CUB FANS LOOK TO OLD TRADITION TO END 100-YEAR SERIES DROUGHT

By R. A. Pearson

The year was 1908 and the Chicago Cubs won the World Series in 1907 and 1908. In a superstitious game such as baseball, where the motto is more often than not, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” why did Cubs President Charles W. Murphy order the disbanding of the West Side Rooters Association? The association was a group of respectable upper and middle class men who pledged strict allegiance to the Cubs. They met to practice their cheers, hosted an annual reception and dance that included a "Grand March" of Cubs players, and would dress with Cubs badges, buttons, flags and banners, canes, megaphones and hats for the Cubs’ home games. Any Cub who would hit a home run or “three bagger” would receive a new hat from the group. The Cubs have not won a World Series since the group was disbanded in 1908. Their major cheer was “Oof Wah” and now it and the West Side Rooters are coming back to the Cubs home park.

Cubs’ fans have long searched for the ultimate baseball curse, voodoo, or bad karma, which may have caused this 100-year-old World Series drought. Like the Red Sox’s “Curse of the Bambino” for trading Babe Ruth in 1918 the fans believe there is a reason for the game to have left them pennantless for a century. Until recently Cubs fans have blamed ‘Murphy the Goat’ and his owner for a 1945 flair up at a home game where, as the goat was denied a seat, the owner said the Cubbies would never win again. However, historical research has uncovered the defunct West Side Rooters as the probable cause for the Cubs poor fortune in the baseball world.

West Side Rooters are being revived along with the cheer “Oof Wah.” Grant DePorter, who runs Harry Caray’s Restaurant and has done extensive research on this century-old phenomenon, is the group's president, Ernie Banks, the Hall of Fame short stop for the Cubs, will be the new chairman of this association and Dutchie Caray will serve as treasurer. The archives, newspaper clippings, and memorabilia at Harry Caray’s Restaurant made a good place to begin research on the West Side Rooters and will probably be an unofficial hangout, if not official meeting place for the body due to its prominence in Cub history and proximity to Wrigley Field.

In an unrelated matter, any sports fan could not escape viewing the wrath and vengeance poured out on the Olympic torchbearers as they carried the torch through London, Paris, and San Francisco. Indeed, the entire international journey of the torch was curtailed and many legs canceled due to expected protests along the way. The ceremonial lighting and passing of the torch to the Chinese at Olympia, Greece, got off to a rocky start from anti-Chinese and pro-Tibetan protesters and the situation has only worsened, highlighting the anti-Chinese feelings around the world.

Americans could easily send their athletes and their parents to the games, allowing them to participate in all games and ceremonies, but keep our politicians, big businessmen, big spenders, and big money at home. America does not have to give credibility to the government of China, only to our athletes. The government of China has given us toxic toys, toxic fish, poison pet food, dangerous tires, and more, and now President Bush insists on going to the games in spite of China’s actions in Tibet, Darfur, and in the economic realm.

The Olympic Rings are the most recognized logo in the world, even more recognized than the cross, the crescent, or even Coca Cola. They have survived the Hitler Olympics, the Munich assault, and even the race where Nero’s riderless horse was declared the winner in antiquity. They will survive Beijing. The world needs to applaud the athletes, but we do not have to applaud Beijing, the Chinese corporate communist, or their oppressive government and economic system. I have added the flag of Tibet to my series of flags I fly outside my home. Join me as I fly this in protest of the Chinese government’s actions against the peaceful people of Tibet. I also have several sew-on Tibetan flags, which will be placed on appropriate apparel also in protest. Both of these items are easily available in the web (subsidiaries of amazon.com have them) at very reasonable prices.

Well, over the summer we can all watch the Cubs and the Olympics on the new big screen TVs we buy with our tax rebates we get in May. Remember when the Cubs hit a home run it’s “Oof Wah” and keep those Tibetan flags flying.