Knot hole a good idea gone bad

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I can't really understand the outrage either. If you think the price is high for Cubs tickets (and of course it is) check out the prices at Fenway. It's supply and demand that drives the prices up. The bleacher seats are so high because they've become the prime place to watch a game.

 

As I stated before, if the Cubs didn't cover up the "knothole" it would become a logistical nightmare on some games, especially prime game dates.

[Jon]

Forgot to say that the box seats in right field are taking up the former group section, so they were seats before and not bleachers. Only now they're available to the public. It means that they have to find another spot for the group section, but that only accounts for 150 seats or less.

[goonys evil twin]

I can't understand the sense of entitlement one must have to be pissed at the Cubs for not allowing people a free look at their games.

[2242005CY]

I can't understand the sense of entitlement one must have to be pissed at the Cubs for not allowing people a free look at their games.

 

I love how people take something someone says and twists it for their own objective opinion.

 

AGAIN, where did I say I was peeved about them covering up the knothole. Speaking of knotholes, do you actually read what people are saying? Or just copy and paste parts of a sentence?

 

IT'S NOT ABOUT THE GD KNOTHOLE. i ACTUALLY AGREE THAT SOMEONE SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO WATCH A GAME FOR FREE. GET OVER THAT PART. IT'S ABOUT THE CUBS, AS THEY'VE DONE A MANY TIMES NOW, LYING ABOUT IT AND SUGARCOATING IT IN THE BEGINNING SAYING THAT IT WAS ORIGINALLY CREATED FOR THE FANS AND THEIR WAY OF GIVING BACK!!

 

What exactly happened that that has turned into "someone shouldn't be entitled to watch a game without paying for it"? Are you guys so friggin stubborn that you don't want to believe that they LIED about their original intentions? Do you really believe fiscally brilliant men like McGuire could be so clumsy in his plans? It never was about the fans, but the corporate bottomline. and AGAIN, that's fine. Just don't lie about it. I'm tired of this organization LYING to me. and if anyone here thinks a dime of the overall profit, especially that of the luxury suites, is going to the cubs payroll, all I have to say to you is HAHA.

 

I also think it's funny how they just now make it public of their plans of this remodeling and not before the Cubs convention.

 

and for the record, to hell with the knothole!

[goonys evil twin]

I can't understand the sense of entitlement one must have to be pissed at the Cubs for not allowing people a free look at their games.

 

I love how people take something someone says and twists it for their own objective opinion.

 

AGAIN, where did I say I was peeved about them covering up the knothole. Speaking of knotholes, do you actually read what people are saying? Or just copy and paste parts of a sentence?

 

What do knotholes have to do with that question?

 

 

I read what you wrote, and I thought it was incredibly ridiculous.

 

What exactly do you expect them to "give back" to you? What is it that all these other teams do that the Cubs don't do? Why do you feel they owe you anything? You pay for a ticket, you get to watch a game. You buy a jersey, you get to wear it. You turn on a tv, you get to watch the game. Of course, many of the games aren't on free tv now, but free tv is practically obsolete anyway. So, if you pay your cable bill, you can watch the games. Or, you could go to a bar that's showing it, and see how long you can go without having to buy something while watching for free.

 

 

You were getting excited about the 2006 season, but then you found out the whole knothole gimmick isn't going to happen and that ruined everything for you? Give me a break.

[2242005CY]

Man if you don't believe that the Cubs don't do more double talk and lead their fans on more than any other organization I don't know what to tell you. This is just right in line with many other examples of saying one thing and doing something else with this Org. It makes someone like myself who in business and in life, despises being lied to and makes it a habit of in business and in life, to not lie, it's aggravating.

 

It's about ethics here and if you really believe that lying and deceiving someone for your own good or cuz you can or cuz they have the right to and it is OK, then I respectfully disagree.

[goonys evil twin]

Man if you don't believe that the Cubs don't do more double talk and lead their fans on more than any other organization I don't know what to tell you. This is just right in line with many other examples of saying one thing and doing something else with this Org. It makes someone like myself who in business and in life, despises being lied to and makes it a habit of in business and in life, to not lie, it's aggravating.

 

It's about ethics here and if you really believe that lying and deceiving someone for your own good or cuz you can or cuz they have the right to and it is OK, then I respectfully disagree.

 

If you believe you are being lied to so frequently isn't it irrational to believe what they say in the first place, which would then make it darn foolish to get upset about it when you find out the truth?

