It hasn't received much press anywhere except here in Chicago, and even here, the Tribune has been fairly quiet about it (gee, I wonder why).

I touched upon this in the Cubs-Red Sox thread here, but I didn't want to take that thread off into left field. So, after receiving a few PMs suggesting this, I decided to put it into its own thread to allow for comments related to it specifically.

Here's what I posted in the other thread:

Let me try to summarize it.

Illinois law permits tickets to an event to be sold above face value only by registered, state-licensed ticket brokers. (We're ignoring scalpers here.) Brokers, of course, turn around and sell them to the public. As you know, these brokers are not affiliated with the event originator. It is illegal to sell your own tickets above their printed and published value.

Well, right down the street from Wrigley Field sprung up a "broker" called Premium Tickets. Premium bought tons of Cubs tickets and sold them at a HUGE, and I mean a HUGE markup. For example: tickets for the Cubs-Yankees series this season were being sold for $1500 each. These were box seats, normally selling for $40 or so (I don't recall the exact price for Cubs box seat tickets).

Normally, this would just be looked upon by most as another typical shafting of the little guy who can't afford tickets. Most folks can't afford brokers' prices anyway. However, something fishy was going on.

It turned out that several Cubs executives founded Premium Tickets, but tried to do so very quietly and discreetly. In short, this so-called broker isn't a "broker," but is a front for the Cubs removing from public purchase regular tickets and reselling them at substantially higher profits--something blatantly illegal and not permitted by Major League Baseball, either. Of course, this means there are that much more tickets taken from the public realm availability-wise.

You see, part of the ticket price of each team's ticket goes to MLB and all other owners as well. By not selling these tickets normally, the Cubs bypassed the percentage that was supposed to have gone to MLB, depriving them of budgeted ticket revenue.

Premium Tickets, of course, didn't advertise as being affiliated with the Cubs. That was not legally permissible. Instead, they advertised as a new broker (who happened to be located within a few steps--literally--of Wrigley Field). A few figureheads were installed as the "officers" of the company, but soon, the beans were spilled.

Soon, some fans got wind of this and filed a class-action lawsuit against the Cubs.

Rather than go on, and I apologize if this is a rather cursory explanation, I've dug up some links. I'd recommend you read them in numerical order, as they're dated from least recent (#1) to most recent (#8).

1.) LINK #1

2.) LINK #2

3.) LINK #3

4.) LINK #4

5.) LINK #5

6.) LINK #6

7.) LINK #7

8.) LINK #8

[ September 27, 2003, 11:28 AM: Message edited by: MIB ]

Great work there, MIB. No need to spend time on the links, your explanation was/is fantastic. Thanks for the effort.

So, the Cubs management thought they were oh-so clever, eh? Wow, Damian Miller just hit a HR, 3-1 Cubs.

Thanks, Jim, though the links give more accurate and in-depth analysis of this entire scam.

I just don't know why this hasn't generated any more publicity than it is, which is very little outside the Chicago Sun-Times. Even the local news channels here have been completely silent.

I'm not trying to make a big deal of this, so perhaps it's a minor issue and I'm just taking it too seriously. As a White Sox fan, I know I'd be mad as hell at my ownership if they tried something like this.

Wait. Never mind. I AM mad as hell at my team's ownership. Hell, I've disliked Reinsdorf since he bought the team 20+ years ago.

[ September 27, 2003, 02:12 PM: Message edited by: MIB ]

Ha! I feel your pain--that's how I felt during the Mouse's rein of error with the Angels. OK, the last year for them was good but before, not. It wasn't until they took a hands-off approach that they did anything.

I'll never understand how people think they can get away with scams like the Cubs ticketing thing. There's a thread somewhere about Ticketbastard and while they're pure evil, this is just dumb. It's one thing for a secretary in the front office to be busted for selling playoff tickets, but this different. It seems like they didn't even try to filter it through multiple companies or anything. Sheesh.

I have a friend who works for the Los Angeles Times, a Tribune Company. He says the all the Cubs players and managers are listed on the employee list. I'll have to dog him about the ethically challenged company he works for!

[ September 27, 2003, 06:39 PM: Message edited by: Jim Allen ]

Actually, when I was flipping channels in late July, I did come across a report on this on TV. I can't remember what station I was watching, though.

Another reason for me to root against the Cubs in the post-season. I had to drive through a wall of loud, screaming fans this evening...maybe Atlanta will slap some sense into these people!

The first round's on me if they do, fantomas!

I don't think it's a minor issue or that you're taking this too seriously at all, MIB....in fact, Selig and the MLB execs in NYC should put a stop to this immediately -- but, for all we know, Bud may be getting a kickback to "look the other way", which wouldn't surprise me in the least given the Commish's less than stellar record when it comes to integrity and looking out for the best interests of the game.

