My end or Yours?

IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE A CUBS FAN AND A WHITE SOX FAN?

Jen of All Trades: Yes

First off, let me say I grew up Cubby blue and its still runs quite heavily through my veins. Yes, even in spite of the endless amout of misery they have put me through over the years. Wait til next year....

BUT - I married a Sox fan. That's right, opposites really do attract. And when you get married you agree to for better (post season!!!) or for worse (2005 World Series) and all that comes with it. In 2005 - the year otherwise known as the year he won bragging rights - I had to support Hubby as his team tried to make it all the way. Frankly, the house just wouldn't have been pleasant if I didn't. So once the Cubs were safely out of the race, I put on my good wife (sox)hat and cheered with him for every home run, every win. Really, what's the point in being a grouch? It would only make me feel worse that my guys didn't make it and either way it was still a Chicago win.

For the last game of the 2005 World Series, I bought tix for me, hubby and KK to go watch the game at the United Center. Even though the game was away, we were in an environment where we felt like we were a part of the action. We also created some memories. To this day, we still talk about KK falling asleep in her chair and we stuffed her wide open mouth full of popcorn and took a picture. So you see, even in dispair that can be good. An added benefit is that hubby now knows how he is supposed to behave WHEN my guys break the curse.

I would NEVER choose to support the Sox over my beloved Cubbies. I always say that IF the day ever comes when our two teams meet in the post season, Hubby will have to take residence at the Motel 6. There are just some times when its better to go with the flow. And now I (im)patiently await my turn....

Becky Boop: No

I consider myself a logical person, and most definitely respectful and open to others opinions, their likes and dislikes. Hey, I am a liberal girl, and to my thinking, almost anything goes as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone (Notice, I do not use that weak crutch of blessing anything “legal” as OK. I find the very word “legal” to be arbitrary, but that is another post for another time). Anyway, with that said, there is nothing at all logical, tolerant or remotely open-minded when it comes to being a Chicago Cubs fan. And with full awareness of how unfair this is, I nonetheless embrace it wholeheartedly as a time honored tradition, a sort of creed which we members of Cubs Nation live by. There IS no other baseball team. It cannot be tolerated. And the most extreme instances of this intra-team denial are upheld by Cubs fans who must loathe by birth right the following organizations: The New York Mets, the St. Louis Cardinals, and last but not least, the Chicago White Sox.

Now I love my brother-in-law. In almost any area of life, we are, as Forrest Gump might say, “peas and carrots.” However, I cannot forgive him his poor taste in baseball teams. This is especially so, as unlike Jen and myself, bro-in-law did not grow up in the City. Using a childhood raised in the South SUBURBS as an excuse to prefer Comiskey Park (U.S. Cellular Field? Meh!) over the Friendly Confines? I also find Jen’s tolerance-leads-to-a-happy-home argument to be utter nonsense. When it comes to religious differences, which side of the bed one sleeps on, who takes out the trash – these things can be negotiated. But when confronted with the unfortunate situation of falling in love with a Sox fan (still trying to wrap my head around how this is even possible), we ladies must take a stand. I choose to lead by example. My husband has an affinity for Southern California. I am a Bears fan through and through, but patiently tolerate his love of the San Diego Chargers. This is made somewhat easier by the fact that the two teams almost never meet. However, when it comes to baseball, I made myself clear before nary a wedding vow was spoken: Love me, love the Cubs. No exceptions.

I am not a complete hater. I gave the South Side a nice golf clap for their 2005 World Series victory, difficult as their obnoxious fans made high road travelling. I personally congratulated brother-in-law on his achievement and even resisted the temptation to make snide remarks on the continuing disparity between North and South Side ticket sales. Even when wearing World Series rings, the Sox can’t achieve the regular game day attendance of a last place Cubs team, but I thought “No, let the brother-in-law have this one. I would want the same.”

However, every time I have to listen to the Sox’s whack job manger Ozzie Guillen, whine about the lack of White Stocking media attention compared with the Cubbies, I find myself wishing for a time machine so I could zoom back to 2005 and withdraw my kudos. Do you REALLY want to know Ozzie why you can’t fill the park? Let’s see: your “ball park” is hardly more than a glorified mall with food courts, the neighborhood in which you play has all the charm of moldy cheese, and nothing about the Sox screams fun the way that mere seconds inside Wrigley Field can get one shirtless and drunk without putting much thought into it.

I may get hate mail for this post. I welcome it. In general, I am 100% against partisan politics. In this case however, when one team and its accoutrements are so obviously lame (Sox) and one team, while not exactly boasting the greatest winning record, still makes every experience feel like Mardi Gras (Cubs), I must throw attempts to be diplomatic out the window.

Go Cubs Go! 2009 may or may not be their year, but I will be in the stands for as many games as possible, either way.