As opening day got closer we were suddenly inundated with ads featuring the Cubs.  Nothing moves product quite like a team that will be lucky to avoid losing 90+ games again.

It started with this ad from MLB The Show 12 featuring what it will look like (assuming we don’t all have flying cars by then) when the Cubs finally win a World Series.  The ad’s pretty much perfect, right down to the poor, lonely video game player in a tiny living room with one chair, crying a single tear.

Then, as they always do, WGN-TV got into the act with their Opening Day commercial.  Bonus points this year, for being unlike two years ago when Opening Day wasn’t on WGN, but rather 14-watt WCIU.

This week, New Era got into the act with a funny ad featuring Daryl Philbin, the Dunder Mifflin Shipping and Receiving Coordinator, and Ron Swanson, Pawnee, Indiana’s Parks Department Supervisor.  Bonus points for Ron for working in a Rod Blagojevich joke , but we have to deduct him several million points for wearing a shirt that says “Cubbies.”

And now, Nike has gotten into the act.  It features players getting ready for the regular season.  You’ll be shocked to know that Ryan Dempster showed up to be in front of a camera, and they show Kerry Wood no doubt rehabbing from something.  The Sox feature AJ Pierzynski wearing a cutoff t-shirt sleeve as a headband because he’s a douche, and Gordon Beckham practicing his baserunning, which is silly because he never gets on base.  By the far the most absurd, and telling feature of the ad?  Kenny Williams is in it, working out and talking trash.  Kenny’s the 50-something GM, working out indoors in sunglasses.  My only regret is that the Saints put a bounty on his fumble and concussion prone son, and not him.