The 5 stages of being a Cubs Fan in 2009
by Zeke on Aug 13, 2009 12:04 PM CDT
Email
PrintIt's been interesting to read the posts and game threads over this season. As I've followed the ever-changing tones of the comments, it kept reminding me of something, and I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
Then it came to me: Cubs fans experience (to a lesser degree) the same emotions as someone does when they die. OK, admittedly, not the most uplifting analogy- but boy, the stages can be read throughout the posts on BCB.
The 5 stages of being a Cubs Fan in 2009
DENIAL - usually only a temporary defense for the Cubs fan; “This can’t be happening. The Cubs are BETTER than this! Just wait until they rattle off a 5-game winning streak! It CAN happen. ”
ANGER - misplaced feelings of rage and envy leading to many venting posts; “It’s not fair- why can’t these guys hit with runners in scoring position?”
BARGAINING - hope that the fan can somehow help the Cubs postpone the inevitable fade down the stretch; “I’ll kick in $20 to the ‘Get Rid of Aaron Miles’ fund!”
DEPRESSION – the fan may become silent, troll and spend much of the time grieving; “If only A-Ram hadn’t gotten injured…”
ACCEPTANCE – acknowledging the end of the struggle and the peace in understanding that this isn’t the year the Cubs will win a World Series; “Wait ‘til NEXT year!”
So where are YOU on this progression list?
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.
77 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
I'm reading all of these
And thinking…“Ok here’s where I was in April….June…..Midway through June…”
At least it made me smile
JEFF SAMARDJIZL:SDKFJEL:KJFS:DLFKJD:LSKFJ
Grr
"If I were playing third base and my mother were rounding third with the run that was going to beat us, I'd trip her. Oh, I'd pick her up and brush her off and say, 'Sorry, Mom,' but nobody beats me." ~ Leo Durocher
none of the above.
I’m in the single stage of rooting for the Cubs.
Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.
Ha!
I think we can retire the “best reply on this thread” award right now.
by Not Bruce Froemming on Aug 13, 2009 12:39 PM CDT up reply actions
So, denial, then?
There is no such thing as an ugly female breast
by Worf on Aug 13, 2009 1:05 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
+1
"If I were playing third base and my mother were rounding third with the run that was going to beat us, I'd trip her. Oh, I'd pick her up and brush her off and say, 'Sorry, Mom,' but nobody beats me." ~ Leo Durocher
I chose denial because it's the closest to how I feel, but it doesn't seem like the right word.
Denial would insinuate that what I believe is somehow false. Until it is proven (by being mathimatically eliminated) I can still stay positive and say that THIS IS THE YEAR without it technically being denial. Right?
"Fasten your seatbelts"-Pat Hughes
Sure. There are no rules or wrong answers here...
…well…
Quia tuum es fatum titulis discidiis, vexillinis limbis nationalis,
gloriam seriis mundialisque, nunc et in saecula saeculorum...
Amen.
Yesterday's loss changed my stance.
I can now admit that I was in denial about being in denial.
"Fasten your seatbelts"-Pat Hughes
So you've accepted being in acceptance?
or are you angry about being angry?
There is no such thing as an ugly female breast
Not up the acceptance stage yet.
I just accept that I’m in denial. I’m still counting on that 5-game winning streak.
"Fasten your seatbelts"-Pat Hughes
Sure... lousy teams are coming
I remember back when we swept the Nats and people were crowing and shouting down any of us that said, ’You know, the Nats suck"
There is no such thing as an ugly female breast
In the standings, yes
But as an indicator of future performance, it is not.
There is no such thing as an ugly female breast
So what stage are you in?
Sounds like your glass might be half empty right now.
"Fasten your seatbelts"-Pat Hughes
You're a Cubs fan; whether a glass half empty or half full is irrelevant...
You want to know when the glass will tip over and spill…
Quia tuum es fatum titulis discidiis, vexillinis limbis nationalis,
gloriam seriis mundialisque, nunc et in saecula saeculorum...
