Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica
Notice: Effective Friday, March 1, 2013, Each blog will start with, "The Sports Quote of the Day". They will be motivational, inspirational and in some cases, they will just be down right funny. We hope that you will enjoy them.
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks?
By Jerry Bonkowski, The Sports Xchange
Andrew Shaw's goal late in the second period wasn't pretty, but it was all the Chicago Blackhawks needed to remain the only undefeated team in regulation play this season, extending their league record to start a season with 33 points in a 1-0 win Sunday over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Chicago improves to 15-0-3, tops in the NHL.
And while they were outshot by Columbus 28-27, the Blackhawks' defense continually stopped Blue Jacket power-play opportunities to remain the league's best team by far.
But give props where they're due. For a team that came into Sunday night's game with a league-worst 5-11-2 record, Columbus played a surprisingly stingy defense, keeping Chicago from scoring on several opportunities, particularly on the Hawks' strength, the power-play.
The brunt of the credit goes to Blue Jackets goalie Steve Mason, who turned back the first 19 of Chicago's shots in the first two periods until Shaw (fourth of the season) found an opening past Mason at 18:33 of the second period to put the Blackhawks ahead 1-0.
It was Chicago goalie Corey Crawford's seventh career shutout and the second of this season.
If there was a bit of concern in the game, it's that Chicago did appear a bit sluggish and tired, not playing with their typical spark. They started Friday's game against San Jose in the same fashion, but were able to bounce back and regain momentum later in that game.
Against the Blue Jackets, however, the Blackhawks appeared listless at times, which was readily apparent against a team like Columbus, which hadn't had many strong games thus far this season.
Still, in the end, Chicago kept its winning streak going -- and doesn't appear ready to let it end anytime soon.
NOTES: To put the Blackhawks' record-setting season start (at least one point in their first 18 games) into perspective, they have gone through more than one-third of the lockout-shortened 48-game season without a loss in regulation time. ... After Ray Emery did a phenomenal job in goal, winning the Hawks' last four games and compiling a career-best 7-0-0 mark to start the season, he received a much deserved rest Sunday. Crawford, who missed the last four games with an upper body injury, was back in the nets. However, look for Emery to be back in goal on Monday as the Hawks conclude their season-long, seven-game homestand against Edmonton. The Hawks play at St. Louis on Thursday before returning Friday to host the Blue Jackets for the second time in a week and the third and final time during the regular season (Chicago beat Columbus 3-2 on Jan. 26). ... The Hawks came into the game leading the NHL with a league-low 32 goals allowed to opponents. ... Columbus winger Jared Boll leads the league in a dubious category, fighting majors (seven). ... The Blue Jackets return home to host Dallas on Tuesday before returning to Chicago on Friday. After that game, Columbus will play nine of its next 10 games at home.
Disappointing finish, but Danica shows she belongs.
By
Enough with the snarky comments about Danica Patrick.
Sure, she gets more attention than her accomplishments warrant because she's a pretty face competing in a male-dominated sport. Who knows if she'll ever be a series champion because, quite frankly, it's a rare breed that climbs to the top of any sport.
Maybe she's destined to be a middle-of-the-pack racer her entire career, someone who can be counted on for solid results and an occasional win.
But, you know what?
She deserves to be here.
That was evident for 199 laps at the Daytona 500 on Sunday, when she started from the pole, led a total of five laps and ran near the front for most of ''The Great American Race.''
''At these speeds, she's very comfortable,'' five-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson said. ''She held a great wheel. She was smooth and predictable. She was able to take advantage of the runs when she had them.''
Then, the guy who had just won the sport's biggest race for the second time doled out the ultimate compliment.
''She was just a car on the track,'' Johnson said. ''I didn't think about it being Danica. She was just another car on the track that was fast.''
Patrick finally looked like a NASCAR Cup rookie on her last trip around the 2 1/2-mile oval. Suddenly, she was timid and unsure of herself. Running third when the white flag waved, she never gave herself a chance to challenge the two guys in front of her, Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. In fact, she appeared to be going in reverse, hung out going down the backstretch as five cars zoomed past her.
She came across the line in eighth, a bit of a letdown to be sure. Surely, the people who tuned in only because of Danicamania were disappointed she didn't make a more aggressive run for the win.
Patience, everyone. This is a driver who cut her teeth racing sleek, open-wheel cars. She hasn't figured out how to win in one of these bulky stock cars.
''I know I'll be better next time,'' Patrick vowed.
She certainly knows how the game is played off the track, doing numerous interviews and promotional appearances after becoming the first woman to win a Daytona 500 pole. But, once the guy from the Zac Brown Band had finished singing the national anthem, it was time to go racing. She put in her ear plugs and showed the single-minded determination that impresses her rivals.
''If you want a picture with my back to you, that's fine,'' Patrick said coldly. ''But I'm getting in the car because it's time to go to work.''
Shortly after the green flag came out - displayed by none other than retired NFL star Ray Lewis - Patrick was quickly passed by the other car on the front row, driven by Jeff Gordon. But, near the midway point of the race, she came out of the pits in second and sped past Michael Waltrip for the lead - the first woman ever to lead a Cup race under full-speed conditions (Janet Guthrie, the pioneer for women racers like Patrick, led a few laps under yellow in the 1970s).
Patrick wasn't out front for long, but she was never too far back. She reported that her car was vibrating at one point, but it didn't slow her down. Her biggest stumbles came in the pits, where she kept spinning her wheels trying to get away quickly from the box at the far end of the lane, losing valuable track position time and time again.
Otherwise, it was a largely drama-free day, which is just the way you want things to be on a restrictor-plate track such as Daytona, where the field gets all bunched up and the slightest miscue can take out a whole pack of cars.
Patrick felt so comfortable driving around at nearly 200 mph that she spent much of the afternoon going over strategy in her head, envisioning what the final lap might look like and what she might have to do to get around the cars ahead of her. Passing was at a premium in the new Gen-6 stock car, with only the most experienced drivers knowing how to pick their spots and generate the sort of momentum needed to get around someone.
Not ashamed to ask for advice, Patrick chatted up her crew chief and spotter over the radio, picking their brains on what strategy might work at the end of the race.
''How am I gonna do this?'' Patrick recalled thinking. ''I didn't know what to do exactly. Maybe that's just my inexperience. Maybe it was not me thinking hard enough. I'm not sure. I was a little bit uncertain how to do that.''
Clearly, she didn't figure it out.
But it's time to accept she's not just a well-connected female taking up the spot of a more deserving male.
Danica belongs. Seriously, she's just the 13th driver to lead laps in America's two most famous races, the Indianapolis 500 and now the Daytona 500, joining the likes of Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Johnny Rutherford, Bobby Unser, Tony Stewart and Tim Richmond.
''It's going to be a lot of fun to watch her progress,'' said Earnhardt, who has long been the sport's most popular driver but might have some competition. ''Every time I've seen her in a pretty hectic situation, she's always remained really calm. She's got a great level head. She's a racer. She knows what's coming. She's smart about her decisions. She knew what to do today as far as track position and not taking risks.
''I enjoy racing with her,'' Junior went on. ''I look forward to more racing all year long. It's going to be a lot of fun having her in the series.''
The folks in NASCAR are no dummies, either. Their sport was hit especially hard by the economic downtown, struggling to fill seats and bring in new sponsors. Now, along comes Patrick, a driver who has the potential to attract the sort of people who would've been more likely to tune in to an infomercial than a Sprint Cup race (though, to be honest, sometimes it's hard to tell the difference).
''I noticed something last night coming out of the track for dinner,'' Earnhardt said. ''It just seemed to be a different vibe inside the infield. People seemed to be more excited about what was getting ready to happen today. Even today, there seemed to be a whole lot more people here. There seemed to be a lot more excitement about the race.
''I think,'' he added, ''we're headed in the right direction.''
For that, everyone can thank Patrick.
She may have gone in the wrong direction at the end of the race, but she's leading NASCAR into a brighter future.
Let's have no more questions about whether she belongs.
By Rex Hoggard
Those watching this morning’s semifinal matches at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship can count on two things – nervous swings and lockjaw.
All those putts that were “good” earlier in the week will now have to be putted out as the pressure mounts and the number of conceded putts dwindles.
“I don’t know if there is are rule on letting people putt out,” said Jason Day, who was all square early in his match with Matt Kuchar at Dove Mountain. “I feel like when I played Russell Henley (in Round 2) I made him putt a couple of short ones and I felt like he was pretty pissed at me.”
At the 2011 Match Play, Day caused a slight stir when he made Paul Casey putt out a 1 ½ footer during his second-round match, but on this the Australian has been clear.
“From zero to 3 feet, if you’re 100 percent in your entire life, then I will give you putts. If you’re not, then I’m not going to give you putts. No one is 100 percent from zero to 3 feet in their entire life,” he said. “If you’re going to get angry on 3-foot putts and you take your time instead of just tapping it in then they are actually thinking about it.”
Note to Kuchar: if you have to ask, it’s not good.
The “2013 NCAA March Madness Basketball Tournament” starts with the First Four Play-in Games March 19, 2013. Second/Third Rounds March 21-24, 2013. Regionals March 28-31, 2013, and Final Four April 6-8, 2013.
It’s one of the most tremendously watched and significantly wagered on sporting events of the year. Everyone has a favorite college team and believes that they will win it all. This year will be a little different. The competition is tenacious and there is no absolute favorite. The championship is up for grabs. For the last few years, It has become customary for a lower seeded team, (7th to 11th seed), to knock off a higher seeded team, (1st, 2nd or 3rd seed). It will take 50% skill and 50% luck to pick this year’s winner.
CSAT/AllsportsAmerica is sponsoring it’s first “CSAT/AA 2013 NCAA March Madness Office Pool”. You can’t win if you aren’t in. For more information, email us at chicagosportsandtravel@yahoo.com and put March Madness Info in the subject line. It’s going to be a great tournament. We’re looking forward to hearing from you!!!
Cubs’ top 2013 rival: Wrigley rooftop owners.
By Ben Kesling, February 23, 2013
Plans for a major renovation of 99-year-old Wrigley Field could run afoul of a group of well-connected property owners who have provided baseball fans with a view of the action — and, typically, all-you-can-consume party packages — from their rooftops.
The Ricketts family, which bought the Chicago Cubs in 2009 for $845 million, has proposed a $300 million stadium renovation that, in contrast to prior iterations, the family says wouldn’t cost taxpayers a penny. The plan calls for upgrading the stadium’s locker rooms, seating and concession stands. But it also proposes erecting new decks in the outfield where fans can mingle and putting up new billboards designed to get maximum television exposure.
The proposal is chafing the owners of the buildings across from the ballpark’s outfield, on Waveland and Sheffield avenues, many of whom demolished traditional Chicago two- and three-flat apartment buildings to replace them with purpose-built game-day “clubs.” It has evolved into a substantial business, with rooftop bleachers commodious enough to hold about 200 fans per building. The owners are promising to do everything in their power to ward off obstructed views.
“There’s always been this negotiation that’s gone on between the Cubs and the neighborhood because they recognize they need each other,” said Philip Bess, a professor of architecture at the University of Notre Dame specializing in baseball stadiums and urban design. “The rooftops are as much a part of Wrigley as the outfield.”
From the time Wrigley opened in 1914, before its name was changed from Weeghman Park, till as recently as the 1980s, the rooftops hosted small, impromptu gatherings hosted by residents and landlords. But as the team began drawing bigger crowds to watch fan favorites like Ryne Sandberg and Andre Dawson and then Sammy Sosa, the rooftops underwent major character changes. Building owners constructed bleachers and began charging admission, which started the ball rolling toward today’s view-maximizing multistory “clubs” and luxury boxes.
The Cubs’ plans don’t indicate exactly where the new billboards would be, but the nearby buildings’ owners are ready for yet another fight in their long and complicated relationship with the team. In 2002, the Cubs, then owned by Tribune Co. — which retained a small stake after selling the team to the TD Ameritrade (US:AMTD) founder Ricketts family of Omaha, Neb., and Chicago — sued building owners who were charging fans to watch games from outside the stadium, claiming, among other things, copyright infringement. The rooftop owners fought back, and in 2004 they reached a 20-year deal with the club. The Cubs agreed not to block the rooftop views in exchange for 17% of the rooftop owners’ gross revenue. That worked out to about $4 million last year.
In both 2004 and today, the now 16-building-strong group called the Wrigleyville Rooftop Association has counted on a powerful ally in Democratic Alderman Tom Tunney, to whom they have given more than $140,000 in campaign contributions in the past decade. Tunney, a restaurateur in the Lake View neighborhood that surrounds Wrigley, declined to comment, but in a news release he pledged to protect the “quality of life for all our neighbors and local businesses in the ward.”
Andrew Shaw's goal late in the second period wasn't pretty, but it was all the Chicago Blackhawks needed to remain the only undefeated team in regulation play this season, extending their league record to start a season with 33 points in a 1-0 win Sunday over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Chicago improves to 15-0-3, tops in the NHL.
And while they were outshot by Columbus 28-27, the Blackhawks' defense continually stopped Blue Jacket power-play opportunities to remain the league's best team by far.
But give props where they're due. For a team that came into Sunday night's game with a league-worst 5-11-2 record, Columbus played a surprisingly stingy defense, keeping Chicago from scoring on several opportunities, particularly on the Hawks' strength, the power-play.
The brunt of the credit goes to Blue Jackets goalie Steve Mason, who turned back the first 19 of Chicago's shots in the first two periods until Shaw (fourth of the season) found an opening past Mason at 18:33 of the second period to put the Blackhawks ahead 1-0.
It was Chicago goalie Corey Crawford's seventh career shutout and the second of this season.
If there was a bit of concern in the game, it's that Chicago did appear a bit sluggish and tired, not playing with their typical spark. They started Friday's game against San Jose in the same fashion, but were able to bounce back and regain momentum later in that game.
