2005

You know, it's not easy being a sports fan in Chicago. Year after year it's kind of the same thing. You love your teams, you support your teams, and then at the end of each season you watch teams from other cities compete for a Championship. Yes there was the Bulls dynasty in the 90's, but basketball has never been a big deal to me, or most of this city. Even when the Bulls were winning it wasn't the basketball that drew us in. It was Michael Jordan. I mean MJ could have been a quilter, but if he quilted anything like he played basketball we would have watched him work on his newest quilt. He then could have sold them off at a ridiculous price and taken all the profits to the nearest craps table. The point is, be it basketball or quilting, MJ would still have been MJ, and we still would have loved him for it. After Michael left though basketball was nowhere near as important in this city. Looking back on it, it seems that the Bulls historic run was nothing more than a way for this city to be distracted away from our other teams. The Bears had hardly been to the playoffs, let alone won anything since 1985. If you took a poll in the city and it had the question "What is a Blackhawk?" on it half the city would have said "Dominique Wilkins." Plus we all know the history of the White Sox and Cubs, so I don't need to rehash it.

Then this year came.

Admittedly, 2005 was a lot more enjoyable for a Chicago White Sox fan than a Chicago Cubs fan, but it was still a good year to be in Chicago. In January through March the city was ignited by the Fighting Illini and their quest to go unbeaten and win the National Championship. (It's official that U. of Illinois is the resident "home" college bball team in this city, NOT DePaul. It's gotten this way thanks to the tons of Illinois Alumni now living in Chicago, added to DePaul's lack of winning.) Of course the Illini ended up losing twice, the last game of the regular season at Ohio State, and in the last game of the Final Four against North Carolina. Still it was a breath of fresh air cuz it had been some time since this city had gotten a whiff of a championship. (Sure in 2003 the Cubs were close, but any true Cub fan knew what was going to happen in Game 6 before it took place.)

Shortly after the Illini's season ended baseball had begun. Like every year in Chicago there was that renewed sense of hope about our local teams. Yes, for Cub fans it was not a very fun year. (This is the part of the year Sox fans enjoyed a touch bit more. Being a Sox fan, I'll try not to rub it in too much.) At the very least though Cub fans were treated to a fantastic season from Derrek Lee.

The White Sox on the other hand were a completely different story. They were in first place after game 1 and remained there until the final out of Game 4 in Houston. I remember making a bet with my friend Aaron ( A Twin fan and Minnesota native) that his would be the year the Sox dethroned the Twins in the AL Central. I believed it too, it wasn't just sheer fan bravado. This despite the fact many "experts" had picked the White Sox to finish in 4th place in the division. Did I think they would win it all? No. Did I feel they could? Of course. What real fan doesn't think his team can win it? I mean is there anything in the world more obliviously optimistic about anything than a sports fan about his favorite team? (Dubya excluded.)

When the White Sox jumped out of the gate and stayed so far ahead of everyone I had that whole No Way!/I told you so! look on my face the entire time. (The real life equivalent of the Nic Cage/John Travolta movie poster for Face/Off. You know, half bug eyed, and half look at me dance, you know I got it!) I thought they could compete, but I didn't expect them to flat out dominate. It was just an odd way to feel for me. There was always that feeling in the back of my mind, the whole "wait for it" phenomenon. Just waiting for Buehrle's arm to fall off, or Podsednik's legs to snap in two. It always happens that way in this city. Boston gets all the publicity for it, but Chicago has been the same way with twice the teams, and a longer time. We just don't have the New York media (Or Boston's) around to exploit it and rub it in our (and your) faces.

Then late August came, and September and the Sox weren't winning 8 out of every ten games. Only 5. Not that big of a deal, or problem really with the size lead they had. Of course you throw in the Cleveland Indians winning 10 of every ten games and you get a problem. The whole country, and even people in this city were alive with the "See, told you they'd blow it." headlines. Even Sox fans were worried, and even if I didn't agree, I couldn't blame them. Stories of the 69 Cubs and their infamous collapse to the Mets were all over the place. The mistake was though, that this wasn't the Cubs (Sorry...one little dig.) the Sox weren't going to blow it. We weren't choke artists on the South Side, we were more of a "Seldom there" artist. As far as which is better, it's debatable, well for masochists anyway. I think they both suck.

