Stupid-stision: The Myth of the Madden Curse and Other Curses

(some Stevie Wonder to start the blog - can't beat it)

When you read my blog on a daily basis (because I'm sure you all do), what's your way of reading it? Do you do a lap around the block or eat a couple slices of pineapple beforehand? Do you walk upstairs backwards and then turn your TV to Channel 44? Sounds silly, doesn't it?

It's no different than how people are with sports, but both athletes and fans alike have their own superstitions and routines that they do before they watch their team play or before they play in the big game. I guess I see the reason that athletes do it - as they are the ones playing and sometimes you have to be in the right frame of mind mentally to play at your highest level, screwed up routine be damned.

But for fans? It seems absurd that people would eat the same meal every Sunday an hour before their team kicks off "because otherwise, the team will lose!" Yes - your team will be cursed if you don't eat that three-egged omlette with a side of wheat toast. Two eggs? Might as well wait for victory next week.

I write about curses and superstition on the eve of the new Madden cover for the 2013 version of the video game being announced. This year, fans are able to vote for the cover, with the finalists being Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Willis, Calvin Johnson and Cam Newton, with Newton having the inside edge in my opinion. If Newton gets voted as the cover boy, does that mean he will be "cursed"? To many, it does - as there is a supposed "Madden Curse" that has plagued just about every cover athlete since there's been an athlete on it. I'm here to debunk this myth and help you get your heads out of your asses.

Here's the list of Madden cover athletes (since 2001, when the cover started featuring someone other than the rotund announcer)

2001 - Eddie George; 2002 - Daunte Culpepper; 2003 - Marshall Faulk; 2004 - Michael Vick; 2005 - Ray Lewis; 2006 - Donovan McNabb; 2007 - Shaun Alexander; 2008 - Vince Young; 2009 - Brett Favre; 2010 - Troy Polamalu + Larry Fitzgerald; 2011 - Drew Brees; 2012 - Peyton Hillis


While many of these athletes underperformed in the year that they were the featured guy on the cover, many of them had good reasons. Remember that the year on the cover is what year that season's Super Bowl is played, not the regular season itself.

For the 2000 season - Eddie George actually played well - 403 carries for 1509 yards and 14 touchdowns. Like many running backs (especially some on this list), when you have that many carries, a deterioration is likely to occur in the following years.

In 2001, Daunte Culpepper was entering his second full year as the Vikings starting QB, but saw his numbers dip from 3937 yards, 33 TDs and 16 interceptions to 2612/14/13 as the Vikings limped to a 5-11 record. Culpepper missed the final five games of the year with a knee injury and continued to have crappy years until 2003-2004, when he averaged 4,000 yards, 32 TDs & only 11 picks. Hardly a curse of a career by any means.

2002 was the first year Marshall Faulk didn't register 1000 yards rushing since 1996, but like Eddie George, had plenty of mileage on his legs entering that year (over 2000 carries entering the season). The Rams went from Super Bowl runner-ups to a 7-9 record and missing the playoffs. However, this was NOT because Marshall Faulk was on the cover.

2003 - Michael Vick got hurt in the preseason and didn't return until Week 13. His curse thereafter was self-inflicted in the form of dog fighting. Again, not a product of the Madden curse.

2004 - Ray Lewis was named to his 7th Pro Bowl. He got hurt the next year, but has continued his All-Pro career ever since.

2005 - Donovan McNabb was on pace to easily eclipse his career high in yards before getting injured in November and playing only 9 games (2507 yards), with the Eagles going 4-5 in those starts. He did this in spite of having Terrell Owens as a distraction throughout the year. Some say the Madden curse causes injuries: I say it's 260 pound linebackers doing the job.

2006 - Shaun Alexander: See George and Faulk. Too many miles on the legs to be effective at this point in his career.

