There are many traits.
They are extremely loyal.
They are extremely forgiving.
They are extremely patient.
They are very supportive.
They are very knowledgeable about baseball.
They are also depressed.
They are worn down.
They are ridiculed by other team fans.
They are abused by the longest championship losing streak in modern sports.
They are Charlie Brown.
Why have Cub fans been in this status quo for generations?
Cub fans feel for the underdog because perhaps in their own lives they see themselves as the underdog. It is a heroic story when the underdog prevails against the evil empires that throw up road blocks to success (i.e. Cardinals).
Cub fans are also hard working folk. They like scrappy players who give 100 percent when they are really not very good players. That is why players such as Ryan Theriot and Darwin Barney are fan favorites, not for their skills or stat lines, but on how they played their game.
The idea of losing has become a habit; a way of life. The expectations were whittled down since 1945, even though families continued to come to Wrigley Field to root on their team. If there is such thing as mental viruses, families have indoctrinated their children to become Cub fans.
Cub fans understand life lessons such as "winning is not everything; it is how you play the game." the idea of sportsmanship, hard work, fair play are part of the Cub fan culture.
While other fan bases demand their teams win, such as the Yankees or Dodgers, the Cubs give their fans what they want: a pleasant throw back to the game as it used to be played, in the sunshine in a parkland setting.
But once the Tribune gave up its ownership of the team, some fans began to expect more from the Cubs. A couple of playoff seasons gave fans new expectations. But those quickly faded with early exists from the playoffs. It was like the line drive that blisters past Charlie Brown, knocking off his socks in route to winning the game for Brown's opponent.
This off-season Cubs management is trying to play off fan traits such as loyalty and patience in order to keep them loyal and supportive fans. There is no automatic renewal of ticket purchases. The team is finding itself having to market the team to fans to keep them coming to Wrigley and paying premium prices.
Cub fans have lost some of their childhood innocence. They want more from their team but expect at some deep level the same old stagnation. They are conflicted; they are at a cross roads. The old Conestoga bandwagon is falling a part. But there are still plenty of riders on board, but it will continue to be slow going into the future.
