Cubs thrust into political firestorm over Charlie Kirk, Sinclair
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Cubs owner Tom Ricketts speaks during the 2027 Chicago All-Star Game announcement at Wrigley Field in August. Photo: Patrick McDermott/Getty Images
The Chicago Cubs have stumbled into the partisan firestorm ignited by the killing of Charlie Kirk.
Why it matters: The beloved North Side team is heading to the playoffs for the first time since 2020, but the governor and some fans are calling for a boycott.
Driving the news: Gov. JB Pritzker, a Cubs fan, wants Chicagoans to boycott Sinclair Broadcasting after the media giant refused to air "Jimmy Kimmel Live," instead preempting his time slot even after his suspension was lifted.
- Sinclair Broadcasting owns multiple television stations in Illinois, mostly downstate. But they partner with Marquee Sports, which is the broadcast home of the Cubs.
- The network is already facing backlash for raising its prices, which go into effect next week.
The latest: Cubs rookie Matt Shaw skipped Sunday's game to attend the funeral for Kirk. Shaw said he knew Kirk and that he wanted to attend because it was "really important to my faith."
- Shaw explained that he got permission to leave from the Cubs front office and that he discussed the situation with several veterans, who gave him "a lot of support and really good advice."
- "Whatever backlash I get is OK," Shaw said to reporters.
The intrigue: While it's perfectly acceptable for a player to miss games for personal reasons, many fans point to the highly political nature of Kirk's funeral and why Shaw was absent during a crucial late-season game, which the Cubs lost 1-0.
- Kirk, who grew up in the Chicago area, was a fan of the team, even taking photos with Shaw and other players at Wrigley Field just weeks before his killing.
- That photo led to some fans calling for a boycott of the team then.
The big picture: This isn't the first time the Cubs have been called out over politics. The Ricketts family, which owns the Cubs, has been under fire for supporting and even fundraising for President Trump and conservative candidates and issues.
- "I'm not mentally gymnastic enough to believe I can support the Cubs but not the Ricketts family agenda," then Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn said in 2019.
Between the lines: The Cubs' dilemma is that much of the team's identity is sewn together with the fabric of the city and the neighborhood they play in.
- The team's fan base is politically diverse, with some aligned with the Ricketts and conservative politics.
- But the team's venue is nestled on the North Side of the city, mere blocks from Northalsted, the proudly LGBTQ+ neighborhood, and surrounding areas that are firmly Democratic.
Yes, but: Wrigley Field is still one of the biggest draws in all of baseball.
The bottom line: While it's unlikely fans will turn their back on this year's playoff team, the Cubs are once again thrust into the spotlight over politics.
Marquee Sports and the Chicago Cubs refused to comment for this story.