My anti-Cubs crusade has run its course.

Arrieta, Bryant, Rizzo, Fowler, Heyward, Lester, Soler, or whoever isn’t responsible for this shocking decision of mine right now. I didn’t all of a sudden become a believer in Chicago’s National League franchise. Rather, this decision is based on the constant backlash I am getting from Cubs fans. Recently, it struck a chord that I can’t recover from.

When the Cubs sucked, my frequent gags were met with a small laugh and a hand shove of “whatever.”

Now that the Cubs are doing really good now, those same gags have been met with serious criticism. I’ve been chided at work for it, I have relatives going “for crying out loud,” and its gotten to the point where people are starting to lose respect for me.

I had to think about it for a minute. After all, I keep telling people that it’s only a gag and a shtick — but they keep getting furious at me over my hatred for the Cubs.

This can be perceived as child-like. And it really is, when I think it over.

I like the White Sox. I like the Cardinals. I like the Brewers. I don’t heavily involve myself in the inside scoop on these teams as much as real fans do, but I like to see them do well. I really don’t have any allegiance to any one, but I have/had an anti-allegiance toward one particular team.

My most favorite professional sports team is the Chicago Blackhawks. It was after they got eliminated from the St. Louis Blues in 7 games did something really hit for me. The Blues have been close, but haven’t smoked that cigar. The San Jose Sharks and the Nashville Predators have never been to a Stanley Cup, and the Blues haven’t been to one since 1970. I figure why not go with the Blues? I feel comfortable with that.

I’m okay with rooting for a geographical rival of the Blackhawks, so what is really my problem with the Cubs, then?

The last thing I want to see is people lose respect for me and drift away from me because I’m acting foolish.

So now it all stops.

No more searching for certain baseball cards for a Anti-Cubs collection (the 1964 Ernie Broglio, etc.). No more rooting for the Cleveland Indians to win the World Series (to further pronounce the Cubs’ drought). I’ll stop bringing back billy goats (although I will continue to eat at the Billy Goat Tavern), black cats, San Diego Chickens, Will Clark, Brant Brown, Steve Bartman, or whatever.

I’m just finding that no one thinks its funny anymore. So I’ll just stop.

I’m realizing that these Cubs fans have waited for many years for the successes. Their fathers, mothers, grandparents, great-grandparents never got to see the Cubs go to the World Series. They not just root for the Cubs for themselves, but do so for their ancestors that never saw such a string of success.

I’d like to see my friends be happy. I have a lot of friends that are Cubs fans.

It’s time for me to stop, grow up, and act like an adult.