For even the casual sports fan, this headline must read like the second coming of Jesus Christ. That’s how improbable it was.
In fact, my unwillingness to suspend disbelief informed the confidence inherent in writing them off as follows:
The Chicago Cubs won a thrilling game against the Cleveland Indians on Sunday night. But they still trail 3 games to 2 in this best-of-7 World Series. Game 6 is tonight, when I expect the Indians (my team) to extend the fabled Cubs’ 108-year losing streak.
(“Hey, FBI, Scavenging Hillary, Huma and Weiner’s E-mails Is No Way to Disrupt Terrorist Plots,” The iPINIONS Journal, November 1, 2016)
Well, so much for that:
Finally.
The most epic drought in sports history is over, and the Cubs are world champions.
After 108 years of waiting, the Cubs won the 2016 World Series with a wild 8-7, 10-inning Game 7 victory over the Indians on Wednesday night at Progressive Field. The triumph completed their climb back from a 3-1 Series deficit to claim their first championship since 1908.
(Chicago Tribune, November 3, 2016)
I congratulate the Cubs, history’s most “lovable losers,” on winning this championship, thereby exorcising their fateful curse. To comment any further, however, would only risk raining on their parade.
That said, here’s to the Indians proving themselves equally lovable as they extend their second-longest drought to a perversely symbolic 69 years….
The curse is dead. Long live the curse!