Notable

There is a very detailed, very complicated article in the LA Times today discussing the sale of Tribune Co. One paragraph deserves note because it flies in the face of the delusional fan who thinks the Trib needs the Cubs because the Cubs are a Cash Cow:

Although Zell has said he does not plan to break up Tribune, some observers believe that he might sell some properties such as the Cubs to pare debt after a buyout. The Cubs contribute little if any profit to Tribune, yet could fetch $500 million or more in a sale.

Say the Cubs are a $200 million per year business. If 20% of that revenue is available to Tribune in annual cash flow, that $40 million only represents 0.004% of the Tribune's approximately $1.1 billion annual EDITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization).

The Cubs are a pimple on the Tribune's ample buttox. Selling them makes all the sense in the world. Don't believe anyone who says differently.