A Cubs Fan's rant over the hypocricy of Chicago right now

[burnt out cubbie fan]

Some of you need to dose up on tranquilizers.

 

So what if the White Sox win the World Series? Maybe our Cubbies shouldn't have wasted all those years and all those dollars then, huh?

 

Be angry with your own team. They're the ones who have let us down. Hating on other's success will only make you a miserable person.

 

Yeah people on this site never get down on Cubs management. It's all excuse making and White Sox hating.

You're being sarcastic, right? We've been dissing Dusty Baker since the 2005 season began, and Jim Hendry and company haven't exactly escaped punishment either.

Yes, he was.

[Soul]

Some of you need to dose up on tranquilizers.

 

So what if the White Sox win the World Series? Maybe our Cubbies shouldn't have wasted all those years and all those dollars then, huh?

 

Be angry with your own team. They're the ones who have let us down. Hating on other's success will only make you a miserable person.

 

Yeah people on this site never get down on Cubs management. It's all excuse making and White Sox hating.

You're being sarcastic, right? We've been dissing Dusty Baker since the 2005 season began, and Jim Hendry and company haven't exactly escaped punishment either.

Yes, he was.

 

Good to see reality has started to take an effect then. I admit I don't have time to visit NSBB every day (or every week for that matter), but last time I was here there was nary a soul (no pun intended) who was willing to side with me when I called Hendry's work this season into question.

 

All sarcasm aside, I imagine it's much harder to live in Chicago proper being a Cub fan right now. I don't, so that makes it easier on me. I'm sorry the Cubs won't be the team celebrating. Believe me, I am. Maybe this will be the impetus needed to bring a better ballclub to Wrigley.

[circlechange]

I've noticed a trend that the people who are 'annoyed' at the obnoxiousness of some of us Cubs fans who are openly bitter and disliking the White Sox right now are those who don't currently live in or around the city. I can't imagine myself being that upset if I still lived in East Lansing, MI because I wouldn't be around all the hooplah excitement surrounding the White Sox, but as I said before, living here in the city you see the obnoxious white sox fan behavior everyday, its everywhere you go, and to see how the city is on the knees to the White Sox right now is like having little needles jabbing you in the back each time you see or hear anything related to the south siders. Yea that may sound a bit extreme, but it's how I feel and I'm sure I'm not the only one feeling this way.

 

What the heck is wrong with a city going gaga over a team playing for the championship? How is there any justification in labeling that mania as hypocrisy?

 

I've lived in NY for ten years, so I know what it's like to watch obnoxious fans' arrogance grow ten fold in October. Regardless, I'm really disappointed in how willing Cubs fans have been to take the bait and let this affect them. Worry about the Cubs. If somebody gets off acting like an ass because his team is winning this year, it just reflects poorly on him.

 

Hell, I'm getting married soon and half my chicago family that's coming is Sox fans who will be very willing to remind me about the Cubs record. I don't care.

 

I think you people who are so upset about this need to take a step back and stop taking it so seriously. And quit acting like Sox fans who can't get over the other team in town and how they affect their lives.

I wouldn't care if it was any other city that was going gaga over their team. I understand that it will happen anywhere, but it hurts as a Cub fan to see it happening to the other team in Chicago. And not only to see it happening, but being unable to avoid it. You absolutely cannot listen to the radio or drive down the street without being reminded that the Sox are on the verge of the championship you want for your team more than anything.

 

I don't want to hear about the Sox in the middle of May, much less constantly hear about their success at the end of October. I don't want to see fakely enthusiastic newscasts devoting half of their program to a team that I don't care about. I am admittedly jealous of the White Sox success and being constantly reminded of it is painful.

 

Btw, O_O, your post on the first page was brilliant.

[OnTheBeach]

And so it ends. It was nice being World Champions for a year. Don't get angry at the Sox fans for their happiness, rather as other have suggested here get mad at your own management. "Lovable loser" is no way to go through life.

