Crosstown Classic?

Each morning, on my way to the L, I pick up a copy of the Sun-Times because I prefer its sports section.  I generally read that section first, almost in its entirety.  I almost never listen to sports talk radio, because I don't care tha Bob Kowalski in Beverly wants the Bulls to take Kevin Love with the first pick.  Throughout the day, I monitor ESPN.com and Deadspin, and I skim the Tribune online.  I say all this to note that, for the most part, I have absolutely no idea what happens to the White Sox on a day-to-day basis.  I'm obviously aware that they're in first place, but I have no idea by how many games.  I really only know whether they win or lose every fifth day, because Gavin Floyd is on my fantasy team.  I skip stories about them not because I hate them, but because I just don't care.  And this is why their fans hate us.

The White Sox aren't a rival.  I invest more energy in games against the Brewers and Astros and Mets.  And, of course, the Cardinals.  The goddamned Cardinals.  That isn't to say that this isn't an enjoyable series, because it absolutely is, and the energy in the city is fun.  But it's a novelty, not a rivalry, at least from this end.  I know that White Sox fans feel differently, for reasons that often have nothing to do with baseball and everything to do with the sociological makeup of the city.  And I get that.  But Kenny Williams misses the mark when he says, ''The unfortunate thing for me is it's a shame that a certain segment of Chicago refused to enjoy a baseball championship being brought to their city."  I didn't enjoy it because IT'S NOT MY TEAM.  I'll admit, I didn't want the Sox to win in 2005, because then we'd be the last of the losers.  But when they did, I was happy for them, and for the South Side.  But I didn't enjoy it for the same reason I wouldn't enjoy the Bucks winning the NBA championship or the Lions winning the Super Bowl, which is that they aren't my teams. 

Before Game 1 of that World Series, one of the local stations was doing the"man on the street" interviews outside Comiskey, gauging the fan mood and whatever.  So he stops this old woman, she had to be about 85, and asks, "How does it feel to be going to a World Series game?"  The woman looked into the camera and said, "You know what the best part of this is?  The Cubs aren't here!"  That woman was clearly insane, and is the perfect embodiment of the crazed obsession that Sox fans have with the Cubs.  If the Cubs were in the World Series, it wouldn't occur to me for a second to think about how awesome it was that the Sox weren't.

On the list of important things happening today, the game is about a millionth as significant as Z's MRI.  And that's all I can say about that without becoming ill.  In any event, the Cubs need to stop their Rays-induced bleeding today, and the opponent happens to be the White Sox.  Let's hope no one gets stabbed!

Comments

[kT]

i'm glad you saw that quote by kenny williams - it's getting a little old. the sox should stop obsessing about the attention/non attention they get in this city and focus on winning their division. they are coming off as spoiled attention craving brats.

[Darren]

I don't completely agree with you. Of course the White Sox aren't the Cardinals, but ever since the introduction of interleague play, it has been a rivalry.

I'm not sure where I'd place the Sox on a list of Cubs rivals, but it is somewhere between 2 and 3. The Brewers are in that discussion, but our other divison rivals rise and fall based on the caliber of the teams.

The Cardinals relationship will always be hate. The Brewers are from a glorified suburb of Chicago a little over an hour away and play in our division. So, the proximity and sheer number of games make for a natural rivalry. However, the White Sox rivalry competes with it simply because of electricity in the city...the whole town turns their focus on 6 games. For those six games, all the baseball that matters in Chicago takes place at the same event.

There is more focus on the games and so it increases the intensity on the field. Those games matter to the fans, and they matter to the players...and it is more than just another W or L. However, if the Cubs drop 2 games to the Brewers, it is just two of many. Sure, you hate to lose games in your division, but each game doesn't carry as much significance as a Cubs-Sox game (except for games late in the season...but then, if you are in it they all matter a lot.)

My point, I think it is unfair to dismiss the Sox as rivals.

Finally, the quote from Williams is ridiculous...you're right on there.