Dear Chicago Cubs fans,
First things first: What the hell took you so long? Over 100 years?
I’m kidding, of course. Congratulations. Congratulations on the Cubs winning the World Series.
If you think about it, it’s kind of weird to offer congratulations to another fan base after their team wins. The fans didn’t have any real tangible contributions. It’s not like any of you logged some innings or received a couple of at-bats or anything like that.
But it’s not just congratulations for the Cubs winning. It’s congratulations for sticking with it for so long. Investing that much time, faith and patience into something like this is exhausting.
We know all about that here in Boston. It’s hard to remember or envision, but before we became insufferable, obnoxious, cocky, self-congratulating blowhards, we were lovable losers. We were “cursed,” too.
And we know that your life — or at least your life as sports fans — is about to change in a big way.
Financially, you’re about to take a huge hit, and you won’t complain one bit. You’re going to scoop up each and every hat, shirt or tchotchke that says “Cubs World Series Champions,” not thinking twice about forking over $100 for a sweatshirt. You’ll wear that gear everywhere you go. You’ll wear it to work, you’ll wear it to weddings, you’ll probably even wear it to funerals. And every time you put on that gear — even, say, 12 years from now — it still will serve as the slightest reminder of how awesome it is that the Cubs won the World Series.
Your life as a baseball fan is going to change, too. The lovable loser thing and everyone rooting for you? You can kiss that goodbye. The only thing we like more as a sports society than rooting for David is rooting against Goliath. You are baseball Goliath now. You’re on top of the mountain and with a roster like that, it’s not unrealistic to think your stay will be an extended one. People are going to resent you for that, so brace yourself.
And you know what? You should embrace the hate. In a weird way, you’ve earned it. Who cares what everyone else thinks? The Cubs are the World Series champions for crying out loud. Just, you know, try not to be as obnoxious as we can be.
People also are going to tell you that this sort of success actually will make watching the Cubs worse. In some ways, they’re kind of right. There’s no one in New England who can say with a straight face that Red Sox games mean as much now as they did before Oct. 27, 2004. Before that night in St. Louis, seemingly every game meant life or death. Fenway hasn’t really been the same since. Now, it’s kind of an afterthought at times and that’s a bummer.
Winning will change the Cubs, it will change Wrigley, it will change you and it will change the entire Cubs-watching experience.
But here’s the thing: You’ll have no problem making that trade. You’ll have no problem making that trade because the parade is going to be so incredibly awesome. The cold, borderline unbearable Chicago winter won’t bother you as much this year. You’ll have no problem making that trade when you’re watching the Cubs fly the World Series flag on Opening Day.
And the best part is that you’ll have these memories for life. You’ll circle Nov. 2 on the calendar every year, and when the date rolls around, you’ll celebrate again. You’ll watch the highlights again. You’ll wear all that gear you bought again. You’ll make that date part of every important password you use for the rest of your life.
Five, 10, 15 years later, you’ll remember exactly where you were, who you were with and what you did when the Cubs finally won the World Series. Even the smallest thing will remind you of that night, too. Then you’ll inevitably fire up a group text with whoever you spent the night with — family, friends, maybe even total strangers who became friends — and you’ll be taken right back to that place, and it’s just the best. You’ll never, ever forget that night and the way it made you feel.
That’s why you endured the losing, the suffering, the heartbreak for so long — it’s that feeling that makes it worth it. The feeling of euphoric delight you have now eventually will wear off, but the memories never fade.
Enjoy the hell out of it, Cubs fans. Lord knows you’ve earned it.
Thumbnail photo via Patrick Gorski/USA TODAY Sports Images
