OT- ESPN front page

Submitted by mcfly127 on

Just saw this and i thought it was really funny.  The front page of ESPN right now has a picture of Mike Quade, the new Cubs manager with the title of the piece called "Hope Springs Eternal".  I think that maybe we should be taking action against ESPN for this line as we had much earlier coined the phrase "Hoke Springs Eternal".  Of course I am kidding but just thought it was ironic and funny that the title is so similar.

StephenRKass

February 14th, 2011 at 5:31 PM ^

I'm a White Sox fan. But there was a good piece (at ESPN? Trib? Can't remember) about the Cubs failings over the last 107 years. The suggestion is that the loyalty of fans in Chicago (and beyond) has shielded the Cubs organization from really needing to win. Because they are regularly able to sell out Wrigley Field, the ownership doesn't really need to field a good team. From a dollars and cents standpoint, why spend the money for a competitive team when the Cubs fan lemmings will come out to the old ball park, rain or shine, win or lose? I suppose that it also helps that they haven't needed to build a new stadium or spend significantly for capital improvements, in what may be the worst facilities out there (from a player's point of view.)
 
This absolute loyalty and support must be an interesting conumdrum for Cubs fans. You want to support your team, but the fact of your support means that they will probably continue to field mediocre teams indefinitely. What to do?
 
Well as a White Sox fan, this leads to endless Schadenfreude. Ah, the tears of unfathomable sadness for Cubs fans . . . especially delicious to a Sox fan. Detroit and Cubs fans may hate the White Sox, but you have to give it to Reinsdorf, between the Bulls and the White Sox, he does what it takes to win.

the_white_tiger

February 14th, 2011 at 5:44 PM ^

I think that you nailed it on the head, the organization really doesn't need to win to be profitable, and that brings up the good old "what is the primary purpose of a professional franchise, winning or making money?" question. It's a good debate, but I think the Cubs would really profit from all the attention, money, support, etc. that comes along with fielding a winner. Mediocrity is the Cubs in a nutshell, and it's a little frustrating (I'm not a diehard, but I do root for the Cubs) but I think that the infinite loyalty is ultimately a good thing. It's the only difference between us and the Pirates.

Flying Dutchman

February 14th, 2011 at 7:41 PM ^

The Cubs often field talented teams that finish near the top of the division.   The fact that they have gone 100 years without a single team making it over the top to win a World Series is a whole different conversation, but its not as though this is a team that sucks year in and year out.

Until their recent World Championships, the Red Sox and White Sox had each gone about 95 fuckin' years since they had won it all.    Don't be a trashy south sider.

kdextreme

February 14th, 2011 at 9:48 PM ^

What I think we should be most focused on is where hope springs eternal from ... breasts. Dude must have dropped some knowledge on "Eternal wisdom" ...earlier.