Why are cubs fans so loyal

Things got worse in February , when several racist and Islamophobic emails sent by patriarch Joe Ricketts surfaced. Aroldis Chapman finished a game suspension for domestic violence which was handed down after he allegedly choked his girlfriend and fired eight gunshots during a dispute on May 9, He was traded to the Cubs on July 25 of that year to help with their World Series run.

In August , the team traded for known homophobe Daniel Murphy. Instead of immediately cutting Russell and sending a clear message that domestic violence will not be tolerated under any circumstances, the team brought him back after his suspension, and when they eventually did part ways with him in the offseason, it was just as much a result of his lack of production at the plate as it was his abusive history.

Renovations to Wrigley Field and the surrounding area, while necessary in many cases, have changed the spirit of the iconic ballpark. Large outfield video boards were put up specifically to obstruct the views from neighboring rooftops, and eventually the Ricketts simply began buying up as many of those buildings as they could. God forbid anyone else should make a little money off of Cubs games.

Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Javy Baez and Kyle Schwarber will all potentially be headed for free agency after the season, and so far the Cubs have dragged their feet when it comes to offering any of them extensions.

I have nothing but great things to say about everybody in this organization and field and city. Despite milking Cubs fans for as much money as they can, the Ricketts seem totally unwilling to spend any money on signing free agents. You always thought a mob was going to come in and drum you out of your side of town. As I watched the cross-town classic between these two neighbors and viewed the Sox fans in Wrigley, I have to admit, I was impressed. You and I both know that the Chicago Cubs have a much cleaner, neater history than the boys from the Southside.

Butt as I watched the crowds gathered in Wrigley and saw how passionate the Sox fans were about their team? I admired something that I think is important, if not the most important part of being a fan — loyalty.

If the Chicago Cubs are a seller, who will teams want? Next 1 of 3 Prev post. He's come to Wrigley after a bad day, after his girlfriend broke up with him, and possibly everything but the dog dying.

Win or lose, Cubs fans come to shake it off well. Still, Wrigleyville wouldn't be the same without a bevvy of beautiful women. These lifelong Chicagoans may not know who's pitching, but picked a good series to stop at The Friendly Confines. I met some Phils fans outside the game before Halladay's debut at Wrigley Field. Phillies fans always know their baseball and can talk circles around other fans in the way that your mechanic knows your car better than you.

Each of these explanations works to some degree, but then again, no. Wrigley is cramped and below current standards of food and amenities to be found even at some minor -league ballparks. In addition, many Cubs games are on local TV or cable only and as such not accessible to everyone in Chicago, much less nationwide.

Writers and film-makers use these terms interchangeably, but the words we take most for granted always need analysis. Or professional baseball? What about little league, high school or college ball, sand-lot pickup games, or even the physical ball itself?

In the case of the Chicago Cubs and their fans, those boundaries are broadly drawn, and examining Cubs fan loyalty in terms of the game and its definition synthesizes many different explanations for their seemingly inexplicable loyalty. Of course, most major league franchises have their die-hard fans; nothing about the Cubs is entirely unique. But Cubs culture has developed many different ways to engage with the game, and that sets its fan culture apart.

The most germane comparison to the Cubs is their cross-town rival White Sox. If romanticized losing could by itself bring in fans, the White Sox, with their World Series victory drought from to , should give Cubs fans plenty of competition.

And at many periods during the 20th Century, the White Sox outdrew the Cubs. But differences between their media strategies, their ballparks, and their neighborhoods show how the broadly drawn boundaries of Cubs baseball create its fan base. Cellular Field were built in densely populated neighborhoods. But the s seem to be the turning point. Like too many modern ballparks, U. The park is clearly designed to ensure that every dollar spent by fans coming to the game is spent inside the ballpark.

Wrigleyville, on the other hand, was transformed since the early s from a working-class neighborhood into a year-round music and night-life district.