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04/28/2004: "White Sox"

Chicago White Sox marketing boss Rob Gallas quit his job last week. This motivated the Tribune to interview a pack of yuppie scum bags from Wrigleyville about what they might do to juice the White Sox perennially low attendance. Typical responses from these "lovable losers" fans (Cubs fans) like paint the team blue or play at Wrigley Field can be ignored out of hand, but there was one really kick ass idea. Click more.. below.

The idea that sounded like a winner was from Kelly Leonard, producer of Second City: "The Sox have an uphill battle -- in a city that has a legendary team with a legendary ballpark that is easily accessible and smack dab in the middle of a neighborhood with bars, theaters and restaurants, the White Sox will always come up short. So, the only solution is to be the anti-Cubs. They need to tap into that South Side pride and Cub hatred -- it's cool to be the bad boy, so be the bad boy. Lose the actual fighting, but keep the edge. Hook up with Suge Knight's marketing people; play underground indie hip-hop at the games instead of organ music; advertise in The Source. I don't think you go as far as to have Frank Thomas get his belly button pierced, but you redefine the White Sox experience as always being in sync with or ahead of the trend."

The only other idea worth mentioning here was from Bonni Pear of Miller-Pear Public Relations, which handles publicity for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Disney on Ice and Chicago's holiday parade: "...Tape an episode of `Queer Eye for the Straight Guy' with Jerry Reinsdorf."

Jerry, for those of you who don't follow great sons of bitches in sports management, is the guy who giveth and taketh away, Chicago's pride and joy, the legendary Chicago Bulls dynasty. Reinsdorf also owns the Sox, and it's his attention to the bottom line that causes Ken Sevara, Chicago comedian and die-hard Sox fan to quip: "If our players show talent, we send them to New York."

"This Week's Fantasy," puts the bad boy, hip-hop, anti-Cub idea into effect, but under new management. Link opens in a new window.

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