Chicago Cubs: Sports history could unfold before our very eyes

The moment has finally arrived.  A moment many Chicago Cubs’ fans felt they would never live to see.  Game 7 of the World Series will take place tonight in Cleveland.

Can the Chicago Cubs finally exercise their demons?  They’ll have that chance tonight.  The Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs have gone a combined 176 years without winning a championship.  One team’s drought is going to end tonight.  Another will continue to live on.

Game 6 was filled with excitement.  From Kris Bryant getting things started early with a solo shot in the first, to Addison Russell becoming the first Cub to hit a grand slam in the World Series.  Jake Arrieta looked sharp once again, getting the win for himself and his team.

Now it’s up to Kyle Hendricks.  A 26-year-old right-hander who exceeded everyone’s expectations in 2016 by winning the NL ERA title (2.13).  That success has carried over into the postseason for Hendricks, as he’s helped his team get to this point.  Any kid whoever played baseball growing up has dreamed about being in a moment like this.  And now Hendricks gets to live that moment.  Can he out-duel Indians’ ace Corey Kluber?

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Historical significance of this Game 7

It can’t be stressed enough how huge this game is.  Not just for the Cubs, not just for baseball, but for sports as a whole.  This will be one of the greatest games, if not the greatest game in sports history.  It has that potential, anyway.

I would not be surprised one bit if this game becomes the most viewed game in MLB history.  The Ottoman Empire still existed the last time the Cubs won the World Series!  Tonight they have a chance to erase all the 1908 jokes and eradicate their reputation as “lovable losers.”

It’s not a whole lot different for Cleveland, either.  A sports town that has had nothing but bottom-feeding teams for decades now has a chance to win a second championship for the city in the last year.  Their 68-year drought doesn’t hold a candle to the Cubs’ 108-year drought, but it’s still significant.

Fan reaction

People have literally waited an entire lifetime for this day to come.  Cubs’ fans have proven themselves to be some of the best in sports.  Through all the down years, and there’s been plenty of those, fans stood by their team.

It’s nothing short of amazing that a team with such a deep history of losing has managed to create and maintain a fanbase of true die-hards.  You wouldn’t be able to say the same for a lot of other professional sports franchises across the US.

No matter what happens tonight, this series has been an absolute joy to watch.  It will undoubtedly go down as a classic.  It’s been filled with just about as much tension and drama as one could hope for.  One thing is certain; the fans deserved this.  Win or lose, Cubs’ fans got to see their team push it all the way to Game 7 of the World Series.

Next: Four keys to winning Game 7 for the Cubs

I wanted to know what Cubs’ fans were thinking prior to this monumental Game 7.  Here’s what they had to say:

It’s time to Fly the W one last time.  Eamus Catuli!