Mythbuster

There are a lot of misconceptions floating out there about Cub fans that are false. Usually they are propagated by Cub haters. These are people that haven’t set foot in Wrigley field in 15 years and still hold onto stereotypes that have no validity. For the most part it is some deep rooted jealousy and feelings of inadequacy about their own ballclub or their own lives. It says a lot about a person that takes satisfaction in the misery of others and harbors such feelings of hate. But, I digress.

With that in mind, I want to set the record straight. I am here to dispel 10 myths about Cub fans. Let me say that no fan base is perfect and in any large group you will find assholes. But, if you want to rip the Cubs and Cub fans to me you better get your facts straight cause there is nothing I love more than calling bullshit on these above myths.

1. Wrigley Field is the world’s largest outdoor beer garden. – Yes they sell beer at Wrigley Field. (Just like they do in every other park in the majors.) And yes from time to time some Cub fans will get a little inebriated. But anytime you get 40,000 people in one place, you are going to have some of them that cannot handle their booze. Listen, I get it. The bleachers are for the most part a bunch of drunken college kids that are there to drool over Trixies and get drunk. However, the bleachers at their capacity hold 5,000 people. The park seats 40,000 so you do the math. For the most part, the other sections of the park do not contain drunken morons. They are there sure but in much smaller numbers. I attend nearly 20 games a year and I haven’t sat in the bleachers since 1997 for a reason.

2. Cub fans are racist – Of all the charges against Cub fans this one galls me the most. I have been too close to 100 Cub games in the last 5 years. In that time I have not heard one racial slur, not one. Gordon Wittenmyer and Carol Slezak in the Sun Times both have written articles giving credence to this ugly rumor and for that I say shame on them. Are there a small percentage of Cub fans that are racist, I’m sure. But just because you have a couple of jackasses does that mean all Cub fans should be labeled as racists? The reason we booed Jacque Jones, LaTroy Hawkins and Milton Bradley are the same reasons we booed Todd Hundley, Kyle Farnsworth and Steve Trachsel, because they all sucked on the field. For Christ’s sake, Mr. Cub is Ernie Banks. Derek Lee is one of the most popular jerseys in the stands. I am willing to go out on a limb and state that 99% of Cub fans are not racists and any one that believes otherwise is a moron.

3. Cub fans aren’t “real” baseball fans – This is one that always makes me laugh. First off, what exactly is a “real” fan? My feelings on this, is that the only way some fans of other teams (Sox fans for the most part) can pump themselves up is to knock down Cub fans. I love baseball and yes, I take the game seriously. But, I don’t expect every fan in that ballpark to know who Larry Bittner and Mike Vail were. One thing I love when I hear this argument is to throw it right back in the accusers face. I am not bragging (I mean being a baseball geek is nothing to be proud of) but, I pride myself in knowing more about baseball they any Sox fan. I will usually challenge them to White Sox trivia. I tell them I bet I know more about the White Sox then they do. And when I embarrass them with their lack of knowledge on the team they claim to love so much, I then say “Well I guess you aren’t a real fan either.” Again, for the record, I have no problem if you are a casual baseball fan. But, please spare me the, our fans are “real” baseball fans argument. It is bogus and completely un-provable.

4. Cub fans blame Bartman for the 2003 playoff loss to the Marlins – This is one I hear all the time and it mystifies me. I personally don’t know any Cub fan that blames Bartman. As a matter of fact, most Cub fans I know feel bad for the guy and think it is completely unfair what he has had to go through. Now in the moment, when the play happened, I was pissed. It was emotional and of course I thought he was a moron for interfering with Alou trying to make that catch. However, after 5 minutes of reflection, my anger was directed at Alex Gonzalez, Dusty Baker and Larry Rothschild, the people who in my opinion are the ones who truly deserve the blame. I think the whole Bartman thing is a media creation. It makes for interesting reading and a lot of lazy journalists will continue to run with the story because it is easy and you don’t have to actually talk to any actual Cub fans. Trust me, I don’t blame Bartman and I would bet a vast majority of Cub fans don’t blame him either. As a matter of fact, if I did see the guy I would buy him a beer. The guy has gone through enough already.

5. The only reason the Cubs sell out is that most of the fans are from out of state – Is Wrigley Field a tourist attraction? Yes, it is, and I am not going to apologize for that. Is that the reason the Cubs sell out? Not by a long shot. I am on the Cubs season ticket waiting list. I am currently about 104,000 in line. I highly doubt the other 103,999 are all from Iowa. As a Cub fan I like meeting people from other cities that are experiencing the ballpark for the first time. I feel it is my responsibility on behalf of all Cub fans to make the trip a pleasant and memorable one. My wife will always sit in amazement at a game with me when I start talking up some newbie to Wrigley. With that said, I would guess that maybe 5 % of the park is filled with out of towner's for most games. Sure when the Cardinals come in that number goes up. But as someone who has watched the Cubs in enemy territory numerous times, I always make sure to be respectful. I have been on the other side of that and it is not fun. (Brewer fans, I am talking to you.) I’m sorry if the park on the south side is not a tourist attraction. That is not Wrigley’s fault. Be secure in your own worth and stop mocking what you wish you were.

