06/28 CUBS (Zambrano) @ white sox (Danks) 1:05 CDT, WGN TV

[Little Slide Rooter]

Some people absolutely hate taking heroin, but they are addicted so they keep doing it.

 

But we're talking about being a baseball fan.

 

Obviously the chemical addiction of a drug compared to being a baseball fan is quite an exaggeration, but the fact is people are unhealthily addicted to a baseball team and cannot break said addiction even if they hate the fact that they are a fan of such a lousy team. It's like saying, if you hate being a fan of a team that's perpetually bad (historically) like the Cubs, why don't you just be a Cardinals fan?

 

Its more like family or love than a drug addiction. Its not a chemical or physical need, more an emotional thing that you cant walk away from even if you wanted to. If nothing else, it keeps things interesting.

[illiniguy]

I feel pretty happy that its really not bothering me as much anymore as it used to.

[erik316wttn]

Some people absolutely hate taking heroin, but they are addicted so they keep doing it.

 

But we're talking about being a baseball fan.

 

Obviously the chemical addiction of a drug compared to being a baseball fan is quite an exaggeration, but the fact is people are unhealthily addicted to a baseball team and cannot break said addiction even if they hate the fact that they are a fan of such a lousy team. It's like saying, if you hate being a fan of a team that's perpetually bad (historically) like the Cubs, why don't you just be a Cardinals fan?

 

Its more like family or love than a drug addiction. Its not a chemical or physical need, more an emotional thing that you cant walk away from even if you wanted to. If nothing else, it keeps things interesting.

 

I liken it to the loser relative in the family. You routinely want to smack the crap out of him, he'll never amount to anything, and you stopped depending on him long ago because he's always let you down, but you still love him and you'll always be there for him when he needs you.

 

That's Cubs fandom to me.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Some people absolutely hate taking heroin, but they are addicted so they keep doing it.

 

But we're talking about being a baseball fan.

 

Obviously the chemical addiction of a drug compared to being a baseball fan is quite an exaggeration, but the fact is people are unhealthily addicted to a baseball team and cannot break said addiction even if they hate the fact that they are a fan of such a lousy team. It's like saying, if you hate being a fan of a team that's perpetually bad (historically) like the Cubs, why don't you just be a Cardinals fan?

 

Its more like family or love than a drug addiction. Its not a chemical or physical need, more an emotional thing that you cant walk away from even if you wanted to. If nothing else, it keeps things interesting.

 

I liken it to the loser relative in the family. You routinely want to smack the crap out of him, he'll never amount to anything, and you stopped depending on him long ago because he's always let you down, but you still love him and you'll always be there for him when he needs you.

 

That's Cubs fandom to me.

 

For the record, I could have been a Yankees fan. As a kid growing up in New York, my dad tool me to a lot of Yankees games, but I was like 5 and I was just in it for the sundays in the mini helmets. It was my grandmother who who got me into the Cubies, and now at the age of 88, shes seen as many championships as I have. She probably couldnt tell Carlos Lee from Bruce Lee, but she'll still give you the low down on any Cubs player in her lifetime.

[squally1313]

I think it's fair to complain about being a Cubs fan, because when it comes down it I believe most of us are baseball fans first, Cubs fans second. And everyone here are clearly big baseball fans. At times I hate the Cubs, hate being a fan of the Cubs, but I'm 21 years old and have followed them my entire life. And I'm certainly not going to stop following the entire sport just because one team is playing like crap.

 

So my only other option there is to switch teams. But everyone knows what that looks like: 'fairweather'...'bandwagon'...etc. So you stick with the team you grew up with, for better or for worse. This might be a bad analogy, but the only thing I can really think of is joining a frat in college. You really know very little about it when you first rush (much like going to Wrigley as a kid or listening to Harry on WGN), but you're pretty much stuck with that group of people, and find out along the way who they are.

 

Sorry for long...rambling....somewhat misdirected, but just my two cents.

[Sammy Sofa]

Even at the worst of times I've never disliked or hated actually being a Cubs fan. I guess I just won't understand that.

[fasttrack21]

I've sometimes wondered if we are all weird for being grown men and women and being so passionate and crazy while watching grown men playing a game. Those grown men don't know most of us nor do they care about most of us.

 

Even if the Cubs or any other person's favorite team wins a World Series, what the heck does that even mean? What the heck do we even REALLY get out of it? We don't get a fat bonus. We don't get a nice, new car. We get to jump up and down for a few minutes, and then realize that our lives really don't change the next morning when we have to get to work and pay our bills.

 

Sometimes I hate thinking like this. It's kind of a downer.

I hear ya. I've had those same thoughts before -- the fact that I'm so emotionally invested in a bunch of 20 something year olds doing what they do for a living does seem a bit weird. But, it's baseball. It's as American as fireworks on the 4th of July.

[Schwarber Fan]

I've sometimes wondered if we are all weird for being grown men and women and being so passionate and crazy while watching grown men playing a game. Those grown men don't know most of us nor do they care about most of us.

 

Even if the Cubs or any other person's favorite team wins a World Series, what the heck does that even mean? What the heck do we even REALLY get out of it? We don't get a fat bonus. We don't get a nice, new car. We get to jump up and down for a few minutes, and then realize that our lives really don't change the next morning when we have to get to work and pay our bills.

 

Sometimes I hate thinking like this. It's kind of a downer.

I hear ya. I've had those same thoughts before -- the fact that I'm so emotionally invested in a bunch of 20 something year olds doing what they do for a living does seem a bit weird. But, it's baseball. It's as American as fireworks on the 4th of July.

 

I think we've all had these thoughts. It's better off not thinking that way - that's how you REALLY depress yourself.

[UMFan83]

I think it's fair to complain about being a Cubs fan, because when it comes down it I believe most of us are baseball fans first, Cubs fans second. And everyone here are clearly big baseball fans. At times I hate the Cubs, hate being a fan of the Cubs, but I'm 21 years old and have followed them my entire life. And I'm certainly not going to stop following the entire sport just because one team is playing like crap.

 

So my only other option there is to switch teams. But everyone knows what that looks like: 'fairweather'...'bandwagon'...etc. So you stick with the team you grew up with, for better or for worse. This might be a bad analogy, but the only thing I can really think of is joining a frat in college. You really know very little about it when you first rush (much like going to Wrigley as a kid or listening to Harry on WGN), but you're pretty much stuck with that group of people, and find out along the way who they are.

 

Sorry for long...rambling....somewhat misdirected, but just my two cents.

 

Your exactly right. The Cubs may not win a championship in my lifetime, and yet they may. The bottom line is, if you switched to another team and missed out on the Cubs finally winning a championship, you would never live it down. And if you die without the Cubs winning a championship, hey in the grand scheme of things does it really matter? Is your life a failure because a group of 25 man from around the world playing as a team based on the north side of Chicago didn't beat 29 other teams from around the country one year in your life? If it is, then you need to get out more. Winning a championship would be such a rush, such a high for me. I'd buy all the gear, the dvd's, etc. But then my life would go on. Last years playoffs taught me that over the winter. I got perspective that has been invaluable to me during the first half of this year. My girlfriend doesn't even ask me if the Cubs won or lost everyday anymore because she knows my mood won't be affected if they lose.

 

I went way off topic there, but just wanted to share.

[Larry Horse]

I feel pretty happy that its really not bothering me as much anymore as it used to.

 

That picture of what I assume is your child is the number one reason why this shouldn't bother you.

 

We have two children and what bothers me is the time I invested in this team prior to having a family.