Defending Clark the Cub

We've spent almost 40 years defending our beloved Chicago Cubs, so it a natural instinct to defend them once again.  

Luckily the Cubs news this week doesn't require us to defend a decision to let a perennial Cy Young contender, once-in-a-generation, first ballot hall of famer leave as a free agent out of spite.  Nor did they just sign an 8-year, $136 million free agent second baseman-turned-historically-bad-free-swinging left fielder on the down slope of his career.

Nope, today we’re forced to defend the creation of Clark the Cub.  

That’s right, a mascot.

We first heard about Clark by a friend posting the following on Facebook:

“hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha”

It’s one thing to brush off an obnoxious Dodgers fan on Facebook, but now I see a Bloomberg View columnist pointing out that Clark the Cub won’t end the Cubs jinx.  Apparently it's a full fledged controversy.  Over a mascot.

It’s easy to ridicule the Chicago Cubs given their ludicrous 105-year Championship drought, but Clark the Cub is a smart move.  
   
The Cubs, and Major League Baseball in general, can see the writing on the wall.  In a world where many different sports, shows and devices vie for the attention of children, baseball is losing out to soccer, Disney Jr., and Candy Crush.     

If Clark the Cub convinces a young Chicagoan (and his family) to buy a ticket to watch a baseball game, that's a good thing for the Cubs, their fans and their owners.  To those worried about “history and mystique” we invite you to spend a beautiful summer afternoon in the bleachers, Old Style in hand.  We doubt the existence of Clark the Cub (or a jumbotron for that matter) detracts from that experience.

While the haters take to the internet to pontificate on the Cubs perceived bad judgment, Clark's first task was to visit children in the hospital in the hopes that they crack a smile during a tough time.  It worked.  Mission accomplished.

(Credit: Steve Green/Chicago Cubs)