2007 - Vince Young. Not sure why he was a cover boy. Probably had a lot to do with his feats the year before while leading Texas to the BCS Championship over USC in thrilling fashion. I'd say this was less of a curse than it was a poor decision to put Young on the cover. Despite his 9 TD to 17 interception ratio, the Titans somehow made the playoffs.

2008 - Brett Favre played his first year outside of Lambeau Field and struggled through injuries as the Jets went 9-7 and missed out on the playoffs in Favre's only year. Playing through injuries was a staple of Favre's career, but it seemed more noticeable this particular year. By this year, many had already began accepting the Madden Curse as fact. I simply say it was Favre being Favre and having one of his several mediocre seasons in the latter half of his career.

2009 - Troy Polamalu got hurt in the season opener, missed a few games, then came back and got hurt again; meanwhile, Fitzgerald played in all 16 games, amassing 97 catches, 1092 yards and a league-high 13 receiving TDs. I'll say the cover was 50% here.

2010 - En route to another Pro Bowl, Drew Brees led the Saints to an 11-5 mark, the year after they won the Super Bowl. It was the 5th year in a row he threw for 4300+ yards, but he did have a career-high 22 picks. As many of you remember, the Saints were upset in the first round by the 7-9 Seahawks, the first team ever to make the playoffs with a losing record.

2011 - I have no clue why Peyton Hillis was even allowed on the cover.  His 2010 season wasn't terrible (1177 yards rushing, 13 total TDs), but I wouldn't say it's the pedigree of a cover boy. Needless to say, to keep everyone who believes in the curse believing, Hillis flamed out, playing in only 10 games while getting half the yards and a third of TDs from the year before.

In my opinion, many of these guys who were deemed "curses" should have never been cover guys in the first place, whether it be because of the decline in skill (for the running backs as noted) or just not talented enough to be cover guys in the first place (Young and Hillis). In a sport as physical as football, injuries are inevitable. Believe in curses all you want, but these guys get hurt just like 100% of football players at some point.

The same curse junk is applied to the Sports Illustrated cover, but when you run a magazine 52 weeks a year, there will be times when you feature a guy who will then lose a big game or a big tournament - it's sports. Do you know who has been featured on the cover of that the most times? Michael Jordan. Heard of him?

Let's not get carried away with curses and superstitions, whether it be in sports or daily life. Your diet or choice of clothing isn't going to change any sports outcome.

Now finish whatever thing it is you do when you read my blog, blink three times and close this browser.

None-and-Done: Why the NBA Needs to Let Preps Go Pro Again

The moment Kentucky won the NCAA crown, plenty of critics of the "one-and-done" voiced their displeasure with how the Wildcats recruitted a bunch of kids who were likely only going to play one year in college (thanks to the NBA's rule requiring high schoolers to wait a year to join the NBA*). I imagine that some of these people don't watch college basketball all that closely. I have a few problems with the one-and-done rule, but they're not the same as everyone elses.

*Most players will go to college for a year, but can opt to play overseas for a year - Brandon Jennings did this in 2008-09 before playing for the Milwaukee Bucks

My view is that the NBA should not be able to put any rule on someone going to college, especially when it's a kid who has clear NBA talent right out of high school (i.e. LeBron).

1. Other sports allow high school kids to get drafted. While the NFL requires players to be three years removed from high school to be draft-eligible, the MLB & NHL allow high school kids to be drafted in their amateur drafts. Each team may have its own views on drafting high schoolers (some may prefer high schoolers for their "upside" while others may prefer college kids' experience, who are a little more battle-tested after facing (and presumably dominating) peers of amateur status). Just because a team has the opportunity to draft a high schooler doesn't mean they have to.
   
   The main reason the NFL has a three-year wait is the size and speed of its athletes, who are clearly superior to their 18-19 year old counterparts and need those 3 years to develop into NFL-type bodies. While there is a learning curve for the NBA that one can gain from college experience, I don't think college is necessary for high school players who have NBA talent. Teams who draft high schoolers could also send them to the NBA Developmental League, their version of the minor league systems that hockey and baseball employ.
   
