From the Trib. It has some interesting tidbits that were being referenced in the "Kruk" thread. Instead of carrying on with that long thread, I just decided to start a new one (please do not sue me ).

 

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Fair-weather fans OK with frozen Sox

 

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By Mark Gonzales

 

Tribune staff reporter

May 4, 2005, 10:20 PM CDT

 

Fans steering away from U.S. Cellular Field because of cold weather have the warm sympathy of White Sox players.

 

"Nobody wants to come out and sit in the cold for three hours, unless they're in the woods hunting," said pitcher Jon Garland, who has taken note of the parallels in attendance and weather during his five seasons with the Sox. "It's the only time I've heard of someone sitting in the cold."

 

Despite their best 26-game start since 1912, the Sox ranked 24th among major-league teams in paid home attendance, entering Wednesday's game with an average of 21,043.

 

Seven games have attracted fewer than 21,000 fans. Four of those games have been played with a game-time temperature of 50 degrees or cooler.

 

That included Tuesday's night's 5-4 comeback victory over Kansas City before an announced crowd of 12,362 that drew the attention of ESPN baseball analyst John Kruk.

 

"If you got there late, you still could have gotten a really, really good seat," Kruk said. "… Look at the empty seats. Unless everyone is wearing blue tonight, people, you didn't show up in Chicago.

 

"Your team is in first place. Twelve thousand paid, probably 4 to 6,000 people actually came, Tuesday night, 42 degrees in the Windy City against the Kansas City Royals. You still should be there to support a first-place team. Show up. Give them something they need. That's your help and support because they can win this division."

 

Center fielder Aaron Rowand laughed while confirming he heard Kruk's comments.

 

"More of it has to do with the weather," Rowand said. "The days it has been nice, we've had fans here."

 

That included an April 18 night game against Minnesota before a crowd of 27,018 with a game-time temperature of 65.

 

"I think as it warms up, more people will come out," Rowand said.

 

Manager Ozzie Guillen expressed his appreciation to those fans who braved Tuesday night's conditions that included 15-m.p.h. winds. "I want to say thanks to the fans because I'm paid to be here 20 below zero," Guillen said. He also found humor in Kruk's comments. "Good for him to try to help us," he said. "It's not easy to sit there when it's 20 below zero."

 

Sox vice president of marketing Brook Boyer didn't sound concerned.

 

"We're up by an average of 2,000 over last April, and that's with the Yankees in town," Boyer said. "I see a positive trend and I won't base the support solely on a Kansas City series."

Here's hoping we do get at least a 25% spike this year and we can get everyone we need re-signed/upgraded (Frank, Paulie, Garland)

Damn right its all about the weather! Todays game was cold as heck and i give major props to the people that came in and froze themselves up for their team with me!

Damn right its all about the weather!  Todays game was cold as heck and i give major props to the people that came in and froze themselves up for their team with me!

 

Did you expose your nipple like your avatar in the cold?

Did you expose your nipple like your avatar in the cold?

 

i didnt wanna poke anyones eye out

sox-r -us:

 

 

over/under 5 people bashing you for starting another attendance thread

 

 

 

:banghead

I say over

I say over

 

Tribune has been all over Sox-bashing columns/comments these last few weeks. Whether it's SI's "Worst Team's to Root For," or Kruk's recent remarks, there's always a columnist willing to print this garbage.

 

I don't blame them. Must be excruciating to report winning baseball on the Southside while Team-Dusty is imploding. I'll take it, though. If these articles are the worst Sox fans have to worry about we're fine.

Look, we as Sox fans are only a bunch of shirtless, tattooed red necks that only show up to games on half price night when it's 70 degrees and the only reason we even want to go is for the chance to run on the field to beat someone up. Kruk would fit in right with us. He could even start one of the 50 fights per game in the left field bleachers.

Honestly, I can careless what anyone says about attendance.

 

My personal view is I ain't paying money to freeze my ass off. The players have to be out there....they are getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to be in that cold....me I have to pay for the right to be in the cold. FUNK THAT!! It's just not fun..and part of the reason I go to the game is to have fun and watch the sox win.

 

So if Kruk's fat ass wants to cry like someone took away his donut...and people on this board want to cry about....go for it...I ain't losing sleep.

 

The players know how cold it is....and I gurantee there ain't a chance in hell they would be watching a game in that weather if they didn't have to. I'm sure they appreciate the diehards, but they ain't knocking the people that don't want to freeze.

kruk just wanted to start this now so in august when the sox still have the best record in baseball he'll look like a genious... "I've been saying this since may 2nd"...

I was at the game last night. We won.

 

I don't care if there are 5 people or 35,000 people in the stands. I don't decide weather to love a team based on their popularity with the casual fan that doesn't even know what teams are playing.

 

The less fans the easier it is for me to get:

 

Beer.

Churros.

Hot Dogs.

Corn w/lime, butter, salt, red pepper, butter, mayo, etc.

Steak Pitas.

 

...and bathroom breaks without waiting in line.

