The Curse of the

 

Cubs Continues

By Garth McLennan, Acting Sports Editor

Peg the Chicago Cubs. The most
cursed team in the history of baseball.
Red Sox fans might disagree, but it’s
true. As Chicago made another hasty
exit from the baseball post-season, let’s
take a look back at baseball’s most
tortured team.

It’s been 99 years since Chicago fans
have seen a World Series title come to
the north side of Chicago. Since 1945,
Chicago has been plagued by “The
Curse.” The origins of the infamous
curse lie back at the closing of 1945,
while the Cubs were immersed in their
last World Series.

In that fateful series, fan Billy Sianis
purchased a pair of box seats for himself
and his pet goat to the fourth game. As
the game progressed, Chicago Cubs
owner Philip Knight Wrigley griped
about the smell emanating from the
goat and had both fan and goat tossed
from the game. As Sianis departed the
building in a rage, he declared “The
Cubs will never win a World Series
so long as the goat is not allowed in
Wrigley Field!” That was the beginning.

The Cubs fell in that Series to their
opponents, the Detroit Tigers, and
throughout the decades, the legend of
the curse has lived on.

In September, 1969, at New York’s
Shea Stadium, a NY fan let a black
cat on the field. The Cubs finished the
season 8-17, losing the division title to
the Mets, who would capture the World
Series that year.

In the 1984 NLCS, Cub Leon
Durham dropped a flyball out, which
allowed the Padres to storm back and

16

win the series.

The most recent example, and one
that cemented the reality of the curse in
the hearts and minds of Cubs fans, was
the case of Steve Bartman in 2003. The
Cubs were ahead three games to two
against the Marlins during the NLCS,
leading them during the eight inning.
Florida’s Luis Castillo drove a foul ball
down the left field line and Moises Alou
went to make the catch. What happened
next will live on in Cubs history forever.

Steve Bartman, a fan, reached out
and nabbed the ball just before Alou
could get his glove on it. This rallied
the Marlins, who scored an astonishing
eight runs that inning to take the game.
Florida went on to win the series.

The curse has even reached out to
strike former Cubs players. Just take a
look at Bill Buckner of the Boston Red
Sox, another cursed team. Buckner,
whose horrific gaffe cost the Red Sox
the World Series, had been a Chicago
Cub two years beforehand, and was
wearing his Cubs batting glove under
his first baseman’s glove. It was like
the Curse of the Goat and the Curse of
the Bambino hooked up on that one to
really send a message.

This year, the Cubs, despite investing
a whopping $300 million in player
salaries, getting a tremedous year from
Alfonso Soriano, and having one of the
highest payrolls in baseball, were swept
by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Well, maybe next year, year 100, will
be the magic number. Until then, all
Cubs fans can say is: “what’s next?”

 

Men’s Basketball
Tournament to be
contested at Douglas

By Garth McLennan, Acting Sports Editor

SN a weekend, Douglas College
will play host to Langara, Red Deer,
Malaspina, Capilano, Camosun,

Mount Royal, SAIT, and of course,
Douglas, all elite schools from around
Western Canada, in the yearly Royal’s
Basketball Tournament.

All of the games will be held at the
Douglas College New Westminster
campus, with ticket prices just $2 for
students with ID cards and $6 for all
other adults. The competition begins
Friday, October 12, with Douglas’s first
game beginning at 8:30 P.M. against
Mount Royal. Douglas plays SAIT at
8:00 P.M. on Saturday, and Red Deer at
2:00 P.M. on Sunday.

Douglas made the country proud

earlier this year by besting NCAA’s
Boise State University, with resident
superstar Bol Kong scoring 33 points in
a 109-100 Douglas victory.

So come on down this weekend to
see how Douglas competes against the
best from Canada. You get great action
for a low cost. Plus, we all get the treat
of watching Bol Kong, who, mark my
words, is going to play in the NBA one
day.

     
 
 

    

 

  

dare to discover

Infosessio

U of A Information

Meet the President,

 

Thursday, October 18

Session in Vancouver

7:00 pm
Fairmont Waterfront
900 Canada Place Way

Dr Indira Samarasekera!

 

780.492.3113 ©

 

Office of the Registrar and Student Awards

www.registrar.ualberta.ca