An unidentified man driving an unmarked truck dropped a package containing a severed goat’s head at Chicago’s Wrigley Field on Wednesday, triggering fears that a curse placed on the ball club in 1945 is very much alive and well.
The package was addressed to club owner Tom Ricketts, various media reported.
The significance is this: In 1945, Chicago Cubs fan and local tavern owner Bill “Billy Goat” Sianis bought two tickets to Game 4 of the World Series against the Detroit Tigers — one for himself and one for his pet goat, named Murphy. He thought the goat would bring good luck to the Cubs. But field officials stopped his at the gate, and Mr. Sianis then asked owner P.K. Wrigley why he couldn’t bring in his goat. Mr. Wrigley is believed to have said, “Because the goat stinks,” CNN reported.
Mr. Sianis then is said to have put a curse on the ball club, claiming the Cubs would never win. Since, the team has earned the nickname — which rightly reflects its win-loss record — as the “Lovable Losers.”
Some believe Wednesday’s goat head delivery was a reminder of the curse. Others see it as an attempt to lift the curse, CNN reported.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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