Oh Thank Heaven

By Benjy Lipsman in News on Jan 21, 2010 4:40PM

We realize that sponsorships are a big part of pro sports, but sometimes it seems that companies and team take their tie-ins a wee bit to far. Sometimes, apparently, they agree. After sponsoring the White Sox's weekday start time of 7:11pm, convenience store chain 7-Eleven has decided to let their deal with the team expire. The purveyor of beer, soda and snacks on roller grills paid $500,000 for three years of sponsorship, but when the deal ran out after the 2009 season they decided to step away. As a result, the Sox will take the field at U.S. Cellular Field at 7:10pm instead for 2010. To our knowledge, the Lincoln Park bowling alley paid nothing for this.