The Greatest Sports record ever and the Curses that have made it so...

This isn't your typical ATS thread, but whatdoyaknow ATS has a U.S. sports forum, so here i go....

Today I was thinking about sports records, and it got me going to all of the typical records one who talk about, Cy Young's 511 career wins (MLB), Joe DiMaggio's 56 game hitting streak, Wilt Chamberlin's 100 point game... you get the point... And all those records are very impressive in their own way, they were all incredible feats of their day and they are still considered untouchable records today.

The records I listed above are what you woud call "impressive" records, or some might call it a "positive" record, but I dont think any one of those records even compare to a record that is still going on today in my home town.. I'm from Chicago, I still live in Chicago, Chicago is my town and I am a die-hard sports fan here...

One of my teams that I love and support are the Chicago Cubs aka The Lovable Losers, why you ask? Becuase they havent won a World Series (MLB Championship) since 1908 when they beat the Detroit Tigers in 5 games. So the Chicago Cubs won in 1907 and 1908 (the glory years) and now its 2012 and my Cubbies aren't winning anything this year... That's 104 years and counting since the last time they won a championship, and next years roster isnt looking too promising either. So I believe this ongoing record of 104 years and counting is the greatest record in sports history. I also believe its a record that WILL NEVER BE TOUCHED... Now people, I know what you're thinking, this can't happen forever, the Cubs have to be destined to win sometime in the near future.... I wouldnt be so sure about that, my father, who just turned 71 said he would see a Cubs WS win in his lifetime, many of his friends who have died now also said the same thing. What's messed up is that a fan base can go literally a life time without ever seeing their team hoist up the trophy... Now that's sad and very impressive all at the same time...

So now we are going to look at some of the Chicago Cubs most famous curses and maybe these are the reasons why the Chicago Cubs have gone 104+ years since a WS Championship.

1st Curse- The Goat of 1945

Back in 1945, a man by the name of William "Billy Goat" Sianis attempted to bring a goat named, Murphy, to Wrigley Field during Game 4 of the World Series. Sianis was the owner of the "Billy Goat Tavern" and was a diehard Cubs fan.

Since there was no signs or warnings that barred animals from the park, Sianis figured he would have no problem bringing Murphy to the park. Ready with one ticket for himself and one ticket for Murphy, Sianis and his pet watched the game until late in the game when they were asked to leave. Orders came directly from Cubs owner, P.K. Wrigley, asking that both Sianis and his pet goat be ushered out of the park. The reason given was "because the goat stinks". As a disgusted Sianis left, he was heard saying "The Cubs ain't gonna win no more. The Cubs will never win a World Series so long as the goat is not allowed in Wrigley Field."

After the Cubs lost the Series to the Tigers in seven games, Sianis sent a telegram to Wrigley that said "Who Stinks Now?". Diehard Cubs fans believe the curse still exists today.

2nd Curse- The Collapse of 1969

The 1969 Cubs was a team consisting of Cubs legends like Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, Fergie Jenkins, and Billy Williams. It was considered to be the greatest Cubs team ever assembled.

With a late season lead of 9 1/2 game lead over the Mets, nothing looked like it could stop the Cubs from returning to the World Series.

The curse is said to have reared its ugly head again on September 9th, 1969 when a black cat ran onto the field as the Cubs played a crucial series against the Mets at Shea Stadium. After running circles around Ron Santo in the on-deck circle, the black cat quickly disappeared underneath the stands.

3rd Curse- The 1984 Cubs

Finishing the 84 season with a 95-64 record, the Cubs were primed and ready to finally return to the World Series. Led by MVP, Ryne Sandberg and Cy Young Winner, Rick Sutcliffe, the Cubs jumped to an early 2-0 series lead over the San Diego Padres. The Padres won game three and then won game four after Steve Garvey broke a 9th inning tie with a home run. Leading game 5 late in the game, it looked like the Cubs would finally break the curse. Instead, the Padres scored two runs to trim the lead to 3-2. In the 7th inning with a runner on second, a ground ball was hit to First Baseman, Leon Durham. Instead of making an easy second out and retaining a one run lead, the ball rolled between Durham's legs and the Padres scored on the error. Two batters later, the Padres would take the lead, which eventually led to a Padres win.

4th Curse- Steve Bartman and the 2003 Cubs

On Tuesday, October 14, 2003 during a playoff game against the Florida Marlins, Steve Bartman, a local 26-year old global human resources worker from the Northern suburbs of Chicago, became the latest "goat" when he attempted to catch a foul ball near the left field wall. As Cubs left fielder, Moises Alou, attempted to catch the same ball, Bartman, and others could be seen deflecting the ball. What could have been a momentum killer for the Marlins eventually was a major blame to the collapse of the Cubs after being one game away from the World Series. After the game, Bartman apoligized to fans:

"There are few words to describe how awful I feel and what I have experienced within these last twenty-four hours. I am so truly sorry from the bottom of this Cubs fan's broken heart.I ask that Cub fans everywhere redirect the negative energy that has been vented towards my family, my friends and myself into the usual positive support for our beloved team on their way to being National League champs." - Steve Bartman

Though Wrigley Field ushers will not tell you where Bartman sat during that game, a Cubs sticker can be seen on the back of the famous seat where Bartman interfered with the ball. Each game, you can see fans taking pictures at that same spot in the same pose as Bartman.

Since the Boston Red Sox won the 2004 World Series, the Cubs are the last team to be suffering from their famous curse. Whether its the curse of the goat or the curse of the 2003 playoffs, fans hope that each year they do not have to "wait until next year".

Ultimately, my Chicago Cubs have had a very interesting past. When they first came to the league they almost created a mini-dynasty for themselves where they were winning, while putting a soid product out on the field. Today they are looked at as a joke for not winning in over a century (and its still going )... I will always consider this a record an untouchable record and maybe a record that will continue to keep growing because of the curses that many believe this team has...

ATS, I know this isnt the usual type of thread we see, but I felt with the curses involved it would garner interest from you... Hope you guys enjoyed!

That is probably the most interesting thing I've ever read about sports in general.... Thanks for that.

reply to post by jhn7537


They need to let a goat into the stadium for a full game...if nothing else just to test the idea of "curses" in sporting events.

Originally posted by Bobaganoosh
That is probably the most interesting thing I've ever read about sports in general.... Thanks for that.

Very welcome... Im a big ATS follower for a multitude of reasons, and the wealth of content you can find on any given subject... Unfortunately, one of my very strong subjects is sports, and its not a typical topic you will find on ATS, so with the Chicago Cubs curses, I felt it had enough strangeness where I felt comfortable enough making a thread...

Glad you enjoyed!

Originally posted by Sly1one
reply to post by jhn7537

 

They need to let a goat into the stadium for a full game...if nothing else just to test the idea of "curses" in sporting events.

Yea, testing sports curses would definitely be interesting to do... Who knows what would turn out.....

The Miami Dolphins are cursed too.
1972 perfect season.

They have yet to win a superbowl since then.

Originally posted by grey580
The Miami Dolphins are cursed too.
1972 perfect season.

They have yet to win a superbowl since then.

40 years and counting... They still have a little more suffering to do before they can hang with my Cubbies in the Century Club... haha

Used to love watching the Cubs on WGN when Harry Caray and Steve Stone were doing the play by play. They were a great team.