The Real Opening day

1060Westers,

The 3 game extension of Spring Trainging earlier this week, which left the Cubs with a 1-2 record, was worth forgetting. I am willing to pretend it was just a warm-up to the real opening day, at least for us Cub fans.

The real opening day is the day when the freindly confines open the gates, and cubs fans big and small, from near and far, sober or not, fill the bleachers that have been empty the past 6 months.

The warrior fans wake up at 3 am and stand out in front of the ticket window waiting to get a SRO ticket or maybe a late cancellation and possibly end up in the grandstand to watch the home opener.

There isn't a better moment in fandom than opening day at 1060West. Bands blaring music at 10 am, Old Stlye glasses full and empty and full again, fans making their points on why this year is the year. Beleive it or Leave it! Nomar! Prior and Woodie! All topics of conversation dealing with our team are milled over, and how many more games they are going to win than the Sox.

If Darwin were alive to witness the evolution of opening day he would stand in awe, as the opening day warrior who stands at Bernies at 8 pm and can still resemble a human being that understands the english langauge has truly been put to the test of Survival of the fittest.

If Gregor Mendel were here today he would dub an opening day cub fan as: "Cubfanious Tildeathius" The binomial nomenclature of the cubs fan has been such. Many of our forefather Cubs fans have come and gone without witnessing a world championship.

2005 is good a year as any to win the series. I am sure the catch phrases are already flying..."In '05 the Cubs will come alive" "2005 the year of the Cubs" and so on and so on.

So cubs fans, on opening day, a new faith in a new chance has been revived. Our chances of winning are better than ever, our belief in this team alive and never better. Waiting 'til next year since 1908 is what weve been saying, but next year is now and we all beleive it!

On opening day, like no other ritual, we have everything to look forward to and nothing to fear, except the thought of drinking a very warm beer...


have fun be safe,

I am thinking of you at work....


Just a bit outside,

MCAV