[Outshined_One]

And so it ends. It was nice being World Champions for a year. Don't get angry at the Sox fans for their happiness, rather as other have suggested here get mad at your own management. "Lovable loser" is no way to go through life.

 

Please stop it with that moniker.

[CP_414]

And so it ends. It was nice being World Champions for a year. Don't get angry at the Sox fans for their happiness, rather as other have suggested here get mad at your own management. "Lovable loser" is no way to go through life.

 

Please stop it with that moniker.

 

I don't get it.

[imb]

Some of you need to dose up on tranquilizers.

 

So what if the White Sox win the World Series? Maybe our Cubbies shouldn't have wasted all those years and all those dollars then, huh?

 

Be angry with your own team. They're the ones who have let us down. Hating on other's success will only make you a miserable person.

 

Yeah people on this site never get down on Cubs management. It's all excuse making and White Sox hating.

You're being sarcastic, right? We've been dissing Dusty Baker since the 2005 season began, and Jim Hendry and company haven't exactly escaped punishment either.

Yes, he was.

 

Good to see reality has started to take an effect then. I admit I don't have time to visit NSBB every day (or every week for that matter), but last time I was here there was nary a soul (no pun intended) who was willing to side with me when I called Hendry's work this season into question.

 

All sarcasm aside, I imagine it's much harder to live in Chicago proper being a Cub fan right now. I don't, so that makes it easier on me. I'm sorry the Cubs won't be the team celebrating. Believe me, I am. Maybe this will be the impetus needed to bring a better ballclub to Wrigley.

 

Oh please, I'd wager at least 75% of the regular posters here have been upset with Hendry since opening day.

[Blueheart05]

Judging from some of what I've read on this message board lately I guess we'll soon see "sour grapes" added to the list of stereotypes attached to Cubs fansl

 

That may be, but you know the grapes would be twice as sour if the roles were reversed. Many of us just can't congratulate the Sox, and there's nothing wrong with that.

 

I don't know if that's true. The Sox fans have never considered themselves cursed and had a whole mythology that they latched onto, have they? They may have had years of ineptitude but they were not "lovable losers," a term that is sickening to most baseball fans who care about W-L.

 

Cubs fans didn't invent the "loveable losers" label it's the media that invents and or continues to hype these things... If I never see another Cubs game on Fox where a goat is shown in the pregame it will be too soon! Fans just want the team to win and don't make excuses when they don't.

[Blueheart05]

I can only imagine what it's like in Chicago. I remember in 2003 when suddenly every middle aged woman in every office downtown was a Cubs fan in October. "Hey, I hope that Kenny Woods throws some good balls." Right.

 

Difference here is there were less Sox fans to start with, so the "bandwagon vaccuum" takes a lot more people to fill.

 

My guess is at the end of the day (or season), the Sox will have the same number of fans as before, spend the same (or less) money in 2006, and still draw less than 2 million fans.

 

They will sell more than 2 million (just like this year). They have already lined up a few new season ticket holders for 2006 because emotional Sox fans want to avoid the playoff ticket problems of this season (the Sox organization is providing all season ticket holders a WS ticket--if they make it of course).

 

In the end, the Cubs will maintain their larger fan base.

[SouthSideRyan]

And so it ends. It was nice being World Champions for a year. Don't get angry at the Sox fans for their happiness, rather as other have suggested here get mad at your own management. "Lovable loser" is no way to go through life.

 

Be more patronizing next time.

[Andy]

We never considered the Cubs "lovable losers". Was it easier to take losing when we had no expectations? Sure. But as heartbreaking, frustrating, terrible, nausea-inducing, and just overall depressing as it is when we lose now that we have expectations, it will be 1,000,000,000,000 times BETTER when we finally win it all. And when that happens, I'll be right here, celebrating with the greatest Cub fans on earth.

