The Cubs lost last night.  In years past, this statement would have been all too common and, frankly, expected.  But something’s different this year.  I feel it, Mike feels it, and several other Cubs fans I’ve chatted with feel it, too.  Last night’s loss, and every loss since about mid-May has felt oddly strange.  The culture of Cubdom is undergoing a drastic change, one I think is beneficial, for the fans and for the organization.  In light of the team’s (albeit brief) playoff appearance last year and the sustained success so far this season, the franchise–players, staff, and fans alike–now expect to win.  This is what the Yankees and their fans have been accustomed to over the years, and what Red Sox fans now expect: victory.  Based on this year and last, the Chicago Cubs are no longer “Lovable Losers,” a moniker I’ve always hated.  I’m writing today to banish that title once for all.  Lovable, yes, but losers no more.  The Cubs’ World Series drought has been well documented this year, being the 100th anniversary of their last championship.  But with the team poised to win their second straight division title, there are now expectations of success placed upon Lou Piniella and crew.  Making it to the playoffs is no longer enough.  In fact, I dare say that merely making it to the World Series is no enough any more.  The city, Cubs fans, and the organization are starved for a champion, and I think the players and staff feel that desperation.  The way I see it, Cubs Country (hey, if the Red Sox can have “Red Sox Nation,” then the Cubs can have their “Country”…dibs on the royalties!) is die-hard, baseball-savvy fanbase that finally has changed from a happy-go-lucky, “oh well we lost again” bunch to a dedicated, “we-want-to-win-it-all” collective who won’t take no for an answer.  It is “gonna happen.”  Don’t believe me?  Check the numbers.  Then check the pulse of The Country.

Welcome to Cubs Country!