Get Ready For The Cubs Game Of Your Life

By Stephen Gossett in News on Nov 2, 2016 9:44PM

Photo: Tyler LaRiviere

It's being called the biggest game in Chicago sports history, and not by your usual Skip Bayless-type bloviators, but, you know, actual thoughtful people. One very good team is going to end a very long drought. One long-suffering fan base will find elusive liberation; and the other will always have next year.

The Chicago Cubs—not only the best team in baseball this year, but historically good in so many metrics—look to end the most notorious drought (or "curse," if you really must) in professional sports, 108 years and hopefully not counting. Indians fans meanwhile are dreaming of their first title since 1948. Needless to say, the sights and stories already look incredible.

In Cleveland, this reportedly grown adult was captured sporting, well, see for yourself. The Ricketts-trolling "Trump" jersey is a nice touch, but, whoa brudder:

Cubs fans in Ohio apparently are not shy about tweaking noses either:

Meanwhile in Chicago, the best, most-heart-tugging scene in Wrigelyville was along the outfield wall, where fans wrote the names of departed loved ones who won't get a chance to witness tonight's historic matchup. Yeah, sports can be pretty silly, but they can also inspire some seriously moving human moments like this. Here's a good story about the wall, from The Athletic.

On the lighter side, there was already at least one goat outside of Wrigley Field by the early afternoon, per Cubs playoff bylaw.

The bars—a topic du jour since some started charging exorbitant admission—are prepared, too. Our favorite: Nisei Lounge, in adorably cranky character.

And a little something to put it in historical perspective:

The game is packed with fascinating non-narrative concerns, of course. Here's some recommended reading for the run-up that teases out the pertinent baseball threads:

Chicago Magazine: "Does Corey Kluber’s Short Rest Give the Cubs an Advantage?"

FiveThirtyEight: "The Cubs And Indians Are Fighting Short Rest In Game 7"

The Ringer: "The Cubs Won Game 6 — but It Might Have Cost Them Game 7"

ESPN: "Copy that: Whose World Series blueprint will be imitated?"

Fangraphs: "Joe Maddon Might Have to Trust One Other Reliever"

And one more, on why this is just absolutely so much friggin' heart-stopping fun: