Deflated
This morning, the city of Chicago is one depressed, hungover place.
Here’s to Steve Bartman
The collapse is complete. This city is going to be in a bad way tomorrow.
So am I disappointed? Am I disappointed that the Cubs were up three to one on the Marlins and lost? Am I disappointed that they were five outs from the World Series and blew it? Yes, I’m disappointed. But I have to be honest about this: I’m a dirty, fair-weather fan. I was just along for the ride.
My real disappointment has to do with the fans of Chicago. They are pathetic enough to blame this historic collapse on an innocent bystander: Steve Bartman.
He’s the fan who did what any guy sitting in the first row would do when he has a pop-up hit to him: he tried to catch it. He didn’t reach out to the field. He just looked up and tried to catch it. A fan in his position doesn’t have the time to make a calculation of whether the outfielder has a shot at jumping up and swiping the ball from the seats. So he went for the ball, and six other people around him went for the ball, and he’s the one who touched it. Then the Cubs lost. It went roughly like that.
Or so the idiot Cub fans would have you believe. In reality, the key turning point of the inning was the error by shortstop Alex Gonzalez, who botched one of the easiest ground balls you’ll ever see. His play was routine; Alou’s would have been notable. Gonzalez is a shortstop and he’s paid to field ground balls; Steve Bartman is a financial consultant and he’s sitting in the seats, hoping to catch a foul ball. Do the math. Who’s more to blame?
But it goes deeper than that. Many Cubs fans have been shamefully spiteful to Bartman. They threatened him. They spat at him. They threw things at him. You’d think these assholes were the same trailer trash that goes to Eagles games.
So with all that said, a small part of me is happy the Marlins won. It’s a little more collective pain to all those assholes who spewed hate at Steve Bartman. You fans are pathetic, and in all honesty, the Cubs are kinda pathetic too. I hope you feel the pain of this loss and feel it deep. You earned it. You brought it on yourselves. Hats off the Florida Marlins too, who were the invisible opponent in this series. I knew they would capitalize on the lack of respect afforded them, and that’s why I picked them to win the series after game 1 (just ask my dad :).
So that’s that. Thursday, October 16, 2003 will be one of the most somber in Chicago history, I dare say. Here’s to Steve Bartman. At least he handled the situation with class. Stay strong, bud.