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Report from the Luxury Suites


caffeinated

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Warning: there is a lot of name-dropping in this post.

 

I had the honor of being a guest in one of the US Cellular luxury suites. This was Jack Rooney's box. He is the president of US Cellular.

 

Jack is an Irish south-sider. A life-long sox fan and the most down to earth executive you can imagine. He was not there to hob-nob or build employee morale. He was there to cheer on his beloved Sox. I don't think you could have found a happier person in the stadium when the game ended.

 

Jack spoke about the naming rights deal. He had to take himself out of the discussions because he was too emotionally invested. As you can imagine he is ecstatic with the result and proud of the resulting improvements to the stadium. He is excitied about the green seats. He also spoke how it was difficult to be involed with removing the Comiskey name from the Park.

 

Sox fans should be happy to have US Cellular as our corporate partner.

 

Earlier in the day Jack watched his Fighting Irish play well (he had to leave before the game ended). So this was a good day for him.

 

We noticed the suite next to us was not nearly as excitied as everyone else. Then someone pointed out that Nolan Ryan was in there. I guess they were rooting for the wrong team. I looked at Ryan when Jenks hit 100, he was very stoic.

 

Two other celebrity sightings: I passed the 59 Sox in the hallway and rode in the elevator with Jesse Jackson.

 

Back to the TV tonight.

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QUOTE(caffeinated @ Oct 23, 2005 -> 01:44 PM)
Warning: there is a lot of name-dropping in this post.

 

I had the honor of being a guest in one of the US Cellular luxury suites.  This was Jack Rooney's box.  He is the president of US Cellular.

 

Jack is an Irish south-sider.  A life-long sox fan and the most down to earth executive you can imagine.  He was not there to hob-nob or build employee morale.  He was there to cheer on his beloved Sox.  I don't think you could have found a happier person in the stadium when the game ended.

 

Jack spoke about the naming rights deal.  He had to take himself out of the discussions because he was too emotionally invested.  As you can imagine he is ecstatic with the result and proud of the resulting improvements to the stadium.  He is excitied about the green seats.  He also spoke how it was difficult to be involed with removing the Comiskey name from the Park.

 

Sox fans should be happy to have US Cellular as our corporate partner.

 

Earlier in the day Jack watched his Fighting Irish play well (he had to leave before the game ended).  So this was a good day for him.

 

We noticed the suite next to us was not nearly as excitied as everyone else.  Then someone pointed out that Nolan Ryan was in there.  I guess they were rooting for the wrong team.  I looked at Ryan when Jenks hit 100, he was very stoic.

 

Two other celebrity sightings: I passed the 59 Sox in the hallway and rode in the elevator with Jesse Jackson.

 

Back to the TV tonight.

Great story! :cheers

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ND & White Sox fan? A man after my own heart.

 

The green-seats can not come to soon. If they had been green to start I don't think the ball mall stuff would ever have surfaced. I like "the Cell". The symbolism makes us the Raiders of MLB. The name itself inspires intimidation.

 

Imagine you're a major league baseball player & tomorrow you will be visiting "the Cell". The team itself is tough as nails right now but that name .. that can bring nightmares to the opposition. I imagine a few have had them already. Few people associate the term "the Cell" with a phone.

They see it more as a prison. A hardened cell block where virgin blood

is served up as a sacrifice to the baseball Gods.

 

Even greater is how "the Cell" ties in with the city's & the team's heritage.

Al Capone, Black Sox, & Southside hitmen.

 

I personally want to thank Rooney for getting his company behind us. It's greatly added to the character of the team & is so fitting for Chicago. I would puke at the notion of the White Sox playing at <insert food company> Field.

 

MLB needs a bad boy team. It needs a team with the history & character of the Raiders. Hopefully 2005 is the first of several Championships to come.

 

I LOVE THIS TEAM!

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QUOTE(Linnwood @ Oct 23, 2005 -> 02:05 PM)
Stopped reading right there.  :headshake

 

Most of the ticket stories I've heard make me shake my head as well. It's the 'event' crowd who is buying these tix. I overheard my boss on the phone trying to get a group of big wigs together to buy tix from a broker. The 1st 5 minutes of each phone call was him explaining the playoffs and what the event was. His closing line was: 'trust me, you want to be there.'

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"He also spoke how it was difficult to be involed with removing the Comiskey name from the Park."

 

You sound like this guys PR agent. He was the happiest man in the ballpark? Maybe the richest--wait, check that--probably not.

 

The rich aren't heroes. I'm glad he bought the naming rights so we could afford some stadium upgrades, but I'm not going to deify the man.

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QUOTE(chitownsportsfan @ Oct 23, 2005 -> 06:47 PM)
You sound like this guys PR agent.  He was the happiest man in the ballpark?  Maybe the richest--wait, check that--probably not.

 

The rich aren't heroes.  I'm glad he bought the naming rights so we could afford some stadium upgrades, but I'm not going to deify the man.

I never made this guy out to be a hero. Despite his money, he is very human. My point is that this guy is one of us (except he has better tickets).

 

I wanted to let everyone know that at least one suite was filled with true Sox fans that bleed black and white. Not bandwagon jumping celebs.

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