Chicago is a great sports town. If you've spent any time in the Windy City, you know that when one of their local teams -- especially one that has historically struggled -- suddenly starts winning, the sports-loving people of Chicago fill their streets and bars with the hope that this may be the year. Think about the historic significance surrounding this game and you can understand the fans' excitement -- I mean, when was the last time Northwestern was undefeated going into the Big House?
We kid, of course. You won't be hearing from "Stanford Steve" Coughlin or The Bear, Chris Fallica, in this column. No, this is all about the Chicago Cubs trying to erase years of futility and doing so against their nemesis and archrival, the St. Louis Cardinals. While the Cubs may be unfamiliar with October success, the Cardinals reside on the opposite end of that spectrum. They have become as much of an October fixture as pumpkin spice lattes. Since 2000, the Cardinals have failed to reach the postseason just four times.
Let this sum up the eternal frustration of Cubs fans: The Cubs have made the playoffs a total of 12 times in a century. The Cardinals have made the playoffs 12 times this century.