Amen.
as long as it doesn't tip over and spill on any of the players
we’ve had enough of that kind of embarrassment this week :)
"Fasten your seatbelts"-Pat Hughes
by katie casey on Aug 14, 2009 10:13 AM CDT up reply actions
That's understandable.
I get pretty angry every time I hear “and they leave the maximum”. I haven’t crossed over to full-blown anger yet though because my husband has remained so positive through all this. His optimism has been contagious.
"Fasten your seatbelts"-Pat Hughes
by katie casey on Aug 14, 2009 10:50 AM CDT up reply actions
My wife is a Cards fan
She just laughs at me.
I hate her.
There is no such thing as an ugly female breast
I hope you say that with love...
Quia tuum es fatum titulis discidiis, vexillinis limbis nationalis,
gloriam seriis mundialisque, nunc et in saecula saeculorum...
Amen.
Is he still saying this is the year?
I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.
YES!
He insists we are at the very least going to win the pennant. He’s been saying it all year and has NEVER said anything like this before in all 28 years I’ve known him. He is a very grounded guy and it’s hard not to take him serious. But now more recently he has had this sort of premonition about a dramatic win on the road in the 2nd round of the playoffs. It is so detailed and wacky that I wrote it all down partially to humor him, but also on the off chance that this really does happen. I fear that the stress at work has finally gotten to him. Again, I emphasize how grounded he is. He wasn’t drunk. He’s never done drugs. Not prone to hallucinations or fits of any kind. He says this stuff with such confidence it’s hard to doubt him. Hopefully I won’t need to be calling for the men in the white coats to pick him (or me) up.
"Fasten your seatbelts"-Pat Hughes
by katie casey on Aug 14, 2009 12:23 PM CDT up reply actions
Well, at the risk of stating the obvious:
I HOPE HE’S RIGHT!
I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.
I was trying to keep it simple and deal with THIS season.
…and no, being 54 I certainly don’t think THIS is the only frustrating season my friend…;)
Quia tuum es fatum titulis discidiis, vexillinis limbis nationalis,
gloriam seriis mundialisque, nunc et in saecula saeculorum...
Amen.
acceptance
for me
Quite simply this team “doesn’t have it” and won’t win the division or wild card.
Whether it’s a lousy BABIP, sucky bullpen, Samadrzija, Miles, Fontenot, Soto, A Ram, MB, Sori, etc. it doesn’t matter because this team just doesn’t have “it”—to steal an Al-ism.
I’m past the point of frustration or being pissed. I’ve “accepted” this team for what it is—underachievers. I do believe a progression to the mean for these guys for 2010 still will make us a favorite, but it’s a littel far off to think about that today.
I accept the team for what it is
entertainment. I want them to win, I hate when they lose, but I will not let it make me crazy in the process
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
Egypt to be precise.
"Fasten your seatbelts"-Pat Hughes
by katie casey on Aug 13, 2009 12:53 PM CDT up reply actions
when you are only a few games out
you should still believe there is a chance
A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject.
--Winston Churchill
by lookingdeadred on Aug 13, 2009 12:54 PM CDT reply actions
Why just 2009?
Why not 1969 to 2009?
You think this is the only frustrating season? You must be 12 years old.
by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Aug 13, 2009 1:00 PM CDT reply actions
Right on SD
You have my vote for best reply on the thread.
by bluekoolaide on Aug 13, 2009 1:06 PM CDT up reply actions
I was trying to keep it simple and just focus in THIS year...
..and no, being 54 I certainly don’t think THIS is the only frustrating season my friend…;)
Quia tuum es fatum titulis discidiis, vexillinis limbis nationalis,
gloriam seriis mundialisque, nunc et in saecula saeculorum...
Amen.
Weak kneed mentality
Are the Cubs mathematically eliminated yet? Oh wait, 50 games left and only 4 back?
Would you put your mortgage or your life on the line on the Cubs for sure NOT making the playoffs?
What? No? Then STFU.
