During the past few months, Sam Zell, the new owner of the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Cubs, has been working furiously to sell the Chicago Cubs for $1 billion.  As a White Sox fan, it kills me to admit it, but the Cubs have a phenomenal national following.  Now, anyone who has attended a baseball game at Wrigley Field has to admit that the aura and mystique of Wrigley Field are awesome.  During the 2007 season, the attendance for Cubs home games was 3,252,462 (sold out!).

With ticket prices ranging from $18 to $80, the ticket revenues must have been around $130 million.  The team had the eighth highest payroll in the league of $99 million.  Adding in revenue from food and beverage, parking, broadcast rights, licensing, etc., makes the team appear to be a financial success.

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On March 4, 2008, I purchased a Toyota Prius hybrid car, with a spacious interior, awesome fuel economy (45-50 mpg) at a manageable price (less than $30,000). The decision wasn’t easy, as I was leaving my Ford Expedition (very spacious, fairly expensive, and lousy fuel economy at 13 mpg). Although the large SUV was reliable, dependable, etc. I did not need it for my daily commute.

Funny thing is, I would have never considered this vehicle if I had not been forced to drive it as a rental car on my last trip to California . Thank you National Rental Car! Based upon my average annual driving distance, this car should save me $300 per month on gas, and will help me reduce my carbon footprint (1,000 fewer gallons of gasoline burned each year!)

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