 

 

I don't see anymore "shadiness" here than I've seen in NY, Boston or Philly, the four teams I'm probably most familiar with their behind the scenes business. I think fans of any other team could probably list the same gripes you list about "being lied to", and in fact, I do hear the same stuff, just with different names, everytime I listen to sports radio.

[UMFan83]

I'm more upset at the "restaurant" that turned into a "luxury box" then any knothole. Furthermore, the reasoning MacPhail and Co. gave for the expansion back in 2001 when it was first proposed was because it was being done so that more Cubs fans would get a chance to see the game and so they wouldnt have to keep jacking up prices.

 

This offseason, they added 1,800 new seats and raised ticket prices by 20% I think, plus added $60 seats that they didnt have before and added a 75-100 person luxury box in RF.

 

I still love the Cubs the team, but the organization is as classless as they come, and I'd love for someone to prove me wrong.

[goonys evil twin]

I'm more upset at the "restaurant" that turned into a "luxury box" then any knothole. Furthermore, the reasoning MacPhail and Co. gave for the expansion back in 2001 when it was first proposed was because it was being done so that more Cubs fans would get a chance to see the game and so they wouldnt have to keep jacking up prices.

 

This offseason, they added 1,800 new seats and raised ticket prices by 20% I think, plus added $60 seats that they didnt have before and added a 75-100 person luxury box in RF.

 

I still love the Cubs the team, but the organization is as classless as they come, and I'd love for someone to prove me wrong.

 

Baseball teams raise tickets prices based on demand. Did you really think the Cubs were going to stop raising tickets just because they added more seats? They added more seats because they knew it would increase future revenue. If you thought the seats would keep prices down, you're just naive. It's funny that this is supposedly a classless organization, yet Reinsdorf got the taxpayers to build him a new stadium, and several other teams all built themselves stadiums via tax revenue, while the Cubs have always poured their own money into their building and have to do it with unprecedented interference from the mayor's office and special interest groups.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I don't have a problem with the Cubs raising ticket prices. It's simple supply and demand. When the demand drops, the Cubs may adjust the prices accordingly. When you have a 3000 name waiting list for season tickets, you can charge whatever you want for them. People are likely to pay.

 

Cubs prices still pale in comparison to Red Sox ticket prices.

 

When I went to Fenway, I had to pay $75 for a infield roof seat.

[Jon]

I'm more upset at the "restaurant" that turned into a "luxury box" then any knothole. Furthermore, the reasoning MacPhail and Co. gave for the expansion back in 2001 when it was first proposed was because it was being done so that more Cubs fans would get a chance to see the game and so they wouldnt have to keep jacking up prices.

 

This offseason, they added 1,800 new seats and raised ticket prices by 20% I think, plus added $60 seats that they didnt have before and added a 75-100 person luxury box in RF.

 

I still love the Cubs the team, but the organization is as classless as they come, and I'd love for someone to prove me wrong.

Again, though, those 253 seats in right field that cost $60 are going in an area that wasn't available to the general public before, anyways. As for the restaurant, it was going to be a low capacity thing. Even if it was more accessible to fans during games, it was only going to be able to serve an insignificant number. It's not like you're going to be sitting in the bleachers and risk losing your spot by getting up to watch the game in there for a few innings.

 

I don't think the prices went up that much, but you're right in saying that expansion was, according to the Cubs, going to keep ticket prices from increasing too much. I don't think anyone expected quite this increase, but as others have pointed out, it's not unique to the Cubs. The high demand for tickets is just something we're going to have to live with. As long as it's high, prices are going to increase.

[sethuel1]

I think the bottom line is that we have to accept the fact that Wrigley is going to be like pretty much any other ballpark in about 10 year, with the exception of the location, the ivy, and the scoreboard.

[daske17]

I think the bottom line is that we have to accept the fact that Wrigley is going to be like pretty much any other ballpark in about 10 year, with the exception of the location, the ivy, and the scoreboard.

 

That's not true. Wrigley will probably still have the worst and fewest bathrooms in the major leagues.

[goonys evil twin]

I think the bottom line is that we have to accept the fact that Wrigley is going to be like pretty much any other ballpark in about 10 year, with the exception of the location, the ivy, and the scoreboard.

 

That's not true. Wrigley will probably still have the worst and fewest bathrooms in the major leagues.

 

And crappy food.