[Mark_R]

And so it ends. It was nice being World Champions for a year. Don't get angry at the Sox fans for their happiness, rather as other have suggested here get mad at your own management. "Lovable loser" is no way to go through life.

 

Be more patronizing next time.

 

Amen. Perhaps OTB oughta read the board more often before coming up with labels that aren't in line with the fans on this board.

[burnt out cubbie fan]

And so it ends. It was nice being World Champions for a year. Don't get angry at the Sox fans for their happiness, rather as other have suggested here get mad at your own management. "Lovable loser" is no way to go through life.

 

Please stop it with that moniker.

 

I don't get it.

The bolded part.

[OnTheBeach]

And so it ends. It was nice being World Champions for a year. Don't get angry at the Sox fans for their happiness, rather as other have suggested here get mad at your own management. "Lovable loser" is no way to go through life.

 

Be more patronizing next time.

 

Amen. Perhaps OTB oughta read the board more often before coming up with labels that aren't in line with the fans on this board.

 

Understood. The fans here are passionate diehards who care. I'm familiar with media labels too.

[Mark_R]

And so it ends. It was nice being World Champions for a year. Don't get angry at the Sox fans for their happiness, rather as other have suggested here get mad at your own management. "Lovable loser" is no way to go through life.

 

Be more patronizing next time.

 

Amen. Perhaps OTB oughta read the board more often before coming up with labels that aren't in line with the fans on this board.

 

Understood. The fans here are passionate diehards who care. I'm familiar with media labels too.

 

I'd say its like the perception about the "Yankees suck" chants. I'm guessing the Sawks boards aren't too keen on that?

[TomX]

And so it ends. It was nice being World Champions for a year. Don't get angry at the Sox fans for their happiness, rather as other have suggested here get mad at your own management. "Lovable loser" is no way to go through life.

 

Be more patronizing next time.

 

Amen. Perhaps OTB oughta read the board more often before coming up with labels that aren't in line with the fans on this board.

 

Understood. The fans here are passionate diehards who care. I'm familiar with media labels too.

 

I'd say its like the perception about the "Yankees suck" chants. I'm guessing the Sawks boards aren't too keen on that?

 

What he said

[OnTheBeach]

Indeed, indeed, either those chants or the stupid bambino curse crap. The World Series winners are playing in reverse order form 1918, I figure the Red Sox are up again (1916)....

[Blizzau]

"Cubs crushed by New Hampshire fan boycott."

 

Give me a break - did I say I expected to change the team by my sole actions? You assume an awful lot by your sarcastic response to what I felt was a legitimate interpretation of a possible part of the Chicago Cub lack of success over the years.

 

 

I completely agree that the remarks of 1908 - a moderator on NSBB - were uncalled for. Who is one on this board to judge another fan's loyalty or impact to the team simply based on geographic location? I live in Denver (have lived in Michigan and traveled to Chicago extensively for business), and I would feel pretty insulted by a sarcastic remark ripping on me for not being a significant fan simply because I don't live in Chi-town.

 

The bottoom line is that we all are here because we are passionate fans, and we are here to express our opinions. It is my hope that another fan (especially a moderator) will not devalue me or my opinions simply because of geographic location. I also hope that Cubzfan64 is issued an apology...

[SouthSideRyan]

I think you misinterpret what he was saying. He wasn't calling him less of a fan, just saying it's a lot easier to call for people to not go to games, and not support the team financially when they don't have the direct means to do it in the first place. It's a lot easier to say I'm not going to another Cubs game til they turn things around from NH than it is from Wrigleyville.

[UMFan83]

Anyone else find it strange that a thread with the word "rant" in its title has remained in Baseball Discussions for so long? ;)

[Cubzfan64]

I think you misinterpret what he was saying. He wasn't calling him less of a fan, just saying it's a lot easier to call for people to not go to games, and not support the team financially when they don't have the direct means to do it in the first place. It's a lot easier to say I'm not going to another Cubs game til they turn things around from NH than it is from Wrigleyville.

