Ricketts threatens to move Cubs

Could the Cubs leave Wrigley Field if a renovation deal isn't reached?


[h=3]CHICAGO (AP)[/h] 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.

the cubs are possibly the greediest "non-winning" organization in the history of sports

can you imagine any other team taking money for food sold across the street?

I wish he would leave.Tell the rooftop owners and the rest of the neighborhood to go F#% themselves

no way.. nice threat though.

they will win within the next 10-20 yrs.. dont move wrigley brah :smoking:

-murph

Yeah this is a total bluff and pretty childish and dumb.

They will never leave - The Montreal Expos

the explanations i always got for why baseball is still played in that craphole (men's toilets involve whipping out your dick and peeing in a trough) are:
1) it's a historic building so they can't do much in the way of remodeling
2) they sell it out anyway, so why build a new stadium

#2 is going away quickly, 31,000 or less might be the new normal vs 40,000 if nothing is done over the next few years. but that's still more than enough money to spend $500 million "fixing" wrigley field?

the area isn't nice, why not build a new stadium and put it closer to the lake?

Would be a smart business move with all the restrictions Chicago places on them.

More than likely a bluff.

Let the Cubs move to wherever and then put a nice AAA team in Wrigley. No one would notice the difference on the filed, and we could save Wrigley as it is.

The rooftop leeches should go fuck themselves; if they don't like it, they can buy a building next to another stadium.

I hope the neighborhood goofs and the rooftop owners think he's bluffing.

Would be more then happy to welcome them with OPEN ARMS to Las Vegas

i love how these idiot owners think that "fixing" wrigley entails putting up a big screen tv in the outfield, along with a bunch of other tv's throughout the concourse.

Ricketts, aint that some kind of disease?

Lived a block away for two years. Now out near Arlington park which is one place rumored for a move(they have land and all travel options available but heres my stance

1. The place is an absolute bitch to get to and park any night game will take an hour to get to then you have to either walk 2 miles to the stadium and still face traffic out or park close pay 30 get boxed in and take an hour to leave.
2. I personally dont care about the stadium or much tradition of it but its still best place to watch a game ive been to and thats about 13 ballparks now
3. Rooftop owners can go fuck themselves they charge 100 or more to go there eat and drink too and act like they are owners of the team. Every one of them has been remodeled in the last 5 years and basically just bars no one lives there all business.
4. Theos plan isnt gonna work, they can and should spend as much as the Yankees but for some reason there trying to go Tampa bay rays here and be economical WTF???
5. The place is without a doubt the worst place to get in and out of and then theres traffic

The Cubs belong in Chigago. Period.

Wrigley...(pause) can not stand the test of time. Admitting to that wasn't easy. ON a personal note, it would have been nice to see the Chicago Cubs win a World Series at Wrigley. I have personal reasons for this in which I will not elaborate on. I'm a Detroit Tiger fan. But do need to see the Cubs win a World Series before I die. It's on my secondary bucket list. I figure I possibly have this many years left........

Huckel, how is it the best place to watch a game? Depending on where you're sitting, there's a very good chance that a beam is blocking your view and/or you have to sit uncomfortably to watch the game because all the seats face straight ahead rather than toward the plate. New stadiums like detroit and minnesota are so nice and far less obnoxious drunks.

we'll agree to disagree, i have been to about 20 stadiums and wrigley is the worst to watch a game at. And the only close 2nd might be fenway

im 25 so going to the game is more of hang out with the buddies enjoy some beers and dogs and watch baseball.
People who bring families or young kids that dont watch il never understand since its def not cheap to go one of these.
Crowd is always into it theres stuff going on, everyones there to have a good time, thats why I think its a great place to go and watch.

Ive never sat in the back where the beams interfere I imagine that would suck.

A friend had front row of the upper deck season tickets that were about even with the first base bag that I had access to.Those seats were great and I used them as often as I could. Wrigley is a great place to watch a game. That being said I hope they do leave and move to suburbia.

^^ fair enough huckel

a couple of bad experiences have soured me on wrigley, worst of which was a ben sheets/carlos zambrano 1-0 game where i think i spent more time waiting in line for concessions and the bathroom than actually watching the game.

one of the only times i left a game and REALLY wished i had watched it on tv instead, others were because i had my license plate stolen, and my car dinged :toast: