DIE’D-HARD CUBS FAN or DEAD-HEART FAN OF CUBS

"Moonshots can be heard and seen over the Chicago night sky..."
(photo courtesy of Ed Mancia)

Donny R

As a kid, it's much easier to get into the lumber power of Frank Thomas and Bo Jackson and Co., fireworks at a brand new ball field and, gulp, winning, than it is to get behind the on-base percentage of the aging, early 90's Chicago Cubs’ teams.  Growing up in Chicago proper, your fandom is usually handed down from your DNA donor and incubators: my parents, however, liked both teams though my mom leaned towards the Cubs.  I'm not a parent but if I lived in the city with two “same-sport” team choices and had two young boys, I'd take them to as many Chicago White Sox games as my parents took me, because sports’ integrity is an impossible concept to teach your kids.  I strongly believe that my parents did the right thing nudging me to the winning side.  Why would you even subject your kids to the heartbreak that is the Cubs anyway?  As day baseball was being labored close to my Rogers Park home, the moonshots could be heard and seen over the Chicago night sky in the Summer of the early '90's, but that did not change my allegiance.  A couple of Big-Hurt chocolate bars, Robin Ventura t-shirts, and trips up and down the concourse ramps at the new Comiskey Park, I was obsessed with the White Sox.

Enter 1994. 

The strike ends the Sox World Series hopes and ultimately ends my love affair for the team.  I started playing organized sports at this time.  I, like most Hispanic boys (excluding Pathological Hate’s editor, Felipe), was really fast (For the record, I was my 8^th grade football team's fastest runner and one of the few players that never complained during sprints—Ed).  I thought I was Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez from the film The Sandlot (No relation?—Ed).  And I was probably as fast as the character who shared the same last name as me, except, unlike Benny, I had no coordination whatsoever.  During the pee-wee player assessment try-outs, I didn't field one pop-up or grounder.  I swung and missed on every batting attempt.  So I was put in right field, a safe haven for kids with fielding deficiencies.  You know who else played right field around that time? Sammy Sosa.  Right around 1995, with Michael Jordan attempting a comeback and my loyalty to the Sox just inexplicably wearing off just like things do for most eleven year-olds, I decided I was a Sosa/Cubs’ fan.  Chicks (baby chickens) dig the long ball.  Ok that joke was cheap, cheap.  Crap that was worse; my gags have flown over the coo--

Why did the rooster cross the road, Donny?
(photo courtesy of Ricardo Ponce)

You know where this story goes: 1998 was the most exciting year of my sports-loving life!  The Chicago Bulls had just three-peated, again, WWF (now the WWE-Ed) was embarking in its Attitude era, and Sosa could hit a football with one swing (perhaps even throw it) farther than Erik Kramer and Steve Stenstrom could do all that year, combined.  Jordan was now gone, leaving the face of the city in the hands of Toni Kukoc, Curtis Conway, Tony Amonte, Albert Belle, and Sosa.  

As a teen, just as a pre-teen, I was a front-runner.  Not proud of it, but as an adult now, I'm a fan of honesty.  In High School, tucked away in the suburb of Elk Grove Village, I always looked forward to the Cubs’ games back in the city I lived in the first 12 years of my life.  That's when you cement your allegiance.  Taking that Metra to the Blue Line is where some of my favorite memories are bedrocked.  

The rest is a sad an unfortunate history, with a blip of nice times spaced out on my Cubs’ sonar map:

• 2003 NLCS, I could have done without (The year my soul gave up on life and committed suicide—Ed).  I was in college at Columbia in Chicago, and remember taking the Red Line after class to Wrigley Field to stand outside on Sheffield Ave, for Games 6 and 7, and experienced the realest kind of dejection a sports' fan can ever experience.  
• Sosa "accidentally" grabbing a corked bat that same year (Among many stupid things he has done throughout his life.  Not even talking about the PEDs—Ed).  
• In 2005, from the bleachers, I saw Greg Maddux’s 3,000th strikeout on my brother's 21st birthday.  The Maddux game, aside from the random 2000 Sox game I attended where Mike Cameron hit four home runs, is the best time I've ever had at a game.
• Throw in a couple two-three Cubs vs Sox games, which now happen to be my least favorite sporting event because of everyone in the stands insisting on being drunk dicks to each other.  
• The recent playoff runs were also memorable.  

And now, here we are.  

I'm too old to jump ship to the South Side.  I'm a Cubs' fan from now until death does me part.  Or at least until I have a kid, I'll take "it" to both ball parks around age 7 and let "the child" decide who he roots for.  Hopefully, I can nudge the tyke to bleed “Cubbie Blue,” because after all, misery loves company.  Like father, like son.  Go, Cubs, Go.

