Cubs-White Sox Announcement?

[jstraw]

<!--quoteo(post=93510:date=Apr 29 2010, 10:08 AM:name=Butcher)-->QUOTE (Butcher @ Apr 29 2010, 10:08 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I find it interesting that the two guys who live in L.A. (Sheps and Destined) see this as a good thing. And why is that? Maybe it's because Sheps and Destined live thousands of miles away and don't have to deal with the bullshit from Sox fans that guys in Chicago (rok, BT, veryzer, me) have to deal with.

I feel like maybe I'm not properly explaining my position, either.

- The games fucking blow. The atmosphere at Wrigley (and at the Cell, I assume) is ugly and venomous. I don't even plan on attending one of these games again, and I would never in a million years bring one of my kids to a Cubs/Sox game. Can this be a good thing for either team? For baseball?

- Yes -- I want the Cubs to win the games against the Sox, but not because of some sort of Chicago Pride -- it's because if the Cubs lose, I have to put up with all of the bullshit for the next week. It makes me want to call in sick. I want the Cubs to win -- not because I want to rub it in a Sox fan's face, but because I just want everyone to shut the fuck up about it.

- Cubs/Cards and Cubs/Brewers are more important rivalries -- and rivalries that actually make sense. I'd rather have three more games with each of those teams than 6 games with the White Sox. And I would take my kids to Cubs/Cards and Cubs/Brewers games. The opposing fans from those two fanbases at Wrigley aren't nearly as brash and aggressive.

- Interleague play, in general, is fucking stupid.

I recognize that it isn't going away -- especially now that the teams are playing for a fucking BP-sponsored trophy. For some reason, people seem to like this series. I'll never understand it, though.

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE <!--quotec-->But you're a great example of the intense feelings that illustrate it's a very real rivalry, that's my point.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Wrong. I don't hate the White Sox because of some sort of rivalry. I just want them to go away because I'm sick of dealing with the idiotic douchebags who feel the need to rub the 2005 World Series in my face. You don't see the difference? I hate the Cards, and to some degree, the Brewers because we're competing for the NL Central title every season. That's a rivalry that makes sense -- and I enjoy those rivalries. What are the Cubs and Sox playing for? Fucking bragging rights? Come the fuck on.

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Maybe you can argue they should hate it, but they don't. That's all I'm trying to get people to acknowledge here. More people want to watch those games more than any other games during the regular season. I'm not always a fan of the populist approach, but when it comes to mass entertainment, it's gotta count for something.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
But you recognize that the rivalry is bullshit, right? People like these games (I assume) because of the carnival-like atmosphere and they want to watch AJ (Pierzynski, not Burnett) get all bent out of shape or maybe get punched by one of the Cubs. It's not because of some sort of age-old tradition. What's the tradition? An exhibition game that we used to play once a year where our bench players would match up against their bench players?

And if ratings/hype is what is driving this, then we need to push to bring the Red Sox and Yankees to town more often. I guarantee those series both had higher ratings than any Cubs/Sox series ever had. Oh -- and I actually had fun at those games.
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While I'm understandably not as worked up about this as Butcher (living far away), I agree with every word.