WBEZ | Wrigley Field

Cubs chairman threatens to move team from Wrigley

Wed, 01 May 2013 08:49:00 -0500

The owner of the Chicago Cubs publicly threatened for the first time Wednesday to move the team out of Wrigley Field if his plans for a big, new video screen are blocked, saying he needs millions of dollars in ad revenue to help bankroll the renovation of the storied ballpark.

"The fact is that if we don't have the ability to generate revenue in our own outfield, we'll have to take a look at moving — no question," Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts told reporters after a speech to Chicago business leaders outlining plans for a $500 million renovation of the 99-year-old stadium.

It was the first time during months of contentious negotiations over the Wrigley Field renovation plans that Ricketts threatened to move the team out of the lively North Side neighborhood of bars and restaurants that adds to the historic park's allure with tourists and baseball fans.

By far the thorniest issue is the plan for a 6,000-square-foot video screen over left field, like those in most ballparks. The difference in Chicago is that the stadium — the second oldest in Major League Baseball behind Fenway Park in Boston — is surrounded by privately owned clubs that have built rooftop bleachers and object to any changes to the park that could block their bird's-eye views.

Because they have a contract in which they share 17 percent of their revenue with the Cubs, the rooftop businesses feel they should have a seat at the bargaining table and legal action is a possibility. They have been left out of the talks.

Ricketts presented an architectural rendering of the video screen during his speech to the City Club of Chicago and insisted it would have minimal if any impact on the views. He said without such signage, the team was losing out on $20 million a year in ad revenue — essential for helping fund extensive renovations without dipping into taxpayer funds.

"All we really need is to be able to run our business like a business and not a museum," Ricketts told the audience.

One of the rooftop owners, Beth Murphy, sat in on the speech and told reporters afterward that it was the first time she'd seen any drawings of the screen and that she and other owners would have a lot of vetting to do before determining if the proposal works.

"It looked big to me and it looked like it blocked out the neighborhood," she said.

The rooftop owners have previously threatened legal action, and Murphy said she was confident their contract would hold up and protect their businesses.

Ricketts said the team formally filed its renovation proposal with the city of Chicago on Wednesday. The plan must get approval from city planners and the City Council. There will also be public hearings on the plan.

Is found headless goat related to Wrigley?

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 09:32:00 -0500

Authorities are investigating whether the body of a decapitated goat found at a golf course has anything to do with the goat head delivered last week to Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs.

Cook County Forest Preserve Police contacted Chicago Police about the strange find Monday.

The headless white goat was found at the base of a tree at Indian Boundary Golf Course. The body of a plucked, disfigured chicken was found nearby.

Indian Boundary Assistant Manager Dan Stein says a golfer reported finding the goat's body. The golfer said he thought he'd found the goat from Wrigley.

A goat's severed head was found outside Wrigley Field last week, leading to speculation it was meant as a reference to the alleged "goat curse" placed on the Cubs in 1945.

With no rules of the road, Chicago’s pedicabs thrive

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 08:25:00 -0500

As winter slowly melts into spring, you'll see them around Chicago with greater frequency. Hanging around after Bulls games and theater performances, armed with heated blankets and bicycle bells. More than a few showed up outside Wrigley Field at the Cubs home opener on Monday. With warm weather on the way, not to mention baseball games and endless music festivals, Chicago’s pedicabs are ready to take over the streets again.

The giant tricycles with room for two in the back, have become a fixture in Chicago over the last few summers. It’s not just the flat terrain and lazy tourists. Unlike other major metropolises, Chicago has yet to pass any ordinance regulating pedicabs. That means there are no rules on the books about where they can go, what they can charge, or how to make them safe.

Those non-existent rules are a mixed bag according to the pedicabbers themselves. Some worry it could lead to lax safety standards and inconsistent fare pricing, which only hurts their reputation. Yet that same freedom from regulation, others argue, is why the industry is doing so well in Chicago.