Would you put
your mortgage or life on the line for the Cubs MAKING the playoffs? They have a 21% chance of making it as of today. That’s a 79% chance they will miss the playoffs http://www.coolstandings.com/baseball_standings.asp?i=1
Not looking good.
One day, the dream will come true.
And last week it was something like 50 percent
Get back to me next week and tell me what it is.
by Not Bruce Froemming on Aug 14, 2009 1:19 AM CDT up reply actions
I gotta admire you, NBF
Most folks would take a look at something that dropped over 50 percent in a week and say, “Wow, that’s a bad thing”
There is no such thing as an ugly female breast
What goes up must come down
and go back up again. Somehow, Cubs fans didn’t think the 50 percent was a permanent condition, but they think the 20 percent is. Something pathological about that.
by Not Bruce Froemming on Aug 14, 2009 12:01 PM CDT up reply actions
I was kinda figuring that 50 percent
would go to 70 percent and beyond…
So when it returned to 20 percent, it was discouraging.
And I don’t think anyone should be called pathological for being discouraged.
There is no such thing as an ugly female breast
I'm pretty sure that's not true
Sir Isaac would like to have a word with you/
The Chicago Baseball Cubs have not won a series against a team with a .500 record since April. When I heard that stat this morning, along with the trouncing the Phillies gave us, I realized 2010 just might be the year…
is there a spot for
“I understand the team is flawed, isn’t as good as last year’s team, has a lot of other teams in MLB that have better rosters, and has a lot to overcome, but i’m rooting for them and hoping for some good luck in the playoffs”
by DartmouthCubsFan on Aug 13, 2009 1:30 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Sure. I'm with you.
But the “Kübler-Ross model” from which THIS model is cribbed doesn’t have that “spot”…
Quia tuum es fatum titulis discidiis, vexillinis limbis nationalis,
gloriam seriis mundialisque, nunc et in saecula saeculorum...
Amen.
well the Kubler-Ross model
is meant for grief….
inherently by taking from this model, you’re forcing an assumption on people that they have something to grieve
we don’t have anything to grieve yet
The Cubs are pretty much the exact same team (without good health) that I expected they would be coming into the season. A bit worse than last year, probably outside of the Top 5 teams in all of baseball in terms of talent and roster construction and would need good fortune to win the whole thing.
Factor in that last year’s Cubs had tremendous good fortune in the health department and this is what we’re getting.
It is what it is, but it ain’t over yet. There’s nothing to grieve yet. It’s very likely there will be a time in the future where it is appropriate (heck only 1 team wins it every year), but forcing that assumption on people that this time is now, is flawed
by DartmouthCubsFan on Aug 13, 2009 3:47 PM CDT up reply actions
Well, I wasn't trying to force an assumption on folks or anything else for that matter in posting this.
As I mentioned below, I was just curious to see if anyone else saw some of the parallels in posts on BCB that I did. In hindsight, I probably should have added a last voting button that said “other” or “none of the above”…
Quia tuum es fatum titulis discidiis, vexillinis limbis nationalis,
gloriam seriis mundialisque, nunc et in saecula saeculorum...
Amen.
True but,
the Kubler-Ross stages of grief can also be experienced by those whose loved ones have a terminal illness. It can apply anytime we experience loss (i.e. the expectation of a lost season). I am in the stage of acceptance, but I reserve the right to denial.
by cub in louies nest on Aug 13, 2009 7:26 PM CDT up reply actions
I don't often agree with you, DCF,
but on this one, I’m behind you 100 percent.
by Not Bruce Froemming on Aug 13, 2009 3:00 PM CDT up reply actions
not exactly channelling BLou are you?
A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject.
--Winston Churchill
by lookingdeadred on Aug 14, 2009 8:18 AM CDT up reply actions
Acceptance, but
Acceptance that most years isn’t “the year” for any team and I’m going to cheer, anyway.
Is this the year of the Cub? Probably not. And I’m not going to hang on every pitch like it is. But that doesn’t mean that it won’t be the year.
