Great News!

I should mention that if you want solid factual reporting on the Cubs and expert opinions you should go to Cubs.com

19% of Cub fans that go to the site think that they won't win 50% of their games....

...that is the most telling statistic.

Now...about the attendance?

There are always going to be some pessimists beenthere.....look at you...a couple of bad seasons and you became a White Sox fan. Besides I know you Sox fans like to go to the Cubs site for some postive feelings. I'm sure that 19% is mostly White Sox fans. By the time the Cubs are 20-10 and the Sox are 15-15, all the bandwagon jumpers will be jumping off and wishing they had tickets.

FBD,

I must make a public admission. Right at this moment, I am finding it very hard to be too enthusiastic about my team's upcoming 2006 season. Believe me, it hurts to write this but as part of my New Year's resolutions, honesty is at or near the top of my list. I'll always bleed Cubby Blue, but I think we might start bleeding earlier than usual this season.

FBD, I'll need you to to keep propping up my spirits and hopefully, I'll be so wrong about the coming year that in September I will look back upon this post and just laugh.

Rosy...me, too

Laughing is what we all do when considering the cubs.

Soxnole,

You didn't have to post that you laugh at anything Cubs. Everyone knows that. What I tried to express with some sensitivity is that I'm not laughing at all, I'm feeling blue (not cubbie blue) and that I'll need FBD to keep my spirits up.

On second thought, On February 18th, when the Illinois websters get together at the Rosemont, maybe guys like you, Beenthere and the rest of the Southside contingent will put your arms around me and FBD and tell us that eveything will be alright. LOL.

See the real Sox fan's at the Will County Oldtimers tonight! Looking forward to seeing some of you at our table.

Soxnole, it's fans like you that need to look in the mirror. I cheer for the Cubs and the Sox. My wife is a big Sox fan, and I'm basically a Chicago fan. She teases me all the time. The Sox fans though have always been jealous of Cub fans. Even with the Sox winning the World Series in 2005. It's still and will always be a Cubs town. That's just a fact. Attendence doens't help you win. Cub fans should know that better than anyone, but it's pathetic how so called Sox fans can't even support their team. Even being World Champions won't help them pack the seats consistently this year.

It is still amazing that all Cubs fans can do is talk attendace. When the Tribune shares the money with you, then it will have meaning.

The WHITE SOX WON THEW WORLD SERIES!!!

I agree. Enough with the attendance. We all know that 10 minutes after they're on sale, all tickets to Wrigley will be sold. I used to be on that bandwagon also, but no more. A World Championship trumps all. Whether they fill the Cell or not doesn't matter to anyone except the owners. If the Cubs can't win it then I hope the Sox win it again, it's great for the whole city.

rosy......

My father in-law, who passed away about ten years ago, he was 84 at that time, was a true diehard Cubs fan. I took him to games frequently each year, for about 5 years. He would also sit on his porch in Brookfield during the season, having a few beers, watching the Cubs on t.v. He would tell me about Gabby Hartnet and all of the great Cub players from the past.

In recent years he would always wait for the season to start, still hoping they would come through for him. When they would lose a game, he would cuss about the pitcher, the hitters, or lack there of, and the fielders. And, when they won, he'd have an extra beer or two. When they went on a "winning streak", PENNANT......WORLD SERIES.......look out, here we come!!!!! He'd always be at the neighbors throat (figureatively) about the White Sox.

One day he said, "you know, I'm not going to die until the Cubs win the World Series"!!! I told him, "pa, nobody has ever lived that long"!!!!!!

Boomer, good story. My Step Father died 5 years ago at age 80. He was a life long Cubs fan. He would say that the Cubs can't lay down a bunt, they never have a power pitcher etc. I would say there were different owners managers and players, why would they never be able to bunt? He said that's the Cubs. I asked how frustrated he must be to never see them win. He said, they were good in teh 30's and he talked about listening to the world series in '45 on a troop ship on his way to Japan. Cubs fans are amazing, but so were the Sox fans who waited 88 years, but finally got it.

rebel...your a cub fan...sad that you claim to be a "Chicago fan" when your sleeve is full of cubbie blue stains.

rosy...a hug for you via the net....

Soxnole, just telling it like it is. Both teams have terrible track records. I'm glad the Sox came through in 2005, and I really do think both teams could be playing in October next year. Read my posts, I really feel the Sox can repeat. Now does that sound like a true cub fan. Yes, I'm a Cub fan, but I'm also a Chicago fan. The facts are the facts. It will always be a true Cubs town. The Sox three biggest home games every year in the regular season will always be the three games verses the Cubs. The Cubs three biggest regular season games will be whoevers in town for that seriesat that certain time.

As a life long Sox fan I have to admit, the Cubs draw more fan. The attendance battle goes to the Cubs. Hurray!! The Tribune makes more money!! Yeah, the Cubs win the Chicago attendance championship!!!

The Sox won the World Series. The Cubs only won attendance in Chicago, not for the whole major leagues. The Sox were the best team in the major leagues.

Does that end the attendance discussion?

In keeping with my theory that Cub fans are nicer and more realistic about things than Sox fans, I will say that of course attendance has not helped the Cubs win. It could if they reinvest the cash into the team, but the results speak for themselves.

On the other hand, the inability of the Sox to draw consistently makes one wonder just how many of these "Sox fans" who are chirping so much have been Sox fans for very long. There have been a few who have been behind them all along, but last year when things were getting dicey at the end of the regular season there were only a couple of Sox fans willing to stick with them when it looked like the Sox were choking on their Beef Sandwiches.

If the Sox are as good as a lot of people think, I expect them to outdraw the Cubs in 06.
But then again, you have to take into account that a person who is limited in their vocabulary to the point where the word s*** takes up 50% of their word usage is not likley to have the money to buy tickets.

and...cub fans are nicer?????

Sweet as an Ann Sather's waffle....for sure.

Realistic? If so, they know the end is near for the boy's in blue to be a serious contender.

Cubs fans should beware of the TRUE team in blue to the extreme north.

We're gonna be a handful in the division this year...Wild card here we come!

Much nicer.

Blazer, that's a stretch. The Brewers in the playoffs would be nice to see, but very unlikely.

Blazer...I agree. Should be competitive for the next few years.

Grand,

I would say it's just as likely or more likely than the Cubbies making the playoffs this year...

You heard it here first!

Sox and Brewers in the Series!

More like the Suds and the Duds in 2006

I heard the Tribune stats page is replacing the National League W-L Standings with the "Attendance Race". Shrewd move--since it seems to be all the Tribune and Cub fans focus on. At last, the Cubbies won't be looking up from the bottom!