Cubs, White Sox, or Cardinals? (Naperville, New Lenox: work, title, move)

[cubssoxfan]

I am a true wierdo/oddball. I am a CUBS AND SOX fan. I started watching Cubs games when Ernie Banks was finishing up. Then my family moved from Evanston to Skokie and my new buddy was a White Sox fan. We talked trash. BUT to do this accurately and knowledgeably I would read all about the Sox players, stats etc. At his house Sox were on TV, atmy house Cubbies.This was back around '72 when the White Sox had Dick Allen at first, Bill Melton at third, Ed Herrmann catching and Wilbur Wood pitching both games of a double-header. They were pretty good. Then the epiphany happened. My buddy's dad takes us to a Sox game, my first big-league game ever. So now I am hooked-a Sox fan. I did not give up on my Cubbies-it's a true addiction-once you're hooked you're hooked for good. Besides my PPO does not offer a 12 step program for this affliction/addiction.
This is also pragmatic for a true baseball fan. I just doubled my chances of watching a good team. I was double bummed the summer of '77 when both teams faded but enjoyed '83, '84, '89, '93, '98 and '03. If I was a fan of just one team, I would have missed out on some good baseball. And then there was '05! What a blast. Now this year the Cubbies will finally do it. I enjoy Wrigley and enjoy and go to more games at Comiskey.
I do not and will not ever understand this hatred of the other team. Save it for the Cards, Mets, Indians, Twins and Yankees!

[AaronK]

Drover tries to school on class yet shows none himself. Fool.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Frank the Tank

On the other hand, I can't tell you how many Wisconsin natives that I've met that have moved to Chicago and ended up with a love of both the Packers (which means an obvious hatred for the Bears) and the Cubs.

This pretty much describes me! And I know several others who fit this bill, unless they are from Milwaukee. The Brewers don't have the same state-wide appeal in Wisconsin that the Packers have.

And a lot of the old-timers in Wisconsin are Cubs fans. Why? Because the Braves didn't move to Milwaukee (from Boston) until the 50s. So a lot of Baby Boomers are Braves/Brewers fans, but the a much of the older generation likes the Cubs because they were the closest team to Wisconsin until the 50s.

[Lookout Kid]

By the way, didn't anyone see that study that came out a few years ago (probably around 2005) that showed that the demographics of Cubs and Sox fans were almost identical to each other? Both teams' fans have almost the same proportion of education, wealth, blue/white collar jobs, racial diversity, etc. The stereotypes definitely reflect the reality of SOME fans on each side, but you can always find something if you're looking for it.

I've been to a few Sox games, and the myth about greater fan appreciation is complete B.S. as well. Don't forget that the Sox have resorted to some of the dumbest, most ridiculous stunts in fan history to keep people interested (i.e. that ridiculous score board, the Disco Demolition, etc.). Sox games to me have the feel of an NBA game or WWE Wrestlemania event, and that shouldn't be appealing to ANY baseball purist.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by AaronK

Drover tries to school on class yet shows none himself. Fool.

I only show it to those who deserve it. Cretin.

[Irishtom29]

"Sox games to me have the feel of an NBA game or WWE Wrestlemania event, and that shouldn't be appealing to ANY baseball purist."


True enough, the constant din from the PA and the gimmicks are the main reason I stopped going to Sox games. Now I watch them on TV.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

True enough, the constant din from the PA and the gimmicks are the main reason I stopped going to Sox games. Now I watch them on TV.

I've been to games in a handful of other stadiums. The gimmicks and distractions and T-shirt cannons and what-not seem to be pretty common around the league now. This is one area where the Wrigley Field experience is the exception rather than the rule. And this is what Cubs fans mean about preferring the atmosphere at Wrigley.

Some Sox fans, including one who posted in here, seem to think that Cubs fans say they like the atmosphere at the expense of the baseball experience. No, we like the atmosphere because it enhances the baseball experience. It's baseball as stripped to its essence as it can be in today's commercial age. It removes a lot of the "amusement park" nonsense that is becoming too common around the league. We don't need a jumbotron. We came to see the game on the field, not on a giant TV screen. We don't need sausage/pierogi/dead-president/beverage/whatever races. We came to see the game, not a bunch of idiots running around in halloween costumes. We don't care if we have to pee in troughs instead of urinals. We came to watch a game, not to pee in a specific variety of receptacle. We don't care if the food sucks -- OK, maybe we care a little, but we tolerate it because we came to watch the game, not to have a gourmet dining experience.

