike Fontenot!", she said. Fans who win the right to be team owner during the baseball off-season will also have the rights to schedule non-baseball events at Wrigley Field; Ryan Balin of Ankeny, Iowa, suggested horse racing, saying, "Didn't Dusty Baker always say he had to have his horses? Now we can!"
Apart from the April 21 game against the Reds (pictured in the sample scratchoff above), the dates for the rest of the giveaways have not yet been announced. The Carlos Zambrano No-Hitter statue giveaway already scheduled for April 21 will go on as planned that date; in addition to the two winners of a month's team ownership, 100 random winners will get to meet former Cubs manager Baker, now in charge of the Reds, after the game and have an item signed by Baker (100 additional winners will get second prize, two autographed Baker baseballs).
In the event of any disputes arising as the result of this promotion, left-handed fans will be given preference.
1 recs | 49 comments
AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH
This will set us back another 100 years.
copes006 - January 22, 2009
Huzzah
well done.
Fukudometer - January 22, 2009
Bravo
Very funny al, thanks for warming up the cold day outside
heine41 - January 22, 2009
I hope this promotion works better than
the Illinois Lottery Blackhawks promotion.
Fukudometer - January 22, 2009
Well, that promo worked well for ONE person, anyway!
Al Yellon - January 22, 2009
I was at the game. But in the wrong seat.
gocubsgo22 - January 22, 2009
And the winner was
Ronnie Woo Woo Wickers
Cubbie-Tim - January 22, 2009
Fortunately, no it wasn't.
Al Yellon - January 22, 2009
he wouldnt have to walk around and yell.
he could barge his way into the press box and to the pa anouncement system! dear god, help us all! lol
LPLancer23 - January 22, 2009
This promotion does not make any sense
What if some of the winners are just casual baseball fans and don’t really understand the concept of running a team? This could have a disastrous effect on the team.
gocubsgo22 - January 22, 2009
Didnt I
Comment about this earlier with Al buying a short ownership for $79.95…….nice job tho
Cubbie-Tim - January 22, 2009
Your comment was the basis for this idea.
So thanks!
Al Yellon - January 22, 2009
and a deleted fanpost
:-(
derv - January 22, 2009
You didn't have to delete it...
Al Yellon - January 22, 2009
Awesome
For a newbie, I guess that means i am not posting complete garbage…….
Cubbie-Tim - January 22, 2009
Is this a joke?
McRipper - January 22, 2009
I'm not telling.
Al Yellon - January 22, 2009
Jokes and Sarcasm
are not allowed on BCB I do believe
Cubbie-Tim - January 22, 2009
per BM
Emelie - January 22, 2009
hee
sue369 - January 22, 2009
Do they mention...
how they determine which winners get which month? Me personally, I’d prefer to own the team during November. I’ve always wanted to be doused in champagne while wearing prescription swimming goggles.
Also, are there provisions in there that prevent an owner from moving the team to Miami for a better stadium deal? It would stink to have the team move away and then have a new owner the next month just move it back. Think about all that wasted money forwarding mail. At minimum that could get the team enough to trade for Jake Peavy.
Also, are there any considerations with regards to visiting team’s fans winning? I would hate to see a Ramirez, Zambrano, Soriano, and Marmol for Glaus and Duncan type deal the month before I take over the team.
Finally, who controls the vending prices? Seeing as how the owner could probably drink for free, my first act as owner would be to lower concession prices by $.50-$1.00 depending on the item.
CubFan81 - January 22, 2009
what about
if Tony LaRussa were to be in town on an off day and won ownership right during a month we happen to play StL a lot? That could lead to a promising month (for the red Birds).
Cubbie-Tim - January 22, 2009
I think Al
in the midst of this economy, is expanding his journalistic endeavors to cover the print media once again. We all miss his “View from the Bleachers” in Vine-Line. Stay tuned to the honor boxes and hobos who can’t read the masthead, ladies and gentlemen. Al is auditioning for The Heckler, my fourth source for Cubs info (with this site, Cubs.com, and Vine Line closely preceding it).
