This wiener wrestling match pits the teams of the Windy City against each other in what would first appear as a mismatch. Think baseball and an image of Wrigley Field is in there somewhere, think hot dog and the Chicago Dog gets top billing. It’s old versus new as the Cubs of Wrigley taken on the south side White Sox from US Cellular Field. That is sort of like putting Andre the Giant in a midget match...or is it? Is there a David and Goliath story in the making?
The White Sox have the Comiskey Dog, which is really a Chicago Style Dog that puts them on par with the Cubbies. The Bopaks frank is not as tasty as the Vienna Beef wiener in Wrigley but close. The Sox also slather on grilled onions and kraut, just like the Cubs. Where the south side gang whips their opponent in the dog department is availability of toppings and cost. If you dress your dog with the condiments at Wrigley, you dog is going to feel somewhat naked. The price differential is huge, $3.75 as US Cellular vs $5.50 at Wrigley.
Then there is the ballpark. I went into this thinking no one could beat out Wrigley Field. I was wrong. Wrigley blows any ballpark away in the ambiance section, but that is like relying on your good looks and personality to get a job as a nuclear physicist. The fans were more exuberant in the Cubs camp as well. What sinks the Cubbies ship is price, I had to pay $32 for general admission ticket in the bleachers. No joke. A GA ticket at US Cellular is $7, and $5 on the day I went. Wrigley is also a good bit less clean, but since it is 100 years old, I cut it a break and only docked it one point. Bottom line is the White Sox ballpark beat the vaunted Wrigley Field by 2.5 points.
| Dog | Ballpark | Total Dog/Game | ||
| Bun | 5 | Location | 5 | |
| Taste | 5 | Access | 5 | |
| Toppings | 3 | Cleanliness | 4 | |
| Price | 4 | Ambiance | 5 | |
| Portability | 5 | GA Ticket Price | 1 | |
| It Factor | 5 | Fans | 5 | |
| 27 | 25 | 52 |
| Dog | Ballpark | Total Dog/Game | ||
| Bun | 5 | Location | 5 | |
| Taste | 4 | Access | 5 | |
| Toppings | 5 | Cleanliness | 5 | |
| Price | 5 | Ambiance | 3.5 | |
| Portability | 5 | GA Ticket Price | 5 | |
| It Factor | 5 | Fans | 4 | |
| 29 | 27.5 | 56.5 |
The lesson for all MLB teams here: team, history, ambiance, fan base, etc. do not amount to a hill of beans if I have to take out a second mortgage to see a game and eat a dog at your ballpark. A reasonably priced GA ticket and hot dog would have seen the Cubs edge out the White Sox, but when money is the focus of your operation, it costs you in the long run. White Sox by 4.5 points. The Cubbies should be embarrassed. Harry Carey would not approve.
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