A Journey to End the Curse

As detailed in an article on The Oklahoman, five dedicated Chicago Cubs fans from Alaska are hiking from the Club's Spring Training facility in Mesa, Arizona to Wrigley Field.

Ryan Aber:

What started as a conversation after a slowpitch softball game morphed into a hike of around 2,000 miles for Philip Aldrich, Blake Ferrell, P.J. Fisher, Matt Gregory and Kyle Townsend.

The group worked at a resort in Denali National Park in Alaska, and that's where the plan to hike from the Chicago Cubs spring training base in Mesa, Ariz., to Wrigley Field in Chicago was hatched.

Four members of the group — all but Fisher — are Cubs fans, so they decided to walk with a goat in the hopes of snapping the curse of the Billy Goat. The “curse” began at the 1945 World Series, when Chicago tavern owner Billy Sianis and his pet goat were asked to leave Wrigley Field. The Cubs haven't made a World Series since.

The adventure is born out true dedication. Two years ago, a young man walked from Boston to New York City for a bet to win basketball tickets. That was 250 miles away, and it took him five days. This journey stretches over roughly 2,000 miles, and it should take a month and a half to complete. Just think of how long it would take you to get out of your state? Talk about a true obsession for your favorite team. I love it.

This incredible story begs the question: would you do this for your team? After asking people on Twitter, I was surprised to see the amount of responses in such a short time. I had answers from O’s, Red Sox, Giants and Cards fans, and the results were surprising. Many fans would do the same for a title. The reality of this journey is a tough one to swallow, but baseball is more than a sport to us; it is a way of life. If we can do anything in our power to help our team, we will. Even if it does involve walking half way across the US. Let's give it up for these guys and their dedication. Hopefully the awful curse will be broken soon, and goats will always be allowed in stadiums.