THAT is what we mean by "atmosphere." That is baseball. There are few major-league venues left where one can get that experience. Wrigley Field is one of the precious few.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Drover

I've been to games in a handful of other stadiums. The gimmicks and distractions and T-shirt cannons and what-not seem to be pretty common around the league now. This is one area where the Wrigley Field experience is the exception rather than the rule. And this is what Cubs fans mean about preferring the atmosphere at Wrigley.

Some Sox fans, including one who posted in here, seem to think that Cubs fans say they like the atmosphere at the expense of the baseball experience. No, we like the atmosphere because it enhances the baseball experience. It's baseball as stripped to its essence as it can be in today's commercial age. It removes a lot of the "amusement park" nonsense that is becoming too common around the league. We don't need a jumbotron. We came to see the game on the field, not on a giant TV screen. We don't need sausage/pierogi/dead-president/beverage/whatever races. We came to see the game, not a bunch of idiots running around in halloween costumes. We don't care if we have to pee in troughs instead of urinals. We came to watch a game, not to pee in a specific variety of receptacle. We don't care if the food sucks -- OK, maybe we care a little, but we tolerate it because we came to watch the game, not to have a gourmet dining experience.

THAT is what we mean by "atmosphere." That is baseball. There are few major-league venues left where one can get that experience. Wrigley Field is one of the precious few.

What a great post, I am in total agreement. Sad thing is, in today's cell phone infested, Starbucks-consuming, Prada-wearin, puke fest, most people would rather have the modern amenities and comfort than partake in an all-original, old-time baseball experience. They could care less about the game, they'd rather be texting their friends regarding who Lindsay Lohan crashed into. Again. The baseball world, like most other sports, has become soft. Suit-wearing pricks can go get sushi at the ballpark now. People that wait all winter for baseball to arrive now get to sit in soulless air-conditioned parks because "its tooooo hot outside". Waaaah, waaaaaaah, waaaaah. In between every inning some stupid circus sideshow freaks have to come out and entertain the masses with stupid gimmicks. And in Phoenix, some retard "fans" actually get to swim in a swimming pool in left field during the game! Isnt that special? Almost as special as the people who think that crap is "cool". What happened to baseball? The pussification of the sport/experience is almost complete, and places like Fenway and Wrigley are the sole survivors, offering fans what baseball truly was and should be: a game with no gimmicks.

[Avengerfire]

Going to a game in Milwaukee is like going to a monster truck event.
All those lights flashing is enough to give anyone a sezuire.
It did not feel like I was at a baseball game at all.

Previous to that I had only been to the Old Comiskey,New Comiskey, and Wrigley.
Milwaukee makes The Cell even feel like a vintage baseball experience.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

Going to a game in Milwaukee is like going to a monster truck event.
All those lights flashing is enough to give anyone a sezuire.
It did not feel like I was at a baseball game at all.

Previous to that I had only been to the Old Comiskey,New Comiskey, and Wrigley.
Milwaukee makes The Cell even feel like a vintage baseball experience.

It didn't used to be like that... I went to the old County Stadium a few times with my Dad in the 70s and 80s, and it was a pretty good baseball experience. It all went downhill when the Brew Crew got rid of that old ball-in-mitt logo. This is when their faux-vintage uniforms and their faux-vintage stadium combined to make the whole thing feel like going to the mall. No thanks!

I think my Dad liked going to those Brewers games because of his memories of the Braves in County Stadium. Now that the stadium is gone as well as the Braves, there's little reason for anyone in my family to be a Brewers fan. None of us are from Milwaukee, though I did live there briefly in my 20s. Besides, 3/4 of my family is originally from Chicago anyway--and my grandparents like the Cubs and/or Sox.

One of the Sox assistant coaches lived up the street from my Grandpa in Hammond when he was growing up, but he still liked the Cubs. There are quite a few Cubs fans south of Madison.