The Wright Times

Issue date: 10/1/08 Section: Editorial & Opinion

Cubs fans leave Wrigley Field after a disappointing and expected loss to the Cardinals.

Let's get straight to the point: I hate the Cubs and the majority of Cubs "fans." This piece will probably leave me in the hospital after getting beat up for slandering the Chicago Cubs and their precious enthusiasts, but it's a risk worth taking.

Many people venture throughout Chicago, taking the 152 Addison bus Eastbound when traveling downtown. Commuters also attempting to get to work frequent this bus five, six days a week but when there's a Cubs game, we must leave at least an hour earlier than usual because Cubs "fans" crowd the buses, stepping on people's feet, yelling at their friend in the back of the bus from the front, screaming obscenities, swarming onto the 152 like a pack of sardines. Thank God it's October.

The people who don't live under rocks know that the intersection of Clark and Addison is also known as Wrigleyville. Hundreds of drunken suburbanites, who don't have jobs or don't need them, flood the side walks on game days, forcing the regular folk onto the streets; sure, I'll get hit by someone's minivan just so you can make your way towards the Cubby Bear or the Salt N' Pepper diner.

The truth is that the majority of attendees go for at least three reasons: 1. to pretend you actually care about a team who's known best for failure, 2. to tell everyone back in Podunk that you went to a Cubs game (even though you were probably sitting there reading a book or painting your toe nails) and of course 3. to drink at the game and then drink, drink and drink some more afterwards so you can celebrate the Cubs loss. I mean victory.

While riding the bus home on September 15, I saw a man passed out on the side walk, later having to be carried, by police officers, to the bus stop. I had the unfortunate luck of sitting next to this man. In the 45 minutes I was forced to sit next to the stench of alcohol and urine, the man told bus patrons the tale of his deceased dog and cried for half of the ride home. As snot dripped from his nose, I realized that this man was THE Cubs fan; an angry, tired, sloppy drunk who did too much celebrating and was now attempting not to spew on any of the bus riders. Just think, that could be YOU in a year or so. Speaking of moronic fans, who could forget Steve Bartman? On October 14, 2003, Bartman tried catching a foul ball during Game 6 of the NLCS (National League Championship Series) and five years later, people still blame Bartman for losing the game. (more info about Bartman here) but is Cubby love REALLY love or is it just another jump on the bandwagon?

South Sider Jose Lopez said most people like the Cubs "because everyone else does, monkey see, monkey do." But Robert Morris College student, Julitsai Torres disagrees. "It's about loyalty for the most part and most importantly, it feels like home," Torres said. But if you want to call home standing in the middle of a mostly drunken, sweaty crowd because you lost one of your fellow drunken buddies, then be my guest. And if I can remember…we have two baseball teams in Chicago and even though the Sox won the World Series in 2006, they are still considered the underdogs, yet the Cubs haven't won the World Series since 1908. And when they had the chance to win again in 1918, they lost and people believed that the game was fixed in a mob scandal.

My loyalty to this city does not reflect my loyalty to the Cubs. Even though they've lost a large chunk of their games, people STILL go because Wrigley Field is near downtown, it's convenient, it's clean (before Cubs fans get there) and for some reason, it's almost always been something people associate with Chicago. But why? There are so many more beautiful places in this city and so many more interesting things to do besides sitting in a seat for three hours, trying to understand why the left fielder didn't catch the ball.

I don't care how many games the Cubs lose. Oops, I meant win. They are and will always be losers. Someone will always be there to let down Cubs supporters, someone will always get caught cheating with a corked bat and some fan with a walkman on will always try catching the ball that could make or break the game.

I'm no fortune teller but based on the Cubs past, I can say that they have a large chance of screwing up yet ANOTHER wonderful opportunity. And when they do screw up, again, everyone can blame it on that darned curse.

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