Freakin' Out The Squares and Chicago Sports

Is it really something kids do.... drive around and try to freak out other people in their cars??

I came to teenage passenger and driving age in the late 80s/early 90s. For those I hung out with, all we really ever did was just blast the metal/hard rock and roll down the windows. It was likely going to freak out or upset some people. All good.

Heck... it's still good now. I like having the windows rolled down, stereo blasting, as I sing along to some tunes.

I had two incidents driving to work this week (office is very near a high school) where groups of kids in cars were apparently trying to "freak out the square" with me. And when the hell did I become a square?!?!?!

I must now interrupt to mention a bit about Chicagoans and their sports teams. Other than some bright times during the Michael Jordan years, a true Chicago sports fan has the complete and utter belief that no matter what the past or present.... their team is going to blow it. Not "maybe" blow it... they WILL. We've seen it. It happens to every team, we just think it happens to us more than others.

But there is one breed of Chicago sports fan that always believes their team has a shot until the season is over (even if they didn't make the playoffs... ).... the fair-weather Chicago Cubs fan. These are people who don't pay attention to anything having to do with baseball other than to yell out "WOOOOOOO!!!! CUBBIES!" when they're at a bar and mentioned on Sports Center. And don't expect them to know, five minutes later, if the report of was a win or loss. Just expect them to go "WOOOOOOO!!!! CUBBIES!" again as they head to the bar for another beer.

I am a White Sox fan. Born and raised. The night I first met the hubby (not counting the day I recall a "very cute guy" who came into the McD's I was working at, which was about a week before this) he was wearing a Sox jersey. Now... around Chicago (minus parts of da sout' side) this is pretty much a rebel behavior. Especially in the west/northwest burbs we hail from. It was a very positive sign. If I'd have ever brought home someone with a business suit and a six figure job, the family would have not approved if he was a Cubs fan. If I'd have brought home Marilyn Manson in a Sox jersey, they'd love him (although I wouldn't. Man... c'mon.... you left DITA? Stupidest. Man. Ever.). Somehow... luckily... in all the matchups in my family.... we've been lucky enough to find fellow lost Sox fan families. It's a good thing.

Ok. Time to wake up, people. Back to the freakin'.

A few weeks back, the hubby put a Sox sticker on the back of the truck. He was so proud. Much like my parents.... his family was raised to a belief of "no stickers on cars". But.... we're fans. We love our boys. And I was proud to have it on my car.

Until..... the Cubs clinched the division title. It's a division title. It means you'll get to October and nothing more. C'mon... Chicago team. They'll blow it somehow, they always do.

But the challenge is out there... up until this week, the Sox weren't doing so horribly (well, actually, a mix of good highs and bad bad lows) so there was talk of the Sox also making division. Until the Twins.

Yeah. We got our asses kicked. We choked. We are not surprised.

But I did not expect to get two rounds of "WOOOOOOO!!!! CUBBIES!" from cars full of high school kids this week. Hey.... fair weather Cubbie fans... be aware... when we started our run, we were still convinced our team would find a way to blow it. And a big part of the magic was.... they didn't. They BROUGHT it. And until the words were said, we really didn't believe it.

So please... fair-weather Cub fans.... give us the same dignity we showed, and don't rub it in the face. There is still a LOT of ground to cover before it is over.

And really.... a Sox fan all my life... picked on for being a Sox fan (a lot of us were).... is a "WOOOOOOO!!!! CUBBIES!" supposed to freak me out?? After the first incident... there was a truck with construction guys who saw it all, they pulled up on the offending car and there were shouts, and they then pulled up next to me and dude in the passenger seat apoligized for "da kidz" and told me I was sexy for "havin' dat sticker". Sox fan stick together, ya'll.

And reflecting now... dude.... seriously... I'm like a square now? I used to party with rock stars! I am not a square!!!!!