Being a non-sports fan, I never understood the die-hard loyalty that the Cubs get.
If Chicago had only one baseball team, I suppose people would feel they “have to” root them as a matter of desperation since they were the only professional team around, but Chicago has two baseball teams. Neither is particularly good, but the Sox won a world series in the last decade whereas the Cubs haven’t won one in over a century, or even made to the world series in decades. In spite of this laughable record, Cubs fans outnumber Sox fans by about 3:1 in estimates I’ve read. I’m pretty sure the north side of Chicago doesn’t have three times the population of the south side (in fact, I think the southside probably has more people, mainly due the southeast suburbs and the north side equivalent region being underwater).
Indeed, going back on the Jackie Robinson West hysteria a few months back, I could even see a reason for “regional loyalty” to the Cubs if the coach and all the players were born and bred northside Chicagoans. They’re not. Half of them aren’t even from the same CONTINENT, the ONLY thing they happen to have in common with their die-hard fanbase is the stadium they play at happens to be located on Chicago’s north side. They are overpaid professional athletes who get millions to lose, and would happily leave their “fans” in a New York minute if another team in another city offered them more money to play for them.
Sports fanaticism makes zero logical sense to me. Exhibit A is the Cubs.
“They are overpaid professional athletes who get millions to lose, and would happily leave their “fans” in a New York minute if another team in another city offered them more money to play for them.”
On the other hand, the Cubs sure have a pretty ball park.
There are several factors that give the Cubs a cultural cache unrivaled by the White Sox
1)Marketing, the city pimps Wrigley as a tourist attraction due to it’s advanced age, it’s the 2nd oldest park and # 3 isn’t close, it’s an icon even though it’s somewhat dilapidated.
2)For many years all the Cubs games were aired nationally on WGN so the whole country could see them, I don’t think another team could claim that
3)Cubs have way more day games than any other team, there’s a whole culture of “bleacher bums” who frequent those day games, for many of them it’s more about drinking beer than watching the game.
4)Wrigley is in a much better part of town, in a much better ‘hood than US Cellular and is very accessible via public transport, lots of bars and eateries nearby. Only Sox fans bother to go down to the Cell.
5)The whole not winning since 1908 thing creates a “mystique”, it hasn’t hurt the teams image, their image is built on that. People want to see them win.
The White Sox had never won for almost as long (1917 last win, 1959 last World Series appearance) before 2005 but were almost completely overlooked thanks to the Cubs (1908 last win, 1945 last WS appearance)
As for what you say about the players, yes, all fans in all professional team sports pretty much “root for the uniform”. That’s how team sports is. Would you root for the US Army if it was entirely made up of Hessian mercenaries? ;)
The Cubs play in a ballpark, every other team is in a stadium.
People get involved and interested in a league early on and ignore the other league.
For a long time National League fan it might be easier to switch from one team to its hated rival in the same division than to start taking an interest in anything going on in the American League.
In Chicago, there may be a snob factor as well. The north side looks down on the south side. In New York, there's some reverse snobbery among Met fans, but I don't think you find that in Chicago.