"The Wave" does not belong in Wrigley Field. Ever.
It happened during Sunday's game against the Marlins.
Purists say the fan stretch has no place except in the 7th inning.
The wave is an imported foreign concept to relieve boredom of long soccer matches or slosh the beer around alumni at college football games. Baseball is a refined social event (despite the two person wave in Field of Dreams.)
The return of the Wave reflects that there is another shift happening with the major league Cubs.
The Sunday crowd was less Cub fans and more . . . tourists. Purists were outnumbered by the tourists. Tourists are merely casual event seekers who are not there to support a ball club, but have an afternoon in the sun. Next weekend, it will be at the water park. Then, the beach. Then, the zoo. Wrigley was just another check-off on the summer bucket list.
If the Cub management is hoping to draw more tourists to stem the attendance dive, then that explains the push for video boards, beer plazas, flea market gift stands - - - a Disneyland experience and atmosphere inside and outside the park. But that program is going to be a hit and miss proposition, much like the Cubs offense.
Perhaps, ownership is trying to cultivate a "different" kind of fan base. After Arlington Park burned down, the track was rebuilt as an upscale horse track. The new sleek and modern facility did not want the the downtown Chicago "track express" trains with the social security and welfare patrons coming to bet the daily double and go home. No, the track wanted to have a higher class client base. More wagers meant more money, bigger purses, bigger races. Arlington International as it is called today transformed itself. But not without a cost. Having gone to the track this weekend, the friendly weekend crowd is exactly what was envisioned years ago: upscale suburban. However, these are mostly casual $2 bettors. The win-place-show pools were dramatically small throughout the race card, meaning that the odds in each race was narrow. It led to less excitement for long shots to create upsets. Horse racing is in the twilight of state gambling anyway. The crowds on Saturday looked like this was just another summer bucket list check-off event. Once a year at best.
