Cavoto V. Chicago Nat'l League Ball Club, Inc.: Chicago Cubs Ticket

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Cavoto V. Chicago Nat'l League Ball Club, Inc.: Chicago Cubs Ticket DePaul Business and Commercial Law Journal Volume 2 Issue 4 Summer 2004: Symposium - Emerging Trends in Commercial Law: Surviving Article 9 Tomorrow's Challenges Cavoto v. Chicago Nat'l League Ball Club, Inc.: Chicago Cubs Ticket Scalping Scandal and the Relationship Between Separate Corporate Entities Owned by a Common Parent Mathew Siporin Follow this and additional works at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/bclj Recommended Citation Mathew Siporin, Cavoto v. Chicago Nat'l League Ball Club, Inc.: Chicago Cubs Ticket Scalping Scandal and the Relationship Between Separate Corporate Entities Owned by a Common Parent, 2 DePaul Bus. & Com. L.J. 723 (2004) Available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/bclj/vol2/iss4/9 This Comment is brought to you for free and open access by the College of Law at Via Sapientiae. It has been accepted for inclusion in DePaul Business and Commercial Law Journal by an authorized editor of Via Sapientiae. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Cavoto v. Chicago Nat'l League Ball Club, Inc.: Chicago Cubs Ticket Scalping Scandal and the Relationship Between Separate Corporate Entities Owned by a Common Parent I. INTRODUCTION An important decision was recently handed down that could have transformed the loveable image of the Chicago Cubs ("the Cubs") into woefully dishonest ticket scammers. 1 In the class-action lawsuit Cavoto v. Chicago Nat'l League Ball Club, Inc. ,2 the Chicago Tribune- owned Cubs allegedly scalped its own tickets in violation of Illinois law.3 The popular debate, which stemmed from the admiration the Cubs engender from its loyal fans, became entangled with the substantive law. The lawsuit contended that Wrigley Field Premium Tickets, Inc. ("Premium"), a sister company to the Cubs, was established so that the Cubs could withhold tickets from games. Consumers are com- pelled to buy tickets from its affiliated brokerage at prices above those printed on the ticket. 4 Not surprising, many considered the Cubs to be scalping its own tickets in violation of the Illinois Ticket Scalping Act. Following the Cubs successful defense, echoes of former Chicago Cubs announcer Harry Caray could be heard emanating from the courtroom: Cubs Win!!! Cubs Win!!! This Note will discuss whether Premium was merely an extension of the Cubs, or an entirely separate subsidiary corporation. This distinc- tion is crucial when considering whether the Cubs and Premium vio- lated Illinois law and deceived consumers. Part II will discuss the background and legal history of ticket scalping leading up to Cavoto v. Chicago National League Ball Club, Inc. Additionally, this section will address the relevant statutes and case law courts consider when asked to disregard the corporate separateness of affiliated corpora- tions. The factors courts take into account when considering claims of consumer fraud, unfair competition and the likely confusion as to the 1. Lester Munson, Scalp Treatment?: The Cubs are Ticking Off Fans by "Brokering" Tickets for Far Above Face Value, Sports Illustrated, June 23, 2003, at 22. 2. Cavoto v. Chicago Nat'l League Ball Club, Inc., No. 02 CH 18372 (Ill. Cir. Ct. Nov. 24, 2003). 3. Sara D. White, For the Record, Crain's Chicago Business, August 18, 2003, at 42. 4. David Eggert, Cubs Exec Defends Club's Ticket Brokerage Operation,Medill News Service, at http://xavier.cs.northwestern.edu:8000/article.asp?articlelD=8137&item=2 (Aug. 13, 2003). 724 DEPAUL BUSINESS & COMMERCIAL LAW JOURNAL [Vol. 2:723 source of sponsorship will also be discussed. Part III will explain the underlying facts in Cavoto and the Circuit Court's decision. Part IV will critique the Circuit Court's decision in Cavoto. Part V will specu- late how Cavoto will affect consumers and how other event promoters will alter ticket sales strategies at their venues. II. BACKGROUND In order to understand the current state of ticket scalping in Illinois, a brief history of ticket scalping will be discussed. This section will also attempt to clarify the concept of disregarding the corporate form and explain the factors courts examine when determining if corpora- tions are truly separate, co-existing legal entities. How a private indi- vidual can establish a cause of action under the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act