Brewers - Cubs Rivalry

I love baseball. I have played the game since I was five years old. I realize that football is the predominant sport in this country, but baseball is still my favorite. I have spent five years as a Little League manager and list one of my favorite movies as "The Natural ".

Since I moved to Eau Claire in 1987, I began to root for the Milwaukee Brewers since they were in another league than my favorite team - the Chicago Cubs. As an Illinios native who has lived in Wisconsin the past 20 years, I am not shy about the fact that I cheer for the Brewers when they do not play the Cubs, even though both teams are now in the same league and division.

For the first time, the Brewers and Cubs are actually in contention in the middle of August. As of this writing, both teams are losing games, though. I know better than to get too excited about the Cubs being a part of the playoff race. After all, the Cubs have not won a World Series since 1908 and last appeared in the championship event in 1945. On the other hand, the Brewers were on the losing end of the 1982 World Series and have not appeared in the playoffs in the last 25 years. Either way, I truly hope that the "Brew Crew " and "Cubbies" are in the playoff race as we approach the last days of the baseball season. I think it is good for business.

Likewise, I am a Green Bay Packer fan except for when they play the Chicago Bears. Fortunately, most good sports fans respect the rivalry between the "Green and Gold" and the "Monsters of the Midway". In fact, even though there are a number of Minnesota baseball and football fans in the Chippewa Valley, this region is still dominated by those who choose to support the Packers and Brewers. And, for whatever reason, many of my friends who root for the Packers and/or Brewers still respect my two favorite teams. I have always said that it is important to appreciate your fiercest rival, whether it be in sports or business.

As we get closer to the end of the baseball season, I look forward to the chance that both of my teams may be able to become a participant in the playoffs. If not, the Milwaukee Brewers' fans will probably only have to wait another year or two to have a chance at winning their division, while the Cubs' fans will continue to recite our favorite refrain for the last 100 years: "Wait until next year ".