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Cubs fans prove obnoxious; Schmoldt bids adieu
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Also by Eric Schmoldt:
- UW opens spring with trip to nationÍs capital (March 21, 2006)
- Point/Counterpoint: Who will win the NFC North? (September 14, 2005)
- Badgers set high goals for conference meet (April 28, 2006)
- Bourque makes most of NHL debut with Chicago (October 12, 2005)
- Badgers not overlooking Mavericks (November 18, 2005)
Related Stories:
- Don't hate the player, hate the team (September 5, 2003)
- Outlook bright for Crew ... no, really (April 12, 2005)
- Seligs to sell Brewers (January 19, 2004)
- A-Rod, Brew Crew start fast (April 25, 2007)
by Eric Schmoldt
Thursday, May 4, 2006
"Brewers suck! Brewers suck! Brewers suck! At least Brett Favre is coming back next year! Brewers suck!"
That was the sound coming from the left field bleachers Sunday, right after the Cubs had lost to the Brewers 9-0 — yes, I said lost 9-0. You've just gotta love those Chicago Cubs fans.
Wait, no you don't. In fact, I freaking despise Cubs fans — well, most of them anyways; I don't really hate my grandpa. But that's neither here nor there.
I asked myself a question on the way down to Wrigley — it would be my first time at the historic park — which is worse, real Cubs fans or bandwagon Cubs fans? By the end of the day, I would realize that there is no right or wrong answer to that question.
I don't know if it was the rain that kept the yuppies indoors on Sunday, but I sure got a treat sitting next to the unkempt spectators in left field.
Why, I had the usual bleacher bum "dirty dozen" sitting in front of me. They proceeded to taunt Carlos Lee into belting a home run before resorting to making out so shamelessly that they might as well have been having sex.
Then again, they weren't much better than the pair of couples behind me that wouldn't shut up the entire game. And it's not like they were talking baseball — though one of the girlfriends "goes to a lot of games and once sat right in the first row." No, instead I got to hear them discuss how they were watching the latest "Real Sex" on HBO about how people liked to screw horses.
Then you had those who liked to yell at Lee when he was manning left field, poking fun at the former White Sox player who wasn't there last year to win a ring. I didn't know if I should tap them on the shoulder and remind them that — yes, the Brewers have never won one — but the Cubs are coming up on a century without winning a World Series themselves.
And as if all of that wasn't enough, it was difficult to get a beer to drown out the surrounding idiots, thanks to some rules at Wrigley Field. Even though I turned 21 last July, because my ID said that I wouldn't be 21 until 7/24/84, I could not purchase alcohol. That's fine if the ballpark wants to have that rule; I assume it just doesn't want to have to hire workers that can read those numbers. Give me a break.
Anyways, I could go on and on about how I hate Cubs fans, but I don't need a flood of e-mails, and this is my last column after two straight years of Schmoldt .45 between the two student dailies, so I figure I should wrap up some loose ends.
If Sunday had any pros, it was that it helped me to further realize how special Wisconsin fans are. Sitting in the press box over the past four years surrounded by the best fans in the country and not being able to cheer has been difficult.
I don't really hate The Daily Cardinal as much as I let on sometimes. They were good to me for three years; it was just time for a change.
I've covered more than 150 games over the past four years. The best as a fan included when the Badger men's basketball team claimed the Big Ten regular season title and when Wisconsin beat Ohio State in football in the rain my sophomore year. Of those, I covered, the Capital One Bowl and the hockey game at Lambeau Field rank right up there. But, by far, the best was the national championship I covered just one month ago.
Speaking of hockey, I've been to more than 100 games in my four years, including 34 of 44 this season. I was a young and unpolished reporter at the same time that the team was, and my reporting progressed as the team did. Hopefully I can tuck in at least one more year of covering the team before my run is done. And watch for my book in the near future.
But I told myself I wasn't going to write some grand, sappy farewell column. While my run at the student papers has ended, I'll be around town for at least another semester, continuing to write for various other outlets. Say "hello" if you see me around.
Thanks for reading over the past four years, and please continue to do so. It has been my pleasure to bring you all the latest in the realm of UW sports, and I hope you have enjoyed it as well. And don't forget: Continue to be the best fans in college sports.
It's been a great ride. Thanks, and crack a cold one for me.
Anonymous (May 4, 2006 @ 4:46am):
Cubs do indeed suck.
Derek Montgomery
Anonymous (May 4, 2006 @ 9:41am):
Finally the cheese head nation stands up to defend their own! There is nothing more annoying then going into an office and seeing a Brett Favre poster and a Cubs Poster in the same cubicle, which happens far far too often in this great state. I'd take a day at Miller Park over a day at the over hyped mega bar that is Wrigley.
Anonymous (May 4, 2006 @ 9:44am):
White Sox-Brewers World Series baby! The Battle of I-94. Pick it up Brew Crew so we can make this happen.
Anonymous (May 4, 2006 @ 12:20pm):
Go Cubs, Brewers suck.
Anonymous (May 4, 2006 @ 1:10pm):
Wow, the above poster just disproved everything written about them in the article....oh wait, no they didn't. Over the last 20 years the Brewers have a better record than than the lowly cubs, unfortunately the nonstop Yankees/Red Sox/Cubs media can't take their eyes off of the big three for long enough to realize this.
Anonymous (May 4, 2006 @ 2:50pm):
What do you think people see UW fans as? They are usually drunk, making out with each other, yelling dumb things at opposing players. Why are cubs fans so bad again?