 

I was at the game last night.  We won.

 

I don't care if there are 5 people or 35,000 people in the stands.  I don't decide weather to love a team based on their popularity with the casual fan that doesn't even know what teams are playing.

 

The less fans the easier it is for me to get:

 

Beer.

Churros.

Hot Dogs.

Corn w/lime, butter, salt, red pepper, butter, mayo, etc.

Steak Pitas.

 

...and bathroom breaks without waiting in line.

 

 

You left one thing off of your list ..... Frostbite!

I was at the game last night.  We won.

 

I don't care if there are 5 people or 35,000 people in the stands.  I don't decide weather to love a team based on their popularity with the casual fan that doesn't even know what teams are playing.

 

The less fans the easier it is for me to get:

 

Beer.

Churros.

Hot Dogs.

Corn w/lime, butter, salt, red pepper, butter, mayo, etc.

Steak Pitas.

 

...and bathroom breaks without waiting in line.

 

 

 

IN MY OPINION I think the casual fan is the issue... casual fans havn't been showing up why not ????? Cause they are SO BITTER THEIR TEAM IS IN A TAILSPIN... to some extent the sox need cub fans to get hugh attendence... big walk-up numbers for night games usually follow cub day games... the high and mighty cub fans will not at this point give the sox the time of day... they would when the cubs are doing well... but since the cubs are so pathetic their fans cannot admit baseball is underway... so in a nutshell I blame the cubs... kick 'em when they are down.....

 

no lines for the bathroom are awesome!!!

Due to the increasing amount of annoying attendance posts/conversations I've altered my signature to something more suiting.

Honestly, I can careless what anyone says about attendance. 

 

My personal view is I ain't paying money to freeze my ass off.  The players have to be out there....they are getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to be in that cold....me I have to pay for the right to be in the cold.  FUNK THAT!!  It's just not fun..and part of the reason I go to the game is to have fun and watch the sox win. 

 

So if Kruk's fat ass wants to cry like someone took away his donut...and people on this board want to cry about....go for it...I ain't losing sleep. 

 

The players know how cold it is....and I gurantee there ain't a chance in hell they would be watching a game in that weather if they didn't have to.  I'm sure they appreciate the diehards, but they ain't knocking the people that don't want to freeze.

Better hope it's unseasonably warm in October. If not, front row seats fopr me.

Better hope it's unseasonably warm in October.  If not, front row seats fopr me.

 

Wouldn't be surprised if there was.

Better hope it's unseasonably warm in October.  If not, front row seats fopr me.

 

Yes a playoff game in October is the same as a KC game in April...my bad

 

I can always CHOOSE to bundle up and go to any game I want...unless of course you'd be at the gate banishing me from the cell for not getting my 'chill on' back in April. Of course then the talking wouldn't be from a message board. It would be face to face and I have a weird feeling all the attendance bashers wouldn't come off the same way.

Yes a playoff game in October is the same as a KC game in April...my bad

 

I can always CHOOSE to bundle up and go to any game I want...unless of course you'd be at the gate banishing me from the cell for not getting my 'chill on' back in April. Of course then the talking wouldn't be from a message board.  It would be face to face and I have a weird feeling all the attendance bashers wouldn't come off the same way.

 

Sometimes, there are comments made that are so f***ing stupid that they don't deserve a response. Remember that.

 

And I'm NOT talking about your comment.

f*** this thread, who gives a damn about our attendance go to hell bastard

 

Wow, with such kind of eloquence, class, articulation and data, I am convinced now that no one gives a damn about attendance.

 

PS: The next time you give a damn about something, do not bother to post there. It conveys just the opposite.

Due to the increasing amount of annoying attendance posts/conversations I've altered my signature to something more suiting.

 

How many 3 run HRs have we hit on our way to 21-7? My guess is 0

For all the people complaining. There is something called "winter coats" to keep you warm. They invented it a long time ago. It works wonders. Really crazy. You see, you put your shoulders in these 2 insulated holes and put the coat on. Then you zip the zipper all the way up. It keeps your whole upper body warm. Some of them come with "hoods" that keep your head warm as well.

 

It's really crazy. I wonder if anyone has them in Chicago besides me.

i stopped reading half way through but i thought i should mention that when school is in session, especially with finals...parents bring their kids less often then in september because there is less going on in the beginning of the year...once school is out we see it spike up in attendance...thats always been my logic...i can't go to any games until i graduate.

Yes a playoff game in October is the same as a KC game in April...my bad

 

I can always CHOOSE to bundle up and go to any game I want...unless of course you'd be at the gate banishing me from the cell for not getting my 'chill on' back in April. Of course then the talking wouldn't be from a message board.  It would be face to face and I have a weird feeling all the attendance bashers wouldn't come off the same way.

If you look closely at my post, it says "COLOR=green." I was being sarcastic (I love a dumb attendance argument). I tried to use the color option. Didn't work for some reason. Still don't know how to use it. This would be unnecessary. More like it.