"On the South Side, we don't ride like that."

Here's one of the most e-mailed stories from espn.com. (Link should have 2 pages). Great writing by Scoop Jackson that really captures the "flava" of the mid-season pennant race:

They all know how this side of town works. They know that while fantasy springs eternal up north in Wrigleyville, fatalism runs thangs on the other side of Roosevelt Road.

Ride the Redline to 35th. "Who's the best team in baseball? The Cardinals or the White Sox?" you'll hear. Those who answer "Pale Hose" still don't sound like they believe it.

It's called the art of un-panicking. It's a body language and mind-set embraced by a couple of million people who want to pull out those black 1993 White Sox caps, but are afraid to because they don't want to be getting dressed for their own funeral.