As an avid fan and patron of Arlington International Racecourse, I am disappointed by the track’s closing but found Mark Shapiro’s commentary (Tribune, May 10) to be a reminder that the arrival of spring is not ample reason to conduct another season in a hopelessly empty facility.
White Sox fans should be familiar with the reasons cited for the declining interest and growing number of empty seats:
– The quality of the product has become inferior.
– The average fan perceives the sport to be “20 minutes of action and three hours of standing around.”
– Fans attend sporting events to watch athletes with whom they can identify.
The measures the White Sox have taken to address these issues are as follows: the addition of a surly $10 million .250 hitter who can’t field his position, the surrender of a season in which the fans still had hope and, most recently, the signing of an unrepentant batterer.
Unpleasant as it seems, former White Sox fans will continue to find more pleasant ways to spend their summer time and money and Comiskey Park will soon join Arlington in darkness.
