Congratulations to my friends who are Cubs fans on your upcoming World Series victory. 2016 is your year, and this White Sox fan couldn’t be happier for you.
I’m not telling you anything new but, in Chicago, a Cubs fan was seen as a Sox fan’s biggest rival -- even more than, say, the Indians or Brewers (teams which actually played in our division). It was some sort of ChiTown sibling rivalry that made no sense then, and makes less sense in hindsight.
What changed for me -- what made me able to genuinely want a Cubs victory -- was the magnanimity of my Cub fan friends calling to congratulate me throughout that incredible October of 2005 when the Sox won the World Series.
Not all my friends were so kind. Some remained in that dark, green-eyed place and made noises about rooting for the Angels and then the Astros.
These were my bitter friends, like my buddy who snarled that, if the Cubs had won, the parade would have been bigger. I agreed. If the cubs had won, the parade would have been bigger. If they had won.
I will now take the example of my better friends -- my bigger-hearted, more magnanimous friends who were able to be happy for us future denizens of Guaranteed Rate Field and say to you here and now: Kudos on your imminent victory in the 2016 World Series.
Because saying you guys are for sure going to win will just make it more likely it’ll happen. Right?
Let’s play two.
I’m Dan Libman, and that’s my perspective.
