Emotionally Preparing for the Cubs (Possible) Elimination

I’m typing this at 4:15pm on Oct. 21st, 2015. In about 15 minutes, Marty McFly will be arriving in our timeline. When he gets here, he will learn that the Chicago Cubs have won the World Series. That’s how it plays out in the movie. If Marty actually gets here, he will be greeted by the news that the Cubs are down three games to zero and face elimination at the bats (and incredibly throwing hands) of the New York Mets. They could get eliminated on the actual Back to the Future Day.

If you’ve listened to Ford and O’Bryan even once, you know that I have a very bipolar relationship with my Cubs fandom. It is a terrible thing to have to endure year after year, yet I keep rooting because, statistically, they have to eventually win, right? After taking down the evil empire known as the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS, my hopes for Back to the Future turning out to be some crazy prophecy were very high. Yet, here we are, in these old familiar Cubs places. If the Cubs get eliminated tonight, I will be sad. I won’t be devastated though because I’ve been through this a few times during my fandom.

I’ve seen memes and other things posted online about Cubs President, Theo Epstein, being down three to zero against another New York team and how that team came back to break a curse. If that were to happen for the Cubs, it’d be far too eerie to call it a coincidence and I would accuse Mr. Epstein of actually being a shaman. It’s a fun idea to bat around (see what I did there?) and the perfect end to an ESPN 30 for 30 special. However, the likelihood of that happening is very small. Yes, take it one game at a time. The Cubs don’t have to win four today, but they do have to win four games in a row. It’s a very difficult situation to be in.

I’m fully prepared for the Cubs to get swept tonight and for their championship drought to extend to 108 years. I’m prepared for Cardinals fans (still mostly in angry and bitter hiding after getting eliminated by the Cubs) to continue their constant bullying of Cubs fans and remind of exactly how many years it has been. But with disappointment comes hope that maybe next year is the year, or maybe, just maybe Marty McFly will help us out tonight. Or we have a shaman for a president. Anything is possible in October, buttheads.