Cubs lose series, but "the fan" may be the biggest loser

The fan.

Those two words will go down in Chicago Cubs lore along with billy goat and black cat.

I'm still not a believer in curses, but how else could one explain the eighth inning of Game 6 of the National League Championship Series between the still lovable loser-Chicago Cubs and the now-National League Champion Florida Marlins? It was a horror to watch. Stephen King couldn't have come up with a more terrifying plot line.

No sane person would say that "the fan" cost the Cubs a trip to the World Series. But you could reasonably argue he had a hand -- literally -- in starting the chain of events that led to the Cubs losing Game 6, and ultimately, losing the series.

"The fan" didn't know what forces he was conjuring up when his hands collided with Moises Alou's glove in that fateful eighth inning. With that split-second decision to reach for the fowlest of foul balls, "the fan" became the goat that the Cubs and their fans were trying to get off their collective backs.

"The fan" became a worldwide celebrity in the most dubious of ways. It's safe to say Cubs fans will forever blame this poor kid for losing the series. And that's not fair. If it makes Cubs fans feel better, blame it on the so-called curse, and not on this meek-looking, bespectacled, life-long Cubs fan.

"The fan's" life will never be the same. The whole city of Chicago, the entire state of Illinois, the population of the United States, and even some folks in third-world countries knows what this kid looks like. Cubs fans will never wipe clean from their brains the mug that mugged the Cubs in 2003. Imagine being in his shoes. On second thought, I don't want to think about it. I wouldn't want to be in his shoes. Does this little league coach think his life will ever be the same? By now, he's gotta think living out his remaining days in Bangladesh might not be so bad, but I'm sure he'd run into a Cubs fan with a lot to say.

The poor guy did not snatch defeat from the jaws of victory all by himself. Sadly, Cubs fans will not remember what happened before or after the eighth inning of Game 6. They probably won't remember Alex Gonzalez committing that fateful error shortly after the "fowl" ball incident. They probably won't remember Mark Prior's pitching late in the game. They probably won't remember Dusty Baker's decision to leave Prior in the game a bit too long. They probably won't remember Kyle Farnsworth, who surrendered the slim lead. They probably won't remember losing Game 7. Nope... Cubs fans probably won't remember those things.

What they'll remember though, is that poor kid who may be the first fan in sports history to have to put out a statement, apologizing to fans from the bottom of his "broken heart." The guy wasn't even lucky enough to leave Wrigley Field with the ball he tried so hard to snatch away from Alou's glove. He was lucky to go home with his life.

I'll bet Cubs fans will be thinking to themselves that "the fan" should have won the NLCS MVP award. I'd be surprised if he didn't get a few votes. If Baker had a vote, I'm sure "the fan" would've received it. Baker accused "the fan" of being a Marlins fan during his postgame comments following Game 6. After losing the series, Baker must be a believer in curses too.

Well, there's always next year Cubs fans. There's always that. I know... those words have been uttered once almost every season for close to a century, but what other consoling thought is there to take away from all this mayhem?

The Cubs may rebound from this devastating turn of events and return to the NLCS next season, but I doubt it. If you believe in curses, it'll probably be another 95 years before the Cubs win another playoff series. After all, a curse is a curse, and these Cubbies (along with their fans) are cursed.

I don't feel sorry for the Cubs or their fans. They won't forget what "the fan" did, and they won't let "the fan" forget. Certainly I wouldn't bet on those fans forgiving "the fan" anytime soon and that's a shame.