Already, pressure is building in Chicagoland, like tectonic plates grinding up against each other ”” the weight of 99 years of being the second-banana Second City, this bustling, cultured and sometimes even beautiful city by the lake.
Terrible signs are pointing toward disillusionment. Fans are wielding signs that say It’s Gonna Happen. And just the other day, a Republican legislator sent a letter to The Chicago Tribune advocating the state’s desired purchase of historic Wrigley Field ”” “at the same time as we are planning for a World Series this fall.”
Oh, dear. This is the legislative version of the dippy enthusiasm that in 2003 led a decent and knowledgeable Cubs fan to stick his hands where they didn’t belong ”” interfering with a foul fly ball about to nestle into the glove of Moises Alou, after which calamity struck.
Overcoming 99 years of heartbreak will be much harder than the Angels’ winning the 2002 Series in their 42nd season, after several gruesome collapses, or the Red Sox’ eight straight victories at the end of 2004, eradicating all the silliness about the jinx of the Babe, or the White Sox’ winning in 2005 for their first time since 1917, before the gambling scandal of 1919.
Kendall,
A friend of mine politely asks that you stop posting pro-Cubs articles. He is a Cubs fan and is afraid that you’re going to jinx them.
Sitting here reading one of my favorite blogs, listening to Ron and Pat on WGN, eating Moose Tracks ice cream. Life is good. Very good.
[blockquote]Maybe in some perverse way, this is the year the Cubs finally win, following their brethren on the Angels, the Red Sox and the White Sox. Then perhaps we can turn our merciful attention to a couple of other downtrodden teams that have not won a Series lately — the Yankees and the Mets. [/blockquote]
Ah, to see the Yankees go a century without winning the series…
#3/Fr. Greg:
…or the Cards…;-D