We still don’t drive flying cars, we’re not hydrating pizzas in Black and Decker kitchen devices and despite what everyone calls those little electric skateboard things, we still don’t have hover boards.
But it seems 1980s Hollywood franchise Back to the Future was much closer to the mark when it comes to sporting predictions.
In the sequel to the original film, Marty McFly has to travel forward in time to 2015 to stop his son taking part in a robbery that goes on to have a devastating effect on the entire family.
It is when he is stumbling around 2015-era Hill Valley that Marty comes across an old man (for some reason wearing two ties – one fashion trend that is still yet to catch on) who is collecting money to repair the clock tower which was hit by lightning in the first film, allowing Marty to get back to 1985.
As they are chatting a giant 3d SPORTSCAST appears, revealing that the Chicago Cubs had won the World Series, and Marty is in disbelief.
The reason writers Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis used the Cubs for the joke is that they had not won the World Series since 1908 – and were apparently destined never to win it again after being ‘cursed’ by a fan.
In 1945 local bar owner William Sianis was asked to leave the Cubs home ground Wrigley Field as his goat was bothering other fans. From that moment, the Cubs suffered under ‘the Curse of the Billy Goat’, and never won the World Series. Until now.
On Wednesday night they finally ended the 108 year long curse – and baseball’s longest losing streak – when they beat the Cleveland Indians to take the World Series.
Incredibly, that means Back to the Future II was just ONE year out.
Just wish we could go back to the beginning of the season and put some money on the Cubs…
