Cubs Tue Jan 10 2012

"Still Single Because of You Amy Bergseth" -- The Story Behind the Wrigley Field Brick

By Andrew Huff

The Cubs are responsible for many things -- the sorrow of millions of fans, the livelihood of a couple dozen bars, the existence of "Harry Caray glasses."

The Cubs are also responsible for the relationship status of one woman (well, at least one). A brick paver outside Wrigley Field is inscribed:

The brick has no doubt caught the eye of many people, in no small part due to its ambiguity. Is it a message about Amy, or from her? Who could so distraught over jilted love that he or she would memorialize it in front of Wrigley Field? Actor Jason Segel spotted it on his recent visit to Chicago, apparently not for the first time. He tweeted a photo of it, saying that it's "something I've wondered about for years. It reminds me of Sarah Marshall. I'd LOVE any info if you got it."

The Twitterverse obliged, and soon @amybergseth was divulging the brick's true story. The Lincoln Square resident and lifelong Cubs fan was apparently so devoted to her team that in 2007 her father bought the personalized paver for her as a present. Not the tale of failed romance one might imagine, but still a testament to the power the Cubs have over some folks' lives.

I got in touch with Bergseth and got more details about the paver and her surprise virtual brush with celebrity.

First off, how did you react when you learned that Jason Segel had tweeted a photo of your brick?

It was very surreal --- I got shaky and my heart was pounding. Partly because it was exciting, partly because it was overwhelming to see strangers tweeting about me and partly because I'd had a lot of coffee. It was especially crazy that Jason Segel posted it because I had just been talking to my friend about him and how he seems more like a regular, approachable guy than most celebrities. It's like he decided to prove me right.

In your explanatory tweet, you say that your dad got the paver for you "because I go to Cubs games and drink beer instead of settling down and moving to the suburbs." Could you elaborate on that?

Oh that...! I mean that I have chosen a lifestyle that revolves around loving life and Chicago and getting out there and having fun with my friends, whether it's drinking beer at Cubs games or going to CSO concerts or taking up ice hockey or traveling on a whim or taking a class or...you get the idea. Most people do that for a while and then settle down -- get married, have kids, all that. But I'm not ready for it to end.

Did you know your dad was going to buy it, or was it a surprise?

When I heard about the pavers, I remember being with my family and making a joke about how I should get one that says something like "It's your fault I'm single"--a message to the Cubs & Wrigley Field. Then I forgot about it. A few months later, I got an email about my new paver. So it was definitely a surprise.

Do you think most people misunderstand the brick's message? What do you think of the ambiguity?

Oh yes, I'm sure most people assume it means something else, but that's part of what I love about it. It's OK for it to mean different things to different people. Even my mom interpreted it differently -- she said she envisioned ex-boyfriends coming across the brick and thinking it was about them.

And speaking of exes, Bergseth is still single. "I would say happily single, but that seems to make people challenge the very concept and I don't like having to defend my happiness. So just say I'm single. (And for the record, I'm smiling.)"

Right about now you're probably thinking you'd like to add your own message to the Wrigley Field sidewalk. When Bergseth's father laid down money to make his daughter a legend, the bricks would have run you around $150 or $200. Unfortunately, according to a Cubs spokesperson, the personalized paver program was discontinued in 2009 and the ballclub doesn't plan to offer new bricks anytime soon. However, you're invited to add your name to a waiting list by calling 800-288-6447.