Under a front-page headline so large it precluded proper coverage of the paper's latest sweepstakes winner or the R-Kelly trial, the Sun-Times Tuesday morning shouted, "ZELL NO!" meaning that Sam Zell will not be selling Wrigley Field to the Illinois Sports Facility Authority and will instead "(plan) to package the Cubs and their landmark stadium in a private transaction."

The article by Fran Spielman and David Roeder continues:

...sources said Zell has rejected the state's proposed terms because it relies on a novel and untested financing plan: the sale of individual seats at Wrigley as if they were condominiums. The idea is called equity seat rights and has been advanced by Chicago area business executive Lou Weisbach, who has applied for patent rights on it.

Zell, Cubs Chairman Crane Kenney and their advisers have concluded that the equity plan and its tax ramifications would violate both the Internal Revenue Service code and the rules of Major League Baseball, the sources said.