You Won't Read It in the Tribune

Some strange events took place at Wrigley Field this weekend, even stranger than Tribune employee Aramis Ramirez trying to catch a flyball with his head. For example,a fan ran onto the field during the game Sunday. You'd think that might make news -- as it so often does when it happens at U.S. Cellular Field -- especially coming so soon after a fan tried to bean Jacque Jones with a fastball. But no. We don't cover any ugliness at the "sacred garden." Meanwhile Sunday, more Cubs fans demonstrated outside the park, protesting Tribune ownership of the Cubs. They were interviewed by Fox News and CBS, but I've neither seen nor heard a peep -- not that this should surprise anyone -- in the Tribune-owned media.

Meanwhile, Sun-Times columnist Rick Telander -- who has echoed our ideas before -- called for the Tribune to sell the Cubs. Telander likes to keep things simple, so he doesn't grapple with the sticky issue of broadcast rights.

If the Tribune sells the Cubs, a new owner could take the Cubs off of WGN TV and WGN Radio. If the Cubs retain their portion of Comcast Sportsnet, one Tribune asset (CSN) would become a competitor for another (WGN). That's why Cubs fans may be stuck with the Tribune, and vice versa, for life. Or longer. And all of Chicago gets stuck with bad baseball and worse journalism.

The Tribune currently derives advertising revenue from the WGN broadcasts at little real cost -- the money passed between the Cubs and WGN goes from one Tribune pocket to another while the ad revenue, to mix metaphors, fattens the same calf.

That changes with a new owner.

Then on Monday, the Cubs eeked out a win, but during Cubs Post-Game Live, more viewers (51 percent) reported being excited about spotting Jennifer Aniston in the stands than seeing the Cubs win (37 percent).

Thank God for the White Sox, for White Sox fans, and for diversity in media.