Reinsdorf's U.S. Cellular Field Lease In Jeopardy?
(CBS) White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf has a sweet deal with the State of Illinois.
He pays the Illinois Sports Facility Authority $1.5 million a year and then keeps all the profits from tickets, parking, concessions and merchandise.
That might change though, according to a Crain's Chicago Business report.
In the past year, the White Sox have opened up a new bar called "Bacardi at the Park" and built a brand new merchandise store outside Gate 5 that will open in the spring. The team will profit off both ventures built on state property, which has prompted the ISFA to reevaluate the current lease.
"If you compare (lease terms) to other sports stadiums around the country, the Sox pay the lowest rent of all the facilities," Emil Jones, chairman of the Illinois Sports Facility Authority, told Crain's.
The news doesn't exactly come at a good time for the White Sox, a team that is looking to cut back on payroll after striking out on big-money free agents a year ago.
