Elisberg Industries
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Products
    • Books
    • Movies
  • About Elisberg Industries
    • Our Corporate Board
    • Information Overstock
    • Elisberg Industries Entertainment Information
    • Elisberg Statistical Center of American Research
    • Consultancy Service
  • Contact
    • How to Find Us
  • Kudos
  • Good Things to Know
    • The BOB Page
    • Sites You Might Actually Like
Decent Quality Since 1847

Wait 'Til This Year

11/3/2016

0 Comments

 
"The longest drought in the history of American sports is over!!!"
-- Pat Hughes, Chicago Cubs announcer.

Okay, I was wrong. Four years ago, as the floundering Cubs were building for the future, I was telling my friends that I thought the pieces would be in place for them to make a serious run to win the World Series in 2017.  I thought they would be good this year, but so young that they wouldn't quite yet be ready to make it through the pressure of the full post-season.  I was wrong.  I was a year off.  I'm okay with that.
Picture

I'm not going to try to be poetic and philosophical here, putting the 108 years of losing and following the Cubs into historical perspective.  But a few random thoughts are the order of the day.

Happily, I had the presence of mind to set my DVR and record the game -- because I knew that if the Cubs did by some off-chance win, I would be so unfocused watching the game in a somewhat ethereal, semi-disoriented way that I would miss a lot.  So, now I will be able to replay the game and watch it relaxed and with joy.  The gallingly heart-crushing parts now will be immensely palatable.

I really hated how the game got away from them, and how hellish the last few innings were. Cruising towards a win and then collapsing.  Though it was more than "just" that.  But honestly, if the Cubs were going to win…of course this is how it had to be. The series and especially this final game were Shakespearean.

Losing for 108 years without a World Series. Best record in baseball. One of the youngest, most inexperienced teams in the major leagues. Playing the team with the second longest World Series losing streak. Down three games to one in a Best of Seven series. Having to go back to the opponents’ home for the final two games. Facing the pitcher who had completely shut them down twice. Leading in the game 5-1. Throwing the ball away on a simple tap, then letting two runs score on a wild pitch. Up 6-3 in the eighth inning. Two outs no one on. Blowing the lead, game tied. A rain delay. A rain delay!  And then, after 108 years, victory!!

Shakespearean.

As I've mentioned here previously, my dad was a major Cubs fan. For almost 95 years.  He grew up walking distance from Wrigley Field, and would stroll over to see games when he was a little kid. He followed them for nearly a century.  And passed away only six months ago in May.  So, it's hard not to say that there is a bitter-sweet sensibility to this championship.  But it's mostly sweet.  That's because happily, he got to see the Cubs at the beginning of the season and see how great they were with the best record in baseball, and he was overjoyed.  So, I like to think of it as him taking the Cubs to this point, and then letting them carry things on themselves.  It's the way life works.

There, that's as philosophical as I'm gong to get today.  Because above all, this is just joyous.  And much of the fun is not my own enjoyment, but watching and sharing the explosive pleasure of others, who've lived through this through generations and lives -- their own, and those who came before. Including the ghosts of teams past.  It's a team whose futility and unrelenting hope became a part of the fabric of those lives.

Picture

As a Chicago Tribune reporter last night described the celebration and emotional release in Chicago -- "This is what a 108-year-old dream looks like when it is finally realized."

Let me put this joy in perspective.  

After many teams win a championship, the cities often go crazy with rioting and violence, overturning cars in some sort of misplaced exuberance.  But look at that picture above at Wrigley Field.  As far as I'm aware, that's what it's like in Chicago.  People aren't rioting -- they're just really, really, really incredibly happy.  This is pure joy.

Not shockingly, I'm overjoyed that the Chicago Cubs won the World Series, only taking 108 years.  I'd never even seen them in a World Series in my life.  They haven't played in won since 1945, a full 71 years ago. This is otherworldly, almost unexpected, and enthralling.  But as I've noted here and even said to surprised friends for years, the Cubs winning the World Series doesn't actually alter my life, beyond of course being thrilling and jubilant (which is always a great addition to have...).  It's entertainment.  It's fun.  The only people whose lives a championship really impacts are the team itself.  But this whole season been tremendous entertainment. It was that even before the World Series.  The Cubs won 103 games, which was the best record in all of baseball.  And going into the playoffs, whatever happened, it had already been six months of wondrous entertainment.  The playoffs and then the World Series champions was just an emotional release of a lifetime of support and hope and enthralling entertainment.  And it was a joy.  My life doesn't actually change.  One shouldn't make more of this than it is -- which is saying a lot, because there's actually a LOT to justifiably be made of it.  This is not remotely to diminish the joy and import of what people experienced. But to put it in proper perspective, which makes it more meaningful. Abundant joy is no small thing. Eternal relief is no small thing. And that, to me, is what it is, and what is celebrated.  What the World Series did was take a spot that was patiently and lovingly being held for it.  And it got over quite a big 108 year hurdle that you so-dearly wanted to see, and that your ancestors wanted to see, and that a city wanted to see.  And that ultimately a lot of the country over the decades were so fascinated and bewildered by, and were looking forward to seeing, because it seemed to unlikely

And now we have seen.  Now I have.  It doesn't really change anything.  But it's a relief.  And it's very nice.

I've left out talking about specific players and management.  They're deserving of a volume of their own.  But right now, they're a part of 108 year history and all year have said that they know it.  One thing is likely -- none of them may ever have to pay for a meal in Chicago again.

​The Curse of the Billy Goat is no more.  Hell did not freeze over.

Cubs win!  Cubs win!

Fly the W.


Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Picture
    Elisberg Industries gets a commission if you click here before shopping on Amazon.
    Picture
    Follow @relisberg

    Author

    Robert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. 

    Elisberg is a two-time recipient of the Lucille Ball Award for comedy screenwriting. He's written for film, TV, the stage, and two best-selling novels, is a regular columnist for the Writers Guild of America and was for
    the Huffington Post.  Among his other writing, he has a long-time column on technology (which he sometimes understands), and co-wrote a book on world travel.  As a lyricist, he is a member of ASCAP, and has contributed to numerous publications.



    Picture
           Feedspot Badge of Honor

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    Categories

    All
    Animals
    Audio
    Audio Land
    Books
    Business
    Chicago
    Consumer Product
    Education
    Email Interview
    Entertainment
    Environment
    Fine Art
    Food
    From The Management
    Health
    History
    Huffery
    Humor
    International
    Internet
    Journalism
    Law
    Los Angeles
    Media
    Morning News Round Up
    Movies
    Music
    Musical
    Personal
    Photograph
    Piano Puzzler
    Politics
    Popular Culture
    Profiles
    Quote Of The Day
    Radio
    Religion
    Restaurants
    Science
    Sports
    Technology
    Tech Tip
    Theater
    The Writers Workbench
    Tidbits
    Travel
    Tv
    Twitter
    Video
    Videology
    Well Worth Reading
    Words-o-wisdom
    Writing

    RSS Feed

© Copyright Robert J. Elisberg 2023
Contact Us    About EI    Chicago Cubs
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Products
    • Books
    • Movies
  • About Elisberg Industries
    • Our Corporate Board
    • Information Overstock
    • Elisberg Industries Entertainment Information
    • Elisberg Statistical Center of American Research
    • Consultancy Service
  • Contact
    • How to Find Us
  • Kudos
  • Good Things to Know
    • The BOB Page
    • Sites You Might Actually Like