To learn what this means for pedicabs and passengers alike, I decided to go for a ride. Darren Hilton, who has been a bike messenger and pedicab driver for fifteen years, picked me up one recent afternoon in his yellow pedicab at Navy Pier. Except, he couldn’t actually pick me up on the pier where WBEZ is located. Apparently, pedicabs aren’t allowed there according to the Chicago Parks District. It’s one of the few hard and fast rules for pedicabs in Chicago.

Darren, who has long dreads, and wore a black silk shirt with a red dragon on the back, knows those rules (or lack thereof) better than most. He also has a keen appreciation for his pedicabs’ origins.

“I like rickshaw, because of the ethnic connotation,” Darren told me, “Rickshaw is Japanese from jinrikisha which means human power. So a ballpoint pen is a jinrikisha. A hairbrush is a jinrikisha. Human powered.”

My human-powered transportation first headed north toward Water Tower Place and the Magnificent Mile, a typical route for the tourists who make up the majority of the pedicab driver’s customer base. Pedicabs are perfect for short distance trips, like moving party goers from bar to bar. But Darren has hopes that one day, pedicabs will be seen less as a tourist activity and more as a viable industry. But for that to happen, he says, there have to be regulations, especially when it comes to price.

Because there are no rules regulating what pedicab drivers can charge, it’s much easier to gouge prices in Chicago than in other cities. Pedicabbers who live in the city say some out-of-towners come to Chicago for the summer months and charge exorbitant prices and give the industry a bad name. And even well-meaning drivers say their rates can change based on weather, terrain, and the weight of the load - not to mention, how much they like the customer. In New York, pedicabbers charge by the minute. Darren says having regulations in place would help make the industry more reliable, and therefore more vibrant.

Chicago has had two shots at a pedicab ordinance before, neither of which made it through City Council. The biggest point of contention for the pro-pedicab interests was a restriction that would prevent pedicabs from operating in the Loop during rush hour. Some say the cabs contribute to gridlock, but Darren says especially with the help of protected bike lanes, pedicabs actually move faster than cars and can help commuters get to their destination more directly. “It’s all about maneuverability,” he says.

But as we headed south over the Michigan Avenue bridge, where honking cars and speeding busses grew increasingly closer, I asked Darren how he was sure that we were safe.

“It’s not been an industry that’s been as internally regulated as it could have been,” he said, “As a customer, you don’t know the difference between something that looks sound, and something that is.”

Most garages that rent pedicabs require insurance that protects passengers, but it’s not mandated citywide, and the drivers are rarely protected. Darren says he’s only ever heard of one pedicab injury in which a car was involved, and the Chicago Police Department say they don’t keep a record of pedicab related accidents.

The police and pedicabbers primarily interact — and clash — over traffic laws. There are a lot of laws that are hard to enforce for pedicabs, which tends to make for fractious relationships, says Darren. “They just make it up. They’re not bad guys, but there’s no book. That’s the thing. And they’re responsible for their beat. But they can’t enforce something that just doesn’t exist.”

Natalie Moberg is a bike messenger and pedicab driver who loves the freedom of being an independent contractor. During the summer, she and her fellow cab drivers make most of their money picking up Cubs fans after games at Wrigley Field.

“Most officers like us. We get the drunk people out of the stadium area. We get ‘em gone,” says Moberg.

But one day last August, Natalie learned what happens when the rules are left up in the air. She says she was waiting with other pedicabbers outside Wrigley Field, when a police officer drove up and confronted them.

“Officer Healy drives up, he gets out of his vehicle and says we can’t be on the street there, and I say, well, where would you like us to go, and he says, on the sidewalk.”

Natalie says that didn’t make any sense, since not even bicycles are allowed on sidewalks.

“So, he’s starts spouting out how like it’s all listed at the police station and I interrupted him and, I asked wait wait, there’s regulations? There’s no regulations in the city of Chicago.’”

Natalie says that, although she was arrested, the charges were dropped when the officer failed to appear in court. The judge, she added, was confused about whether it was a car or a bike that had been impounded. Natalie is waiting until she gets a drivers license to return to pedicabbing, which is something the garage she leases from wants her to have for insurance purposes.

