World Series

[amigocabal]

http://abc7chicago.com/sports/world-ser ... y/1585078/

[Crossroads Inc.]

CUBBIES WIN!!!
CUBBIES WIN!!!
CUBBIES WIN!!!
They DONT loose!
108 year old curse put to bed!!!

[Highlord Laan]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/ba ... story.html

[Scottish Ninja]

FLY THE W

[K. A. Pital]

A bit of commentary on the historic win (the last time was 1908, right?) would be nice. Not just a picture and a link.

[Gandalf]

An historic win indeed for Chicago, though given how much their team cost relative to Cleveland it's not too shocking.

Congrats to Cleveland for taking the game to extra innings in game seven. That's insane.

[Thanas]

Merging the threads.

[Broomstick]

A bit of commentary on the historic win (the last time was 1908, right?) would be nice. Not just a picture and a link.

Yes, the last time the Cubs won the World Series it was 1908.

The last time they were in the World Series at all was in 1945 (they lost to the Detroit Tigers). In Game 4 of that series Billy Goat Tavern owner Billy Sianis brought his pet goat and was asked to remove it (apparently the billy goat smelled... as billy goats tend to do) and Sianis cursed the Cubs



For decades various silly things were done (sometimes seriously) in an attempt to break the alleged curse.

Also, generations of families continued to support the Cubs despite their epic inability to win a championship, or even at times an ordinary ball game. Over a hundred years of "wait til next year!" echoed up and down streets around Wrigley Field (which wasn't even built the last time they won the Series). Cubs fans are fanatically loyal to their "lovable losers" and would party into the wee hours despite everything.

Another manifestation of multi-generational loyalty is the writing of the names of generations of Cubs fans on the brick walls of Wrigley Field since they won't the league pennant, all the fans who didn't live long enough to see them in the World Series along with well-wishes to the team. It wraps entirely around the ballpark.



This morning, at dawn, the party continues in Wrigleyville, in bars across the city, in homes, and in the streets. Chicago is making noise all night long for a happy reason. Absenteeism at work is expected to be rampant today as people with continue to celebrate or recover from hangovers. Being that Chicago and surrounding areas are thoroughly capitalist the sports stores opened early and many have already sold out of souvenir memorabilia (I expect my place of work had a delivery of shirts, caps, and various bits last night and we'll be selling a lot of them, if not all of them, to happy fans even way out here in Indiana)



Nice to see people filling the streets for a happy reason.

[Broomstick]

And... the party just revived because the team has arrived back at Wrigley Field. Must have gotten on the buses around 1 am, it's about a 5 hour drive from Cleveland to Chicago. Lots of photo-ops with the trophy.

I wouldn't be surprised if the party lasts until sundown.

[Alferd Packer]

I peeked at the Wrigley Field Earthcam this morning, and there were still people hanging around at 6AM local time.

Man, that hangover's gonna hurt.

[Col. Crackpot]

I peeked at the Wrigley Field Earthcam this morning, and there were still people hanging around at 6AM local time.

Man, that hangover's gonna hurt.

Indeed. As a life long Red Sox fan I know the agony and ecstasy the Cubs fans have experienced... My morning after on 2004 was a bitch. Chicago, enjoy this moment because even if you win again, you will never have this feeling again... on behalf of Red Sox Nation: "Go Cubs Go! go Cubs Go! Hey Chicago, whattaya' say, The Cubs are gonna win today!".


Also you should probably check on Bill Murray and make sure he's not dead in a gutter under a pile of bottles and blow.

[Flagg]

It got really cold here all of the sudden.

[Broomstick]

I peeked at the Wrigley Field Earthcam this morning, and there were still people hanging around at 6AM local time.

Man, that hangover's gonna hurt.

It is currently 5 pm and there are STILL people hanging around Wrigley Field and the local news at that time showed a live video of some of them passing around a bottle of champagne.

Yeah, EPIC hangover.

There's a parade tomorrow. Definitely some folks are making this a four-day weekend.

Meanwhile, at work, we were supposed to get a shipment of Official World Series T-shirts at 8 am. They didn't arrive until 2:30, when I was supposed to get off work but they asked me to stay a bit and help with getting them out on display. Which was a bit of a laugh because one lady customer was trying to pry open a shipping box on her own before we could get it unloaded off the handcart. Just a bit crazy.

You've heard the expression "hot off the press"? The shirts were still warm, and it certainly wasn't because it was a hot day outside.

Got two t-shirts, one for me and one for the spouse. Yeah, contagious crazy. Of course, the employee discount helped, too.

[Broomstick]

And... 9 pm and there are STILL fans celebrating outside Wrigley Field.

Tomorrow's parade route from Wrigley Field to the south end of the Loop. That is a long parade route!

[U.P. Cinnabar]

CUBBIES WIN!!!
CUBBIES WIN!!!
CUBBIES WIN!!!
They DONT loose!
108 year old curse put to bed!!!

And, there was barbecued goat for everyone.

[Broomstick]

Images of the Cubs Rally in Grant Park today:


Pulling back from the stage:

Crowd density photo...


Initial crowd estimate is 5 million. I have my doubts about that, as there are only about 2.75 million people who live in the city proper, but if that is anywhere near a valid number it illustrates just how crazy not just the city itself but the whole region is over this.

Metra, the mass transit from outside Chicago city limits, says they had the busiest day in their history ever today as people took trains into the city. Parking lots were filling up by 9 am this morning. Really, it's just fucking insane. (Metra lines extend all the way into the southern edge of Wisconsin and halfway to Iowa. The railroad that links Indiana to Chicago also had a similar busy day.)

Anyhow, still very happy the crowds are happy and largely trouble-free (I expect there have been a few problems just given the sheer numbers involved, but really, very well behaved masses of people).

Oh, and the Chicago newspapers are still printing additional copies of Thursdays newspaper editions because people are still demanding them because of the headlines. OK, get that - people are buying yesterday's newspapers.

[Col. Crackpot]

http://www.fox32chicago.com/news/local/215601786-story

The victory celebration ranks as the seventh largest gathering in human history.

Fucking mind boggling!

[Broomstick]

There are a lot of doubts about the accuracy of that figure.

Even allowing for the parade route being 10 kilometers long, a figure of 5 million would mean literally half of the people in the greater Chicago area (including into Indiana) would have to be present for that figure to be accurate.

Now, yes, a LOT of people attended, to the point schools and businesses shut down for the day, but that is a LOT of people to funnel into and out of a relatively small area. Granted, Metra, the CTA, and the South Shore Rail Road all report record days of use but Metra has a capacity of about a half million a day, the CTA about 2 million, and the South Shore maybe 20,000, so about 2.5 million via mass transit. Which means 2.5 million would either have to drive in or been in close proximity to the route (basically, living along it).

Possible, I suppose, but that's starting to strain credulity.

I certainly can believe it's the largest crowd ever in Chicago for an event.