   Somewhat of an aside, but why isn't there an uproar every year about these sports above when it comes to no college/little college experience? I don't know if race is a small part of it, but it could be. Is it because we care more about college basketball as a country than college baseball and college hockey? Perhaps. If anyone has a reason for this (or a reason for your own hatred of one-and-done college basketball), please let me know.
2. The NBA has overblown the "high school kids fail" angle. Before Kevin Garnett started the wave of high school players being drafted by NBA teams, not too many players took that leap. Instead, many found 3-4 years of college to be a great preparation opportunity for the pros. Once he made the leap, other top high school players said, "Why not me?"
   
   After Garnett (1995 draft), there have been 38 players who went straight from high school to the pros (source: Wiki). Out of those 38, eight of them have made an All-Star Game (Kobe, Jermaine O'Neal, McGrady, Rashard Lewis, Amare, LeBron, Dwight Howard & Andrew Bynum). Of the remaining 30, there have been some solid players (Al Harrington, Tyson Chandler, Kendrick Perkins, Al Jefferson, Josh Smith, JR Smith, Monta Ellis). Some may think others on the list are solid contributors, too. If you're just to use the list of people I mentioned, that's 15 of 38 legitimate pros that went from prep-to-pro. Not a bad ratio if you ask me.
   
   I don't want to hear the BS that GMs have made too many mistakes on high school kids. Guess what? They also make horrible draft choices on guys who actually have gone to college. Michael Olowokandi anyone?  How well did Adam Morrison's three years at Gonzaga help the Bobcats analyze his skill set? Same for Hasheem Thabeet and the Grizzlies. Fact is: drafts are inexact sciences for every sport. For every Kobe Bryant, there's two Leon Smiths. If you don't know much about Smith, I might suggest looking him up. Talk about a waste of talent.
3. The NBA's one-year wait disturbs the college experience. If you make a kid who knows he will be a professional basketball player in one year go to school against his will, do you really think he's gives a rat's ass about his scholarly experience? (Note, this is all just opinion - I have no facts to back this up - just trying to get into the mind of one of these players). Do you think that he is going to show up for all of his classes and get a 3.8 GPA, only to leave for the NBA after one year?
   
   More power to the guys who do this, but I imagine those guys are among the small percentage of those who go out of their way to care about their education for that 9 month period. Why should money be wasted on that kid's "scholarship" when everyone knows he is just there for basketball and for one year? Why don't we just cut the crap and say these kids are there just to play basketball (you know, like the NBA)? If a kid wants to miss out on a college experience, it's their loss. But it should also be their choice. If you make a kid go to school and go to class, don't you think he has a greater chance of being a distraction than the average student?
4. We live in a free society (allegedly). Let's act like it. It's quite the general statement, but we live in a country that preaches freedom of choice. This includes the right to choose to go to college or not. If you present the plusses of going to college to a stud player and he still doesn't want to go, then screw it - let him make his own choice. If his NBA career becomes a failure at that point, then it's his problem to deal with.

I don't think making kids stay in college longer (some people suggest 2 years of college should be mandatory) should be an answer. Forcing them to stay there a year longer, when most of them I(i.e. the talented preps who want to go pro ASAP) probably don't even want to be there for one year,  doesn't make sense.

One of the best alternative solutions I saw was on a post from my friend Nick, which suggested teams who draft high school players owning the rights to a player, while allowing the player to play college ball. Here's the link to it - it makes sense.

I don't know if they'll ever change the one-and-done rule in college basketball, but if they do, I hope they change it back to the none-and-done, where high schoolers have the right to explore their careers. If one of the main points of college is to figure out your career, then what would be the point of these kids (who know what they want to do) going to school for two semesters?

MLB - Bold Predictions 2012

With baseball about to start, it's about time to make some predictions. I made some in my MLB preview last month, so here's some more.

• Adam Dunn will hit 30+ HRs once again - As my friend Nick mentioned to me yesterday, Dunn's numbers in 2011 could not have been predicted by anyone who studies baseball statistics for a living. His season really came out of nowhere, and for someone at his age (entered 2011 as a 31 year old), a sudden drop-off in numbers is quite rare. I'm dismissing the possible "steroids" angle that many suspect when numbers drop off drastically. Instead, I believe his appendix issue to start the year (where he had to have a surgery after the first week of the season) carried over into the season, which resulted in numbers that would have made 99% of major leaguers get demoted or booted out of baseball altogether. I believe we will see a happy medium between the 40 HR Dunn from the decade preceding 2011 and the craptacular version we saw last year.
• There will be at least one team who wins their division with division odds greater than 10/1 - Candidates for this include the NL Central (Cubs 21/1, Pirates 30/1, Astros 135/1), NL West (Padres 18/1), NL East (Mets 55/1), AL East (Blue Jays 12/1, Orioles 110/1) and AL Central (White Sox 12/1, Royals 14/1, Twins 17/1, Indians 90/1). All odds are from 5dimes. AL West odds are not available since two of their teams already played, but I'm willing to guess the two teams who did play (Athletics + Mariners) were both over 10/1. That means over 40% of teams are considered long shots to even make the playoffs. However, there's almost always one team that overachieves (i.e. Diamondbacks). I wouldn't be shocked (based on percentages) that it would be a team in the AL Central. The Tigers have a strong offense, but have a very suspect defense and some average arms behind last year's Cy Young/MVP Justin Verlander. 
• The Nationals will be in a predicament in September. This first part is a big assumption. I have the Nationals pegged as a Wild Card team. Right now, they seem to be this sport's version of the Detroit Lions, where many experts are projecting postseason play for the first time in a long time. So what's going to be the issue? Two words: Stephen Strasburg. After coming off of Tommy John surgery, Strasburg is on a 160-innings pitched limit. I'd assume that includes the post season. If he stays healthy and doesn't miss a start...let's say he averages 6 innings a game. That would put him at 27 starts, assuming they go with a 5-man rotation the whole year. That would put them around the first or second week of September. Seems strange to make a guy your opening day starter but also cap his innings. The fan pressure may be too much to bench him for the year. I'm hoping (if they stick with this limit) that they skip his spot in the rotation several times and give a spot start to a minor leaguer. If they aren't in the division or wild card races, then shutting him down will be much easier to do.
• By the end of 2012, Chris Sale will be the White Sox best starting pitcher - We've seen what he can do in the bullpen. The Sox certainly didn't draft him to be in the bullpen though, so Adios to Buehrle, and a Hello to Sale. Expect corny Internet and newspaper headlines involving the southpaw's last name. For all of those syndicate newspapers that read my blog, here are some....you're welcome: Epic Sale; Setting Sale; At a Sale's Pace; Working on the Sale Road.
  
  Ok, I admit some of those are bad - but then again, so are a lot of headlines I read every day.
• The Marlins will win the World Series - I know Cubs fans feel depressed every time someone other than them wins it all, but even the White Sox, who almost moved to Florida in the mid 90s, have to feel a little ill that a team that has been around for less than 20 years already has two titles. If my prediction is correct, it would be 3. The Marlins aren't a huge underdog (20/1 odds puts them with the 8th best odds), but I consider it a bolder proclamation than saying the Yankees will win it all. As I mentioned in my MLB preview, I like their rotation, like their overall lineup better than anyone else in their division (Phillies included). I'd take the 20/1 odds but my friend who gives me access to the 5dimes site said our accounts are going to be shut down at the end of the NBA playoffs.
• *Future Prediction...The Cubs Will Win a World Series Before the White Sox Win Another - I am sold on Epstein as a winner and think he will get the North Siders going in the right direction a lot quicker than Kenny Williams will the White Sox. Epstein helped push Boston over the edge in 2004 and then again in 2007, mainly by building up their minor league system. Pieces they didn't use (i.e. Hanley Ramirez) were traded for pieces that helped win them World Series (i.e. Josh Beckett). I think a focus on better scouting, which involves some Sabermetrics (for those not in the know, think of the movie Moneyball), and not a heavy reliance on free agency (although every good team needs some good free agent signings) will help bring the Cubs back to the playoffs in the next 2-3 years. As far as the White Sox go, to put it in a baseball analogy, I've seen enough of Kenny Williams to know that he has swung and missed more than he has connected. I'd like to see a new GM in town in the next couple years.

