First of all, I would like to offer my condolences to Cleveland Indian fans. It was a great series and the Indians turned in a very admirable performance. Losing sucks.
But winning is awesome (apologizes to Tom Ford) and so is Bill Murray. For those of you who are not as familiar with American sports, Bill Murray does not play for, have partial ownership in or is in any way sponsored by the Chicago Cubs. He’s just a fan. But he’s an uber fan who grew up outside of Chicago and has waited his whole life to see them win a World Series. And what a series it was. It read liked a clichéd Hollywood screenplay: two teams with decades (or a century, in one case) curses against them, tied 3-3 going into the seventh game. Both teams dramatically gave up leads only to have the Cubs pull out a heart-stopping, last-minute win in the tenth. Robert Redford would totally be cast as Joe Maddon. Bill was with his team every step of the way. Yesterday we discussed Bill’s love for the Cubs and how he gave a fellow fan his extra ticket. Wednesday night, the country had one eye on the game and the other on Bill. When the final out came, every camera phone turned to Bill and Twitter exploded with congratulations for him… and the Cubs if they had enough characters left. Let’s relive the victory in Bill time –
When the game was sealed:
Bill Murray's reaction to the final out. https://t.co/9WP5Gsxlku
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 3, 2016
i'm so happy for bill murray right now #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/HYNyydDWMf
— Paul Stamatiou 📷 (@Stammy) November 3, 2016
Taking the field:
#BillMurray's face = How all @Cubs fans feel this morning #WorldSeriesChamps pic.twitter.com/OjxPmrMubS
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) November 3, 2016
Honking Cubs’ MVP second baseman, Ben Zobrist’s new car:
Bill Murray gave a ticket away to Game 6: https://t.co/XMaEUaAfoV
And now he's out here honking horns! pic.twitter.com/TfZEjn33dO
— Cut4 (@Cut4) November 3, 2016
Emotional speaking about his mother who died 28 years ago that day:
Last night, Bill Murray mostly kept his emotions in check. Mostly. https://t.co/n4xHfmcsAL
— ESPN (@espn) November 3, 2016
Celebrating with John Cusack *heart eyes*:
Bill Murray and John Cusack will prolly deny this later but there was some boo hoo-ing going on pic.twitter.com/PqnNPJPqOr
— Alyson Footer (@alysonfooter) November 3, 2016
Being interviewed in the Cubs’ locker room:
Bill Murray: "Do you recycle?"
[hands reporter an empty champagne bottle he just chugged]
(🎥: @OrtizKicks) pic.twitter.com/USyxTgGU2T
— SB Nation (@SBNation) November 3, 2016
Drunkenly interviewing others in the locker room:
Think Bill Murray would sign up for this day, every day?https://t.co/vNw7OXO1mA #CHAMPS pic.twitter.com/GnLzSijGkb
— MLB (@MLB) November 3, 2016
THIS IS AMAZING. Bill Murray interviews & celebrates with @Cubs' President Theo Epstein. #WorldSeries https://t.co/VVfUUEbbNb
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) November 3, 2016
Gratuitous baby shot:
How great is he!
Bill Murray entertains a baby. (Getty)#WorldSeries photos: https://t.co/n9dr3NtW0F pic.twitter.com/ihNJ67wE1M— Sports Photos (@sportsphotos) November 3, 2016
And an outpouring of congratulations… for Bill:
Congrats to the city of #Chicago and all of you #Cubs fans who waited over a century for this moment…especially #BillMurray
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) November 3, 2016
I think I'm the most happy for Bill Murray. pic.twitter.com/SnvWxYbFwC
— Adam Moore (@mooreaboutadam) November 3, 2016
Really hoping @Cubs are giving #BillMurray a World Series championship ring.
— Jesse Miller (@MediatedReality) November 3, 2016
I'm happier for Bill Murray than I am the Cubs
— Alyssa (@LyssFalci) November 3, 2016
Very happy for Bill Murray
— Brad Bonette (@bradbonette) November 3, 2016
Getting back to the actual Cubs, this clip of coach Joe Maddon talking about his father’s hat and hugging the interviewer will hit you right in the feels:
Photo credit: Getty Images, Twitter and Fame/Flynet Photos
In a time of me loathing so much about this country watching Bill Murray watch this game is heartwarming
Oh yes, we needed the sheer joy of the loyal Cubbies fans-108 years of waiting!-so very much!
Exactly I had no stake in the game but it was fantastic and it’s nice to see Chicago so excited. I started crying at some of the stories like the guy that watched the game with his dad but it was at his grave. Tears.
Congratulations again to Bill Murray, the Cubs, and their fans. Enjoy your hard fought, long-awaited victory and that was one helluva Game 7.
And congratulations too to American league pennant winners Cleveland and their fans. You had a great season and took it to Game 7, extra innings. Well done but somebody had to win the game.
Nobody remembers the first runner up. I am happy for Chicago since they waited so very long to win. The Cavs lost the championship in 2015 and there wasn’t much rejoicing, but what a difference a year makes, now they are the Champions. Cleveland played hard, but were the bridesmaids this year, who knows about next season. I gotta say that Bill Murray really likes baseball! Good for him….
