What's Got the Cubs' Goat?
Welcome back to Sport Center’s series on sports urban legends. Today, we are going to look at Major League Baseball’s Chicago Cubs and their obsession with a certain farm animal: a billy goat. Chicago legend has it that a Greek immigrant named William Sianis had two box seats to Game 4 of the 1945 World Series between the Cubs and the Detroit Tigers at Wrigley Field. With his second ticket, he chose to bring his goat, Murphy, to the game. They were let into the stadium, and even were on the playing field before stadium officials removed them from the field. They were allowed to stay, so long as they remained in their ticketed seats. Before the game ended, however, Sianis and his goat were forced to leave by Philip Wrigley, the owner of the Cubs, due to the smell of the goat. As Sianis and his goat were being removed from the stadium, Sianis cursed the Cubs by saying that they would never play in the World Series again. The Cubs lost game 4 and eventually the series to the Tigers. Since then, the Cubs have never been to the World Series, the longest drought in Major League Baseball history.
Today, we have a very special guest. We have a goat named Billy who claims to be a direct descendent of Sianis’ goat Murphy. He agreed to do an exclusive interview with us, with the aide of a translator, of course.
Hello, Billy and welcome to the show.
“Naaaaa Naaa” = Thanks for having me. It is an honor to be here.
So, Billy, tell us your story.
“Na Naaaa Na Naaa Naaaaaa” = I have spent all of my life on a farm in western Illinois, about an hour or so from Chicago. Murphy was my great-great-grandfather. My parents and grandparents have told me all about the curse the Murphy laid on the Cubs, and explained about how only our family has the power to end the curse. I think it is so neat to be associated with something so famous.
So, you are not bothered by the fact that the Cubs blame your family, kind of, for their baseball futility?
“Naaaaa Naaaaaaa” = No, not at all. In fact, I hope that I am someday selected to go to a Cubs game to break the curse. I believe that is the key. All of the other goats they have brought in have no direct lineage to Murphy, but I do. I have tried repeatedly to get someone to take me, but to no avail. If they never answer my plea to come, then maybe they deserve to be cursed!
So, you think that if someone were to take you to a Cubs game, the curse would be lifted?
“Na Naaaa Na Naaaaaaa” = That is exactly what I am saying. If there are any Cubs fans out there who want the curse lifted, come fulfill this goat’s lifelong dream of attending a Cubs game! I will be waiting!
For any Cubs fans that are willing to take Billy to a game, please contact us here and we will get you in touch with Billy and his owners.
This was the final installment of our series on sports urban legends. Thanks for tuning in. We hope you enjoyed it!
I chose to do this because it is one of the best-known sports curses in the world. Most people know of the Cubs and their curse, just like they knew about the Red Sox and their curse. This curse is really tough to discount, simply because the Cubs have not been to the World Series since 1945, when the curse was made. At least the Red Sox made it to the World Series a few times! I chose to do this as a goat related to the original goat telling his story because I thought it would make the story even more intriguing, and also the fact that the idea interviewing a goat adds humor to the story. On a personal note, I also included this story because I think it is funny. Being a Cardinals fan, I think that this was developed as an excuse for the Cubs so that their fans do not have to accept the fact that they just stink!
Story: Chicago Cubs Curse
By: Unknown
Weblink: http://cubscurse.knup.net/
Story: Curse of the Billy Goat
By: Wikipedia
Weblink: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_the_Billy_Goat