This Paul Sullivan Q&A got passed along to me via Twitter. Here's the relevant bit:
Q: I listened to the sad results of the San Diego Padres- Cubs series over Memorial Day Weekend over XM radio in Tampa and learned that Saturday night in San Diego was their 25th anniversary celebration of their 1984 Championship over the Cubs. I thought it was an in-your-face gesture by the Padres, and I so wish that the Cubs would have been able to shut them up. The San Diego announcers were commenting Sunday that the Cubs fans in the crowd were booing them on Saturday during the presentation, and they had a "Hey, get over it! It happened!" kind of an attitude. They seemed incredulous that the Cubs fans could feel that way. I went through two weeks of deep depression in 1984 after the Cubs lost to the Padres. Did Chicago people think that the Padres were showing bad form and being in your face, or am I the only person still deeply scarred by that loss? --Marty Millburg, Tampa, Fla.
OK. So here's what I know:
FACT: It definitely was an "in your face" gesture. I'd go so far as to say questionable, but let's be honest, when else were we supposed to have a game that commemorated the 1984 team? The Cubs game obviously made the most sense.
FACT: I don't fault Cubs fans for booing during the presentation. Totally understandable. It was a tough loss. Should've been your year. Cest la vie.
FACT: I do think it's kinda funny that Cubs fan went into "two weeks of deep depression". I don't feel so bad laughing at that.
FACT: If the Padres had lost that game or the series, we would have never heard the end of it. Ballsy move by the Padres.
Here's Sullivan's response, emphasis mine:
A: You can’t remove a scar like a tattoo, but you can certainly boo the ’84 Padres if you want, since it was classless to plan it around the Cubs’ weekend when the ballpark was half-filled with Cubs fans. I made an obscene gesture from the press box when Steve Garvey was announced. It was a small and futile gesture, but I felt much better afterwards.
FACT: Plenty of Padres fans and baby mamas made that same gesture.
Here's also my opinion about it being "classless". When the Padres play their games in San Diego, they have every right to cater to Padres fans while sticking it to out of town fans a little bit. As it is, San Diego is already one of the more welcoming organizations to out of town baseball fans. What are we supposed to shoot fireworks when your team does something good? Oh wait. We did that.
So, yes. Get over it Cubs fan. Feel free to boo, but take the ribbing once a season and recognize that when you're a visitor in our house, we might ask your opinion, but we'll be deciding what's for dinner.