Oh, how the mighty have fallen. The once-dominant Chicago Bulls have floundered in the years since Michael Jordan, and yesterday, they made a PR blunder that’s taking Chicago by storm.
When the Bulls took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce the 1901 Project—a multiyear plan to build a $7 billion complex surrounding the United Center (which does not include plans for an Illinois sportsbook)—one fan noticed that the franchise had failed to purchase the URL.
1901ProjectChicago.com soon boasted the message “Sell The Team Jerry!” and later, “Chicago Has Had Enough” was added. “Jerry” is Jerry Reinsdorf, owner of the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago White Sox.
The link in the tweet went straight to the site, and the post stayed up for more than two hours before the Bulls organization noticed and deleted it. But that didn’t stop the voracious public from embracing the site and making it a viral moment.
The fan, who asked to be quoted simply as Michael—a fitting moniker for a Bulls fan—spoke to PlayIllinois about the Bulls’ big blunder and why he nabbed the URL when he saw their mistake.
It started as a joke
Media outlets quickly picked up on the Bulls’ big miss and Michael’s quick response. CHGO, ESPN 1000’s Carmen & Jurko, and Barstool Chicago covered it on their shows. Michael will appear on a few Chicago sports talk shows later today.
Michael said he first noticed the Tweet in passing.
“I was walking upstairs to my apartment and opened Twitter. I saw the 1901 Project announcement and clicked it. It took me to a faulty link. I reloaded it, and it did the same thing. I figured it was an issue with my phone and not a glaring mistake made by a $5 billion sports organization.”
When he got settled in, Michael looked at the tweet once more and, on a whim, typed the advertised URL into GoDaddy. “It was available for purchase and very inexpensive,” he said. “So I bought it, mostly as a joke for my buddies.”
He dismissed it, took a shower, and did some chores. Then, his friends in the group chat said the URL led to a default GoDaddy page. “I consulted my friends—fellow Bulls fans—and asked what we should put on the site. ‘Sell The Team Jerry’ was the clear winner,” he said.
When it comes to Jerry Reinsdorf, Michael is quick to speak his mind:
“Jerry is the dark cloud that looms over the city, the Scrooge McDuck counting pennies in his penthouse while he looks down at the ants below, owning two sports teams in a city that craves sports. He’s the villain to millions of Chicagoans. He doesn’t care about winning. He cares about dollars in his pocket.”
‘The domain is for sale’
The consensus among Chicagoans and Bulls fans seems to be simple: This is hilarious. However, Michael is careful to keep his focus on making the viral moment fun and lighthearted.
“It’s meant to be harmless fun at the expense of a guy who has caused Chicago sports fans a whole lot of pain and misery,” Michael said. “I certainly hope nobody lost their job or got unduly punished for the mistake.”
Now, the site hosts a few media mentions of the “Sell The Team Jerry” phenomenon, plus a T-shirt campaign and a petition for Reinsdorf to sell.
“It’s a way for fans to feel like they got one over on the big guy,” Michael said. “I’m not looking to make a quick buck; if the T-shirts get any sort of revenue, we’ll find a charity and donate to a good cause.”
As for the URL itself, Michael left PlayIllinois with a clear message he hopes will reach the right ears within the Bulls organization: “The domain is for sale.”
This may not be in the cards for Michael, though. It appears the Bulls have pivoted, launching the website the1901projectchicago.com.
The United Center’s future
The 1901 Project could start its first phase as soon as 2025, and other big changes are coming to the United Center soon. FanDuel has a sports lounge within the arena, but it can’t yet accept retail bets. Once the group gets proper licensing to do so, attendees will be able to wager on-site.
The 1901 Project outline doesn’t mention anything about a sportsbook as of this writing.