CBS' "Undercover Boss" shooting at Wrigley

Ricketts family member wears beard and goes undercover as beer vendor as part of CBS series "Undercover Boss"

over 1 year ago Fukudometer 23 comments 0 recs |

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Wrigley closed to media until 3 today for shooting

according to Twittermeyer.

Fukudometer: Created 3/31/08 Wrigley Debut 4/5/08 WGN and Japan TV Debut 4/6/08 Sun Times Debut: 4/20/08 Coffee Table Debut: 7/17/08 (http://www.wearecubsfans.com)

by Fukudometer on Sep 8, 2010 6:24 PM CDT reply actions

I like this show and

it will be interesting to see how they do this at Wrigley.

A lovely story:

One day, long, long ago, there lived a woman who didn't whine, nag or bitch. That would be me....

But that was a long time ago and it was just that one day.

The end

by sue369 on Sep 8, 2010 6:37 PM CDT reply actions

Agreed.

Really looking forward to seeing this.

by kanderber on Sep 8, 2010 7:01 PM CDT up reply actions

Yeah I'm curious too.

Maybe this year the show will be more about the boss dealing with “normal” customers rather than interacting with the other employees?

"Pounding sand since 1982...."

by cubswynn on Sep 8, 2010 7:03 PM CDT up reply actions

That could be.

A lovely story:

One day, long, long ago, there lived a woman who didn't whine, nag or bitch. That would be me....

But that was a long time ago and it was just that one day.

The end

by sue369 on Sep 8, 2010 7:07 PM CDT up reply actions

You really think the employees won't recognize the Ricketts?

it can be an amusing show but don’t kid yourself that it is not partly staged. In the first place people will NEVER act the same when they are being filmed, even if the reason may be different from the one they are told. It should be fun to watch, but just don’t think it is “real”.

"Lou Piniella's been a great manager for a long time and I stand by him completely"
Jim Hendry

by Doggie Stalker on Sep 8, 2010 7:08 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

To each his own.

A lovely story:

One day, long, long ago, there lived a woman who didn't whine, nag or bitch. That would be me....

But that was a long time ago and it was just that one day.

The end

by sue369 on Sep 8, 2010 7:20 PM CDT up reply actions

I agree with you

I’m guessing people will notice and act differently. If the park is closed to media, you don’t think one of the beer vendors will find out why and tell others?

But I also am not a reality tv fan.

''"I always thought I was the most competitive person out there. I never thought I'd find anybody more competitive until I met him.'' Ryan Dempster talking about Ted Lilly

by Madison Cub Fan on Sep 9, 2010 3:43 PM CDT up reply actions

Any word on airdate?

"They say the glee team has lured stragglers into sniper traps with cheery renditions of hit songs." "Really? And people fall for that?"

by pygreg on Sep 8, 2010 7:51 PM CDT reply actions

The new season starts

this month so I would think it would be in the next 5-6 weeks. If I see when it will be aired I will post something on it.

A lovely story:

One day, long, long ago, there lived a woman who didn't whine, nag or bitch. That would be me....

But that was a long time ago and it was just that one day.

The end

by sue369 on Sep 8, 2010 7:55 PM CDT up reply actions

I'm glad the Ricketts family is finding owning a ballclub so cool.

But from what I can make out so far Tom Ricketts is Bizarro Rocky Wirtz. Every move is geared toward generating public relations and revenue – rather than creating a first-class, fan-friendly, winning organization.

by The Deputy Mayor of Rush Street on Sep 8, 2010 8:23 PM CDT reply actions

Has it even been one year yet?

I’m willing to give him more time to get this mess turned around.

A lovely story:

One day, long, long ago, there lived a woman who didn't whine, nag or bitch. That would be me....

But that was a long time ago and it was just that one day.

The end

by sue369 on Sep 8, 2010 8:41 PM CDT up reply actions

note that I did say "so far".

