From Where I Sit...

Why I Really Don't Like The Cubs.
(Disclaimer)
I am White Sox fan. I was born and raised a White Sox fan. I do not like the Cubs.

I'm often asked, "Mark, why don't you like the Cubs?" Well, I'm not often asked, but I needed fodder for today's blog. It's still a valid question though. I have made no secret here and in the real world that I do not like the Cubs. People will also say, "It's Chicago, you have to support your own". I say, "No". My team for baseball, is the White Sox. Here are my thoughts.

First, would be tradition. I was raised as a White Sox fan and to root root root against the Cubs. I would guess this has to do with geography. My Dad's family was a south (sowf) side of Chicago family. My grandfather worked in the Stockyards. They were not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination. So baseball was their luxury. The White Sox were within walking distance of where they lived so the White Sox became their team and thus my team.

Secondly, the Cubs honor losing. In 1998 when the Cubs won the National League Wild Card I remember a lot of talk about past great Cub teams. The focus was mostly on the 1969 Cubs team. A team that lost a sizable lead at the end of the season to miss the playoffs entirely. Little mention was made of the '84, '89 teams that actually made the playoffs.

Thirdly, Cubs fans (well not all, but most). Every team has good fans, bad fans, smart fans, dumb fans (sounds like a Dr. Suess book). The Cub fans you see most are the dumb ones. The ones that for the last hundred years keep coming back for more without question. They are like the guests on a Maury Povich show whose spouse has been caught cheating.
"Please baby take me back. I'll get better. I wont cheat again. I promise baby, pleeeeeease."
They kiss and make up and then five months later they are back on the show. Cub fans need to step back and take a long look at their relationship with their team.

Fourthly, Cubs ownership. The owners are probably the biggest reason I loath (nice word huh!) the Northsiders (Nortsiders). They know that they could put a team of Emperor Penguins in uniform and they will still sell 2 million tickets each year. As long as they have someone to butcher the Take Me Out To The Ballgame song, a savior, and there are bleacher seats available, the fans keep coming. Each year the owners give the fans a savior. The one player or coach that will carry them to the promise land. Former and current saviors. Lou, Soriano, Zambrano, Dusty, Lee, Prior, Wood, Sammy, Grace, Sandberg, Dawson, Durham, Buckner, Kingman, and so on and so on.

Growing up my Dad always tried to emphasize how to play a game to win. Being disabled never got in the way of this philosophy. We found ways to play sports. Because my brother was disabled also, I had an opposition on the same level of play (although I was much better). If you play a sport, you play to win. The Cubs go against this. Which is why they are home for the holidays.

P.S.
To all Cub fans. Yes, I know the Sox sucked this year.