There will be no roasting the Ricketts family at Cubs Convention in January

There might not be an official panel with Tom Ricketts and Cubs ownership at the 2024 Cubs Convention next month - but if Jed Hoyer hasn't shown at least some movement in the next few weeks, the Cubs' chairman can expect an icy reception from fans during the weekend's opening ceremony regardless.

The big news here, though, is that after returning briefly in 2023, the ownership panel is once again out at CubsCon due to a lack of fan interest, according to the Chicago Tribune. It's hard to believe fans don't want a chance to grill ownership after the last couple years, but that might be because of just how deeply engrained I am in the fandom itself after all these years covering the team.

"The Ricketts family panel and the business operations panel featuring President Crane Kenney will not return in 2024. The decision was driven by a fan survey that ranked those panels 11th and 12th, respectively, out of 13 experiences."

Chicago Tribune

Cubs shaking up some key details of Cubs Convention next month

Ricketts will be in attendance at the event, which is set to kick off on Jan. 12 at the Sheraton downtown on the river - but in a more casual manner. Again, it's hard to envision fans being thrilled at no major moves between now and then, but panels dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the 1984 team and another with the 2016 World Series championship team will surely bring excitement up a notch.

It's also worth paying attention to the fact the 2024 Cubs Hall of Fame inductees will be announced on Friday - and it's former fan favorite Sammy Sosa's first year on the ballot. Could we see his first Cubs-affiliated appearance in nearly 20 years, paving the way for his return to Wrigley next summer?

The voucher system for autographs is now a thing of the past, with signings moving to a first-come, first-serve basis. Regardless of what the official agenda looks like, it's always a blast to get together with fellow Cubs fans - and with this being my first CubsCon since pre-COVID, I definitely have an added itch as the countdown begins.