Despite her run-in with the cops, Natalie isn’t ready to support certain regulations. “I think that would kill the spirit of the industry in Chicago. We’re the Wild West, and overall,” she says, “it seems like more of a headache.”

But Chicago transit experts say, while regulations might be a pain, they’re important to help build a diverse transit system in which people have options for how to get around. Joe Schwietermann, director of the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development at DePaul, says pedicabs are, “part of the explosion of innovation we're seeing in transportation, a lot of creative solutions to get people around.” He says pedicabs are an especially promising solution for traveling short-to-medium distances in dense urban environments.

But Schwietermann also has concerns about over-regulating the budding pedicab industry.

"It’s interesting how when things sound really good in Chicago you put it in the meat grinder of city hall, and something else come out," he says, "and I think that’s the big risk here.”

Schwietermann points to last year’s food truck ordinance as an example. He believes the City Council's regulations for mobile food vendors were too strict and thus hurt the growth of an industry that has flourished in other cities. (Check out WBEZ's coverage of the food truck regulations here.)

As for the pedicabs, City Hall says there are a number of interested parties — pedicab garage owners, motor vehicle cab owners, aldermen, and more — at work on an ordinance, but nobody could say for sure what it might include, or when it will be announced. So for now, pedicabbers like Darren Hilton are making it up as they go along.

"We’re not bad people, we’re young. We’re 5 year-old dictators. Whatever we say goes. We don’t realize the repercussions of our actions," Darren says. But in terms of building a long-term, stable industry with a reputation as fair business operators, he adds, "It always comes back to us, whatever we’ve done."

As we headed back toward Navy Pier from Ogilvie Station, we breezed by cars and taxi cabs stuck in rush hour traffic, most of whom were presumably trying to get onto trains and out of the city. Darren says it's a prime example of a profitable niche that pedicabs could fill.

"All these people you see right here are potential customers, but the cabs are full. You can’t get a cab coming this way. And then if you get in a cab, you’re sitting there," he says. "It’s not the same as being where you want to be. You need maneuverability."

If some of the aldermen who want to restrict Darren's ability to do business in the Loop during rush hour and in other areas of the city succeed, however, that maneuverability is going to be seriously restricted. As we rolled up to Navy Pier, I realized just how big a change that would be for the city's rickshaw cowboys.

"Now this is like halfway legal in a manner of speaking," said Darren, as he tried to sneak me down the pier to the front door of WBEZ. But just as he spoke, a security guard blocked our path and turned us back around with a stern warning: "These carts are not allowed!"

Sooner or later, there will probably be no such thing as ‘halfway legal’ for the pedicabbers of Chicago — only legal and illegal. Whether the industry can thrive, or just survive, remains to be seen.

Wrigley Opening Day

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 19:15:00 -0500

Wrigley Field-Chicago's gem needs some polish

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 15:22:00 -0500

All the chatter surrounding the future of Wrigley Field is almost smothering Opening Day and the ballpark. Let the politicians, the Ricketts family and the neighborhood slug it out and figure the steps of what will happen to this iconic stadium next.

After this year the face lift will begin in earnest. It is needed and will be welcomed by players, managers and the media. There have been some subtle changes as the park nears its 100^th year, but it is still a place where the Cubs and the fans celebrate the game of baseball.

When the Chicago Tribune bought the team thirty years ago from the Wrigley family, they had a huge obstacle to face with their plans for the park. After a long, losing history, the Cubs made the 1984 playoffs, but the lack of lights became a rallying cry by team ownership. Major league baseball penalized the Cubs post season schedule against the San Diego Padres because they couldn't play night games. After the Illinois legislature finally gave the green light to the team, Wrigley Field finally turned on the lights in August, 1988. The first scheduled lit game was supposed to be August 8, 1988, but Mother Nature had her own idea, and rain postponed the game, so the actual first game under the lights was the next night, August 9th.