6. Wrigley Field is a rat infested, decrepit old park that is falling apart – Wrigley Field is in fact old. It does need some repairs. But, from a fans perspective there is nothing like it. Whenever, I hear Ozzie Guillen and Mark Buehrle bitch about Wrigley, it just cements into my mind what wussy, cry baby pansies they are. To me at least they come off as spoiled rich brats who are bitching because they have to change in a small dressing room for three days. Jesus, I would have given my left nut to be able to play baseball for a living. To bitch about the minor inconveniences about a park that millions of fans love, is well kind of being an asshole. What they don’t get is that from a fan’s perspective it is nostalgia at its best. There is no exploding scoreboard, or jumbotron. We don’t have a fan-o-meter or some carnival barker imploring us to cheer. A game at Wrigley is about what is on the field. More so then in any other park outside of Fenway. It is about as close to experiencing a game like our fathers and grandfathers did. If those who rip the park don’t get that then I am truly sorry for them.

7. The management of the Cubs doesn’t care about their fans – I used to hear this one a lot back in the day. Nowadays you don’t hear it as much but every so often some uninformed loud mouth will spout off about it. The Cubs consistently over the last eight to nine years have spent a lot of money on the product on the field. Sure, we could have a very good debate about what they spent it on, but you cannot argue with the fact that the Cubs payroll is right at the top where it belongs. Yes ,ticket prices are high. But, a baseball game at Wrigley is still cheaper than a Bears game and most seats at the United Center for the Bulls or Hawks. Yes, the management has angered me from time to time with their creative thinking to try and squeeze every nickel they can out of the park. But, I don’t care if they start charging me to use the troughs as long as they put a winner on the field.

8. Cub fans are losers because they root for a losing team – This is one I hear a lot. “How can you root for a team that has never won? If you are then you are a loser.” To this all I can mutter is, wow. If you didn’t grow up a Cub fan I guess in a way I get it. You cannot appreciate what it takes to be one of us. It takes a certain personality to be a Cub fans. You need to be an eternal optimist. You need to have faith. You have to be a dreamer. You have to have hope that one day your years of fandom will be rewarded. You can call us names sure. But to call us losers, well I’m sorry you’re wrong. If being an optimist is being a loser then I don’t want to be a winner.

9. Cub fans are idiots for packing the park. They should demand a winner – This is similar to the previous myth. I hear this one all the time. Cub fans should boycott and not go to the park unless the team is a winner. You see, at least in my mind, the fans who actually only go when the team is winning are the worst kind of fans. They are called band wagon jumpers, or front runners. It takes no imagination or heart to root for a team only when they are winning. For me to be a fan is to support the team in good times and bad. Now, let me say no one on God’s green earth wants the Cubs to win more than me. And no one gets more pissed when they lose. I complain about the Cubs as much or more so then anyone. But, I never stop being a fan. And I would never not go to the park or stop rooting for them. On top of all this, if anyone still believes that Cub fans don’t care about the outcome of games, that person hasn’t been to Wrigley in years. The fans are into every pitch and when it is required boo their ass off when a player deserves it (see, Soriano, Alfonso 2009 season) and they cheer their ass off when it is warranted. (I have never heard anything as loud as when Aramis hit an 8^th inning grand slam against the Phillies in the 08 season.) This argument just does not hold any water.

10. Cub fans believe in the curse of the Billy Goat – Again, I don’t know any Cub fans that actually think a Billy Goat is the reason we haven’t won a World Series. I don’t believe in any curses or hoaxes or any of that other nonsense. What I do think is the media loves to talk up such baloney and that only adds fuel to the fire of the stereotype. I believe in is that it takes a special kind of ballplayer to succeeded playing for the Cubs. For better or worse wearing that uniform carries with it the burden of 101 non championship seasons. You cannot tell me those 2007 and 2008 teams didn’t feel it during the playoffs. It is not a curse, it is pressure. And every year we don’t win it that pressure mounts. You cannot tell me playing for the Cubs is like playing anywhere else. Simply put there are certain personalities that just cannot handle the grind associated with being a Chicago Cub (See, Bradley, Milton.) It has nothing to with a goat. And most Cub fans would tell you the same thing.

(I also wanted to add one thing. I as a Cub fan am confident that, one day they will in my lifetime win the World Series. And when they do, I am going to enjoy it on a level that only other true Cub fans can appreciate. We have suffered for many years. We have had to watch the White Sox and Cardinals win titles in recent years. We have had to take the insults and jabs without having a good retort. All I can say is when that day comes the chickens are going to come home to roost. The celebration that this city will have will make the Bulls, Bears and White Sox celebrations look like a funeral in comparison. When 101 years of frustration is finally released, you are going to need the National Guard to contain it.)