Ricketts Family Annoyance Thread

[J. Walter Weatherman]

Chuck fell asleep while tanning on Rhetorical Beach and we've never heard the end of it since.

*not necessarily actual quotes

[Saul Goodman]

At midnight the Cubs dropped a story and a video that are, in essence, a six-minute-long 'fuck you' to the rooftop owners.  It's about time.  Some highlights...

CHICAGO -- The Ricketts family, which has delayed its efforts to renovate 100-year-old Wrigley Field while negotiating with the rooftop owners, now plans to go ahead with the ballpark's restoration and add additional signage in the outfield.

Ricketts said they will submit a revised expansion plan to the Commission on Chicago Landmarks, asking for approval of additions to the original proposal to add several signs and a revised seating configuration in the outfield. If approved, Ricketts said they are prepared to begin construction.

The new outfield signs will provide an additional revenue source to help fund other parts of the restoration, Ricketts said. The revised expansion plan will include additional seating and open spaces in the Budweiser Bleachers, including new group terraces in right and left field and enclosed hospitality areas. They are also asking for new outfield lights that will reduce shadows, allowing fly balls to be lit from both front and back. All lighting will be directed inside the ballpark and not outside to the community.

Also, four additional LED signs of up to 650 square feet, and one additional 2,400-square foot videoboard in right field will be added to the ballpark.

The Cubs also have adjusted the design modifications for the clubhouse. Currently, the Cubs players utilize approximately 11,000 square feet, and the original expansion plan increased the clubhouse size to 19,000 square feet. The new plan further expands the clubhouse to 30,000 square feet and it will be located beneath the new outdoor plaza.

The visitor's clubhouse also will be expanded, and the home and visiting bullpens will be relocated from the field to an area under the expanded Budweiser Bleachers.

As part of the bleacher expansion, the proposed video scoreboard in left field will be reduced to 3,990-square feet, which is smaller than the one approved by the Chicago City Council and the Commission on Chicago Landmarks in 2013.

"I'm not saying Wrigley Field is the reason the Chicago Cubs haven't won a World Championship in more than 100 years," Ricketts said. "But I am saying it's time to invest in Wrigley Field and to do the things our competitors do."

The Ricketts, who are privately financing the project, had previously said they would not begin large portions of the renovation plan until the Wrigleyville Rooftop Association agreed it would not sue the team over blocked views. But the rooftop owners have made it clear that despite the city's approval and the Cubs' contractual rights, they plan to file lawsuits to stop the renovation and expansion plans.

"We've spent endless hours negotiating with the rooftop businesses," Ricketts said. "We've gotten nowhere in our talks with them to settle this dispute. It has to end. It's time to move forward."

Ricketts said they hope to avoid "going to the courthouse" to deal with the rooftop owners.

"Being unable to improve our park puts us in the hole by tens of millions of dollars every year," Ricketts said. "Our competitors in the Central Division don't suffer that restriction. They can put up signs in the outfield and create other revenue to invest in their baseball teams."

[Saul Goodman]

DPD for a quote (via ESPN.com) from the mayor's office.  Hmm, is Rahm on the Cubs' side or the rooftop owners?  I just can't tell.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel's spokeswoman Sarah Hamilton released a statement by email, saying: "Like all Cub fans, the mayor doesn't want to wait for next year, and if this proposal helps the Cubs get closer to a ballpark renovation this fall -- and the jobs and neighborhood investments that come with it -- it's worth taking a look at."

[J. Walter Weatherman]

At midnight the Cubs dropped a story and a video that are, in essence, a six-minute-long 'fuck you' to the rooftop owners.

Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts sent a letter and video to Cubs fans late Wednesday, saying they are going to "put the team and the fans first."  --- The fact that this even needs to be stated says it all.  I guess until now Ricketts has been putting Ricketts first?  He's Don Sterling minus the racism.  The guy just looks like he's full of ___.

Eat my shorts Wreckitts

[Bort]

At midnight the Cubs dropped a story and a video that are, in essence, a six-minute-long 'fuck you' to the rooftop owners.

Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts sent a letter and video to Cubs fans late Wednesday, saying they are going to "put the team and the fans first."  --- The fact that this even needs to be stated says it all.  I guess until now Ricketts has been putting Ricketts first?  He's Don Sterling minus the racism.  The guy just looks like he's full of ___.

Eat my shorts Wreckitts

Christ, I hate Cubs fans.

[Yeti]

I like this. Time to rename the thread

[Tinker to Evers to Chance]

DPD for a quote (via ESPN.com) from the mayor's office.  Hmm, is Rahm on the Cubs' side or the rooftop owners?  I just can't tell.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel's spokeswoman Sarah Hamilton released a statement by email, saying: "Like all Cub fans, the mayor doesn't want to wait for next year, and if this proposal helps the Cubs get closer to a ballpark renovation this fall -- and the jobs and neighborhood investments that come with it -- it's worth taking a look at."

I hope Chicago turns out to be as corrupt and machine-run as I've always heard it is.

[Brownie]

DPD for a quote (via ESPN.com) from the mayor's office.  Hmm, is Rahm on the Cubs' side or the rooftop owners?  I just can't tell.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel's spokeswoman Sarah Hamilton released a statement by email, saying: "Like all Cub fans, the mayor doesn't want to wait for next year, and if this proposal helps the Cubs get closer to a ballpark renovation this fall -- and the jobs and neighborhood investments that come with it -- it's worth taking a look at."

I hope Chicago turns out to be as corrupt and machine-run as I've always heard it is.

Rahm is on Rahm's side. Toni Preckwinkle (whose gravitas should have taken a bit of a hit when she got all exercised about Bruce Rauner shaking hands with a guy who had a confederate flag patch on a multi-patched leather coat) is running against Rahm, and Karen Lewis will be throwing all of her resources into fucking Rahm any way she can, up to and including a months-long teacher's strike right into the teeth of the election. If Rahm can get a number of union votes and other votes supporting Ricketts, he will. If he can get a bunch of inbred Sox fans/Lakeview Residents to vote his way by supporting Julie Murphy's sad sack group he will.

[J. Walter Weatherman]

Toni Preckwinkle... is running against Rahm...

Maybe.

[Chuck to Chuck]

Nah. Toni's waiting until Rahm becomes Hillary's VP. She'll take the job in 2017.

[Brownie]

Nah. Toni's waiting until Rahm becomes Hillary's VP. She'll take the job in 2017.

That's hilarious.

[Chuck to Chuck]

Nah. Toni's waiting until Rahm becomes Hillary's VP. She'll take the job in 2017.

That's hilarious.

Yeah, probably wouldn't pass constitutional muster. Both are from Illinois.

[Bort]

Nah. Toni's waiting until Rahm becomes Hillary's VP. She'll take the job in 2017.

That's hilarious.

Yeah, probably wouldn't pass constitutional muster. Both are from Illinois.

Are you being seriously wrong, or is this a reference to someone else being wrong that I missed? It's hard to tell with you on the Internet.


EDIT: I am aware that you are, practically speaking, not wrong that most parties wouldn't be dumb enough to run that, but it's not unconstitutional for candidates to be from the same state. Just the electors from IL can't vote for them.

[CBStew]

Nah. Toni's waiting until Rahm becomes Hillary's VP. She'll take the job in 2017.

That's hilarious.

Yeah, probably wouldn't pass constitutional muster. Both are from Illinois.

It won't happen because both are Cub fans and the rest of the country knows that disqualifies them from public trust.

[Saul Goodman]

Karen Lewis will be throwing all of her resources into fucking Rahm

PHRASING!

And gross.