Mayor Daley, a lifelong Sox fan, took the opportunity yesterday to mock the Cubs for their bleacher windscreen idea. I agree that the notion that the windscreens have been put in for security purpsoes is laughable, but the point that Daley misses — as usual — is that he doesn’t get to have the last word on what private businesses in Chicago do.

There could be an argument made that it’s unfriendly of the Cubs to overturn a decades-old tradition beloved by visiting sportscasters everywhere, but how friendly is it of the Wrigleyville neighborhood to make it impossible for the Cubs to expand their park and schedule more night games? How much revenue have the Cubs brought into that neighborhood in the last 20 years? How much have property values increased? The neighbors’ whining is getting a little tiresome. If security around the park is really a problem, make the Cubs hire extra security.

They already charge fans an entertainment tax which — presumably — should be paying for the extra police and traffic officers that are placed around the park on game days. But don’t make it harder than necessary for the Cubs to compete while preserving the essentials of what make Wrigley Field such a magnificent place.