Chicago has been home to several, very old, professional sports franchises. The Windy City is home to the Bulls (NBA), the Bears (NFL), and the Blackhawks (NHL). While Chicago has very good support for their teams, they are split on America’s favorite pastime (baseball), with the Cubs and White Sox causing a divide. Although they are located in the same city, the two clubs have quite contrasting fanbases. Northside vs Southside? National League (Cubs) or American League (White Sox)? Diehard or bandwagon? The baseball fans at CHS choose between two of baseball’s oldest teams.

Northsiders

Cubs junkies, also dubbed “Northsiders,” were always defined by their supposed curse and their dismal World Series drought. In 1945, William “Billy Goat” Sianis, an avid Cubs fan and owner of the Billy Goat Tavern, brought his pet goat “Murphy” to the stadium with him. Supposedly, he had two tickets, but was kicked out of the stadium. Sianis, in a fit of rage after being rejected from the stadium by the ushers and P.K. Wrigley (Cubs owner), ostensibly declared “The Cubs ain’t gonna win no more.” The Cubs would lose game four of the World Series that day, and eventually lose the series.

The Cubs would not win a World Series until 2016, ending a 108 year World Series drought. The 2016 season was a definitive moment for the Cubs fanbase. Diehard fans, who had endured heartbreak after heartbreak, witnessed the first title of their lives. Young fans got caught up in Cubs fever, and the “W flag” was trending. Historically, the Cubs have always been the widespread favorite team. The Cubs play at Wrigley Field, the second oldest ballpark in the majors. Wrigley Field, which seems small when one is there, is renowned for its old feel and most notably the ivy that covers the outfield walls. While there are quite a few diehard fans out there, there are also many people who merely identify as Cubs fans, but probably just followed the crowd with the 2016 Cubs craze.

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“I think the Cubs could be pretty good this year and possibly win the division, although they haven’t done enough in the offseason to have an impact past that,” calculus teacher and Cubs fan Chris Hackett said.

“[I’m] Not a fan of the White Sox. Never have been. I think they’re the worst team in baseball like they were last year. The ballpark is ok. The Cubs are a better run organization, they have a better ballpark, pinstripe blues are some of the best uniforms and are iconic. Northside is better than Southside,” he explained.

Southsiders

White Sox fans, AKA “Southsiders”, are the minority in Chicagoland. They are from the south side, and see themselves as a more “rugged” fanbase. The fans say they are more loyal than Northsiders, even though there are fewer of them. Overall, the Sox have not had too much success, much like the Cubs. The Sox won the World Series in 2005 thanks to pitching ace Mark Buehrle and hitting heroics from Paul Konerko, and ended a long World Series drought of their own. In 1906, the Sox defeated none other than the Cubs to claim the trophy, and took it again in 1917 after victory against the New York Giants (yes, it was a baseball team). Two years later, the White Sox were involved in a gambling scandal, involving the players purposefully losing the World Series. The team, nicknamed the “Black Sox”, would go down in infamy and eight players would be banned. The 2005 championship team ended the second longest world series drought (the curse of the Billy Goat is the reason the Sox aren’t number one).

Last year, they set the record for most losses in a season. Even though it may not have the same personality as Wrigley Field, the White Sox stadium is also quite nice. Although it seems to change names all the time, to the annoyance of fans, it is a very cool ballpark to be at for a day game (having been to one myself), and the fireworks behind center field are extremely fun to see at night games. The stadium was formerly known as Comiskey Park, U.S. Cellular Field, and Guaranteed Rate Field, before settling on just Rate Field. With their recent seasons, it is pretty much guaranteed that their fanbase is truly loyal, since bandwagons aren’t flocking to the White Sox.

“You can get cheap tickets to Sox games and it’s a lot of fun. Cubs fans are very cocky. They just have something about them that I don’t like, whereas White Sox fans don’t have it easy. I think Southsiders are smarter, tougher, and more fun to be around,” CHS junior outfielder and Kentucky baseball commit Rob Czarniecki said.

“Two years ago, I went to the third game against the Astros in the playoffs, and the White Sox won at home 12-6. Leury García hit a three run home run, and that was the loudest I have ever heard a stadium. I’ll never forget that moment,” Czarniecki added.

 The CHS Pick?

At CHS, the Cubs still reign as the popular pick. After a quick survey of many CHS baseball players, random students, and faculty members, the results came back that there were twice as many who identified with the Cubs than the Sox (20 to 10 split). Eight people said they cheer for another team, including three Boston Red Sox fans. Custodian John Little explained that he has always been a Cubs fan since he watched them with his family as a kid. He said that his grandpa, aunts and uncles, and entire family cheered for them, so he followed suit. Mr. Hackett shares a similar backstory as John, and has a flag of Cubs player Ryne Sandberg in his classroom. One oddity, which I did not include in the above results, was algebra teacher Patrick Ward who, responding to the question of Cubs or White Sox, responded with “both.” Spanish teacher Amy Weil cheers for her hometown team; the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Mr. Gland roots for the Kansas City Royals since his brother, Mark Gland, was in the Royals affiliated triple A team. Seniors and cousins Kendall and Karlie Nelson both cheer for the Cubs, even though their grandpa Phil “Pat” Tomkinson played twelve seasons in the minors and was affiliated with several different major league teams, according to Baseball Reference.

Principal Martinson versus Hackett

To spice the game up a little bit and mix in some fun, Hackett and principal Brent Martinson have an amusing venture every year based on that year’s crosstown series split. Martinson, a steadfast southsider, wore a Cubs jersey as punishment for the Sox losing so badly in the Crosstown Cup last year. This year, since the Cubs are expected to be so much better, an even split results in Martinson winning the bet.

“If they (the White Sox) win 5, I need to wear a Sox jersey and hat, and if the Sox win all 6, I need to go on the PA and state my love for that dreadful south-side team.  It’s just a friendly little wager between two baseball fans who love our Chicago baseball teams,” Hackett explained.