The Decline of White Sox Fan Culture

[Hatchetman]

loud music doesn't get people pumped up, it irritates them.

[Dick Allen]

The White Sox were 45-36 at home. It actually wasn't a bad year to attend games.

[soxforlife05]

I've thought about opening lines of communication with Brooks Boyer asking him to get in touch with the gamesay operations team to bring back things like Pirates of the Caribbean with Thunderstruck before games, the "Let's Go White Sox" song during the game, getting some more loud things to get fans involved during the game and maybe players might consider more intimidating music entering the game - I'd love to hear some "Harvest of Sorrow" in the game again. It would be nice if the place wasn't so chill all of the time and see fans get pumped up for a change...other than when the Checy Pride crew comes out with free t-shirts.

 

I definitely agree with these points:

 

-Bring in an organist to continue the legacy of Nancy Faust to bring back the old time feel of the ballpark

 

-Bring back the pregame intro and introductions from the early to mid 2000's. The pregame intros with Thunderstruck were awesome.

 

-Incorporate a shortened version of the "Let's Go White Sox" song from the 2005 postseason into the games when the team is rallying

 

I can't believe they got rid of this stuff. Pure stupidity.

Edited November 9, 2016 by soxforlife05

[soxforlife05]

loud music doesn't get people pumped up, it irritates them.

 

The Sox cater to geriatrics now? No wonder the organization is failing.

[Hatchetman]

Maybe play Metallica on a Wurlitzer. Appeal to everyone.

[Lip Man 1]

The Sox cater to geriatrics now? No wonder the organization is failing.

 

The Sox cater to millennials now? No wonder the organization is failing.

 

Mark

 

 

[Dick Allen]

They switch off songs at the beginning. Thunderstruck is still in the rotation. And they do have an organist. She isn't as good as Nancy Faust, but no one is or was.

[knightni]

The Sox cater to geriatrics now? No wonder the organization is failing.

 

 

Maybe play Metallica on a Wurlitzer. Appeal to everyone.

"Call of Metamucil"

"For Whom The Nurse's Bell Tolls"

"Master of My Own Bladder"

"Sanitarium (It Seems Nice Here!)"

[soxforlife05]

The Sox cater to millennials now? No wonder the organization is failing.

 

Mark

 

Looks like I hit a nerve. They definitely don't cater to millennials. The Cubs do and it's why they will continue to win over more and more of the city until this team moves on to a new one.

[Doc Edwards Shot]

Looks like I hit a nerve. They definitely don't cater to millennials. The Cubs do and it's why they will continue to win over more and more of the city until this team moves on to a new one.

 

How do the Cubs cater to millenials? What are they doing that could be described as such?

 

 

[southsider2k5]

How do the Cubs cater to millenials? What are they doing that could be described as such?

 

The Cubs don't really cater to anyone.

[bmags]

I don't have a lot of answers for the sox, but I do know that their road to prosperity will not occur due to marketing to millenials.

[The Beast]

loud music doesn't get people pumped up, it irritates them.

It depends on how loud it is. The speakers in the outfield are unnecessarily loud, but playing songs like I suggested and bringing back what I suggested might bring in an intimidation factor. Sure it won't matter if nobody is at the games. It it would be nice to be more who the Sox were than have some weird basketball like gameday. It's far too friendly at the Cell.

[greg775]

This might sound dumb, but lower beer prices to 5 bucks during the week? You'll double the attendance.

[NotSoRetro1983Hat]

First of all. I used to be on this board for several years, up until about 8 years ago. Since then, I've had 2 kids and a much more stressful/time consuming job.

I was Retro1983Hat back then and I couldn't get into my account due to loss of password and/or a deleted email address.

 

The Cubs WS win made me want to come back and reaffirm my faith in the Sox.

 

This thread about White Sox Fan Culture really made me think and want to give my opinion on the Sox Past, Present and Future. I have 8+ years of opinions bottled up so hold on to your cans of corn for some serious rambling.