 

 

 

Not to mention an underachieving team on the field.

[sethuel1]

I think the bottom line is that we have to accept the fact that Wrigley is going to be like pretty much any other ballpark in about 10 year, with the exception of the location, the ivy, and the scoreboard.

 

That's not true. Wrigley will probably still have the worst and fewest bathrooms in the major leagues.

 

And crappy food.

 

Seriously. Where else in Chicago can you not get toppings on your hot dog?

[J.R.]

The Cubs' business model has changed significantly since this project's earliest days. June 2001 was a freaking long time ago - the team hadn't even sniffed the kind of ticket demand seen the last three years at that point.

[FergieJ31]

Personally I don't give a rat's behind about the knothole (I was lukewarm on the idea from the beginning), and I don't believe the Cubs lied about anything. There's no bait and switch here - no conspiracies - just bumbling ineptitude and lack of foresight.

[rjchapma]

STUPID IDEA!!!!!!

[Radar3454]

I still love the Cubs the team, but the organization is as classless as they come, and I'd love for someone to prove me wrong.

 

The Marlins maybe? The Cubs are one of very few teams that are not angling to get tax payer money to pay.

 

The think that frustrates me about the Cubs is poor management and reluctance to moneyball type stats.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

The Cubs really are no worse than any other organization.

 

Are we really worse than the Astros who are trying to force their team leader to retire?

 

Are we worse than the Cardinals who after getting a new stadium hasn't raised payroll?

 

Are we worse than the Red Sox who have the highest ticket prices in the majors?

 

Are we worse than the Devil Rays who have yet to put a decent product on the field?

 

I could go on. I'm not saying I agree with everything the Cubs do, but they are no worse in that regard than most sports franchises. This type of behavior goes with the business.

[RynoRules]

The Cubs really are no worse than any other organization.

 

Are we really worse than the Astros who are trying to force their team leader to retire?

 

Are we worse than the Cardinals who after getting a new stadium hasn't raised payroll?

 

Are we worse than the Red Sox who have the highest ticket prices in the majors?

 

Are we worse than the Devil Rays who have yet to put a decent product on the field?

 

I could go on. I'm not saying I agree with everything the Cubs do, but they are no worse in that regard than most sports franchises. This type of behavior goes with the business.

 

Agreed. Doesn't make it "right", but it is what it is. They are a business, and one with actual shareholders to answer to.

[Bgbird68]

I heard a direct quote from MacPhail from 2003, I think, and he said the reason the new bleachers were needed is so "I don't have to jack up ticket prices every year.". That is a lie, plain and simple. If it wasn't, they wouldn't have raised ticket prices after the bleachers were approved.

 

And also, don't compare the Cubs to the Red Sox or Yankees or Cardinals because those are teams that have WON A WORLD SERIES IN THE LAST 100 YEARS. This whole "the Yankees, Red Sox, etc. do it, so why can't the Cubs" logic is baffling to me.

[Drew Doughty]

What does winning a WS have to do with this topic?

[Bgbird68]

What does winning a WS have to do with this topic?

 

Because MacPhail also used "competition" as another reason for the expansion. If we can just get these new bleachers, that will help us win. Charge 60 bucks for a bleacher seat, close off the knothole, keep on jacking ticket prices up, scalp your own tickets.....just don't lie about why you're doing it and don't cry poor when free agent time rolls around.

 

If the Cubs would have actually won something in my life, I wouldn't care. It's crap like this that made me say "bon voyage" to Wrigley 4 years ago.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

What does winning a WS have to do with this topic?

 

Absloutely nothing. The reason the Red Sox, Yankees, and yes, the Cubs can raise ticket prices is because of the demand. There's 3000 people willing to plop down those prices X81 but can't because that's what the season ticket waiting list is.

 

As long as the Cubs are selling out at greater than 80% capacity, they will continue to raise tickets. It's nothing new.

 

And even if some seats start to be left unsold, they still will raise prices in the areas that they can.

 

For example, the Texas Rangers have some upper deck seats for $6 a game. Those seats are hardly ever filled. They haven't raised those prices. However the seats in the lower bowl areas are raised almost every year. They know the people buying those seats will pay the higher price, so they raise it.

 

The Cubs know that charging an extra 2-5 bucks a seat isn't going to slow down sales. As long as that is the case, they will keep raising the price no matter how many new seats they add. It's smart business and every team in the league would and does the same thing.