There has been a lot of conversation over the years about the time in the 1980s when Jerry was threatening to move the Sox to Tampa if he didn't get the city and state of IL to pay the bulk of the cost of the construction of "new" Comiskey Park (now U.S. Cellular Field).

 

If this were to ever happen again and the Sox actually moved like the St. Louis Rams are currently doing, what would you do?

 

Would you continue to follow the Sox remotely via a new TV premium package?

 

Would you switch to some other team?

 

Would you do the unthinkable and start following the Cubs since they would be the lone remaining team in the city?

 

I don't know what I would do other than take a little time off from baseball to think about it - kind of like a grieving widower who would need some time before starting to date again.

I'd probably just be a "fan of the game" for a few years before just giving up on the damn sport.

There has been a lot of conversation over the years about the time in the 1980s when Jerry was threatening to move the Sox to Tampa if he didn't get the city and state of IL to pay the bulk of the cost of the construction of "new" Comiskey Park (now U.S. Cellular Field).

 

If this were to ever happen again and the Sox actually moved like the St. Louis Rams are currently doing, what would you do?

 

Would you continue to follow the Sox remotely via a new TV premium package?

 

Would you switch to some other team?

 

Would you do the unthinkable and start following the Cubs since they would be the lone remaining team in the city?

 

I don't know what I would do other than take a little time off from baseball to think about it - kind of like a grieving widower who would need some time before starting to date again.

I'd probably become a Brewers fan.

Assuming that they didn't move closer to me, I'd become a Reds fan.

I've never lived in Chicago or Illinois in my life, so that doesn't make a huge difference to me, except for my annual weekend trip to Chicago for a series. It was a bigger deal to me when I lived in Milwaukee, so it was just a short trip down for games.

 

If they were to move, I'd definitely still be a Sox fan - but I see the likelihood of that actually happening as virtually zero.

I'd probably become a Brewers fan.

 

This is my backup team as well. Closest team (would be weird to become a Cubs fan), probably aren't going to be good for a while so not jumping on the bandwagon, retractable roof so no games get canceled.

Couldn't continue to support the Sox as long as the ownership that moved them was still in charge. Probably couldn't continue to follow baseball either, as it would be too disheartening.

I honestly have no idea what I would do.

I would still be a Sox fan so long as they kept the White Sox name. If it were an Expos/Nationals type situation I'm not so sure what I would do. I'm not from Chicago and have never lived in or near Chicago so I don't really have a connection with the city other than the White Sox/Bulls playing there so I don't think it would be near as hard for me to remain a fan as it would for some others who live in Chicago and have season ticket packages and what not. I still would not be very happy about it though.

Probably just become a baseball only fan.

I'd give up on the sport all together as they'd all have a hand in it. I would root against the cubs though, if that counts.

I'd give up on the sport all together as they'd all have a hand in it. I would root against the cubs though, if that counts.

 

x10000, same here

I'm not totally certain, as this is totally an emotional thing for me and who knows what my emotions are going to do.

 

But I'm pretty sure I would stay a fan. After all, I've been a Sox fan living outside of Chicago much more often than I've been a Sox fan living IN Chicago, so it won't change how I consume the product.

 

For some reason, I feel like I'd be more likely to stay a fan if they were still called the "White Sox."

The little woman and I are planning on moving to SW Colorado in the next few years so if the Sox ever moved from Chicago its possible I would adopt the Rockies or Diamondbacks. If the Sox ownership moved the team with 100+ years of history away from its fan base,, to me that's a slap in the face and would not be able to support that ownership and new team.

 

Thankfully, I don't think the Sox are going to move so the Sox are #1 just like they always have, regardless of where I live.

To be honest, this is a tough question. And judge me, but I think I become a Cubs fan. Not a die hard, but I'd still want to go to games. However I would remain a fan of the Sox wherever they went. So basically a half and half fan with no real strong allegiance.

 

It would definitely suck.

 

I'm looking forward to when the Sox are sold and they move to the suburbs. That's my hope at least.

Would not make a huge difference to me, would give me somewhere else to go on my annual trip to catch baseball. It would depend where they went though, if they left the midwest I would likely find a team closer to home to root for.

I'm looking forward to when the Sox are sold and they move to the suburbs. That's my hope at least.

 

Honest question - what would be the benefit to moving to the suburbs?

I honestly have no idea what I would do.

 

You'd get season tickets for the Gary Railcats.

To be honest, this is a tough question. And judge me, but I think I become a Cubs fan. Not a die hard, but I'd still want to go to games. However I would remain a fan of the Sox wherever they went. So basically a half and half fan with no real strong allegiance.

 

It would definitely suck.

 

I'm looking forward to when the Sox are sold and they move to the suburbs. That's my hope at least.

 

I think any move would be out of the Chicagoland area altogether. No matter what they do there they are going to be second fiddle to the Cubs in getting corporate sponsorships and media deals. If the Sox move it would make more sense to get out from underneath the shadow of the Cubs and own their own market.

 

The suburbs move should have happened 30 years ago, I think that ship has sailed at this point.

If they kept the name and the logo, I wouldn't care. I don't live in Chicago anymore, so it'd be more or less the same to me.

These days I'm really more of a baseball fan first and a Sox fan second, so while this would be awful, I think I'd take it better than many people. I've often said that if I had to move and wound up within a few hours of another major league team, I'd probably go to almost as many games as I do now.

 

I'd still follow the Sox in their new location for a while, I'm sure, though as the years went by and the players changed I'm sure that'd fall away. I would probably adopt the Brewers too--nice and close. I'm already not a Cubs-hater; I'd imagine I'd start following them more closely...moreso just as the local team rather than any real rooting interest, though.

I would be heartbroken if the Sox left Chicago, but they'd be my #1 team regardless of where they played.

There has been a lot of conversation over the years about the time in the 1980s when Jerry was threatening to move the Sox to Tampa if he didn't get the city and state of IL to pay the bulk of the cost of the construction of "new" Comiskey Park (now U.S. Cellular Field).

 

If this were to ever happen again and the Sox actually moved like the St. Louis Rams are currently doing, what would you do?

 

Would you continue to follow the Sox remotely via a new TV premium package?

 

Would you switch to some other team?

 

Would you do the unthinkable and start following the Cubs since they would be the lone remaining team in the city?

 

I don't know what I would do other than take a little time off from baseball to think about it - kind of like a grieving widower who would need some time before starting to date again.

If they changed the name, given I live close to Angel stadium and follow the Angels as a secondary team, I'd drop the Sox and follow the Angels 100%. I think some of this would depend on what precipitated the move and how everything went down as well.

Considering that the players already float among cities and don't land where they do simply because they like the fanbase, it kind of raises the question of what we are actually a fan of when we follow a team. Ownership, management, and history are permanent but are we invested enough in that to follow it after a move?

Edited February 8, 201610 yr by SpringfieldFan

I was around when a few Chicago pro teams did in fact move. The Chicago Cardinals, I was barely even aware of and wasn't affected by their move. I was 9. A few years later though I rabidly followed the Chicago Packers/Zephyrs of the NBA. I was really sad when they moved to Baltimore and became the Bullets. But, left without an NBA team until the Bulls formed, I was a fan of the Bullets. With the White Sox I remember in the late 60's when they played some of their home games in Milwaukee and I worried about them moving. Then, of course in the 80's that worry was renewed. I know I would have remained a Sox fan and now that I don't live in the Chicago area that would be even easier. There is no way in hell I could ever switch allegiance to the Cubs. How could anyone go to being a fan of a team that they absolutely hated?