What's in a name?

With all the outpouring objections for the name change of the old Sears Tower, I started to contemplate whether this change should really be met with resistance or acceptance. Now I of all Chicagoans am the last to accept change. I hate whenever channel 9 gets a new name (remember the WB? I almost cried when they did the montage of all its past shows and the frog tipped his hat for the last time) or an area code changes (I used to represent the 312 yo) or even when famous radio hosts are cast aside (Dick Beyondee- telling you kids not to drink and drive). But one thing we must remember is that with change comes new promise. Promise that buildings will not stand vacant, property taxes will (hopefully) be paid, renovations will actually get done, and the overall economic status of the city will flourish. For those of you who don't believe me, and don't care whether or not the city gets its taxes paid (which you should- because that's a lot of pot holes filled up), then consider this: Sears left US, we didn't get rid of them. They chose to leave the greatest city, much like other sentimentally important companies have come and gone before. Did they go bankrupt? Was it not their fault? No. While they may not have been able to keep up with the large rent to go with the largest building, they could have stayed in the city to maintain some solidarity- yet they chose the lackluster suburb of Hoffman Estates. BLEECHHH. So feel no remorse and shed no tears for Sears Roebuck & Co.- they chose to leave just like others have before.

Take the infamous Marshall Fields- known for its glorious Frango chocoalates and their Christmas story windows. Still to this day my dad tells me of how he got to go to the employee Christmas party after hours in the store with my grandmother where he would sip hot chocolate and watch with young eyes as the store tree would tower over him, lighting up not only the branches, but the hearts of its hard working employees (it's ok to grab the kleenex). I still am getting used to the name Macy's and have only just started to shed my cheap, New York, dirty street perceptions of its name, no doubt with the help from its good advertising campaigns. But if you're more hard headed than me and slow to resist acceptance that Field's is gone- know this: Target directly led to its demise. Blasphemy you say? Here's the paper trail:
1800s ish- Field creates stores in Chicago and dominates the city
1930-Field's becomes a public company (read as: the world owns it)
1982-Field's is no longer public and bought by British American Tobacco (yuck-Brits)
2000-Dayton-Hudson corporation (now known as TARGET CORPORATION) acquires Field's and tries to push its retail discounted items on the store. This fails miserably and leads to its demise
2004-Target finishes killing Field's and sells it to May Co., which sells it to Federated Dept. Store, which turns it into Macys.

So if you're still clutching onto those forest green shopping bags with the fancy cursive lettering, remember that your favorite local Target is in part to blame.

Another example: Wrigley Field. Now, let me just reiterate that I hate the Sox and I think they stink. But just because their field got bought by a brand name doesn't necessarily take the love out of the park. Wheerree do you think the name Wrigley came from? Duh. Wrigley Field Co., another Chicago company. But few people know that when the park was created it was originally called Weeghman Park, then Cubs Park (which sounds a lot less comercial than Wrigley once you know the history, right?). I can imagine my grandparents reading the paper saying, who the Jesus is this Wrigley fellow and why the blazes does he have to change Cubs Park? Jesus Mary and Joseph, get me a drink. But today Wrigley Field is a warm and cuddly a name as your first pet. And I'll bet the same thing will happen if this whole Ricket's deal goes through and they ever consider changing the name.

My point? Places are bought, names change, life goes on. Am I suggesting you embrace Willis Tower with all your might? Heck, no. They need to be toughened up if they're going to make it in this awesome city- give 'em hell, by all means. All I'm saying is that while tradition is a main ingredient of what makes my city so great- a rose by any other name is still Chicago.

=D