How Should Pittsburgh Pirates Fans Feel About the 2016 World Series?

The 2016 World Series is well under way, with the Cleveland Indians holding a 3-2 lead over the Chicago Cubs. As Game 6 approaches, how should Pittsburgh Pirates fans feel about the series? To me, the choice is obvious.

Now, I’m sure every one of you is here because you love the Pirates and you also love baseball, but baseball is a very slow, methodical game, especially in the postseason. Sometimes the game can put you to sleep if you don’t have a horse in the race, so who should Buccos fans be rooting for? To me, the answer is obvious: the Cleveland Indians, and here are a few reasons why.

Reason #1: They aren’t the Cubs.

A friend and fellow Pirates fan said to me the other day, “I wouldn’t mind seeing the Cubs win. They’ve been waiting for a hundred years and it makes the NL Central look good.” This person is not my friend anymore.

I really don’t like the Cubs. They used to have that Pittsburgh Pirates “comeback kids” feel to them, but ever since Joe Maddon‘s infamous “plantar fasciitis” comment, they have been the villains and the Pirates’ biggest rivals in my opinion. To me, the Pirates’ number one goal should be being better than the Cubs. This was obviously not the case this year, so if the Indians can beat them, then that will work too.

Also, I strongly disagree with the notion that you must root for those within your own division once you have been knocked out of contention. I strongly dislike the Cubs, and I hope they go another 108 years without another title.

Yes, I am salty.

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Reason #2: The fake rivalry between Pittsburgh and Cleveland needs to stop.

This has been a subject that has plagued me for years. There really is no reason for a Pittsburgher to dislike Cleveland’s sports teams. The Indians and the Pirates hardly ever play each other, so there isn’t a reason there. I completely understand if you have some questions over their controversial Chief Wahoo logo. I personally hate it, but that’s the only reason I can think of to dislike the team, and it doesn’t even involve the players.

The only logical Cleveland sports team to dislike is the Browns, but that doesn’t make sense either because they are a perennial two wins per season for the Steelers. I understand that they are one of the most painful things to watch in the entire world and make the whole NFL look even worse, which is hard to do nowadays, but they are more “lovable losers” than “hated rivals.” They’re like the Bad News Bears of the NFL.

All in all, leave Cleveland alone. They have had it bad enough, which leads me to reason number three.

Reason #3: Cleveland deserves it.

I know what you’re thinking. Didn’t the Cleveland Cavaliers just win the NBA Championship? Well, yes they did, and they began the season as runners-up to the Vegas odds-makers to win the 2016-2017 championship at 5-2 opening odds.

However, Cleveland is also home to one of the saddest sports organizations to ever exist: the Cleveland Browns. The Browns have began their season at a staggeringly bad 0-8, making each loss progressively more painful than the previous. As a student at Kent State University in Ohio, I see the joy within Cleveland fans disappear every Sunday as the Browns take the field. Basically, the Browns’ existence alone is enough to counteract the Cavaliers’ success, so it’s almost as if the Cavs didn’t actually win that title.

Even with arguably the greatest basketball player of all-time leading their city to an NBA title, the Browns give Cleveland fans enough misery to the point where maybe they could do with another banner to hang.

Obviously, I wish I were sitting here writing about how the Pirates are about to win the World Series. However, we’ll have to wait until next year for that article. For now, let’s just hope our neighbors to the west can break the hearts of our biggest rivals and make the Chicago Cubs wait at least another year for their World Series title.

Let me know what your thoughts are on the World Series in the comments below. Do you think the Indians will shut the door on the Cubbies in Game 6? Or do you think it will go to a deciding Game 7? Who are you rooting for?

Go Bucs.