At the tone...

[TallTitan34]

if we started something on the Brewers, you would do the same, don't take it so personally, its called banter.

No sarcasm here.  I won't lie, I do love banter and pissing matches.

[IAmMarquette]

Is the buckethead brigade coming back this year?   

I wish it would. Unfortunately when Daron Sutton left the booth, Daron & Bill's Buckethead Brigade left with him.

[robmufan]

IAmMarquette, I would like to thank you for admitting that you are hijacking the thread...at least one brew fan is having fun with us!

[TallTitan34]

I hope this gets locked before Mbakwe gets mad that this thread is getting more replys than his.

Mbakwe doesn't care for baseball since the Twins traded away Johan.

[NavinRJohnson]

Well I guess it's time for me to get in this pissing match before the thread gets locked.

The whole Wrigley Field argument is ridiculous.  Why do Cubs fans show up in every city they play in especially Miller Park?

You can't make fun of the Cubs for having 1 World Series Win in the last 100 year then say Cubs fans only come out now because they are good.  What?  We haven't been good since 1945.

So what happened then? Prior to '84, the Cubs drew nobody. You ever heard of Lee Elia? I didn't say it was all because of Wrigley. I said the Tribune made it more about Wrigley than about baseball. They successfully attempted to change the culture of Cubs baseball. Instead of trying to get people to come out and watch a bad baseball team, they tried to get them to come out for the experience. Now, having a very good team in '84 certainly helped, but the marketing of the team - and encouraging ass clowns, has allowed them to remain remarkably consistent attendance-wise even in bad years, and they have sprinkled in a few playoff appearances. That culture which is a major reason why tickets are both expensive and hard to come by at Wrigley, is the major reason why they draw on the road. That and the fact that tickets are expensive and hard to come by at Wrigley Field. Throw in the WGN broadcasts over the years, and there you have it.

The Cubs have been better in recent years to be sure, but to suggest that the increase in attendance they achieved back in the mid-80's that they have been able to maintain was not because of Wrigley Field, is just foolish. It has been and is even now the biggest draw the Cubs have. If that's not it, then what is it? Where the Cubs drawing fans everywhere back in 1975, 1980, 1982?

[IAmMarquette]

IAmMarquette, I would like to thank you for admitting that you are hijacking the thread...at least one brew fan is having fun with us!

No problem. Some of the posters in this thread don't seem to understand the whole "banter" part of it. Too much piss & vinegar (and inferiority complexes from both sides) for my liking.

[IAmMarquette]

Honestly, I wouldn't have jumped into a Brewers ticket thread to bash Illinois and the Cubs.

Maybe, but you may have jumped into a Brewers ticket thread to bash Wisconsin and the Brewers, which would make more sense, given that you're a Cubs fan. Assuming that's what you meant, I'm gonna go ahead and call BULLSH*T!!!

[TallTitan34]

The thread is all over the place.

[NavinRJohnson]

if we started something on the Brewers, you would do the same, don't take it so personally, its called banter.

No sarcasm here.  I won't lie, I do love banter and pissing matches.

See, I'm with you. This crap about hijacking threads is stupid, whiny BS. Who cares if these threads drift off in different directions a bit? Are these boards really that heavily trafficked to make that such a bad thing? Is the discussion of purchasing Cub tickets really that hot a topic that people are getting frustrated at the difficulty in discussing it? If you want to talk about buying Cub tickets, talk about it, instead of complaining about someone hijacking the thread.

There I guess I've "Hijacked" it again....

Ladies and gentleman this is your captain speaking. Our Hijackers have just informed us that we will not be landing Libya, we are actually being rerouted to Iran.

[DegenerateDish]

The Cubs really are a brand more than anything.

A combo of WGN and Harry Carry made them the brand they are today. There's a reason during Cubs broadcasts on 'GN that they show as many crowd/neighborhood shots as they do.

The brand excelled with their success in '84, and then in '89. As they moved forward, the Trib was intelligent enough to move on this and market the hell out of the Wrigley experience. Throw in success every now and then ('98, '03, last season) and one of the more intelligent marketing departments in sports, and the Cubs are very much more about baseball. If anything, the baseball was/is (to a degree) secondary to the Cubs experience and success.

The Cubs aren't dumb though, and know that to keep the product going, it is still important to field competitive teams. Their success on the field makes it somewhat easier to continue the rise in their ticket prices. Obviously their ticket prices are fueled by supply/demand, but in the sports world (as everyone knows), it's always easier to justify a price increase following a winning season.

As a Sox fan, I have no bitterness towards the Cubs. I do believe that too many Cub fans get thrown under the "Wrigley Field fan" category. Having Wrigley be a part of their Cubdom is just a coincidence, and they'd follow the team no matter where they played. I feel bad for these people, as it's hard to fight the stigma that they just go because of Wrigley. There is clearly a Wrigley Field fan contingent that exists. The buses from Iowa sitting on Waveland on game days attest to this. Until they move out of the ballpark, it won't ever change.

[Pakuni]

I would just like to point out that when the brewers fans complain about cubs spending money...it's because we have the money.  Where do we get the money?  To start, ticket sales!  Don't tell me that if you didn't have 8 million more dollars, you wouldn't have overpaid even more for gagne

I'm not a Brewers fan and don't care how much they spend for Gagne.
Which doesn't change the fact I still can't understand Cubs' fans obsession with their attendance. Great, you sell out the park most games. Hooray!
Then again, so do the BoSox and Yankees. Last I checked, neither fanbase talks about it incessantly. They're too busy comparing World Series rings.

[winonamufan]

^
within the next 5 years, the cubs will have one of those rings.

[TallTitan34]

I think the whole point about attendance like robmufan said is more attendance = more money = more to spend on players.

