In the mostly lean years of the '70s, '80s, '90s, '00s and, yes, '10s, some Cubs fans justified the expense of attending games by focusing on great individual ballplayers, even on rival teams. The Cubs might be doomed to lose, but at least you could see Willie McCovey or Andrew McCutchen or Mike Schmidt or Johnny Bench. You'd also need a team to root for in the World Series, against the American League and its evil designated hitters.
So even the most ardent Cubs fan might have a soft spot for the Giants or Pirates or Phillies or Reds.