Go, Cubs

The All-Star Game has come and gone. We're back into regular-season baseball. Yikes.

As you probably know, I'm a baseball fan. In fact, I'm a Cubs fan. In previous years, that was enough to earn me sympathy from friends and family. It remains to be seen what it will mean this year.

I was able to watch the team on TV today (they lost, but played well), and I realized with a jolt that now it's starting to get scary. Each game will mean a little more. The upcoming trade deadline means that I have to worry about who will stay and who will go. The standings will occupy a little more of my concentration.

This half of the season is so different than the first half! While the first half is full of hope and discovery, this half holds more tension and, possibly, heartbreak.

But we can't have one without the other. The team has battled this far and they're going to keep battling. They're not going to quit, so I can't either. I will follow them to the end, whether it's bitter or sweet.

But I promise this: as long as the Cubs play hard and well, I'll cheer for them no matter what happens in the autumn. That's what a fan does. We pour our hearts out in the stadium, in our living rooms, in bars, wherever we happen to be. We celebrate the victories and mourn the losses. We believe, and we express that belief.

We don't take our frustrations out on the team. As long as they're trying, they don't deserve blame. After all, we're the ones who chose to be fans. We're the ones who chose this particular team. Nobody forced us.

And look what they do for us. They let us escape. They let us forget the darker side of human nature and believe in the light side. They let us admire the beauty of a blue sky, green grass and the arc of a white ball. They remind us of what makes summer good. And then the standings seem a little less important.

You can tell me it's just a sport, and I acknowledge that. History will not be changed by the next Cubs game. But I might.

End of an Era

I can hardly believe it, but I watched the final episode of "Mythbusters" last night. How is it possible that we won't be able to turn to Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman to learn if that Internet video is real or fake, or if that story we heard is plausible or not?

Let's face it, Adam and Jamie made science cool. They showed how important it is to test everything, even those things you think are outrageous or definitely true. Who thought elephants would actually shy away from mice? Who thought you could get a lead balloon off the ground? Who knew you could make a boat out of duct tape? The Mythbusters were always there to get it right and show us what is possible ... or not.

And they did it with such joy! Watching Adam jump up and down in excitement or catching the sound of an elusive Jamie chuckle was always enough to make my day. They were always curious and they wanted to know the answers as much as their viewers did.

I'll remember the great quotations, too: "I reject your reality and substitute my own." "When in doubt ... C4!" "Quack, damn you." "Am I missing an eyebrow?" The list goes on.

From 2003 to 2016, I watched what Adam and Jamie (and Kari, Tory and Grant) would come up with. I was one of those lucky few to see the very first episode, which they re-aired last night, and I was immediately hooked. The concept never grew stale, the show never lost its charm and the Mythbusters never lost their enthusiasm, which is what made it such a great show.

I tip my cap to Adam and Jamie, wishing them all the best in their next endeavors. Thanks for the laughs, the gasps and the new knowledge gained!

Hope

Those of you who know me at all know that I'm a Cubs fan.

Yes, I said it: I'm a Cubs fan. I've only been one since 1987, when I went to a game at Wrigley Field, but that one game sealed my fate. The brick walls covered in ivy, the atmosphere, Harry Caray singing the 7th inning stretch: how could I be immune to those charms?

I tell you this so you know I'm not a fair-weather, come-lately fan. I'm nothing compared to people in their 90s who've been fans all their lives, but I was there for some of the lean, painful years. I was there for years when they had great players but just couldn't seem to make it to the postseason, or got to the postseason and stumbled, for reasons that no one can understand. (No, I don't believe it's the goat.)

Each spring, I'd get excited all over again. Each fall, I'd say, "Maybe next year." And I was sincere.

This past spring was much the same as usual. I knew they had some new, young faces, but that's happened before. I knew they had a new manager, but that's happened before. I hoped for at least a .500 season.

But after a few months, I realized something was different. It was hard because I couldn't see most of the games (How ironic that WGN didn't televise the games this of all years! Come on, WGN, don't break our hearts again next year!), but when I did get to see a game, it was fun to watch. I couldn't always say that in previous years. Still, I had seen good years before, so I cautioned myself not to get too worked up. This is what you do when you're a Cubs fan: you try to remain realistic, you remember the history (as much as you'd like to forget it).

The Cubs, though, played as if they'd never heard of the history, as if anything was possible. I watched, somewhat stunned, as they became the second wild card team. I watched, even more amazed, as they won the wild card game. Then I watched them win the NLDS ... and I didn't know what to do. Get excited? Be cynical so I wouldn't get hurt?

I did what most Cubs fans did: I dared to believe. I believed they could get to the World Series and win it!

As you know, that didn't quite happen (no matter what they said in "Back to the Future II").

But you know what? This year when I say, "Maybe next year," I mean it even more than I did in previous years. The Cubs have showed me that they can win, that they believe in themselves, that anything is possible.

I can't say I've never felt that before. But I'm sure grateful for a chance to feel it again.

Thanks, Cubs. I'll see you in the spring!