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Cubs Chair Still Talking To City Officials, But Nothing New On Wrigley Renovation

Cubs Chair Tom Ricketts said that MLB's new CBA will "not lead to any change in strategy on the Cubs' part, and that nothing is new on the Wrigley Field renovation front," according to Paul Sullivan of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. Ricketts had "no update on the Cubs’ plans for financing the estimated $300 million in ballpark renovations, saying he continues to talk with elected officials." As for changes at Wrigley, he said there will be "nothing dramatic from a structural standpoint" in '12. Ricketts: "From a fan amenities standpoint, there are some things we’re kicking around, but we haven’t finalized what those will be." After "years of spotty coverage for cell phone users," Ricketts said that "improved wireless access at Wrigley is 'in the cards'" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 11/30). Ricketts also said that he "was 'personally surprised' at the the new draft rules in the" CBA that include harsh penalties for exceeding tax thresholds. Ricketts: "It's a big shift, a bigger shift than I expected." He also indicated that he is "not sure how big the front office will grow, but he has encouraged [President of Baseball Operations Theo] Epstein to increase it as he sees fit." Addressing the perception that his honeymoon period as owner is over, Ricketts said, "In the end, if we win, people will think we were good owners. If we lose, we're bad owners" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 11/30).

CAREFUL WITH YOUR MONEY: In Illinois, Mike Imrem notes new owners "tend to provide baseball operations with financial leeway for a while before realizing whose money is being spent." As much confidence as Ricketts "has in Epstein, he might want to stay vigilant on the spending side of the Cubs." Imrem: "We don't know yet whether Epstein will be as liberal with the Ricketts family fortune. ... Maybe the onus is on Tom Ricketts to find a way to print money at Wrigley Field for Theo Epstein to play with" (Illinois DAILY HERALD, 11/30).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

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