EXTRA: A Canine curse for Cubbies?

I ventured up to the Lake View neighborhood on Friday and spent some of my time checking out the construction taking place to turn Wrigley Field into a baseball-themed amusement park that allows them to justify the excessive ticket prices being charged these days.

New 'curse' source? Photograph by Gregory Tejeda

But what caught my attention about the park-like atmosphere of the grounds surrounding the ballpark itself were signs erected on grassy areas; informing people that pets aren’t a welcome part of the Chicago Cubs experience.

“NO DOGS ON The Grass,” we’re told.

Which to my mindset is virtually an invitation for a crackpot with a pet to let it do it’s business. Who knows, maybe some crotchety ol’ White Sox fan will venture up north to walk his (or her) dog outside the Cubbies’ home ballpark.

Could this be the invitation to the new curse that can afflict Cub-dom?

Somebody with a Chihuahua or a Cocker Spaniel, or maybe a Pit Bull, will claim they were denied their chance to enjoy the Chicago Cubs, similar to how “Billy Goat” Sianis got miffed that day in October 1945 when he couldn’t bring his goat into the ballpark for a World Series game.

CUBS FANS RETIRE the goat, only to bring on the Curse of the Canine, while also providing a contrary image to their crosstown baseball competition.

Goat curse lasted 71 years -- replaced in a single season?

Where the Chicago White Sox have made an annual promotion of its “Bark in the Park” event when fans are encouraged to bring their dogs – and where they claimed to have set a world’s record – the Most to Ever Attend a Sporting Event – in 2016 by having 1,122 dogs sitting in their seats during the third inning of a ballgame.

Set for Sept. 6 this season

Now I’m not seriously claiming to be some sort of pet fanatic who can’t envision not having a dog at my side when I’m at the ballpark. In my mind, there’s another reason why the Cubs deserve to be cursed.

Seriously, $155 for a single seat in the outfield bleachers (for one of next week's interleague games against the New York Yankees)? Isn’t the whole point of having bleachers to provide cheap seats – with the high prices charged for those seats right on top of the infield?

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