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From “Someday We’ll Go All The Way” to a World Series Title for the Cubs
One hundred and eight years is a long time to wait for something good to happen. The Chicago Cubs had to wait that long until Wednesday November 2, 2016, when they finally won their first World Series since 1908 against the Cleveland Indians, winning in seven games.
Drew Pellum stood in his dad’s bar, Zachary’s in Columbus, Mississippi, bartending and watching Game 7, patiently waiting for the game’s result. Luckily, Pellum only had to wait 22 years for his beloved Cubs World Series title as the Cubs won Game 7 by the score of 8 to 7 in 10 innings.
“For them to win the World Series was just a relief. I just remembering thinking about the whole World Series on the way down to work and I was just nervous,” Pellum said. “I remember I was listening to ‘(Someday We’ll Go) All The Way’ tgbullar@go.olemiss.edu by Pearl Jam, and when they won it was just like man we did it.”
To understand how much the World Series title mattered to Pellum, you’d have to first understand Pellum’s love for the Cubs.
Pellum a senior exercise science major from Starkville, Mississippi, has been a Cubs fan his entire life.
“We kind of just looked forward to having our players hitting homeruns, like Sammy Sosa. It has been kind of tough, and we have had some bad years, but it mostly was about a bunch of people being together,” Pellum said.
Doug Pellum, Drew’s father, is to blame for the fandom of Cubs.
“Drew has been a Cubs fan ever since he was 3 years old, and after I took him to watch them play when he was 4, I knew he was hooked,” Doug said.
Pellum’s fandom reached a point to where he asked his mother, who was pregnant at the time, if it was a boy, could they name it Sammy Sosa, after his favorite Cubs player.
Even now, Pellum is still a crazed Cubs fan, taking all his big tests in his Addison Russell jersey and while on long rides, listening to his music playlist that consists of all the Cubs players’ walkup songs.
Nate Dickens, one of Pellum’s good friends he met during college, knows exactly how important the Cubs are to Pellum.
“It is pretty evident how important the Cubs are to Drew when you walk in his house and see all the flags and pictures, and Drew is planning on naming his first child after one of the World Series Cubs players,” Dickens said. “He feels like he really knew the players on this year’s team.”
Pellum’s girlfriend, Shelby Willoughby, explains her boyfriend’s love for the Cubs from her perspective.
“I’ve been dating Drew for about eight months now, and the Cubs are one of the top priorities in his life,” Willoughby said. “He hasn’t missed a game since we’ve been dating, and no matter the outcome he always shows his love for the Cubs.”
By Tyler Bullard, a student of the Meek School of Journalism and New Media. He can be reached at tgbullar@go.olemiss.edu.
