Cubs get the goat again In what was no surprise to Chicagoans the Chicago Cubs flunked the Wild Card race and the Cubbies season ended on Sunday afternoon after the 162 game regular season. Talk about a marathon not a sprint the season started on a very cold day in March and ended with a huge black cloud hanging over the North part of the City yesterday. It is 1945 since the Cubs last went to a 'World Series' and 1908 since they last won the title - which is amazing considering their history and tradition.

In their 130 year history Cubs fans have blamed everything and anyone on their bad luck including a zealous fan last season and more famously a billy goat! As the story goes, William 'Billy Goat' Sianis, a Greek immigrant who owned a nearby tavern, had 2 seat tickets to Game 4 of the 1945 World Series between the Cubs and the Detroit Tigers.

Sianis brought his goat with him and after initially being paraded about on the playing field before the game a heated argument started with other fans when they took their seats. However both Sianis and the goat were permitted to stay in the stadium occupying the seats for which he & the goat had tickets.

Nevertheless before the game was over, Sianis and the goat were ejected from the stadium at the command of Cubs' owner Philip Knight Wrigley due to the animal's objectionable odor. Sianis was outraged at the ejection and placed a curse upon the Cubs that they would never win another pennant or play in a World Series at Wrigley Field again.

And once again fans (now including me) are blaming losing 7 of their last 8 games on the curse of the goat. By the way the Billy Goat Tavern remains in Chicago and they serve cracking cheese burgers.
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