Is “The 78” Dead? Or even more alive? Fire announce plans for SSS

[Ducksnort]

On 10/31/2025 at 8:07 PM, caulfield12 said:

Are the Sox still viable as a franchise with three more sub .500 records and still stuck in GRF?

I guess they could still sink to 28th-30th in attendance...although Minnesota might pass them on their descent downwards.

If they would just win consistently they wouldn't be bottom 5 in attendance consistently. Fans show up when the team is good, which unfortunately is not often and when it is good, it's not for long. If the team would just commit to winning consistently and for longer periods of time, we wouldn't have these attendance conversations nearly as much as we do. Honestly, I like it that fans don't show up when the team sucks. Bad entertainment doesn't deserve paying customers.

[Texsox]

The days of people going to a MLB game because baseball is great to watch in person is over. Society is a win and we watch, lose and we'll go do something else. There are way more options. With as easy as it is to watch out of town games, I think which teams people follow will become more transient. Plus as a society people more willing to move from their hometowns. 

[Lip Man 1]

5 hours ago, Ducksnort said:

If they would just win consistently they wouldn't be bottom 5 in attendance consistently. Fans show up when the team is good, which unfortunately is not often and when it is good, it's not for long. If the team would just commit to winning consistently and for longer periods of time, we wouldn't have these attendance conversations nearly as much as we do. Honestly, I like it that fans don't show up when the team sucks. Bad entertainment doesn't deserve paying customers.

A+++ comment. nailed it sir! 

[southsider2k5]

6 hours ago, Ducksnort said:

If they would just win consistently they wouldn't be bottom 5 in attendance consistently. Fans show up when the team is good, which unfortunately is not often and when it is good, it's not for long. If the team would just commit to winning consistently and for longer periods of time, we wouldn't have these attendance conversations nearly as much as we do. Honestly, I like it that fans don't show up when the team sucks. Bad entertainment doesn't deserve paying customers.

Which is exactly why Jerry wants a stadium in a location where he can draw more impulse fans, because the Sox are a very bandwagon fanbase. They take pride in it.

[kitekrazy]

2 hours ago, Texsox said:

The days of people going to a MLB game because baseball is great to watch in person is over. Society is a win and we watch, lose and we'll go do something else. There are way more options. With as easy as it is to watch out of town games, I think which teams people follow will become more transient. Plus as a society people more willing to move from their hometowns. 

That's because of the price of admission

[WBWSF]

On 11/15/2025 at 7:19 AM, The Mighty Mite said:

My guess is that JR put a gag order on Ishbia as part of the deal until he gets full control of the franchise.

You're probably right.  I find it odd that nobody in the Chicago media has interviewed the new owner.

[caulfield12]

5 hours ago, Texsox said:

The days of people going to a MLB game because baseball is great to watch in person is over. Society is a win and we watch, lose and we'll go do something else. There are way more options. With as easy as it is to watch out of town games, I think which teams people follow will become more transient. Plus as a society people more willing to move from their hometowns. 

Here's a good example.

Iowa women's basketball is still selling out an outdated 15,500 seat arena two years after Caitlin Clark left.  Let's say they have just the #20 team in the country.

Despite getting a new men's coach who has won everywhere he has gone and pretty much brought the entire Drake Round of 32 team with him, including  a Top 10-20 NBA first round pick in Bennett Stirtz, they are only selling about roughly half those seats.

Winning is everything...or at least the association with greatness OR whatever is right below it with Clark's national fame/cultural cache.

Edited November 17 by caulfield12

[Texsox]

20 hours ago, kitekrazy said:

That's because of the price of admission

That also. I can't imagine taking a family to the game. 

[Texsox]

20 hours ago, southsider2k5 said:

Which is exactly why Jerry wants a stadium in a location where he can draw more impulse fans, because the Sox are a very bandwagon fanbase. They take pride in it.

Very true.

Years ago I would say both Chicago teams had about the same loyal fan base and the attendance difference each year were the casual fan that would go to a game once or twice a year, but some years maybe go to Six Flags or something else. I don't believe that is true anymore. The Cubs have a much bigger loyal fan base that will go to Wrigley to see a game no matter their record. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, it probably was a factor in pushing JR to sell. 

At least on my case once I stopped planning every summer trip around the Sox schedule it gets harder to imagine ever doing that again. 

