It’s one thing to owe the city of Joliet more than $200,000 in back rent — which the team admits is the case — but the Joliet JackHammers (independent; Northern League) may have committed a more egregious sin: bouncing a check to the Famous Chicken after an appearance. To the Chicken!
That the team owes more than $200,000 in back rent is not in dispute; owner Peter Ferro Jr. admits it. But Ferro also argues that he’s lost $1.6 million over the last two years while running the team out of Silver Cross Field, and he wants to see the back rent forgiven.
Which, surprisingly enough, could happen if the team is sold — and the word is that the team is definitely for sale. If that happens, look for the city to come to some sort of agreement with the new owner to wipe the debt off the books, giving them a fresh start.
Still, Ferro did something very, very bad: bounce a check to a baseball institution, Ted Giannoulas, aka the Famous Chicken. It’s one thing to bounce a check to a janitorial service — something you do as you’re leaving town, by the way — but it’s another thing to bounce an $8,000 check to the Famous Chicken.
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