Well, there wouldn’t be rejoicing but there can be pride in performance. Tito is a great manager so good things should be in the future.
I’m not trying to be sour grapes even though it was raining in Cleveland yesterday and there were a lot of unhappy, tired people! Our city is not known for its championships…lol. We haven’t won a World Series since 1948. LeBron James brought life and hope back to us. Even though we don’t always win, the fans are there come Hell or high water. This election has me in such an uncomfortable place, I couldn’t even enjoy the series, but cheers to the Cubs and the Tribe as well!
“Nobody remembers the first runner-up.”
… was how you started a reply to a comment that literally did that very thing (remembering the runner-up).
Anyway, that was the greatest game of baseball I’ve ever seen, and the teams’ long droughts made it that much better. Trust me, the “runners up” won’t be a footnote this time.
That is so sweet – the one I really miss getting to see the win is Steve Goodman, who wrote “Go, Cubs, Go!” and a host of other great songs (“City of New Orleans”). He died of leukemia in 1974, but left us with this little gem (note where he’s sitting).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HTRxAHfwPY
As a Cubs fan, I’d just like to say to all the Indians fans, you can be proud of your team. That game could have easily gone the other way. The teams were so evenly matched.
I didn’t cry Wednesday night watching the end of the game but I couldn’t stop crying yesterday at all the stories people tell of missing their loved ones who didn’t live to see it.
Same== I was thinking of all those summers my family was watching the games and I would play while a little kid not too interested in the game. But my grandparents were die hard fans especially my Grandmother — and she passed 3 years ago this Jan — even during her last few months she would talk about the past ( she had Dementia ) and talk about the Cubs games and this old player and her first game she went to and how she knew they would win one day.
It would of made her so effin happy to see this and I am sad she missed it.
I just couldn’t stop thinking about her when they won.
But I will say if I was there the LAST thing I would be doing would be watching Bill Murray or filming him…. I was jumping out of my seat at home as it was.
I can’t get enough Cubs stories, thank you! Bill Murray is indeed a die hard fan and it was surreal and amazing and heartwarming to see him and the other passionate fans I know witness this incredible team get the W. The boys have had an incredible season.
Everyone here in Chicago is still in a daze. And I’m the mean mom for not letting my kids skip school to go see the parade this morning, sigh. Chicago Public Schools cancelled school but our suburban principal sent a nice but pointed note saying we should be happy and Fly The W but that class was still in session.
John Cusack has been posting loads of pics on his Instagram of the games the last couple of weeks.
Thank you for this post!! The past 30 hours have been surreal, and it still feels so strange — I’ve come to realize it’s because none of us understand this feeling at all!!! Never in our lifetimes!!
My mom slept with a baseball mitt and her Cubs jersey as a kid, and I was wearing her 1984 division champions sweatshirt as I watched her dreams finally come true. My dad’s a South Sider but he root for them too, how could you not?!
Now, let’s make more long-awaited history next week, k?!
Amen about next week. I can’t help but feel this amazing Cubs magic has got to bode well for the election. (Even though people have pointed out that most of the Ricketts are pro-Trump, ugh.)
Thank you for this post!! The past 30 hours have been surreal, and it still feels so strange — I’ve come to realize it’s because none of us understand this feeling at all!!! Never in our lifetimes!!
My mom slept with a baseball mitt and her Cubs jersey as a kid, and I was wearing her 1984 division champions sweatshirt as I watched her dreams finally come true. My dad’s a South Sider but he root for them too, how could you not?!
Now, let’s make more long-awaited history next week, k?!
I’m a lifelong fan and I still can’t stop crying . The parade is today and this city is rocking! Yesterday I went for a paper and had to stand in line and wait for the newspapers to be delivered because they were late trying to print enough. The look on the delivery’s guys face as he was cheered was priceless!!!!
What a fantastic post this! Since I love Bill Murray with all of my might, seeing this story about him makes me smile ear to ear. Thank you for the video clips. Bill Murray is having a great month, amirite? First he gets the Mark Twain prize, and then his Cubs win the World Series!
It’s an exciting time to be Bill. Congratulations to my hometown Chicago and the Cubs!
Big freakin’ deal. Never could stand Bill Murray!! Or the Cubs, for that matter.
#GoTribe #LoyalIndiansFan
(yes I’m bitter LOL)
Now i dont have to see Murray’s creepy face anymore! That guys just gives off the worst vibes and his grin is border line predator
Bill Murray #FTW!!!!
How many cities would send such a big contingent to cheer on their team at the last-ditch everything-on-the-line away game! Chicagoans have great spirit and love for baseball, and after 100 years the dreams of many were finally realized.
http://wxrt.cbslocal.com/2016/11/02/lin-brehmer-for-baseball-fans-only-on-the-day-of-game-7-of-the-world-series/
Ok… I don’t even know what sport this is, but I’m from now on a Cubs fan because of Bill Murray!