But I think we’ll have a better idea when 3 factors come into focus:

1) Hiring of a new manager.
2) Setting of a payroll figure for 2011.
3) Ticket prices announced.

What has Ricketts’ best move (fan-friendly wise) been since he took over the club? Taking donuts out to people standing on line for tickets back in February? (Personally, I’m not calling moving Harry’s statue, or having Andre Dawson day or Billy Williams statue day on less-attended weeknight game nights, ‘wins’.)

by The Deputy Mayor of Rush Street on Sep 8, 2010 9:20 PM CDT up reply actions

Like I said it hasn't

even been a year yet. I’m excited to see who the new manager will be. It will be interesting to see what they get done in the next year.

A lovely story:

One day, long, long ago, there lived a woman who didn't whine, nag or bitch. That would be me....

But that was a long time ago and it was just that one day.

The end

by sue369 on Sep 8, 2010 10:03 PM CDT up reply actions

I don't have a problem with any of his marketing moves so far.

They haven’t significantly changed the park or the game a lot and having additional revenue is a good thing for everyone. He has made a few questionable decisions in that regard but he’s learning what the fans will and won’t put up with.

My view of him will be influenced a lot more by whether he keeps Hendry and how he handles the payroll in the next two years. This is more of a critical time approaching given the current team is at best under transition. He’s been given a stinker with a lot of bloated contracts to shed. Actually, those two things are the most important, the manager is third down the line…significant but without a good gm, strategy for the team, and willingness to create a strong farm system, the manager will just be a figurehead.

Starlin Castro singles on a pop up to catcher Jason LaRue.
Ryan Theriot scores. Two out -Gameday 7/23/10

by Sandberg's evil twin on Sep 9, 2010 3:57 AM CDT up reply actions

Rather than "he's been given a stinker"..

I look at it more like “he jumped in eyes-wide-open”. From what I could gather from Forbes, he overpaid by about $100 million, and to suit Sam Zell’s tax needs, the deal was heavily leveraged with debt.

You could understand if it was a fan paying a premium to get his hands on the team, but that would involve writing off some of the money (in his mind) as the price of owning one of the 30 MLB franchises, specifically his boyhood favorite one. Seems to me this is not beyond some billionaires who view their sports team more like a yacht/plaything than a business concern.

All I’m saying is that to date, it appears to me that Ricketts is making moves like someone who is running the Cubs as a going business concern. IMO, Hendry has been retained for next year for much the same reason as Lovie Smith is still on the sideline for the Bears – they have a contract, and ownership is not going to pay two people to do one job, performance be darned.

Soriano, Z, A-Ram, Dome, Demp, Silva, Byrd, Spellcheck, and Grabow are coming back next year for $103 million.

Wells, DeWitt, Colvin and Castro should be re-upped for about $2.5 million.

Marmol, Marshall, Gorz and Soto are all in arbitration. Just doubling their current prices, that would be another $8-10 million (?)

It also sounds that payroll will be held at $130-140 million, which while large by general MLB standards.. means we are out of the Cliff Lee sweepstakes before it starts. Maybe one big signing (Adam Dunn?) will be brought in for some sizzle, but no major overhaul for the second year running of the Ricketts era.

I don’t have a problem with the marketing moves either, but the lack of competitive moves to date is fulfilling my worst fears about a new owner. I could probably get behind a rebuilding effort more easily if there was some “this is where we are, this is where we’re going, this is how we plan to get there” plan laid out. It’s entirely fair to give them this off season to do that, but I’m not getting that winning is a priority with this ownership group.

Just my perception of “Year One”, your mileage may vary.

by The Deputy Mayor of Rush Street on Sep 9, 2010 10:49 AM CDT up reply actions

Sounds like you expected way too much mileage for "Year One."

