Hey Chicago, what do you say?

Another perspective on the Cubs fans/Sox fans thing:

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/columns/articles/1013bickley1013.html

I agree that the rivalry is mostly in the head of Sox fans due to their feelings of inferiority regarding the Cubs brand. But I think the writer, as well as the people he talked to, underestimates how hard it is to root for the Sox when you live in the city and have to put up with Sox fans manifesting that inferiority complex in the form of near-constant insults. Just listen to the sports radio, which - seemingly against all odds - appears to be practically dominated by Sox fans. Perhaps the most popular show is ESPN 1000 AM's Mac, Jurko and Harry, which runs from 3 to 7 in the afternoon drive time spot; as far as baseball goes, the show is on a virtual par with Hannity and Colmes. Dan McNeil, the lead host, is a rabid Sox fan; Harry is a Cubs fan while Jurko's allegiance seems best described as "leaning to the Cubs from nowhere in particular." It would be hard to say McNeil hates the Cubs - at least, he doesn't outright hate on them on air - but he does seem to spend much of the year needling the others for their chosen team. By comparison, Harry and Jurko play the Colmes role - absorbing Mac's abuse with good nature, and flattering the Sox more often than not. Sure, there was plenty to flatter this year, but the point here is this: if Cubs fans were so invested in this rivalry, there would have been a lot more instances on the show of people just screaming at each other angrily over game results. The three argue plenty between themselves, but an angry Cubs-Sox rivalry does not seem first on the agenda, even as strongly as Mac pushes the Sox.

Meanwhile, in the course of listening to AM 720, which carries the Cubs games, I don't think I have once heard even a passing reference to the White Sox, and certainly not a rivalry-induced potshot. So take from that what you will.

However, just because most Cubs fans aren't invested in the rivalry doesn't mean we should give the Sox and their fans a free pass for being total asses about it. Right? I don't hate the Sox, but their fans - and, for similar reasons, their manager - annoy me, so I can't in good conscience root for them to win. So I'm mostly watching the ALCS the same way I'm watching the NLCS - with results-curious disinterest. I like knowing who wins, but I won't really like it if any of these teams do win - it's the 2003 World Series all over again (where I wanted to root against the Yankees as always, but found it really hard to root for the team that had caused the Cubs to break my heart). Combine this with a bad start to the Bears' season (save the aberrational Lions game) and I'm really hoping Northwestern is for real.