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Greeson: Business trumps fans for Chicago Cubs

In this March, 2015, file photo, Chicago Cubs' Kris Bryant signs autographs prior to start of a spring training exhibition baseball game against the San Diego Padres in Peoria, Ariz. Bryant was reassigned by the Cubs to their minor league camp on Monday despite an outstanding spring training at the plate, triggering a threat of litigation from the players' association.
In this March, 2015, file photo, Chicago Cubs' Kris Bryant signs autographs prior to start of a spring training exhibition baseball game against the San Diego Padres in Peoria, Ariz. Bryant was reassigned by the Cubs to their minor league camp on Monday despite an outstanding spring training at the plate, triggering a threat of litigation from the players' association. In this March, 2015, file photo, Chicago Cubs' Kris Bryant signs autographs prior to start of a spring training exhibition baseball game against the San Diego Padres in Peoria, Ariz. Bryant was reassigned by the Cubs to their minor league camp on Monday despite an outstanding spring training at the plate, triggering a threat of litigation from the players' association.

By Jay Greeson 4 min read

The Chicago Cubs, a trendy pick to make a postseason run for a tortured fan base, have painfully reminded us that no matter the storyline or the setting, it’s all about business.

There’s a great scene in the 1970s football movie “North Dallas Forty” in the locker room after the loss where John Matuszak rants about every time the players think it’s a game the owners tell them it’s a business and vice versa. It’s poignant and real.

It’s also 100 percent true.

The Cubs have a chance to reverse a lifetime of frustration for a fan base that has stuck by a wretched franchise for a variety of reasons. It was daytime TV for a certain generation. It was the face of Harry Caray — and the voice, too — when the errors mounted and everyone needed an Old Style. It was trendy cool for a time to support the stinky teams and hope they turned it around.

photo Jay Greeson

And eventually, it became just what you became used to as a kid. You talked yourself into being a Cubs fan the way people convince themselves they like salads. You’re not really sure where it started, but now that’s where you are, and even after watching a game or having a chicken Caesar you think, well, that was pretty good.