Musician fired from MP for playing Go Cubs Go

[SeriesFinale]

Surprised there hasn't been a thread yet about this petty intrigue.

I think the Brew Crew's being a little heavy-handed here given the situation--just a chorus, he was responding to a crowd full of Cubs fans, he's an independent musician, not a mascot, etc.

 

Maybe even a little hypocritical on the Brewers' part given they themselves marketed directly to Cubs fans just a few short years ago.

[pretendastronaut]

Marketed to Cubs a few years ago? Heck, they gave out Illinois state quarter collection sets at the final game this year. I was surprised to not see a thread about that.

 

As for the musician, I'm surprised they could pinpoint him seeing as at least half the crowd had to be singing that song all week in Miller Park that week. But, I wouldn't want to see a musician that MP put in to play, playing the other team's victory song for them. I would have been pretty annoyed if I had seen it in person.

[temke]

SeriesFinale wrote:he's an independent musician, not a mascot, etc.

he is an independent musician being paid by the milwaukee brewers (or Fridays's, which is located in the stadium run by the milwaukee brewers)

Heck, they gave out Illinois state quarter collection sets at the final game this year. I was surprised to not see a thread about that.

i think they gave out state quarters a few times, usually of the state of the visiting team IIRC. i just remember seeing them give away entire 50-state collections near the end of the game. i was wondering if anyone took this set to the concession stand to buy a beer and a brat.

[SeriesFinale]

SeriesFinale wrote:he's an independent musician, not a mascot, etc.

he is an independent musician being paid by the milwaukee brewers (or Fridays's, which is located in the stadium run by the milwaukee brewers)

Well, what I meant is maybe the Brewers/Fridays want to be a little clearer to these independent musicians what they expect of them: to solely entertain the crowd as musicians, or to also act as repressentatives/cheerleaders for the team.

 

I'm not saying I'd have liked hearing it (especially under the circumstances), but I personally thought it was harmless and the Brewers look worse making a deal about firing the guy. It reminds me of the time Rick Schlessinger from the Brewers' front office got in front of the press and said the Randall Simon incident was "one of the most outrageous things I've ever seen inside a ball park - or outside a ball park." Yeah, it was pretty crummy, but get a grip.

[sgtcluels]

Fridays has full rights to terminate his acts, I don't see any problem with their actions. It'd be like having a motivational speaker for FedEX signing the course of the UPS "What can brown do for you?" lines. Heavy handed.. perhaps a bit. But it's not like they did anything crazy.

 

Fridays has to balance a few things.

1) Keeping the peace with the Brewers organization. They are leasing the space from the Brewers and probably want to ensure they don't dip their wick outside the company pot.

 

2) Longer term revenue streams. Obviously they brought in entertainment to keep people at the park drinking and eating. Cubs fans come up here a max of what 9 times a year, while Brewers fan have access to all 81 games. If I was a Brewer fan and heard that swill, I would think twice about going to Fridays after the game. They needed to do something to protect the reputation of the fan base. They don't want to be known as "Fridays Frontrow Cub Grill".

 

3) Guy should obviously know who's paying the bills. It's for sure not the Cub fans, it's Fridays in conjunction with the Brewers organization. That's also why they are unable to show Badger games outside the TV in the main bar, they don't want to tick off the host.

[ecjimg]

I'm sure the Brewers organization had nothing to do with it. They are happy to appease Cub fans. On the last homestand Cub apparel was being sold in the fan zone. And isn't it nice,,,,,,,,that if Cub fans want to buy ice cream at the concession stand....they can have it in a Cub helmet. Give me a break!

[razzzorsharp]

I agree with the decision.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I think the key to the whole thing is that the guy himself didn't seem all that upset by it. Maybe a little miffed, but he said he hopes to play there in the future.

 

If he's not in an uproar about it, I don't see what the big deal is.

[owbc]

I don't see what the big deal is, either. Just a few years ago they had a whole Cubs gear section at the Fan Zone. If that happened today, there would be outrage.

 

Amazing how things change.

[Bring Back the Stein]

The most outrageous thing about it is this strange-o said he was both a Cubs fan and a Brewers fan. Maybe in some long ago, mythical past, this was possible (I contend it is not), but to say that in this day and age, knowing what we know now, implies a kind of derangement that makes this man unfit to be around our women and children.

 

Let the bum play the South Lot, but only if he wears a Ron Santo spit mask.

[billyhallfan]

the cubs helmet thing was done when the stros and cubs played that series, even though it was an astros home game, they served them in cubs helmets...

[Teatoe993]

Maybe they just fired him because he sucks. I mean just look at him.

[brucrustu]

Here I was miffed when boo the band played "sweet home chicago" before the game friday night.

 

This would have really peaved me off. You sure didn't hear UW's band cueing up Michigans fight song on Sat.

[PKBadger]

When I first read the thread title, I was picturing the saxophone guy that plays on the bridge.

 

Scared me for a second, because I can't get fired up for a baseball game without hearing the Simpsons theme song 50 times in a row.

[homer]

They should have fired him for sucking. That band is the suckiest bunch of sucks that ever sucked.