Local year in review: Ed Sherman


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Posted by rika nozomi on December 31, 2010 at 03:49:40:

Posted by Ed Sherman on Chicago Business

There were plenty of local sports business stories that caught our attention this year. Here are a few of them:

Prime audition: Mike Quade looked to be nothing more than an interim manager when Lou Piniella bolted the Cubs in August. Mr. Quade, though, made the most of the opportunity, guiding the Cubs to a 24-13 record the rest of the way. When it came time to pick a manager for 2011, the Cubs went with the little-known Quade over Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg. At least those late-season games counted for somebody.

Home in Mesa: The Cubs did win something this year. In November, the voters in Mesa approved a measure to build a new spring training complex for the team. The facility should be ready in 2013. Now owner Tom Ricketts hopes to have similar success with Illinois politicians regarding renovations of Wrigley Field. Good luck with that.

Twittering: The Kenny Williams-Ozzie Guillen flareups looked like something out of a bad sitcom. The sniping served as a distraction to what was a decent season on the South Side. Both men said they have resolved their issues and that things will be better in 2011. I'll believe it when I see it.

Signage: After much commotion, the Cubs erected a red Toyota sign in left field. Lo and behold, Wrigley Field didn't fall down.

Oil spill: The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico affected the Cubs and Sox. BP signed on as the sponsor of the new Crosstown Cup, given to the winner of the annual Cubs-Sox series. However, after the disaster hit, BP scuttled an advertising campaign based around the cup.

Flirting with LeBron: It seems like a long time ago now, but there actually was about 15 minutes last July when we allowed ourselves to think that seeing LeBron James in a Bulls uniform could become a reality. Of course, it didn't happen, as Mr. James said he was "taking his talents to South Beach" in that ill-fated announcement show on ESPN. The Bulls wound up with Carlos Boozer.

Big money Bears: Frustrated after failing to make the playoffs for three straight years, the normally frugal Bears reached deep into their wallets and signed top free agent Julius Peppers to a $72-million deal. The decision paid off, as Mr. Peppers came up big.

Family matters: George McCaskey will become chairman of the Bears, taking over from his brother Michael. Owner Jerry Reinsdorf installed his son Michael as president of the Bulls.

Follow bouncing Mikey: Mike North always gives me plenty to write about. After his morning show wasn't renewed by Comcast SportsNet, he landed as a co-host on "Monsters and Money" on WBBM-TV/Channel 2. When that show got canceled in August, he moved on to Fox Sports Radio and upgraded his website NorthtoNorth with new video content. What do you have for me next year, Mike?

Sidelined: A domestic assault incident in Los Angeles saw former Sun-Times columnist Jay Mariotti lose his column job at AOL Fanhouse and his seat as a panelist on ESPN's "Around the Horn." These days the only place to find Mr. Mariotti's views are on Twitter.

They're listening: Both sports talk radio stations, WSCR-AM/670 and WMVP-AM/1000, continue to post strong numbers. The White Sox flirted with the idea of launching a third station on FM before renewing with WSCR. However, as part of their deal, the team will have its own HD station.

Bunkered: It wasn't a great year for Cog Hill. In June, owner Frank Jemsek learned Erin Hills, outside of Milwaukee, beat out his course to host the 2017 U.S. Open. Then in September, the pros ripped the conditioning and design of the greens at Cog Hill during the BMW Championship.

Off the wall: The Northwestern-Illinois game at Wrigley Field was a huge success from a marketing perspective, generating national attention. However, the little issue with the tight end zone in right field means we might have seen the last football game at Wrigley for a while.

Memorial: Ron Santo, Bill Gleason, Reid Hanley and Mark Zerang. Hope the weather is better where you are, old friends.




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