I strongly believe that there's a hierarchy of how you should determine what teams you support. It goes something like this:
1) Teams in the town where you were born/grew up.
2) Teams supported by your parents because of where they grew up.
3) Teams in cities you moved to at other points in life.
4) Teams that you choose, freely, because 1-3 don't apply (Example: if you live in Buffalo, have always lived in Buffalo, and your parents always lived in Buffalo, then you can pick whatever MLB team you want)
The one major exception to this heirarchy is for college sports. The college you support should be the one where you attended undergrad, if you did. That is, if you grow up in Nebraska but go to Indiana, then you should be a Hoosier fan more than a Husker fan. (and who wouldn't?)
Given that these are my opinions of how one should select a team, I have one overriding question. WHY DOES ANYONE CHOOSE TO BE A CUB FAN? If you grew up in Chicago, fine. You are exempt. But for all the idiots all over the country who jumped on the bandwagon for a team that hasn't won since 1908, what are you thinking? Why, with no geographic ties to a team, would you intentionally select the historically WORST TEAM EVER? It just doesn't make sense. I personally have a deep hatred for bandwagon fans in general, but cannot fathom why you would jump on a losing bandwagon. I would welcome any responses to this that could shed light on the topic on one condition: do not bring up the term "lovable losers". You aren't loveable, you're just a loser. If you chose the Cubs because you love losers, then are you a Washington Generals fan? They have to be the losingest franchise in any sport, ever. If you are also a Washington Generals fan, a Buffalo Bills fan, a Royals fan, and a Kentucky football fan, you might be able to claim the loveable loser defense. Otherwise, no.
DeLeah Caro
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My guess would be WGN. The Cubs are on TV constantly even for people with just basic cable. Are there as many Braves fans with WTBS? I don't know.
1Hawkeye1 wants Vida
Clear Lake , IA
Total Comments (1920)
So watching a team lose a bunch makes you want to support them? Um, sorry Hawkeye, I'm not convinced.
BigLar
Denver , CO
Total Comments (26)
The Cubs are a brand as much as they are a team. I grew up on the Northside and am a die-hard fan for life...but the Trib has done a spectacular job of selling the Cubs as a product (W/L record aside). Day baseball, Wrigley Field -- being a Cubs fan is about having fun and enjoying a day at the ballpark just as much as it is about the results on the field.
By the way, I have far more respect for the fan of a team that doesn't win every year and can stick by them than the fan that only watches/wears the team colors/etc. when their team is winning.
WGN *is* a big reason. A lot of native Chicagoans have moved to the Southwest over the years (explaining the Cubs fans in AZ, SoCal, etc. -- and they pass it on to their kids).
The promise (or hope, rather) of finally winning it all is also a big draw. When you haven't tasted the big reward in so long, the allure of it becomes sweeter and sweeter every year.
Bricks and Ivy Radio
Chicago , IL
Total Comments (99)
Just to add to that...if you live somewhere in the US where there isn't a baseball team close by, you're probably going to hitch your wagon to the team that either a) wins a lot (your assertion) or b) you can see play on a regular basis -- that pretty much means the Cubs on WGN or the Braves on TBS.
It isn't as strange as you're making it seem, Lar.
Anyhoo, that's my take on it. Have a great weekend!
Bricks and Ivy Radio
Chicago , IL
Total Comments (99)
Great blog-I grew up in Chicago and I hate the Cubs, so why anybody would choose to root for them is beyond me-even if they live in the windy city!!!
Lost in Texas
San Antonio , TX
Total Comments (7)
This is a nice topic for discussion. Here's my own experience:
I live in South Carolina. I wasn't even a baseball fan until 1991. The Braves captured the attention of the entire southeastern US with their improbable run to the Series, and it not only made a Braves fan of me, it made a serious, hardcore baseball fan of me.
The idea of being a bad team, then suddenly building a winner, was what brought me on board. In researching the game's history, I focused on the Red Sox and the Cubs, because of their histories of relative futility in large markets, where the fans were numerous, passionate, and 'deserving' of a winner. It made 2004 my favorite baseball season ever, seeing the Red Sox make so many old-timers happy throughout New England and many other parts of the world.
I delight, not in the losing, but in the winning that follows, when it follows. The Tigers' story last year (seeing the absolute euphoria of long-suffering Tigers' fans), and the Brewers' story so far this year, are further examples. If, in anyone's estimation, that makes me a 'bandwagon' fan, I'm OK with that. I simply like seeing underdogs succeed, whenever and wherever they do.
GalaxyJim
Campobello , SC
Total Comments (183)
My father grew up in Chicago and as a navy brat, everything I recieved from my grandparents had the Cubs, Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls logo on it. I have suffered each season I've been a Cub fan and look forward to the day they win it all (whether I'm alive or not).
However, I chose not to influence my son's choices. He is a Yankee, Eagle, Ranger, Bulls fan.
platta34
Oxford , NY
Total Comments (1)
I wouldn't call myself a Cubs fan per se but there is a soft spot in my heart for them. My dad always cheered for underdogs so I kind of do the same thing. When I was a kid and just started playing baseball I found out Ron Santo and I shared the same birthday so he became one of my favorites and then I cheered them on. Anyway, I want to see them slay the so-called goat curse and get into the WS so people who aren't Cubs fan would stop calling them losers. They've got some nice players now and should be able to be competitive in a very weak Central Div for years to come.
rhymeister
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