will also be discussed. Furthermore, an explanation of how courts determine whether a prac- tice is unfair will be discussed as well. Finally, this section will ex- amine what a consumer must prove in order to maintain an action under the Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act. a. Ticket Scalping and Its Legal Evolution Ticket scalping is defined as "the reselling of tickets to popular en- tertainment or sporting events at whatever price the market will bear."5 By direct or indirect methods, professional scalpers acquire tickets from the box office and retain the tickets until other buyers have exhausted the box office supply.6 Scalpers then offer to resell their tickets at prices substantially higher than their original value.7 The event's popularity is the only ceiling for what scalpers charge.8 Scalpers damage the goodwill of event promoters. The sudden ex- haustion of box office supply and the emergence of scalpers with nu- merous tickets inevitably induce accusations of fraud and collusion against the promoter.9 Thus, promoters detest ticket scalpers. Nevertheless, while the public and promoters have consistently re- garded ticket scalping with antipathy, the opinion of the courts has changed over time. In Illinois, the judicial response to legislative at- tempts at regulating ticket scalping has varied. In 1907, Illinois adopted a law that "prohibited the sale of tickets for more than the 5. Thomas A. Diamond, Ticket Scalping: A New Look at An Old Problem, 37 U. Miami L. Rev. 71 (1982). 6. Id. 7. Id. 8. Id. 9. Id. 2004] CHICAGO CUBS TICKET SCALPING SCANDAL price printed thereon, for theaters, circuses and places of amuse- ment,"'10 and prohibited the establishment of an agency for such a sale." However, in People v. Steele, the Illinois Supreme Court de- clared the act to be an unconstitutional violation of the due process clause of the Illinois Constitution. 12 The court reasoned that "[t]here is nothing immoral in the sale of theater tickets at an advance over the price of the box-office. Such sale is not injurious to the public welfare and does not affect the public health, morals, safety, comfort or good order. '1 3 The court further contended that the buyer was not com- pelled, but purchased tickets voluntarily.1 4 Hence, the Illinois Su- preme Court originally regarded ticket sale restrictions to be arbitrary and unreasonable interferences with the rights of the individuals con- cerned.'5 Thus, as the Illinois legislature's aversion to ticket scalping became apparent, the Illinois Supreme Court did not originally be- lieve that ticket scalping injured the buyer or the proprietor of a theater.16 Thereafter, Chicago enacted an ordinance restricting theatre ticket sales and the formation of collusive alliances. 17 The object of the ordi- nance was to compel impartial treatment of all buyers of tickets by the licensee. 18 However, the Illinois Supreme Court in People ex rel. The Cort Theater Co. v. Thompson changed its opinion of ticket scalping. The court conceded that individuals were not technically forced to buy tickets from scalpers, but had a choice between paying the higher price and not attending the ticketed event.19 The Illinois Supreme Court in Cort Theater reasoned that "[w]itnessing a theatrical per- formance is not one of the necessaries of life, but that affords no rea- son why the legislative power should not be exerted to prevent misrepresentation and fraud in the sale of theater tickets by the thea- 10. People v. Steele, 83 N.E. 236 (Ili. 1907). 11. Id. at 238. 12. Id. at 240. 13. Id. at 238. 14. Id. 15. People v. Patton, 309 N.E.2d 572, 573 (Ill. 1974). 16. Steele, 231 N.E. at 238. 17. People ex rel The Cort Theater Company v. Thompson, 119 N.E. 41, 42 (Ill. 1918). The Chicago ordinance stated: [E]very ticket of admission to a theater shall have printed upon its face the price therof, and that no licensee, and no officer, manager or employee of the licensee, shall directly or indirectly receive any consideration... upon the sale of any such ticket beyond or in excess of the price designated theron, or directly or indirectly enter into any arrange- ment or agreement for the receipt of such consideration. 18. ld. at 43. 19. Id. at 45. 726 DEPAUL BUSINESS & COMMERCIAL LAW JOURNAL [Vol. 2:723 ter owners and to require fair and impartial treatment of the public." 