Aisle 527, Row 4, Seat 106 – that’s where I was when, with the Cubs up 3-0 and just five outs from their first World Series appearance since 1945, a foul ball drifted perilously close to the left-field seats. The fans leaned out, and … well, you know the rest.

Yes, I was at the Bartman game, booing along with the other 39,576 fans. It wasn’t the poor kid’s fault, of course – several other fans touched the ball. Who wouldn’t have done the same, wanting a souvenir from the game that was sure to send the Cubs to the Series?

And that one play didn’t do it alone. Shortstop Alex Gonzalez flubbed a routine double-play groundball. Pitcher Mark Prior walked a hitter … then a single, a double and suddenly …

On second thought, let’s not relive that.

Because with the Cubs in the stretch run of another playoff drive, it’s not difficult to remember that being a fan in this part of Illinois means a lot of disappointment.

Let’s start with the White Sox. In the days B.B. (Before Bartman), Chicago baseball’s most recent playoff embarrassment was in the 2000 season, when the Sox set team records for hits, home runs and RBIs – then hit .185 against Seattle while getting swept out of the playoffs. (I was at Game 2 – maybe I should stay home.)

Then there’s the Bears. As someone who can recite every starter on the 1985 Super Bowl roster and then sing the entire “Super Bowl Shuffle” from memory, no one laments their current state more than I do.

The Bears’ last playoff victory – in 1994 – was quarterbacked by Steve Walsh. Their record in the past 10 years is a pathetic 68-92. Take away the fluke 13-win 2001 season and they’re averaging just six wins. But hey, at least they beat the Packers this year.

In basketball, we’ve got the Bulls. This year’s marketing slogan: “Through thick and thin.” Be ready for lots of thin.

Mercifully, the NHL lockout will likely spare us from enduring the humiliation of another Blackhawks season, although the broadcasting talents of play-by-play man Pat Foley will be missed.

Living through all this, the beleaguered Chicago fan is tempted to repeat to every team what Jerry Maguire tells Rod Tidwell: “Do you know what it’s like to be ME out here for YOU? It is an up-at-dawn, pride-swallowing siege.”

But even this siege lifts on occasion.

Which is why, whether you’re riding the Red Line in Chicago on a sunny afternoon this weekend with a bunch of folks in Cubby blue or just walking by the DeKalb bars as the patrons belt out the seventh-inning stretch, there’s something special about seeing the blue pinstripes in Wrigley under the lights on a crisp, 55-degree October evening, or the outfield ivy blushing autumn red at the edges. It’s something any Chicago fan should hope for.

So as the Cubs put us through the ringer again (they’re tied for the wild-card as I write this) and their post-season run draws to a close, be sure to enjoy it. Not making the NL wild-card spot would be a huge disappointment, but make it or not, at least things are interesting in the final week of the season.

And who knows when we’ll be able to say that about one of our teams again?

Columns reflect the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the Northern Star staff.