Sunday Side Note: Beer Garden Already in Full Form

Cubs fans have wasted no time getting into full form already this season.  Living in the Chicago area I am subjected to feel-good "news" segments in which field reporters interview cubs fans outside the stadium.  Some of the replies from one such segment that took place on opening day stuck out to me.

• "I come here for the game, I come here for the beer too." - Really dude?  Yes, because Wrigley Field Brewery is just great.  $10 says this guy had no clue what the count was at any particular time, much less the score.
• "This is the year, this is the year the cubs break the curse." - No its not.
• Fans singing that annoying go cubs go song (even though they went on to lose the game opening day) - This has to be the most obnoxious sports team tradition I know of.  That and the "W" flag.  Great "tradition" there, nothing says classy like a doofus song with simplistic lyrics that even a preschooler can understand and a flag with a letter on it signifying your team won, but is still in 5th place.
• Numerous drunk 20 something cubs fans shouting incoherent nonsense and professing their love for the "cubbies" and already making plans for what bar to go to after the game. - Why didn't they just skip the game?  Sounds like it was going to get in the way of their drinking, but then again isn't that what Wrigley Field is about for 80% of cubs fans that go?

This is fine, its normal cubs fans' banter, and over the years I have become partially immune to it, where I just roll my eyes.  Hell all teams have their share of doofus fans, but seems like the cubs faithful make up about 12% normal people, 85% yuppies who miss their frat days, don't know a thing about their team and love acting like complete assholes.  If you see them at the game they will most likely be talking to their "bro" on the ole' cellular telephone and already obliterated on their 7th beer by the 2nd inning.  The other 3% is made up of an "other category, which is by no means classy either.  Only the cubs would embrace a bum as a "diehard" fan.

So what spurred this cubs fan hatred tirade today?  I just got home a while ago and turned the tv on to the pirates game (at Wrigley Field).  The first play I see is a long fly ball hit by Pena that hit the wall.  A cubs fan reached out for the ball and spilled his beer partially on right fielder Garrett Jones.  Yes it was an accident, but seriously how drunk or douche-baggish do you have to be to do this?  This probably happens more frequently than anywhere else save maybe Philidelphia.  Ultimately this particular incident did not impact the play, but it is just pathetic that it happens at all.  Jones was a good sport about it, stating that he got a taste of the miller lite and it tasted good, and that this is what you have to expect when you come to Wrigley.

Its pretty sad when you have to put a basket up to create another barrier between the fans and players.   From wikipedia:   The "basket", an angling chain-link fence that runs along the top of the outfield wall, was installed at the start of the 1970 season. During the 1969 pennant race, there were several incidents of fans interfering with fly balls and even falling onto the field. The basket was intended to deter or prevent that kind of problem.


Since I don't get a lot of chances to go see the Cardinals, one of my few options would be to go see them at Wrigley Field.  However, I would rather travel further and see my Cards play at Miller Park than be subjected to;
1) Riding on a train filled with already wasted cubs fans,
2) Being stuck in a ballpark where none of the fans have a clue what is going on, and you hear statements such as, "I hope they bring in Big Z to close,"
3) On the chance that your team loses, you have to hear that song and see them raise their ridiculous "W" flag, and
4) Risk having to be squished into a seat next to this guy, one of the many overweight members of the cubbies fan base

Well no matter how much I rant, cubs fans will still be there and they won't get any better (in fact a trend in the opposite direction is more likely).  The key is to be patient and not sink to their level, let them be the ones that act like a jackass.