Tom Ricketts SUUUUUUUCKS

[Derwood]

[Jason Ross]

[Post Count Padder]

Water is wet.

[SOFNR]

Ha. They sure don't help themselves with ridiculous comments like this.

[JHBulls]

Then sell the team stupid. 

[WhyCantWeWin]

Im sure people will still lick his boots

Edited January 18, 2025 by WhyCantWeWin

[NorthsideAvenger]

Why does Tom thinks Cubs fans are stupid?

If you can not run a major market team like a major market team then you are too broke to own a MLB franchise.

He should have bought the A's.

Edited January 18, 2025 by NorthsideAvenger

[Wilson A2000]

Are the investors just encouraging the team to break even also? 

[Irrelevant Dude]

Tom had the right idea when he was hiding from the fans and refused to show his face in public.  Every time he speaks, he becomes even more unlikeable.

[Rcal10]

Honestly he shouldn’t do interviews. There is nothing he can say to satisfy fans. I do understand not spending like the Mets, Yankees or Dodgers. Especially the Dodgers. However I don’t understand why the LT line has to be the ceiling, and they aren’t even close to that. I would be shocked if they came within $5M of the line. 

[CubinNY]

Break even, minus the concerts, hotel, VRBOs, landlord to bars, shops, a sports book, concessions,  and about 1/3 of the season in straight profit. 
 

I honestly think since they have to divide everything five ways, they think they don’t make a lot of money 

[Stratos]

1 hour ago, Rcal10 said:

Honestly he shouldn’t do interviews. There is nothing he can say to satisfy fans. I do understand not spending like the Mets, Yankees or Dodgers. Especially the Dodgers. However I don’t understand why the LT line has to be the ceiling, and they aren’t even close to that. I would be shocked if they came within $5M of the line. 

If the Cubs are 3rd in revenue (not including the neighborhood investments) and Tom chooses to only spend where the Cubs only rank 9th or 10th in LT payroll then he has 2 choices in interviews:  tell the truth or lie and make excuses.  Since telling the truth would be bad for PR, he chooses to lie and make excuses.  Since lying and making excuses is also bad for PR then you're right, he needs to stop doing interviews because there's nothing he can say that can justify his actions to fans. 

If he actually just straight up told the truth at least i could respect him for being honest and transparent with his customers.  But the owner saying "my main priority is maximizing my profit, which means being just good enough to keep hope alive to fill seats" is going to lose them some customers.

[Sammy Sofa]

[Bobson Dugnutt]

 

Get horsefeathered, Tom.

[Irrelevant Dude]

Also, it is quite an amazing coincidence that the "break even point" just so happens to fall right at the luxury tax line almost every year.  What are the chances???

[Rcal10]

14 minutes ago, Bobson Dugnutt said:

 

Get horsefeathered, Tom.

Does the revenues include the tv deal? It cannot possible include that. The dodgers are well ahead of everyone if tv revenue is considered. I absolutely agree the Cubs  should spend a lot more. Tired of Ricketts carrying poor. But I don’t think the Dodgers number is close to correct. Even if the Cubs can’t spend like them or the NY teams they should be 4th every year and should not be worried about the LT line. Tired of TR horsefeathers.

[CubinNY]

5 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

Does the revenues include the tv deal? It cannot possible include that. The dodgers are well ahead of everyone if tv revenue is considered. I absolutely agree the Cubs  should spend a lot more. Tired of Ricketts carrying poor. But I don’t think the Dodgers number is close to correct. Even if the Cubs can’t spend like them or the NY teams they should be 4th every year and should not be worried about the LT line. Tired of TR horsefeathers.

It’s revenue, but that’s beside the point. Splitting hairs or pointing out how much other teams make is obfuscation. The Cubs are one of the most PROFITABLE franchises year over year in baseball. That doesn’t even include the extracurricular activities that go on in and around Wrigley in and out of season. So in summary, horsefeathers Tom Ricketts and his entire family. Sell the team. 