Against the Blue Jackets, however, the Blackhawks appeared listless at times, which was readily apparent against a team like Columbus, which hadn't had many strong games thus far this season.
Still, in the end, Chicago kept its winning streak going -- and doesn't appear ready to let it end anytime soon.
NOTES: To put the Blackhawks' record-setting season start (at least one point in their first 18 games) into perspective, they have gone through more than one-third of the lockout-shortened 48-game season without a loss in regulation time. ... After Ray Emery did a phenomenal job in goal, winning the Hawks' last four games and compiling a career-best 7-0-0 mark to start the season, he received a much deserved rest Sunday. Crawford, who missed the last four games with an upper body injury, was back in the nets. However, look for Emery to be back in goal on Monday as the Hawks conclude their season-long, seven-game homestand against Edmonton. The Hawks play at St. Louis on Thursday before returning Friday to host the Blue Jackets for the second time in a week and the third and final time during the regular season (Chicago beat Columbus 3-2 on Jan. 26). ... The Hawks came into the game leading the NHL with a league-low 32 goals allowed to opponents. ... Columbus winger Jared Boll leads the league in a dubious category, fighting majors (seven). ... The Blue Jackets return home to host Dallas on Tuesday before returning to Chicago on Friday. After that game, Columbus will play nine of its next 10 games at home.
Disappointing finish, but Danica shows she belongs.
By
Enough with the snarky comments about Danica Patrick.
Sure, she gets more attention than her accomplishments warrant because she's a pretty face competing in a male-dominated sport. Who knows if she'll ever be a series champion because, quite frankly, it's a rare breed that climbs to the top of any sport.
Maybe she's destined to be a middle-of-the-pack racer her entire career, someone who can be counted on for solid results and an occasional win.
But, you know what?
She deserves to be here.
That was evident for 199 laps at the Daytona 500 on Sunday, when she started from the pole, led a total of five laps and ran near the front for most of ''The Great American Race.''
''At these speeds, she's very comfortable,'' five-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson said. ''She held a great wheel. She was smooth and predictable. She was able to take advantage of the runs when she had them.''
Then, the guy who had just won the sport's biggest race for the second time doled out the ultimate compliment.
''She was just a car on the track,'' Johnson said. ''I didn't think about it being Danica. She was just another car on the track that was fast.''
Patrick finally looked like a NASCAR Cup rookie on her last trip around the 2 1/2-mile oval. Suddenly, she was timid and unsure of herself. Running third when the white flag waved, she never gave herself a chance to challenge the two guys in front of her, Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. In fact, she appeared to be going in reverse, hung out going down the backstretch as five cars zoomed past her.
She came across the line in eighth, a bit of a letdown to be sure. Surely, the people who tuned in only because of Danicamania were disappointed she didn't make a more aggressive run for the win.
Patience, everyone. This is a driver who cut her teeth racing sleek, open-wheel cars. She hasn't figured out how to win in one of these bulky stock cars.
''I know I'll be better next time,'' Patrick vowed.
She certainly knows how the game is played off the track, doing numerous interviews and promotional appearances after becoming the first woman to win a Daytona 500 pole. But, once the guy from the Zac Brown Band had finished singing the national anthem, it was time to go racing. She put in her ear plugs and showed the single-minded determination that impresses her rivals.
''If you want a picture with my back to you, that's fine,'' Patrick said coldly. ''But I'm getting in the car because it's time to go to work.''
Shortly after the green flag came out - displayed by none other than retired NFL star Ray Lewis - Patrick was quickly passed by the other car on the front row, driven by Jeff Gordon. But, near the midway point of the race, she came out of the pits in second and sped past Michael Waltrip for the lead - the first woman ever to lead a Cup race under full-speed conditions (Janet Guthrie, the pioneer for women racers like Patrick, led a few laps under yellow in the 1970s).
Patrick wasn't out front for long, but she was never too far back. She reported that her car was vibrating at one point, but it didn't slow her down. Her biggest stumbles came in the pits, where she kept spinning her wheels trying to get away quickly from the box at the far end of the lane, losing valuable track position time and time again.
Otherwise, it was a largely drama-free day, which is just the way you want things to be on a restrictor-plate track such as Daytona, where the field gets all bunched up and the slightest miscue can take out a whole pack of cars.
Patrick felt so comfortable driving around at nearly 200 mph that she spent much of the afternoon going over strategy in her head, envisioning what the final lap might look like and what she might have to do to get around the cars ahead of her. Passing was at a premium in the new Gen-6 stock car, with only the most experienced drivers knowing how to pick their spots and generate the sort of momentum needed to get around someone.
