Chicago Cubs: No chicken and beer in the clubhouse

Chicago Cubs: Come on, no beer OR chicken?!?

Last, but not least, no beer and fried chicken. Or, at least, less beer and chicken. Supposedly, the players and front office want the players to be accountable, professional, and healthy. This leads me to believe there was a problem, akin to the problems another Epstein-led club experienced in between title runs. While I didn’t know we had the same issue of bloated-salaried, blase´ veterans they had in Boston during the beer and chicken scandal, apparently there’s an issue, or it wouldn’t be on the list.

Seems strange to think the club would build a specific party room in the new clubhouse for celebrations after games and then make it a point to limit said parties and festivities after the games. I’m not advocating for guys to be stumbling around the clubhouse or be crazy, but this one seems to be hinting at a problem that some players may have had, or had with one another regarding celebratory merriment in the postgame clubhouse.

If these changes bring about another trophy, I’m all for them- I just didn’t know there was a big problem in the first place with a group of players we’ve come to love the last few years. I didn’t know there was a big problem with some of the philosophies that helped us build a winner in Chicago. I really didn’t know there was a big problem with a few Old Styles and some KFC. However, Jon Lester and Theo Epstein have been down that road before and know what problems can arise with an unstructured, complacent, and talented team; let’s hope they know what they’re doing with this team.

While this accountability initiative could engender both positive and negative ramifications, hopefully, the Cubs will get off to a hot start in 2019, extend some of the young core, and give Joe Maddon an extension; oh, and put the bad taste of this offseason and any negative talk of these ideas behind all of us. We really need it. Start the season already!