white sox sux but at least we got company.

[Chado1]

It's so fucking true.

I got more calls from my Sux buddies laughing about the Cubs loss, and couldn't understand why they weren't upset that their "Ace" who got a fat extention last year got SHELLED opening day.

Sux fans are pathetic.

Now thats funny right there...

[Spark]

Sux fans are pathetic.

Always have been and always will be ....

[kbsooner21]

Always have been and always will be ....

Are they really that bad??

[jcindaville]

[TheRook]

So how does the team that finally cracks the code, the team that buries the town's baseball image as a double-jeopardy Charlie Brown, wind up right back in the doghouse? How did a World Series title become little more than a one-year blip for the White Sox, whose reign might have had less residual staying power than any I've seen in professional sports?

``When I sat down a number of years ago and used the word `championships' -- plural -- it was met with ridicule,'' general manager Ken Williams said.


Funny, I don't remember much ridicule. In fact, I remember broaching the possibility of two or three championships, a possible dynasty. Instead, the Sox died nasty the last two years, plummeting into another one-and-done Chicago riddle muddled by Williams' bizarre winter moves and his manager's hysterical buffoonery. The organization never developed an aura, slipping into its familiar inferior nook as the city's second club and summer afterthought, a perception that never has been more grounded in reality than on Opening Day of 2008.

``White Sox Baseball: Share the passion. Show the swagger,'' goes their new slogan, authored by their new advertising agency.

Um, why must the Sox have a slogan every friggin' year? Do the Red Sox? Do the Yankees? Do the Tampa Bay Rays, who simply dropped the devil reference? Franchises with slogans are desperate to draw attention, which shouldn't be necessary just 30 months after winning a championship. And it should be noted that ``swagger'' is a term used regularly by the manager at Wrigley Field, Lou Piniella, who rules the city's buzz quotient only one season after Ozzie Guillen was so brash to: (a) declare that he owns Chicago; and (b) object that Piniella be included in any popularity conversation. In amazingly quick fashion, the Sox not only have free-fallen from the elite but now are borrowing from Piniella, who really is a hoot, such as when he was asked over the weekend about the never-ending Brian Roberts trade rumors.

``The only thing I do on the Internet is trade stocks once in a while,’’ Piniella said. ``I don’t trade infielders. And I certainly don’t read sports there.''

Smart man.

And the forgotten Ozzie? Mere months after signing a contract extension he didn't deserve -- an extension ordered because team chairman Jerry Reinsdorf is trying to gloss over Guillen's recent managerial disasters -- it sounds as if the Blizzard of Oz might want to bail if the mediocre Sox start poorly.

``Trust me,'' Guillen said. ``If this thing takes the wrong direction early on like it did last year -- I swear to God, if it reaches that point, I'm going to Jerry and saying: `Look, don't let my contract make it so I'm holding you hostage; we can talk about something different. You can rip up my contract and do a new one, less years. You won't have to pay me for this.' ''

As the Ozzie Watch begins, the predominant local concern remains the Cubs, still best known for eternal follies that include a fan reaching for a foul ball and sabotaging a pennant. They've sold more than 2.8 million tickets before the first pitch. They're picked by Sports Illustrated to reach the Series. They rule the back page, the sportscasts, the talk shows, the columns. They are a curiosity in Japan thanks to the new right fielder, Kosuke Fukudome. Little, old ladies are praying every night for the health of Kerry Wood's arm. They've opened a new Harry Caray's on Sheffield, with a nightly seance involving the man himself. Not only are the Cubs the big story around here, they're probably the only story, as former Chicago news anchor Brent Musburger might say himself today in a rare baseball booth appearance on ESPN.

Which is a devastating sociological blow for the Sox, who only two years ago trumpeted that they had better TV numbers than the Cubs and were making major dents in the oneupsmanship race. Understanding that allegiances to both teams generally are declared out of the womb and never waver, the Sox did have a chance to woo independents and kids. But their grand opportunity crashed in the summer of 2006, when Guillen wigged out and, coincidentally or not, the club never recovered, losing 135 of the next 244 games.

The problem has been a lack of focus, passion, energy. Even Reinsdorf said as much to USA Today, one of the few newspapers he talks to: ``Last year, we not only had a bad record, but the effort wasn't there.'' Effort falls under the job description of the manager, which suggests Guillen's Face of the Sox act is undercutting the ultimate purpose of winning games. At least, after targeting everyone but the Dalai Lama over an insane three-year period, he's beginning to take some blame. ``I was so embarrassed at the end of the season,'' Guillen said. ``When I left Chicago on that Monday morning after the season was over, that was the only time I ever wanted a private jet because I was embarrassed to go to O'Hare Airport and have people look at me like, `That's the guy who is at fault.' I really was. We should all be disappointed about the season last year. But a lot of people have said that Ozzie did a tremendous job to win it [in 2005], so they have to blame me also. In the meanwhile, when they blame me, blame me for the right reason. Don't blame me because you don't like me as a person. If you blame me because I was the manager, I can take it.''

Williams, too, has co-conspired to turn a champion into a sub-.500 operation. Trading for Jim Thome was a good thing, but relinquishing inspirational Aaron Rowand was not -- and refusing to re-sign Rowand as a free agent because he wanted a fifth year, one of those counterproductive Reinsdorf rules, was even dumber. The Sox are starting the very raw Alexei Ramirez in center field today, which symbolizes where they are as a franchise.