Not ashamed to ask for advice, Patrick chatted up her crew chief and spotter over the radio, picking their brains on what strategy might work at the end of the race.
''How am I gonna do this?'' Patrick recalled thinking. ''I didn't know what to do exactly. Maybe that's just my inexperience. Maybe it was not me thinking hard enough. I'm not sure. I was a little bit uncertain how to do that.''
Clearly, she didn't figure it out.
But it's time to accept she's not just a well-connected female taking up the spot of a more deserving male.
Danica belongs. Seriously, she's just the 13th driver to lead laps in America's two most famous races, the Indianapolis 500 and now the Daytona 500, joining the likes of Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Johnny Rutherford, Bobby Unser, Tony Stewart and Tim Richmond.
''It's going to be a lot of fun to watch her progress,'' said Earnhardt, who has long been the sport's most popular driver but might have some competition. ''Every time I've seen her in a pretty hectic situation, she's always remained really calm. She's got a great level head. She's a racer. She knows what's coming. She's smart about her decisions. She knew what to do today as far as track position and not taking risks.
''I enjoy racing with her,'' Junior went on. ''I look forward to more racing all year long. It's going to be a lot of fun having her in the series.''
The folks in NASCAR are no dummies, either. Their sport was hit especially hard by the economic downtown, struggling to fill seats and bring in new sponsors. Now, along comes Patrick, a driver who has the potential to attract the sort of people who would've been more likely to tune in to an infomercial than a Sprint Cup race (though, to be honest, sometimes it's hard to tell the difference).
''I noticed something last night coming out of the track for dinner,'' Earnhardt said. ''It just seemed to be a different vibe inside the infield. People seemed to be more excited about what was getting ready to happen today. Even today, there seemed to be a whole lot more people here. There seemed to be a lot more excitement about the race.
''I think,'' he added, ''we're headed in the right direction.''
For that, everyone can thank Patrick.
She may have gone in the wrong direction at the end of the race, but she's leading NASCAR into a brighter future.
Let's have no more questions about whether she belongs.
By Rex Hoggard
Those watching this morning’s semifinal matches at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship can count on two things – nervous swings and lockjaw.
All those putts that were “good” earlier in the week will now have to be putted out as the pressure mounts and the number of conceded putts dwindles.
“I don’t know if there is are rule on letting people putt out,” said Jason Day, who was all square early in his match with Matt Kuchar at Dove Mountain. “I feel like when I played Russell Henley (in Round 2) I made him putt a couple of short ones and I felt like he was pretty pissed at me.”
At the 2011 Match Play, Day caused a slight stir when he made Paul Casey putt out a 1 ½ footer during his second-round match, but on this the Australian has been clear.
“From zero to 3 feet, if you’re 100 percent in your entire life, then I will give you putts. If you’re not, then I’m not going to give you putts. No one is 100 percent from zero to 3 feet in their entire life,” he said. “If you’re going to get angry on 3-foot putts and you take your time instead of just tapping it in then they are actually thinking about it.”
Note to Kuchar: if you have to ask, it’s not good.
Three and one half weeks until the start of the “2013 March Madness NCAA Basketball Tournament”.
The “2013 NCAA March Madness Basketball Tournament” starts with the First Four Play-in Games March 19, 2013. Second/Third Rounds March 21-24, 2013. Regionals March 28-31, 2013, and Final Four April 6-8, 2013.
It’s one of the most tremendously watched and significantly wagered on sporting events of the year. Everyone has a favorite college team and believes that they will win it all. This year will be a little different. The competition is tenacious and there is no absolute favorite. The championship is up for grabs. For the last few years, It has become customary for a lower seeded team, (7th to 11th seed), to knock off a higher seeded team, (1st, 2nd or 3rd seed). It will take 50% skill and 50% luck to pick this year’s winner.
CSAT/AllsportsAmerica is sponsoring it’s first “CSAT/AA 2013 NCAA March Madness Office Pool”. You can’t win if you aren’t in. For more information, email us at chicagosportsandtravel@yahoo.com and put March Madness Info in the subject line. It’s going to be a great tournament. We’re looking forward to hearing from you!!!
Cubs’ top 2013 rival: Wrigley rooftop owners.
By Ben Kesling, February 23, 2013
Plans for a major renovation of 99-year-old Wrigley Field could run afoul of a group of well-connected property owners who have provided baseball fans with a view of the action — and, typically, all-you-can-consume party packages — from their rooftops.
The Ricketts family, which bought the Chicago Cubs in 2009 for $845 million, has proposed a $300 million stadium renovation that, in contrast to prior iterations, the family says wouldn’t cost taxpayers a penny. The plan calls for upgrading the stadium’s locker rooms, seating and concession stands. But it also proposes erecting new decks in the outfield where fans can mingle and putting up new billboards designed to get maximum television exposure.