[DFAthewave69420]

sounds like Ishbia leaked some news to Clay Travis.  Pope to bless the “anticipated new home” … where the new home is, is TBD

 

https://www.outkick.com/culture/pope-leo-agrees-throw-out-first-pitch-white-sox-new-stadium-after-invite-from-team-owner-clay-travis

[Sleepy Harold]

Quote

As for details of that stadium plan and where the team's effort stands, Ishbia deferred questions to Reinsdorf. "It's his decision on the White Sox in the short term," he said.

But Ishbia said his ask of the pope signals his long-term intention for the team to remain in Chicago. Increasing investment in the Sox over the past couple years by the Vanderbilt University alumnus and Nashville SC Major League Soccer franchise owner has fueled speculation that he may want to relocate the team to Tennessee.

"I get asked this question all the time," he said. "
I love Chicago. I have no plans to (move). But also for clarity, Jerry's in charge. He can change his mind tomorrow and do whatever he wants. I am not the decision-maker on the White Sox at all."

"My intent with being with the pope was to share my vision and introduce myself and hopefully develop a relationship with him for the long term, (since) he's a huge White Sox fan. I'm hopeful we can have one of the most well known men on earth further our franchise's goodwill," Ishbia said.

 

Edited November 19 by Sleepy Harold

[caulfield12]

Why JR was too proud to reach out to the Pope ... well, do we know Ishbia's religion?  

Seems like a branding no brainer.

Otherwise, the Cubs and their fanbase wouldn't have tried so hard to claim him.

Not like Ishbia's alienating 1/4th or 1/3rd of the fans by attempting to get the Obama's more involved, for example.  Even on the Southside, where the Obama's have more obvious historical ties.  Or Mellody Hobson, for that matter... Lucases clearly lean quite left.  Michael Jordan had his famous Nike quote on this about shoe sales.

[77 Hitmen]

On 11/16/2025 at 5:36 PM, Texsox said:

The days of people going to a MLB game because baseball is great to watch in person is over. Society is a win and we watch, lose and we'll go do something else. There are way more options. With as easy as it is to watch out of town games, I think which teams people follow will become more transient. Plus as a society people more willing to move from their hometowns. 

What's over are the days of a significant number of people who only want to drive to a game, see the game, and drive right back home.  That doesn't mean nobody does this anymore or nobody will do it in the future, but the trend against this is obvious and teams in all major sports are moving away from stadiums surrounded by nothing but parking lots.

It looks like even the Brewers are exploring options to turn part of the parking lots at American Family Field into some sort of "stadium village".  
https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2025/11/12/see-brewers-options-to-develop-land-around-their-stadium/

[southsider2k5]

24 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

Why JR was too proud to reach out to the Pope ... well, do we know Ishbia's religion?  

Seems like a branding no brainer.

Otherwise, the Cubs and their fanbase wouldn't have tried so hard to claim him.

Not like Ishbia's alienating 1/4th or 1/3rd of the fans by attempting to get the Obama's more involved, for example.  Even on the Southside, where the Obama's have more obvious historical ties.  Or Mellody Hobson, for that matter... Lucases clearly lean quite left.  Michael Jordan had his famous Nike quote on this about shoe sales.

Don't do this.

[77 Hitmen]

5 hours ago, DFAthewave69420 said:

sounds like Ishbia leaked some news to Clay Travis.  Pope to bless the “anticipated new home” … where the new home is, is TBD

 

https://www.outkick.com/culture/pope-leo-agrees-throw-out-first-pitch-white-sox-new-stadium-after-invite-from-team-owner-clay-travis

 

40 minutes ago, Sleepy Harold said:

 

Very interesting news after months of silence.  As long as Ishbia wasn't at the Vatican to ask the Pope for a miracle to get a new stadium built! 😉

[fathom]

I feel like this new story should be getting more attention on this board 

[77 Hitmen]

The Sun-Times has a story on this now:

https://chicago.suntimes.com/pope-leo-xiv/2025/11/19/justin-ishbia-pope-white-sox-stadium

“I’m 48, right? And so whether a new stadium occurs in four years or 34 years, I don’t know, but I’m going to be involved in a stadium at some point with the White Sox.

“I just asked him to bless the new stadium,” Ishbia told the Sun-Times. “I don’t know when it’s going to occur, I can’t say an exact date, but, it will at some point.
I asked him to bless the stadium and bless the individuals and people who’ll be working on that stadium and the fans who will come to that stadium.

 

The 34 years part is a head scratcher.  I don't imagine his plan it to wait until he's 82 to build a new stadium.