[Bobson Dugnutt]

7 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

Does the revenues include the tv deal? It cannot possible include that. The dodgers are well ahead of everyone if tv revenue is considered. I absolutely agree the Cubs  should spend a lot more. Tired of Ricketts carrying poor. But I don’t think the Dodgers number is close to correct. Even if the Cubs can’t spend like them or the NY teams they should be 4th every year and should not be worried about the LT line. Tired of TR horsefeathers.

I don’t know what the numbers include but the takeaway here is that the Ricketts are lying to our faces. Like CubinNY mentioned, the Ricketts have all kinds of revenue streams that likely aren’t included here either.

 

 

[Dfan25]

So earlier today Ricketts said he expected payroll around the 241 luxury tax . Tonight Nightendale wrote a story and said the Cubs 2025 payroll will be 220 .

He got the into from a high rank team source which is really weird . If they are at  198 currrently , they really got like 12-15 left , considering they keep 5-10 for in season moves. 
 

If Nightendale source is right , then Ricketts lied earlier today .

[CubinNY]

Rich people who are insulted from the consequences of their actions say horsefeathers and expect people to believe it. 
 

Who in the Cubs front office is going to call him out? 

[Thusly Boned]

2 minutes ago, Dfan25 said:

So earlier today Ricketts said he expected payroll around the 241 luxury tax . Tonight Nightendale wrote a story and said the Cubs 2025 payroll will be 220 .

He got the into from a high rank team source which is really weird . If they are at  198 currrently , they really got like 12-15 left , considering they keep 5-10 for in season moves. 
 

If Nightendale source is right , then Ricketts lied earlier today .

Not at all a defense of PTR, but Nightengale being wrong wouldn't exactly be precedent setting

[Rcal10]

10 minutes ago, Dfan25 said:

So earlier today Ricketts said he expected payroll around the 241 luxury tax . Tonight Nightendale wrote a story and said the Cubs 2025 payroll will be 220 .

He got the into from a high rank team source which is really weird . If they are at  198 currrently , they really got like 12-15 left , considering they keep 5-10 for in season moves. 
 

If Nightendale source is right , then Ricketts lied earlier today .

All of it sucks. And it shouldn’t be like this. But if it is going to be $220M I hope he means to start the 2025 season. So they have over $20M more to spend. And again that number even with his stupid LT line, should be more like $235M. Seems odd to have Tom then say they will finish around $241. Actually calling it what it is….. it is a lie. Even if they go to $220M now how do they add $21M at the deadline when they only have to pay 1/2 to 1/3 of a salary. Yes, TR SUCKSSSSSSS

[BigbadB]

I wanna know how they will spin the cry poor theory when we watch Kyle Tucker be everything they want him to be, and then watch him go somewhere else next year, and probably a smaller market team than Chicago.

To me, you made that bed by making that trade. Now finish the deal and sign him long term. People will be louder than ever if they don't work out an extension. I'm actually half expecting low ball extension offers and a trade at the deadline because they know he's leaving.

[Rcal10]

2 hours ago, BigbadB said:

I wanna know how they will spin the cry poor theory when we watch Kyle Tucker be everything they want him to be, and then watch him go somewhere else next year, and probably a smaller market team than Chicago.

To me, you made that bed by making that trade. Now finish the deal and sign him long term. People will be louder than ever if they don't work out an extension. I'm actually half expecting low ball extension offers and a trade at the deadline because they know he's leaving.

I agree with almost everything you said, but I don’t think they trade him at the deadline. In spite of the half assed effort to make this team a 90+ win team this off season, I think they will be in contention at that time. If they do get a closer I think they did enough to take this team from 83 wins to 87-88 wins. That will compete. I don’t like what they did. They should do much more. They had a chance to dominate the central, at least, and be a low 90s win team, but chose to look for bargains instead of good players, after they traded for Tucker. And it is all on orders from ownership to keep payroll down. The Cubs wasted an opportunity for a very good season and are settling for an ok one. 

[Bertz]

11 hours ago, Thusly Boned said:

Not at all a defense of PTR, but Nightengale being wrong wouldn't exactly be precedent setting

Also a $241M Luxury Tax Payroll is roughly $220M in cash allocated to the active roster.  So the statements aren't necessarily in conflict.  The latter is how a lot of people still talk about payroll, because the former only matters to teams afraid of the tax line.