Adidas burns Cubs with Kris Bryant 'Worth The Wait' billboard

It seems like the only thing the Chicago Cubs are doing these days is waiting.

The Cubs haven't won a Wold Series since 1908 and haven't made it back to the National League Division Series since 2007 and 2008 when they were swept both times.

So it goes without saying that when the Cubs kept 23-year-old phenom Kris Bryant off the 25-man roster to start the season, some backlash was inevitable.

But no one expected Adidas to pull the trigger first, which is exactly what they did. 

The company bought the billboard across the street from Wrigley Field and slapped Bryant's face on it with the caption 'Worth The Wait.'

Aaron Kahn, director of baseball for Adidas, said the sign was going up regardless of what happened, according to ESPN's Darren Rovell. 

But the fact that the Cubs sent Bryant down to the minors, despite batting .425 with nine home runs and 15 RBIs in just 14 spring games, changed the tone of the message.

"We just wanted to make sure to tell the folks in Chicago that they have a great thing coming," Kahn said.

Adidas, who won the right to Bryant last year, is essentially sending a message of their own, that  they'll stand alongside one of their most prominent players. 

When he earned the sponsorship from Adidas, who paid him close to $30,000, Bryant became the first ball player to wear the company's new Energy Boost Icon cleat.