Ricketts Family Priority #1: Rip Off the Fans

Well, it looks like the Ricketts are making a great first impression on the North Side. This "Master Card First Chance Pre Sale" scheme is borderline criminal if you ask me. Starting on Monday Feb 15, fans have had the chance to purchase tickets to all home games via cubs.com before they go on sale to the general public on Feb. 19. The catch? Nothing really, just a small 20% premium added to the face-value of each ticket. Are you kidding me?!?! Can they really justify calling this a "pre-sale?" I'd say it's blatantly taking advantage of supply and demand. Gee, do you want to kick my dog while you're at it? The real stab in the back comes with the announcement that ticket prices for 2010 have increased by 10%.

C'mon, this is completely ridiculous. Taking in a game at Wrigley Field shouldn't cost a week's salary. It's coming to the point where the average middle class family isn't going to be able to afford four tickets to a Saturday afternoon game. The only people filling the seats will be business clients, celebrities, and upper class bigwigs who could care less about the game, leave in the 5th inning, and pay $9.50 for those margaritas in the plastic cups.

I can't imagine being a little kid right now and dreaming of visiting the friendly confines...

Son: Daddy, I really want to go to Wrigley Field this year. I want to see all my heroes. Can we please go to a game?
 
Dad: Sure son, I'd love to take you. Let me call my bank and see if I can take out a Home Equity Line of Credit so I can afford some seats.

I'm not naive enough to think that the Cubs aren't going to try to generate as much revenue as possible, but I feel like they're doing something horribly wrong in exploiting the loyalty of their fans to make an extra buck.