All fears were thrown to the wayside though when in the last week of the regular season the White Sox flipped the light switch back on and tore off a winning streak that included a 3 day sweep in Cleveland to end the season using mostly our bench players. (Poor Indian fans. They were practically buying ALCS tickets and the next thing they knew we were stomping their face in the mud. I mean it's the sports equivalent of falling in love with a girl, only to have her dump you for no reason, and then she brings her new boyfriend over one night to kick your ass. Oh and he's 5'6" and weighs 125 pounds.) The White Sox then stormed through the playoffs and their opponents like (insert random country here) through France. No team had an answer for that pitching staff. The Red Sox? The defending champions who score runs like there's no tomorrow? Shut down. Vlad and the Angels? I don't think Vlad hit a ball out of the infield the entire series except one pop up to right field. The Astros and their pitching staff? Clemens-Loss, (Hey look!! Roger had to leave a big postseason game with an injury. Nothing new here.) Pettite-Loss, Oswalt-Loss, Lidge-Lit up.

It all ended up with some fat baby faced kid named Bobby Jenks who throws about 200MPH being mugged by 25 of the happiest guys in the world. That and me picking up K-Dogg in a bear hug and swinging him and Miller High Life all over Bryan Manion's living room. I sit here nearly 2 and a half months later, and I still don't think what happened that night has hit me yet. I had never felt so happy.

Now it's the end of December and the Bears are reminding people of the 85 team. While I think comparisons of the two aren't exactly fair, i definetely see likeness. Amazing defense, solid running game. Wins on the board. This season's team isn't as dominant, but they are good enough to get to the Super Bowl. Especially now that we have a QB who doesn't resemble one of my friends in our old Thanksgiving Day games.( I miss those games. I mean they were just fun. How many other times can you break a guys leg by diving at his knees, and then later that night be having a beer with him and laughing about the whole thing? Oh, it wasn't me who broke Mustain's leg, it was Vu, but you get the point.) Also with the White Sox winning I just have that whole "Oh the Bears could beat the Colts in the Super Bowl easily" feel about them. I mean the friggin White Sox won the World Series. Therefore the Bears can beat the Colts on a nuetral site. I mean if the Red Sox and Patriots can win championships in the same time frame, anybody can.

If the Bears do end up winning the Super Bowl I may drop dead from sensory overload. No joke. Even with that risk, I'm still gonna pull for em. It's not the same as it was with the Sox, cuz I have been alive for a Bears championship before, but I was only 5 years old. I don't think they meant too much to me at that point. I had cool toys that needed tending too. So I guess in a way if the Bears do win it, it will kind of have that same "once in a lifetime" feel to it. This city would erupt though. Unlike baseball there is no division here for the Bears. There are some Packer fans around here (Trust me if you lived in Green Bay you'd move here too.) but they don't count. (Literally, every ten years when the census is taken if you live in Chicago and check the box next to Packers fan they throw your little card out.) The party here would be amazing. I hope I get to go to it.

Now I know I haven't mentioned either the Bulls or the Blackhawks (they're a hockey team. Pronounced HA kee). The Bulls even showed some promise this year though. They made the playoffs for the first time since the dynasty was dismantled. They didn't get past the first round, but a solid young core of Hinrich, Deng, and Gordon has given the city some hope at least. Maybe one day soon the Bulls will have this city worshiping them again. The Blackhawks though, well to steal a too often used cliche, are the Fredo of Chicago's Corleone family. We're all still waiting for someone to take them fishing. The NHL left for a season, and from what I can sense, nobody really cared. So I guess not everything in 2005 was great, but denial is an underrated state of mind sometimes.

All I know is that for 2006 I don't have the "Wait til next year mentality" as much as the "I can't wait til next year!!!" feeling. Life is starting to get good around here, and I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings me.