I lifted this off of AOL. We went through this in Jacksonville with what was then called The Gator Bowl…but WRIGLEY? OMG…even Busch Stadium, stayed Busch Stadium. I have this vision "Victorias Secret Field…or Fat Boys Ribs Field…ohhh the humanity :bluefrown: :faint: :pullinghair: :puking:
Real estate tycoon Sam Zell finalized his purchase of the Tribune Company today, and he’s wasted no time in making waves throughout the company’s various properties. First, he stomped through the Chicago Tribune to energize the newspaper’s troops against the rising tide of financial failure. Now, he’s dropping knowledge on his plans for the sale of the Cubs, including one interesting caveat: Wrigley Field’s naming rights will be up for grabs:
Tribune Co.'s new CEO Sam Zell said the Cubs will be sold by Opening Day, and that he may sell naming rights to Wrigley Field because such rights could be “extraordinarily valuable.”
“Up until now, we’ve delayed – although they’re ready – sending out the books on the Cubs until we had a better understanding of where this stands,” Zell said. "I think the goal would be to complete the transaction before the beginning of the baseball season."
There are plenty of interested buyers, Zell said.
That’s not all Zell announced. He confirmed that the State of Illinois and the Tribune Company have discussed a state purchase of Wrigley Field, discussions which are apparently ongoing. But the naming rights issue – that’s the real news here. Good luck selling this to Cubs fans. The bleacher bums embrace the history of Wrigley even as the stadium crumbles down around them; even minor fixes, like the addition of advertisements aimed to help the team financially, are balked at. So think of the backlash when a local restaurant like Portillo’s (mmm, Portillo’s) – or worse, some national company – swoops in and scoops those naming rights. New ownership better invest that money in riot gear.