Cubs vs. Cardinals

Growing up in central Illinois I was caught right in the middle of one of the biggest rivalries in baseball. I'm talking of the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals.

And seeing the fans -- I'd say over 90% of the residents are fans of either of these two teams -- you can tell a lot about the personalities of the fans depending on which of the two teams they root for.

Cubs fans, due mainly to the fact the team hasn't won a World Series in over a century, going almost as long for an appearance in the championships, are hopeful, optomistic people.  The World Series doesn't matter to Cubs fans. They have greater love of the game rather than the outcome.  To Cubs fans it's not about winning or losing, they'll remain loyal even though the Cubs don't regularly make it to the playoffs.

Cardinals fans, on the other hand, are assholes.  That's not right, well, not all the time, just in the way they are during baseball games or around known Cubs fans.  I have never seen a Cubs fan tell a 2-year old child in a Cardinals shirt, "Oh, I'm so sorry that your parents make you wear that shirt." And whenever the Cardinals beat the Cubs, Cards fans have to make sure that EVERYONE knows it, yet if the Cubs win, Cards fans have an attitude of "Oh, so what?  When's the last time you were in the World Series?"

I don't know if Cardinals fans are like this outside of central Illinois, and not all Cardinals fans are like this.  But a lot of them are.  Why?  There was no rivalry like this between the Bears and Rams, or the Cardinals NFL team before they moved to Arizona.  Granted, the Bears' NFL rivalry is with the Green Bay Packers, but it's not as bad as the one between the Cardinals and Cubs.  Is it because it's been so long since the Cubs' World Series appearance?  If so, why does that matter?  Is it elitism on the Cards fans' part?  Is it only because they are both so close to Peoria (where I live)?  Is it maybe a fair weather thing -- i.e. the Cards fans are worse when they are really going strong, but there's still that animosity when they aren't doing so hot?

I've heard some Cardinal fans (I'm friends with a few) who say it's just friendly ribbing.  It doesn't seem that way all the time.  Partly because it's being done all the time.  Even during the off-season, someone will see me in a Cubs hat and decide they have to say something about it.  Why?  I don't bug you about your choice of headwear, or your lack of taste in music because you're singing Lady Gaga.  Yet you feel the need to berate me for my choice of baseball team I root for.  I'm above that.  And that's why I like being a Cubs fan.