The Cubs are on a roll and their fans should be excited.
Excited for a likely postseason appearance, yes, but also for what that means: An epic tribute montage is probably on the way.
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The tribute montage is the ultimate sports-TV celebration of success: the season's best highlights, many in slow motion, played over a thematically appropriate though often syrupy song designed to fill you with nostalgia, excitement and hope.
A stroll through YouTube shows that the Cubs have had some doozies.
With the team riding a five-game winning streak and with their playoff odds pushing about 94 percent, history tells us we can probably expect one of these regular-season send-offs when play concludes Oct. 4.
But, while we wait, here’s a look back at some previous killer montages that preceded Cubs playoff appearances.
(And no, Cubs fans, this won't jinx anything. Probably.)
1989: 'Keeping the Dream Alive'
The Cubs won the NL East by six games over the Mets, marking their first postseason appearance in five years. WGN celebrated with a montage that used the semi-obscure “Keeping the Dream Alive” by the German band Freiheit. It’s total cheese, but it hits Cubs fans right in the feels. Alas, the Giants killed the dream something fierce.
2003: 'Keeping the Dream Alive' 2.0
Fourteen years after the 1989 dream fell short, the North Siders again finished atop their division — and again fans were asked to keep the dream alive. The dream lasted longer than usual, but … well, you know. We won't say his name.
2007: 'Straight Lines'
Another division title in 2007 brought more hopes of ending the a near-century-long World Series title drought. That year’s montage went with a more modern music choice — “Straight Lines” by Silverchair — likely assuming fans needed no reminder at this point to keep the dream alive. Again, though, the dream didn’t last. The song was prophetic, though: The Diamondbacks bounced the Cubbies in three straight in the NLDS.
2008: 'I Love This Town'
Hey, two years in a row! The Cubs were back in the playoffs in 2008 — with 97 wins, no less — and this time fans got more of a hype video than a tribute, as Bon Jovi’s “I Love This Town” accompanied the highlights. They may have loved Chicago, but the Cubs probably didn’t love the NLDS. It was three and out again.
If there’s a lesson here, it’s that the Cubs get closer to the World Series in the years when “Keeping the Dream Alive” accompanies the tribute montage. Forget that the song is dated and sappy. If the Cubs want to make it past the first round, well, it might just be the magic bullet.
Cubs fans understand. Here's a fan-made montage from 2014 that incorporates the song.
If things keep going well for the Cubs, perhaps the folks at WGN will have Freiheit at the ready when play concludes Oct. 4. Even if they don't, many fans certainly will. Even if only in their heads.
The game will never be over, because we're keeping the dream alive. IT'S THAT DAY CUBS FANS #WorldSeries2k15
— Ben Boris (@greenboris24) April 5, 2015