20 Thus, the court upheld the Chicago ordinance. In Cort Theater, a theater owner entered into a collusive alliance where perspective ticket buyers were told the show was sold out and subsequently purchased tickets above face value from a scalper that directed the theater to provide the ticket.21 The court believed that the type of collusive alliances the Chicago ordinance was directed at were those where the "theater owner entered into a secret agreement with a ticket reseller in which they both shared in the profits gener- ated by the reseller's sale of tickets above face value. '2 2 Thus, the court realized what it refused to recognize in Steele; ticket scalping injured consumers. In 1927, the United States Supreme Court examined a New York ticket scalping law in Tyson and Brother-United Theatre Ticket Of- fices v. Banton.23 The New York statute forbade the resale of any ticket to any theater "at a price in excess of fifty cents in advance of the price printed on the face of such ticket..
Recommended publications
  • Boston Baseball Dynasties: 1872-1918 Peter De Rosa Bridgewater State College
    Bridgewater Review Volume 23 | Issue 1 Article 7 Jun-2004 Boston Baseball Dynasties: 1872-1918 Peter de Rosa Bridgewater State College Recommended Citation de Rosa, Peter (2004). Boston Baseball Dynasties: 1872-1918. Bridgewater Review, 23(1), 11-14. Available at: http://vc.bridgew.edu/br_rev/vol23/iss1/7 This item is available as part of Virtual Commons, the open-access institutional repository of Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Boston Baseball Dynasties 1872–1918 by Peter de Rosa It is one of New England’s most sacred traditions: the ers. Wright moved the Red Stockings to Boston and obligatory autumn collapse of the Boston Red Sox and built the South End Grounds, located at what is now the subsequent calming of Calvinist impulses trembling the Ruggles T stop. This established the present day at the brief prospect of baseball joy. The Red Sox lose, Braves as baseball’s oldest continuing franchise. Besides and all is right in the universe. It was not always like Wright, the team included brother George at shortstop, this. Boston dominated the baseball world in its early pitcher Al Spalding, later of sporting goods fame, and days, winning championships in five leagues and build- Jim O’Rourke at third. ing three different dynasties. Besides having talent, the Red Stockings employed innovative fielding and batting tactics to dominate the new league, winning four pennants with a 205-50 DYNASTY I: THE 1870s record in 1872-1875. Boston wrecked the league’s com- Early baseball evolved from rounders and similar English petitive balance, and Wright did not help matters by games brought to the New World by English colonists.
    [Show full text]
  • House Concurrent Resolution No. 84
    SECOND REGULAR SESSION House Concurrent Resolution No. 84 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE MURPHY. 5299H.01I DANA RADEMAN MILLER, Chief Clerk WHEREAS, baseball has a rich history in America and is colloquially known as 2 "America's pastime"; and 3 4 WHEREAS, Missouri has a long and storied role in the history of American baseball, 5 including: 6 (1) Hosting a professional baseball club dating back to 1875, the St. Louis Brown 7 Stockings, which became a founding member of the National League in 1876; 8 (2) Having another team join the National League in 1892, the St. Louis Browns, who 9 changed their name to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1900; 10 (3) Receiving the transfer of the Milwaukee Brewers in 1902, who were founding 11 members of the America League, changed their name to the St. Louis Browns, played in St. 12 Louis for fifty-two years, and transferred to become the Baltimore Orioles in 1954; 13 (4) Hosting the Kansas City Monarchs, who played in the Negro Leagues, from 1920 14 until their disbandment in 1965; 15 (5) Hosting the Athletics in Kansas City after their transfer from Philadelphia in 1955 16 and before their transfer to Oakland in 1968; 17 (6) Hosting the American League Kansas City Royals since their creation in 1969; 18 (7) Being home of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City; and 19 (8) Being home to teams that won a collective total of thirteen World Series 20 championships; and 21 22 WHEREAS, the designated hitter rule allows a team to have one player bat in place of 23 its pitcher; and HCR 84 2 24 WHEREAS, the American League adopted the designated hitter rule in 1973; and 25 26 WHEREAS, the American League played for seven decades without the designated 27 hitter rule; and 28 29 WHEREAS, the National League, including the St.