The uniqueness of this old ballpark is what makes it special to baseball fans, not just Cub fans. Boston’s Fenway Park is the only baseball stadium that shares similar feelings for its field, structure and surroundings. Having been to both venues, the “Friendly Confines” gets the nod from me. But only to watch the game, the amenities need to be replaced and upgraded. The very small locker room for both the home team and visitors is one of the toughest to navigate. A bad rain can cascade into the dugouts and into the Cubs locker room. The media room for interview sessions behind the dugout is very cramped. It was priceless when former Cub Lou Pinella stepped into the room for his first press conference there, he couldn’t believe it was that small. It was just one of many aspects of the old park he discovered would be an adjustment for him and any manager before and after.

Do you ever wonder why the managers are perched by the steps in the dugout? Their vision of the field is limited because of the deepness of the dugout.

The press box and broadcast booths are the smallest in all of the Major Leagues. It is always fun to hear the New York Yankee contingent come to Wrigley Field and complain about the working conditions and their seats. From their broadcasters to the working media, they gripe from the time they get there until the time they leave. Somehow they fault the Cubs staff for the conditions, and they think they can magically fix it.

These are some of the negative issues about Wrigley and there are more, but let’s not dwell on it.

Here are some of the positives, the big manual scoreboard, the green ivy on the brick wall and the closeness to the field. If you are lucky enough to sit in the first row near the bullpens or near the on-deck circle, you can have conversations with the players and the sometimes the manager. It is Gary Pressey playing the organ and the celebrity-led 7^th inning stretch (In my opinion, should be retired).

The bleachers are a special place in the ballpark and probably the most famous, as well as the favorite place for fans. You can rub elbows with regulars that have sat there for decades. Legendary broadcaster Harry Caray would broadcast from there. That area and the people that inhabited those seats were immortalized in the 1977 play, Bleacher Bums. Chicago native actor Joe Mantegna hatched the idea for the play and starred in the original production with another Chicagoan, Dennis Farina.

The Cub teams that have played year in and year out have not had the ultimate success at Wrigley. The last time they played in a World Series was 1945, and they lost, of course, to the Detroit Tigers. The famed 1969 team thrilled the Cub faithful throughout that year, only to fade at the end. Four members of that team made the Hall of Fame - Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins and Ron Santo. There were several other players that enjoyed great careers at Wrigley, most recently, Ryne Sandberg,Andre Dawson and Sammy Sosa come to mind. There hasn't been much of a post season throughout the last few decades, the 2003 season being the closest the team has come recently. Five outs away and the world stood still as a foul ball changed the complexion of that playoff series. Wrigley Field never felt so down.

Even after losing 100 games last season, the park is still a place for baseball fans to congregate. My dear friend, Sue, lives in England, and when she makes her way “over the pond," Wrigley Field is a coveted stop no matter how the team in playing.

Years ago I brought my favorite uncle to a game. I surprised him with a chance to go on the field and have his picture taken by team photographer Steve Green. Wrigley is one of the only places that can make grown people cry. My uncle certainly did that day.

It's Opening Day at Wrigley, with the Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers facing off this afternoon. I'll be there along with thousands of others.

Chicago White Sox and Cubs start strong, Bulls and Blackhawks wind down

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 06:00:00 -0500

Sox starters shine

The first week of the season is peppered with mostly day games because of the time of year. The White Sox opening day was a sell-out and the seats were filled despite the frigid temperatures.

The next two games, both played in the afternoon, had sparse crowds. The Sox won the first two games against Kansas City with solid starting pitching (and the long ball) in that series. Yesterday they dropped the series finale 3-1 to the Royals. Sox starter Gavin Floyd gave up three runs. One was unearned. The offense was pretty much handcuffed by Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie and the bullpen.

Sox starters Chris Sale, Jake Peavy and Floyd had good outings. Tyler Flowers boasted the game winning solo homer in the opener and another home run in game 2. Sox fans will be following Flowers progress since he replaced AJ Pierzynski. The Sox defense was a bit shoddy the past two games. The weather may get the blame for now. Tonight the Southsiders host the Seattle Mariners, the first of three games at U.S. Cellular Field.