The proposal is chafing the owners of the buildings across from the ballpark’s outfield, on Waveland and Sheffield avenues, many of whom demolished traditional Chicago two- and three-flat apartment buildings to replace them with purpose-built game-day “clubs.” It has evolved into a substantial business, with rooftop bleachers commodious enough to hold about 200 fans per building. The owners are promising to do everything in their power to ward off obstructed views.
“There’s always been this negotiation that’s gone on between the Cubs and the neighborhood because they recognize they need each other,” said Philip Bess, a professor of architecture at the University of Notre Dame specializing in baseball stadiums and urban design. “The rooftops are as much a part of Wrigley as the outfield.”
From the time Wrigley opened in 1914, before its name was changed from Weeghman Park, till as recently as the 1980s, the rooftops hosted small, impromptu gatherings hosted by residents and landlords. But as the team began drawing bigger crowds to watch fan favorites like Ryne Sandberg and Andre Dawson and then Sammy Sosa, the rooftops underwent major character changes. Building owners constructed bleachers and began charging admission, which started the ball rolling toward today’s view-maximizing multistory “clubs” and luxury boxes.
The Cubs’ plans don’t indicate exactly where the new billboards would be, but the nearby buildings’ owners are ready for yet another fight in their long and complicated relationship with the team. In 2002, the Cubs, then owned by Tribune Co. — which retained a small stake after selling the team to the TD Ameritrade (US:AMTD) founder Ricketts family of Omaha, Neb., and Chicago — sued building owners who were charging fans to watch games from outside the stadium, claiming, among other things, copyright infringement. The rooftop owners fought back, and in 2004 they reached a 20-year deal with the club. The Cubs agreed not to block the rooftop views in exchange for 17% of the rooftop owners’ gross revenue. That worked out to about $4 million last year.
In both 2004 and today, the now 16-building-strong group called the Wrigleyville Rooftop Association has counted on a powerful ally in Democratic Alderman Tom Tunney, to whom they have given more than $140,000 in campaign contributions in the past decade. Tunney, a restaurateur in the Lake View neighborhood that surrounds Wrigley, declined to comment, but in a news release he pledged to protect the “quality of life for all our neighbors and local businesses in the ward.”
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, also a Democrat, is in the mix, too, trying to broker a compromise, as long as the city doesn’t have to pay.
The rooftop owners’ main complaint for now is that the Cubs’ new billboards could violate their mutual agreement that includes a city landmark ordinance guaranteeing an “uninterrupted sweep of the bleachers” and the field’s “unenclosed, open-air character,” vaguely worded clauses open to interpretation.
Marion P. Jelks, CS&T/AA blog editor's take: We understand the current Cubs owners position to grow their business and make it as successful as possible, that is truly the American way and we applaud them. However, contrary to Gordon Gekko in the movie, Wall Street: "The point is ladies and gentlemen that greed, for lack of a better word, is not always good." You will notice that we inserted the words not always.The rooftops play a significant role in the fabric of the Wrigleyville neighborhood. In fact if you look at Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles, their stadium is built in a warehouse district that has included a rooftop. They emulated the Cubs.
The small businesses that surround Wrigley Field draw customers to their restaurants, bars, sports merchandise (clothing and memorabilia) stores, parking facilities and associated businesses. They truly enhance the neighborhood. So the key question is: Why antagonize and try to put the squeeze on these businesses? In my opinion, the best thing the Cubs' ownership can do is put a great product on the field that W-I-N-S!!! Once they do that, they will own the keys to the kingdom. If they don't, it's just a matter of time until they lose their baseball dominance in Chicago to the team on the Southside, the White Sox. They've put a better product on the field for several years now. They won the World Series in 2005 and are in a position to grow. They don't have the all encompassing commercial area that Wrigleyville has but eventually they will. And they'll welcome small business participation. And this is when the coin will flip.
The Cubs ownership is still in a great position by putting a winning product on the field thus enhancing the value of their franchise, creating more demand for their product and ingratiating the small businesses around them for their efforts.
This is just my opinion but what do I know, I'm just a fan like you. I'd love to know, what's your take?
Miami Marlins Owner, Jeffrey Loria's "Letter to our Fans".
Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria took out a full-page ad in all three major South Florida daily newspapers on Sunday in which he explained not only the team's decision-making, but appealed to fans to stay the course with the franchise. Loria also plans to speak with the media on Monday.
