O’Donnell: Selling the thought of Sox sale cruel and usual
WHILE MUCH IS REPORTED about how successful Jerry Reinsdorf has been as a sports capitalist and Chicago-based businessman, what often gets overlooked is how well the man and his minions can guide friendly media.
That's a trait that goes all the way back to the winter of 1980-81. That was when self-made sports TV mogul Eddie Einhorn was bumping Bill Farley of Fruit of the Loom as Reinsdorf's principal partner in the purchase of the White Sox from Bill Veeck and associates.
Einhorn smoothed many of the rough public edges presented by young Reinsdorf — basically a taciturn tax accountant with a law degree who had made his first fortune in real estate syndication.
EINHORN GRADUALLY FADED from the frame long before his death in February 2016.
But Reinsdorf's faithful flock of media homing pigeons circles on despite the team's pathetic on-field performances.
That propensity to pander once again foamed toward the top in recent weeks as fact and speculation about the changing percentages of White Sox ownership have been squeaked to the public.
NO ONE IS DISPUTING THAT brothers Justin and Mat Ishbia now own a significant minority chunk of the Sox.
Nor is anyone questioning that Reinsdorf and family retain large percentages along with a “chair of general partner” contract to run the organization until otherwise divested.
But the idea that Reinsdorf — now age 89 — is about to depart the wobbly king's chair at Rot Field is merely a thought that's blowing in the wind.
MEDIA RELIABLES SUCH AS Bob Nightengale of USA Today and Mitch Rosen of WSCR-AM (670) will always be on call whenever Chair Jer' needs to massage a message.
But teasing emotionally strained White Sox fans with the suggestion that a new dawn is coming to West 35th St. seems so palpably cruel.
WHEN JERRY REINSDORF IS NO LONGER RUNNING the franchise, there would seem to be only one certainty:
He and his family will depart or downscale with an exit package that is maxed and billions of dollars away from his original group's investment of $19.8M all those Reagan-era at-bats ago.
It's just the way of a master sports capitalist.
And that of a friendly media guide.
STREET-BEATIN':
The most intriguing aspect of the Bulls-Heat play-in game Wednesday is that Billy Donovan and his sneaker streakers are only 1-point favorites (6:30 p.m., ESPN). They're 3-0 vs. Miami this season and finished the regular grind with a 15-5 rush. Tipoff boxers, ahem, are saying 107-104 Chicago with kangaroo Josh Giddey generating another showcase game. …
Rory McIlroy's theatrical Masters win reinforces the notion that NBC Sports is dying to steal the prestige event. The lords of Augusta operate on one-year renewable agreements with longtime TV home CBS. Their insistence on the prioritization of civility, history and production restraint greatly ratchets up the charm of the azalea weekend. Now if only they could find another Arnie, Jack or Tiger. …
Three weeks into their “domestic” regular season, the only things the Cubs have to fear are injuries and their bullpen itself. That IL almost took a brutal hit at LAD Sunday night when second baseman Nico Hoerner narrowly averted a collision with RF Kyle Tucker whiled mic'ed up live on ESPN and chasing a pop fly by Mookie Betts. The needless in-game TV gimmick is so Rob Manfred era. …
Despite not scoring, Inter Miami's Lionel Messi kept a record Chicago Fire FC home crowd of 62,358 pumped and cheering throughout a 0-0 draw Sunday. He had missed Miami's last two games at Soldier Field (though a match in October 2023 attracted 62,214, primarily because of the possibility the Argentine might play). Age 37 and all of 5-foot-7, the man remains a global megastar. …
With WrestleMania 41 set for Saturday and Sunday nights streaming on Peacock, it's hard not to recall WrestleMania 2 at the then-Rosemont Horizon. Chet Coppock was ring announcer and among the Felliniesque backstage were Andre the Giant, Ozzy Osbourne, Clara “Where's the Beef?” Peller and Dick Butkus. (Weigh-in for the kayfabe was at The Sports Page in Arlington Heights.) …
Another unnatural Arlington Million will be run at Virginia's Colonial Downs on Aug. 9. (Bunker Bill Carstanjen and Churchill Downs Inc. would race the Tour de France around the river banks of Kentuckiana if they could.) The fading turfer should be renamed “The Richard L. Duchossois Million” and that should be the end of it. (Unless CDI moves Colonial to Arlington, Va.) …
Former Daily Herald sports editor Mike Smith is touting “Stadium Lockup.” It's a fresh A&E weekly series focusing on the lo-jinks of Cleveland Browns fans game days at Huntington Bank Field. “Queen Brown” Dee Haslam is a co-producer. More than 500 security cameras drive the premise. Episode 5 airs at 8 p.m. Wednesday. No word whether CLE diehard Drew Carey will cameo as a rowdy Dawg Pounder. …
And Diamond John Trandel, after Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter told CBS Sports he'll never play in the NFL if he can't do it as a two-way performer: “I hope he enjoys Augusts as a Montreal Alouette.”
Jim O'Donnell's Sports and Media column appears each week on Sunday and Wednesday. Reach him at jimodonnelldh@yahoo.com. All communications may be considered for publication.