Chicago Cubs: 3 reasons the team can’t be sellers now
Reason #1
The Chicago Cubs owners are running out of excuses and shouldn’t be changing anything.
There’s always been a canned response ready for Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts and ownership whenever a fan or media member asks about the team spending money on players. It’s getting old to hear “We’re broke” from one of the richest families in the world.
The coronavirus pandemic fundamentally changed our society for the past year and sports franchises definitely suffered losses due to not being able to sell tickets to games. It was the first excuse Ricketts used when discussing contract extensions for players.
There’s no doubt the lack of ticket sales hurt the Cubs’ bottom line and the fact that ownership significantly redeveloped Wrigleyville over the past few years is also costing the team.
Cubs sweep the Padres and remain in 1st place. Javy is on a ridiculous tear. The bullpen is practically unhittable. And best of all, they are making Jed’s job very, very difficult. You can’t sell when you’re in 1st place. @ParkinsSpiegel coming up soon.
— Danny Parkins (@DannyParkins) June 2, 2021
Gone are the ancient fast-food restaurants, replaced with multiple glass and steel buildings. The area around Wrigley now features luxury apartments & Condos, a luxury hotel, and many other high-end options.
Don’t get me wrong, the character of Wrigleyville is still very much alive, and many of the favorite local bars in the area survived the pandemic. But there’s no denying Cubs ownership wanted to change the look of the area and hopefully, attract rich tourists from around the world.
The pandemic threw a wrench in those plans but as things open up the Ricketts won’t have that excuse to use anymore. Not that they should have an excuse considering they’re literally one of the richest families in the world.