Here, word for word, is what Loria wrote. Let's hear it. After reading Loria's letter, tell us what you think:
LETTER TO OUR FANS
It's no secret that last season was not our best -- actually it was one of our worst. In large part, our performance on the field stunk and something needed to be done. As a result of some bold moves, many grabbed hold of our tough yet necessary decision only to unleash a vicious cycle of negativity. As the owner of the ballclub, the buck stops with me and I take my share of the blame where it's due. However, many of the things being said about us are simply not true. I've sat by quietly and allowed this to continue. Now it's time for me to respond to our most important constituents, the fans who love the game of baseball.
THE ROSTER
Losing is unacceptable to me. It's incumbant upon us to take swift action and make bold moves when there are glaring problems. The controversial trade we made with the Toronto Blue Jays was approved by Commissioner Bud Selig and has been almost universally celebrated by baseball experts outside of Miami for its value. We hope, with an open mind, our community can reflect on the fact that we had one of the worst records in baseball. Acquiring high-profile players just didn't work, and nearly everyone on our team underperformed as compared to their career numbers. Our plan for the year ahead is to leverage our young talent and create a homegrown roster of long-term players who can win. In fact, objective experts have credited us with going from the 28th ranked Minor League system in baseball to the 5th best during this period. Of the Top 100 Minor Leaguers rated by MLB Network, we have six -- tied for the most of any team in the league. We'll evaluate this roster and possibly bring in additional talent based on our assessment of what we need. The very same naysayers who are currently skeptical once attacked us for bringing Pudge Rodriguez to the Marlins in 2003. More than any other, that move contributed to our World Series Championship.
THE BALLPARK
The ballpark issue has been repeatedly reported incorrectly and there are some very negative accustations being thrown around. It ain't true, folks. Those who have attacked us are entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts. The majority of public funding came from hotel taxes, the burden of which is incurred by tourists who are visiting our city, NOT the resident taxpayers. The Marlins organization also agreed to contribute $161.2 million toward the ballpark, plus the cost of the garage complex. In addition, the Marlins receive no operating subsidy from local government funding. The ballpark required that all debt service is paid by existing revenue. Furthermore, many are attacking the County's method of financing for its contribution, but the Marlins had nothing at all to do with that. The fact is, with your help, we built Marlins Park, a crown jewel in our beautiful Miami skyline, which has won over twenty design and architecture awards and will help make us a premiere ballclub moving forward.
OUR FINANCES
The simple fact is that we don't have unlimited funds, nor does any baseball team or business. Fans didn't turn out last season as much as we'd like, even with the high-profile players the columnists decry us having traded. The main ingredient to a successful ball club is putting together a winning team, including a ncecessary core of young talent. Are we fiscally capable and responsible enough to fill the roster with talented players, invest in the daily demands of running a world-class organization and bring a World Series back to Miami? Absolutely! Is it sound business sense to witness an expensive roster with a terrible record and sit idly by doing nothing? No. I can and will invest in building a winner, but last season wasn't sustainable and we needed to start from scratch quickly to build this team from the ground up.
COMMUNICATION
An organization is only as good as its connection with the community. We know we can do a better job communicating with our fans. That starts now. From this point forward we can ensure fans and the entire community that we will keep you abreast of our plan, rationale and motivations.
Amidst the current news coverage, it an be easy to forget how far we went together not so long ago. In 2003, I helped bring a second World Series Title to South Florida. We know how to build a winning team, and have every intention of doing so again. I know you share my passion for great Marlins baseball, my love of MIami and my desire to win again. We're in this together and I humbly ask that we start fresh, watch us mature qjuickly as a ball club, and root for the home team in 2013.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Loria
Please let us hear your opinion on the above articles and pass them on to any other diehard fans that you think might be interested. But most of all, remember, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica wants you!!!!!
The rooftop owners’ main complaint for now is that the Cubs’ new billboards could violate their mutual agreement that includes a city landmark ordinance guaranteeing an “uninterrupted sweep of the bleachers” and the field’s “unenclosed, open-air character,” vaguely worded clauses open to interpretation.
Marion P. Jelks, CS&T/AA blog editor's take: We understand the current Cubs owners position to grow their business and make it as successful as possible, that is truly the American way and we applaud them. However, contrary to Gordon Gekko in the movie, Wall Street: "The point is ladies and gentlemen that greed, for lack of a better word, is not always good." You will notice that we inserted the words not always.The rooftops play a significant role in the fabric of the Wrigleyville neighborhood. In fact if you look at Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles, their stadium is built in a warehouse district that has included a rooftop. They emulated the Cubs.
The small businesses that surround Wrigley Field draw customers to their restaurants, bars, sports merchandise (clothing and memorabilia) stores, parking facilities and associated businesses. They truly enhance the neighborhood. So the key question is: Why antagonize and try to put the squeeze on these businesses? In my opinion, the best thing the Cubs' ownership can do is put a great product on the field that W-I-N-S!!! Once they do that, they will own the keys to the kingdom. If they don't, it's just a matter of time until they lose their baseball dominance in Chicago to the team on the Southside, the White Sox. They've put a better product on the field for several years now. They won the World Series in 2005 and are in a position to grow. They don't have the all encompassing commercial area that Wrigleyville has but eventually they will. And they'll welcome small business participation. And this is when the coin will flip.
