Wrigley Sign Protesters Were Clueless Craigslist Hires

Protesters against the new outfield sign at Wrigley were out in force at the Cubs home opener. Clearly this is an issue near and dear to fans' hearts. Or maybe it was the $25 bucks they were paid via Craigslist.

You've been following this one, right? (Just nod your head, Cubs fans get very upset when they realize their little controversies aren't international news.) The Ricketts family is going to put a big old neon Toyota sign behind the left-field bleachers, and some people aren't happy.

It certainly seemed like a lot of people weren't happy, when gameday crowds earlier this week arrived at Wrigley to find about 60 people wearing "No Sign @ Wrigley" shirts and handing out fliers. Clearly, this is an uprising of the people. When it comes to the Toyota sign, are Cubs fans passionate, or are Cubs fans passionate?

The answer is C: none of the above.

Oh, is this a protest," said Jesse Knowles, a Logan Square denizen, who responded as if I'd woken him from a nap. "I guess I could be protesting. I don't know. I hadn't thought about it. They're just paying me. Well, it was a Craigslist thing, so I hope they're paying me."

Equally clueless was fauxtestor Chuck Welton when I asked him to explain the message of the rally. "They didn't give me no message," he said. "They just told me to come out here and pass out fliers. So that's what I'm doing." A man named George (who wanted his last name withheld) admitted he knew nothing about the sign controversy before this morning, but "when they explained it to me, I was like, ‘I agree.'"

That's Alfonso Soriano-level passion right there!

In actuality, the only people who really care about this are the owners of the buildings across the street, because their rooftop seating won't be so valuable with a sign blocking the way. Most Cubs fans are apathetic about a single Toyota ad, when the entire ballpark is named for a billion-dollar candy company.

Paid protesters used in Wrigley Field sign protest before Cubs home opener [Time Out Chicago]