Author Topic: Wrigley Field Naming Rights  (Read 745 times)

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Offline NatsAddict

  • Posts: 4099
Wrigley Field Naming Rights
« Topic Start: February 28, 2008, 11:40:53 AM »
Generally, I'm not thrilled with corporate naming rights.  In this case, I'll make an exception.

Quote
Cubs owner: Naming rights for Wrigley Field on the table
Associated Press
Updated: February 27, 2008, 10:20 AM ET

CHICAGO -- The chief executive officer of the Tribune Company said Wednesday he won't hesitate to sell the naming rights to Wrigley Field -- even if baseball purists don't like the idea.

During an interview on CNBC, Sam Zell said despite Wrigley Field being known worldwide, he didn't get a discount because he wasn't going to use the naming rights that the field represents.

Zell said he plans to sell the Cubs and Wrigley separately and in his own time frame. He also disclosed that Major League Baseball has approved "four or six" potential ownership groups and that any one of them would be fine.

The sale of the team has been delayed by Zell's plan to sell the team and the stadium separately, and to have a state agency acquire and renovate Wrigley.
ESPN

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Waste Management (nickname: "The Dump")
Rosco's Septic Service ("Leech Field")
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Heimlich

Offline PANatsFan

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Re: Wrigley Field Naming Rights
« Reply #1: February 28, 2008, 11:42:28 AM »
Way to milk it for all it's worth Zell. Historic Preparation-H field will be a huge tourist attraction.

Offline soxfan59

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Re: Wrigley Field Naming Rights
« Reply #2: February 28, 2008, 12:03:41 PM »
It cracks me up that Schlubs fans have thier shorts in a knot over the potential naming rights to Wrigley Field.  The Cubs have been the occupants of the one baseball stadium that has already been named for a corporate sponser -- the Wrigley family originally owned the Cubs, and renamed the park when they acquired it from the Federal League franchise in Chicago -- it was originally named "Weegham Park" after the owner of the Chicago Whales of the FL. But the Wrigleys also owned the Wrigley Chewing Gum Co., and did not hesitate to allow advertising in and around the park and in print ads to make the connection between Cubs baseball and chewing gum.  To now complain that the name "Wrigley" is merely historic and not a corporate tie-in is pretty funny.  Indeed, here in the Chicago press, some have clamored for the Wrigley Co to come back and pony up the bucks to buy the naming rights and keep it the same.  Except I think that Wrigley is now owned by a larger food processing giant that probably doesn't give a woolly red rat's behind about the Cubs. 

Zell is actually a minority owner of the Chicago White Sox.  He has a special exemption to keep his shares of the Sox because he has made it clear to MLB that his purchase of the Chicago Tribune included his upfront intent to sell both the Cubs and Wrigley Field.  Secretly, I hope Zell has the same kind of warm, lovable feelings most of us Sox fans have towards the Cubs, and that he makes it as difficult and as unbearable a process as possible for the Cubs and their sheep-like fans.  Other than the White Sox winning another World Series title, nothing makes me happier than the collective suffering of the kingdom of all things "Cubbie."