Red Sox fans (like Ben Affleck, below left) look at Cubs fans and see what the Red Sox fans used to be; Cubs fans (like Bill Murray, below right) look at Red Sox fans with envy in their hearts. Let’s get beyond the name-calling and break down these two teams.
Ben Affleck / Bill Murray
04 RED SOX / 05 CUBS
ALSO KNOWN AS:
Old Towne Team / Cubbies
CHAMPIONSHIP DROUGHT:
86 years / 97 years
FAMOUS CURSE:
Of the Bambino/ Of the Billy Goat
NOMAR FACTOR:
Expendable’ / Irreplaceable
REAL-LIFE MASCOT:
Nelson de la Rosa / Ronnie Woo Woo
HATED RIVAL:
Yankees / Cardinals
PUBLIC ENEMY No. 1:
A-Rod / Roy Oswalt
GRADY LITTLE FACTOR:
Dumped him / Promoted him
SELF-EFFACING NICKNAME:
The Idiots / Undetermined
ICON REMOVED:
Nomar / Sammy
ICON REPLACEMENT:
Orlando Cabrera / Jeromy Burnitz
NONCONFORMIST:
Johnny Damon / Carlos Zambrano
DON ZIMMER FACTOR:
Reviled in Fenway / Beloved in Wrigley
CLUBHOUSE CUT-UP:
Kevin Millar / Ryan Dempster
MARKETING SLOGAN:
Keep the Faith / Believe
MOMENT OF TRUTH:
Bloody sock / Busted boom box
OFF THE HOOK:
Bill Buckner / Steve Bartman
