For many years now when Cubs fans got to this point in the season we had long since just wanted it to be over.  Enough with the indignity of watching this team crawl aimlessly to the finish line of another lost season.  We had long since lost hope and interest.

And now, this year, we get a team that is endlessly fun to watch.  Never before have we seen a Cubs team that has this much fun.  Every day is a party.  Every game is one that can be won.  They are intimated by nothing.

So why does this have to end?

I’m not saying I think they’ll flame out in the wild card game.  To the contrary, if they don’t win it, they’ll go down like they have all season–scratching and clawing.  Do you know the last time they played a game where they didn’t either win, or have a legitimate shot late in the game to tie or take the lead?  August 27 against the Giants.  AUGUST 27!  It was Dan Haren versus some hump named Madison Bumgarner.

I don’t dread the way the season will end, whether it’s in Pissburgh, or against the Cardinals (let’s face it, if they get to that series, they are NOT losing to St. Louis) or in the NLCS or even in the World Series.

I’m dreading the day after it’s over.  When there are no more bucket rallies, rubbing your head after a hit, wearing gladiator masks in the dugout, doing postgame press conferences in a moustache onesie, having a disco party in the clubhouse or dumping Gatorade on Kelly Crull…again.  No more 40,000 people (including everyone in the dugout) clapping along to Starlin’s walk-up music.  No more Cardinals losing their shit at the sight of a team having a blast and kicking ass playing baseball their own way.

This team has been a blast to follow since day one.  It’s amazing to watch a Cubs team without waiting for a shoe full of humiliation to eventually drop.

Part of it, of course, is that we know this is just the beginning.  They get better from here on, not worse.  These are the 1990 Bulls or the 2009 Blackhawks.  Or god forbid, the 1984 Bears.

But another part is that it’ll never be like this again.  This team has somehow managed to win 94 games (with three games to play) without having to have any meaningful discussion of 107 years or a fucking billy goat or Steve Bartman.  They just roll into your city, smash your team to bits and roll on out.  They are too busy hanging out with each other to worry about “narratives.”

The tortured history of this franchise is not yet a weight on any of them, mostly because hardly any of them know what it is.  Jon Lester told the guys to keep “playing stupid.”

Of course I want it to end with them winning the pennant and the World Series.  Just once in my life I’d like to see that happen (and then more than once, of course.)

But mostly I just want them to keep playing.  They are the best thing on TV every night.  The Cubs!?! Who knew this would ever be true.

The Wild Card game looms just less than a week from now.  It’ll be be Gerrit Cole (and if anything goes wrong, Francisco Liriano) against Jake Arrieta.  It’s a coin flip.  Anything can happen in one game in baseball.

But we know this much.  These Cubs won’t be afraid.  They won’t be intimidated.  They’ll never give up.  They’re going to enjoy every second of it.

And, if they get through it…  Well, everybody else better watch out.  Because they might just win the whole fucking thing.

And that’ll be awesome.

And I’ll still miss them the next day.