Check Hell for Freezing Temps and Snow.....

[Broomstick]

... the Chicago Cubs are going to the Baseball World Series.

No, I'm serious.

I'm not kidding.

Chicago's perpetual losers have won their league championship and are going to the World Series. They haven't played in a World Series for 71 years, and haven't won one for 108.

Probably best summed up by Steve Gooman's "Dying Cub Fan's Last Request". Here's Mr. Goodman performing it himself, with Wrigley Field in the background:

Ironically, at the time Mr. Goodman recorded this he was a dying Cubs fan, and his ashes are scattered on Wrigley Field. Which is just one example of the awesome loyalty Cub's fans have been over the years for a team that, for most of the past century, have been a laughingstock of the game.

OK, it's not earth-shattering, and of enormous cultural important only if you're in/from the Chicago area. Still, it's nice to see thousands of people in the streets in the middle of the night having a good time with nothing bad happening rather than riots and stuff. Nothing wrong with having something to celebrate.

[Ziggy Stardust]

It is pretty astounding.

Even if you are the type of person that categorically dismisses or looks down upon the role of sports in broader culture and cultural identities (which, by the way, I am not and do not), it's still a pretty fascinating situation, if for no other reason than the pure statistical oddity of how the Cubs can go so long without a win or appearance (taking into respect the average rate at which other teams have done so). Congratulations, to Chicago. (And Cleveland, too. Cleveland is another cursed sports city that finally got some breaks this calendar year)

[Scottish Ninja]

I'm in Lakeview at the moment - a friend and I went out into the streets and walked towards Wrigley Field. We couldn't even get to the front entrance. Clark Street was jam-packed with people.

It's half-past midnight now and there are still people whooping and hollering and honking horns in the street outside. Hey Chicago, whaddaya say, Cubs are gonna win today!

[Gandalf]

Last time the Cubs were in the WS, the league was still desegregating.

The last time they won one, the world was ruled by empires.

[Raw Shark]

The Cubs pack Coors Field better than the other crap team known as the Rockies. Every time they play here, it's a sold-out game. I used to date a jersey-owning Cubs fan from Milwaukee, a city with its own damn team. I wish they could put that shit in a bottle and sell it to us.

[Bedlam]

Might be the year for strange victories then, Hibernian won the Scottish Cup for the first time in 114 years this year.

[SCRawl]

Cleveland has a tough team -- they manhandled my team, the Blue Jays, in the ALCS -- so it'll be no cakewalk for the Cubs.

Nevertheless, I feel compelled to post one of my favourite images about the stupidity of the Cleveland team's nickname in 2016.



Edit: Cleveland has had a long championship drought as well, so whichever team wins a long-suffering crop of fans will finally have something to cheer for.

[Steve]

It'd be something if Cleveland won, since it'd mean both the NBA and MLB championships for them in 2016.

[RogueIce]

It'd be something if Cleveland won, since it'd mean both the NBA and MLB championships for them in 2016.

It'd be even cooler if they could pull off a Super Bowl as well!



...well, 2/3 ain't bad.

[Terralthra]

Nate Silver had the best line.

"The Cubs haven't been to the World Series for so long that the last time they went, the 2016 election campaign hadn't even started yet."

[Broomstick]

My store entirely sold out of Cubs stuff by 2 pm today.

It's OK - I'm sure we'll be getting more on one of tonight's trucks.

[Gandalf]

I wish I could go back to the beginning of the season, put some money on the Cubs.

My store entirely sold out of Cubs stuff by 2 pm today.

It's OK - I'm sure we'll be getting more on one of tonight's trucks.

I feel sorry for the long suffering Cubs fans who now have to deal with bandwagoners.

[Enigma]

Not a good start for the Cubs. Yeesh, 6-0.

[Soontir C'boath]

5-1 Cubs bottom of the 8th. Looks like it will be 1-1.

[Simon_Jester]

The Cubs pack Coors Field better than the other crap team known as the Rockies. Every time they play here, it's a sold-out game. I used to date a jersey-owning Cubs fan from Milwaukee, a city with its own damn team. I wish they could put that shit in a bottle and sell it to us.

Some people will love a winner, no matter what else is true about them. These people, wherever situate, tend to gravitate towards the Yankees.

For people who are the exact opposite of that, there are the Cubs.

[Enigma]

Aaaaand the Indians need just one more win.

I found it funny that a local (well local as in ~30 min away) Cleveland TV station posted on Facebook a map of the U.S. showing which states are rooting for the Cubs or the Indians. Every state except Ohio were choosing the Cubs. Whether that's true, I don't know.

[Simon_Jester]

The Cubs are iconic for their losing streak; the Indians are not. I think that explains it.

[LadyTevar]

The Cubs are iconic for their losing streak; the Indians are not. I think that explains it.

Everyone loves an underdog.

[Gandalf]

The Cubs are iconic for their losing streak; the Indians are not. I think that explains it.

Everyone loves an underdog.

The funny part about the Cubs being the "underdog" is that they only have that image because of an improbable losing streak, when in fact they're one of the better financed teams of the league. The Indians spend $3.2M per player. The Cubs spend $5M. (Source.) In a game defined by managerial spending, I find myself cheering for the Indians if only because they got to where they are by spending about $1M per win compared to the Cubs $1.7M.

[Gaidin]

Forget checking hell for freezing temps. We know it's happening now. As a Chicago fan: AWESOME.

As a curse breaking fan: who's next?

[SCRawl]

The Red Sox broke their "curse" a few years back, so it was time for the Cubs to do the same for theirs.

I unwisely stayed up to see this game to its conclusion. Hopefully my boss will be understanding tomorrow.

[Broomstick]

I expect a lot of people in Chicago won't be making it in to work today.

It's 5:30 am and the party is still going on around Wrigley Field.

[Thanas]

Locked.

Three threads dealing with the same stuff...