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A group of business fat-cats in Naples, Florida, are hosting a private reception this afternoon in what is the state of Florida’s latest push to rob Mesa of Chicago Cubs spring training.
The reception is hosted by big-wigs from Fifth Avenue Advisors and Esmark Inc. — two companies leading the charge to bring the Cubbies to the Citrus State, and is meant to kick-off more public participation in the campaign.
Naplesnews.com reports that neither Cubs President Crane Kenney nor the team’s owner, Tom Ricketts, will be at the reception, but last week the Chicago Tribune reported that a plan to move the Cubs spring training from Mesa to Naples is basically a done deal.
If that’s actually the case, all we can say is this: Take em’.
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As much as we’d love to keep the lovable losers in the Valley, the reality is that the Cubs haven’t won a World Series in more than a century. Aside from bringing droves of bandwagon underdog fans to the Valley, the team isn’t exactly a source of great pride for Mesa.
Mesa has been home to the Cubs training camp for 45 years, and Mayor Scott Smith has been pushing hard to keep the team in the Valley by trying to find a way to build the team new training facilities.
Florida one-upped Smith when Governor Charlie Crist joined the fight to bring the Cubs to Naples.
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer is yet to respond to Crist’s plea — maybe she’s a White Sox fan.