[🏀]

Now that the game is over. LET'S GET IT ON!

[chapman]

^
within the next 5 years, the cubs will have one of those rings.

I think I should send this is in to the company that makes my "365 Stupidest Quotes" calendar. 

[🏀]

^
within the next 5 years, the cubs will have one of those rings.

Within the next 5 years, the Brewers will be without Prince, Braun, and Hart.

[IAmMarquette]

^
within the next 5 years, the cubs will have one of those rings.

Within the next 5 years, the Brewers will be without Prince, Braun, and Hart.

Guess they'll just have to win 2 championships before then!

[Mayor McCheese]

^
within the next 5 years, the cubs will have one of those rings.

Within the next 5 years, the Brewers will be without Prince, Braun, and Hart.

is this so much the Brewers fault, or the Brewer fans fault?  I love how other teams fans, especially the Cub fans rip on Brewer fans by saying things liek these.  Is it really our fault that we are a small market team, does that mean I shouldn't root for the Brewers, or they shouldn't exist.  In fact, I think the real problem with baseball is the fact that they make it so small market teams can't compete.  The game of baseball would be so much better without teams like Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Angels, Cubs, Tigers... did I forget any?  Honestly, how great would baseball be with a salary cap.  Players wouldn't make ridiculous wages and each team would be a contender, much like NFL to an extent.  However since we don't have a salary cap, teams like the Twins, A's, Brewers, etc. will have to struggle to bring up some of the best talent from the farm leagues (an attest to our coaches?) to only ship them to New York, Chicago, Boston... what a tragedy, one of the worst things about sports in general.


However, I am maybe a naive Brewer fan when I think players like Prince, and Braun won't leave due to their ties to the Milwaukee franchise, and their ties to the fans/city.

[🏀]

Was it not previously mentioned earlier that the Cubs couldn't draw flies? The Brewers can breech small-market, easily. They need to get the rabid fan base that is Wisconsin with the team to start. That shouldn't be too hard, except for maybe the Upper Regions of the state.

Next step, national television.

[Mayor McCheese]

Any other scoopers get opening day tickets?

You do realize it is March 31st don't you? I had an offer from a seldom scooper, Cub season ticket holder, but decided it was best to take a pass. Something not right about baseball being played in snow.

thats ok, at least cubs fans are true fans and we can actually sell out our home opener.

Winona, the Brewers sell out opening day. They just have to give away the tickets with the purchase of a ticket package. Pathetic.

opening day is sold out every year... the fact that they gave it away with the purchase of more tickets is actually a very smart business move, give away a ticket that everyone will buy to people who are more dedicated fans and will purchase a group of tickets... I don't see why you have such a problem with giveaways at games... fan appreciation days, Marquette does it all the time, in fact this year people were complaining about the things Marquette was giving away, (in fact, people were upset about there being NO bobble heads this year, these same bobble heads that apparently the Brewers shouldn't give away)... so is Marquette actually a lesser program for giving away things to their fans?  In your eyes yes they are, since the Brewers are pathetic for doing this.

I didn't know teams were based on how much they could make their fans pay for a ticket just to watch a team lose for 100 years.  Its okay though, it is tradition, and the Cubs are better for that.

[chapman]

^
within the next 5 years, the cubs will have one of those rings.

Within the next 5 years, the Brewers will be without Prince, Braun, and Hart.

is this so much the Brewers fault, or the Brewer fans fault?  I love how other teams fans, especially the Cub fans rip on Brewer fans by saying things liek these.  Is it really our fault that we are a small market team, does that mean I shouldn't root for the Brewers, or they shouldn't exist.  In fact, I think the real problem with baseball is the fact that they make it so small market teams can't compete.  The game of baseball would be so much better without teams like Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Angels, Cubs, Tigers... did I forget any?  Honestly, how great would baseball be with a salary cap.  Players wouldn't make ridiculous wages and each team would be a contender, much like NFL to an extent.  However since we don't have a salary cap, teams like the Twins, A's, Brewers, etc. will have to struggle to bring up some of the best talent from the farm leagues (an attest to our coaches?) to only ship them to New York, Chicago, Boston... what a tragedy, one of the worst things about sports in general.


However, I am maybe a naive Brewer fan when I think players like Prince, and Braun won't leave due to their ties to the Milwaukee franchise, and their ties to the fans/city.

Much has been made about the lack of salary cap, but one thing I like with baseball is that players can't hold out for more money.  If a player doesn't have enough service time to get arbitration, they can't refuse to show up for spring training until they get a better contract.  If they want to sit out, they just lose the service time necessary to be eligible for free agency, thus delaying their payday even further.  If they have the service time for arbitration, the best they can do is let the arbitration case be heard.  After a player is eligible for free agency their services are finally subject to a bidding war.  But if NFL rules applied, Fielder and Braun would be holding out right now asking for more money or a trade ala Javon Walker, Deion Branch and numerous others who are still on their rookie contracts.  Then between February and June half of those players that held out get cut to give their teams some cap relief.

[muhoosier260]

I drive a dodge stratus!!!!!
I am a regional manager of a company!!!!

[🏀]

I drive a dodge stratus!!!!!
I am a regional manager of a company!!!!

PEOPLE ARE SCARED OF ME

I CAN DO 100 PUSH-UPS IN 5 MINUTES.

[robmufan]

I really dont buy the small market crap.  The cubs have to compete with a team that is less then 30 miles away!

[Pakuni]

I really dont buy the small market crap.  The cubs have to compete with a team that is less then 30 miles away!

Chicago metro area = 9.5 million people
Milwaukee metro area = 1.5 million people

Even assuming that the Cubs share their market equally with the White Sox - something we know isn't quite true - they'd still have a fan base more than three times larger - or about 3.25 million people larger - than that of the Brewers.