As far as publicity is concerned, there was a lengthy story about this on HBO's Real Sports during the summer (I presume that is what JC was referring to in his earlier post) and after this scam received such national publicity two months ago I just assumed that "Premium Tickets" was shut down immediately once and for all -- obviously, I was wrong....I guess all those execs in the MLB offices have far "more important" things to do than look out for average fan or enforce the rules that are on the books, huh?....Too bad the umpires union isn't able to be involved on this issue so that travesties such as this are not allowed to continue (as is the case with the Questec "controversy") and deprive the true, loyal Cub fans from seeing their team play in person.

I can't imagine there's any politics that's playing a role here, of course, right MIB? ....apparently as long as some corporations and high rollers in the Windy City are willing to pay outrageous prices and pad the pockets of the Tribune, that's a higher priority as far as the organization and MLB are concerned....any desire I had to see the Cubs advance to the NLCS has definitely come to a halt.

If they charged $1500 for a REGULAR SEASON ticket (albeit for box seats against the Yankees) I can only imagine what they will be charging for postseason games -- especially if the Cubbies somehow advance to the Series (not that many of us expect that to happen, of course)....so, MIB, is there any word on whether this scam is going to be allowed to continue or if the public outcry (assuming there is one) will finally force the Tribune, Andy MacPhail (has he had any comment about it?) or MLB to put a stop to this illegal fiasco?

[ September 29, 2003, 10:23 PM: Message edited by: gamecock ]

GC, from what I remember, one of the Sun-Times articles explained that MLB WASN'T, in fact, receiving their \"kickback,\" or share of Premium's ticket sales. MLB C.O.O. Bob Dupuy testified in the class-action trial to this effect. It was an interesting conundrum, so check out the links again for that aspect of the story.

Get this: Premium Tickets announced that they weren't going to sell postseason tickets. Gee. How generous of them to let the tickets be sold through the Cubs.

Actually, I think this is only because the distribution and sale of postseason tickets is ultimately dictated by and controlled by MLB. Perhaps The Umpire can pop in here and confirm that. He might know. If that was the case, then that would sure explain why Premium couldn't sell postseason tickets. Can you imagine what the price would be for the tix if Premium HAD sold them? I shudder to think of it.

[ September 30, 2003, 02:08 PM: Message edited by: MIB ]

Considering that a co-worker got $1,300 for his 4 box seats for the Angels v. Yankees series last year, I'd say a second mortgage would be about the price.

My concern is for umpiring, and not ticket sales and their respective prices, but I do know enough about them to confirm your belief that postseason tickets are controlled by Major League Baseball. For example: When we set aside our comp. tickets for regular season games, we leave them for someone under their name at the stadium's box office, generally it's the ticket window set aside for players' tickets or press tickets. Each park is different as to the categorization of that, but you get the idea. However, for special event games, we generally are given the tickets in advance and will personally hand them to the recipient.

It's too risky otherwise.

I was asking some local friends of mine if they knew about this ticket scandal, and every one of them were clueless about it. Even my father had no idea it existed. I sent all of them the links above, and their reaction was stunning, to say the least.

They're all Cubs fans, but they're furious about this scandal. Too bad more people aren't. It may not be a BIG deal, but it's surprising the silence that exists regarding it.

I would think that since so many of us baseball fans are so fed up with MLB management/owners, that we'd make this a bigger issue than it is. Oh well, again, maybe it's just me. :confused:

Believe me, MIB, it sure as hell is not just you....ever since I saw the story on HBO's Real Sports earlier this summer I have been infuriated at the Cubs management and believe this represents one of the most dispicable, greedy acts to rip off your own fans that I have ever seen (especially fans who have been as loyal to the team as Cubs supporters have over the years)....I, too, am surprised that it hasn't generated more nationwide publicity -- with the exception of coverage in the Tribune, of course (gee, I can't imagine why THEY wouldn't be publicizing this scandal more).

Sometimes, GC, I think Jerry Reinsdork thought of this scam and gave it to the Cubs to use. After all, there isn't an owner in baseball who cares less about the fans than Reinsdork. (Think Comiskey Park, the 1994 season and what it did to an amazing White Sox team, etc.)

Sure, there are other owners who are ass****s, but Reinsdork takes the cake. He's raised parking from $8 in 2000 to $15 this year; he won't allow fans who have tickets in the upper deck to even GO to the lower deck to visit the Sox Hall of Fame or clubhouse store; he won't let fans move to a better seat, even if there are only 8000 fans in attendance. I can go on, unfortunately. Those are just minor things.

Unfortunately, MIB, I am not surprised in the least regarding your comments about Jerry Reinsdorf....and does it surprise anyone that an owner who is as outright callous and unethical as Reinsdork and doesn't even hide his disdain for the fans who are keeping his ballclub in operation is Bud Selig's closest friend and confidante in the commissioner's office? ....it is truly amazing that the sport has been able to continue to flourish over the past decade when individuals like Reinsdorf and Selig somehow continue to be in positions of "leadership". frown

I think I remember Ump saying once before that Selig was really Reinsdork's puppet. That wouldn't surprise me in the least.

