"Just a bunch of idiots"

As I write the Cubs and Red Sox are in the early innings of a game at Wrigley Field. It’s strange for me, I root for both teams, which has never been a conflict since they haven’t played since the 1918 World Series. Until today.

Across town people are asking whether the rematch still means anything. In the past, both teams seemed equally cursed, and both teams suffered improbable losses just three outs from the 2003 World Series – which was where both Cubs and Boston fans had hoped the rematch would take place. But now that the Red Sox are defending world champions, does it matter?

Hell yes. For one thing, Cubs fans never really shared the existential angst of Sisyphean losers in Boston. For that, you’d have to go down to the South Side where they won the Series as recently as 1917. Up here, the “idiots” are the fans, not the players. We just like to go to Wrigley Field where the advertising is at a merciful minimum, the game is played the way it should be and the beer flows like a mighty stream. Hell, Cubs fans probably know less about baseball than fans of any other team. My fear is, we win it all someday (inevitable now that there are wild card teams and playoffs), and afterwards Northsiders come to expect victory, and leave Wrigley empty and forlorn during losing seasons, like they were the Devil Rays or something. Which would be foolish. It’s summer, it’s beautiful, and the joy of life springing forth after the horrible winter is embodied by the boys in blue.
And our bitter, sarcastic, East Coast cousins are in town for the weekend, flush with cash and full of themselves. Does it matter? Hell yes. Manny Ramirez is in town – let’s see if we can’t strike him out.

It's 2:17 pm - Cubs 3, Red Sox 1 . . .