 

 

PAST- I was at the Cubs/Sox Crosstown exhibition game in 1988 at Wrigley when the fate of the Sox in Chicago was severely in doubt. They were moving to Florida. I remember seeing other Sox fans there and chanting "Save our Sox" at Wrigley. Gov Thompson did save them and gave us the new stadium. The placement of that stadium was a mistake, IMO. The demographics of the old South Side White Sox fans was changing and moving out to the Burbs. One of the proposed sites was in Addison near where Route 53/355/I-290 come together. Would it be a different experience had they moved there, yes. But it would have grown a new type of fan that could easily get to games. And you know what, instead of the Cubby Bear, Red Ivy, and Murphys around the park, there would be Buffalo Wild Wings, Red Robin, and Lou Malnati's right by the park.

 

PAST - The Sox in 2005 and 2006 did have a lot of support. They were actually great through 3/4 of 2006. They petered out in the end, but wow did it go off the rails in 2007. The did make the playoffs in 2008, but really never had a chance that year. Since then, they have been more and more insignificant. Winning will cure a lot of this, but not all. Winning will not make 500,000 upper-middle class people move to Bridgeport. Winning will not improve travel times for all those fans from the Suburbs. Winning will not allow fans from Schaumburg to take public transportation right to the park. What winning will do is get them to about the 27,000 per game average. Barring another WS, I don't think the Sox will ever average 30,000 again for a long time.

 

 

PRESENT- Don't tell me how the White Sox used to outdraw the Cubs in the 50s, 60s, 70s, blah blah. This is a new era. I would say anything prior to 1994 is irrelevant. This is a Cubs town (nation). The Cubs are going to sell out Spring Training 2017 in January. They will be the biggest road draw in 2017, just as the were in 2016. They will have their own network in a couple of years. They throw 81 block parties every year. The Sox can not, nor should they, compete with the Cubs. The Cubs competition is with the Yankees, Red Sox, and Dodgers. The Sox are more middle of the pack with Houston, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh. That's OK. I was raised a fan of both teams, but became a full-fledged Sox-only fan in the late '80s because it was almost counter-culture. It was similar to liking Darth Vader or Roddy Piper. It was rooting for the bad guy, the underdog. But right now, they just feel like a MEH team. And there is very little to be excited about. Memes, chants, cheers, slogans, all seem lame when the team sucks.

 

 

FUTURE - Speaking of that attendance. The Sox are so darn afraid of what will happen if they go completely in rebuild mode that it has tainted every one of their decisions in the last dozen years. They are so worried about having an average of 15,000 per game that they always make the decision that they think will squeeze a couple extra butts in the seats this year, forcing them to make the same decision next year, and the following year. It worked in 2005, but that was not set up for long-term success. They need to get KW out of the organization and either hire some young GM or let Hahn take full control and really tear the whole organization down to its core and build it from the ground up. Minor leagues, scouting, development, Latin countries, etc. It will be ugly, rough and painful as a Sox fan. But with the Cubs winning the WS, we aren't even below the radar next year. We will barely even be covered by the media so might as well start right now.

 

FUTURE - The stadium is nearing 30 years old. I actually love our ballpark however there is going to need to be a serious discussion as to what they are going to do in the next 10 years. There will be ZERO money from the state or city. None, zilch, zippo. So if a new park is to be built it will have to be with private money and corporate sponsors. This also ties in to the next point of ownership. JR needs to really consider selling the team to someone that can help get a new stadium and I hope MLB mandates that new owner keep the team here. Ever since that day when I chanted to "save our Sox" I always lived in the fear that this team could move at any moment, and very few would care.

 

 

In closing, I want to say I love being a Sox fan. I love my team's history, logo, and fellow fans. I like that we are the down-trodden, the underbelly, the tough, the gritty, the smart, the cynical fans we are. Cub fans are everywhere, literally. We are in the shadows. But I love when I am travelling and see someone wearing a Sox hat or shirt. I feel there is a special bond even though we are strangers. There's a look that you give eachother that says we're both in that small, but passionate club. You know what eachother goes through being a fan of this team. You know it's the less-traveled, and harder road, which makes it even more worth it. Once I was at a blackjack table in Vegas and there was a couple playing at the table wearing Sox hats. My wife and I both had Sox gear on too. We all just gave a nod to eachother like we had eachothers' backs.