Well, that didn't take long

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After watching his Cubbies go into the tank in his first season as owner and then raising ticket prices for 2011 to astronomical levels, Tom Ricketts is asking Illinois - a state that is flat-broke, by the way - to give up tax revenue so he can make Wrigley Field more profitable for him and his siblings.

Even though Ricketts has more money in his sofa cushions than most of us have in our bank accounts, I can't say I blame him for trying.

That's the way the game is played these days: billionaires asking for public handouts to fund their sports toys.

Besides, he's riding a winning streak after successfully squeezing every last dime from the equally broke folks of Mesa to keep Cubbie spring-training in Arizona.

When it comes time to actually vote on Ricketts' request for $300 million in state bonds, it will be interesting to see how the politicians respond. After all, many of them balked every time Tribune Co. even wanted to spend its own money to improve Wrigley.

If all else fails, Ricketts can raise bleacher-seat prices to $150 for 2012 and let the lemmings/suckers/fans foot the bill.
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