![The Chicago Cubs are no longer the lovable losers. [Image via Charlie Lyons-Pardue/Flickr]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2019/7/8/660x290/b_502x220x82/the-chicago-cubs-are-no-longer-the-lovable-losers-image-via-charlie-lyons-pardueflikr_2291053.jpg "The Chicago Cubs are no longer the lovable losers. [Image via Charlie Lyons-Pardue/Flickr]")
The Chicago Cubs spent decades, maybe even the better part of a century, being referred to as the "Lovable Losers." When they won the 2016 World Series and went on a run where they made the NLCS three straight seasons, it was clear that particular title was not one that made a whole lot of sense anymore.
The transformation from the team everyone was rooting for (because it had been so long since they won) to what it is now might still surprise some Cubs fans. Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune is just one of the writers who has pointed out the change.
The transformation
Paul Sullivan isn't the only one who thinks the Chicago Cubs are more hated than they ever used to be. He points to the website Casino Insider, which in turn, took Twitter data to figure out which were the most hated teams in Major League Baseball these days.
The New York Yankees are number one. That really shouldn't be all that surprising. The Yankees have been referred to as the "Evil Empire" for quite a while now.
The Yankees became hated for all their wins over the history of the franchise. They have also been a team that is often thought of as "buying championships" because they were routinely outspending the rest of the major leagues.
That might be why the number two team when it comes to most hated is the Chicago Cubs.
The team, was far behind the Yankees when it came to just how hated they are. Still, the Cubs managed to beat out all other teams as far as being hated by baseball fans around the country.
Winning breeds contempt
Why the Chicago Cubs went from being a team that everyone was rooting for, to one that is so hated isn't exactly a mystery.
The Boston Redsox went through something similar shortly after their first World Series win in decades.
Everyone was rooting for Boston as they made their improbable comeback in the playoffs and won that first series. Shortly after they did win, people started getting tired of all the talk about how good they were. Fans started tired of seeing the team doing media appearances and the like as well.
The Cubs had the same kind of media attention after they won. There were also a number of people who were never Cubs fans before the World Series win that were suddenly declaring they had been fans all along.
That kind of behavior is always going to breed contempt. It could be why there are all kinds of people on Twitter and other social media sites these days that are quite happy to see Chicago struggling in 2019. The Cubs enter the 2019 All-Star break just four games over .500. They might be in first, but it's not a strong stance.
The question now is whether or not the Chicago Cubs would start to be loved if they went back to their losing ways. Today's fans would likely rather not have that question answered.