Cubs’ cold offense

There were a ton of empty seats in Pittsburgh, where the Cubs had success against the Pirates. They took two out of three, including a 3-2 win in yesterday afternoon’s series finale. Cubs lefty Travis Wood had a nice outing for his first start of the year. Wood shut out the Pirates for six innings and gave up just one hit before turning the game over to the bullpen.

The question was on the back end, as Carlos Marmol almost squandered away a 3-0 lead and was aided by a double play to end the game. Just like the weather, the offense was cold for both teams.

After a weekend series in Atlanta, the Cubs will have their home opener Monday afternoon against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field. The Chicago Sun Times is reporting a deal has been worked out for the rehabbing of the ballpark with the city, team and neighborhood. According to the report, the agreement will be announced on Monday. Nothing is for certain until the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed.

Bulls beat Nets

What can you say about the Bulls? They came back to beat the Nets in Brooklyn 92-90? Carlos Boozer put the depleted Bulls team on his back and scored 29 points and grabbed 18 rebounds. It was an incredible effort considering Taj Gibson re-injured his knee and joins the long list of injured players on this Bulls squad.

Tom Thibodeau’s team had to claw and scratch to dig out of a 16 point deficit and held on to beat a team they may meet in the playoffs. After the win, the Bulls climbed up to the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference. The Nets are in the fourth spot. The standings are still fluid with a handful of games left. Tomorrow the Bulls return to the United Center to play the Orlando Magic.

Blackhawks lose to Blues

Last night at the United Center, the Blackhawks lost in a shoot-out to the St. Louis Blues 4-3. The Hawks did pick up a point and remain on top of the NHL with 58 total points this season.

The Hawks may be concerned with giving up a leads in the third period. They had a 2-1 advantage going into the final period and the Blues were able to score twice against Corey Crawford. With less than five minutes left, Viktor Stalberg tied up the game for the Hawks with his seventh goal of the season. However, in the shoot-out the Blues outscored the Hawks 4-3.

There are only a dozen regular season games left on the schedule the Blackhawks. Thoughts of the playoffs are getting closer and at least Marian Hossa returned from his injury and Patrick Sharp is expected back soon. Next up, an away and home series against Nashville this weekend.

Follow Cheryl on Twitter @CRayeStout and Facebook Cheryl Raye Stout #AtTheGame

Baseball's Opening Day is more than a game

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 06:00:00 -0500

Baseball's Opening Day is a very nostalgic day in sports. Baseball is a sport that you talk about the past almost as much as the present. If you are a White Sox fan, you are excited to see Chris Sale taking the mound this afternoon against the Kansas City Royals at US Cellular. Fans that cheer for the Cubs hope they see a better team on the field as they start on the road in Pittsburgh this year. Many people will take the time today to think about the first time they went to Wrigley Field or Comiskey Park (now US Cellular). Baseball is a sport that embodies memories past and recent; many families make their favorite team a part of their family legacy.

Maybe it was a father, mother, or a grandparent who instilled the love or probably a passion for the game and a team. People get engaged at baseball games. There is someone I know who will be asked today at the Sox game. Weddings have been performed at baseball stadiums. How many times have you heard about a bachelor party starting at either of Chicago's ballparks? U.S. Cellular provided the backdrop for the bachelor party for the movie, My Best Friend’s Wedding, and Cubs owner Tom Rickets met his wife in the Wrigley Field bleachers. People even scatter the cremated remains of their loved ones on the grass of their beloved ballparks. It isn’t an act condoned by teams, but somehow people try, especially when large groups get to march around the park, where Grandma or Grandpa's ashes may be secretly distributed .

Baseball and ballpark experiences have gone through many changes, some have been good and some have you missing the “good ole days” at Cubs and Sox games.

