Mark Wants Bleacher Seats

Tribune is reporting that (link) Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban, a Bud-approved bidder for the Cub$, expects to receive owner Tribune Co.'s confidential financial data on the team any day now and said today on a Chicago radio show that it is his "job" to convince everyone he would be the best choice to own the franchise.

Cuban said he "definitely would want Wrigley Field to be part of the deal."

"The books hopefully will come out today, Monday or Tuesday, who knows," Cuban said. "Then I'll get to work. All the accountants will start doing their things. Hopefully I'll be in the mix. I think I have a shot."

Cuban said he's got the cash and the the necessary goodwill (huh?!) to land the baseball team, acknowledging there is wariness of his potential acquisition of the Cubs because. This is because he is not based in Chicago and because of his sometimes-controversial, er, bluntness as the owner of the Dallas Mavericks.

"My job is to convince everybody involved that not only is it a good financial move to sell to Mark Cuban but it's also, you know, a good partnership move that I can add value beyond just my checkbook to not just the Cubs, to not just the city of Chicago, but also to Major League Baseball," Cuban said.

"It's about being a good citizen. It's about contributing to the community and to me that's viewed to be just as important as Major League Baseball or the Tribune Co., you know, what can I do for Wrigleyville, what can I do for the community, and what are the ways that I fit in and add value. … There are a lot of things we can do community-wise that can enhance my chances and so I'm gonna pull out all the stops."

Gonna pull out all the stops, eh? Well, I think I called it here the minute I heard the team was for sale, right? Put on your "hold your breath caps" gang. The business end of it just got a lot more fun.

Meanwhile, the Tribune has come to the conclusion it doesn't need reporters anymore. That's funny.