Cubs clinch NL Central Division 2008; fans prep for playoff push by converging at Clark and Addison

Chicago deserves this. Chicago needs this. Anything to keep the winter at bay a little longer -- especially playoff baseball -- is good and right for the city of Chicago.

Mind you, it won't decrease the violence that plagues our streets. It won't improve our schools or put more money in our teachers' pockets. It won't help the downward spiral in which our economy seems to be caught.

But it will give us something to watch together -- something that's bigger than you, me or any of the players on the field or fans in the bleachers. These are the times when a simple game can conjure a collective consciousness. When any of this city's teams are winning, you can feel it on the bus, on the L and you can see it in the eyes of the people you pass. It's a shared subconscious and you can't help but get caught up in it.

And with the White Sox in their own playoff hunt? Well, that's just icing. Because Chicago is a better city when its sports teams are winning. Some of my earliest memories involve the '83 Sox, the '84 Cubs and the '85 Bears (and, strangely enough, Molly Ringwold).

I like that the Cubs won it with a few days left in the regular season. Because for those few days, it's not about dread. It's not about the heartbreak that could befall us. It's not about lovable losers, billy goats or sundry curses. It's about pure optimism and millions of Cubs fans who have begun to let themselves believe that this team could defy recent history.

I was roaming the streets of Wrigleyville yesterday with thousands of fellow Cubs fans moments after they clinched. It was optimism defined. It was loyalty rewarded. It was controlled chaos. It was -- and it is -- exactly what Chicago needs right now.

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Cubs vs. Dodgers: An open letter to Manny Ramirez and James Loney from Sports Pros(e) on October 2, 2008 9:23 AM

Dear James Loney and Manny Ramirez,In case you haven't heard, the Cubs franchise is in the midst of a bit of a drought when it comes to winning the World Series. I fully realize it's your job to win baseball... Read More

Cubs clinch NL Central Division 2008; fans prep for playoff push by converging at Clark and Addison

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Cubs clinch NL Central Division 2008; fans prep for playoff push by converging at Clark and Addison

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