August 21, 2008

COMMIT TO THE CUB!

As an observer of Cubdom, I’m still surprised to see that some are still not all-in. It seems that they’ve been “hurt and disappointed” for their entire lifetimes(!) and don’t want to hurt like that again. The bitter memories of ’07, ’04,’03,’99,’98……, well, you get the idea, are still fresh in their memory. I say, love hurts! There’s no turning back, we’re past the “3rd date”. There are only two possible outcomes now so, since it’s inevitable, why not relax and enjoy it?

This team has the talent, the desire and the “intangibles” to make it happen. What we need is for everyone involved to believe it can happen, like watching Michael Phelps in the Olympics last week. I watched all of his races, and for whatever reason it just seemed that there was no way he could lose, which, much to my cynical surprise, he didn’t. The bar was absolutely nuts while the races were on, especially the last two. The “buzz” was awesome. Now, I know that this in no way had any effect on any of his races, but I also wonder if the support he received from everywhere didn’t have some sort of affect on him. He had to be aware of the support, even if he wasn’t aware of the enormity of it. It’s the same with the Cubs. While you hear players say that the past doesn’t matter, “this is this year”, I don’t know if I can believe that. There is a reason why there is such a ‘buzz” in Wrigley, and in Harry Caray’s every day. It’s because there is the feeling that the ultimate victory is attainable, a quest that no one that follows the Northsiders has ever seen, the reason why everyone is watching. With that though, is the chance that your freakin’ heart can be ripped out of your freakin’ chest! That’s what makes it so much fun.

Fun? The wife asks that all the time. Why do you watch all of these games when all you do is yell at the TV? Because nothing comes easy, that’s why. I understand that it’s a game, that doesn’t mean that I can’t be passionate about it though. Besides, I’m no New Yorker, or New Yorker wannabee Boston fan. I don’t think that it’s my right to have my team win all of the time. Like everything in life, it’s better when it’s earned. It’s a badge of honor to be a long-suffering fan. It means that you don’t quit. That you don’t give up when times are tough. (Again, I realize that this is all self imposed suffering. In the grand scheme of things it doesn’t really matter. Well, almost doesn’t.)

So, I don’t understand the nit-picking of this team and its capabilities. “I’m not sure that Derrick Lee should hit in the three-hole, because he hits into too many double plays. Maybe Lou should move him down in the order.” WHAT? Have you lost your mind? Have all of these years of losing just ground you down to a little Cub fan shell of your former self? It’s the best run, best managed, most talented, most complete Cubs team that I have ever seen! Oh, and by the way, they are far and away the best team in the NL. So get on board. NOW! Like that great, extremely modest philosopher Brian Billick is often heard saying in the commercials that use sound bites from his past press conferences, “In a bacon and egg breakfast, the chicken is involved, but the pig is committed. Be that pig!” It’s time for all Cubs fans to commit to the little blue cub that they wear on their replica jerseys. BE THAT PIG!