Chicago Cubs: Being a fan has never been more rewarding than right now

(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
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CHICAGO, IL – OCTOBER 19: A fan holds a sign during game five of the National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on October 19, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – OCTOBER 19: A fan holds a sign during game five of the National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on October 19, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

For the second-straight year, Chicago Cubs fans ranked as the best fan base in baseball. And why not? It’s never been more rewarding than right now.

The last few years have been a completely unnatural state of being for Chicago Cubs fans. After what seemed like years of chasing down the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central, the Cubs are now the kings of the division.

Not only are they the team to beat in the National League Central, but they’re annually one of the teams to beat in all of baseball. With a roster chock-full of former top prospects, the Cubs’ reign shows no signs of ending anytime soon, either.

After the Fandom 250 named the Chicago Cubs’ fanbase as the best in all of Major League Baseball, I thought back on some of my own personal favorite moments as a fan over the last few years.

I’m sure a lot of these don’t seem like big pivotal moments in life – but, to me, they mean the world.

NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 14: A view of a Christmas tree inside the Berggruen Prize Gala at the New York Public Library on December 14, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Berggruen Institute)
NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 14: A view of a Christmas tree inside the Berggruen Prize Gala at the New York Public Library on December 14, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Berggruen Institute) /

Christmas morning with family – everything you want

Since I started dating my now-wife, Christmas has taken on an entirely new meaning for me. Growing up, I always loved the holidays. But as you get older, things change and the energy and excitement isn’t as prevalent – at least it wasn’t for me.

But like I said, Christmas is a big deal with my in-laws. And I love it. The only Cubs fan I know who’s as die-hard as I am is my brother-in-law. And each Christmas morning, our respective gifts is a barrage of Cubs-themed clothing, knick-knacks and everything in-between. I’m not joking when I say that he has chocolate bars more than a decade old – still unwrapped because they have a Cubs logo on the wrapper.

It’s impressive – I think.

Really, the Cubs have been good since my wife and I started dating. So each holiday season serves as an homage to said success – and it’s an amazing time filled with family and good memories. Not to mention, it’s a big reminder that our team is the toast of Major League Baseball – and, to be frank, I didn’t think that day would ever come growing up.

CLEVELAND, OH – NOVEMBER 01: Anthony Rizzo #44 of the Chicago Cubs reacts after defeating the Cleveland Indians 9-3 to win Game Six of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field on November 1, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH – NOVEMBER 01: Anthony Rizzo #44 of the Chicago Cubs reacts after defeating the Cleveland Indians 9-3 to win Game Six of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field on November 1, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

A wild ride to cap off an unforgettable 2016

When I’m 100 years old (I decided a long time ago, 100 is a nice round number), 2016 will forever be the best year of my life.

I assumed that year was locked up when I got married in September. For more than 10 years, I was best friends with my now-wife. All of the sudden, I was watching her walk down the aisle toward me – which was a pretty incredible moment. After a week in Punta Cana, we came back to the end of the regular season and the start of playoff baseball for the second-straight year.

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My brother-in-law came up from Nashville for the World Series. After watching the Cubs cruise in the deciding game of the National League Championship Series, we thought we were ready.

We were wrong. So very, very wrong.

The next seven games included a roller coaster of emotions I didn’t even experience on our wedding day. At least on that day, as emotional as it was, I felt fairly confident she wasn’t going to bail and leave me hanging.

But when Rajai Davis hit the game-tying blast off Aroldis Chapman, I can confidently say it was the single-worst moment of my life. The Cubs aren’t just a team to me. It’s an integral part of my day-to-day. I’ve got a room in my house dedicated to nothing but this team and my lifelong love affair with them. So when that liner cleared the wall, it was nothing short of heartbreaking.

The 10th inning flipped those emotions on their head, taking me from one of the lowest points of my life to the highest. Pat Hughes’ call of the final out is still one of my favorite things to listen to. My wife, my brother-in-law and I stood in our living room, anxiously awaiting that final out.

And what a moment that was.

CHICAGO, IL – APRIL 05: Members of the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals stand for the National Anthem before the Opening Night game at Wrigley Field on April 5, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – APRIL 05: Members of the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals stand for the National Anthem before the Opening Night game at Wrigley Field on April 5, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

Broken bathrooms, unfinished bleachers and the start of an era

If there’s a common theme throughout all of this, it’s family.

We’ve got a Clark & Addison sign above the door to our deck, a ‘W’ pillow on our couch and over half of my closet has the Cubs logo on it. For her birthday, I got my wife a David Ross jersey – the year after he retired. In our house, there are two seasons: holiday season and baseball season.

For Christmas three years ago, my now-wife came through big-time, getting tickets for my brother-in-law and the two of us for Opening Night 2015. It proved to be Joe Maddon‘s first game as Cubs skipper, Jon Lester‘s first start for Chicago and the bleachers at Wrigley were still under renovation.

That game didn’t play out quite how I’d hoped. The rival St. Louis Cardinals shut out the Cubs – and it was clear there was still work to be done before we were ready to contend. But, by season’s end, that same Cubs team ended the Cardinals’ run in the postseason.

There was an energy around Wrigleyville that night. An excitement I’d never felt there before – and I’ve been to plenty of Opening Days at the Confines. With Lester on the bump, it made things real. We were ready to start winning – and the pieces were all starting to fall into place.

It still ranks as probably my favorite game I’ve ever been to – simply because of what that game signified: the end of the rebuild.

CHICAGO, IL – JUNE 19: A general view of Wrigley Field at sunset as the Chicago Cubs take on the San Diego Padres on June 19, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – JUNE 19: A general view of Wrigley Field at sunset as the Chicago Cubs take on the San Diego Padres on June 19, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

Wrigley Field ready to continue its place atop baseball venues

The best fans in baseball deserve the best venue in the game, as well. And, thanks to the Ricketts family, that’s exactly what the Cubs have in Wrigley Field.

More than a century old, the Confines had seen better days when the family bought the team. I clearly remember netting underneath the upper deck to keep concrete from falling onto fans below. Outdated televisions were the only way to see replays – if you could see them from your seat.

But thanks to more than $500 million in renovations, Wrigley is the place to see a ballgame. Two new videoboards might be the most notable changes, but take a walk through or around the park to notice the quality of everything – from concessions to the concourse itself.

When you leave the stadium itself, the neighborhood is unrecognizable. The Park at Wrigley makes Wrigley Field a year-round destination. The hotel across the street will be up by Opening Day 2018 and the business development continues to make progress, as well.

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What does all this have to do with being a fan? It makes you proud to walk around Wrigleyville and see what its become – a true hot spot for fans, non-fans, Chicagoans and tourists alike. The pride I’ve always felt is now represented by the stadium, the team and the neighborhood.

Life is good. Being a Cubs fan has never been easier – or more rewarding.

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