The Cubs Are Not 'Hateable Winners' Now That They've Won A World Series
If you’re a Cubs fan, maybe this is a fear of yours. Maybe it’s not. I know I certainly didn’t give a fuck what other fans thought when the Red Sox won their first World Series title in 86 years, and then won another one after that, and another one after that.
The Cubs have long been recognized as the “Lovable Losers”, an organization known for their passionate fans, and history of having a losing franchise. If you wanna tell me that things aren’t going to be the same for Cubs fans from here on out, I can tell you first-hand that that’s one hundred percent true. It’s just not the same after you win the big one after that many years of chasing the dream. But you take that ring one thousand times out of a thousand in exchange for the thrill of the chase.
But I came across this open letter to Cubs fans, and it got me thinking. The title was, “Open letter to Cubs fans: You’re hateable winners now,” and I squinted at it for a second. I was like, that doesn’t sound right. Here’s a little bit of what the author wrote.
Dear Cubs fans,
Welcome to the winner’s circle. Speaking for the Yankees and Red Sox fans among us, we’re uniquely suited to help you get settled in for a possibly long and definitely tedious run of being loathed by the general sporting public.
Lovable losers no longer, your team’s success last year was embraced, just as the Yankees were embraced before they changed their name from the Highlanders, won 27 World Series championships and started using the rest of baseball as their farm system. And just as the Red Sox were celebrated after finally breaking their 86-year curse in 2004. But all good things must come to an end — and now, well, you’re just like the rest of us: hateable winners. Get used to it.
Let’s pump the brakes here, no? First and foremost, the Yankees have more World Series titles than any team in history by a large margin, and the Red Sox are tied for the most World Series titles this century, and the fourth most World Series titles ever. Let’s win more than one title over a 108-year span before we pull up a chair for the Cubs at the big boy’s table.
Do I think that the Cubs could eventually become hateable winners? Sure. They’re certainly built for the long haul, and that title in 2016 was the furthest thing from a fluke that you can imagine. They were favored to win the World Series before they even showed up to spring training, and the only time that they weren’t favored to win the whole thing during the entire year was when they fell behind three games to one to the Cleveland Indians in the World Series. That was it.
They’re a great team that won a lot of games en route to a championship, but does that automatically make them hateable? One great regular season? One title? I don’t think so. You’ve gotta figure that most baseball fans outside of Indians, Cardinals and White Sox fans were pulling for the Cubs to win it all. It doesn’t automatically change right after they finally win it. I think most diehard baseball fans cherished that moment, despite their local allegiances. I’ll certainly never forget that night.
I look at it this way — is anybody saying that the Cubs “bought” that title? Because that’s how you build up heat within your sport, especially baseball, because there’s no salary cap. The Dodgers are living proof that you can’t just “buy” a championship in baseball, but fans will never give up complaining about monster payroll teams that win. All that being said, who did the Cubs even buy? Jason Heyward, and he was so awful he lost his starting job in the postseason, and Jon Lester, who earned his pay in 2016, and actually took less money to come to Chicago. The rest of that team was brilliantly constructed by Theo Epstein through trades, the draft, international free agency, and small free agent additions like David Ross, Ben Zobrist and John Lackey.
I certainly don’t hate the Cubs now that they’ve won. If you do, then you’re likely just a fan of a team that has their path to World Series glory blocked by Chicago. That’s different from the hate that the Yankees got when they were buying up every top free agent that they could get their hands on, and making October appearances on an annual basis. I think these Cubs have a great mix of talented veterans and young superstars that are actually likable. They have personality, they have fun, and they win. What’s there to hate?