If you told someone before the start of last baseball season that the Chicago Cubs would be the World Series champs….They would have told you no, that will never happen because of talk of curses of black cats, billy goats.
If you said even 20 years ago that we would have a Black man for President… you would have gotten looked at side eyed, and probably even have heard a strong grasp.
And before this past November 8th if you said that Donald J. Trump would become the President-elect, after being criticized for being a racist, his lack of experience, and for being a bully… many people would have said you’re crazy.
The funny thing is history always has a strange way of repeating itself.
Today as we celebrate the 34th year of the King Holiday Bill being signed signed it into law by President Ronald Reagan and passed by Congress and the 31st year of the third Monday in January being commemorated as Martin Luther King Jr. Day, something special happened at the White House. The nation’s first Black President was able to break with previous tradition by allowing the Chicago Cubs to visit the White House today, a visit that had been moved up. The first Black president was able to welcome a team to the White House, a team whose last world series win was in 1908, a time when many of the black faces you saw in the White House were in servitude. This time when history repeated itself its head shown brighter as they were some new “firsts” and “seconds” to add into the history books.
As tradition has it, the World Series champs usually visit the White House in the spring or summer of the following year. President Barack Obama a die-hard White Sox fan extended the invitation to the team following the team’s 8-7 win over the Cleveland Indians in the 10th-inning, a gut wrenching game that has been engrained into every American’s head.
It all started with a tweet Obama sent after the game.
It happened: @Cubs win World Series. That's change even this South Sider can believe in. Want to come to the White House before I leave?
— President Obama (@POTUS44) November 3, 2016
As the Chicago Cubs filed into the Palm Room and awaited President Barack Obama, they heard a familiar phrase that had been repeated for 108 years. Obama opened with “They said this day would never come” as the room filled with chuckles.
“I will say to the Cubs it took you long enough, I’ve only got four days left,” Obama said as the room roared with laughter.
In the midst of the laughter it was not enough to mask the fact that one of the most recognizable players in the Cubs organization, Jake Arrieta was not with his teammates at today’s celebration. Arrieta has since insisted he’s not making another political statement by declining the President’s invitation.
This too also started with tweet.
Time for Hollywood to pony up and head for the border #illhelpyoupack #beatit
— Jake Arrieta (@JArrieta34) November 9, 2016
According to CSN Chicago, on Friday at the Chicago Cubs convention Arrieta said “I won’t be on that trip. I would like to. But I’ve got some other things I got to handle.” According to ESPN, Arrieta said that he needed to be home with his mother-in-law who was recovering from brain surgery. Also it was cited that his son Cooper had a tooth pulled today.
This news of Arrieta’s absence is no news to anyone well informed about his controversial tweet. Politics, has has a strange way of getting into everything.
Therefore, politics could not be put aside from today’s event, as this wasn’t your typical “welcome to the White House champs visit.”
An eeriness filled the outdoor space outside the oval office as reporters rushed to crowd Anthony Rizzo, Joe Maddon and Theo Epstein, to be first to ask them about Obama’s replacement.
As a new administration prepares to enter the White House the Cubs became scapegoats to discuss the transfer of power and the political and their feelings towards Mr. Trump.
First up, Joe Maddon.The second year Cubs manager, formerly managed the Tampa Bay Rays from 2006 to 2014.
When asked the dreaded question about the transition of office a smirk appeared on Maddon’s face.
While chuckling Maddon said “I’m not going to go anywhere close to that “I will say this: I have a lot of respect for the office. …”
Then on a more serious note, Maddon’s face changed as he added “And regardless of your political persuasion, my point would be to encourage people to really respect the office. And let’s see what we get then over the next four years.”
As the Obama era comes to a close, and the Chicago Cubs return home we are left wondering will the next world series champion be visiting 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.? Or will the next four years be a political stand for sports teams.