The Cubs won the World Series. Yes, just take a moment for that beautiful sentence to sink in… even though you’ve probably read that headline hundreds of times today. The Cubs won the World Series. This was one of the best World Series ever played, my friends, and if you’re reading this post, it means you lived through one of the most extraordinary moments in baseball history.

The Cubs’ story is a well-known one. They are the underdogs of the sports world. Even though some seasons were better than others, for over a hundred years this is a team that just can’t make winning stick. They have been the butt of jokes since before I was born. They have become synonymous with a “snowball’s chance”, their reputation preceding them with dedicated corners of the internet reminding us of how incompetent they are. Here are just a few gems from CubsSuckClub.com. (case in point)

Creative Acronyms for C.U.B.S

Did you know that CUBS is an acronym?

Completely Useless by September

Could U Beat Somebody

Could you be suckier?

Completely Useless By Spring

Champions Until Baseball Starts

Can Usually Be Swept

Choke Under Baseball Stress

Chicago’s Underachieving Baseball Squad

Constantly Using Bad Strategy

Completely Underachieving Baseball Scrubs

Even Cubs fans own what the Cubbies are – historic chokers that inevitably muck up everything. But I’ll say this – they are deeply devoted fans with the blindest of faith. No pink hats here. When it comes to being a Cubs fan, it is all or nothing.  Their mantra has always been “this is our year”, and after 108 long ones, it finally is.

Everyone loves an underdog story. Look at Hoosiers. Time and time again, we root for those who have only a “snowball’s chance”. Why? Maybe we see a modicum (or a mound) of ourselves in the little guys that deserve their due. The 2016 World Series was no exception. It offered fans of the Cubs, of the Indians, of baseball, of sports, and of life everything one could ask for in a show-stopping, heartwrenching seven game stretch that had us nail biting on the edge of our seats. This series seriously had it all… fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles… ok, well 9 out of 10 ain’t bad.

From trailing the Indians 3-1 in the series, to a first ever Game 7 leadoff home run, to a brief four-run lead, to a tie game, to a 10^th inning and to a 17-minute rain delay in addition to all of the little personal victories and team moments for the Cubs and the Indians, the 113^th World Series Game 7 was one of the greatest games ever played. It was a privilege to watch because it was more than baseball.

The Indians gave it their all, but I am so beyond thrilled for my Cubbies. For a season, a series, a night, they brought a joy to the world that’s been missing of late. Political, religious, and social differences were set aside while people came together worldwide and basked in the glow of the team-that-never-would finally winning the World Series. Sure, today’s a new day, but we had that moment together, guys, and it was glorious.

Go Cubbies Go!