I can and will never forgive Reinsdork for what he did in 1994. Considered by many experts to be the AL's best team in 1994, the White Sox were expected to truly romp through the playoffs and make it to the World Series for the first time in 35 years. However, Reinsdork led the charge to shut down the game, not giving a shit about the fans.

Remember his quote to everybody, that he would be "a hawk" in the negotiations.

I just hope he dies a slow, painful death.

Let's not forget that the Expos also had a great team that year and were widely tipped to be the NL rep in the WS. Instead, we got the strike, the team was fire-saled and the rest you know.
Wow. OK, Disney was bad for the Angels in a "we're so clueless about baseball, we're going to have a cheerleading squad" kind of way, but that's just, well, mean. And how stupid is that to not let fans in to the clubhouse store? Uh, they wanna buy shit, why not let them?

I've only been to the new Comiskey once (never went to the old one), when my dying ex and I went on a baseball tour. We both agreed that it was a cold, soulless place. It's now apparent why.

Jim, I must admit that Comiskey--I refuse to call it "The Cell," though it sometimes seemed like that--has undergone some decent changes. The bullpens were rearranged, bringing them closer to the fans; the bullpen sports bar & grille was expanded; the center field fan deck is cool--even the color of and presence of shubbery and other stuff in center makes things better.

Still...here's what happened with me and my 3-year-old niece. She's a big Magglio Ordonez fan. I was given some tickets by a friend of mine for a game in August. They were upper deck box seats. First time I had been up there in years (those seats aren't THAT bad). During the middle of the game, I wanted to take her to the 100-level, the main concourse, and visit the Sox gift shop to buy her one or two Magglio items. (There's a shop upstairs, but it's very limited compared to the downstairs one.)

We walked down the ramp and began to walk through the main concourse entrance when we were asked for our tickets. I showed them to one of the gate attendants, wondering why I needed to do that when all I wanted to do was visit the gift shop and the Sox Hall of Fame (which does not have a smaller version upstairs). He told me I couldn't enter. I was rather stunned, and when I asked him why, he told me it was because I didn't have tickets for the lower level. My reaction? So. Tickets are to reserve an actual, paid seat. There's nothing on them that says we cannot be in other areas of the park itself.

His reaction was basically "tough shit." I demanded to see someone else and told him I was going to go to the gift shop anyway, and that all I wanted to do was take my niece to the shop and the Hall of Fame. He told me it didn't matter, and that I couldn't take her because I didn't have tickets for the lower deck. He then told me he'd call security and have both of us removed from the park if I continued to argue with him.

I asked him how the hell can a Sox fan visit the gift shop or Hall of Fame then? He told me I'd have to have tickets for that level, or go to a retail outlet, or get this, "come back on a nongame day and visit."

Unf**kingbelievable!

And those ass****s wonder why so many of us Sox fans don't want to come out there. We're treated like shit by a rich, greedy, uncaring asswipe named Jerry Reinsdork. And he's proud of the way he's relegated the average Sox fan to bird turd.

f**k him.

Unf**kingbelievable, indeed. If they're so freaked out that the peasants from the cheap seats--"cheap seats" being relative, of course--might taint the experience of the upper crust box seat inhabitants, why don't they just have ushers positioned at the top row of said box seats to check tickets, leaving the concourse area free?

At the Ed, all the decent food places are on the box seat level. They have ushers on every other aisle and they are pretty strict about checking tickets to restrict access; the world doesn't come to an end because I descend from the nose bleed seats to get a yummy Caesar Chicken Salad and soda.

Reinsdork and Jerry Kraus loose in the same city at the same time? Jaysus.

Jim, many of the seats in the lower deck are actually cheaper than the upper deck. Upper deck box seats are more expensive than the bleachers, so I ask: Why can't an upper deck box holder go downstairs to visit the clubhouse store or Hall of Fame, yet a bleacher fan paying LESS can?

Uh huh. Makes a lot of sense to me, Mr. Reinsdork.

Update: judge rules in Cubs' favor

I was so fed up with the ruling, Joe, that I didn't even want to post it here. How the Cubs could get away with what they're doing is unbelievable.

Once again, the fans get screwed.

BTW, here's an interesting article from a journalist who has been extensively convering this story:

Click HERE

[ November 25, 2003, 03:38 PM: Message edited by: MIB ]

That's a good column.

People aren't going to easily give up the Cubs. So they need to hit the Tribune co. where they live and stop buying their paper.

JIP, Cubs fans giving up their team ain't gonna happen. They're stupider than lemmings. And they call us White Sox fans stupid. Ha! When Reinsdork long ago started screwing Sox fans and treating us like shit, I gave up ever paying for a ticket to Comiskey.

He can take his team and stick it up his tight ass. Cubs fans should do the same toward their team, but they don't give a rat's patootie. They'll still show up in droves, packing Wrigley to the hilt, meaning Cubs brass won't see any need to change their fan-screwing tactics.

CUBS, SCALPERS, GOVERNMENT ALL IN IT TOGETHER