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Chicago Cubs Fans Are Uniting Around #FlyTheW On Twitter

Image via Cubs Twitter account

Have the Cubs finally done it, is “the curse” finally broken? For those of you who don’t know, for decades, the Chicago Cubs have apparently had a supernatural hex over Wrigley Field – The Curse of Billy the Goat. The team jinx has been a long-standing “explanation” of why the Chicago Cubs have not won the pennant since long before most of us were born.

Supposedly, Bill Sianis, owner of the Billy Goat Tavern, a famed local eatery in Chicago, and his pet goat, were kicked out of Game 4 at the 1945 World Series following some other spectators complained about the goat’s odor. Sianis cursed the Cubs after fans had insulted his goat, and as a result, Chicago has not made it to a World Series since.

On Tuesday, October 13th at 6:54 pm, Hector Rondon delivered the final pitch of the Cubs vs. Cardinals Game to give Chicago the 6-4 win and a punched ticket to the Nation League Championship Series. The field, the stands, and the streets of Chicago exploded with fan devotion and explosive exhilaration. Just when you thought the buzz on the streets was out of control, the trends and posts on twitter put the team on blast, including the tweet sent out by President Obama.

Last week we discussed the MLB team and player with the best Twitter presence and what makes a social media outlet for a team in the post season so unique. Fans continue to favorite, follow, repost, tweet at, and support their beloved teams because of team legacy, valuable content, and a type of fan engagement that, more specifically, a millennial feels when justifying social media support to team success.

Similar to the New York Mets, devoted Chicago Cubs fans have seen the dark days of the team and have held onto “the curse” for decades. What is so unique about the correlation between The Cubs, social media, and embracing the pressure of “the curse,” is that fans are posting anything and everything they are willing to do to break the hex. Nevertheless, the Cubs Organization loves the support that had not only created a national buzz, but a fan generated marketing campaign around the post season stretch for the team.

From literally eating goat brains, to refusal to share Wrigley Field nachos on game day, to wearing lucky hats and dirty socks, fans are embracing  #FlyTheW. With all of these superstitions perfected all season, Cubs ball players, Chicago fans, and competitive tweeters alike are ready to share and celebrate the Cubs playoff run like never before. With all that said and done, lets see if these wild superstitions get the Cubs the grand prize.

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