October 15, 2015
I like the Cubs. After all, the Wrigley Field billboard welcomed my son Louden’s birth five years ago.
Exempting Cardinals, Blue Jays, Mets or Royals fans for obvious reasons, the right thing to do over the course of the next three weeks is to open some space in your heart and pull for the Cubbies to win their first World Series in more than a century. (Yes, you read that right: Century.)
Here’s 10 reasons why, accompanied by a pretty please, sugar-on-top plea.
1. Because they’re playing the Mets next. These Mets. The Mets are your hometown side's biggest rival. For that reason, you should withhold any love.
2. When the Phillies fanbase was but kinda wasn’t ready to say goodbye, the Cubs opted against poaching J. Roll, Chase and Cole away from Philly. And then, they let Hamels close out his time in town with a no-hitter. Considerate, right?
2a. Should the really, really, reallyreallyreally fun Cubbies win it all, the history texts and thumb-drives of the era will reflect the fact that they were inspired to succeed because of a pair of losses to your fighting Philadelphia Phillies. (They’re 19-6 since those Sept. 12 and 13 losses. That’s a really good run. And it's all because of Philadelphia's wake-up call.)
3. Remember October 2008. WFC. Burrell's dog. Yeah, well Cubs manager Joe Maddon didn’t really have all that much fun, being the Rays manager and all. Pay it forward.
4. Kindred connection: the Steve Bartman story may not come up as often as snowballs thrown at Santa, but when it does, it’s with the force of Kool-Aid Man through a brick wall. Cubs fans can relate to your annoyance with tired, recycled narratives. It probably irks them just as much.
5. Mets fan Jon Stewart always ripped on Philly, so eff him. Plus, Phils' announcer Larry Andersen thinks Mets fans are annoying.
5a. I don’t have beef with Kansas City, whose Royals are playing in the American League Championship Series, but Louis C.K. does.
5b. This guy.
6. May 17, 1979. Phillies 23, Cubs 22. Took two to tango in the “Wildest Game in Modern History.” That's some BFF-type stuff there. Legacy game. Another example of kindred souls.
7. You know how Phillies legendary broadcaster Richie Ashburn started the switch from field to booth? Well, after the Phillies, he played for the Cubs. Sometimes, he hosted post-game baseball lessons on WGN-TV. Reckon a lotta Cubs fans love Whitey like Phillies fans do. And those same fans hate the Mets, who chased him out of the game a year later, and out of life a couple decades down the line. Shame on them.
8. Bill Murray likes the Cubs. You like Bill Murray, right? Well, it’d make him happy. Don't you want to make Bill Murray happy after all he's done for you?
9. They’re the heroes that the world deserves and needs right now. I can say this because Chicago was the backdrop for "The Dark Knight." And "The Dark Knight" was pretty damn good.
10. I believe it was Mahatma Gandhi who said, "A nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members." Lots of Cubs fans have died in those 107 years, and lots have lived a lotta painful years during 'em. If standing with 'em all isn't the height of sporting empathy, what is? (And don’t worry; Cubs fans won’t be like them jitbags from Boston after they win. Promise.) Plus, don't you wanna see my Periscopes from the biggest parade the world's ever seen?
