More Ozzie Nonsense

Ozzie Gullien has made a career of feeding into the White Sox fan paranoia and stereotypes by ridiculing all things Cubs. I really don’t put much into what he says because I have enough to worry about with my own team. So, when he bashed the Chicago media and Cub fans once again after a loss, I felt at long last it was time to address it.

You see, the White Sox are the second team in this city. And, to that I say, so what? I mean really what does that have to do with anything? I have never gotten why it bothers the Sox fans so much. I guess it just feeds into the fears of inadequacy that myself and all south-siders have. Yes, this is a Cubs town and it will be one for the foreseeable future and it has nothing to do with the “Cub Bias” that Sox fans love to quote.

The papers are simply giving the readers what they want. If a liquor store sells more Miller then Budweiser, what do you think they are going to stock more of? It is simple supply and demand. There are more Cub fans in Chicago then Sox fans. TV ratings and attendance tells you that. And the Chicago White Sox organization has no one to blame but themselves.

You see, it was the White Sox and Jerry Reinsdorf who fired Harry Carry. It was the White Sox, who put their games on cable before the medium was readily available in most homes. It was the White Sox who put a gun to the heads of their fans and threatened a move to Sarasota. It was the White Sox, who tore down their old ballpark and put up a generic one in its place. (I like the Cell. I think it is a great place to watch a game. Its biggest problem’s are that it was the last park built before the retro theme started and that it resides in the same town as Wrigley.)

The young fans today became Cub fans in the 80’s when all that was going on. Yes, a lot of those young Cub fans are drunken frat boys today, but they buy tickets in bunches. The White Sox organization as of late has had this huge chip on its shoulder which a World Series title should have cured. However, if anything it has worsened. Maybe it is because they expected with that title for things to change. I could have told you they wouldn’t. The Sox would need to win for a long consistent period, (and I am talking multiple playoff appearances) for things to change.

Sox management as it is currently assembled is in large part responsible for the hate that has been emanating. Kenny Williams is a know it all, not as smart as he things he is jerk. He comes off sounding so condescending when he opens his mouth. He has a big time inadequacy problem and can not handle the slightest criticism. Ozzie Guillen is much like Ditka. When things are going good, he is colorful, but as soon as things start going bad, he is like a freight train out of control. The man simply has no inner monologue and sounds like a lunatic when he starts in on his non senseical rants.

All of this has carried over to the fans. Now, when I say fans I do not mean all Sox fans. As a matter of fact, I don’t even mean most Sox fans. I am talking about the vocal minority that acts and sounds the stupidest. The voltage of hate has been jacked up the last couple of years and I truly believe it comes directly from these paranoid jerks. I guess I should also give you a little history.

I used to love going to Sox games. Sure, I am a Cub fan but I love baseball. I loved that on any given day or night one team or the other was home. I could see baseball any day I wanted living in Chicago. I actually bought into seven game ticket packages in the late 90’s for the Sox. With that said in the last four years I have gone to one Sox game.

It all changed one night I went with my wife. This was the 2004 season I believe. The Sox were playing Detroit. My wife had gotten two free tickets from work. So we went to the game. There were a couple of Tiger fans sitting near our area whose biggest crime as I saw it was wearing a Tiger hat. They were not being belligerent or acting out of line. They were simply rooting for their team. Well, the behavior I saw that night from the Sox fans was repugnant.

They first start mocking the Tiger fans appearance. Then, as they got drunker and drunker, (another mis-conception in town is that Wrigley is the biggest outdoor beer garden when in fact studies have shown more beer is sold per person at the Cell.) the fans got nastier and nastier. The low lights were when a Tiger hitter got beaned and the Sox fans cheered his injury. Then there was the drunken Sox fan teaching his son how to insult the Tiger fans in the crowd. That was it for me.

I am sure a Sox fan can tell me a story about how he witnessed some moronic behavior at Wrigley as I am the first to admit there are assholes on both sides of town. I guess being a Cub fan I recognize the douche behavior more readily on the south-side. So, why should I put myself in a situation where I have to deal with the behavior?

You see, the reality is, they hate us because they are jealous. They are jealous of our ballpark and our fandom, which is live or die. We support the team up or down and get made fun of for it when in reality it is nothing more then being faithful. Going to the park only when your team is winning is called being fair weather. I can not help it that the Cubs are on WGN and Wrigley Field is a tourist attraction. For you to hate the Cubs because of that is well, sad. And to which I say get over it.

Instead I propose Sox fans embrace their second team status. There is nothing wrong with your ball club or for that matter your ballpark and you don’t need to keep judging your lot in life based on the Cubs. For the most part, we don’t worry about you so, stop concerning yourself with us. This town is big enough for two teams.

And to Ozzie Guillen, I say this. Stop your whining about the Cubs and their fans already. They and the media have nothing to do with your team and your current five game losing streak. It is just a convenient scapegoat that deflects the attention away from the shitty play of your team. Seriously, seek counseling already because obviously you are obsessed with us. Hatred is not healthy and based on your actions and words you hate anything to do with the Cubs. Trust me Ozzie, you are going to have enough on your plate this year without having to worry about the team on the North Side.