    [Show full text]
  • Chicago Cubs RSN Press Release
    News Release Contact: Robert Ford [email protected] 212-999-5585 Julian Green [email protected] 312-213-6163 SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP AND CHICAGO CUBS ANNOUNCE JOINT VENTURE, WILL LAUNCH MARQUEE SPORTS NETWORK New Regional Sports Network Will Be Exclusive Television Home of the Cubs BALTIMORE and CHICAGO (February 13, 2019) -- Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBGI) (the “Company” or “Sinclair”) and the Chicago Cubs (“the Cubs”) today announced the formation of a joint venture that will own and operate Marquee Sports Network (“Marquee”), a regional sports network (“RSN”) based in Chicago, Illinois. Marquee will be the Chicago-region’s exclusive network for fans to view live Cubs games beginning with the 2020 Major League Baseball season and will also feature exclusive Cubs content and other local sports programming. In addition to the execution of the joint venture agreement, the Cubs simultaneously entered into a long-term rights agreement with Marquee. “This partnership brings together one of the most iconic sports franchises in the country with one of the largest television broadcasting companies,” commented Chris Ripley, President and CEO of Sinclair. “It is hard to imagine any content that is more unique and valuable than the live sports entertainment the Cubs have been delivering to their fans for more than a century. Sinclair’s strength in production, distribution and local sales will support bringing more content to more viewers, all while leveraging the latest technology.” “Providing an enhanced experience for our fans is at the heart of everything we do. We are excited to better serve our fans with expanded and exclusive programming showcasing our remarkable players, beloved ballpark and storied past,” said Crane Kenney, President of Business Operations for the Cubs.
    [Show full text]
  • Wrigley Field
    Jordan, J. The Origination of Baseball and Its Stadiums 1 Running header: THE ORIGINATION OF BASEBALL AND ITS STADIUMS The Origination of Baseball and Its Stadiums: Wrigley Field Justin A. Jordan North Carolina State University Landscape Architecture 444 Prof. Fernando Magallanes December 7, 2012 Jordan, J. The Origination of Baseball and Its Stadiums 2 Abstract Baseball is America’s Pastime and is home for some of the most influential people and places in the USA. Since the origination of baseball itself, fields and ball parks have had emotional effects on Americans beginning long before the creation of the USA. In this paper, one will find the background of the sport and how it became as well as the first ball parks and their effects on people in the USA leading up to the discussion about Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. Jordan, J. The Origination of Baseball and Its Stadiums 3 Baseball. This one word could represent the American pastime and culture. Many believe it to be as old as dirt. Peter Morris in his book, Level Playing Fields, explains “Baseball is sometimes said to be older than dirt. It is one of those metaphors that sounds silly on its face but that still resonates because it hints at a deeper truth. In this case, the deeper truth is that neither baseball nor dirt is quite complete without the other” (Morris, 2007). Morris practically says that baseball cannot thrive without proper fields to play on or parks to play in. Before describing early playing fields and stadiums in baseball, one must know where the sport and idea originated from in the first place.