 

The way you just responded was not only articulate, but respectful which is all I expect from any discussion.

 

For what it's worth - although I obviously can't prove it - I wouldn't have gone to any Cub games for the last 2 years even if I lived in Chicago. Your reasoning makes very good sense, however it also points out how much more "power" fans in Chicago and around Wrigley Field can weild by their actions than I can from here in New Hampshire.

 

I'm just curious in general (not asking you specifically) - what other means do fans have for expressing their disappointment in the direction of their favorite team other than by letters to ownership and/or not attending games/buying merchandise?

 

If people think going to the games and booing will change anything, that only works when the ownership has a competitive nature and hates to lose themselves - hates it enough to make changes when changes are necessary. If the ownership is primarily there to make a business profit, what the heck do they care if you go to the game and boo, as long as you spend money for tickets, hot dogs and beer.

[BigbadB]

I think you misinterpret what he was saying. He wasn't calling him less of a fan, just saying it's a lot easier to call for people to not go to games, and not support the team financially when they don't have the direct means to do it in the first place. It's a lot easier to say I'm not going to another Cubs game til they turn things around from NH than it is from Wrigleyville.

 

The way you just responded was not only articulate, but respectful which is all I expect from any discussion.

 

For what it's worth - although I obviously can't prove it - I wouldn't have gone to any Cub games for the last 2 years even if I lived in Chicago. Your reasoning makes very good sense, however it also points out how much more "power" fans in Chicago and around Wrigley Field can weild by their actions than I can from here in New Hampshire.

 

I'm just curious in general (not asking you specifically) - what other means do fans have for expressing their disappointment in the direction of their favorite team other than by letters to ownership and/or not attending games/buying merchandise?

 

If people think going to the games and booing will change anything, that only works when the ownership has a competitive nature and hates to lose themselves - hates it enough to make changes when changes are necessary. If the ownership is primarily there to make a business profit, what the heck do they care if you go to the game and boo, as long as you spend money for tickets, hot dogs and beer.

 

You keep saying that ownership doesn't care. If they don't care, why do they spend 100m on payroll? If the seats are getting filled regardless, couldn't they spend 100K? 30m? 50m? 70m? Why spend top 5 in payroll?

 

Please answer this question. Direct your anger at the people who are not going out and spending that money wisely, but please acknowledge that spending 100m on payroll is a sign of caring.

[Cubzfan64]

I think you misinterpret what he was saying. He wasn't calling him less of a fan, just saying it's a lot easier to call for people to not go to games, and not support the team financially when they don't have the direct means to do it in the first place. It's a lot easier to say I'm not going to another Cubs game til they turn things around from NH than it is from Wrigleyville.

 

The way you just responded was not only articulate, but respectful which is all I expect from any discussion.

 

For what it's worth - although I obviously can't prove it - I wouldn't have gone to any Cub games for the last 2 years even if I lived in Chicago. Your reasoning makes very good sense, however it also points out how much more "power" fans in Chicago and around Wrigley Field can weild by their actions than I can from here in New Hampshire.

 

I'm just curious in general (not asking you specifically) - what other means do fans have for expressing their disappointment in the direction of their favorite team other than by letters to ownership and/or not attending games/buying merchandise?

 

If people think going to the games and booing will change anything, that only works when the ownership has a competitive nature and hates to lose themselves - hates it enough to make changes when changes are necessary. If the ownership is primarily there to make a business profit, what the heck do they care if you go to the game and boo, as long as you spend money for tickets, hot dogs and beer.

 

You keep saying that ownership doesn't care. If they don't care, why do they spend 100m on payroll? If the seats are getting filled regardless, couldn't they spend 100K? 30m? 50m? 70m? Why spend top 5 in payroll?

 

Please answer this question. Direct your anger at the people who are not going out and spending that money wisely, but please acknowledge that spending 100m on payroll is a sign of caring.

