Democratic Presidential hopeful Barack Obama is a White Sox fan, but in a recent interview with ESPN he took things a little further. Obama joked about the stereotype of Cub fans, who have been described as partying people-watchers instead of serious fans.
"You go to Wrigley Field, you have a beer, beautiful people up there," Obama said, according to ESPN transcripts. "People aren't watching the game. It's not serious. White Sox, that's baseball."
The interview with Obama took place last Wednesday in Greensboro, N.C., and aired on SportsCenter Monday night. Here are some of the excerpts of Obama's comments to ESPN's Stuart Scott:
Favorite Athlete: "My favorite player when I was a kid was Dr. J. He had those old Nets shorts with the socks up to here."
If he had to pick an athlete as VP: "I'm a Chicago guy, so I'm thinking Walter Payton. 'Sweetness.' That guy had durability—he could block as well as run."
Baseball's steroid hearings: "I'd like to see the baseball commissioner handle this without Congress involved. We've got a lot of stuff on our plate."
Who he'd root for in a Cubs-Sox World Series: "Oh that's easy. White Sox...You go to Wrigley Field, you have a beer, beautiful people up there. People aren't watching the game. It's not serious. White Sox, that's baseball. Southside."
Obama should go to Wrigley Field and see that Cubs fans are very passionate about their team. The Cubs sell out every game no matter if they are winning or losing. Cubs fans do pay attention to the game.
Hey, it has been since 1908 that the Cubs have won their last World Series, but that does not mean that Cub fans only go to the games to drink and people watch.
Look at the White Sox, they are also in first place this year and they can't even sellout every game.
Mr. Obama, I am asking you to please come to a game at Wrigley Field and stay there for the whole game and then tell me that Cub fans don't pay attention at all to the team.
7 comments Last one added 9 months ago — Leave a Comment
Sam Brown 10 months ago
Obama is right and the fact that the Cubs do sell out every game no matter what their record is proves that "fans" go to Wrigley for the "experience" and to "be seen" and most of them could care less who wins the game. Sure there are passionate cub fans out there, lots of them, but most of them can only afford a game or two a year because all of the yuppies who live on the northside, most of whom are from Ohio anyway buy up all the tickets. White Sox. That's real baseball. Southside.
Edit Comment Cancel
Bob Warja 10 months ago
It is a stupid stereotype and no Cubs fans should vote for him. Are the 40,000 fans who are standing and cheering with two outs just trying to flag down a beer vendor? Drinking beer and watching pretty girls happens at evey ballpark. For him to talk like that shows me just how stupid he is. Sox fans don't even go to games, so what would they know about it? And don't use the term "southsiders" - I'm a southside Cubs fan. And there are a lot of us.
And Sam, you don't make sense. One minute you're calling them yuppies who live on the northside, next thing you're saying they live in Ohio. You don't know what you're talking about. Come back when you get a clue. There are plenty of Sox fans who don't go to games and watch on TV, so your comment about the cost makes no sense either.
Edit Comment Cancel
Sam Brown 10 months ago
There are yuppies who live on the northside of Chicago who are also some from Ohio, they are not mutually exclusive statements. From the tone of your comment you didn't seem to appreciate the innocent little late season jabs that me and Barack were throwing the way of cub fans. Rivalries keep sports interesting and Sox fans will always take jabs at cub fans and cub fans should shoot back, it's nothing personal. And for all the talk about the White Sox inferiority complex it never takes much to get a cub fan yelling about how they are in fact "real fans" and they do in fact watch the games. There is no reason to be touchy about it, the cubs are primed to be quickly and cleanly swept in the first round like last year. Their fans should be enjoying it all while it lasts. "It's not gonna happen."
Edit Comment Cancel
walter hernandez 10 months ago
cub fans do watch the game thats why their are 40,000 people cheering for 9 innings every home game. white sox fans are just jealous of the fact they dont sell out every game and that cub fans make up one of the biggest fan bases in the world. you go to a cubs road game and their are almost if not more cub fans than the home team. white sox fans just put cub fans down to feel better about them selves. and sam you say the cubs are gonna get swept in the 1st round of the playoffs like last year...you obviously haven't seen how dominant the cubs have been all year its a different team this year
Edit Comment Cancel
Peter Stepaniuk 10 months ago
Barack Obama is correct.
Why do you think that Wrigley Field has to put up a W (win) or L (lose) flag at the end of the game ?
To let the fans know if the Cubs won or lose as they leave the park.
Edit Comment Cancel
kris irizarry-hoeksema 10 months ago
Who wrote this article? Jay Mariotti ghost-wrote it. Cubs fans are unfans. They have not been serious since the days of the 'Bleacher Bums.' They are a bunch of dumb blonde girls who yammer on and on throughout the whole game. People go to Wrigley to drink, not watch a game, period.
"Obama should go to Wrigley Field and see that Cubs fans are very passionate about their team. The Cubs sell out every game no matter if they are winning or losing. Cubs fans do pay attention to the game."
This idiot has never been to both fields on a regular basis. The Cubs sell out because people go to the park to socialize and Wrigley Field is a tourist attraction. They also go there to show off their Kate Spade bags and then after the game, get more drunk and gay bash.
Check out the number of attacks on gay men after Cubs games.
Obama was exactly right about this. I want the Cubs to win the series, for the sake of it but the Cubs fans do NOT go there to watch the game. It's one big frat party at Wrigley.
Edit Comment Cancel
J S 9 months ago
This is the funniest thing I have ever read. Obama should not have said it but I have spent plenty of time in your ballpark and he was right. It reminds me alot of concerts back in high school: 1 guy, in a group of four or five, actually wanted to see the band. He convinced the others to go and most of them just went so they could say they went and show off their black t-shirt the next day.
Not sure what you see there but, sadly, the future president was right.
Edit Comment Cancel
Leave a Comment
You must register to post a comment.