Chicago Cubs: Why is Tom Ricketts ducking fans at Cubs Convention?

Update: Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts spoke to 670  WSCR and 1000 ESPN on Thursday morning regarding the decision to cancel the annual ownership panel at CubsCon. You can find the full interview with The Score here. 

For the first time, Chicago Cubs ownership will not hold a panel at Cubs Convention. What’s behind this decision and what message does it send?

Per media reports, Chicago Cubs ownership (namely, Tom Ricketts, who has been the face of the ownership family) will not be holding their annual question and answer session with fans at the $125 per ticket Cubs Convention this weekend.

Given the angst of Cubs’ fans mired in a hopelessly long offseason, as well as some weighty, divisive and salient topics fans would undoubtedly like to hear about, it’s a bad look for an ownership group who has done almost everything right since purchasing the Cubs.

Maybe the Ricketts are feeling political heat due to ongoing issues with local Chicago government or their ties to the White House amidst a government shutdown; perhaps they don’t want to bring their (or anyone else’s) politics into the fray at CubsCon this weekend and take attention away from the team.

Maybe Tom Ricketts doesn’t want to field questions about Addison Russell‘s spot on the team in light of recent allegations of domestic abuse. Or perhaps the Ricketts don’t have everything figured out with their new Cubs television network and are waiting for another moment to make a big announcement.

Maybe they don’t want to field questions about the rumored salary cap they’ve placed on Theo Epstein despite making money hand over fist (and, admittedly, sinking a lot of it back into the franchise and city) since taking over.

Orrrrrr…. maybe, just maybe, Tom Ricketts is planning on walking out hand in hand with Joe Maddon, Theo Epstein and Bryce Harper as the big surprise of the convention.  Yeaaaa, probably not that one.