Anonymous (May 5, 2006 @ 10:10am):
Great stuff Eric. I love your columns and I agree with you about Cub fans. they're almost as insane as Wolverines if you get my drift.
Anonymous (May 5, 2006 @ 11:17am):
Wait, someone is mad that UW fans make out with each other. S/he must not be getting any tail.
Anonymous (May 5, 2006 @ 12:11pm):
At least at UW games the fans have a basic knowledge of the sport they are watching, and in the case of hockey fans they can probably tell you the roster of every team for the last 15 years. Go to a Cubs game and you'd be lucky if someone could name a player besides Derrek Lee on the active roster. Half of them still think Sammy Sosa still plays.
Anonymous (May 5, 2006 @ 2:28pm):
I have to disagree with this article. It's true, there are some Cubs fans that are like this. However, the majority are not. I am a Cubs fan, but I'll be the first to admit when they suck (like right now) and I'll definitely cheer for the Brewers if they make the playoffs. Besides, the way you described those fans basically describes some Badger fans on football Saturdays...
padraic stanton (May 5, 2006 @ 3:58pm):
Get a clue buddy....Milwaukee will NEVER compare to Chicago sports. That goes for the pathetic Bucks as well.
Anonymous (May 5, 2006 @ 5:10pm):
I'm the biggest badger fan in the world and even I can admit that there are a great number of fans at games who probably think Brett Favre is the Badger QB. This doesn't make them any worse of fans, but let's not act like all Badger fans have memorized the media guide and can recite every stat from the past 20 years. Anyway, you want to see a bunch of really ignorant obnoxious fans just go to a Bears game -- Cubs fans are harmless and are there for the fun of it, like the majority of UW fans. Why all the hate?
Anonymous (May 7, 2006 @ 3:32pm):
padraic...you are an idiot
Anonymous (May 8, 2006 @ 11:37pm):
The thing I love: How the Brewers think we have a rivalry with them. Sorry guys, you have to take a number for that one. Your are waaaay down there beneath the Cards, Astros, Reds, Mets, Dodgers and Giants at least.
Anonymous (May 9, 2006 @ 11:55am):
Do the Mets, Reds, Dodgers and Giants know you have a rivarly? Because the Mets and the west coast teams could care less what happens to the hapless cubs. And you're right, you can't have a rivarly with a team like Milwaukee because they have owned you in recent years, much like the White Sox. You forgot to add them to your list even though Sox/Cubs used to be one of the best rivalries in sports. However the Sox recent domination and the cubs continued struggles have made Sox fans feel little more than pity for their once proud neighbors to the north.
Anonymous (May 11, 2006 @ 1:19pm):
It's true. Cubs suck. Cubs fans are sad and pathetic know-nothing fans. Go White Sox!
Anonymous (May 12, 2006 @ 10:06am):
I hope this article stays up all summer so we can keep commenting on the freefall downward spiral those "lovable" losers are on. At this rate they will "pass" the pirates for last place in the MLB by Father's Day.
Anonymous (May 15, 2006 @ 12:13pm):
I concur. Cubs are completely worthless.
-Lee Ironside
Anonymous (May 17, 2006 @ 10:54am):
I moved from Madison to Chicago. I was told to pick a side. It was no problem. White Sox all the way, and not because they were World Series Champs (I actually moved here before the playoffs started when they were in danger of not making the playoffs to the then hard-charging Indians). White Sox fans like baseball, and Chicago Cubs fans like drinking. Now, I like drinking too, but I like taking my sports seriously, and Cubs fans do anything but.
So, I live in Lakeview, which is a hop skip and a jump from Wrigley Field. Every game day my neighborhood is flooded with drunk yuppies pissing in alleys and groping "hotties" coming out of bars. The fans suck, the team sucks (you beat the Nationals yesterday...holla!), the whole vibe in that area is "look, we can afford $60 bleacher seats, and yap on our cell phones and check out the girls" (who don't give / know / care a bit about the games).
Pathetic. I love wearing my Sox hat on the north side, and know that I'm backing...gasp...a winner.
Anonymous (May 19, 2006 @ 9:22am):
I also live in Lake View. Some drunk old man in a cubs hat tried to pick a fight with me because I was wearing a sox jersey. Unforutunately he couldn't take the two steps towards me to actually start the fight. Poor drunken bastard.
Anonymous (May 21, 2006 @ 10:11pm):
Dude.
The Bucks were in the playoffs. I don't seem to recall the Bulls being there
Anonymous (May 23, 2006 @ 3:42pm):
next time write a column about the yankees, then you'll get more people who agree with you. Yeah Cubbies
Anonymous (May 24, 2006 @ 9:50am):
Cubs fans are just as annoying as Yankee fans, only they don't have those pesky championship rings weighing them down.
Erica Andersen (June 1, 2006 @ 9:28am):
Is this a sports column or a blog? Please don't whine. You could buy a better seat and be surrounded by a classier crowd. You could go to a different vendor to buy alcohol. You could deal with the fact that you'll get heckled if you go to a game and root for the opposing team.
Being a biased Cubs fan myself, I must defend my fellow brethren. True, we can be obnoxious, but we are faithful and true to our Cubbies. Why else does Wrigley sell out almost every game even when the Cubs are sucking it up? As for Brewers fans, I don't see them taking over Wrigley when the Brew crew comes to town. See you at Wrigley North!
