Yes, and that highlights how absurd this sort of security theater is too. If someone has a gun and a backpack bomb....Im sorry but metal detectors arent stopping them from shooting their way inside the stadium, or causing destruction among people queued up. All it does is inconvenience normal people. And to your point, the Brussles bombings (and pretty much every terror attack for the past 2 decades) caused just as much destruction without even crossing a security threshold. Airports now are even having check-ins in completely separate buildings as if thats somehow a solution to the problem.

well they have frightened me into leaving work at 3:45

For anyone interested in seeing the inside of the new Cubs clubhouse

https://amp.twimg.com/v/5b1714b7-59f...8-34bf91a2ea07

Frankly it has always amazed me how seemingly lax security measures were at pro-stadiums and Wrigley in particular in past years. They have really been the ideal soft target and it would have been VERY easy to smuggle contraband and serious firearms into the stadium before. I am kind of amazed it hadn't been attempted before the Paris attacks. How to install such detectors in a small a footprint and efficient way as possible is the challenge. As far as being able to shoot up outside the stadium that is true. But you could say that about dozens and dozens of locations in the city/downtown on your average day. Keeping such chaos outside the walls of the stadium however would still be preferable to having it go on inside the stadium where there are 40k literal waiting ducks and where a made panic itself could crush hundreds/thousands of people.

Now what is an absolute cynical play is the ploy by MLB and the Cubs to close down Addison and Clark streets before/during/after games on home days. This is absurd on its face and more likely a cynical attempt by the Cubs to defacto appropriate more of the surrounding neighborhood for their own usage in order to create their carnival like atmosphere around the park they desire.

First off it would create complete traffic chaos all through Lake View if you did this. I can see a little bit better or an argument for closing down Addison (given the park is so close to the street there and it doesn't have the volume of Clark Street) but even that would be a MAJOR impediment. Traffic issues should make it a non-starter right there. Number two, if the idea of a terrorist group was to OKC-McVeigh the place I hardly think that closing off the streets or parking some patrol cars is doing to stop/dissuade bombers from their attempt to get through and get as close as they can anyway. If the city dares to fold like a cheap suit to the Cubs like they have in almost every other matter over the last 3 years then city hall would be shown as feckless and stupid as ever.

again not to be cynical or anything but...

paris attacks largely targeted people sitting outside in the streets. about as soft a target as you can get. and having metal detectors outside the concert hall would have prevented nothing. show was already underway. take out the bouncer and voila, youre inside.

you can set up a perimeter to any sports stadium but the same thing applies. if you have big guns, it dosent take much to force entry, which metal detectors do nothing to stop.

i dont know what the answer is because i dont think there is an answer to people who are truly set on causing death and destruction. we cant let that stop us from living our lives (aside from addressing the root ideology, something our western culture has had no real answers for). but expending enormous resources to create the illusion that such a thing as security exists, at the expense of dignity in our own day to day lives, i have a problem with. especially when it does not actually do anything to prevent anything.

but yea, if nothing else i hope the "look" theyve come up with isnt permanent because its a total eyesore. theres been metal detectors at The Cell for years and theyre integrated completely into the stadium.

I was at the game Friday night and the metal detectors wasn't much of a deal at Chase. Some of the crowd was a bit ancy before it but it was way smoother than I would have anticipated as long as you follow the policy. Most notably phone, camera and keys out of pocket and bag checks. I would imagine like Chase the detectors would be moved for postgame exit.

You sure it's not the right-wing gun nuts in this country being a part of the reason?

:tup:

There was an article on Curbed today about the Ricketts buying another of the rooftop buildings and pushing for street closures around the stadium. I sure hope they don't want permanent closures in favor of pedestrian malls, that would be truly awful. The beauty of Wrigley is how it is perfectly nestled in the city, any sort of road closures would be a major step backwards.

We're all just living in one extended Brand Plaza, dude.

^ I think they only want to shut off through traffic during games. I don't think there is any plan to completely close the roads permanently.

I was doing a few laps around the ballpark from 6:30 to 7:05 last night. I wanted to see if the metal detectors would be a disaster, it wasn't at all. When I first walked by it was a WALL of people at the first and home plate entrances. I thought they were all backing up because of the metal detectors, but when I circled the ballpark and walked by right around the start of the game the masses were entirely gone. It was just that normal last minute surge into the park.

The park looked great, especially the 3rd base line with the new ticket windows, the red tile and the iron fencing up above. I see there's a new deck right on top of the main entrance with people milling around. Either I don't remember that or it was covered by signs or it wasn't there, but i'll definitely be there when I go to the game tomorrow to get the view!

I loved the atmosphere. All the cops on horses, the crowds, the construction, the field looking normal again after being so torn up.

It's going to be a wild year with all the construction on clark and on Addison when they bring down that entire block here in the next month.

Closing those blocks of Waveland and Sheffield permanently might not be the worst thing, but then again it might be kind of silly considering the stadium is only used, what, maybe at most 120 days a year including baseball and "other"?

Shutting Addison and Clark to car traffic before/during/after games might be okay, although I'd like to see buses allowed to continue through. Without the cars to compete with they could go slow through there for pedestrians but still end up faster than a detour route.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cfypif1WQAA1Lh4.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cfypif3WQAUZPgz.jpg
One of Otis Shepard(?) illustrations seen around bleacher concourse.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CfyT-MqWcAE9aOu.jpg
Tribute to Cubs Hall of Famers beneath RF bleachers along with glass displays highlighting the park and team's history

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CfydzrJXEAAb6v9.jpg
Backside of the marquee and new Marquee Grill

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CfynztXWwAAuwnu.jpg
New bar beneath CF bleachers

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cfycz6cW8AU5tEn.jpg
Former McDonalds lot

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CfzFbwjXEAIcrGn.jpg
SE gate

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CfzIzJuXIAAI2Mo.jpg
Waveland gate

Photos cred: Danny Ecker

I really liked all the improvements, I must say. I don't care for the sort of cartoony concession signs in some spots, but that's minor

They want a few hours pre/post games to be closed off. That is upward of 7-8 hours per day on game days. Even if we were just talking about 1 hour per day along Clark Street that would be a big hassle. There is just no way.

^^^Thanks for the photo update! I love the hand-painted art and signs. Really evokes the good ol' days :cheers:

That's exactly what the Cubs would love to do...

The metal detectors are all gone. Are they seriously going to set them up and tear them down before/after every game?

Well, it's actually the league that's requiring metal detectors at every stadium. The Cubs don't have a choice. I don't think they would've installed them absent the league's mandate.