A favorite greeting as you walk into the park is from a vendor yelling, "Get your scorecards" it is the only sport that you buy a scorecard (and a pencil, of course). Sadly, you don't see as many people in the stands scoring at a ball game anymore. It is still done in the press box and the broadcast booth. Now you can go on the internet and have up-to-date scoring information. Years ago, score cards were your proof that you were at a game and if something special happened, such as a no-hitter or 20 K's by Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood, that card would be a treasured keepsake. I know several people who love the game so much they score games from home. Once I was preparing to broadcast a Sunday night sports talk show, and I scored a Sox-Baltimore game where Sox lefty Wilson Alvarez threw a no-hitter.

Baseball is one of the best radio sports that fill the airwaves, it is a sport that can be beautifully depicted by some of the best broadcasters. We know the names; Vince Scully, Ernie Harwell, Vince Lloyd, Bob Elson, John Rooney and Pat Hughes just to name a few. There is nothing better than taking a long drive with a baseball game playing on your car radio. In the past, transistor radios were the instrument of choice to listen to a ballgame, even while sitting in the stands. Now televisions are perched throughout ballparks, and people standing in a concession line can still see the action.

There are no longer scheduled double-headers, Fourth of July, Memorial Day and Labor Day were assured a double-dip of baseball. Who could forget Ernie Banks' famous line, "Let's play two." They still can happen because of a rain-out, but parks are now cleared after the first, so a paying crowd enters for the second.

Players salaries used to be unknown, most players had to work in the off-season since they were not making the millions they are in today's game. Now a player's salary gets as much attention as his stats.

Baseball may not be the same as it was ten, twenty or thirty years ago, but it is still a game of hitting, pitching and defense. For the sake of argument, let’s hope the steroid-era has passed. There is no doubt that modern medicine, with job saving procedures and fitness programs have allowed players to play baseball more fit and recover from injuries better.

Today is one of the best days in sports, in my opinion. It begins when the umpire says, “Play ball.”

Follow Cheryl on Twitter @CRayeStout and Facebook Cheryl Raye Stout #AtTheGame

Cubs may have leverage with the lure to Rosemont-it worked for others

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 06:00:00 -0500

Rosemont Cubbies.

It doesn't roll off the tongue very well.

But it has to be a consideration as Rosemont Mayor Brad Stephens is making a generous offer to the Cubs and its owner, Tom Ricketts, to acquire 25 acres of land.

The team should at the very least feign interest. Because it may bolster ongoing negotiations for Wrigley Field and the rooftop owners.

It is all politics. And all the fans can do is sit back and watch it unfold. It would not be the first time a Chicago team has tried and to some extent succeeded in using the suburbs and other locations to move.

Thirty-eight years ago, Bears owner, George Halas – unhappy with Soldier Field – allegedly had serious talks with Arlington Heights to move the team to the northwest suburbs.

The location near Arlington Park race track was more than appealing. With a train station and Route 53 at the doorstep, it was an idle location. A couple of obstacles killed the effort (high bond rate was one).

There was also the famous rant from Mayor Richard J. Daley, telling Halas the name Chicago would not be allowed for the Bears if they left the city.

It would be curious if the name topic has come up at City Hall about the Cubs. Would Mayor Rahm Emanuel make that same demand on if the Cubs took their bat and ball and move to Rosemont?

Papa Halas would threaten to move to South Bend, Ind., and Evanston before inking a long term leasing deal for Soldier Field.

As the years went by, the team was still not satisfied with their deal or the condition of the stadium. The public didn’t see the huge cracks in the foundation and the other problems of the lake front venue. Picking up with where his grandfather left off, Bears owner President Michael McCaskey had a land option in Roselle and tried again in Arlington Heights.

Other locations included Hoffman Estates, Warrenville and near O’Hare Airport. The zinger by Mayor Richard M. Daley was a good one: “They can go to Alaska.” Not having political allies thwarted those threats for the Bears. The team was rescued by Bears President Ted Phillips after he was able to hammer out a deal with the Chicago political forces that had eluded McCaskey, finally Soldier Field was renovated and reopened in 2003.

The team may well have earned political capital when they back-stepped from seeking city financing for Wrigley renovations.

