After a century of struggle, patience and perseverance, the Chicago Cubs finally did what many fans have waited for - win the World Series. For the most loyal of Cubs fans, the victory came with an immense amount of joy and pride (and tears of happiness) for a team that created a final, made-for-movie game. For those who have an allegiance to the White Sox, there was still the same feeling of joy for the fans' north-side rival.
It does not matter what team every Chicagoan was rooting for this baseball season. What does matter is the pride people have in their city. The reason even non-Cubs fans cheered for their victory is not because they saw it as a win for Cubs; they saw it as a victory for the entire city.
When the Cubs made it to the World Series, nearly every citizen decked themselves out in clothing that made their pride in this much more apparent. What is the reason for this? The entire city was excited to see a team considered "cursed" to represent them for a major turning point in team's history. A moment like this happens rarely, so showing pride in the team that represents the legacy of an entire city rallies everyone together and celebrate the city of Chicago returning back to the World Series since the victory of the Sox in 2005.
For DePaul senior Katie Clements, she feels a strong sense of pride in cheering on the Cubs, despite her upbringing as a fan of the White Sox. She says that this is a victory for her town, something that everyone can share in right now.
"I grew up as a fan of the Sox," she said. "However, I think this is a victory for the people of Chicago. This city secured another win for a sports team, something we can all be excited about!"
Another reason non-Cubs fans took part in all of the festivities is to cheer on the fans who waited over a century to see this momentous victory happen.
According to DePaul junior Joe Laurendi, the sheer thought of the Cubs creating a historic moment in baseball added to the excitement. The people wanted to see a team that struggled for years finally come out on top.
"It [World Series] means everything to people in the city," he said. "This is something that has not happened in 108 years. People want to see Cubs fans finally get a win they waited a long time for. They want to see history be made."
The significance of this series is more than just the Cubs breaking a long streak of not making it to the series. The victory captures not only the dreams of a team but the dreams of an entire city, something we all saw when 5 million Chicagoans celebrated at Cubs parade today.
Let's come together and celebrate one of the most memorable moments in sports history that the city of Chicago will never forget!
