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It's stuff like this that makes me hate the vast majority of people in the world

CHICAGO (AP)—Nothing obstructed the view of Wrigley Field on Monday from a pair of rooftop clubs whose owner has refused to share 17 percent of his profits with the team.

But if Tom Gramatis hasn’t paid up by the time the Cubs return home April 15, team officials said obstructions will be installed.

Cubs vice president Mike Lufrano said the team hopes it won’t have to do that, but that it’s unfair to other rooftop partners to let one rooftop get away without paying.

Gramatis could not be reached for comment.

Four years ago, the Cubs and the rooftop owners struck a deal after an acrimonious dispute that saw the team put up wind screens to obscure their views.

Rooftop owners agreed to pay the Cubs 17 percent of their gross revenues for the next 20 years.
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Comments

  • typical MLB sleaze. not making enough millions. gotta squeeze the local neighborhood for additional cash.
  • baseballfanbaseballfan Posts: 5,458 ✭✭✭
    these are the same people that would have tried to charge the kids that used to look through the knot holes in the fence
    Fred

    collecting RAW Topps baseball cards 1952 Highs to 1972. looking for collector grade (somewhere between psa 4-7 condition). let me know what you have, I'll take it, I want to finish sets, I must have something you can use for trade.

    looking for Topps 71-72 hi's-62-53-54-55-59, I have these sets started

  • BoopottsBoopotts Posts: 6,784 ✭✭
    So the Cubs should incur 100% of the costs associated with fielding a team, and then gleefully allow people who contribute nothing to the Cubs' revenue stream to profit from the team's play? Sounds like a wonderful business model.

    Are you also the guy who thinks Napster was unfairly jammed by those big, bad corporate capitalists?
  • markj111markj111 Posts: 2,921 ✭✭✭
    I have to agree with the Cubs on this one.
  • IrishMikeIrishMike Posts: 7,737 ✭✭✭
    Get real people, these scuzbags bought these properties with the express intent to charge folks for watching the game. Why on earth should the owners of the Cubs allow someone else to profit by charging admission to see their product. Some of these folks supply food and beverages at outrageous costs (they refuse to allow their patrons to bring up their refreshments), force them to pay over the market parking etc. Why on earth would anyone feel sorry for these building owners?? If Wrigley wasn't nearly always a sellout, they'd be out of business.
  • I honestly think the Cubs should have just put up the screens four years ago, made the people buy tickets if they want to see the game and been done with it, but someone from the Cubs saw a money making opportunity and tried to cash in with the 17%. I'm against the Cubs here, they could have solved this problem years ago.
  • OriolesOrioles Posts: 312 ✭✭✭
    I don't think these club owners would do anywhere near the business they are doing if their club overlooked the interstate instead of Wrigley Field. I know nothing about their situation other than what was posted here, but I would guess they get more than 17% of their profit from people coming to watch the Cubs.
  • I already hate the vast majority of people in the world. This does not change anything.
  • PSASAPPSASAP Posts: 2,284 ✭✭✭
    The best part of the deal is that the apartment owner has an unobstructed view of Wrigley Field.
    The worst part of the deal is that he has to watch the Cubs! :-)
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,695 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Agree with boopotts on this one. The owner of the club ought to pay his fair share. He is directly benefitting financially from the Cubs baseball team, so why shouldn't he contribute for that same benefit? I'm sure he doesn't allow people to sit there and watch the game for nothing either.


    Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
  • WinPitcherWinPitcher Posts: 27,726 ✭✭✭
    How do the Cubs prove what the guy charges? His tax return?

    I'm not sure how I feel about this.


    Steve
    Good for you.
  • storm888storm888 Posts: 11,701 ✭✭✭
    "....refused to share 17 percent of his profits ...."

    "...Rooftop owners agreed to pay the Cubs 17 percent of their gross revenues for the next 20 years. "

    //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

    Typical poor reporting skills by an AP trainee.

    17% of the profits is a WORLD away from 17% of gross revenues.
    Yet, the contradictory concepts are intermingled.

    The contracts call for 17% of "gross revenues." A HUGE sum.

    The holdout will likely pay. The paying "partners" will sue him,
    if he doesn't; and, they could win.




    Folks Who Bite Get Bitten. Folks Who Don't Bite Get Eaten.
  • Cubs ownership should purchase all buildings in question. Renovate buildings to store their World Series trophies.
  • When I said "It's stuff like this that makes me hate the vast majority of people in the world..." it didn't mean I was taking anyone's side...hence "vast majority."

    I just think the whole situation from all sides is asinine.
    image
  • It is very hard to EVER feel sorry for the Cubs management in terms of them not getting their 'share' of any money.

    These are the same management people who scalp their own tickets! Yes, they withhold a certain amount of tickets and they have their own scalping service where they jack up the price. This is borderline illegal, but they get away with it through some loophole.

    These are the same Cubs owners who from the mid 80's through the early 2000's who were tight fisted with the payroll. They were raking money in hand over fist, but they did not do anything to put it towards playres on the field. Only in the past few years have they started spending money in line with their revenue.

    As for the apartments, either those apartment owners got lucky because they happened to own a building that turned into what it is today, or they made a wide investment knowing what they could do with it. If the Cubs were so concerned about it, then they could have bought the buildings and did the same thing.

    The view of the apartment buildings from inside the stadium is one of the charms of Wrigley Field. If the Cubs put screens up, then they automatically eliminate one of the charms from INSIDE the stadium.

    Does it matter what an apartment owner charges? They aren't holding a gun to people to come up there. Believe me, it is yuppie central up there. 90% of the fans inside and outside of Wrigley can't tell you a whole lot about baseball.

    I dare the Cubs to move! Their whole draw would be gone, and they would be just another team, and just another stadium. Somehow with the location of the park, and the surrounding environment, it turned into the biggest draw of non baseball people in the entire sporting world.
  • frankhardyfrankhardy Posts: 8,097 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Cubs ownership should purchase all buildings in question. Renovate buildings to store their World Series trophies. >>




    image

    Shane

  • RonBurgundyRonBurgundy Posts: 5,491 ✭✭✭
    Given the trash the Cubs roll out there year after year, he ought to suggest that the Cubs should pay him.




    Ron
    Ron Burgundy

    Buying Vintage, all sports.
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  • << <i>Given the trash the Cubs roll out there year after year, he ought to suggest that the Cubs should pay him.




    Ron >>



    Hey, John Kruk said they're going to win the WS. And John is never wrong.
    image
  • To me, this whole situation is a mute point. After all, why would ANYONE want to pay ANYTHING to watch a perenial loser anyway?!?! Wood as closer won't do any good if the Cubs never actually get a lead in a ballgame, lolimage
    Jim G
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