Home Run Derby

And it begins again. 

The Cubs and White Sox renew their Black and Blue rivalry with a three game interleague showdown at Wrigley Field.  Followed by a three game set at US Cellular Field in 11 days.

Growing up a big baseball fan in Northern Indiana, I had always openly rooted for both teams – they played in different leagues and never played each other.  My family would make trips into Chicago and watch whatever team was in town.  I was a Harry Caray fan – which meant I watched both Sox and Cubs broadcasts in the early 80’s. 

I never fully “got” the Cubs-Sox rivalry until I went to college in Chicago – when my dorm-mates made me choose Cubs or Sox.  Right then.  Right there. 

Being the new roommate of a die-hard White Sox fan, I did what had to be done … and after making him think I was a Sox fan … shouted “GO CUBS!” just to piss him off.  A friendly rivalry which lasts to this day was born.

Just for fun, here’s a look at some of the more memorable commercials Chicago-area merchants have aired to show off the Rivalry.

Here’s a bumper from Miller Lite  for a Cubs-Sox broadcast on Fox.

Okay, that was lame.

McDonalds has been getting in on the Cubs-Sox rivalry.  With pranks that would rival those my roommate and I played on each other.

Love the tattoo one.

Even the players were pranking each other.  Here’s Carlos Zambrano getting White Sox catcher AJ Pierzynski with a face fullof shaving cream.

There were accompanying ads in which Pierzynski waxed off one of Zambrano’s eyebrows, while Michael Barrett and Jermaine Dye exchanged pranks … all which can be seen here.

Sammy Sosa played for borth Chicago clubs, so naturally he’s featured in one of these.  In a spot for Pepsi, Sosa gets a free Taco from someone who he thinks is a big fan … only to get Punk’d.

What’s funny about that is that Pepsi does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to put out a mouth-fire.

Of course, sometimes Cubs and Sox fans can get along.  But only for another sport …

GO BEARS!  I love that ad.

The Managers can get along, if they’re being paid gobs of money to do it … while rapping about Chevys. 

I bet NO ONE bought a Chevy because of that ad. 

The Sammy Sosa Pepsi commercial used to be my favorite Sox/Cubs commercial.  But that was before Cork N’ Carry (a Southside watering hole) aired this one between a father and son …

It’s probably the most realistic of all these commercials.  I dated a girl who came from a die-hard White Sox South Side Irish family.  When I met her father, the first thing he asked me was if I was a Cubs fan or a White Sox fan.

I told him I didn’t follow baseball … and walked out of his house alive.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 15th, 2009 at 11:36 am and is filed under Cubs, Rivalry, White Sox. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.