Chicago Cubs: This year brought a very different feel at Cubs Convention

In each of the previous two years, Cubs Convention felt like a hopeful celebration. But this time around, it was an altogether different experience.

For the third time in as many years, I was fortunate enough to attend the annual Cubs Convention. This has become a tradition with my brother-in-law and best friend and it’s never really failed to live up to the hype. While that remains the case, this year was definitely something different for anyone in attendance.

Gone is the jubilant mood that ran rampant each January since the team emerged from a rebuild to make a deep postseason run in 2015, knocking out a pair of division rivals in the process. This year, fans let owner Tom Ricketts have it during his opening remarks and that sentiment seemed to emanate throughout the entire weekend.

As he began talking about the team’s new Marquee Network, he was hit with widespread booing – which he seemed to think was preposterous, based on how he reacted to it. It’s hardly just Marquee network that has fans on edge, though. It’s been a frustrating stretch for fans, who have grown accustomed to a different type of offseason in recent years.