The Chicago Cubs won the 2016 World Series and, more than two months later, it still doesn’t feel real. With that said, it absolutely happened and, in the immediate aftermath, President Barack Obama invited the team to visit the White House before he leaves office on Jan. 20, 2017.
It happened: @Cubs win World Series. That's change even this South Sider can believe in. Want to come to the White House before I leave?
— President Obama (@POTUS44) November 3, 2016
While this definitely does not qualify as “business as usual” for a pro sports team that claims a title, the Cubs seemed to be up for the idea. Still, there was some skepticism that the organization would be able to get everything together that would be required for a visit before the obvious deadline of transition. In fact, Cubs spokesman Julian Green shared this with the Chicago Tribune in early December, outlining just how difficult it might be.
“Obviously the challenging part is with an outgoing president, and now that we’re in the offseason, it makes it extremely challenging to coordinate with the players being on vacation. It’s been difficult to do.”
On Tuesday evening, President Obama was set to give his final speech in Chicago, where he famously launched his path to the presidency. Before that transpired, word broke that the Cubs would, in fact, be able to make their trip to Washington to pay the Commander-In-Chief a visit before the transfer of power.
https://twitter.com/maryannahernnbc/status/818987744529620993
One of the most famous athletes in the world, LeBron James, indicated that he wasn’t sure he’d visit the White House during Donald Trump’s tenure in office. That sentiment was also supported by Jalen Rose. With that in mind, this could be a huge moment for a Cubs team that you would think would love to make the journey to visit someone else who calls Chicago home.
Obama is, famously, a fan of the Chicago White Sox, but he seems to be more than willing to welcome a cross-town rival to his home to pay tribute to what was a performance worthy of historical documentation. It is quite cool that both parties appear to be joining forces to make that happen on Monday.
