How ’bout them Cubbies?: ‘08 Edition
Oxymoron alert: "Cubs" and "World Series trophy"
Well, once yet again, the Cubs completely choked in the post season and bowed out in the first round, getting swept by the Dodgers. As I have said all along since probably at least August that they would, if they made the playoffs. My cousin Jennie, my buddy Doug, my buddy Nick, they “didn’t stop believin’” (cue Journey), even when the Cubs went down 2-0, and that’s admirable. Futile, but admirable.
But, as what seems to be a trend, the Cubs failed to win a playoff game. Even Chicago columnist Mike Nadel, Mr. Love ‘Em When They’re Winning and Deny the Truth When They’re Not, was for once up front and frank about the Cubs in his column this morning, saying they just flat out choked. Come on- they scored, what, like 5 runs the entire series? All the big, BIG $ guys were ghosts. Lee, Soriano, Ramirez, and FukUDoMe (whatever his name is) had something like 7 hits and ZERO RBI between them.
Jennie, Doug, and Nick (among a very few others I know) are the exceptions among most Cub fans, in that they don’t seem to cross that fine line between confidence in the Cubs and complete denial of the inevitable. The thing that really drives me nuts about most Cub fans is how they feel this sense of entitlement– “come on, the Cubs haven’t won in 100 years”, they whine– as if the other 29 teams are supposed to feel bad for them and roll over and just hand them the trophy. Lovable Losers is not a compliment, folks. If any of that offends you as a Cub fan, then you’re exactly what I’m talking about.
I admit freely- the Cubs did better than and made it further than my Cardinals did this year, and I give much credit to them for that. But don’t even attempt to tell me that the Cubs are “better” than the Cardinals. Let’s see:
Cubs: Last World Series appearance, 1945. Last World Series won, 1908. Prior to that, 1907. Two in a row- not bad. For a hundred years ago.
Cardinals: Last World Series appearance, 2006. Last World Series won, 2006. Prior to that, 1982, 1967, 1964, 1946, 1944, 1942, 1934, 1931, and 1926.
Ten championships in less than 100 years versus not a damn thing in 100 years… boy, you guys are right- the Cubs are SO a better franchise than the Cardinals. (That’s sarcasm, genius.) So all you Cub fans need to just save all your denial and your excuses and start to face up to the fact that the Cubs just can’t get it done in the big-game situations and are the most prolific choke artists in sports history. But if you must try to find some lame excuse, try the same one I gave you here at this time last year (and you can go back and check):
God hates the Cubs.
And… cue Steam.
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Thank you for your reasonable characterization of my fandom. I, for one, am proud to say I’m not among the evangelical entitlement crowd.
I will, however, take exception to your characterization of Lee as doing nothing. Last night, he was, arguably, the only starting infielder or outfielder to even attempt to jumpstart the team’s shitty offense. If I had to polish a turd, I’d say that Derrek Lee, Carlos Zambrano, Mark DeRosa and Rich Harden at least appeared enthused about their roles and opportunities in that series.
To continue the fecal metaphors, my heart really took a dump when Sorry-ano took a swing at that first pitch in the seventh inning. Right there, I knew it was over.
Turd polisher.
I guess I do have to concede that much about Lee. But you’re right- virtually everyone else (notice I said “virtually”) on the roster seemed from their body language like they were anxious to catch their plane home by about the 4th inning or so. Some even looked that way midway through Game 2. Just my observation.
And you’re welcome. You ARE one of the few Cub fans I’ve met that doesn’t seem to have their heads
up their assesin some alternate reality 24/7.Yep, that’s my boys. I only think the Cubs are better than the Cardinals when they play each other. And as long as that’s confirmed, the robbins can win as many boring, pathetic, least viewed championships as they want. They still can’t win against a team with any character…or any real legacy, whatsoever.
Okay, I agree that the Cubs usually are better than the Cardinals when they play each other, and though we could debate the whole character thing all day long, I definitely have to take exception to the “team with no real legacy” comment.
Ten championships is no legacy? And if THAT’S the case, exactly what kind of “legacy” do you consider 100 years of nothing, peppered with some pretty major choke jobs, to be? As I said, “Lovable Losers” is not something to which to aspire.
Yeah, the 100-year losing period I can deal with…It only feels like 33 years for me. The way in which they seem to inevitably lose certainly welcomes not having to think of them until next season. There’s nothing loveable about choking, let alone choking as well as they do. I don’t know, I was somewhere between cautiously optimistic, but really leaning into downright pessimism on the eve of the 1st Dodgers game. It just didn’t feel right that they would maintain this year. So, I just kept mum on it and waited for them to hang themselves. I wasn’t surprised at all.