NEWSLETTER
Do you like videos? Do you like large screens? Do you have actual skills related to those things?
In anticipation of the JumboTron making its way into left field next year, the Chicago Cubs are seeking to employ someone to manage the thing. There’s going to be a whole lot of content on that board next year – ads, stats, Cubs videos, in-game entertainment, (hopefully) other baseball and sports updates, etc. – and it’s actually going to be a pretty tall task to manage all of that, especially in the very first year at Wrigley Field. The line between adding to the experience for fans who are pro-JumboTron and completely ruining the experience for fans who never wanted it is going to be razor thin.
You can see the full job posting here, which, appropriately, has an enormous list of responsibilities and qualifications. Among those responsibilities, which give you some hints at what we can expect to see on the board next year:
The only potential red flag you see in there is “crowd prompts.” Immediately, that makes people think of, “LET’S GET LOUD!” or “It’ time to kiss!” I have a good feeling that the will avoid that kind of traditional “stadium experience” stuff. Yes, there will be crowd prompts, but I doubt it’ll be the really cheesy, deeply un-Wrigley stuff.
Tip for interviewees: demonstrate an understanding of what fans are looking for in a video board at Wrigley (enhancements of the game experience, including stats and replays, and bits on the Cubs), and what they do not want from the video board (anything that distracts from the on-field experience and the general solemnity of Wrigley). Especially in this first year of the JumboTron, fans are going to be *very* sensitive to how it impacts the experience.
And a tip to the Cubs, then: proceed conservatively the first year. Probably even more conservatively than you think is conservative. I am pro-video board, and, for that reason, I don’t want to see the thing reviled from day one.
Good luck!
