Last night at Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs, the best team in baseball this year and one of the sorriest franchises in the history of US sports, won Game 6 of the NLCS beating the LA Dodgers, setting up the possibility of US sports Armageddon. The Cubbies will play the equally sorry Cleveland Indians Monday night/Tuesday morning and it's set to be the most enthralling World Series in decades. Here's why.
Competing curses
It's been 68 years since the Cleveland Indians won the World Series. That's a long time by anyone's standard, unless that anyone is the Chicago Cubs who haven't won a World Series since the heyday of the Hapsburg empire - aka 1908. This will be Chicago's first World Series appearance in 71 years and there's a general feeling that the Cubs are 'cursed' since the shocking Steve Bartmen episode in 2003.
In truth the Cubs have just been consistently mediocre for the past eight or nine decades. The team has been transformed this decade, with the arrival of Theo Epstein and Joe Madden. They had the best record in baseball this season, and should win the World Series on form. Strange things tend to happen to the Cubs in the post-season.
For what it's worth, Cleveland has become Titletown since the Cavs shocked the Warriors in the NBA Finals (Golden State were up 3-1!). The Cavs have been showing their support to the Indians this whole season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=hhA63_DHsAc
Pop culture wars
Chicago and Cleveland not only have two of the most storied franchises in baseball history, but both have made their mark on pop culture. Cleveland are, of course, the team featured in the Major League franchise, where castoffs like Willie Mays Hayes, Ricky 'Wild Thing' Vaughan and Pedro Cerrano combined to win one of the least likely World Series' ever.
The Cubs, meanwhile, won a fictional World Series in the mid-90s when they discovered child prodigy Henry Rowengartner and his bionic arm in the film 'Rookie of the Year'.
Wrigley Field also featured prominently in 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off'.
The Cubs are also the team of America's #1 sports fan, Bill Murray. Murray was totes emosh last night after the Cubs clinched the NLDS last night.
We are all Bill Murray tonight. Can you believe it? The Cubs are in the World Series! #Cubs https://t.co/os9426RynS
— The Wokest Numbersmuncher (@NumbersMuncher) October 23, 2016
Red Sox DNA
This World Series will create a lot of emotional conflicts for fans of the Boston Red Sox. The architects of the Red Sox World Series win in 2004 and 2007 now work for Chicago and Cleveland, respectively. Boy wonder general manager Theo Epstein has his fingerprints all over the Cubs renaissance while Cleveland manager Terry 'Tito' Francona was in the dugout guiding Boston when the 'Curse of the Bambino' was exorcised. Former Sox ace is Jon Lester was also co-NLCS MVP for Chicago so this will feel be a surreal experience for fans of the Red Sox.
Beer
With all respect to Cleveland, we are pulling for the Cubs to win this year, if only to see what their fans do to Chicago during the World Series celebrations. Last night's festivities provided a teaser of what a World Series party would be like.
The Cubs are going to the World Series and this old lady is more worried about spilling her beer I love it https://t.co/cGp0z78Wed
— ghost paco (@AllaireMatt) October 23, 2016
Historic night for Chicago. Cubs win pennant, bar runs out of beer. Fortunate to witness both.
— Paul Sullivan (@PWSullivan) October 23, 2016
Go Cubbies!
