Jerry Reinsdorf continues to bamboozle fans

Fans of both the Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox continue to be bamboozled by Jerry Reinsdorf.

There is an old saying that seems apropos when discussing the relationship between fans of the Chicago Bulls/Chicago White Sox and those teams’ owner, Jerry Reinsdorf. It goes, “fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”

The message in the saying is pretty simple and clear. If fooled once, the blame is on the trickster. However, if you continue to allow yourself to be fooled over and over again, then you are to blame for not learning your lesson.

Such is the case with Reinsdorf, and it makes you wonder how many times Bulls and White Sox fans will allow themselves to be duped by an owner who clearly only cares about one thing — his bottom line.

For years, he has allowed the tandem of John Paxson and Gar Forman to perpetrate an elaborate fraud on Bulls fans. Despite numerous rebuilds (some coming during a time when they were supposed to compete), Reinsdorf has allowed them to drive the team and franchise into the ground — so much so, that their fans, who are some of the most loyal in the league, have started staying home rather than filling the United Center.

It wasn’t until attendance started to fall off that Reinsdorf’s comments about possibly making changes conveniently leaked to the media. Well, guess what? No changes have been made. Instead, Paxson has made comments indicating just how entrenched and committed he is to Jim Boylen.

How about the White Sox? How many times have you heard the refrain that they were going to be active in free agency? Remember when fans were told they were going to be very active this year? How has that worked out?

So far they have signed Yasmani Grandal, Gio Gonzalez and traded for Nomar Mazara. While these are decent moves, they are hardly the free agent “splash” fans were expecting — especially with some marquis free agent pitching names on the market. While Gerrit Cole was never really a possibility, guys like Madison Bumgarner, Zack Wheeler, and Hyun-Jin Ryu were realistic targets on whom the Sox are 0-2 with Ryu still out there.

Granted they just signed Dallas Keuchel but does overpaying for a finesse pitcher on the downslope of his career really move the needle? If it does, perhaps expectations have been lowered for fans. I mean, you know they didn’t sign 2015 Dallas Keuchel right?

Again, more empty words and meaningless rhetoric coming from Reinsdorf owned teams. Will fans wisen up and take action to force meaningful change?