Still Waiting for Next Year

For some reason, I'm compelled to quote from the movie Meatballs, in which a camp full of lovable losers prevails over the richer camp across the lake in the annual summer Olympiad. However, none of the lines I'm compelled to quote are at all appropriate to the Cubs last night. Primarily because they're not the inspirational lines that talk about not giving up, sticking up for the underdog and not letting them down, but also because it's the Marlins who played the role of underdog in this series, coming into the postseason as a wildcard and not favored to make it all the way.

The Cubs got cocky, started to believe the hype. They pounded the Marlins in three straight games, and were on their way to clinch it, so they relaxed and made mistakes, got flustered and let it slip away.

Yes, it was disappointing. But you know, it's like this: you nurse your pride for a little while, you pick yourself up and get hungry for next year. Forget what happened, or it becomes "the curse" that hangs around next time, haunting your thoughts and keeping you from winning. It kills your ambition by making you doubt yourself.

Or something like that. That's probably what Dusty Baker is telling his team right now. In the meantime, some guy named Steve Bartman is checking on whether the Witness Protection Program is available to non-witnesses. You can bet he'll never step into Wrigley Field again.

Posted by Andrew Huff at October 16, 2003 01:52 PM