Edited November 19 by 77 Hitmen

[Lip Man 1]

15 minutes ago, fathom said:

I feel like this new story should be getting more attention on this board 

This should at least limit speculation for the small number (and you know who you are) continually fretting over the "Sox moving to Nashville."

Ishbia's going to build a new stadium I suspect most of it with his own money at some location in the Chicago area.

Just reading the Sun-Times story, my God already the difference between him and JR is like night and day.

I just hope to hell I'm still alive to see this happen. 

 

Edited November 19 by Lip Man 1

[77 Hitmen]

Oh, and Ishbia is says this in the Sun-Times article:

 

“I have zero to do with the organization today. I’m a passive owner. And by the way, I don’t want to use the word ‘owner.’ 
I use the word ‘steward.’ For me, Jerry today is the chairman, and he is the steward of the franchise. And one day, I’ll have a good fortune of being the steward,” Ishbia said, adding that “anything that has to do with business or baseball operations is solely, 100% in Jerry’s court.”

[waltwilliams]

In the Crain's story, Ishbia also describes the Sox as "Chicago's asset":

"I never use the word owner. I talk about the word steward," he said. The Sox are "the community's asset. There will be someone who is the steward after me. But this is Chicago's asset, and I will be the steward for a period of time.

 

[DFAthewave69420]

27 minutes ago, 77 Hitmen said:

The Sun-Times has a story on this now:

https://chicago.suntimes.com/pope-leo-xiv/2025/11/19/justin-ishbia-pope-white-sox-stadium

“I’m 48, right? And so whether a new stadium occurs in four years or 34 years, I don’t know, but I’m going to be involved in a stadium at some point with the White Sox.

“I just asked him to bless the new stadium,” Ishbia told the Sun-Times. “I don’t know when it’s going to occur, I can’t say an exact date, but, it will at some point.
I asked him to bless the stadium and bless the individuals and people who’ll be working on that stadium and the fans who will come to that stadium.

 

The 34 years part is a head scratcher.  I don't imagine his plan it to wait until he's 82 to build a new stadium.

Bet he said that to cover his butt.  My guess is Ishbia has a spitshake stadium deal all set and Clay Travis wasn’t supposed to share that text message.

[Sleepy Harold]

Ishbia was a busy guy with reporters today

[Tony]

1 hour ago, fathom said:

I feel like this new story should be getting more attention on this board 

 

5 minutes ago, Sleepy Harold said:

Ishbia was a busy guy with reporters today

From the story:

 

Quote

 

“Jerry’s the chairman, Jerry has a 100 percent control of what happens with the White Sox,” Ishbia said. “And so, anything about the stadium, you should ask Jerry. But I’ll say this. I’m 48, right? And the White Sox lease is up in four years (after the 2029 season). I can’t tell you exactly when, but in my lifetime, we’re definitely building a new stadium. Whether it’s four years from now or 34 years from now, I can’t tell you when exactly this moment, but we will build a new stadium while I am the steward of the franchise.”

 

And yes, it will be in Chicago. At least when Ishbia is in charge.

 

“I love Chicago,” he said. “Put it this way, if I wanted to have a team that was not in my hometown, I probably should have (bought) the Twins, right? If I wanted to commute, I could’ve just commuted to Minnesota.”

 

 

[fathom]

Best news of the offseason

[southsider2k5]

1 hour ago, fathom said:

I feel like this new story should be getting more attention on this board 

While I know the story is technically "new", there really isn't anything "new" in there besides Ish reaching out to The Pope.  We have known forever that the Sox are working a new stadium, and that they were looking at places which aren't 35th and Shields. 

We have also have had multiple discussions emphasizing the current lack of decision making power for Ishbia in the sales agreement, and what the time period for the transition looked like.  The fact that Isbhia is publicly deferring to Jerry isn't new.  I am sure behind the scenes they are working on the bigger picture items, as there is no way that a guy making a 2 billion dollar investment in a MLB franchise is doing it without having some sort of a say so in a franchise altering decision such as where the team will play for the next generation or two.

The one insight I take from this article is the definite effort to put Jerry out in front of what was going on now, which definitely jives with the conspiracy theory that Jerry is going to be the guy who goes out and throws punches to try to get deals done on a stadium and baseball labor, while Ishbia quietly sits back and waits for the clouds to clear and his time to walk in and take over is here.  I feel like the bad cop/good cop thing is real and happening right in front of our faces.