Eternal Optimism

Vasu Reddy From Chicago
vasureddy@aol.com

For Chicagoans and Cubs fans, the words eternal optimism are synonymous.  For those of us who are Cubs fans, our team win or lose, it is an exciting game every time Cubs play a game, and each and every year we want to believe that we are going to the world-series. For the record the last time the Cubs won the world-series was in 1908, and I don’t believe that anyone in Chicago was around at that time.  The last time the cubs made it to the world-series was in 1945 (LOL.. it was before the Indian Independence in 1947 from the British).  So, the optimism of cubs fan is nothing less than eternal.  I have been a Cubs fan (I am sure as is much of Chicago) for most of my adult life and simply love to follow them.  Win or lose they are a team with potential, every time they play a game.  The late Harry Carry, the long-time broadcaster was one of those who made every game he broadcasted a treat for the Cubs fans, by simply calling the paly-by-play.  There is no doubt that the broadcasters for decades, the players all great ones who played for the club, the managers and staff, the owners and everyone else associated with the ball club are all equally optimistic as the fans are; all of us have been waiting for the Cubs to get to the world series, and even win one, every year since the last time they one in 1908.  The Cubs fans; those who pray and those who don’t even pray have been seeking divine intervention on behalf their beloved Cubs, and for them to get to the world-series first and then win.

2015 season has come to a close, and Cubs did really well in the regular season and are in a playoff situation this season.  They have had great performances all thru the year, and look really good on the field.  This could be the year say all of us (again) the eternal optimists.  Isn’t that all of us Cubs fans wishing from since 1908?

What drives millions of Cubs fans to go see a team that has been a champion more than a 100 years ago, as none of the current day fans have ever experienced the world-series.  We have not experienced the win yet, but we know it will happen. Optimism.

Often the media refers to Cubs fans as “long suffering”.  On the contrary, the fans are not really optimists, not sufferers.  They don’t have any experience of winning, so how will they experience any suffering?  As all human being look forward to and believe in something better, Cubs fans are those good, god fearing and forward looking people, who simply are believers.  The hope of getting to the world-series and winning is what keeps the city, its people, and the team and its management, and all the Cubs fans wherever they are, to keep looking forward to the day that has not come in more than a hundred years.  As we all (me included) think the time has come this year, and the team is ever so close to getting there (I wanted to get this column out before they really do something that is out of the ordinary), may be this is our year.

We really don’t know how we will react if they really win the world-series?  We are going to be realistic than optimistic then, and start to expect them to do this again and again every year?