I grew up in Chicago in the 60s and 70s, and learned to love the loveable losers, The Chicago Cubs. There was nothing better than roasting in the humble Wrigley Field bleachers, which were the defining element of an old-timey ballpark smack in the middle of a real city neighborhood. Bleachers fans always made sure to throw the baseball back onto the field if the visting team homered into their section. Cubs games were often quite bizarre. If the wind was blowing out, as it often was, the final score would be something like 17-16, with the home team jumping out to a 9-0 lead and then, in trademark fashion, managing to blow it all in the ninth inning.

The next best thing was the price of a bleacher seat, $3.50, and their assured game-day availability. With sports increasingly a venue for business schmoozing, high-priced suites and season tickets now dominate at Wrigley Field. Some individual game tickets are still available, often brokered by season-ticket holders; or from the team. Bleacher seats at Wrigley Field now go for $15 to $40 - as you'll see by scrolling to the bottom here. This is of a piece with the increasingly corporatized management of the Cubs. What else could be expected? As the Chicago Sun-Times reports, the bleachers have been expanded; bleacher box seats added; and the stadium environs pompously rechristened the "Wrigley Field Campus."

All this one must uncomfortably stomach. But another descecration is beyond the pale: the Wrigley Field bleachers have been named the "Bud Light Bleachers," in a deal between the team's owners, Tribune Corp., and Anheuser-Busch. I'm OK with naming rights for whole buildings (yes - that's professional sports and all of corporate America you hear just now, breathing a huge sigh of relief at the reprieve). But naming rights for individual parts of stadiums? C'mon. What's next at Wrigley? The United Airlines Upper Deck? The Boeing Bathrooms? If the team's radio and TV announcers start referring to "The Bud Light Bleachers," Busch's impeachment will start to make sense to me.

But probably the worst thing about it all, is that horrid watered-down beers like Bud and Bud Light can only maintain and build market share with millions upon millions of dollars worth of marketing and promotions - such as this bleachers naming deal. The industry's "drink responsibly" messaging is a complete CYA scam. The only reason people drink pisswater like Bud or Miller is to get ripped, cheaply.

Thanks for listening. A round of Smuttynose IPA for the house, barkeep!

UPDATE - Commenter Jj adds this:

"A customer gave me fantastic court side tickets to a Blazers game back when the Glide had them in contention. I was quite loud in my instructions as to how to win that particular game, which they did. I was also quite alone, at ringside, in the cheering department. All these season ticket holders with crucial seats down on the court were quiet. The fans were relegated up 20 or 30 rows and what passion they voiced bounced around somewhere in the rafters. Having priced all the fans out of choice season tickets, professional courts and stadiums have further removed emotion from the game. These corporate types are not there for the game, but rather to seal a deal, and God help the guy who ruins his phone voice for a few days over some stupid game. Oh, I was banned from ever getting the seats again. My neighbors reported that I did not fit in. None of them got high fives from Drexler, Porter and Kersey, though. They were too busy knitting."

TECHNORATI TAGS: BUD LIGHT BLEACHERS, WRIGLEY FIELD, CHICAGO CUBS, CHICAGO, TRIBUNE CORPORATION, SMUTTYNOSE IPA