WARNING!! Annual Off-Topic Baseball Thread. Esteemed Members BEWARE!!

[tjones1]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

However, they're trying - there are a few members of this forum ..ahem...tjones1... who can practically say they have not seen the Cardinals win a W.S. in their lifetime.

Hmm, yes, true!

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

Better fans than the ones in NY that go to a game just to yell, "Hey, _______, you suck!"?

Yep.

At least the Yankee fans get on their team and manager for the right reasons. Cubs fans get on their manager when most of the players that he is given cannot play part of the season. Also the Yankee fans are used to winning. I expect a little arrogance and bravado.

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

Where were the all the White Sox fans before 2005? In fact, weren't there games not sold out at the Cell late in the season last year? According to ESPN.com, the Cubs still averaged more than 2,500 per game more than the White Sox in 2006. And they averaged almost 10,000 fans more per game in the year the White Sox won the World Series. And it isn't because Wrigley holds more than the Cell. And it certainly isn't because it's easier to get to Wrigley, or easier to park, etc. Sure, it's easy to be a fan when your team's winning. So what does that say about White Sox fans?

This is why a lot of people hate Cubs fans. You are talking about attendance right now. Now Championships or actual success is not the factor, meaningless attendance numbers are what are key in the bigger picture. I went to a Cubs game about 4 years ago and I was amazed how little anyone was paying attention to the actual game. The only people watching the game and talking baseball were some Cards fans that were sitting behind me. Everyone one else was on the cell phone or concerned about the beer in their hand. The game was not the attraction, the ball park was.

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

I will give St. Louis fans their due. They seem to have a good reputation of support, although I would like to see how their support would stay if they had the same record as the Cubs. However, they're trying - there are a few members of this forum ..ahem...tjones1... who can practically say they have not seen the Cardinals win a W.S. in their lifetime.

The Cards have had bad years and the fans do not support a team that is terrible. They will support good baseball but not a team that is just bad. Usually the Cardinals are rather successful (considering they have been to about 4 World Series in my lifetime). Just because you show up to a game does not make you a good fan. I live in Chicago and I listen to local radio sports radio all the time and the last thing Cubs fans hold on to is what their attendance figures are. It just makes the point of all those that want a successful team. The Cubs were horrible and the stands were packed for a team that was out of the race since July.

Peace

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Cubs fans get on their manager when most of the players that he is given cannot play part of the season.

God Himself couldn't have won with the pitching staff that the Cubs G.M. assembled. Hendry wasn't gonna fire himself though, so the Rev. Johnny B. got the boot. That's the way it works, unfortunately.

Baker will end up somewhere. He's a good baseball man.

[M&M Guy]

Ok, here goes:

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Cubs fans get on their manager when most of the players that he is given cannot play part of the season.

I know this fan didn't put the blame on Dusty because of that. I did put the blame on him when I saw players that were playing doing things like not hustling out ground balls, making bad decisions out in the field, being last or next to last in advancing runners and hitting w/runners in scoring position.

Originally Posted by JRutledge

Also the Yankee fans are used to winning. I expect a little arrogance and bravado.

I think it's more of a NY attitude, rather than a Yankee fan attitude. According to a friend who watched a game at Yankee Stadium last year, he made the comment about how he wasn't sure he would feel comfortable about taking his daughter there to watch a game, just because of some of the things fans were yelling. Is that an issue everywhere? Perhaps, but he said it was more noticeable there.

Originally Posted by JRutledge

This is why a lot of people hate Cubs fans.

Which people are you talking about? White Sox fans? Certainly not people outside the city of Chicago. White Sox fans have always had an inferiority complex when it comes to dealing with Cub fans.

Originally Posted by JRutledge

You are talking about attendance right now. Now Championships or actual success is not the factor, meaningless attendance numbers are what are key in the bigger picture.

Meaningless?? The number of people that go to a team's games is meaningless when it comes to determining a fan base? What criteria do you use to determine fan base?

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I went to a Cubs game about 4 years ago and I was amazed how little anyone was paying attention to the actual game. The only people watching the game and talking baseball were some Cards fans that were sitting behind me. Everyone one else was on the cell phone or concerned about the beer in their hand. The game was not the attraction, the ball park was.

How many games have you been to since that particular game? I've been to 5 baseball games this past season - 2 at Wrigley, 1 at the Cell, 1 in Cleveland, and 1 in St. Louis. I've noticed that at every game I've been to, so I'm not sure that's a "Wrigley" phenomenon as much as a society issue. There were any number of people talking on cell phones, talking about their job, telling their kids they had enough cotton candy, etc, etc. Heck, in Cleveland there was a group of guys that spent an inning and a half discussing whether Steve Perry from Journey was the greatest rock-n-roll singer ever. Can I extrapolate that Cleveland fans really are the dumber than Cub fans???

Originally Posted by JRutledge

The Cubs were horrible and the stands were packed for a team that was out of the race since July.

Again, I contend anyone can be a fair-weather fan. A real fan supports their team even when the team is horrible. Cub fans show up, buy merchandise, and support the team. How else do you measure how good a team's fans are than during the down years (yea, yea, centuries...)?

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

God Himself...

Yoohoo...Juulie...

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

Yoohoo...Juulie...

And Chuck.

He's one of them left-wing, PC, libber, PETA, tree-hugging, shave-the-whales types too.

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

And Chuck.

He's one of them left-wing, PC, libber, PETA, tree-hugging, shave-the-whales types too.

I didn't realize left-wingers liked clean-shaven whales.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

I didn't realize left-wingers liked clean-shaven whales.

Dogbert does.....

The intelligentsia will understand the reference.

[Dan_ref]

Originally Posted by Jurassic Referee

Baker will end up somewhere. He's a good baseball man.

Yeah, he's good to get fired another 3 or 4 more times before hangin' 'em up.

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

Yoohoo...Juulie...

Nah, I don't fight for God. I'll let God take care of it Godself!

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by rainmaker

Nah, I don't fight for God. I'll let God take care of it Godself!

Dang it, I was hoping to listen in on a good hellfire and damnation speach.

I guess I'll have to watch baseball tonight instead.

[Dan_ref]

Originally Posted by rainmaker

Nah, I don't fight for God. I'll let God take care of it Godself!

btw, God tells me that's damn good of you.

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

Dang it, I was hoping to listen in on a good hellfire and damnation speach.

I guess I'll have to watch baseball tonight instead.

I'm not good on hellfire and damnation speeches. But I do a great sermon on Why God is Not Like a Referee. It was a huge hit at my church a couple of years ago.

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by Dan_ref

btw, God tells me that's damn good of you.

Little pun, there, Dan? cute, very cute...

[Dan_ref]

Originally Posted by rainmaker

Little pun, there, Dan? cute, very cute...

What? God doesn't have a sense of humor?