The Hound has had several days to mull over the latest Cubs disaster and has taken solace in what Charlie Chaplin said in the last century: Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.
And so it was as The Hound predicted just before the National League Division series began late at night in the Arizona desert. The curse remains and if Cubs fans continue to believe that next year --- the 100th year without a World Series championship --- will be any different they need to back away and take the long-shot. If they stay in close-up mode, they will go insane, start looking like Lou Pinella and screaming like Ron Santo.
In fact, some did take the long-shot. TV viewership of the Cubs-Diamondbacks series was lousy and even worse as the Cubs were losing and the away games, on cable, not free TV, went later and later. Fans went to bed, safe in knowing therer would be no late-inning heroices. Yet, Major League Baseball brags about becoming the national past-time once again, eclipsing pro football's hold on the American psyche. You don't see NFL games starting at 9 p.m. in the Chicago market.
The only thing interesting between now and opening day April 2008 will be to see who buys the Cubs, how much the franchise brings The Tribune Co. so they don't have to sell any more newspapers and if WGN-TV and radio keep broadcasting the games.
Deep pockets will prevail, so don't even think of turning the Cubs into some version of the Green Bay Packers where lowlifes, like The Hound, can plunk down a few bucks and become a stockholder, at least in name only.
That is an even bigger long shot than a century of progress.
Leave a comment