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, who purchased the team along with his family prior to the 2011 season, 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.
