Your article today titled “No real love …” was unfortunately very accurate. I have been a Cubs fan all 37 years of my life, while my father has [been] his full 57 years, and [my] grandfather [for] 84 years. While we no longer live in Chicago, we maintain our loyalties toward the “lovable losers” and I have even tried to impress upon my young son the loyalties of a Cubs fan.
Yesterday my father, my 6-year-old son and I drove more than two hours to Shea to cheer the 2004 pennant run. We arrived the standard 1 1/2 hours early so we could linger and absorb the atmosphere with our Cubs. To my dismay, there was only one Chicago superstar willing to sign autographs for the many Cubs fans in attendance. It was Nomar. These boys of summer appear to be completely disconnected, and you accurately describe the impression they give as “defiantly fan un-friendly.” They present an aura that it is “them vs. the world.” What they fail to realize is that it is “us,” the fans, who make the Cubs who they are. As I drove home, I wondered whether or not I preferred the Cubs of old, when they were losing yet friendly. It seems the gift they had to give was something other than “wins.” It was a bond.
