Hey Chicago baseball fans ...

[Zen Democrat]

Enlighten me. What causes one to be either a Sox fan or Cubs fan in Chicago? Is it a north side / south side kind of thing? Are most people fans of both teams, or do Sox fans hate the Cubs and vice versa?

Thanks.

[Cyndee_Lou_Who]

1. Mostly North Side/South Side rivalry. Cubs being the North Side.

Few are fans of both... I dunno about "hate", but it's a strong rivalry.

[Zen Democrat]

4. Yeah, "hate" was too strong a verb there.

But I think every city has an opponent that just eats them up -- the team they love to hate. Houston fans are very friendly to other teams ------- except the Cowboys.

[Zen Democrat]

2. Come on, somebody. Help me out here.

I'm very curious to know if it's a geographical divide, or just a spiritual thing. Is one more of a "blue collar" team?

[Cyndee_Lou_Who]

3. See above... yes, geographical.

[Cocoa]

5. George Will is a Cubs fan

Hugo Chavez is a Sox fan. :-)

[Buddyblazon]

6. Well my Dad's family is south side Irish in Chicago.

But I live in Denver...and my first game ever was a Cubs game. So I thought that was who I was supposed to root for. That game was over 20 years ago.

Went there on business. Saw my Uncle. Asked me how I felt about the Sox. I said, "I dunno...I'm a Cubs fan."

He almost stopped the car. "NO YOU ARE NOT! YOU ARE SOUTH SIDE IRISH! THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL YOU ARE A PART OF THIS FAMILY AND ROOT FOR THOSE BUMS!"

I laughed, but he didn't.

So I guess I'm a Sox fan now.

:lmao:

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

7. It's primarily geographic, but I was born, raised and still live

in the southwest suburbs of Chicago and I'm a lifelong Cub fan.

You can blame my Mom for this aberration. She was a Cubs fan all her life and passed it on to me.

I've been wondering this week though why she became a Cubs fan as she was born (1920) and raised on the South Side of Chicago. Something tells me it was something to do with my grandfather and his opinion of the Black Sox scandal of 1919. Grandpa was pretty opinionated about a whole lot of things and my Mom was a real Daddy's girl.

Whatever caused this I'll never know, but I'm still pulling for the Sox to win the Series.

[never cry wolf]

8. Yes, as much generational as anything, but varied reasons

I have lived in the NW burbs since I was 3, I am now 51. Almost all of my suburban friends are Cub fans because their Dads/Moms/Aunts/Uncles were Cub fans from the north side. The N Side suburban migration went, um, north so they could still keep in close contact, for the most part. I assume the same on the S Side.

There is also the WGN factor. Back in the day, WGN broadcast both Cubs and Sox. At some point, even before Tribune Corp. (WGN) bought the Cubs the Sox went to channel 44, a UHF station. Not many people could get reception for the Sox but everyone got WGN along with abc, nbc & cbs. So, many in my generation grew up coming home from school catching the end of Cubs games and hardly ever seeing the Sox. This also made for alot of fans.

Another factor is the environs... Sad to say but the perception in the lily white burbs is that the Cubs are in a nice neighborhood and the Sox are down by those 'dark" projects. Actually, 30 years ago neither was in a great neighborhood. There was the Taylor projects near Comiskey and Wrigley was in a highly gang infested latino area. That has changes. The taylor homes are mostly gone (thank GOD) but there is still alot of public housing and those awful dark skinned people (sarcasm/off) whereas Wrigley's area has been totally gentrifiey and yuppified. Scores of toney bars, dining places, etc. are within easy walking distance. It is an area to see and be seen. Many out of towners hang in the area and Wrigley is more littered with yuppie (repug) businessmen doing a power breakfast imitation with a client than it is with the old bleacher bums or high school girls in halter tops.

As for my story, I am an aberrations. A NW suburban liberal Sox fan. My dad is a Cub fan, but not rabid, more of a football fan. When I was 7 he took me to my 1st game, a night game, Sox vs Yankees, Mantle beat us with a homer in the 9th. I came home hoarse. He was able to get tix for some Sox games over those formative years and I was hooked...

I followed and rooted for the Cubs in '69 and before and after, while still holding the Sox as my fav. My favorite player was Walter "no neck" Williams who sprinted to 1st after a walk. I was upset when an imitator in the NL called Pete Rose got all the pub. I was a BBall junkie and didn't know the venom of cubs/sox rivalries. I don't hate the Cubs, I just don't follow them. I DO have to have CUB jabs ready because almost everyone I know will jibe me about the sox, but not this year....

anyway, prolly more than you expected or wanted. just my observations.