RedIvyCub

Well CSNC now but you know why games are on WCIU...to placate the non cable audience. Yes, Virginia, there are people who still do not have cable or satellite. I think you would be surprised just how many. That justification makes no sense seeing as how WGN is broadcast over the air and carries close to half of the games. Quite simple actually. Those WCIU games are kept off the superstation and hence no superstation tax. If they weren't on WCIU, I can guarantee they would be on CSNC and not WGN for that reason alone.

Zell has a stake in the Sox. I don't think Canning does too, although I'm not positive about that. Let's straighten this part out. Canning has an 11% ownership interest in the Brewers. Zell has a 7% ownership interest in the White Sox.

Not a chance. If they are now just getting to review the clubs financial records, it cannot happen in two days and most of baseball is out for the holidays. First Zell would need to select who he wants to sell to and I think he has bigger fish to fry revamping the executive level of Tribune. Then it needs to be approved by the ownership committee. THEN, it goes to the owners who would have to meet and approve the deal. That doesn't happen in two days. Who the heck is O's Insider anyhow? Sounds like a blog which means don't believe it.

Actually it's the White Sox he owns a piece of. Oops...you're right. Point still stands... It's allowed because he is going to sell the club. I think there was a similar overlap with Henry and the Red Sox transaction. Same would happen with Canning and his 11 percent of the Brewers. Once he would be approved, then he would divest of his interest in the Brewers.

Most likely not everyone has been cleared to review the books. Cannot view the books until the application has been reviewed and approved.

Well CSNC now but you know why games are on WCIU...to placate the non cable audience. Yes, Virginia, there are people who still do not have cable or satellite. I think you would be surprised just how many.

I guess you don't understand the superstation tax then. THAT is why all the games are not on WGN as in the past. Only teams paying it were Cubs, Sox and Braves. But since the Braves are no longer on TBS, it is down to the Chicago teams as the only ones on Superstation any longer. This all started when the superstations (mainly WGN) and the NBA were butting heads over the Bulls games. The Bulls were good then and NBA was going to yank all games from the superstation and the agreement actually came down to the Bulls being allowed 15 Superstation games and there is some financial arrangement involved to show these games via the superstation. All has to do with markets. Hence, MLB and the superstation teams got together and worked out the superstation agreement to avoid any future issues. Superstation taxes were going up and that is why Cubs started farming out games to FSNC and then WCIU. Not sure of the exact dollar figures but I know at one point it was saving the Cubs (not Tribune...the Cubs) upwards of $4 million in superstation taxes to show games on FSNC or WCIU. Which is why I found it perplexing that the Sox wanted to show games on WGN after a long hiatus of being solely on cable. I think that was part of the Bulls agreement actually to allow WGN rights to continue showing Bulls games.

That's my most important requirement in any and all Cub acquisitions. Someone get Hendry on the phone. :D I know I am going to take some hits for that comment but it's cool. I can take it. Like I said, if they aren't a good player, doesn't matter if they are easy on the eyes.

That's my most important requirement in any and all Cub acquisitions. Someone get Hendry on the phone. :D Not in my book...I am still harping on the fact that they traded Damien Miller for Barrett. Barrett was not a good catcher.

Exactly...Look at Kerry Wood..Loyal, Dedicated guy...Mark Prior...Bottle and bib.. Yeah, heaven forbid a guy doesn't have loyalty for as team that fanned rumors of his "wussiness" which ended up delaying a surgery he needed for two years. The guy wants more money..for doing what?...Kerry Wood needed the surgery and time too..Came back like a man and said "I love this team and I owe them something" and took way less money..If Prior wants to sabotage the team,The big market team that drafted him, paid his dollars and has been loyal to him,through thick and thin,and then called himself " just an "employee" ..He can take freakin hike..Bottom line, he has hard personal feelings towards the Cubs and does not want to be here..Not anyone in the Cubs orginizations fault. You do realize Kerry Wood took the best contract offered to him this offseason? Neither of them owed the Cubs a thing. And I don't see how Prior wants to sabotage the team. No he didn't. Kerry had two year deals on the table from other clubs. He showed loyalty to the organization that paid him to do nothing. Prior on the other hand, didn't. Which is fine, not everyone is as great a person as Wood and wants to be a Cub. If Prior doesn't want to be here, screw him. If you spent three years with an injury that needed surgery to repair and the "boss" told you that you were a head case and weren't hurt, would you be very loyal? Cubs spent three years telling this guy there was nothing wrong with him when he knew he was hurt and was willing to have surgery if need be. They called him a head case and mentally weak (where do you think the media got this). Man, that is impressive insider information you got there. Just curious, do you work for the Organization in some kind of capacity? I can honestly and with a clear conscious say...no, don't work for the organization. [-( But our boy Bruce will vouch for me. And I see the Cubs have jobs posted in Marketing...not that you have to sell anything since the Cubs sell themselves.

