Constable: Sky success in excess, but the Bears and weather opt for moderation
“Moderation is a fatal thing,” Oscar Wilde said. “Nothing succeeds like excess.”
Today's local sports scene makes good on the Wilde philosophy.
The legendary Candace Parker, who grew up in Naperville, returned home to help our hometown Chicago Sky win the franchise's first title. Exuberant fans are basking in the team's accomplishment, which was on the front page of yesterday's Daily Herald. It's a glorious moment, especially for fans who rightfully gripe about how women's sports don't get the attention garnered by men's teams.
Which brings us to another front-page story in yesterday's Daily Herald. Chicago Bears fans were daring to dream about success after the suddenly rejuvenated Bears had a chance to move into first place with a victory over the Green Bay Packers. Instead, the Bears lost 24-14 to bring fans back to the reality that the Bears are not good enough to make the playoffs, and they aren't bad enough to grab a top draft pick.
In sports, moderation is a fatal thing. Great is great, but terrible isn't terrible. The White Sox flirted with greatness and left hope for fans that they might be great next year. The Cubs lost 91 games, traded Bryzzo for Schwisdom and hired a new general manager, which means they've got no place to go but up.
The sports world is all about the highs and lows, but our real world has too much of that these days. Billionaires are taking joyrides into space, and the number of people begging for change at intersections and in Congress seems to be at an all-time high. President Joe Biden and Donald Trump have people who think they are the answer, and people who think they are unfit for any office. Some blame the anti-mask and anti-vaccine crowd for our COVID-19 catastrophe, and others are under the wrong impression that masks and vaccines don't do anything but strip away our freedoms.
We've been bouncing around an all-or-nothing world for so long that we seem to have lost the concept of finding a middle ground. But moderation can be wonderful, too. October weather arrived to teach us the value of moderation.
On Monday, our high temperature hit 70. On Tuesday, our high temperature is expected to hit 70. And Wednesday our high temperature is expected to hit 70. Tuesday's high won't be as pleasant as the 84 degrees we recorded on Oct., 19, 1971. But it also won't be as miserable as the 21 degrees we experienced on this date in 1992, or the record 3.8 inches of snow that fell on Oct. 19, 1989.
Enjoy these days of autumnal moderation. They are glorious. It's like when you get takeout from a restaurant and the food isn't too spicy, or too bland, but just right. It's like the wedding where your boring cousin has just enough champagne to be amusing, but not enough to become obnoxious. It's like when you break into a bears' home (not the Bears' home) and find the one porridge that is just the right temperature.
Moderation, which is what the weather promises for today's Sky rally, can be so comfortable.
But Wilde gave us another thought on moderation when he said, “Everything in moderation, including moderation.”
So-so can be so boring. But don't worry, even if the Bears give us a dose of moderation, winter has the potential for excess.