I think most of us have felt this way most of the season…but I also suspect most of the fanposts declaring the season over are coming from people who were convinced that a sweep of the Nationals was indicative of a championship team, instead of cause for optimism for a better second half.
I'm singing, "GO CUBS GO! GO CUBS GO!" -- DrCrawdad on Jun 12, 2009 7:23 AM CDT
Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true! -- Homer J. Simpson
by Shanghai Badger on Aug 13, 2009 1:42 PM CDT reply actions
I prefer evolution to stages
I begin the season with hope. It eventually evolves into despair.
...and THAT my friends is the Cub fan yearly emotional cycle...
…as it is for my other baseball fans.
Quia tuum es fatum titulis discidiis, vexillinis limbis nationalis,
gloriam seriis mundialisque, nunc et in saecula saeculorum...
Amen.
Comical is the stage I am in
the worse they play, the more i laugh at it. I know it sounds wrong, especially when I am laughing at the team I love, but it is better than losing my mind, or needing therapy.
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
I laughed a lot in 2006.
That season got me so slap happy at the end that I was almost hoping they’d lose so they could at least have a 100 losses like the Royals. Key word..almost.
"Fasten your seatbelts"-Pat Hughes
that was a circus of comedy
i enjoyed it as best I could
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
How about the hatred stage.
I hate this team. So many things about this team peeve me:
1) I hate fat professional athletes, and this team has a couple of ‘em. Geo and Zambrano(to a lesser extent) get under my skin every time I watch a game. I hate watching Soto jiggle his way down to first base.
2) I’ve had enough of Lou. What’s the big deal about him? Why is he getting paid so much fucking money to sit on his fat ass and do nothing? I’ve long believed that baseball managers on the whole are useless, but seeing one of the supposed “great ones” act as clueless as Lou has throughout his time in Chicago has really set me off.
3) I hated him since the day he was signed. Aaron Miles is a horseshit baseball player. Nothing will ever sway my opinion on the matter, and I think Hendry is an absolute idiot for signing him for TWO years. I’ve maintained this position since day 1.
There’s a lot more where this came from. Excuse my while I go and slit my wrists.
Sounds like you need that come here and vent post
http://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2009/8/11/986167/come-here-and-vent
PS-Don’t slit your wrists.
"Fasten your seatbelts"-Pat Hughes
Arnt we all at the first one
Cause thats what being a Cubs fan is. I will believe untill they show me that it is mathematically impossible for the cubs to sneak into the playoffs. Im sorry people will not see eye to eye with me. But I give my heart to this team day after day untill they show me that it is not gunna happen.
I think more people see eye to eye with you than you think (and I'm one of them)...
I just popped this post up to see if others saw some parallels in the wide range of posts on BCB as I did.
Quia tuum es fatum titulis discidiis, vexillinis limbis nationalis,
gloriam seriis mundialisque, nunc et in saecula saeculorum...
Amen.
I am in Texas, you?
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
Hmm. Wasn't that an '80s video hit for Genesis?
“Land of Confusion” ?
I imagine some enterprising BCBer with a video camera and photoshop could put together a pretty entertaining Cubs parody of that…
SWL? What say you?
Quia tuum es fatum titulis discidiis, vexillinis limbis nationalis,
gloriam seriis mundialisque, nunc et in saecula saeculorum...
Amen.
need to add a "meh" option for the voting
baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out
Careful. The opposite of love isn't hate, it's indifference.
I think “meh” falls in that latter category ;)
Quia tuum es fatum titulis discidiis, vexillinis limbis nationalis,
gloriam seriis mundialisque, nunc et in saecula saeculorum...
Amen.
I tend to get depressed at times over the Cubs...
,,,but then I remind myself that 1) It really IS only a game and 2) it’s pretty sad to be a 45 yr. old man getting depressed because a bunch of multimillionaires underachieve, have bad luck, etc.
As I’ve gotten older I’ve tried to focus more on keeping my emotions re; the Cubs, good or bad, from getting too out of whack.
Well, I'm 54 and I still fall down the rabbit hole with the Cubs from time to time.
