Rooftop owners have no rights to Cubs

I don’t get it. If a serial bank robber gets caught, does he get to keep 83 percent of the stolen loot by cutting a deal with the feds? Yet, that is exactly what is happening with the rooftop owners who have been stealing the Cubs’ product for years. They reimburse the Cubs 17 percent for continuing to steal the product for their patrons. The rooftop owners keep 83 percent. They even have a legal contract to allow this continued pilfering.

This does a tremendous disservice to the millions of Cubs fans who pay full price to view the same comedy act year after year. Now the rooftop thieves are threatening to sue the Cubs if their view is hijacked by a proposed “Jumbotron” in the left-field bleachers. Tom Ricketts counter by threatening to move the Cubs out of Chicago.

The rooftop owners give new meaning to Chicago being the “city of thieves.” If they are successful in court and are allowed continued grand larceny, this would set a tremendous court precedent and defense for future bank robbers. They could be exonerated and work out a deal with the feds to keep 83 percent of whatever they steal!

As 43rd Ward Alderman Paddy Bauler used to say, “Chicago ain’t ready for reform”!

Tony Novak

Arlington Heights