By Marty Gangler

So, that happened.
Just so many great things on the other side of a World Series Championship. Sure, all the clichés are there. You know, about being able to die in peace and wishing grandparents and family members could see this, yada yada. Sure, those are all great, and real, but when it comes down to it, when I’m about to die I’m probably going to do my best to just not die and I may not think about the Cubs at all, you know, because I might be about to die.
I guess my point is that for the living, the coolest thing about the Cubs winning it is that I don’t have to think about next season much at all. Who they need to move, who they are going to acquire, who’s on my hate list, etc. It’s all just Cubbie Blue gravy now.
I also think Steve Garvey is probably an OK guy now; same for Will Clark. Leon “Bull” Durham was a solid defensive first baseman and they put out a lot of great music in 1969, what else happened that year? Yeah, the goats (literal and otherwise), villains, and all the ghosts of losing past are all pretty much off the hook – except maybe Dusty. And it feels like a lot of sports fan baggage has been lifted off the Cub fan’s back. All this being said, it still hasn’t truly sunk in. I’m sure it will in a little more time. And even that will be nice.

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Posted on November 3, 2016

By Steve Rhodes

Joe Maddon left a note in the Cubs clubhouse Sunday night that players are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes on their flight to Cleveland for the final game/s of the World Series.
We have some ideas.

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Posted on October 31, 2016

By Steve Rhodes

The seemingly perfect storybook ending that Cubs fans are waiting for is unlikely to occur. Why? This:

Sorry, Cubs fans. Your guys have to travel for Game 1 because a KC Royal hit a homer in a pretend game 3 months ago.

Cool system, @MLB

— Kyle Brandt (@KyleBrandt) October 23, 2016

The storybook ending, of course, would be, say, Kyle Schwarber with the pinch-hit home run in the bottom of the ninth at Wrigley Field in Game 7. But, really, any kind of World Series-ending win in Game 7 at Wrigley Field. Or even Game 6.
But no.

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Posted on October 24, 2016

By Steve Rhodes

Is the magic man with the Midas touch managing tight?
Sure seems that way!
After sitting Jason Heyward against Madison Bumgarner in the Giants series in a game the Cubs seemed a bit wigged out about, Joe Maddon let Heyward bat against Clayton Kershaw with two on Sunday night in the only shot the team had at breaking through against the Dodgers ace.
Hey Joe, try to not let the pressure exceed the pleasure!

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Posted on October 17, 2016

By Marty Gangler

Are you scared? I am.
Yes, this Cubs team is different. They know not from goats.
Yes, this manager is different. He embraces goats.
Yes, this fan base is different. They prefer beards that make them look like goats.
But the universe has a will. A goat-based will.

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Posted on October 10, 2016

By Marty Gangler

Finally. The season is over and we can get back to essentially where we left off last year in October. You know, when the games really mattered.
So yeah, they matter again, finally. And I have to say that maybe the four days off will help Cub fans ramp it all up again. The season was essentially over like 2-plus months ago and you kind of had to “pretend” that there were big series’ pending or big games happening. But there were no big series’ or big games for these guys.
I mean, the biggest thing the past few months was making sure everyone remembered how great the backup catcher we’ve had for the last two years was.

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Posted on October 3, 2016

By Marty Gangler

What else is there to say about this season, again? We went through a lot of the highlights of the commemorative 2016 World Series Time/Life DVD last week, but who knew the David Ross Last Home Game Celebration would be so insane on Sunday.
I had to double-check this just to be correct, but he’s only been a Cub since 2015. That’s last year.

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Posted on September 26, 2016

By Marty Gangler

Geez, guys. Just when you thought the Cubs did something unthinkable, like ruin this great season by losing the clincher and having to wake up the next day and see that the Cardinals lost, they go ahead and give everyone what they wanted the next day anyway.
And sure they wouldn’t of “ruined” the season, but you did feel a bit screwed. Like, when you are watching the Time/Life highlight DVD of the World Champion 2016 Chicago Cubs, do you really want part of it to show the end of that Cardinals-Giants game that technically clinched it? No. You want to see Miggy Montero hit that walk-off homer in extra innings the game after. The Cardinals losing the game late the night before will be just a footnote to that Miggy celebration. So, whew . . . Thank goodness. Because really, what else is there besides watching the Time/Life highlight DVD of the World Champion Chicago Cubs?

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Posted on September 19, 2016

By Marty Gangler

Who’d a thunk that we would all be bored with the regular season even before the Cubs clinched the division?
It sure seems like the days off for guys and the sorta more wacky lineups than normal have come even before the games become truly meaningless.
Sure, they still seem to be trying to win of course, but geez, what is there left to talk about?
I guess you could ask Big Poppa Joe if the Cubs would be any good at football.

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Posted on September 12, 2016

By Marty Gangler

I said last week that the next couple of weeks were going to be the most fun of the season. But I really thought it would be a bit longer than it looks like it’ll be. With the magic number already down to 10 and the Cubs showing no stopping in sight, this sucker should be wrapped up before we get to another Cub Factor next week.

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Posted on September 6, 2016