What the 2008 Cubs Have Meant to Me: Part I

10/04/07 - Cubs vs. D-Bags. The "future" Idiots travel to Chase Field to witness the Cubs drop the second game of the NL Division Series. All I remember vividly is TRL throwing down his glove on the mound in disgust after giving up a 3-run homer to Chris Young in the 4th inning. The beginning of the end of the "magical" year. Talks about a Cubs blog between the three Idiots begins.

10/06/07 - Cubs vs. D-Bags. The Cubs drop game 3 and are eliminated from the Playoffs by the state which I have just moved to less than a year ago. It's going to be a long winter.

11/15/07 - College of Idiots debuts. My first post is about Barry Bonds, as the Cubs not being able to win a single game in the Playoffs still makes me feel sick. It's still going to be a long winter as the Bears turn from a Superbowl team to the suck. Off-season banter about some Japanese player and Brian Roberts keeps me going.

03/01/08 - Cubs vs. Angels. Cubs Spring Training for me begins in a new park, Diablo Stadium. I will go on to go to every Cubs Spring Training game within 30 miles during the weekends, as my job prevents taking off for day baseball. This will be the first of 4 different parks I will travel to, to see the Cubs in Spring Training. We go to a traditional English pub before the game to tailgate, only to find out it doesn't open till noon, so we wait for 45 minutes outside and yell at cars on the road. The park is nice, but generic. The Cubs lose.

03/02/08 - Cubs vs. Giants. My first Cubs spring training game at Hohokam, the Cubs home field. The day was great, sunny and great tailgating. This is the second park I see the Cubs play at for Spring Training. For AZ residents, Spring Training is our Cubs time. Hohokam Park is intimate and you can lay out in the outfield grass or stand along the seats and take in the "sites (i.e. girls in bikinis)" while standing along the baselines. Plus, you can't forget about the special $8 margaritas. I get my first look at the new phenom, Fukudome. Hope is very high. This is going to be the year.

03/15/08 - Cubs vs. Meth-heads. The Idiots travel to Tucson to see the Cubs play the Sox. This is the third park to see the Cubs during Spring Training. Angry Mike's parents are visiting and come to the game with us. They sell fresh donuts but the "sites" aren't as good. I hate Reed Johnson, until it turns out he can actually hit the ball. Neal Cotts gives up a homer that is still in orbit. Nimbus brewery is small but is a great place to hang out after the game, although I get lost in Tucson trying to drive back to Phoenix. I think this is where Angy Mike earns his moniker.

03/28/08 - Cubs vs. Mariners. Lazy Steve, a friend from Chi, and I travel to Las Vegas to watch the Cubs last 2 spring training games against the Mariners. The home of the "51'ers" some major league team is the last of the 4 Spring Training parks to visit. It's the most like a big park, with all the emenities. The first game is a night game. By the time we get there we are extremely wasted. The Cubs start losing badly early and the game gets boring. Our seats our shouting distance of the VIP section which is actually in the third base foul area on the field. They have catered food, so I start yelling for someone in the VIP to give a kid a couple rows down from us a chocolate chip cookie. It entertains us for 3 innings and makes everyone in the VIP section wary to go anywhere near the food, but we aren't kicked out. Finally, someone in the VIP section gives the kid a cookie and our whole section cheers. I prove being annoying sometimes gets you what you want. We leave during the 8th inning as the Cubs are down by more than 10 runs and go gamble back on the strip.

03/29/08 - Cubs vs. Mariners. Final gamd of Spring Training. Early game, same section. This time the Cubs do better and are ahead in the entire game. I'm a little hungover and more alcohol doesn't seem to help in the desert sun. We see a boy in the VIP section take a foul ball off the face and then hit a girl in the face. The boy is okay, the girl crys. From then on out, everyone in the VIP pays attention to the game. The crowd is 95% Cubs fans, just like the night before, which is awesome. Even though the game is in hand, I force us to watch Woody close out the ninth inning. No problem. We bipass the taxi and walk to Downtown Vegas with a crowd of Cubs fans. I get blackjack on a $100 hand. Lazy Steve blacks out, but still manages to win big in craps later in the night. The Cubs should play in Vegas all the time.

Spring Training over, let the 2008 Regular Season Begin...in a coming post.

Go Cubs!
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