Kentucky's Derby

In case you hadn't noticed from the first March Madness blog I did at the start of the tournament 2.5 weeks ago, Jen picked the correct championship game - Kansas versus Kentucky. Not bad for a first time filling out a bracket. I think I've done that 2 or 3 times in my life of filling out brackets for 15-16 years at least. I've picked champions about 3-4 times in my life (not including this one). I had Kansas to win it all the past couple years, so I probably bet them to lose this year (Round of 32 vs Purdue) because of the bad taste they've left in my mouth. If Jen had been in a pool last year, she may have had avoided the Jayhawks as well.

However, her title pick (Kansas) is getting routed at the half by "my" Kentucky Wildcats, which means I'd get my choice of dinner for her to make. I was thinking BBQ chicken pizza, but maybe I'll go a different route. Does anyone have any good ideas for food I should ask the lady to cook?

Perhaps I shouldn't post this with a half to go, but I'm one of the few sports fans in the world who doesn't believe in jinxes - so here goes nothing.

But what's really sad now is that the end of college basketball closes the end of a betting season for me. NBA is still there till June, but I was just starting to hit my groove with March Madness betting for once. Most years, I tank any NBA winnings or regular season college winnings in the first weekend of the tourney - and this year was almost no exception.

My first 6 bets of the tourney (all first day bets) were toilet money, ranging from a couple of money line bets (including a long shot in UNC Asheville) to some first and second half bets. My last two bets on the initial day were winners, but that momentum didn't carry over after losing 4 of my first 5 bets of the day, digging myself into quite the hole.

I can thank Xavier for starting my great run with a win against Notre Dame - overall, Xavier netted me $660 in their three games of the tourney. Only Louisville (+$850) was better for me.

Even though entering the tourney finale my record was 23-24, I was able to sport a profit of $801 for the tourney games - thank God for Xavier + Louisville covers. Outside of their games (the ones I bet on, didn't bet on Louisville game), I was down $709 (eeeek) with a 16-24 record.

As I've typed this, Kentucky has had their lead chipped into a little bit - let's hope this doesn't get chipped into further. Go Blue (sorry Jen & Sherman).

The Rides of March - Final Four Preview

It's getting to the end of the college season, which I'm sure some of you are mourning like me, while others are just glad their boyfriends aren't going to be watching this March Madness crap anymore.

Both games feature regular season rematches from December. Kansas continued their dominance on their home court and handled Ohio State last time around, but the Buckeyes were without Jared Sullinger, a late scratch in the game.

While Ohio State was expected to dominate the Big Ten and compete for the title this year, Kansas was thought to be in a rebuilding process - at least for them. Many projects had Kansas finishing behind Baylor and Missouri in the Big 12.

Louisville +8.5 vs. Kentucky

Kentucky downed Louisville by 7 on New Year's Eve, but were up by double digits much of the latter part of the game. As the cliche goes, these teams are a shell of what they were. Kentucky's young guns are much more seasoned, while Louisville has developed into one of the best defenses in college basketball.

At this point in the tourney, when you're betting some of these Final Four teams throughout the tourney and riding them to profit, it becomes difficult to bet against them. For me, the team that fits this bill the best is Louisville, a squad I have backed from the Round of 32 into the Elite Eight.

