Although some construction on the Red Line conspired to make me late, I let myself be the weird guy running down the street with his computer bag flopping alongside him, and I made it on time for the first panel of the day. It’s the Ricketts Family Forum, which, as the name implies, involves the Ricketts Family members holding a forum. I’m a wordsmith!
I’ll toss in below any interesting/funny/useful bits that come up. I reckon there will be a lot less anger coming in the fan questions this year.
Tom Ricketts leads off with a take on 2014, and how the organization views it as a turning point. Facilities, charity, talent.
The first two “questions” were not questions. They were prepared statements. The second was literally a written-down prepared statement. The crowd booed at the mention of “prepared statement.”
And the third question is also not a question. The fourth question was about whether the ivy is gone and, if so, if it is coming back. CubsCon!
Ricketts says family does not think about the Cubs like a traditional business, in terms of making a profit. He reiterates: they generate revenue, pay expenses, and the rest goes to baseball operations.
Ricketts confirms at least two rooftop purchases, and says the Cubs intend to operate those as rooftops.
Great question on streaming plans down the road. Ricketts say it’s a high priority for the Cubs to have an answer to in-market streaming, and they push for it when they meet with MLB. It’s complicated, though, as you know.
Ricketts says it’s a high priority to get games to everyone, but doesn’t really address the issue of folks in the Chicago blackout region who don’t get WGN-9 or ABC-7.
It will be a “challenge” to have the bleachers ready for Opening Day, and the Cubs will lay out the contingency plan later today at the business operations panel.
Wow – fan cops to being the person with whom Ian Stewart tweeted back when he got suspended (without pay, and the fan asked for a share of the $100,000 the org saved).
Laura Ricketts did a show-of-hands on “Go Cubs Go,” and it’s probably a skewed voter pool at a Convention, but it was overwhelmingly in favor.
The obligatory Sammy Sosa question, and the obligatory non-answer. “There are some things that have to happen first.”
Ricketts was asked if he could give a little more insight on the Maddon tampering investigation. “No, not really.” Heh. He did say that they know they didn’t tamper.
Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here.
Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.
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NEWSLETTER
Although some construction on the Red Line conspired to make me late, I let myself be the weird guy running down the street with his computer bag flopping alongside him, and I made it on time for the first panel of the day. It’s the Ricketts Family Forum, which, as the name implies, involves the Ricketts Family members holding a forum. I’m a wordsmith!
