In an hour or so, the Giants, the toast of the Bay Area, will open their National League Division Series against the Chicago Cubs.
As a Cubs fan living in hostile territory, I've got to tell you I can practically smell the self-assuredness of Giants Nation. It's an even-numbered year, after all. Hunter Pence has his pants pulled up a couple of extra inches, and MadBum has put the world on notice you better not look at him the wrong way. The unspoken message, conveyed in knowing looks and telepathic chat rooms across the Giants' jealously guarded exclusive territory: Too bad, Cubbies! We can't lose.
For Cubs fans, laboring under the weight of 1.08 centuries of non-championship history -- near-misses, Bartmans, bad teams and really bad teams --it's both a moment of dread and the overture to an October that one hopes, but dares not hope, will end differently from every other October in the collective memory bank.
But let's not dwell on the past. Our purpose this afternoon is to offer, in the friendliest possible terms, some tips for Giants fans seeking a deeper understanding of the Cubs and their fans. In no particular order, despite the numbers:
1. They're the Cubs, not the "Cubbies." The latter form of address, which fans of the Local Nine tell me they use to irritate fans of the Chicago National League Ballclub, is akin to "Frisco" or "San Fran." The preferred form of address is always Cubs, with or without a profanity appropriate to the moment, as in: "I can't believe the _____ Cubs blew that lead."