 

No - you're absolutely right and in one of my other responses I did respect the fact that ownership is spending a significant amount of money and I'm certainly not saying that they should be spending twice as much because that alone doesn't solve the problem - what I AM saying is that they should be getting value for the money that they are spending and they should be holding those who they hand the money over to accountable for how and where it's spent. Jim Hendry needs to get the most out of the money he's allowed to spend, and the "powers that be" should be evaluating and drafting the best possible players to help build the minor league system.

 

You said it yourself that the Cubs are in or near the top 5 teams in baseball as far as payroll - that means if they are not in the top 5 teams in baseball as far as success is concerned, something is wrong. Injuries and bad years happen, but overall, there's little excuse for the Cubs organization to not be able to field a contending team 7-8 out of 10 seasons.

 

Like I said before, it's time for Jim Hendry to step up and use the money he's being given to put together a contender, and if Dusty Baker and his coaches aren't capable of getting the most out of what's given to them to work with, then THEY need to be held accountable as well. Say what you will about George Steinbrenner, but I would take an owner as passionate about competition and winning as him any day of the week.

[BigbadB]

I think you misinterpret what he was saying. He wasn't calling him less of a fan, just saying it's a lot easier to call for people to not go to games, and not support the team financially when they don't have the direct means to do it in the first place. It's a lot easier to say I'm not going to another Cubs game til they turn things around from NH than it is from Wrigleyville.

 

The way you just responded was not only articulate, but respectful which is all I expect from any discussion.

 

For what it's worth - although I obviously can't prove it - I wouldn't have gone to any Cub games for the last 2 years even if I lived in Chicago. Your reasoning makes very good sense, however it also points out how much more "power" fans in Chicago and around Wrigley Field can weild by their actions than I can from here in New Hampshire.

 

I'm just curious in general (not asking you specifically) - what other means do fans have for expressing their disappointment in the direction of their favorite team other than by letters to ownership and/or not attending games/buying merchandise?

 

If people think going to the games and booing will change anything, that only works when the ownership has a competitive nature and hates to lose themselves - hates it enough to make changes when changes are necessary. If the ownership is primarily there to make a business profit, what the heck do they care if you go to the game and boo, as long as you spend money for tickets, hot dogs and beer.

 

You keep saying that ownership doesn't care. If they don't care, why do they spend 100m on payroll? If the seats are getting filled regardless, couldn't they spend 100K? 30m? 50m? 70m? Why spend top 5 in payroll?

 

Please answer this question. Direct your anger at the people who are not going out and spending that money wisely, but please acknowledge that spending 100m on payroll is a sign of caring.

 

No - you're absolutely right and in one of my other responses I did respect the fact that ownership is spending a significant amount of money and I'm certainly not saying that they should be spending twice as much because that alone doesn't solve the problem - what I AM saying is that they should be getting value for the money that they are spending and they should be holding those who they hand the money over to accountable for how and where it's spent. Jim Hendry needs to get the most out of the money he's allowed to spend, and the "powers that be" should be evaluating and drafting the best possible players to help build the minor league system.

 

You said it yourself that the Cubs are in or near the top 5 teams in baseball as far as payroll - that means if they are not in the top 5 teams in baseball as far as success is concerned, something is wrong. Injuries and bad years happen, but overall, there's little excuse for the Cubs organization to not be able to field a contending team 7-8 out of 10 seasons.

 

Like I said before, it's time for Jim Hendry to step up and use the money he's being given to put together a contender, and if Dusty Baker and his coaches aren't capable of getting the most out of what's given to them to work with, then THEY need to be held accountable as well. Say what you will about George Steinbrenner, but I would take an owner as passionate about competition and winning as him any day of the week.

 

We'll have to agree to disagree on Steinbrenner. You do have to like his passion, but as an organization, you can't possibly approve of everyone having to worry about whether they'll have a job every morning when they wake up. A lot of them end up losing their jobs.

