The legendary comedian Bob Newhart, who died Thursday at 94, was a sports fan through and through.
Read more: ‘Comedy Icon’ Bob Newhart Remembered by Billy Crystal, Judd Apatow, Others
Although he made Los Angeles his home in 1961 and remained there until his death, Newhart was a diehard Chicago Cubs fan. He was a native of Oak Park, Illinois, a village about 10 miles from Wrigley Field. In a 2016 interview with the Chicago Tribune, he explained how his relationship with his favorite baseball team informed his approach to comedy.
“In my standup, I always said that I’m a Cub fan and it kind of prepared you for life,” Newhart said. “You know, you’re ahead now, but you’re going to screw it up somehow. You don’t know what it’s going to be, but you know you’re bound to screw it up.”
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Newhart said he would regularly sign autographs for fans upon his visits to Wrigley Field whenever his career took him to Chicago. He recalled in the Tribune interview meeting John Belushi prior to his appearance on an NBC studio set. Belushi asked Newhart if he remembered signing autographs for a bunch of kids at Wrigley Field and confessed that he was among them.
Although he was a familiar presence at Cubs games at Dodger Stadium, Newhart said he never felt loyalty toward the Dodgers. His longsuffering loyalty was rewarded in 2016 when the Cubs broke their 108-year drought without a World Series championship.
“It would be treason, after all these years, to switch allegiance to the Dodgers or something,” he told the Tribune. “Usually we’re invited (to games in LA) by the Cubs organization. They give us a suite, you know. Tom Dreesen’s there, Joe Mantegna, just a bunch of Chicagoans that have stuck with the Cubs all these years.”
In The Bob Newhart Show, the 1970s sitcom that elevated his national fame, the title character was a psychologist who counted among his clients a fictitious Chicago Cubs pitcher named Phil Bender. When Bender gives him a shoutout in a postgame interview, Newhart’s character gains a new client. Hijinks ensue.
Newhart naturally rooted for the other Chicago sports teams. His character in Newhart made the Bears a frequent topic of conversation.
Newhart lived in the Chicago area through high school, college, and his early career before Hollywood came calling. Like any true Chicago sports fan, Newhart made a point to never forget his roots.
Uncommon Knowledge
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