Buckle up, Chicago, it's going to be sports nirvana in October

Vibes matter.

I know it’s only two words, but bear with a brotha. They will mean something by the end.

Meaningfulness matters. Another two words. Winning matters. Timing matters. We could go on.

White Sox, Cubs, Bears . . . matter. Now — where they are, what they have, what they’re doing and what they’re about to do — matters. October matters . . . more.

Because five weeks from now, this city will be in a projected euphoria unfelt or experienced in our lifetimes. Just witnessing (and being a part of) how insane it seems the local area codes were about the crosstown battle at Wrigley this past week, I’m not 100% (or 50%) sure the city can handle what now looks like an inevitable October.

One of the rare times in recent Chicago history where the Sox, Cubs and Bears will all be playing at the same time for something meaningful. Stakes will be high. Vibes higher.

Where every victory means something, where the timing of it all happening at the same time might be savored more than the wins. A moment in the city’s history equivalent to Al Capone deciding to cooperate with Ebony magazine to do an authorized cover story on him and publisher John Johnson hiring Mike Royko to write it.

Rainbows (either over Lake Michigan or P.U.S.H.-associated) don’t get more perfect than that.

It has been 18 years since the Sox and Cubs have entered together into any October with reason, purpose and promise. With both winning their divisions that season but both getting swept in the Division Series. And even that season, in 2008, when October hit, the Bears were 2-2 coming off a 7-9 season with no serious expectation to win or seriously compete for the title of the North. (Even in 2020, during the COVID-shortened MLB season, when both the Cubs and the Sox made the postseason, the Bears at the time were in the middle of the Matt Nagy Era of NFL mediocrity, where .500 football seemed like their grail.) Again, that ain’t what this is now or about to be in a few.

Other than those two years, even if you add the 1906 Cubs vs. Sox World Series experience to make it three occasions (or even 1917-19, when they split separate World Series appearances), you can’t because the Bears didn’t even come into existence as the Staleys until 1920. So there theoretically hasn’t been a month in the history of this city close to the one on the verge of happening after the last day of this September.

October matters.

More than it ever has. The question is, will we, Chicago as a city, province, town, metropolis, sports haven, where big shoulders and second-to-no one are our aptitude and affliction, be able to handle our upcoming future? When it hits us all at once? Making Sox pitcher Erick Fedde’s classic quote about this year’s Crosstown Classics — ‘‘Maybe us going 3-3 helped Chicago not burn down’’ — a warning because his assessment of our possible behavior didn’t even include the Bears. Who reign supreme over this city like, hell . . . Capone.

And even as the great Michael Wilbon has publicly proclaimed that he doesn’t want it to happen and wants nothing to do with a Cubs/Sox World Series, just the chase in October for both to possibly get there — along with the Bears establishing a new set precedence by possibly meeting their newfound expectations in the NFL for the opening weeks of the season — gives ‘‘Chicago poppin’ ’’ a whole different meaning.

The Bears have a very respectable chance to be 3-0 by the time October arrives. Along with a projected 90-win team in the final game of the National League wild-card series and a projected division winner waiting to see who it will play to open the American League Division Series. Meaning, the Cubs and Sox could both be playing Oct. 3 in their respective Division Series openers with the Bears undefeated atop the NFC North playing the Jets to open the month the next day.

And that’s just to start the month. Imagine what the middle or end of the month could be if all three are still in effect? With the new Bulls in the wings and Patrick Kane back on the ice for the Blackhawks.

Know this: Once this October arrives, if all are still in play, the oxygen that occupies everything this city breathes will be taken over by everything Bears, Sox and Cubs. It will be different. No air will be spared. The Knicks’ oxygen in New York in June would probably pale in comparison. Our three teams versus their one in a singular meaningful sports moment? Nueva puh-leeze.

To put it into non-negotiable context: Their basketball team hadn’t won a championship in 53 years. Our October stands to be something never experienced in the 189-year history of this city. Where three legit shots at championship contention are all in play, all at once. A moment that is going to both breathe life and suck the life out of our city and the we who live here.

As no death will come after any loss in the month, only further life with an inhale of enhanced expectations. Either what can be, what will be or what is. So prepare for the best, Chicago. We’ve been waiting on this since . . . since.

October’s coming. Two words. Oxygen matters.