[seahawk037]

I don't know if that's true. The Sox fans have never considered themselves cursed and had a whole mythology that they latched onto, have they? They may have had years of ineptitude but they were not "lovable losers," a term that is sickening to most baseball fans who care about W-L.

 

I know that was not your intention in this post, but I think almost every single Cubs fan I have ever met thought that the Curse of the Billy Goat was just bunk. Most Cubs fans know that this history of losing can be attributed to cheap ownership, lack of development of an effective farm system, and sheer ineptitude of players, management, and the front office.

 

The irony of it all is that the Cubs have had a better overall history than the White Sox. More overall wins. More World Series appearances. More playoff appearances. And so on. Yet, here we are today.

 

And, up until recently, I have come across an incredible number of White Sox fans that hated the Cubs more than they loved the White Sox. To them, the best days in Chicago are when the Cubs lose and the White Sox win. Do you want to know how many fun IMs and voice mails I got from White Sox fans after Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS?

 

There are four reasons I'm cheering against the White Sox. First off, AJ Eyechart is one of the more despicable people in baseball from everything I've read. Every single controversial play that he's been involved in during the postseason has made me want to vomit. Secondly, Mark Buerhle is a classless tool. Way to accuse Greg Maddux of throwing a spitter, champ. I'm sure White Sox nation will love you when you bolt for the Cardinals in free agency. Secondly, Ozzie Guillen is an incredible jerk. He's perfect for the White Sox; a guy who will happily bully umpires, make the choke sign to opposing dugouts, and just generally acts like a tool.

 

But, most of all, it's their fanbase. You want obnoxious and classless jerks, visit the Cellblock some time wearing the gear of an opposing team. Take a gander over at White Sox Interactive, where they have an entire forum dedicated to Cubs bashing. Yes, there are people over there who are respectful, intelligent, and mature. But, from my experience, these people tend to be the exception more than the rule.

 

Using a comparison with the Red Sox, Yankees, and their respective fans, I liked Bill Simmons' use of having the Yankees being your top rival in high school who always got the hottest women, seemed to have everything easy in life, ended up going to a top college, and pushed you around at his leisure.

 

The comparison in Chicago is that the White Sox was the obnoxious jerk at your high school who was dumb as a box of rocks, was not particularly well-liked by most people in high school, and who made a habit of picking fights and stuffing people into lockers. After he graduated, he went into a dead end job, became an alcoholic, and now spends his days engaging in schaudenfreude, reveling in the misery of others despite being a drunken, fat loser himself.

 

Only now he's won the lottery.

 

That's pretty much how I feel right now.

 

Ugh.

 

WOW!!!

 

AJ is despicable? Yet, if Michael Barrett did the same thing, he'd be a genius. Buerhle is a classless tool? Hmmm, let's talk about Carlos Zambrano. Ozzie is perfect for the Sox, let's discuss Herman Franks, or better yet, how about Dusty Baker in Game 6 when he was managing the Giants.

 

And let's start hacking away at the Sox fanbase, shall we. Classless, eh? Yeah, I notice how, at the "Cell Block", they're ALL drunk, posing to anyone that will pay attention and yapping away on their cell phones while waving at their friends on the other side of the field, only to leave around the 7th inning. If the White Sox were the obnoxious jerks in high school, then what were the Cubs? Wannabes, dorks, losers - yet lovable?

 

This is exactly what fuels the Sox fans hatred for Cub fans. It used to be hatred of the Cubs, which is what it should be. I remember going to Wrigley and getting a bleacher seat on game day and seeing the same old guys harping on me for blowing off class. No cell phones and no posers. Just people who really wanted to watch a ball game. Now, it's the place to be and the Trib knows it. They're the midwest version of the Yankees, except for one thing - they can't and won't win.

 

Get a grip Sparky... the Sox won and the Cubs didn't...