This remains a one-dimensional, whiff-daffy lineup that somehow hit 190 home runs yet had the worst offense in the majors, which I don't think is possible in any video game. Williams has retained too many keepsake names from the championship club and now has an old roster that could break down all season. His pitching rotation consists of Javier Vazquez, Mark Buehrle and ... what, exactly? An ancient Jose Contreras, a developing John Danks and an overhyped Gavin Floyd. How's this for a slogan, ad agency: ``Vazquez and Buehrle, and go home early.''

By June, Ozzie will have threatened to quit six times and will be managing in an official, MLB-licensed straitjacket. By July, Williams will launch a fire sale that guts Paul Konerko, Orlando Cabrera, Joe Crede, Juan Uribe and Contreras. The Cell will feel cold, with Gene Honda's public-address voice bouncing off empty seats, and once again, as has been the norm for the better part of your Chicago lives, most attention will focus squarely on a patch of grass on the North Side. The Cubs will finish 89-73, win the division title in newly christened Menards Yards and lose in the playoffs to the Mets.

The Sox will finish 77-85, good for fourth place in their division, and rely on Nick Swisher Bobblehead Day to keep a dwindling fan base interested.

Face it: It's a Cubs town, a Cubs world.

The Sox just rent in it.

[TheRook]

Are they really that bad??

I promise you they are.

They are horrid.

And it's all based off of how jealous they are that all the attention minus 2005 which no one remembers anymore goes to the Cubs.

[TheRook]

I forgot....who's your favorite baseball team again???

[musclemann]

Something tells me you won't be around much this summer.

Enjoy that loss while you can.


Difference between Cubs fans and Sux fans.....

Cubs lose yesterday and we could give two shits what the minor league team on the south side did.

Sux lose yesterday (expected by the Sux fans) but it's a good day because they were glued to the TV sets watching the Cubs game. That's sad.

Carry on Sux fans...do what you do best!

hey buddy how are you?

ITS GONNA HAPPEN!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TheRook]

hey buddy how are you?

ITS GONNA HAPPEN!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOL....I'm good bro.

Hope all is well with you.

[musclemann]

It's so fucking true.

I got more calls from my Sux buddies laughing about the Cubs loss, and couldn't understand why they weren't upset that their "Ace" who got a fat extention last year got SHELLED opening day.

Sux fans are pathetic.

SOX FANS ARE TRUE BASEBALL FANS WHO ARE I000 PERCENT MORE KNOWLEGEABLE THAN BOYSTOWN FANS ON THE NORTH SIDE.

THE DIFFERENCE IS SOX FANS DONT BLINDLY FOLLOW A PATHETIC LOSING ORGANIZATION FOR 100 HUNDRED YEARS.

ITS LIKE COMING HOME AND FINDING YOUR WIFE IN BED WITH ANOTHER MAN AND THEN SAYING ITS OK HONEY YOUR GOING TO BE FAITHFUL ONE DAY,

BEFORE YOU BLUE SKIRT LADIES KEEP TALKING CRAP TRY AND WIN ONE WORLD SERIES TROPHY IN YOUR LIFETIME.

[Chado1]

SOX FANS ARE TRUE BASEBALL FANS WHO ARE I000 PERCENT MORE KNOWLEGEABLE THAN BOYSTOWN FANS ON THE NORTH SIDE.

THE DIFFERENCE IS SOX FANS DONT BLINDLY FOLLOW A PATHETIC LOSING ORGANIZATION FOR 100 HUNDRED YEARS.

ITS LIKE COMING HOME AND FINDING YOUR WIFE IN BED WITH ANOTHER MAN AND THEN SAYING ITS OK HONEY YOUR GOING TO BE FAITHFUL ONE DAY,

BEFORE YOU BLUE SKIRT LADIES KEEP TALKING CRAP TRY AND WIN ONE WORLD SERIES TROPHY IN YOUR LIFETIME.

[TheRook]

As hard as it is to say...I can't counter the WS ring comment, and until the Cubs do win one, I'll have to

HOWEVER...to say that south side fans are smarter is just a bit fuzzy to me.

I'd definetely say that you have a more BANDWAGON representation then anything. If your winning which is rare, the dead beat dads, guys on parole, hookers, high school drop outs, gang bangers, and wife beaters will all go and root you all on.

I'm excited for the "Bring your probation officer to the game" day that you all are having. That's really gonna sell that park out.

Cubs fans are insanely loyal. Too loyal? Maybe up till about 5 years ago I'd say yes. But for the last half decade or so, the Cubs have made the effort to put a winning product on the field. And the fans have showed their apprecaition by selling out every game like they've been doing. The more they spend, the more the Cubs have spent on bringing more quality players in.

If no one shows up to the "cell"...how in the world do they get better? You think Reinsdorf is just going to dig into his pockets and just spend without getting anything in return? LOL

Ask Migel Crabera that...or maybe even Tori Hunter.

They'll give you the answer to that.

[kbsooner21]

Ask Migel Crabera that...or maybe even Tori Hunter.

They'll give you the answer to that.

Ouch, low blow Rook but I like it!

[molta02]

sox fans are a bunch of douchebags. i went to the WS in 05, and those losers were more worried about anti-cubs chants and tee shirts outside the game than they were about being in the WS. pretty pathetic.

and yeah, their stadium is trashy (as are their fans) and in the middle of the hood.

[Chado1]

sox fans are a bunch of douchebags. i went to the WS in 05, and those losers were more worried about anti-cubs chants and tee shirts outside the game than they were about being in the WS. pretty pathetic.

and yeah, their stadium is trashy (as are their fans) and in the middle of the hood.

Molta buddy...how do you afford to go to World Series and Super Bowls all the time and shit?