Cubs fans forced to chose the least of three evils

Column originally published Oct. 19, 2005

And so it is down to this — the three teams Cubs fans hate most are the only three left playing for the right to be called World Series champion.

Seriously, is there a way to put a positive spin on this? If the Astros or Cardinals prevail, Cubs fans will be beaten over the head with that fact for almost 20 games next season. And if the White Sox win, well, do we really need to talk about how uncomfortable that would be?

Sox fans already hate Cubs fans. They hate our stadium. They hate our over-the-top worship of Harry Caray, who was a Sox broadcaster before he attained global fame with the Cubs. They hate our Billy goat curse. They hate that we’re even better known for our losing than them, even though the Sox have been first rate losers for many, many seasons since 1917.

They hate the same people I do — people who show up to a game to drink $7 beers, pick up a sunburn and work the cell phone the entire time. When Ryne Sandberg, at his Hall of Fame induction speech, ripped players who always know where to find the dugout camera with the red light on, he also should have harpooned the hundreds of idiots in the $100 seats behind home plate who wave at Lord knows who for nine innings straight.

But despite all that, I’m inclined to see the White Sox as the lesser of three evils here.

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