HE JUST wanted to see a Cubs game. He came bundled up in a Chicago Cubs sweatshirt and hat, hoping to see the curse of the goat finally lifted. And then in one minute, this guy went from being an eager Cubs fan to Chicago's Most Wanted, mostly as a result of unfair scapegoating and trashy journalism.
In Game 6 of the National League Championship between the Chicago Cubs and the Florida Marlins, a Marlins batter hit a fly ball headed for the left-field stands. If the ball was caught, the Cubs would be five outs away from the World Series. Cubs outfielder Moises Alou leapt up and reached into the stands right at the same time the ball hit the outstretched hand of a Cubs fan, his eyes glued to the ball, eager to bring home a souvenir. The ball bobbled around the stands while Alou shouted angrily from the field. The Marlins went on to score several more runs that inning. That fan didn't really get to see that though, seeing as how he had to be escorted out of the stadium by security after having both hot dogs and death threats thrown at him by the surrounding fans.
Well, obviously, this one fan was the sole cause of the Cubs' demise. He is, of course, whole-heartedly responsible for perpetuating the Cubs curse. It's not like the Cubs had six other games to win or anything. And it's not like they had all of Game 6 to make up for a single lost run. Oh, no no no. All blame goes to the fan.
Give me a break. For one thing, what would you do if a baseball was flying right at your face? Would you stand there with your hands in your pockets on the off chance that a Cubs outfielder might perhaps decide to leap into the stands and grab it? I think not. You would put your hands up -- if not to catch the ball, at least to protect yourself from a broken nose.
I find it ironic that the same fans who taunted and screamed at the poor guy, the same fans who were sitting right next to him, were, in a video replay of the infamous moment, all falling all over themselves with their arms outstretched, trying to catch the ball as well.
As the fan was escorted out of the stadium with his jacket pulled over his head, I thought, well, maybe that's the best thing. At least he'll be safe at home.
Ha. I momentarily forgot I was dealing with the same city that still blames the wrong cow for starting the Great Chicago Fire.
The next day, the Chicago Sun-Times ran a story that not only disclosed the name of the unfortunate fan, but also his workplace. The story didn't have much of a point to it, other than to ensure that this man's life would effectively become a living hell.
Disclosing the man's name and workplace was a completely unnecessary and shoddy journalistic maneuver. Within hours, the man had bodyguards and police and security helicopters flying around for his own protection. He couldn't even leave his own house -- not that he could really escape, since we all know where he works. The Chicago Sun-Times is practically asking some deranged Cubs fan to find this guy and shoot him. All for one cheap scoop.
And the one place this man might look to for help -- the government -- is not much help either. Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, speaking about the fan last Wednesday, announced, "If he commits a crime, he won't get a pardon from this governor."
Has all of Chicago gone completely mad? Has all of the pizza and pop and wind and other Chicago stuff gone to everyone's head? I am from Philadelphia, a city so bitter that we take pride in booing our own sports teams, and even I think that this is completely ridiculous. This is not the fan's fault. The Cubs seem unable to admit that it was their own playing, full of stupid errors and bad pitching, among other things, that cost them the World Series.
I had been cheering for the Cubs all along (I mean, seriously, who really likes the Marlins), but by Game 7 I was desperately hoping for a Cubs victory just so this ill-fated fan wouldn't be forced to live with the ridiculous idea that he had single-handedly cost the Cubs the World Series for the rest of his life. Unfortunately, the Cubs lost. And unfortunately, thanks to the contemptible practices of the Chicago Sun-Times, the poor guy will probably be watching his back for years to come. Perhaps the Chicago Cubs could use their time spent searching for a scapegoat to instead get in a little extra practice. They could use it.
(Kristin Brown's column appears Wednesdays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at kbrown@cavalierdaily.com.)
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