I’m writing in response to Allan Scarabello’s column regarding the tearing down of Wrigley Field. I believe that the demolition of Wrigley would be a loss to the people and the city of Chicago.

The stadium has been one of the great historic landmarks to the city and one of the highest regarded stadiums in professional sports. Allan believes that the Cubs should build a new stadium that would help attract younger fans. For the 2007 season, the Cubs attracted an average of 40,153 fans per game, the sixth highest in the league. This number could be greater if its 41,118-seat capacity was as large as other stadiums. The Cubs have no problem attracting fans; in fact, Wrigley’s age is the reason the Cubs keep attracting fans even when they play poorly.

People don’t seem to remember that through the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, when Wrigley was just another ballpark, the Cubs’ average attendance was abysmal. In 1981, attendance bottomed out at 565,637. I would even argue to say that about a third of Cubs “fans” go to Wrigley to go to Wrigley, not to watch the Cubs. As pathetic as that may sound, it is true. The Cubs organization knows what they are doing; they set record attendance every year in a park that doesn’t cost much to operate. It’s simple business and the fans seem to love it.

John Palmer
Senior, finance major

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