Meet the New Boss, Same As the Old Boss

Did you see the Ricketts press conference last Friday?  The family who took over ownership of The Chicago Cubs from the beleaguered Tribune Company?  It was so cute, they actually promised that they were going to win the World Series, it's their "#1 Goal".  After that what, repeal gravity? Get the sun to rise in the west? Like I said, it was cute. No word or whether or not Sisyphus called to offer his support.  C'mon!  Do they really think they somehow have the magic formula for overcoming a century plus one year of futility?  I guess because Tom Ricketts met his wife in the Bleachers of Wrigley, he thinks that somehow gives him magic powers to erase all that pain?  Nope.  

Right now they're in that blissful stage.  You know that feeling when the Lotto Jackpot goes up to like $100 Million and you decide to buy a few tickets because, of course, this time you're going to win?  It's like that. You buy the tickets and the whole way home, you fantasize about how you'd opt for the lump-sum payment and all the fun, cool things you'd do when you win?  "We're going to build a triangle shaped building between the west side of the park and Clark Street, we're going to reinvest the profits into the team."  Stuff like that.  I don't doubt that they'll put money into the operation and make things better and I believe they'll get that Triangle Building done, soon.  But all the amenities in the world don't make a team win a World Series.  All the money in the world (and the Ricketts family have a decent portion of it) doesn't buy World Series Championships.  Of course they're on the verge of proving me a bit wrong this year but look at all the failed bids the Yankees made for October glory in the last decade, and they're The Yankees, fer Pete's sake, they've been there before, 26 times.  That phrase, "Act like you've been there before", well the Yankees have, the Cubs haven't in a long, long time.  Every time the Cubs have glimpsed the possibility of World Series play, they suddenly remember they're the Cubs and collapse accordingly.  

I'm a diehard Cubs fan and will be until the day I die but like a lot people like me, I truly believe that the Cubs will never reach the promised land.  And in that bizarro world Cubs fan existence, that's strangely alright with me, don't ask me why.  Any other way would tear a hole in the time/space continuum. I think the sooner the Ricketts understand that, the better off they'll be.  Good luck to them and may God bless the Cubs.

Comments

[Jeff]

Agree. The Cubs, as my mom used to say, will always break your heart.

[Jeff]

Good interview with the guy on NPR - starts with

"There's an old joke: How do you become a millionaire? Have $1 billion — then buy the Chicago Cubs."

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114283287

(and they cost $900 million?? WTF?!)