Violent Cub fans could learn a lot from Kevin's mom

Reminders are everywhere for Cub fans that their franchise has suffered 100 years of ineptitude. (Al Podgorski/Sun-Times)

Accounts of Cub fans becoming notably more violent than usual have sprouted up (here and here) in the past couple of days.

Cub fans getting drunk and disorderly is nothing new. Some might say it’s a responsibility. But I’ve also noticed a few incidents in and around Wrigleyville lately that I don’t remember seeing last year. Dudes yelling, shoving, taunting and generally drunkenly interacting in a way that could be viewed as negative is — in this author’s view — on the rise commensurate with the heating up of the pennant race.

I have a theory about this: Stress.

Has there ever been a more stressful time for Cubs fans? We have the proverbial pieces in place, but those pieces happen to be brittle, blistery and breakable.

Furthermore, you can’t hear mention of the Cubs without the number 100

and the words ‘years since they last won the World Series’ attached.

Logic says not to worry — the team is mathematically bound to win it all some day. Emotion says we’re screwed. And emotion, as we

all know, is what drives us to beat the eye out of a fan of a rival

sports team.

And let us not forget the trickle down effect that it’s had throughout the Cubs farm system. Even the Peoria Chiefs are not immune to Cubbie stress. However, they may be stressed more by the Peoria City Council’s inability to pass a budget without input from Joe Public.

I offer this advice to fellow Cub fans: Hit a wall. Hit a pillow. Just don’t hit another fan.

My mother used to routinely chide my older, beefier brother: “Don’t

hit. He’s smaller than you.” This

applies to fans of other sporting organizations. Cub fans, other fans are smaller than you — aren’t they?