The Chicago Cubs’ 71-year championship drought was defined by the legend of the Curse of the Billy Goat. In 1945, during Game 4 of the World Series at Wrigley Field, Billy Sianis, owner of the Billy Goat Tavern, brought his pet goat, Murphy, to the game. After being ejected due to the goat’s smell, Sianis supposedly cursed the Cubs, declaring, “They ain’t gonna win no more.” That year, the Cubs lost the series, and the drought began.
The following decades were marked by heartbreak and futility. In 1969, the Cubs, led by Ernie Banks and Ron Santo, held a commanding division lead in September, only to collapse and let the Miracle Mets take the title. Fans watched helplessly as black cats famously crossed their path during games, deepening the sense of misfortune.
In 1984, with future Hall of Famers Ryne Sandberg and Greg Maddux, the Cubs came tantalizingly close to a World Series berth but lost to the Padres in the NLCS after leading the series 2-0. The pain resurfaced in 2003, when the infamous Steve Bartman incident in Game 6 of the NLCS seemed to embody the curse. Up 3-0 against the Marlins, a foul ball deflected by a fan spiraled into an eight-run inning and another heartbreaking series loss.
Over the years, fans brought goats to Wrigley Field in hopes of exorcising the curse. Efforts included rituals, celebrity attempts, and even global media attention, but the curse loomed large until 2016. That year, the Cubs, led by stars like Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and a breakout postseason performance by Javier Báez, triumphed over the Cleveland Indians in a historic seven-game World Series.
The final out in the 10th inning of Game 7 shattered the curse, ending generations of despair and uniting Cubs fans in a celebration that was a century in the making. The journey from heartbreak to glory solidified the Cubs’ place as one of baseball’s most enduring and beloved franchises, proof that no curse lasts forever.