    [Show full text]
  • Padres Press Clips Friday, May 4, 2018
    Padres Press Clips Friday, May 4, 2018 Article Source Author Page Monterrey trip a homecoming for Padres' Villanueva SD Union Tribune Sanders 2 Talking with .... Eduardo Ortega, Spanish-language voice of SD Union Tribune Sanders 5 the Padres Matt LaChappa, the longest tenured Padre SD Union Tribune Sanders 7 Ty France's power surge continues with Missions SD Union Tribune Sanders 8 Villanueva's dreams come true in Mexico return MLB.com Sanchez 10 Ortega expects emotions to flow in Mexico MLB.com Cassavell 13 Padres again carrying the MLB flag to Mexico Padres.com Center 16 Why have the young, fast Padres been so dreadful at The Athletic Palmateer 19 baserunning this season? Dodgers, Padres playing with full decks in Monterrey ESPN.com Gomez 22 The Padres want to win over fans and become the team of Mexico ESPN.com Gomez 25 Fowler: Lucchesi, Lauer a Glimpse of ‘The Future of Padre Baseball’ Friar Wire Lafferty 29 It’s been 19 years since MLB played in Mexico. Christian SB Nation Abaurrea 30 Villanueva is ready to bring it back. Dodgers, Padres meet for weekend series in Mexico FOX Sports STATS 35 Padres 2016 Might Lay Groundwork for World Series Run NBC San Diego Togerson 37 1 Monterrey trip a homecoming for Padres' Villanueva Jeff Sanders The first time Bill McLaughlin sat down with Christian Villanueva, really had a conversation with him and his family, was across a dinner table at a Hilton in Guadalajara, Mexico. It was the summer of 2008, McLaughlin’s second year scouting below the border for the Texas Rangers.
    [Show full text]
  • The History of Baseball's Antitrust Exemption, 9 Marq
    Marquette Sports Law Review Volume 9 Article 7 Issue 2 Spring Before the Flood: The iH story of Baseball's Antitrust Exemption Roger I. Abrams Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarship.law.marquette.edu/sportslaw Part of the Entertainment and Sports Law Commons Repository Citation Roger I. Abrams, Before the Flood: The History of Baseball's Antitrust Exemption, 9 Marq. Sports L. J. 307 (1999) Available at: http://scholarship.law.marquette.edu/sportslaw/vol9/iss2/7 This Symposium is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at Marquette Law Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SYMPOSIUM: THE CURT FLOOD ACT BEFORE THE FLOOD: THE HISTORY OF BASEBALL'S ANTITRUST EXEMPTION ROGER I. ABRAMS* "I want to thank you for making this day necessary" -Yogi Berra on Yogi Berra Fan Appreciation Day in St. Louis (1947) As we celebrate the enactment of the Curt Flood Act of 1998 in this festschrift, we should not forget the lessons to be learned from the legal events which made this watershed legislation necessary. Baseball is a game for the ages, and the Supreme Court's decisions exempting the baseball business from the nation's antitrust laws are archaic reminders of judicial decision making at its arthritic worst. However, the opinions are marvelous teaching tools for inchoate lawyers who will administer the justice system for many legal seasons to come. The new federal stat- ute does nothing to erase this judicial embarrassment, except, of course, to overrule a remarkable line of cases: Federal Baseball,' Toolson,2 and Flood? I.
    [Show full text]
  • Baseball Broadcasting in the Digital Age
    Baseball broadcasting in the digital age: The role of narrative storytelling Steven Henneberry CAPSTONE PROJECT University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication June 29, 2016 Table of Contents About the Author………………………………………………………………………………… 3 Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………………… 4 Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………………… 5 Introduction/Background…………………………………………………………………… 6 Literature Review………………………………………………………………………………… 10 Primary Research Studies Study I: Content Analysis…………………………………………………………… 17 Study II: Broadcaster Interviews………………………………………………… 31 Study III: Baseball Fan Interviews……………………………………………… 48 Conclusion/Recommendations…………………………………………………………… 60 References………………………………………………………………………………………….. 65 Appendix (A) Study I: Broadcaster Biographies Vin Scully……………………………………………………………………… 69 Pat Hughes…………………………………………………………………… 72 Ron Coomer…………………………………………………………………… 72 Cory Provus…………………………………………………………………… 73 Dan Gladden…………………………………………………………………… 73 Jon Miller………………………………………………………………………… 74 (B) Study II: Broadcaster Interview Transcripts Pat Hughes…………………………………………………………………… 75 Cory Provus…………………………………………………………………… 82 Jon Miller……………………………………………………………………… 90 (C) Study III: Baseball Fan Interview Transcripts Donna McAllister……………………………………………………………… 108 Rick Moore……………………………………………………………………… 113 Rowdy Pyle……………………………………………………………………… 120 Sam Kraemer…………………………………………………………………… 121 Henneberry 2 About the Author The sound of Chicago Cubs baseball has been a near constant part of Steve Henneberry’s life.
