Why I Like to Watch a Bunch of Losers

I knew as soon as the pitch left Manny Ramirez’s bat, I was doomed as a sports fan.

It was Game 1 of the 2008 National League Division Series between the 97-win Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers, winners of the NL West, but with a modest 84-win season.

Cubs utility-man extraordinaire, Mark DeRosa, put the Cubs up early with an opposite-field home run. But starting pitcher Ryan Dempster had control problems all night and eventually gave the lead to the Dodgers when James Lonely smacked a grand slam in the fifth inning.

Sean Marshall came in to relieve Dempster and faced Ramirez in the seventh with the Cubs down by two. Marshall’s 0-and-2 pitch was a good one – a curveball down around the shins that no mere human could get around on.

But Ramirez did.

And the ball sailed well into the bleachers in left-center to increase the Dodgers lead to three – one that they wouldn’t relinquish. While there was hope before that solo dinger for Cubs fans, that hope seemed to take a big hit with Ramirez’s bomb.

And it was at this moment that I knew I was doomed as a sports fan because the Cubs had officially hooked me.

While I spent most of my childhood in Chicago, I never truly understood the aura behind the Cubs. They usually underachieved, had poor management and played in an old stadium that didn’t even have proper urinals. While I was always well aware of the team’s shortcoming over the years, I never felt compelled to root for the Cubs.

But then the 2008 team happened. Suddenly, the Cubs were clutch and made baseball fun to watch on television and experience at Wrigley. For the first time, I saw the charm of the nearly century-old ballpark. The team was constructed with nice guys that seemed to be happy playing baseball. And that endeared me to the Cubs.

But after the sobering Ramirez shot and crushing Game 1 NLDS loss (and the subsequent two to complete the three-game sweep for the Dodgers), I felt bad for the Cubbies. I felt like it was my duty as a fan, relatively new or otherwise, to stick with the team.

It’s easy to root for a sports team that perennially achieves. But part of what makes a good fan is one that can root for a perennial loser (and yes, the Cubs have done some serious losing since that 2008 season and the trend should continue for a few more seasons).

So yes, rooting for the Cubs is oftentimes a pain, and some see it as a curse (much like the supposed curses that haunt the team itself).

But winning can make new fans. Losing creates a bond with those same fans.

We all go through ups and downs in the real world — a sports team that does the same makes us feel closer to the athletes that are experiencing the same thing we are in our day jobs, relationships or what have you.

Sports are a distraction, but also a great reminder of the things that are really important. That’s why I love watching sports, and in turn talking and writing about them.