Wrigley field may get a name change.....

The Tribune Co. could possibly get about 400 million bucks for the naming rights to Wrigely Field. It is very possible that they just may do this, but in doing this, what really changes about the field? The Marquee sign outside the field that reads "Wrigley Field Home of Chicago Cubs" and everything about the outside of the field, plus the ivy and scoreboard cannot be changed in any way. They are protected by law as historical landmarks. So, even if the naming rights are changed, what does that really do? The sign will forever read "Wrigley Field", and to put another sign up on the other side of the ball park or something would require a change of the law. Although I think it is a terrible terrible idea to sell the naming rights of Wrigley....why would a company do it if they can't even put a sign up that reads "Sears Field"?

 

Why can't Sam Zell (new owner of the Tribune Co., which owns the Cubs) just keep it simple and sell the team, Wrigley Field, and their share of Comcast Sportsnet-Chicago together as a package ? ? ? I mean, it would be a major pain in the butt to buy the team but then have to turn around and negotiate with the State of Illnois/City of Chicago a lease to play at Wrigley Field. There is only so much you can do to Wrigley now (whatever improvements that need to be done have already been done over the last few years; Squeeze in a few more seats, expand the bleachers, add the Batters Eye Restaurant, add team office building along the 3rd side base of Wrigley, etc.).

 

apparently Sam Zell wants to be the most hated man in Chicago.....

 

$400 mil? Is that right?

 

Thats the amount they could "possibly" get...which is the same amount that the mets got. this is from the Cubs mailbag on Cubs.com:


I read that with the sale of the team by the Tribune Co., the naming rights for Wrigley Field may also be up for grabs. How possible is it that the name will be changed? Any ideas on what it might be changed to? (Insert name here) Field just doesn't sound as sweet.
-- Mike H., Milwaukee
It's very possible. New Tribune Co. owner Sam Zell says he's considering selling the naming rights to Wrigley Field because such rights could be extraordinarily valuable. He's right. The naming rights to the Mets' new Citi Field in New York garnered a deal of $20 million per year for 20 years (that's $400 million). Barclay's bought the rights to the new home for the National Basketball Association Nets for the same fee. The previous high was $300 million for a 30-year deal for Reliant Stadium in Houston. Those kind of figures may be very sweet for Zell.

 

holy crap

 

Some chewing gum company should buy the rights.

 

But Barclays bought the naming rights to the entire arena/commercial complex surrounding the new Nets arena in Brooklyn as well, which would increase the value of the naming rights. It would just be real awkward to call it Wrigley Field at ________ Park . The thing Sam is forgetting though is that the naming rights to the Cowboys new stadium in Arlington as well as the Jets/Giants Stadium in New Jersey will be up for grabs also, which will be asking for top dollar.

 

How much of the Cubs will be up for sale? Just the team or the team and the ballpark?

 

Both, seperately.