Of course I ended up watching the parade from home, instead of going to join the millions of people in the city. However, let me fast-forward to January 2017. I was listening to The Score as I usually will do from time to time. Especially when it’s to listen to my favorite on-air host, Laurence Holmes. He had a brief segment on how great it was to “win the big one”, but he posed a question to the listening audience. Everyone was saying they just wanted to win once in their lifetime - win the World Series before they die! They could die happy if the Cubs just won ONE. BUT - now that the impossible has become possible, and you have that “one” as a Cubs fan - is one enough for you?
Laurence would go on to compare it to the feeling that you get when you’re invited to a party or the club, and all you wanted to do was go inside… to be accepted. Yet once inside, you realized how nice it was. How great the music sounded. How awesome and fun it was, and now all you wanted to do was go here all the time. In essence … once is most certainly not enough. I certainly can relate to that feeling, as most Cubs fans would probably admit it is true as well. The feeling of euphoria for just one year is definitely not enough. I want more.
Now I’m not saying I want the Cubs to turn into the New York Yankees. These are affectionately, and previously referred to as the “lovable losers” (not by me, I hate that term… it is not one of endearment). They do not need to become a nationally hated franchise; though the winning of championships might soothe that sting a little bit. I digress. What I really want is just to win again relatively soon. Why?
The first time in 2016, I had several out-of-body experiences, and while I can clearly remember where I was when the Cubs won Game 6 of the NLCS to get to the World Series, as well as Game 7 of the World Series, I would like to be able to have a “re-do” of some of those experiences.
For starters, I would really love to be at a sports bar or even just a restaurant with TVs in it. I was at my in-laws house with a grand total of probably 4-5 people. I have enough sense of reality that I know enough that I would not be able to get World Series tickets. In light of that though, I would really love to be in a place that would get crazy with a Cubs win. The atmosphere was awesome for the 2015 Wild Card game, and that was the last time I was at a bar for a playoff game.
In the first inning of Game 7, I yelled at my wife’s grandmother. I would really like to not have that type of negative energy. Speaking of negative energy, that would be the genesis of why I yelled at her in the first place. Dexter Fowler home run to lead off the game, and after I get excited for the fast start, my wife’s grandmother snarkily says “it’s only one [run]”, to which I yelled at her to leave the room if that was going to be her attitude. “JOSHUA!” my wife fired back … as if I was the bad guy. Well, maybe I was but I don’t need that when I’m anxious enough already.
Fast-forward to the 6-3 Cubs lead, and my wife and father-in-law head out to the sporting goods store for merch that was three innings away from becoming a reality (they wanted to beat the rush/lines). Fast-forward again and we are in the bottom of the 10th inning, when the Cubs replace Carl Edwards Jr. with Mike Montgomery. My lovely wife calls from outside Dick’s Sporting Goods. In the parking lot, is a police squad car to keep the peace, but also to blast the radio feed of the game. For those of you that know about the delay between the radio and television probably already know where this is going. I’m still on the phone with my wife, and I can hear the crowd outside Dick’s go crazy. I knew at that moment we won, but I hadn’t seen it yet. Sure enough, ground ball to Braynt… over to Rizzo… and the Cubs win in anticlimactic fashion (in my head - because I got ‘spoiled’ ahead of time by 3-7 seconds).
It all boils down to what I said at the start of this entry. I need the Cubs to win the World Series again. Will that be in 2023? Not likely. Sometime between 2024-2026 would be great though. Next time I will be ready. Next time I will soak it all in. But most importantly… I won’t be on the damn phone.
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