Half-bearded Cubs fan is now free to shave
People questioned whether 74-year-old fan Don Miller Sr., of Palatine, had thought about the consequences when he vowed in the spring to shave only one side of his face until the Cubs won the World Series. Some, noting the Cubs hadn't won a World Series since 1908, wondered just how long a half-beard could get.
"It's been a trip and a half," Miller said Thursday, the morning after his Cubs won the 2016 World Series. "This little crazy notion, an impulse, has evolved into a crazy thing."
His crazy thing will end Friday on WGN Morning News when Miller's niece will shave off his beard on live TV.
"I'm the lucky one," says Heidi Korcal, manager of Hair Cuttery in South Elgin. She's given free haircuts to kids on WGN before as part of back-to-school promotions. She says she'll start on her uncle's beard with clippers before using one of the razors sent to Miller by a company for free publicity.
"He is the most passionate Cubs fan I know of, so I thought it was really neat," Korcal says of Miller's half-beard. "It's grown on him as well as everyone else."
Miller has given numerous interviews and one of his sons set up a cubsface.com website for him.
"I kind of like the attention," Miller admits. "It made me feel good because there are so many Cubs fans out there. It's like a connection between us."
Even his wife, Anne, has said, "I kind of like it that way." But it's coming off.
"My mission in life has been accomplished," Miller says. But that hasn't stopped him from thinking about doing something special for next season.
"I don't know about next year yet," Miller says, "but I believe the Cubs are going to win at least three in a row."