I believe that God has a sense of humor. I also believe that God is merciful.
One hundred and six years of Cubs futility tells me that He sometimes likes a good laugh more than He likes a happy ending.
The Cubs are ridiculously hot right now, having won 22 of their past 27 games. The success led Sports Illustrated to put the team on the cover of its current issue, which of course has brought up discussions of the so-called SI cover jinx. Show up on the cover and say goodbye to your healthy knee, your full head of hair or your team’s undefeated record, is how the jinx supposedly works.
I don’t believe in curses or jinxes, but if I did, the SI jinx would be amateur hour compared with the Cubs’ century-plus World Series “drought.’’
I don’t believe that God cares about who wins or loses games, but I do leave room for the possibility of bigger lessons being handed down from on high.
Share Events on The CubeThe Cubs’ multi-generational struggles have been one long teaching moment, one vast learning opportunity, one exceptionally lengthy symposium on character building. It has taught patience to fans. It has reinforced the idea that not everything is handed to you, that just because you want something doesn’t always mean you get it.
Mostly it has encouraged drinking.
I don’t know when the education will end, or if it will end, but it hasn’t all been bad. The people who have watched this team for decades are some of the most resilient people on the planet. Knock ’em down, watch ’em get up again.Maybe they’re supposed to be a helpful example for the rest of the world. Through all sorts of tribulations, they keep hoping, smiling, believing. And drinking. Did I mention drinking?
