29 Dec BEING A CHICAGO CUBS BASEBALL FAN TAUGHT ME HUMILITY, PATIENCE AND PERSERVANCE
I have been a loyal supporter of the Chicago Cubs baseball team since I was very young. For much of this time, the franchise has faced persistent challenges, with numerous seasons marked by disappointing performances. There were bright spots—most notably in 1969, when the Cubs led the division for 155 days before losing an eight-and-a-half game lead to the New York Mets in August. Other postseason opportunities in 1984, 1989, and 2003 ended in heartbreak, even as advancement to the World Series seemed within reach.
Cubs 108 Year Drought
After more than a century without a championship, the Cubs’ 2016 World Series victory finally broke a drought dating back to 1908—the longest in North American professional sports. For lifelong fans like me, the win was deeply meaningful, though it also underscored decades of resilience shaped by disappointment.
Throughout the years, the Cubs cycled through managers and general managers in search of success. Under long-time owner P.K. Wrigley, of the chewing gum family, leadership turnover was common. The Ricketts family now owns it.
History of Bizarre Injuries
The team also became known for an unusually high number of bizarre player injuries: For example, pitcher Cade Horton was unable to participate in the playoffs in 2025 due to broken ribs sustained while sneezing. Jose Cardenal was unavailable because his eyelid had become stuck closed following sleep disruption from crickets. In 2004, Sammy Sosa was assigned to the disabled list as a result of back spasms triggered by sneezing. Pitcher Brandon Morrow incurred a back injury in 2018 while changing clothes, and in 1985, Steve Trout was injured after falling off a stationary exercise bike. Pitcher Kyle Farnsworth was sidelined for three weeks in 2004 after injuring himself while kicking an electric fan after a bad outing. Additionally, in 2005, pitcher Carlos Zambrano strained his elbow from playing computer video games. While such incidents are not unique to this team, their frequency is particularly notable within its history.
Billy Goat Curse
Some Cubs fans blame a 1945 incident involving a banned goat at a World Series game for the team’s 71-year championship drought, which ended in 2016. I doubt that is why they have a miserable competitive record.
Attendance
Cubs attendance has stayed high, often over two million annually since 1984, despite losing seasons; many credit the ballpark’s party atmosphere and beer drinking.
The Effect of Losing on My Psych
Living through these experiences has shifted my perspective. Decades of setbacks have cultivated humility, patience, and emotional resilience. Like many long-time Cubs fans, I’ve learned to manage disappointment constructively, maintaining perspective rather than frustration. Optimism remains, but it’s tempered with realism—a “wait and see” approach when the team starts to perform well, knowing that success may be fleeting.
While repeated losses can breed bitterness, I’ve largely avoided that path. Instead, I focus on balance and gratitude. I encouraged my son to stop supporting the Cubs to avoid experiencing outcomes like the ones I did. Fortunately, Chicago’s success in other sports—the six Bulls championships, three Blackhawks Stanley Cups, and one Bears Super Bowl victory—helped ease the sting of the Cubs’ long-standing struggles.
I’ve learned to meet every bit of “good news” about the Cubs with cautious optimism — a “wait and see” mindset. That same approach applies in business. Success rarely comes easily or quickly. The key is learning, adjusting, and moving forward without losing faith in the process.
In the end, my journey as a Cubs fan mirrors the lessons often needed in business and life: I remain, at heart, an optimist.
Conclusion
A lifelong Chicago Cubs fan since 1955 reflects on decades of disappointment, improbable player injuries, and management instability that defined the team’s history before its 2016 World Series breakthrough. The experience taught valuable lessons in patience, resilience, and realistic optimism—traits equally vital in business leadership. Despite years of setbacks, the writer remains hopeful, seeing perseverance and balance as key takeaways from a lifetime of loyal fandom.