nobody ever suggested that fans were entitled to a free look and to take that attitude just reflects the tribune's consistent pattern of not doing a thing to create goodwill with fans.  they have a great product in wrigley field and have done a good job promoting the cubs in such a way to capitalize on fans' affection for the team.  but there seems to be a real disconnect when it comes to the little things. a particularly good example, which has been stated well by others, is the lack of perks given to season ticket holders.

the knothole would not be a security risk with 2 or 3 security guards out there to limit watching time when there is a line.  and maintaining a line where people wait.  

the idea that people would wait in line for a free 5 minute glimpse of part of a field and no view of fly balls instead of buying a ticket to a game is absurd.

Seriously, what's the thought here -- that Al-Qaeda would use the knothole as an opportunity to launch a rocket toward the left-side upper deck fans?

Or in a less ridiculous vein, is it that some crazy man would supposedly squeeze through the knothole and wreak mayhem on the poor innocent paying customers inside?

Or that someone would bring a gun to the knothole and start shooting people from the outside?

Ridiculous.  Up to and including this year, someone can just as easily lob a grenade -- or, more accessibly, an M-80, or even an uncooked egg -- over the stands from the street right now, as it is.  I don't hear stories about rampant foreign object being lobbed into Wrigley Field. Do you?

At Comerica Park in Detroit, they have much more than a knothole -- they have a whole wide opening beyond centerfield where maybe 20 or 25 people can line up along the stadium wall and watch as much of the game as they want to.  Of course there's a chain-link fence to keep outsiders from getting in without paying.  But come on -- if they're not worried about mayhem coming in from the outside through this fence -- in downtown Detroit, for chrissakes -- what the hell are we worried about happening in Boys Town?

The whole idea about "we need much more security in a post-9/11 world" is a lot of crap, anyway.  Those in power and control use this catch-all reasoning of "maintaining and enforcing security" only as a way of screwing with you, a strategy by which they maintain their power and control.  It's their way of reducing your liberty and reminding you that they're in control and can screw with you anytime they want. And Americans are only too happy to comply.  They will willingly trade away their freedom in exchange for the feeling of security.  But it's only a feeling -- an illusion -- and no reality at all.  We're just as vulnerable as we ever were, and more so -- because now we're more vulnerable to the very people we trust to protect us.

Pathetic.  When are we finally going to get over ourselves on this issue?  Jeez Louise -- we're such wussies.

Chuck

in an excellent bit of rational advice, chuck.