    [Show full text]
  • Report: White Sox Consi
    Headlines of October 21, 2015 “GM Hahn working to find new bench coach” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Report: White Sox considering ex-Cubs manager Rick Renteria for bench coach” … CSN “Truth about Harry Caray: It was show business” … Josh Peter, USA Today Sports GM Hahn working to find new bench coach By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | @scottmerkin | October 20th, 2015 CHICAGO -- General manager Rick Hahn didn't present a specific timetable when asked during a 2015 season-ending media session about replacing Mark Parent as White Sox bench coach. "It takes as long as it takes to get the right guy," said Hahn, adding that they had put together a list of people of interest at season's end. "There could well be some turnover elsewhere that opens up some names that aren't on our list at this time." A source confirmed to MLB.com that former managers Manny Acta and Rick Renteria, as well as Raul Ibanez, are names on that list of potential bench coach candidates. The White Sox also talked to Sandy Alomar Jr., the Indians' first-base coach and highly respected former catcher over three different stints on the South Side. But a second source confirmed that Alomar Jr. is not a candidate for the vacancy. This hiring process could take a little longer than expected with bench coach possibilities also potentially being connected with managerial openings in Seattle, San Diego, Washington and/or Florida. Another possibility is moving Joe McEwing, the team's third-base coach, into the bench coach role and bringing in someone to take McEwing's spot.
    [Show full text]
  • Predicting Major League Baseball Championship Winners Through Data Mining
    Athens Journal of Sports - Volume 3, Issue 4– Pages 239-252 Predicting Major League Baseball Championship Winners through Data Mining By Brandon Tolbert Theodore Trafalis† The world of sports is highly unpredictable. Fans of any sport are interested in predicting the outcomes of sporting events. Whether it is prediction based off of experience, a gut feeling, instinct, simulation based off of video games, or simple statistical measures, many fans develop their own approach to predicting the results of games. In many situations, these methods are not reliable and lack a fundamental basis. Even the experts are unsuccessful in most situations. In this paper we present a sports data mining approach to uncover hidden knowledge within the game of baseball. The goal is to develop a model using data mining methods that will predict American League champions, National League champions, and World Series winners at a higher success rate compared to traditional models. Our approach will analyze historical regular season data of playoff contenders by applying kernel machine learning schemes in an effort to uncover potentially useful information that helps predict future champions. Keywords: Baseball, Data Mining, Kernel machine learning, Prediction. Introduction The game of baseball is becoming more reliant on analytical and statistic based approaches to assemble competitive baseball teams. The most well-known application of statistics to baseball is captured in Michael Lewis’s book "Moneyball". Applying a simple statistical approach, Moneyball demonstrated that on-base percentage (OBP) and slugging percentage (SLG) are better indicators of offensive success than other standard statistics such as batting average, homeruns, and runs batted in (Lewis 2003).