He’s doing things the right way, and that takes time. The Blackhawks were able to field a competitive team quickly under Rocky because they’d had the top 1-3 draft picks for the previous god knows how many years. They would be the equivalent of the Pirates suddenly getting a 250% bump in payroll. If they had 100M to spend this offseason, I bet they could do pretty well themselves.

by bdlugz on Sep 9, 2010 12:06 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

This will be one of the

better shows of Undercover Boss . However I must agree Todd Ricketts is around Wrigley all the time . It’s a PR stunt just like the noodle and such . THe Ricketts family should look around and take note of the empty seats .

by cubs north on Sep 8, 2010 10:03 PM CDT reply actions

Here's why I'm edgy about the Ricketts.

Note the word “edgy”. I could also use the words “skeptical, but with hope”. I think they are good people. I think they care about the team and the fans. And I think they want to win. I’m edgy and skeptical, because what I have not seen from them yet in the first year, and what I want to see, is a true passion about winning. They’ve shown a passion about cultivating good relations with the fans and the community as a whole. They’re shown passion about the ballpark, which goes back to good PR with the fans. Now I know this does not seem to be their personality, or the way they run their businesses, but I wish I could see some anger and disappointment, publicly, over the way this season has gone, and even more important, some true determination to fix it. I wish they would lay down some public demands, and say something to the effect of, “We’re going to win a world championship here, and anyone who wants to be here when that happens needs to step up and show that they are going to contribute toward that goal and make it happen.” Period. I’m not saying I want George Steinbrenner owning the team. But I want to see some fire and some passion about winning. So far, when you get past all the feel-good, warm and fuzzy PR stunts, I have not seen it yet. And I’ll say this again: watching how they react in the offseason to a season like this is, IMO, going to tell us a lot about what we can expect for the future.

"Don't complain to me about the stormy weather, boys. Just bring the ship into port." --Steve Stone, September 2004

by ctcoff99 on Sep 9, 2010 1:30 PM CDT reply actions

I’m edgy and skeptical, because what I have not seen from them yet in the first year, and what I want to see, is a true passion about winning.

You’re looking for instant gratification in a situation where it’s impossible to get it. Your demands are unrealistic in less than one calendar year.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Sep 9, 2010 1:44 PM CDT up reply actions

I understand what you're saying....

but instant gratification is not what I’m looking for, nor expecting. I’ve been a die-hard Cubs fan, as passionate as any fan I have ever known, since 1984, so I think I know better than to expect instant gratification from the Cubs. I did not expect the Ricketts to simply wave a magic wand and turn the team into instant world champions. What I’m looking for is an attitude, a chip on the shoulder, a hint of irritation in their voice, anything that shows me that they are not happy with this season, and are determined to fix it. That’s not an unreasonable expectation, and one calendar year is plenty of time for that attitude to have shown up. I have not seen it, and I’ve looked hard for it, every time any of the Ricketts are interviewed. Please understand, I’m not suggesting they hold a press conference and just go up and down the roster and front office airing everyone out. I just want to hear or see something to indicate a white-hot passion to win. Maybe it’s there, I’m not saying it definitely does not exist. But for all outward appearances, at least, my instinct tells me that they still think this is 1987, and that a last place team is disappointing, yes, but hey, you can’t beat fun at the old ballpark. I hope to God I’m wrong about them.

"Don't complain to me about the stormy weather, boys. Just bring the ship into port." --Steve Stone, September 2004

by ctcoff99 on Sep 9, 2010 3:26 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

I'm actually kind of tired of hearing...

… about this “passion”, “fire in the belly”, “chip on the shoulder”, “attitude”.

What do you want Tom Ricketts to do? It sounds like you DO want him to have that kind of press conference, which would be ridiculously counterproductive. “White-hot passion”? What is this, the WWE?

You don’t know what is happening behind the scenes. I don’t need public scenes, I need results. You can get results without a public chip on the shoulder.

They have owned a large and very public business for less than a year. You do sound like you want a magic wand. It just doesn’t work that way.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Sep 9, 2010 9:02 PM CDT up reply actions