Chicago Tribune takes back Boston tribute in the tackiest of ways

Above, you see the touching tribute from the Chicago Tribune to the city of Boston the day after the horrific marathon bombings. Erasing any and all rivalries, one city reached out to another to say, “We stand with you.” I was particularly proud of this gesture for two reasons:

1. I live in Chicago

2. I am originally from New Hampshire, which means Boston teams are our teams.

The next week, the Tribune expanded on its generosity by buying lunch for the entire Boston Globe staff. Again, another touching gesture from one city to another.

Well, now that the Blackhawks and Bruins are vying for Lord Stanley, the Tribune has turned its act of kindness into the act of a petty teenager in some sort of misguided attempt at humor or sporting rivalry or something pointless. Behold what wound up in Wednesday’s supplemental edition of the Tribune:

Via Poynter:

“It’s kind of clever but we’re pretty sure there’s an unspoken ‘no takeseys-backsies’ rule in place when it comes to heartfelt tributes to the victims of a national tragedy,” Eric Randall writes in Boston Magazine. “No disrespect to Boston was intended, and we regret that some readers were offended,” a Tribune spokesperson told Randall in an email. “Our original sentiments of support for Boston and the victims of the recent bombing still stand.”

“Takeseys-backsies” is the perfect term, considering how juvenile the Tribune’s act is. The original point of the first sports cover was that this was NOT about sports and was about cities around the country supporting Boston. The fact that the Tribune then MADE it about sports is classless.

It would have been in the paper’s best interest to just cover the series as they normally would, rather than try to make light of their own heartfelt gesture, or even worse, a horrific tragedy. 

I hope the Tribune thinks its act was worth losing the respect of at least an entire city, if not more people. And all before the series is even decided. 

[AdWeek/Poynter]