In an effort to "protect fans coming to their renovated relic, Cubs officials announced several additional security measures at Wrigley Field" for the '16 season, according to Mark Gonzales of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. The biggest changes are that fans "must go through metal detectors before entering the ballpark and that the Cubs are seeking help from the city to secure a 100-foot perimeter around the park on game days." The latter would mean sections of Clark and Addison streets "would be open only to emergency and police vehicles and buses." Cubs President of Business Operations Crane Kenney said that he "started thinking about additional safety measures after the Paris bombings in November." He said that an official from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security this month "will address security" with MLB officials. Kenney added that the Cubs "hired a consultant and are seeking additional help from MLB." Cubs Chair Tom Ricketts: "Security won't get any easier for us." Gonzales noted with "congestion at the ballpark at an all-time high because of a massive" $575M renovation project and "increased interest in the team, the Cubs elected to alert fans now so they can make plans to arrive at games earlier than usual" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 1/17). Kenney said, "We’re asking them to extend the perimeter of our control 100 feet in every direction. That doesn’t mean we want to own 100 feet in every direction. But we do want to know who is there and what they’re driving and why they’re there." In Chicago, Gordon Wittenmyer noted Kenney "called large venues such as Wrigley Field 'targets' for would-be terrorists and talked about the scant six feet of sidewalk between the park and passing traffic on Addison" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 1/17). Kenney on Saturday told fans at the team's annual convention, "There is an owners meeting on Coral Gables next week. I never really thought that I'd see on the agenda that we're going to be briefed by the director of Homeland Security at a baseball owners meeting, but we are."
WHAT'S THE TIME? In Chicago, Bruce Miles noted the Cubs will schedule only two 3:05pm CT games this season, "bowing to the wishes of the baseball people." Meanwhile, the Cubs said that their new clubhouse "will be ready by Opening Day." The clubhouse "will be the second-largest in the major leagues" (Chicago DAILY HERALD, 1/17).
CHANNEL YOUR INNER FEELINGS: ESPN CHICAGO's Jesse Rogers noted the Cubs are "confident that in-market streaming for some of their games" in '16 "will be available while still keeping an eye on launching their own television network after their current deals expire." Kenney said, "Right now we control launching our own network in 2020. As we have conversations, which are ongoing, if someone offers us something dramatically better we’ll look at it." Creating their own network "could involve building studio space, which means they may have a decision on their future" by '18. Already available next season "will be a 'showcase studio' at the offices going up next to Wrigley Field where pregame and postgame shows can originate from" (ESPNCHICAGO.com, 1/16). Kenney said to start a network, "We would need a two-year runway." The TRIBUNE's Gonzales wrote the Cubs "continue to explore all options for when their agreements with CSN, WGN and WLS expire" after the '19 season. But they "seem leaning to running their own network (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 1/17). Kenney said, "One thing we can control is launching our own network. We're focused 100 percent on that." He added, "We love the trajectory of sports rights. If you look at any of the recent deals that were done, they're still going up" (Chicago DAILY HERALD, 1/18). Ricketts said of possibly creating their own channel, "Maybe aside from changing leadership in baseball, it’s the biggest decision we have. So we’ve got to get it right." Kenney said of the changing media-rights landscape, "Everything’s an option." He added that a Cubs network "would be a joint venture with a distribution or content partner." The SUN-TIMES' Wittenmyer cites a source as saying that CSN "has proposed deals 'close' to what the Cubs seek but not close enough that a deal looks possible anytime soon." Kenney said agreements like the Dodgers’ no-risk $8.35B deal with Time Warner Cable "will never happen again" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 1/18).
ROCKY TOP: The HERALD's Miles wrote there has been "quite a change in atmosphere" at the convention, "to the point where Ricketts and his family are starting to rival" Blackhawks Chair Rocky Wirtz for popularity. Ricketts: "Well, if I could copy Rocky, I'd be pretty happy" (Chicago DAILY HERALD, 1/17).
