Tom Ricketts Is Very Smart, Announces He Won't Take Fan Questions This Weekend At Cubs Convention
NBC – The Ricketts family made waves on Wednesday when it was revealed that they wouldn’t host their annual Q-and-A panel at Cubs Convention, and team Chairman Tom Ricketts explained the family’s reasoning in a radio interview Thursday. Ricketts said that the family worried that the questions in the annual panel were getting “repetitive” during an interview with the Mully and Haugh Show on 670 the Score. “We had the lowest rated panel last year, so they cut us,” he said. “We just thought we are boring people. I think I’m the most accessible owner in sports. People ascribe some agenda to it, but people want more time with players and coaches.”
The Ricketts family has been stirring up quite a bit of buzz this offseason, as rumors have swirled that the Cubs are working with budgetary limitations that have prevented them from going after players like Bryce Harper and Manny Machado. The team has also ginned up tons of discussion because of the likelihood of a new team-owned television network, as well as the handling of the situation with embattled shortstop Addison Russell, who was suspended over domestic violence allegations.
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No one believes this right? Like if there was ever a time for ownership to send a message to fans, it would be now. 2018 ended in disaster, the starting shortstop is a disaster in the making, division opponents have aggressively improved, free agency is dead and all the coaches got fired/left. If you’re paying attention, the fanbase is freaking out and making a lot of fuss over the club’s decisions this offseason.
In that context, it’s surprising to me that Rickets said:
“We had the lowest rated panel last year, so they cut us,”
Uhhhh Tom. You *own* the team. Like it belongs to *you*. The mere notion that you’re in a position to be cut from anything in the first place is astronomically laughable. I have no say in my employees’ decisions. I just sign the paychecks.
Tommy my boy. Grab some chair. We gotta talk.
I’m yours, Carl.
You’re a billionaire. A World Champion.
You’ve transformed OUR Cubs. Saved us from the Tribune. Made us relevant. Made it worth our time. In the process, you’ve used your own money to bankroll the whole thing.
You took on Chicago government and won – kinda. More impressive is you didn’t hide behind this City’s rampant bullshit as an excuse. You figured out a way to get shit done around Wrigley and you did it.
You hired Theo Epstein and got out of his way, averaging 97 wins since 2015.
You’ve lived here 36 years now. You’ve made Chicago your home and done more for the sports scene in this city than any owner, ever. You did it.
And finally, again, you’re a billionaire. If anyone should be able to speak their mind, it’s you.
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So let’s go back to the original question and point of this blog.
Ricketts isn’t taking the questions at the convention and a lot of people are salty for reasons A.B.C.D.E.F.G. Really though it’s just because the Cubs didn’t immediately sign Bryce Harper, ditch Heyward, save money, slash ticket prices and solve world hunger all before Christmas. Wah wah wah. It’s all noise.
Ignore anyone with a Mai Thai
My only advice to Tom moving forward is to shoot us straight with unbridled honesty and reality. We’re not taking questions because we don’t have to. I’m the owner. This is my team. My stadium. My money and you’ll take what you get.
People respect chin music and that would be 96mph in your kitchen. That would set the tone I so badly want Cubs fans to embrace which is simply: stop acting like pussies. You’re either on the team bus or you’re not. Theo’s driving, Tom owns the bus, Rizzo’s in the back cutting farts, Los Spanish Cubs are in charge of the music, Zobrist is running prayer groups up front, me and Big Cat are ripping cigs out the emergency exit window, Lester packed a cooler, Hendricks brought the chess board. Overall it’s just a great fuckin bus top to bottom.
You need to decide right now if you want in on this bus. It’s definitely going places just as it has for many summers before. I just need you to commit so we can get on with the bullshit and start the season. Pitchers and Catchers report in 26 days start acting like it forchrissakes.