Despite the bet being a squarish (very public/popular) bet, I refreshed my phone in delight as Louisville covered the spread by a bucket over New Mexico on St. Patrick's Day. Five days later, I was delighted to see the Cardinals as 5 to 5.5 point underdogs versus Michigan State, the top seed in the region with a coach (Tom Izzo) who has a reputation for great coaching in March Madness.

After Louisville's convincing win there, they had to face the Florida Gators, who many sharp bettors thought had the better chance to advance to the Final Four thanks to more scoring options. It was looking that way for the first 33-34 minutes of the game, with Florida storming out of the gate with an insane shooting display. They led much of the game, mainly in the 7-10 point range, but a late rally by Louisville led -----> this guy <------ to celebrate to a third consecutive gambling win for me on Louisville.

In all, this Cardinals run netted me $800, so you can see why I may have a soft spot for them tonight against Kentucky, who I picked to win the tourney when the brackets came out. As any gambler knows though, you have to take emotion out of the equation and you have to ignore who may or may not have won you money. With Kentucky tourney games, I went 1-1 (bet on them against Indiana, against their spread versus Baylor).

This is no way to analyze a game, but stuff I must keep in mind before making an emotional type of bet on the games. I do think this is going to be a hard-fought rivalry type of game. Their December 31st matchup featured 50+ fouls, which hopefully won't get quite that high today (for fear of the referees making themselves part of the game).

Kentucky has the superior talent, while Louisville has the better team defense. I expect this to be the Civil War that everyone is dubbing it. Rick Pitino prepares his teams well after long layoffs between games, which will be one of the reasons this game stays so close. Like their last game, I say Kentucky wins, but Louisville covers.

Kentucky 67, Louisville 61 (Betting Louisville +8.5)

Kansas +2.5 vs. Ohio State

I don't have as much of a feel on the other game. The scary thing about Kansas so far is that they haven't really played that great yet despite making the Final Four. The Jayhawks escaped with a win over Purdue and could never put away North Carolina State in the regional semifinals. They were going back and forth versus UNC before saving their best three-minute span of tourney basketball for the last three minutes and eventually running away from the Tar Heels.

Ohio State has confused some bettors this year, with people not sure what they are going to get out of the Buckeyes. Come tourney time, and the Buckeyes started taking care of business. Like Kansas, they downed a 1-seed to advance to the Final Four, thanks to a strong second half performance.

While Kansas won by 11 the last time around, I'd definitely say that the absence of Sullinger was the main reason to such a convincing victory. If I decide to bet this game, I'm leaning on taking Ohio State - just not sure how convinced I am that Kansas isn't going to show its talent a little more than they have so far in the tourney.

Ohio State 74, Kansas 70

Enjoy the games everyone.

Dating Myself

Ever since I was about 4 or 5 years old and starting my life-long love of sports statistics, I have been a man skilled in remembering many numbers and dates. Nevermind the uselessness of 98% of them. Does anyone really need to know every single World Series, Super Bowl & NBA Finals since he was a kid? (Now that I've mentioned this, I almost expect to get called out on this and to fail at the task).

As far as recent and upcoming dates go, there's several dates that I'll never forget. For most people, unless it's your birthday or anniversary, most dates don't mean much. March 20th was the 6 month mark of when an amazing relationship started in my life. April 1st is the 6th month mark of when one ended.

Of course, that date will mark 6 months since we put the old pup Buddy down. It's hard to believe that 6 months has passed since then. I'd say getting through this time has been made easier with the relationship I started just 10 days before that. Every now and then, I'll go by his container of ashes and dog collar and think about all the good times me and the old man had. I'll hold the collar up to our other dog Pixie, who will sniff and lick the collar as if it were his ears, per her usual daily tradition of cleaning them.

Also coming up next month is another tragic anniversary: the passing of my Grandma Bolek last April 27th. Again, like Buddy, doesn't feel like it's been that long since it happened...but such is the story of life, especially as we get older. I haven't visited the cemetary since the day of the funeral, so I think a trip up there will be in order soon. Also, I need to round up the Bolek troops again to try hanging out a little more - need to honor the memory of Grandma a little more.

With the bad dates in life, there's a balance of good to look forward to. June 30th will be my brother's bachelor party (with the concept of whirlyball, casino and a party bus the working idea so far - need to get this set pronto), followed by his wedding to his beautiful fiance Amber on July 7th, a date that may have Amber wondering if she should keep her last name instead of inheriting ours. I am honored to be the Best Man for the wedding and hope that I can create a good speech and a good time at the party the week before.

Also, for those who don't know, in between that time is July 1st, a date that will mark a milestone for this 29 year old. I will have officially moved out of my parent's house for the first time since I was in school at U of I in Champaign! Time to take off the diapers and put on some boxers (and have the girlfriend clean them....kidding Jen- kinda). I'm looking forward to seeing what the city has to offer while moving in with a g/f for the first time ever. Right now, looking to move to the South Loop area. It will be a good lesson in money management and other aspects of life as I learn to adjust to a different setting. Great thing about my current job is that all I need is Internet and a phone and I can work anywhere. Point - me.

There's some other dates coming up to look forward to, but the ones above are the ones clearest in mind. It's a fitting time to mention dates and numbers as the baseball season approaches, for it was baseball where I learned a lot about how to compute numbers in my head with ease. Consider it a blessing and a curse for being a Mathlete.

I'm sure I'll have more dates pop up on my radar as significant dates as the year passes on. For now, I am looking forward to most of these (everything aside from the death anniversaries) to see what the future will hold as 2012 progresses.

An Open Letter to Cubs/White Sox Baseball Fans

Dear Baseball Fan,

I figure this is about as good of a time as any to write this, with our baseball squads nearing the start of their seasons in the Windy City. Over the years, I have developed a strong dislike to the ignorant comments from both White Sox and Cubs fans that has resulted in arguments that bring mankind back to the Stone Age. It has come time for me to express my distaste of everything that is stupid with our "rivalry".

Unhappy with me putting the word "rivalry" in quotes? I don't look at the two teams as true rivals--the Sox and Cubs are rivals 6 times a year in my eyes. Otherwise, as a White Sox fan, I couldn't care less what the Cubs do. In fact, in their other interleague games, I am rooting for the Cubs. This applies more now with the extra Wild Card in play - the more losses our divisional opponents and other AL squads lose, the better for the Sox. Most prognosticators have the Sox nowhere near the playoffs, so rooting for the Cubs in those situations may seem pointless, but I'll take my chances with the North Siders whooping up on our AL brethren.

There's a few bullet points that strike me at the heart of my annoyance with Cubs & Sox fans - on both sides - that I will address below.

• World Series - This is always the topic that gets brought up in Windy City baseball arguments stemming from the past seven offseasons. Yes - the White Sox took home the city's first baseball title in almost 90 years as they rode through October 2005 with relative ease. But to keep bringing it up in arguments with Cubs fans makes it sound like we won several titles in a 4-5 year period when we have only won a single playoff game since then. The titleless drought since then leaves Chicago with one title in the past 95 years. Almost 200 seasons worth of baseball (combining the two teams) and only one title to show for it. When it comes to the title argument, I say to Sox fans: Let It Go.
  
  The devil on the shoulders says, "Well, we did win a World Series in our lifetimes, so you can't hold it against us for being proud of that." True - that is something we have that Cubs fans cannot say at this point. For the North Side fans who say that our title was seven years ago - you are correct, and I applaud you for your math skills. But it did happen.
  
