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Sox fans savor ecstasy of defeat North Side agony is South Side joy E-mail this story Printer-friendly format Search archives More Headlines -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cubs release statement on fan View from a Cubs Fan Paul Sullivan on the Cubs By Rudolph Bush and Rex W. Huppke Tribune staff reporters October 16, 2003, 12:15 AM CDT Life will be grand today for die-hard fans of the Chicago White Sox. Sunshine will seem a little brighter, traffic will be less bothersome and the bitter taste their team left behind this season might even start to fade. The Cubs blew a chance to go to the World Series, and as the last out was recorded at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, many in White Sox nation breathed a collective sigh of relief. "It's reality," said Scott Petrulis, 26, surrounded by Sox fans cheering the Cubs' defeat at a South Side bar. "The Cubs will never, ever be in the World Series." A Cubs victory and trip to the World Series would have caused those who bleed Sox black and white to curse their fate. It would have made Cubs fans—normally just a nuisance to South Siders—wholly intolerable. "I just can't stand them," said Pat Melvin, a Chicago accountant and lifelong Sox lover. "When you see their fans bringing out the broom after one game in Atlanta, doing the mock tomahawk chop—this is the kind of people we have to put up with as Sox fans." Hatred runs deep among the truly devoted, and many say there's not so much as a molecule-wide space in their heart for the Cubs. "There's no mercy," said Al Soudan, 54, a lifelong Sox fan raised a few blocks from where U.S. Cellular Field now stands. The final two games of the National League Championship Series were dreamlike for White Sox fans. First there was the Cubs' home field loss in Game 6—blamed in part on a bespectacled Cubs fan reaching for a foul ball—that gave White Sox fans ammunition to last for years. Many South Siders insisted that a Sox fan would never have interfered with a play, further evidence, they said, that Cubs fans go to games just to hang out at Wrigley Field, not to truly appreciate the game of baseball. "I would agree with that," said Ald. Thomas Murphy (18th). "I did notice the guy that went for the ball had headphones on. I don't think if you go to a Sox game you're going to see too many people sitting there wearing headphones. Who knows what he was listening to?" Soudan had a harsher take on the event. "The Cubs fans just want to sing 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame,'" he said. "Sox fans, they know about baseball, they're well-educated." Most Cubs fans would likely counter that statement by recalling the infamous antics last year of White Sox fan William Ligue Jr., who charged onto U.S. Cellular Field with his teenage son and began pummeling the Kansas City Royals' 55-year-old first-base coach. But for as much joy as Game 6 brought Sox fans, it paled next to the rapture of Game 7. At Shinnick's sports bar on the South Side, White Sox fans leapt up and cheered at the Cubs' every strike and out. "It's almost better than the Sox winning," said Bernie Geers, 63. His son, Keith, agreed. "I was born and raised to like two teams," he said. "The Sox and whoever plays the Cubs." An outsider might ask: Why the hostility? Jerry Ginsburg, a White Sox fan since the 1950s, tried to put it into perspective. He grew up on the North Side, in Cubs territory, but this didn't let that stop him from becoming a devoted White Sox fan. He got plenty of flak for his allegiance. "For me, it's hard," he said. "I grew up on the North Side of Chicago, and the only fistfights I ever had in my life were Cubs-Sox related. So that emotion has stayed with me all this time." That's not to say all White Sox fans are so hard-boiled. Betti Goldberg, 48, of Flossmoor grew up on the South Side and remains a devout believer in the White Sox. But she was pulling for the Cubs Wednesday night. "I've talked to plenty of Sox fans, and they were all rooting for the Cubs too," she said. "They deserve it." That's blasphemy in some circles, a fact that White Sox pitcher Kelly Wunsch said he can easily understand. He grew up in Houston, a die-hard Oilers fan. "It would be nearly impossible for me to pull for the [Dallas] Cowboys," Wunsch said. Of course, as a native Texan who grew up far from the crosstown Chicago rivalry, the pitcher said he can allow himself to support the Cubs. "On a personal level, I don't hate the Cubs," he said. "I can't pull against them. I know some of them—they seem like good guys." He paused a moment. "But for Sox fans, for the Cubs to win," he continued, "that would be the worst thing that could happen." Luckily for White Sox faithful, it once again was not meant to be. Copyright © 2003, The Chicago Tribune

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...1,7889856.story I like it like that!

