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| Not like World Series of days of old at Wrigley |
THE
PERK IS that even before the limited number of tickets that went on sale to the
general public were put up for grabs, the aldermen were among a class of
so-called important people who could have the chance to buy some seats.
Note
I’m saying “buy.” Nobody was talking about giving aldermen the tickets for the
ball games. Which is a concept I suspect offended at least some of the aldermen
– who probably think they’re important enough to warrant freebies.
Also
keep in mind that the official prices charged for World Series tickets are not
the same as those charged for Cubs games during the regular season. They’re
higher – a few hundred dollars per seat.
Which
is cheap only when compared to the scalper prices – I have heard figures
ranging from just under $1 million per seat if you want to sit in one of those
prime seats up close to the action and where everyone watching the games on
television will be capable of seeing you, to as low as about $5,500 per seat if
all you want to do is stand in the upper deck in spare space and be able to say
you were inside the building when the World Series returned to Wrigley Field
for the first time in 71 years.
PERSONALLY,
I DON’T think that kind of money is worth the experience. I think it borders on
criminal that anybody thinks they can charge it. But then again, I have never
thought Cubs fans had all that much sense, so perhaps they’re willing to give
up a chance at retirement and can reminisce about the games they see this
weekend when, in future years, they’re reduced to eating cans of cat food.
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| Won't be able to ignore Murray |
But back to the aldermen, who had their perk taken away when the public got outraged – seemingly out of the belief that aldermen were getting free tickets from the ball club. Then, the council’s ethics board declared that accepting the ticket perk was something that bordered on unethical.
I
can already hear the snide comments made about the absurdity of ethics from the
Chicago City Council. But the bottom line is that someone decided to take the
high road when it comes to political perks.
Although
there are bound to be complaints. Take 31st Ward Alderman Milly
Santiago, who may well have created her moment of political infamy when she
complained about losing the perk.
FIRST,
SHE POINTED out that the seats she was being offered were those cheap ones in
the upper-most rows of the top deck. Then, she said, “I’m a poor alderman. I
cannot even afford to buy a $1,000 ticket.”
You
just know she’s never going to live that line down.
Personally,
I don’t think it’s a loss if there aren’t so many political people on hand. You
know Fox television is going to be more interested in Hollywood celebrities who
bother to show up at games.
Chances
are, we’re going to be sick of seeing Bill Murray by the time Sunday rolls
around. And if by chance Jim Belushi is among the Wrigley scene, you just know
nausea will predominate among the television viewing public.
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| SANTIAGO: Poor alderman |
THE KEY TO comprehending the crowds that show up at Clark and Addison this weekend is that they’re not going to be hard-core fans. Heck, even regular season Cubs games are more about the glitz, but this will be even moreso.
It
may well be Chicago trying to put on a show of the kind of city that certain
people wish it was, instead of what it really is.
If
anything, the real reason to keep aldermen out of the ballpark is that it means
there will be fewer ugly people taking up space that could better be used by
whichever gorgeous starlet actor John Cusack decides to have as his date Friday
Night for Game 3.
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