  I saw a Facebook post from one Cubs fan to another that seemed awfully touchy to an ad made by Comcast SportsNet that mocked a video game commercial about a Cubs fan who was happy he led his team to a World Series title. For those who haven't seen the parody video, you can check it out here. Sox fan or not, I find it to be an efficient parody of the commercial, which itself was well-designed. I don't understand why you can't enjoy both ads without being sensitive about either end of it (no matter your fandom).
  
  We need to find a way to balance all of this - where White Sox fans can be proud of their title from the recent past without (a) being annoying about it, (b) tossing it into an argument to prove that the White Sox are somehow better and (c) Cubs fans being pissy about the mere mention of it when it comes up.
• Gay vs. White Trash Bashing - If you go to a Cubs/Sox game, you're bound to see your share of a-hole wearing "Wrigley Field: The World's Biggest Gay Bar" or "Ozzie Mows My Lawn". Odds are high that the people wearing these shirts are the ones who eventually get kicked out of the park for excessive drunkeness that leads to fights where Cubs fans' sexuality & White Sox White Trash status become the main arguing points.
  
  Yes - I'm sure there's plenty of White Trash fans in the South Side fan base, just as I'm sure there's gays and lesbians who consider themselves Cubs fans. Perhaps I am over-analyzing this and giving the general public not enough credit, but why do we need to resort to attacking fan base's perceived social standing or sexuality preference, as if they have anything to do with baseball? If we're going to argue Cubs versus Sox, let's argue stats and head-to-head matchups instead.
• Parks: Half Empty/Half Falling Apart - I love when I hear Cubs fans comment on the attendance of both teams, as if that really plays a role in making your team better. I admit that it can be disappointing to see the stadium half empty in the thick of summer, especially when the team is still in a pennant race. However, for fans like myself, what a half-empty stadium really means is a much better chance to attend games in person for face-value or close to it. I don't think the Cubs drew as many fans last year as they have in past years, but in the past 20 years, a bad Cubs season will easily outdraw a bad (sometimes even a good or really good) Sox season. Good for them, but that's not a point to argue to make your team sound better.
  
  On the other hand, even though the stadium is in dire need of a remodeling, Wrigley Field stands as the beacon of Chicago Baseball parks. The White Sox blew a great chance when designing the new stadium, which opened in 1991. It was the last of stadiums built that was by most standards, a fairly average-looking stadium. Every stadium since the designing of our park, starting with Camden Yards in Baltimore, has been an outstanding park worthy of sellouts and bringing your family to (at least the ones I've visited). We have nothing to brag about with US Cellular Field - anyone who has visited at least one of the new stadiums (new being newer than the Cell) knows what I am talking about. Wrigley has the better atmosphere outside the stadium and the better stadium when it comes to historical significance.

There's some arguing points that I'm probably missing, but these are the main ones that annoy me when pointless arguments spring up among Chicago baseball fans. What I can't stress enough is that I, Brian Peter Vincent Bolek, have no hate towards Cubs, Cubs fans or anything relating to the Cubs."

I do not have any envy relating to them either. I don't care that they sell out their games, that people like to go to their games more than the Cell. In my eyes, they have nothing I really envy - with the exception of Theo Epstein, who I believe will turn the team around, starting with the building of their minor league system. I do think the Cubs will win a World Series in our lifetimes, and the parade for it will probably dwarf the crowd that the White Sox championship brought to the streets.

I wish the Cubs well in 2012 and beyond and want to express this so that maybe, just maybe, some of these pointless, inane arguments about an opponent who really only affects your team's season 6 times out of 162 can die down somewhat.

If we are going to have arguments, let's make them fact-based and not attacking stupid things like one's sexuality, social class or stadium. Also, White Sox fans - no Cubs Suck chants when walking down the ramp WHEN WE AREN'T PLAYING THE CUBS!

I won't be holding my breath for peaceful relations between White Sox and Cubs fans, but all I can do is hope. And share these words. I hope you got this far and see what I'm getting at.

Enjoy the 2012 season everyone.

Sincerely,

A White Sox Fan