[Cub Chairman Crane Kenney, explaining the Captain Fantastic concept to a new Elton John fan.]
In a wide-ranging if not at all newsworthy interview, Cub Chairman and Tribune employee Crane Kenny helped fill some Tribune space with the kind of modern deficit executive thinking one usually only gets from bail-out bankers these days. Consider it this way: in an era when bailed out AIG execs demand incentive bonuses, the busted-out bankrupt Tribune Co, responsible for nearly thirty of the Cubs 100 years outside of the World Series, refuses to split a new spring training site the Cubs are demanding of the citizens of Mesa, AZ. The White Sox and Dodgers split a park in Glendale, but Kenney says, “We think the Cubs deserve to stand on their own.” Indeed, the team that doesn’t need to win to make money, also wants you to know that shitty music paid for Rich Harden’s rickety shoulder, so be grateful those two days a month he’s throwing. As Kenney told the Tribune‘s Dick van Dyck:
“It’s strange, because you see these people who are opposed to the concerts and they’re Cub fans,” Cubs Chairman Crane Kenney said Wednesday in a wide-ranging interview.
“This is going to sound odd, but Elton John’s going to help us win some ballgames,” Kenney said. “The CBOE [seat] auction last year paid for Rich Harden. The ‘Road to Wrigley’ game sponsored our Asian scouting operation.
“That’s the way, from the business end, we look at these things. All these elements really help our business move forward. My view is if you’re a Cub fan, you should enjoy the concerts whether you’re an Elton John fan or not.”