By Matt Cunha
The Chicago Cubs are looking to break a 108-year old curse. The Red Sox broke a 86-year old curse just twelve years ago. For most Sox fans, they can empathize with the Cubs pain and are hoping that it comes to end with this year’s Fall Classic. In fact, on the Tuesday edition of The Drive poll, 85 percent of voters were rooting for the Chicago Cubs rather than the Cleveland Indians. I for one, am cheering for the Indians.
The biggest reason is Terry Francona. He is the manager I grew up with as a kid and as a role model. My first impression of sports was the 2004 ALCS comeback vs the Yankees. No team is able to come back from a 3-0 deficit without a realiable manager. Most kids idolized players such as Pedro, Big Papi, or even Manny. For me, it was Tito. If it was not for him, I might not be writing this. Francona helped shaped my passion for sports. Seeing him win another championship after his sour departure from the Red Sox is something I have been hoping would happen for a long time. The Sox should have never get rid of him. Tito winning another World Series would stick it to the Red Sox. I want him to have that pleasure.
Reason number two I am cheering for the Indians is because I am selfish. I saw the Red Sox break the curse, and I wanna keep that to myself. As a 8-year old kid, watching Sox fans rejoice in the curse being broken was a memorable moment in my childhood. The day after was a remarkable day. Everyone, even up in Northern Maine, had such a positive attitude. It was more than just a championship that people had waited so long for that moment, that it when it finally happened, people rejoiced. Certainly a moment I will never forget. I want to keep that moment to myself. I am afraid that seeing the Cubs and their fans have that same release might take a little bit of the specialness away from my moment. I want that moment to be kept in New England. That is our moment, not Chicago’s.
The last reason I am cheering for the Indians has do with Theo Epstein. Again, I am being selfish. One guy should only be allowed to break one curse. Seeing him break an even longer curse than the Sox’s 86-year old edition would take away a little bit from the Red Sox luster. The fact that Theo accomplished something bigger and something more elusive is not something that I can cheer for.
I am cheering for Cleveland solely for my own benefit. I want to see Tito stick it to the Sox. I want my childhood moment to remain as memorable. I want to see Theo fail in his mission to break a second curse. I realize that I am in the minority, but I never have been one to follow the crowd. I did not enjoy Chicago celebrating their first trip to World Series, and I wouldn’t enjoy watching them break their curse.
Prediction: Indians in six
Matt Cunha is a producer on The Drive, weekdays 4pm to 6pm on 92.9fm The Ticket and streaming live at DriveShowMaine.com. Follow us on Twitter, @DriveShowMaine and “Like Us” on Facebook, Drive Show Maine.