Cubs Combat Casino

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Nov 23, 2009 4:40PM

This past winter, the Chicago Cubs battled a rooftop owner who claimed his view of the field for the NHL's Winter Classic was blocked by a jumbotron installed for the game. Now, the team is battling another rooftop, but this time an advertiser. For years, a large rooftop beyond the left field stands was emblazoned with a Budweiser logo. This season, though, it became a large ad for Horseshoe Casino after a new owner bought the building halfway through the 2008 season. The Cubs aren't happy about the Casino ad being so prominently displayed, especially for a television audience multiple times a game, and have now installed new boards that block the rooftop from view.

Last week, the team installed two large blank billboards above the left field stands which block the Horseshoe Casino ad from view (at least from a television camera point of view). What will go up in its place next season? There's no official word but one likely candidate seems to be Bud Light since that's the sponsor name currently attached to the bleachers. According to Chi Breaking Sports:

While the Cubs weren't happy with the Horseshoe Casino ad, there was nothing they could do to prevent it from dominating the left-center field vista of Wrigley Field. But new chairman Tom Ricketts decided it was time to take action, with a plan to block out the building during Cubs telecasts and have their own sponsor in its place.

Chase didn't directly refer to the casino ad, but said the Cubs are "looking to protect our corporate partner family who invest their resources with us to be our official sponsors. It's important that we protect our brand in the marketplace, protect the value of our corporate partners and protect against anyone trying to ambush our brand."

Ricketts has previously mentioned renovations of Fenway Park as a reference point for potential future renovations of Wrigley.