TkGoUWGB - January 22, 2009
I hope
Blanco, DeRosa, Wood and Vitters are all at games and win the ownership rights for one month. They can trade for themselves, promote themselves.
Cubbie-Tim - January 22, 2009
Funny stuff
This is a Trevor Hoffman straight change to the Farnsworth heat of the Blanco thread. If I win, the first thing I do is make a trade for Hank White, who I think could still learn to hit from the left side.
Slakkr - January 22, 2009
Why not
have him lern to hit AND throw lefty so he can also be our lefty out of the pen on days he is not catching.
Cubbie-Tim - January 22, 2009
Satire:
A literary technique in which ideas, customs, behaviors or institutions are ridiculed.
Lunkhead:
Someone who believes that obvious satire is accurate.
Sandberg Icebar - January 22, 2009
I was fooled
for two whole graphs.
Great job!
chilango2 - January 22, 2009
Brilliant.
A “College of Owners” can’t possibly fail.
Maybe they could also try something like a “College of Coaches” or something. I know no one has ever tried it, but it can’t possibly be a bad idea.
CubsWin!Oregon - January 22, 2009
rename it
The Lazy Susan Ownership
Cubbie-Tim - January 22, 2009
E-Trade
Hopefully the baby on the E-Trade commercials can be in attendance for that same. He seems to be doing pretty well for himself. He at least has a clown…
airmidget1 - January 22, 2009
I would like to be the owner during March
so I could have spring training here in Tucson. Make Al stay on the “Moon” for a couple of weeks.
tucsoncubsfan - January 22, 2009
I'll join you for March
Then I could get out of this cold weather. Plus I’d make sure the catcher were treated very well :)
Madison Cub Fan - January 24, 2009
Bravo!
Well done Al. I needed a little laugh at the end of the day. Thanks for providing it.
Let’s hope the Ricketts group buys season tickets! :)
Tangled Up In Blue - January 22, 2009
What about us fans from out of the area?
I want a shot at some ownership. LOL.
100yearitch - January 22, 2009
I am sure
that at leaast one owner would put it up on Ebay
Cubbie-Tim - January 22, 2009
darn
that was gonna be my idea.
good stuff Al.
MOCubsfan - January 22, 2009
there is always
Amazon and Craigslist too
Cubbie-Tim - January 22, 2009
hilarious Al ... the Grabowskis of this world are all proud ..
except during the last coupla seasons from September to December, I’m afraid
cubnational - January 22, 2009
I want a Milton Bradley Bobblehead Day!
cubnational - January 22, 2009
The internet is serious business!!!
Although the MBNA logo makes the scratch off card seem a bit dated….
Jaydee1978 - January 22, 2009
LOL
It is. I used one from 2003.
Al Yellon - January 22, 2009
I hope the guys at NSBB get the joke this time...
as opposed to when Cub Town did something similar. http://cubtown.baseballtoaster.com/
Whitebacon - January 22, 2009
LMAO!
Cubbie-Tim - January 22, 2009
Hoopeston, eh?
northsider - January 22, 2009
Yeah, Hoopeston.
Why?
Al Yellon - January 23, 2009
The White Sox
Started this promotion a few years ago but couldnt find 20,000 fans to give tickets to.
jtsurf - January 22, 2009
Nothing like a heart attack before bed.
Thanks, Al!!!!
Bricks and Ivy - January 22, 2009
Harper Scott proposed a very similar angle several years ago,
about the time he wrote his entertaining science-fiction book, How I Helped the Chicago Cubs (Finally!) Win the World Series, set in the year 2160:
Once on his website, click on the link to get to his Cubs purchase plan:
‘Help Harper Scott Buy the Chicago Cubs’
I posted about this proposal previously on several occasions; however, it did not appear that Harper made much progress – I did not see his name among the potential bidders!
Someday…
GeneticCubsFan - January 25, 2009
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