6/2/07
If you're not from the Northside of Chicago then you don't understand why anyone would support a team that hasn't won The World Series in 99 years. And if you're an atheist, agnostic, etc then you don't understand why anyone would believe in someone we can't see/touch.
Cubs fans are called "the greatest fans in the world" because we stick by The Cubs no matter what. Doesn't matter how long it's been since they've been to The World Series, The Playoffs, or even won a game. 66-96 record in 2006---who cares? They're The Cubs and we love them no matter how many games they don't win. And we always will. The motto of Cubs fans is "We believe." I always see people in the stands holding up posters they made that have The Cubs logo on it and it says "We believe." We believe that the Cubs will win. This year is our year. Next year is our year. Doesn't matter. They're going to win. We know they will. This dry spell can't last forever. So much faith in something that we have no guarantee about.
Yet some of the same people that stick by The Cubs after such a horrible record, completely lose faith in God after one thing in their life goes wrong, whether it's big or small. Start doubting, stop believing. "How can this happen to me? Why would God let this happen to me? There must not be a God or this would not be happening to me." And then that's it. No more faith. Jeremiah 29:11 says
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Why not believe that? Why believe The Cubs will win and not believe God exists? Why have so much faith in a team that is notorious for losing? Game after game after game and it's still "It's okay, it's only one game. We'll win next time. It'll be okay." But someone gets sick, loses a job, dies, and it's not "It's okay, it's just one thing, it will be okay," it's "I give up on God." What am I missing here?
I promise you, if you are a Cubs fan, like me, you have been let down more times by The Cubs than you have been by God. You don't realise that, because The Cubs losing is part of life and if The Cubs lose, it's just another day. But people don't realise that if life lets you down it's part of life and it is just another day and you shouldn't take it out on God, because life lets everyone down sometimes.
It's okay to believe so strongly that the Cubs will win, but what's the point in having so much faith in something if you don't have any faith in God?
Comments (9)
haha so true! my friend spent a little bit of her childhood in chicago and now she and her dad are die-hard cubs fans (even though they live in NJ now)! but anyway, good post!
ha great point! just makes me think of the phrase - is what you're living for worth Christ dying for?
- chris
Okay, I have to admit, this is a great post. Well done, and congrats on being featured. :)
The Cubs Fans are an awesome bunch. In Vancouver BC, people like to call themselves Canuck (hockey team) fans, though the trend seems to be only when the team is doing well. It's nice to see fans who stick by the team they support.
Cheers,
Skylar
although im not from there, i know the way it is. im from the philly area, and if you know anything about it here - we havent had a team in a major sport win a championship in 30+ years now. and yet, i still bought my season tix for the flyers next year. and hope will begin again.
(last year the flyers were the worst in the league and the worst in the history of the franchise. yet they were almost all sell outs anyway. i had my season tix that year, and then this past year too... and i wouldnt give them up for anything!)
if you're an atheist, agnostic, etc then you don't understand why anyone would believe in someone we can't see/touch.
Yes and no. Most atheists have been believers before "de-converting" and dropping religion. So we know, from personal experience (not because other people tell us) how it feels to believe and why people keep believing.
My dad used to watch a lot of Cubs games. I say "used to" not because he passed, but because we live in different countries now, and I don't know if he still does. Will have to ask him.
Well said! Good stuff
@skylar_rose@xanga -
featured?? where?? i can't find the link!
It makes no sense. If you like a team despite its many losses, people call you stupid. If you like a team because of their wins, you're called a bandwagonner (Sox, anyone?).
I think Cubs fans are distinct in their...shall I say, fanage? lol I think the point of being a Cubs fan is NOT the wins, but simply the idea of coming together and being a part of something for the sake of fun and community. My grandpa loves the Cubs, always has, and even in Florida, fellow Cubs fans (not even from the Chicago area) come up to him and talk about the Cubs or whatever else. There's a camraderie.
My boyfriend (who has an opinion on everything sports and somehow his is the only correct one) told me 1) he thinks Cubs fan root for the Cubs because people just like to root for the underdogs (right, that's why people loved the Sox when they won) and 2) the Cubs are discriminatory and are for yuppies because of where Wrigley Field is located (ARE YOU KIDDING ME?)
That is the dumbest argument I've ever heard...aside from the argument presented in class today that this is the year the Cubs are going to win because in 1908 Indiana saw its heaviest snowfall and now, in 2008, Indiana saw its new heaviest snowfall.
I see no correlation whatsoever. Let's keep the hope alive but be logical here!
But anyway...this is a really nice tie-in to life. I think sometimes we can get so caught up in consumerism and what is marketed to us that the materialism becomes our religion (I mean, how many people are willing to verbally fight to the death about the rival teams, but won't do so for their own religion?). Very nice post. :) I can see this featured in Ignite Your Faith or something like that.
@Jami86e - Okay, when I responded to this, it was on the featured page. I don't know why it's not there anymore :| Now I'm perplexed.