The Cubs Are Going To The World Series

The Cubs are going to the World Series. This hasn’t happened since 1945, and they haven’t won the series since 1908.  Given that Chicago is an insanely huge sports city, this is a big deal. I witnessed first hand just how big of a deal it is on Saturday night after we beat the Dodgers.

So what’s the vibe like in Chicago at the moment? Let me paint you a quick image.

First of all, you can’t walk outside without hearing someone singing “Go Cubs Go, Hey, Chicago, what do you say, the Cubs are gonna win today.”

I’m not even outside and I hear it. (RIGHT NOW.) Then again, it could just be that I have over zealous neighbors. Almost every single window, business and residential, has a proud white “W” flag hanging in their window or off their balcony.

I won’t pretend to be a huge baseball fan, but even I am caught up in all this. How couldI not be? It’s fun and exciting and the energy here right now is contagious.

But let me take you back to Saturday night.

We watched the game at Prost, a nice little German bar near our house where beers are served in boots, everyone sits at huge communal tables, and a polka band in the corner plays during every commercial break. They serve pretzels as big as beach balls and cheese curds that are to die for. To say I was in heaven would be an understatement.

It was a great mix of people with a lot of group camaraderie going on. Every time we’d score strangers would high five, break out into song, and after the seventh inning stretch we all sang Take Me Out To The Ballgame. (Naturally.)

But after that final inning when tabs were being closed there was a mad dash to get to Wrigleyville, which is roughly 1.5 miles from where we live/where we were drinking.

For the record, I kind of loathe Wrigleyville. Sorry to offend anyone, but it’s usually pretty awful, full of drunk 23 year old bros, doing drunk year 23 year old bro things. They’re usually not from Chicago but here on Chad’s bachelor trip ready to “get hammered in Wrigley and do other Chicago stuff.”

Let’s just say it’s not my cup of tea. But after we won on Saturday night Chris had that glimmer in his eye as he asked, “want to go up there?”

Alas, Chris used to be a drunk 23 year old bro.

I sucked up my pride (and fear of drunk crowds) and said, “sure.” And so with the rest of the Cubs fan, we ran up to Wrigley to celebrate.

Within five blocks the streets were taken over by mobs of people chanting, waving W flags, and spraying champagne in the air. Fireworks were blasting in the sky and strangers were hugging. It was exciting and weird, but really kind of cool to take part in for that moment.

But I knew it was just a matter of time before mob mentality took over and it wouldn’t be quite as fun anymore.

When the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup a few years ago the same thing happened in Wrigley and once again, we were there to witness it. People went nuts and sprayed champagne and then quickly turned to smashing windows of businesses and throwing beer bottles toward the police.

Our city just won something great, let’s celebrate by trashing it!

I’ll never understand why people do this. Mobs turn people insane. During the Hawks celebration I watched a group of guys turn a car over just to be assholes.

Anyway, as soon as I saw a twenty something girl climbing a very thin, yet very tall pole on top of a news van while others cheered “Climb! Climb! Climb!” I was ready to go, the fun had happened.

We stayed for just a bit longer, then turned back around to walk home when the police started to break things up.

But I’m pretty sure everyone in the city was singing “Go Cubs Go” for all of Saturday night, and early Sunday morning because I fell asleep still hearing it.

So based on what I saw Saturday, if, I mean WHEN we win the World Series this city is going to erupt.

I’m excited. And also a little nervous.