The Story Behind Chicago Cubs Fans' W Flags
Hey, Chicago, what do you say? Fly the freaking W today.
As the Cubs broke 108 years of "There's always next year" sentiments by winning the World Series over the Cleveland Indians, fans unfurled white flags adorned with a blue W. Finally, the W would fly all the way until Opening Day 2017.
Understanding the tradition of "Fly the W" requires traveling back through decades of disappointment.
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The practice of raising the Cubs Win Flag, as it's officially known, began after the installation of the team's manual scoreboard above the Wrigley Field bleachers in 1937. In the 1940s, the Cubs started hoisting win/loss flags above the stadium to let people in the neighborhood and those riding by on the train the outcome of the day's game.
Before pocket radios or push alerts, this was how Cubs fans first knew of the team's success (or quite often, defeat).
The original design of the flags were a blue L on a white flag and a white W on a blue flag. The team swapped the color schemes in 1982, and the blue W became as iconic to Cubs fans as the cubby bear itself.
It was also an aspirational symbol of what could be, maybe. Eventually. Finally.
Tradition specifies that the W can only remain flying if the Cubs win. For years that meant folding up the flag in September or October and waiting until next year. But with a Cubs World Series win, fans can fly the W all winter.
If we survived 108 years of curses and crushing defeats, Cubs fans, the W flag can survive a Chicago winter.
Annie Colbert* is the Executive Editor at Mashable.
