Making My Kids Cubs Fans: Passing on the Pain

I have been a Cub fan for as long as I can remember.  I remember seeing many great Cub players growing up, from Fergie Jenkins to Ryne Sandberg, Andre Dawson, Mark Grace and so on.  I have great memories of the many games I have attended from when I was a little boy to the last time I was at Wrigley last year. 

As a lifelong fan and father of three, my problem is twofold. 

One, the century long drought the Cubs are in, and two, we don't live in Chicago any more to take advantage of being able to see the Cubs in person on a regular basis.  With our home now in Houston, having to take my kids to see the Astros vs. teams other then the Cubs pains me, I just can't get into it.  

For my kids, they just like eating and drinking cotton candy, ice cream, and soda and the excitement around being at the ballpark.  However as of late, they know how big a Cub fan I am.  In addition, they have plenty of Cubs gear, know the Go Cubs Go song and are starting to pay attention a little more to their own affinity to the lovable losers.

Yet, do I really want to subject them to a lifelong sentence of losing?  My wife, who is a Florida Gator Alum, "perennial winning team" thinks I am nuts and should allow the kids to root for whomever they want particularly since the Cubs continue to fail their fans.  Easy for her to say as her team continues to win championships like the MJ led Bulls teams of the past.  

I guess at the end of the day, I just want my kids to enjoy what I did as a kid, and that is going to the ballpark and enjoying time with family, having fun and learning the game, regardless who is playing, with one exception. They can only wear Cubs gear!