it's not all about midwest love, the cubs are just as evil.

I remember when the Cubs were the Central League champions and were playing for the National League title against the Marlins. It was my first year of graduate school and we had just moved to Chicago from Milwaukee a year prior, and carried with us the typical Milwaukee angst for all things Chicago. However, I found myself that post season rooting for Chicago, rooting for the Cubs. For those 2 weeks I was cheering for the Cubs, and lots of those in my same bi-partisan frame of mind were doing the same. No harm done, right?
It has been brought to my attention that my hatred for the Yankees is based on “blind Midwest love” and a blanket appreciation for Midwest values that those fans from the east coast lack. This however, is not true. I know now that the Cubs are just as evil. There is a dying breed in baseball, and the Cubs and Yankees represent the unfortunate present and future of this sport where the purchased players win over the invested ones. I blame networks such as WGN and YES for spawning easy loyalty across the states, and bringing in half hearted, convenient fan revenue. The evil is rooted in celebrating high priced players, regardless of performance or means of purchase, in convenient fans who are easily swayed with excessive coverage, hyped up media, three-month mini-series, pink sport team shirts, high priced gimmicks and overpriced seating. This I feel the Cubs and Yankees have perfected. Do you have to win something before you can be hated? Is that why so many across the nation hate the Yankees, because of their past dynasty and their high priced “supposed” dominating players? No, its not all that. Fans hate the Yankees even if they haven’t stolen their players, even if they are in different divisions and leagues. Do you have to epically not win anything with a decent sized payroll to have a huge loyal fan base, is that why everyone loves the Cubs and Red Sox? No, because the Brewers and post 2005 White Sox have equally sob ridden histories and they have nowhere near the Cubs Red Sox following. I mean, one of the biggest goals of the White Sox is to become Chicago’s team, and regardless of winning the WST or being last in their division Chicago will never celebrate them and those truly loyal are still in small numbers. Does it all come back to the money? (In the comments I have posted a break down I found of the 2007/2006 payrolls and the payroll change.) I need to research player by player, salary relevant to individual and overall performance, somewhere there must be a logical explanation to why I find myself hating that the Cubs are the division rival to the Brewers more then I would the Cardinals. But yet, I am not comforted that despite the Brewers post all-star performance they are still in their position with 30m less to work with. Like I said, teams like the Brewers and the Twins represent the old way of managing and fielding baseball teams. It was proposed in an earlier post that its up to the Twins to do what needs to be done to keep Santana, that they need to play by these new business rules to stay competitive and give over the salaries that teams like the Yankees, and Cubs have defined, regardless of loyalty and investment. They have the means to do it; the ends are justified go-ahead drink the Yankee kool-aid, all ends up all right….
But, it’s not all right, it never will be. And if you cannot see why then I must assume you follow the likes of the Yankees and you can’t see all the harm that was caused by me just sitting and watching the Cubs for those brief weeks four years ago.