Cubs fans have had "about three months to recover from the initial thrill" of Wrigley Field's new 3,990-square-foot videoboard located behind the left-field bleachers, but the question of whether the programming on that board is any good "is moot unless the sound gets fixed," according to CHICAGO TRIBUNE theater critic Chris Jones. From the infield-terrace seats, it is "impossible to decode much of anything that is spoken in any segment that uses dialogue." Fans can "hear a muddy noise" but cannot "discern words." It also is time to "ban the loops of programming designed to burnish the Ricketts family community bona fides -- the kids' parties, the charitable doings, the Cubs caring as they surely do." Jones: "When you own the board, you never should venerate yourself." Furthermore, the players "currently are not being served well." Jones: "Why not let them determine how they want to introduce themselves to the fans?" This board "could empower the players, individualize them and surprise the fans." And the programming "could be more fun." At this juncture, the fan-driven content is "just blocks of text that don't take advantage of current technology." They are "boring." Jones: "Why not include some fan-generated content? Sure, you have to be careful and screen the offers, but this is the way to build real community. ... Get the beer guys up there. The ushers. The ticket-takers. ... Think about getting someone in the crowd with a microphone; ponder giving the screen a face" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 6/26).
BOARD EXAMS: In Chicago, Blair Kamin in an architectural critique writes something "is amiss" in Wrigley Field, as the new videoboards at night "overshadow the old scoreboard, disrupting the carefully calibrated sense of place that makes the ballpark a national treasure." In the darkness, the new boards "project while the old one seems to recede." The new features "render the center-field scoreboard more ceremonial than useful." Cubs President of Business Operations Crane Kenney said, "We never want the center-field board to take a back seat to the new boards. We think we can do a better job of lighting the center-field board." He added that the team "will run tests that amp up lighting on the center-field scoreboard" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 6/26). Also in Chicago, Paul Sullivan writes the center-field scoreboard being sandwiched between the two large video boards makes it "look like a lonely wallflower at the Cubs party." While it is "still the favorite backdrop for fan selfies," Sullivan wonders if anyone still uses it "for its original purpose, namely providing the score." The old scoreboard "still gives us inning-by-inning scores, but it's up to the fan to add them up." Kenney said that they have "heard the cries of fans who don't like doing the math." Sullivan notes the Cubs during the latest renovation "took down the LED strip under the board to restore its luster." They "want the board to remain a beloved part of the ballpark" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 6/26).