Things are very much the same here at ISU too. But I thought I'd see more Cardinals gear than I have seen today. I've only seen two Cubs hats, and a ton of Sox gear. I'm wearing a Sox hat, earrings, and t-shirt today, and flew the Sox car flag on the Saturn f***ING Ion when I drove this morning. One guy in the elevator even commented on it saying, "They're gonna hate you for that." And I was like, "I don't give a s***. This is poetic justice." LOL! This is fun as hell... Also, what's fun as hell is that there's a World Series party scheduled for Sunday night at the dining center I'm a manager at. Well, I'm working then, and I wasn't up for hosting a bunch of Cub fans. I'm sure that there'll be basically all Sox and Cardinals fans over there. Rub the salt into their wounds, Sox fans!

Contact Dave Wills.

Losing like the Cubs have been known for is a lot harsher on the heart than being swept...LOTS harsher! I chose option A, giving it a two touchdown lead, with both pat's converted.

Carol Mosley-Braun lost the Senatorial election to Peter Fitzgerald five years ago. What makes her think she has ANY chance in the PRESIDENTIAL election???

Right about that!!! Can every CLee hater get OFF the crack and see that he has been an immensely improved player all around??? Carlos Lee IS the man!

Hey, there's only ONE CubKilla, and he's from the southside of Chicago and posts on these boards! JOSH BECKETT, YOU DA MAN!!!

I agree. The over exposure and sheer obnoxiousness of the fans themselves has drowned out everything else in this town, Urbana. When your roomate who never cared about baseball in his life starts rambling about the Cubs you start to feel sick. The end of this just puts everything back in its place. Sorta like when Superman made the Earth rotate backwards to fix everything that was wack. I hear ya!!! It's been as bad here at ISU as anywhere else...I've been taunted unmercifully for days as I continued wearing my Sox black and white during this time...I was f***ing sick of it!!! Consider this poetic justice, because it's a damn shame the Cubs aren't going to the World Series!

Awwww Noooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!! LMFAO!!!!!!

Funny thing you mentioned weeping, Jason! I went down to Ben and Jerry's in the Watterson food court to get some ice cream, and, on the elevator, I saw a guy with a Cubs hat and shirt on with tears in his eyes...I was just laughing inside and couldn't hold back a smile, as I was wearing my Sox hat! Oh, and I ordered PHISH Food ice cream flavor at Ben and Jerry's in honor of the Fish!

It's gonna be time to talk about the 2004 presidential campaigns soon, and, since you have all that political expertise, I thought you might wanna share those candidates you think will make it past the cut and discuss their weaknesses and strengths. Currently, I'm thinking of voting for Bush again, since he seems to be a rather aggressive president.

HAAAAAAAAA!

I was watching the game from Elroy's bar in downtown Bloomington...Only three of us in the entire bar were rooting for Florida. One guy right next to me happened to have a SOX hat on! The other, wearing a Marlins hat, was a Cardinals fan. The three of us were happy! What a great night!

Carlos Lee is signed for life!

Sideshowapu, I agree with EVERY one of your comments in this thread!

Ian, I have 62 points, NOT 48!

I couldn't tell you, but I surely know the difference between a Normal and a BLOOMINGTON one!

I never even said that...Some people were trying to dig up a little dirt on me to make me look bad...That, as well as me sticking my tongue into Maury's ear both never happened.

Ab boy! Dayam, that picture looks so much like Mark Buehrle's!!! Me likes!!!

Jason's lost it ever since he let Murcie gain control of the boards!

I don't need anybody tellin me to be good...YOU'RE the one who should take heed to your own advice and :begood!

Gashie just made me cry!

And just what does that COMPANY consist of??? Inquiring minds must know!

I don't think Carlos wants to be going down on any KNIGHTS!