To read how Felipe became a Cubs' fan, click here. 

To read how Johnny became a Mariners' fan, click here. 

More MLB content is available here. 

2011 BIRTHDAY FORTNIGHT: PART V: Face to Face

Pathological Hate

It's rare for bands to ever get back together and make new music and go back on tour.  Many bands decide to go on hiatus and ultimately break up and call it a day.  That's what Face to Face was facing back in 2003 when they decided they were going to call it a career.  Since "The Only Goodbye Tour" of 2004, the band has not performed on a regular basis since then--a span of 6 years.  During that time span though, rumors circulated that a reunion was not too far off, but each time that it appeared that the band would get together again soon, it would never come to fruition.  Lead singer Trever Keith would do local acoustic shows, sometimes with bassist Scott Shiflett.  There would be reunion shows, here and there, but never a full reunion.  


Nevertheless, optimism among fans would shine bright with each rumor of possible reunion and it finally became a reality when it was announced that Face to Face would be touring the entire leg of the 2010 Warped Tour.  This was followed with the release of a new album in 2011, Laugh Now, Laugh Later along with a spring/summer tour with support from The Darlings and Strung Out.  The band had officially gotten together; thousands of punk fans were pleased.


It is with this backdrop, that Pathological Hate, embarked on a journey to Milwaukee, WI to catch a show that was 6 years in the making.  

May 6, 2011: THE EAGLES BALLROOM, MILWAUKEE, WI--


We were excited to see this band--unfortunately we had to drive to Milwaukee.  It's only a two hour drive, but getting to this city is anything but bearable. However, once the drive is over and you're in the venue.  The Eagles' Ballroom is a HUGE place.  They have multiple floors with the higher level playing dance music (that floor is called THE RAVE), and the 1st floor usually hosting live music.  There's a bar that's adjacent to the main stage that plays live music as well--so there's something for everyone at this place. Basically, on some nights, the only form of entertainment in Milwaukee.

We were certainly ready for a show that's been anticipated for six years. The crowd and energy from Face to Face really left an impression on us. The mosh pits didn't feel quite the same as the ones that we were used to in Chicago.  The differences between the Milwaukee and Chicago crowds at these shows are subtle, but tangible.  They're a bit--ummmm, lame?  It is our opinion that Wisconsinites are dorky and strange to begin with and those are the people on the surface.  So imagine how much weirder the local underground scene is. Plus there's certain unwritten rules that should be followed in the mosh pit that these people have no clue about.  If it happens once, it's an isolated incident, but if it happens multiple times, then it becomes a pattern.  Trever Keith, when he first came on stage, noted that there was "a small, but crazy crowd here in Milwaukee!"  Yes, "crazy" sums it up pretty well.

Regardless, it was great to experience a great night of punk rock.  Up and coming band, The Darlings were very impressive and were able to perform a cover of the Misfits' song, "Astro Zombies" with guest vocals, Jason Cruz from Strung Out.  Speaking of Strung Out, they performed right after and after years of not following this band, we became fans.  Their fusion of melodic punk rock and heavy metal precision is just infectious.  And listening to punk rock, 1990s staples "Firecracker" and "Matchbook" live was a treat in itself.  

Face to face started off with "You Lied" and "You've Done Nothing" and a whole slew of old songs.  They played a couple of their songs from their new album, but that night was all about the oldies: 

1. Walk the Walk
2. Blind
3. A-Ok
4. Pastel
5. Velocity
6. Disconnected

Not only are these few, select songs Face to Face essentials, but these songs are essential, punk rock in the 1990s and have withstood the test of time.  It's just perfectly idoneous to Southern California: the perfect sunny days, spending time at the beach, driving your car on the freeways, spending an afternoon skating--yes these are all cliches, but these are the connotations that these songs bring up.  It's just a good, fairly universal feeling of nostalgia.  

The real treat of the night came when Trever Keith admitted to the audience that breaking up was the biggest mistake that they have ever done and that part of the reason of coming back was to perform these "fun" songs again.  

To close the concert out, "It's not Over" was played on the encore set. Leaving the concert we felt this air of optimism as we walked out of the concert venue.  Maybe it was the cool, but pleasant spring breeze that was prevalent in Milwaukee that night--as if the band brought some of that good California weather with them.  But finally seeing Face to Face live for the first time, after that notion seemed to be all but an impossibility of a dream, sparked much hope that the band will continue creating more music and touring together as a band for many years to come. 

To check out the rest of our music page and read about previous shows we've attended, click here.

Check out another punk rock band from the 1990s, 88 Fingers Louie.

For everything Bad Religion, click here.