The Cubs ownership is still in a great position by putting a winning product on the field thus enhancing the value of their franchise, creating more demand for their product and ingratiating the small businesses around them for their efforts.
This is just my opinion but what do I know, I'm just a fan like you. I'd love to know, what's your take?
Miami Marlins Owner, Jeffrey Loria's "Letter to our Fans".
Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria took out a full-page ad in all three major South Florida daily newspapers on Sunday in which he explained not only the team's decision-making, but appealed to fans to stay the course with the franchise. Loria also plans to speak with the media on Monday.
Here, word for word, is what Loria wrote. Let's hear it. After reading Loria's letter, tell us what you think:
LETTER TO OUR FANS
It's no secret that last season was not our best -- actually it was one of our worst. In large part, our performance on the field stunk and something needed to be done. As a result of some bold moves, many grabbed hold of our tough yet necessary decision only to unleash a vicious cycle of negativity. As the owner of the ballclub, the buck stops with me and I take my share of the blame where it's due. However, many of the things being said about us are simply not true. I've sat by quietly and allowed this to continue. Now it's time for me to respond to our most important constituents, the fans who love the game of baseball.
THE ROSTER
Losing is unacceptable to me. It's incumbant upon us to take swift action and make bold moves when there are glaring problems. The controversial trade we made with the Toronto Blue Jays was approved by Commissioner Bud Selig and has been almost universally celebrated by baseball experts outside of Miami for its value. We hope, with an open mind, our community can reflect on the fact that we had one of the worst records in baseball. Acquiring high-profile players just didn't work, and nearly everyone on our team underperformed as compared to their career numbers. Our plan for the year ahead is to leverage our young talent and create a homegrown roster of long-term players who can win. In fact, objective experts have credited us with going from the 28th ranked Minor League system in baseball to the 5th best during this period. Of the Top 100 Minor Leaguers rated by MLB Network, we have six -- tied for the most of any team in the league. We'll evaluate this roster and possibly bring in additional talent based on our assessment of what we need. The very same naysayers who are currently skeptical once attacked us for bringing Pudge Rodriguez to the Marlins in 2003. More than any other, that move contributed to our World Series Championship.
THE BALLPARK
The ballpark issue has been repeatedly reported incorrectly and there are some very negative accustations being thrown around. It ain't true, folks. Those who have attacked us are entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts. The majority of public funding came from hotel taxes, the burden of which is incurred by tourists who are visiting our city, NOT the resident taxpayers. The Marlins organization also agreed to contribute $161.2 million toward the ballpark, plus the cost of the garage complex. In addition, the Marlins receive no operating subsidy from local government funding. The ballpark required that all debt service is paid by existing revenue. Furthermore, many are attacking the County's method of financing for its contribution, but the Marlins had nothing at all to do with that. The fact is, with your help, we built Marlins Park, a crown jewel in our beautiful Miami skyline, which has won over twenty design and architecture awards and will help make us a premiere ballclub moving forward.
OUR FINANCES
The simple fact is that we don't have unlimited funds, nor does any baseball team or business. Fans didn't turn out last season as much as we'd like, even with the high-profile players the columnists decry us having traded. The main ingredient to a successful ball club is putting together a winning team, including a ncecessary core of young talent. Are we fiscally capable and responsible enough to fill the roster with talented players, invest in the daily demands of running a world-class organization and bring a World Series back to Miami? Absolutely! Is it sound business sense to witness an expensive roster with a terrible record and sit idly by doing nothing? No. I can and will invest in building a winner, but last season wasn't sustainable and we needed to start from scratch quickly to build this team from the ground up.
COMMUNICATION
An organization is only as good as its connection with the community. We know we can do a better job communicating with our fans. That starts now. From this point forward we can ensure fans and the entire community that we will keep you abreast of our plan, rationale and motivations.
Amidst the current news coverage, it an be easy to forget how far we went together not so long ago. In 2003, I helped bring a second World Series Title to South Florida. We know how to build a winning team, and have every intention of doing so again. I know you share my passion for great Marlins baseball, my love of MIami and my desire to win again. We're in this together and I humbly ask that we start fresh, watch us mature qjuickly as a ball club, and root for the home team in 2013.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Loria
Please let us hear your opinion on the above articles and pass them on to any other diehard fans that you think might be interested. But most of all, remember, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica wants you!!!!!
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