However, their political fight is with 44th Ward Ald. Tom Tunney — and wrangling with the rooftop owners is now the main event. Tunney suggested on Wednesday to get rid of Wrigley’s scoreboard was one of the lamest ideas to date.

On the South Side of Chicago, the White Sox threat to move to various locations was legendary, Milwaukee, Seattle and Addison. The one location that was minutes from actual coming to fruition was the move to Tampa-St. Petersburg, Florida. Many of us were hunkered down in the press box on June 30, 1988, waiting for the Illinois legislature to vote. The deadline was midnight, at 12:03 a.m., Gov. Jim Thompson strong armed enough votes to keep the Sox in Chicago and get a new stadium.

There is no doubt the man that can come to the rescue for the Cubs is Mayor Rahm Emanuel, he could play the same role as Thompson did for the Sox.

Meanwhile, the Cubs should use the threat of a move to shake the reality of the situation to the city and the Wrigleyville neighborhood. Do the Cubs need the city and the nearly one hundred year old stadium to retain popularity? Or would a move to the ‘burbs with a new stadium near a hub of expressways and public transportation with the opportunity to make millions more dollars in revenue be intoxicating to the Ricketts and the Cubs?

The team’s deadline for a deal is coming soon-Opening Day-April 1^st no fooling.

Follow Cheryl on Twitter @CRayeStout and Facebook Cheryl Raye Stout #AtTheGame http://www.facebook.com/CherylAtTheGame

Illinois' not-so-magnificent miles

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 05:00:00 -0500

'SIMPLY UNACCEPTABLE.' That's the American Society of Civil Engineers president assessing the D-plus his group's awarding Illinois for condition of its infrastructure. The Tribune says the society found 73 percent of Illinois roads in poor or mediocre shape -- at an average annual cost to the typical motorist of $292 in extra vehicle repairs and operating costs.
* So come for a visit -- but just don't drive: Chicago's set to double its tourism and convention bureau budget this year.

'MAYOR STEPHENS WANTS THE CUBS TO KNOW THEY HAVE AN OPTION.' A spokesman for Rosemont elaborates on an offer to give the Ricketts family 25 acres of land to build a replica of Wrigley Field in the 'burbs if things don't work out in Chicago.
* Plan to spend $3 million to expand the Northerly Island concert pavilion up for vote Thursday.

'APOLOGIZE ON AIR FOR SYMPATHIZING WITH THE STEUBENVILLE RAPISTS.' More than 100,000 people have signed an online petition demanding CNN renounce its "disgusting" portrayal of two athletes convicted of raping a woman.
* TV networks aired 16-year-old rape victim's name.
* Blogger who flagged Steubenville case fights criticism she helped create "Internet lynch mob."

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THE STATE OF JOURNALISM. Know the story of the blind men and the elephant? That's the sort of treatment the Pew Research Center’s 2012 News Media Consumption survey is getting. Choose your own adventure:
* "Report: Local news somehow even worse than it was before."
* "News Coverage of Local Politics Is Fading Away."
* "State of the media: The cracks are still widening, but some light is also getting in."
* "As Mobile Grows Rapidly, the Pressures on News Intensify."
* "Nearly one-third of U.S. adults have abandoned a news outlet due to dissatisfaction."
* "This Is the Scariest Statistic About the Newspaper Business Today."
* "Newspaper Newsroom Staff Numbers Are at Lowest Point Since 1978."

... AND SO, CRY 'HYPOCRISY' IF YOU WILL. BUT NOT IF YOU CLICK HERE. The Atlantic: "17,616 Men Went to the ER for Zipper-Related Penis Injuries Between 2002 and 2010."

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Warm up with a roundup on the Chicago Bulls, Bears, Blackhawks and Baseball

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 06:00:00 -0600

Nothing like a firing/hiring, a sports league getting back to work, an MVP preparing to return, off the field news for baseball and a countdown to the pitchers and catchers report. In other words: the cold Chicago winter has plenty of warm sports news.