Yes, yes, yes the Cubs should go after him. He is a fantastic closer and how fun...Twins got him for AJ! And now I get to be a girl here (since I am)...cannot have too many players who are easy on the eyes. :D Don't worry fellas because that part is just the icing on the cake for a lady such as myself. Player can be butt ugly in my book as long as he is a good player. Sorry guys but I could put together my own all cute team that would kick butt...or at least some of them would have in years past. Yeah, suppose I threw all credibility out the window there but in the past, there have been certain players I have wanted on this team and the ones the Cubs have picked up have performed.

Don't hold your breath...Tribune is waiting to sell until after the Zell transaction takes place because then they will be a privately held entity which does not have to answer to the shareholders. Means, they can sell to whomever they want...not the highest bidder. Even if it had to be the highest bidder, Selig would do like he did in Boston...cobble together a group to make them the highest bidder. That is how John Henry came on board.

Exactly...Look at Kerry Wood..Loyal, Dedicated guy...Mark Prior...Bottle and bib.. Yeah, heaven forbid a guy doesn't have loyalty for as team that fanned rumors of his "wussiness" which ended up delaying a surgery he needed for two years. The guy wants more money..for doing what?...Kerry Wood needed the surgery and time too..Came back like a man and said "I love this team and I owe them something" and took way less money..If Prior wants to sabotage the team,The big market team that drafted him, paid his dollars and has been loyal to him,through thick and thin,and then called himself " just an "employee" ..He can take freakin hike..Bottom line, he has hard personal feelings towards the Cubs and does not want to be here..Not anyone in the Cubs orginizations fault. You do realize Kerry Wood took the best contract offered to him this offseason? Neither of them owed the Cubs a thing. And I don't see how Prior wants to sabotage the team. No he didn't. Kerry had two year deals on the table from other clubs. He showed loyalty to the organization that paid him to do nothing. Prior on the other hand, didn't. Which is fine, not everyone is as great a person as Wood and wants to be a Cub. If Prior doesn't want to be here, screw him. If you spent three years with an injury that needed surgery to repair and the "boss" told you that you were a head case and weren't hurt, would you be very loyal? Cubs spent three years telling this guy there was nothing wrong with him when he knew he was hurt and was willing to have surgery if need be. They called him a head case and mentally weak (where do you think the media got this).

Will you believe it if they say they have emails? Not sure if everyone realizes but George Mitchell sent letters to every club telling key individuals they could not delete anything from their computers as well as their assistants, etc. We all know that good computer people can find everything once the get their hands on a system. And don't think they didn't...MLB took possession of the computers and had them examined. I am sure they learned a lot that way alone.

He is a class act and it really stinks that he is being jerked around like this. Isn't something we haven't seen in the past though, right?

Andy isn't crazy.

If they get Izturis, what would he do? .300 with 20 homers? See what happens when you wrap up too much money in 3 or 4 players (Pujols, Rolen, Carpenter)??? I think they have been through as many 2nd baseman as we have since they lowballed Grudzielanek. Obviously didn't plan to offer Eckstein much either.

I highly suspect this wouldn't be allowed.

Okay, the first thing that popped into my head when I saw this was....WHY? He isn't that good.

How odd this comes out the day before McDonough resigns. I guess he finally saw the writing on the wall.

Actually only portions of the ballpark are landmarked...the marquee, the scoreboard and the outfield walls. It was the reason that during the reconstruction of the bleachers that the OF wall was retained and included in the project.

One would think MLB would demand it. Maybe this is part of the holdup. I already know they cannot sell CSN separately from the club or the ownership stake becomes less than 25% with the remaining three teams absorbing the difference.

Seems the Blackhawks approached Tribune about McDonough.

I don't think it should be viewed as odd. He was a longterm marketing man, then elevated to president right in the middle of a new ownership search. Seems pretty clear he wasn't going to be the top guy for long. It's part of the reason why Andy left when he did, he new the sale was coming and didn't want to be part of the transition group. Might have been a small part of why Andy left when he did. There is more to it I am sure that will never be out for the public to know about. Lots of things aren't...

This is incorrect...from the Tribune...the "president" oversees Business and Baseball but suspect that they don't want Kenney's fingers in the baseball side of things for various reasons. In a statement, the Cubs said Crane Kenney, who took over marketing the team when McDonough was promoted to president in October 2006, will oversee the team's business operations while general manager Jim Hendry will lead the baseball side. Crane Kenney was was McD's boss and was Andy MacPhail's boss when FitzSimons was promoted to CEO. Crane Kenney is an SVP and General Counsel at Tribune Comapny. Long story as the boss should have been the head of Broadcasting (Pat Mullen) who was dumped and is now GM at Fox32. Mark McGuire runs Business Operations and has since Tribune took control. Jay Blunk was promoted to run the Marketing department when McD was promoted to President in October 2006 and Blunk has since been promotoed to a VP. All the good soldiers got their due. :wink: