View From the Bushes

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville-- mighty Casey has struck out.

--Ernest L. Thayer, 1888

I was more prescient than I would have liked when I mentioned ol' Casey yesterday. Unless you've gone out of your way to avoid the news today, you know that the Cubs lost. Somewhere along the line I must have read too much George Will, because at some point I went from a cynical and removed observer of the playoffs to someone with deep emotional attachment, and I am somewhat surprised to report that I didn't sleep well last night. Which was bad, because I think I'm losing ground on this cold I've been fighting since this time last week.

I cruised around the internet last night after the game, looking for other people's reactions, and by and large it sounds like I got off easy. In particular, Bill Harris made an interesting point in his Night Call Column. It's entirely possible that there is no one alive who has seen the Cubs win the World Series. Another person made the point that the loveable loser status is far more important to the people of Chicago than a single, meaningless World Series title. I doubt that's the case today, but give it a few months and maybe...

Carpe Diem Quam Minimum Credula Postero
Ross