The sounds of the United Center organ, the loud blaring horn, "Chelsea Dagger" and the always exciting rendition of the National Anthem by Jim Cornelison are back-- with the Blackhawks.

The Hawks have to be relieved and glad to see their fans pumped up about their team. The club made sure they came out of the gate fast to begin this abbreviated NHL season. With only 48 games on the schedule, they have won their first four games, including a 3-2 overtime win over Dallas last night. A huge crowd was present for opener; the next home game is Sunday evening. Hate to say it, but the lockout was kind to Mariam Hossa. The ability to recuperate from his concussion was a plus to the Hawks. He has exploded with five goals, including last night's game winner. It seems the coaching staff is making a concerted effort to manage the minutes of the older players and the ones that have carried the load in recent years like Duncan Keith. You can't get too giddy about this team; the cramming of the games into a few months will take its toll. That is when the pressure will be on Coach Joel Quenneville and General Manager Stan Bowman to deal with personnel decisions. The marketing department is pulling out the stops to ingratiate themselves with the fans. In a short season the team will know if it worked. No doubt, winning will be the determining factor of retaining the enthusiasm.

Bears are not in hibernation. There is a lot of intrigue with a new man on the sidelines and a revamped coaching staff.

It seems every few days the Bears have a new name to add to Marc Trestman’s team-and it’s not players. The new head coach did a quick job of filling his staff and retaining a few. With Trestman’s resume built on offense, the defense has been put into the hands of former Jacksonville defensive coordinator Mel Tucker. He will have a major role with the Bears veteran defensive unit.

This week the new staff and the Bears front office have been in Mobile, Alabama for the Senior Bowl. You can bet all eyes are on the offense linemen that were on display for the NFL. The player that caught most people’s attention was left tackle Eric Fisher from Central Michigan University. The Bears have a big need there and pick twentieth in the April draft.

Seeing Stars in Houston for the NBA All-Star game for two Chicago Bulls

The team is still watching and waiting for their franchise player Derrick Rose to suit up for games. In January, the team is 9-3 and continues to make strides. The team got great news last night, Joakim Noah and Luol Deng were named reserves for the Eastern Conference All-Star team. It is the first for Noah and the second for Deng. Carlos Boozer is having an All-Star caliber year, but he was shut out. Forbes released the worth of the NBA teams. It lists the Bulls value at $800 million, behind the New York Knicks and the LA Lakers. In 1985, Jerry Reinsdorf and his investment group bought the Bulls for $16 million.

A note on a former player/coach, 7' 1" Bill Cartwright. He has taken over the coaching job of the Osaka Evessa team in Japan. The average height of the team...6'4".

Baseball’s spring training is around the corner; both teams kick off the year with their fan conventions.

Last weekend the Cubs had their annual event and the big news that started there has been building steam: Wrigley Field renovations. Cub owner Tom Ricketts unveiled a five year plan costing $300 million. In the past, the club had hoped the city of Chicago would ease some of the burden of the costs for this endeavor. Now, the Cubs are willing to foot the bill with some easing of landmark status and neighborhood issues. They would like to add more signage to the nearly 100-year-old park, close Sheffield Ave. during certain series for entertainment and add more night/late afternoon games. With Mayor Rahm Emmanuel giving a positive response to the proposal, the question is whether the roof-top owners get on board?

While the future of Wrigley is getting hammered out, this summer Pearl Jam will be playing there in July. At least we know there will be something to look forward to mid-summer if the Cubs struggle again.

Today is the start of the White Sox Fan Fest. Manager Robin Ventura will probably take plenty of questions about one player—AJ Pierzynski. This will be the first Fan Fest without the colorful catcher since 2005. The club will be celebrating the 1983 Division Championship this weekend and throughout the upcoming season. It will be more important if the Sox finish the year celebrating a real divisional championship rather than a past one.

A final footnote on people that should stop talking

Manti Te’o: he will never get a consensus of people to believe him. Lance Armstrong: too little, too late. Former NFL players Tim Brown and Jerry Rice: you waited ten years to say your coach threw the Super Bowl. Nice.

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