I hate Facebook, so on this fifth anniversary of the greatest thing I ever wrote, a Twitter thread:
October 30th, 2016, the morning of Game 5 of the 2016 World Series:
So here's how it is, Cubs fans.
I will be in attendance tonight at the World Series for the most critical game of the year for the baseball team I love.
I came to Chicago, my birthplace and home for 24 years, hoping to experience moments of joy and happiness to replace 40 years of a few scattered highs, but mostly lows.
The games certainly haven't worked out how I'd hoped, but I'm old enough to know that life is often that way.
We all get to experience the journey, even if the results aren't what you wanted. Sports fans who deal with such adversity, like the people who deal with even more genuine adversity in their lives, are stronger for it.
Real Cubs fans are tough. We're resilient. And we love our team and show up to cheer them on year after year, even when they disappoint us. That's real love. That's a family, not a 'nation'...
I've certainly looked on with appreciation as other long suffering fans got to celebrate ultimate victories. Our opponents tonight have those kind of fans. Respect to them. I might get to see them celebrate tonight.
But for one more night, for one more game, the last game of the year at the best ballpark in baseball, during the best season for my childhood team that I've ever seen, I will cheer them and thank them.
Who knows, I might get to say I was there when the miracle comeback started. Who can tell? Baseball's a funny game. I remember a certain Game 5 I attended in the 2003 NLCS where another miracle comeback began, for another team. It is possible.
If it ends tonight, let's give the Tribe one hell of a fight. Make 'em respect us.
But let's send it back to Cleveland. Don't let 'em win it here, boys.
Beat Cleveland tonight. Then again. And again.
Go Cubs Go.
Epilogue:
Five years later, I am continually amazed and grateful that I was there for the only Cubs home win of the 2016 World Series.
And shit like this is why I will never stop loving baseball, no matter what the assholes that run and play the game try to do to it.
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