I am a proud Cardinals fan living in a city of Cubs fans in Iowa. When the Cardinals were in the World Series in 2013, I cheered them on from a barstool in Iowa City, dressed in all my Cardinals gear, and shouting as loud as I could at the TV screen. The bar was nearly empty every night of that series, at least in comparison to how chaotic and crazy that same bar was for game seven of the Cubs vs. Indians series, but I didn't let that keep me from beaming with pride for my team. I was ecstatic that the Cards made it to the World Series again, and even if they lost, I would be so proud of my home team for making it all the way to the championship. Boston won the title of 2013 World Series Champions that year, but I still dressed as a Cardinals cheerleader for Halloween the very next day.

I started dating a Cubs fan a few months after that same series. Our love of baseball is something that simultaneously unites us and distances us, the rivalry between our teams igniting playful banter in the beginning of each season and downright bitterness and aggression by the playoffs. Of course, this aggression never lasts longer than a game does, and at the end of it all we are just happy that we share the same love for the sport. We have attended many games together at Busch stadium, and he happily tags along to watch the Cards play even if the Cubs aren't playing. Of course, he refuses to wear a Cardinals shirt just like I refuse to wear anything Cubs related, but he still enjoys the game and is happy for me when the redbirds win, even if he is a little bitter. Once I asked him why he likes to attend games when the Cubs aren't even playing. He responded that he enjoys the atmosphere of a stadium at game day, the familiar smell of hot dogs and cold beer, the joy that permeates through the crowd. Although his heart belongs to the Cubs, it also belongs to baseball. Just as mine does.

Now, I'll admit that I didn't go out with him to watch game seven of the Cubs Indians series. I stayed in my apartment, where I watched the game on my laptop while I did homework, hiding from the mass of Cubs fans taking over the city. I didn't feel compelled to delve into a Cubs-centric atmosphere. That said, I was texting my friends through out the whole game, watching the screen in shock as the intensity sky rocketed when the Indians tied the game 6-6. By the last few innings, I found myself completely enthralled, watching with wide eyes as the Cubs made history.

A true baseball fan appreciates good baseball, regardless of the teams playing. Game seven of the 2016 World Series exemplified good baseball. Both teams played their absolute hardest and fought tirelessly for the title. For a while it was anyone's game, but the Cubs ultimately played better. They deserved to take home the trophy and their fans deserved to know the feeling of a World Series win, a feeling that I've been lucky enough to experience twice in the last ten years. Now, I do think two World Series titles is plenty for the Cubs and hope they can resume their hibernation again for the years to come. And I hope above all else that the Cardinals make it all the way next year. But if the Cubs continue to play this well, I will appreciate that they earned their wins. I hope that my Cubs fans friends will appreciate the wins that the Cardinals earn, too. Because at the end of the day, it's about a love for the sport above anything else. This is America's pastime and we are in it together, for the love of all things baseball.