I grew up in Carlinville, IL, deep in Cardinals territory. As a young kid I went to Cubs-Cardinal games at Busch Stadium in my Cubs garb and got cigarettes and beers thrown at me. Cardinals fans routinely went out of their way to give my family hell with no provocation. While I have seen the Cubs organization and broadcasters as the epitome of class, (drunk fans aside) the Cardinals organization and broadcasters seem to go out of their way to make snide and unsportsmanlike comments about the Cubs. I could go on and on... The only more I wish to say about rivalries here is that I respect the White Sox. I come from a family with a rich blue-colar history, so I appreciate the character of the sox and sometimes wonder if I fit in more with their fans. Then I remember Wrigley, Ron Santo, that I hate the Cardinals and the DH, and I'm back at home on the north side where I belong.

As to larger baseball issues, I'm more of a traditionalist. The fewer play-offs the better because the best team is the one with the best record. I'm in favor of salary caps and luxury caps and a league-maximum on free-agent salaries. I've written and spoken out at Cubs Conventions about the importance of preserving Wrigley, virtually add-free. Year-by-year, Wrigley Field's integrity is being chipped away by adding advertising and video screens. If you showed Cubs fans from 10-20yrs ago a picture of Wrigley today, they would be appalled, and I fear the same will be true 10yrs from now.

Outside of baseball fandom, I'm a Ph.D. candidate in biochemistry at the University of Chicago. I graduated from Elmhurst College in 2009, and I was married in 2010. I'm a singer-guitarist, a liberal, and an atheist activist. I come to Bleacher Report simply because I simply can't get enough Cubs baseball, especially in the offseason, and I need my fix.