What I wish I'd said when I met Joe Madden

My awesome sis got me a great gift for my birthday - tickets to a fundraising event to meet Joe Madden. Her husband's birthday is not too far away from mine and it was his birthday present, as well, so the three of us attended. He's such an inspiring and cool guy. I was definitely a giddy little girl.

What I wish I’d said while meeting Joe Maddon:

“I agree with you that baseball is more exciting on radio than on TV. In fact, the reason I am a Cubs fan is because my Dad, who grew up in Central Illinois surrounded by Cardinals fans fell in love with the Cubs while listening to them play in the1945 World Series on the radio. He was 9 years old and has been a Cubs fan ever since and passed on that love of the Cubs to his kids, who passed it on to their kids.

My dad, who is now 82, spent about a decade saying “All I want before I die is to see the Cubs win the world series.” Thank you for your part in making that happen. Thanks for your role in giving that to all the Cubs fans who waited so long. Thanks for making Cubs fans proud to be Cubs fans and for making all the heartbreak worth the wait.

Wrigley Field is my happy place and other than being at home with my family, there’s no other place on earth I would rather be. The rest of the world melts away as soon as I step in the gates. 

I was THIS close to publishing a book about the Cubs twice. 

When they finally make the movie about the 2016 Cubs, I hope Bill Murray plays you.”

“Will you please run for president?”

What I actually said:

Me: “You’re the coolest. I love you.”

(I wanted to say, “I love the way you manage the team” or “I love how you have the team dress up for road trips” or “I love that you were the guy to help lead them to the first World Series win in 108 years” and all that I got out was “I love you.”

Joe: “Really?”

Me: “You’re so awesome.” 

Then knowing my window was closing, I rattled off the first thing I could think of so quickly - it was like the scene in A Christmas Story where Ralphie is about to go down the slide after drawing a blank while meeting Santa. He stops, climbs back up and gives a 15-second spiel about the Red Ryder B B Gun he wants for Christmas. I rattled off the following in about 2.3 seconds - 

Me: “I was there at your opening press conference at the convention when you called Wrigley Field the ‘greatest cathedral in all of baseball.”

Joe: “Well it is.”

Me: “You had me from that moment. You’re just awesome.” 

And with that, I walked away wondering if he thought I was a creep or a loon or just a complete dork.