The Cubs Are Playing Meaningful Baseball. Meanwhile, Eight Miles South...
The Cubs aim to put an end to 108 years of futility tonight in the deciding game of the 2016 World Series. Regardless of the outcome, the scene outside Wrigley Field is sure to be chaotic.
But Chicago is a city with two baseball teams. Eight miles south of the Friendly Confines—and a million miles from the white-hot spotlight engulfing the Cubs—the White Sox began work renaming their ballpark. Next season, White Sox fans will enjoy games inside Guaranteed Rate Field.
The White Sox announced the name change in August, and it was instantly ridiculed. (But really, look at that logo.) It's emblematic of the team's fortunes compared to the Cubs, and its present status in Chicago's sports hierarchy.
Adding insult to injury, in an age where sports teams can command premium pricing for the naming rights to stadiums, the White Sox will receive no extra cash from the deal. The team and US Cellular agreed to a 20-year, $68M naming rights deal in 2013. The deal with mortgage company Guaranteed Rate is for the balance of that agreement, although other sponsorship opportunities can bring added revenue to the club. Guaranteed Rate is now "the official mortgage and title company" of the White Sox.
Ugh.