    [Show full text]
  • Cincinnati Reds Schedule on Tv
    Cincinnati Reds Schedule On Tv sheHelter-skelter tipping her and espousal integumentary behove yestreen.Haven never Raoul tranquilized kibble wakefully. his picks! Forfeitable Fox rumors unfortunately and esuriently, What cincinnati reds on one side is scheduled day jobs such as ready window. Spacetime physics by rotating cast of. 1974 Cincinnati Reds Baseball TV Schedule Cincy Airport Howard. Reds has been postponed. How delicious I crumble the Reds game tonight? Fox Sports Ohio is available where you live. Boston Red Sox vs Cincinnati Reds 56-57 Game times TV broadcast schedule probable starters and 5 things to watch Updated Mar 24 2019. Official site is the cincinnati reds players and information held by their assault on. We are unable to stream Reds baseball but soak in comfort the games are on but enjoy baseball on the radio affect the Cincinnati Bengals or WKU Hilltoppers. Tbs is one of tv schedule on the mlb did fan forum and tuesday morning with it seems like a red wings hockey. Toplist yêu và sống chuyện yêu và sống chuyện lạ. Once i sign at, you can fatigue your credentials to wedge into the app. Cincinnati reds on one. The debt slate of 2021 spring training games including broadcast information is listed below. MLB Postseason TV schedule 2020 Where a watch Sports. Much more details are to come, play stay tuned. You guessed it was called safe with greta van susteren. Kemp wants President Biden to adopt in ruling that Korean battery maker stole technology from a wax to build their Georgia plant.
    [Show full text]
  • University Library 11
    I ¡Qt>. 565 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PRINCIPAL PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCERS: THEIR OCCUPATION, BACKGROUND, AND PERSONAL LIFE Michael R. Emrick A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate School of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY June 1976 Approved by Doctoral Committee DUm,s¡ir<y »»itti». UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 11 ABSTRACT From the very early days of radio broadcasting, the descriptions of major league baseball games have been among the more popular types of programs. The relationship between the ball clubs and broadcast stations has developed through experimentation, skepticism, and eventual acceptance. The broadcasts have become financially important to the teams as well as the advertisers and stations. The central person responsible for pleasing the fans as well as satisfying the economic goals of the stations, advertisers, and teams—the principal play- by-play announcer—had not been the subject of intensive study. Contentions were made in the available literature about his objectivity, partiality, and the influence exerted on his description of the games by outside parties. To test these contentions, and to learn more about the overall atmosphere in which this focal person worked, a study was conducted of principal play-by-play announcers who broadcasted games on a day-to-day basis, covering one team for a local audience. With the assistance of some of the announcers, a survey was prepared and distributed to both announcers who were employed in the play-by-play capacity during the 1975 season and those who had been involved in the occupation in past seasons.
    [Show full text]
  • Atlanta Braves Spring Training Facility CIP #93098 Last Updated: January 2019
    Atlanta Braves Spring Training Facility CIP #93098 Last updated: January 2019 PROJECT SCHEDULE Project Description Design Start This project involves the construction of a new spring training facility for the Atlanta Braves Major April 2017 League Baseball Club. This project includes a stadium with a seating capacity of 6,200 seats and 1,000 berm seating and includes six full and two half practice fields, an agility field, a state-of-the-art clubhouse consisting of approximately 55,000 square feet and additional amenities such as batting Design Finish cages, covered observation tower, pitching mounds, parking facilities, and a public plaza. Fall 2017 Sarasota County’s funding contribution for this project is $21.2 Million (M). The current Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) is $99.8M. Construction Start Fall 2017 The remainder of the project funding is being provided by the other project partners including the: • State of Florida Spring Training Retention Fund - $14M Construction • West Villages Improvement District (WVID) Debt using Atlanta National League Baseball Club Completion LLC. (ANLBC) - $37.4M Spring Training 2019 • City of North Port Contribution - $4.7M • Developer Contribution - $4.7M • ANLBC Funding (A/E and CM fees) - $18M PROJECT DETAILS For further details, please refer to the Project Development Agreement located on the Atlanta Braves Spring Training webpage on the County’s website at www.scgov.net. Design Consultant Fawley Bryant Architects, Project Progress/Status Inc. The project is approximately 80% complete. The stadium field is being prepared for sod placement. Glass installation at the Clubhouse is underway. Installation of hardscape/walkways around the practice fields are now complete.
    [Show full text]