In past years, when I lived in Chicago, September signaled a key sportsball time. Both baseball teams were still playing ball (occasionally still in it for a playoff spot) and Bears football was just starting, so they also were still in it, at least until October. I recall once watching the Cubs game on one screen and the Bears game on another at the Cubby Bear while having brunch with a few friends -- Cubs were on the road that weekend.
This year the Cubs look like they will finally make the postseason, albeit as a wild card. They had a division lead up to the All-Star break but had a weak August, while Milwaukee had two great win streaks in a row. With 24 games left and the Cubs are looking like they are righting the ship. In the previous two years, they came close but faded in August and by late September were eliminated. That could still happen but I like the odds.
Watching games down here is challenging. The Cubs put the majority of their games on the Maquis Network so you have to pay to watch, even if you live in Chicago. I think there are some other streaming services that carry some of those games but the point is, there are less and less Over The Air games carried on my local network (streamed through Fubo).
I often "watch" the game online at either Yahoo Sports or MLB.com. These virtual games combined with chatting with the people over at Cubs Magic Number get me through the games I cannot watch. It's kinda like the olds days at the No-Name Software Company where I would read the live blog of a game at the long defunct ChicagoSports and make a few comments while waiting for customers to get back on the phone after a long hold.
Meanwhile, this region of the States doesn't usually carry Bears games so I usually get to watch a third of the season. We are not gonna pay for the YouTube TV package this year because it is ridiculously expensive, not sure how the Bears will do and since too many games are Sunday at noon, it cuts the day in half when I need to be more productive.
The thing about Chicago Sports teams and their playoff potential. It takes an entire season to get there and that means time is moving on. There are more days behind me than ahead and investing in a whole season of games just to see them tank is frustrating. Let me clarify that last sentence. Of course I'm gonna watch the games regardless. But I only have so many years left to see another Bears Super Bowl or Cubs World Series.
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