That’s why we’re fans! :)
Quia tuum es fatum titulis discidiis, vexillinis limbis nationalis,
gloriam seriis mundialisque, nunc et in saecula saeculorum...
Amen.
I think we're in a losing streak right now.
And everyone is freaking out.
Oh and, my state is
GO CUBS!
Change is inevitable; progress is optional.
So you're in the "There's nothing so wrong that a 5-game winning streak wouldn't cure" category?
Quia tuum es fatum titulis discidiis, vexillinis limbis nationalis,
gloriam seriis mundialisque, nunc et in saecula saeculorum...
Amen.
Winning streaks cure a lot of ills.
Here’s to a ten-gamer starting TODAY!
What the heck. Make it a FIFTEEN GAME WINNING STREAK!
Quia tuum es fatum titulis discidiis, vexillinis limbis nationalis,
gloriam seriis mundialisque, nunc et in saecula saeculorum...
Amen.
I'm somewhere between bargaining and depression right now.
Maybe vacillating between the two. The team is only 3 games back in the loss column with around eight weeks left to play. But that feels like grasping at straws right now.
I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.
Trends matter -- that's the thing
If this team was on a six-game winning streak and had come back from 9 back to 4.5 back in the process, this place would be jumping.
Yes, they can turn it around.
But they have to show us.
The Cubs aren’t Jesus or Buddha or Yaweh or Tom Cruise.
I won’t just take them on faith.
There is no such thing as an ugly female breast
That's a good point.
And it goes back to the problem with this team all year long – they just haven’t been able to stay healthy or play consistently for any sizeable duration. They’ve had two five-game winning streaks – even the Washington Nationals have beaten that at this point. Then again, they had a helluva good July (18-9). Then yet again, their actual W/L record (58-55) sticks very close to their Pythagorean record (57-56), which doesn’t bode well for winning the division.
I've committed to tweeting about the Cubs for the rest of the season. (Does that sound as ridiculous as I think it does?) Anyway, if you're on Twitter, you can follow me here.
we have no other choice than to cheer for this team
That’s what we’re supposed to do. It’s NEVER over until it’s over. We’re only down 4.5 games. That can be made in 1 week if we start to play better. But gosh, this team makes it extremely hard to root for them.
"That pitch wasn’t down and in, that pitch was down and up." Tim McCarver
by wrigleyrocker12 on Aug 14, 2009 10:04 AM CDT reply actions
Everyone should have lowered their expectations by now
If the Cubs can come back and clinch the division from here it would be a remarkable effort. That’s what I’m hoping for and while it is still a realistic proposition I’m gonna keep hoping for that.
acceptance
i accept that we will not be in the postseason. i was surprised when the cubs were heavily favored to win after they gutted the team. i understand change but you have to change for the better. gregg for wood? miles for derosa bradley?? just another chump in a long line of players trying to replace sammy. giving away marquis??and the worst part was that most of these moves were made to free up money to pay bradley. and lets not forget joey gathright.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Bleed Cubbie Blue
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
FanShots
Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.
Recommended FanShots
Recent FanShots
Cubs By The Numbers
Cubs By The Numbers is a history of the ballclub by uniform number, but the biographies help trace the history of our beloved team in a new way. For everyone who's a Cubs fan, anyone who ever wore the uniform is like family. Cubs By The Numbers reintroduces readers to some of their long-lost ancestors, even ones they think they already know.
Click here to order your copy, available now!
Recent Stories in Chicago Cubs Game Threads
Recent Stories in Ticket Exchanges
Baseball Nation Recent Stories
In Association With
Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
- College player makes impossible over the fence catch to save tournament game (Video)
- Security!: Camden Yards guard collides with Royals’ Mike Moustakas
- The Juice: Nelson Cruz matches career high eight RBIs, Pujols stays hot in Seattle
- Benches clear at Fenway as Red Sox-Rays rivalry heats up
- Keeping good company: Albert Pujols becomes fourth-youngest player to hit 450 home runs
