Following the Cubs for the last month or so has been exhausting. As exciting as the early part of the season was, it was equally overwhelming in a different way. The historically great start the Cubs got off to was tiring but because of all the runs the offense was generating. Some people reckoned they couldn’t keep up that pace for an entire season.

Those haters, skeptics and negative Normans have been proven correct for the most part. That the historic run didn’t extend beyond the All-Star break isn’t unique to this team. If anyone questioned the run, they were deemed idiots instead of realists. Years ago, doubters would have been merely Cub fatalists. After 2016, Cub fans have come to expect more.

Getting back to this God awful run (slump, slog, whatever), everyone has an opinion or twenty as to the causes. Nobody has been shy about sharing their thoughts either-whether beat reporters, radio, blog, podcast hosts or average Joe’s. Many chatbots or AI creations who haven’t seen a Cubs game are especially chatty. It’s been horrible sifting through all the noise and it’s inescapable. Yet, earlier this evening, that’s exactly what I did. With a rare Friday night free from work, I hit a local Fish Fry and did a Cubs dry cleanse.

And as annoying and loud as the chatter is, their play on the field has been equally painful to watch since the trade deadline. Even as they won the season series with the Brewers this past week, their offense didn’t look good. Eking out a 3-2 series win, they failed to seize the many moments when the Brewers starting pitchers’ command failed them. Luckily, they have the opportunity to regain their balance against some mediocre teams, Anaheim, San Francisco and Colorado.

Trying to sort out the explanations v. excuses is a cottage industry. Unfortunately, there are only 30 some games left to play and answer all of the questions. Sports are supposed to be distractions from what’s going on in the real world, and not stressful.