Chicago has one burning question for Pope Leo XIV: Cubs or White Sox?
There is one question consuming Chicago baseball fans: What team does Pope Leo support?
The Windy City is notoriously split between Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs supporters, a rivalry between the South and North sides. Father Gregory Sakowicz, rector of Chicago's Holy Name Cathedral, said he was in shock when Robert Prevost, who took the name Leo XIV, was named pope on Thursday.
"He was not on my short, short list," he said.
"I think he's going to be very strong on the immigrant, human rights and the care for the Earth."
Sakowicz said one burning question was whether the pontiff was a fellow fan of the White Sox, as he grew up near the team's stadium on the city's South Side, or of their crosstown rivals, the Cubs.
"I heard he's a Cubs fan," he said. "Well, God Bless him."
The Cubs themselves claimed Leo as one of their own, posting on their X account congratulations and a photo of the iconic Wrigley Field sign with the words: "Hey, Chicago. He's a Cubs fan!"
"Not only would we welcome Pope Leo XIV to Wrigley Field, he could sing 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame,'" Cubs Executive Chairman Tom Ricketts said in a statement, referring to the song that fans belt out during the middle of the seventh inning.
Ricketts also invited the pope to deliver a "Sermon on the Mound" at the ballpark.
However, local television station WGN interviewed the pope's brother, John Prevost, on Thursday, and he cleared up the matter.
Pope Leo is a fan of the White Sox, he said.
"He was never, ever a Cubs fan, so I don't know where that came from," Prevost said in an excerpt of the interview shared by the White Sox on X. "He was always a Sox fan."
The White Sox also claimed the pope as a fan.
"Family always knows best, and it sounds like Pope Leo XIV's lifelong fandom falls a little closer to 35th and Shields," the White Sox said in a statement, referencing the location of the team's ballpark, Rate Field.
"Some things are bigger than baseball, and in this case, we're glad to have a White Sox fan represented at the Vatican.
"A pinstripes White Sox jersey with his name on it and a hat already are on the way to Rome, and of course, the Pontiff always is welcome at his ballpark."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Times
7 hours ago
- Japan Times
SGA says Thunder have no room for fatigue in NBA Finals
Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said there's no room for fatigue with his team down 2-1 to the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals. "You got to suck it up," the NBA MVP said Thursday, a day after the Pacers rallied in the fourth quarter to seize the lead in the best-of-seven series with a Game 3 victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. "There's a maximum four games left in the season. It's what you worked the whole season for. It's what you worked all summer for. "To me, the way I see it, you got to suck it up, get it done and try to get a win." Gilgeous-Alexander didn't actually acknowledge that fatigue was a factor as his production faded in the fourth quarter of Game 3. Gilgeous-Alexander, the regular-season scoring champion, combined for 72 points in the opening two games, including 34 in Oklahoma City's win in Game 2. But he finished Game 3 with 24 points — just three in the fourth quarter — and committed six turnovers, his most ever in a playoff game. "I think we're trying to make it tough on him," said Indiana's Andrew Nembhard, who has been effective at defending Gilgeous-Alexander. "The biggest thing is just you're persistent, trying to make it tough on him. It's a team job. We all have to be locked in and tied together on that end of the floor to get it done." But Gilgeous-Alexander said he was "not too sure" fatigue played a role when Indiana outscored OKC 32-18 in the fourth quarter. "I don't think so," he said. "It's a physical game. We've had plenty of physical games. We've had games like that where I've been great late, games where I've stunk late." All he can do, he added, was stick to his own game. "It's become so second nature the way I play, the way I think about the game. It's just part of who I am. "My leadership is the same. It's been all year, been organic to who I am." Thunder coach Mark Daigneault was confident Gilgeous-Alexander will adapt. "I think one of his superpowers is the ability to get into the next possession, the next game, the next experience," Daigneault said. "He's the last guy I'm worried about with that."
Japan Times
a day ago
- Japan Times
Expanded Club World Cup set to have far-reaching impact on global soccer
FIFA's expanded Club World Cup, which gets underway in the United States this weekend, is a controversial addition to the global soccer calendar, and one that could have a far-reaching impact on the sport in the years to come. The 32-team tournament, with $1 billion dollars in prize money on offer, has been crammed into an already overloaded schedule leading to concerns it will push elite players to breaking point. It also threatens to upset the balance of domestic and continental club competitions, giving competing teams huge financial advantages over rivals. Consider the leading clubs in Europe, which is sending 12 teams including Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Manchester City and Chelsea. The chances are high that some will go deep into the Club World Cup, with a maximum of seven games to be played up to the July 13 final. The riches on offer are extraordinary, up to a possible $125 million for the top-performing European team. "The Club World Cup model affects the ecosystem of national leagues, especially in Europe," Javier Tebas, the president of Spain's La Liga, told radio station Cadena Cope. But while the likes of Liverpool and Barcelona will not be in the United States, and will thus miss out on the cash prizes, they will be able to give players a much-needed rest. "I think it will have a huge impact, and it will give Liverpool and Arsenal a huge advantage in the next season to not be there," said England manager Thomas Tuchel when asked about the consequences for the Premier League. Those clubs are already among the world's wealthiest without taking into account the sums being lavished by FIFA, but what about teams elsewhere? It will become harder for clubs in South Africa to challenge Mamelodi Sundowns once they leave with a guaranteed minimum of almost $10 million — the equivalent of the prize money for winning nine domestic titles. The amateurs of Auckland City were already dominate in Oceania before being handed $3.5 million just as an appearance fee. But if taking part will be perhaps the ultimate career highlight for their players, it just adds to the demands on those at top clubs. The introduction of the competition was met with opposition in Europe, and global players union FIFPro has warned that the wellbeing of many of its members is being threatened by the huge workload they face. Portugal midfielder Vitinha has played 52 matches for PSG this season, including the Champions League final win over Inter Milan on May 31. There have also been eight games for Portugal, including the Nations League final last week. Now he is off to the United States with PSG, with potentially no holiday until mid-July. The next French season is then due to start in mid-August, at the same time as the Premier League and La Liga. Then at the end of next season, Vitinha should be back in North America with Portugal at the expanded 48-team World Cup. Such demands on leading stars are why player unions in Europe last year raised the threat of strike action in a bid to cut down on the number of matches. "The problem is the accumulation of excessively long and intense seasons back to back," said Maheta Molango, chief executive of England's Professional Footballers' Association. "Players don't think just about the summer, they think about how they are not going to have a holiday for the foreseeable future." Meanwhile, domestic leagues do not see why they should change to accommodate FIFA's new tournament. "International organizations and especially FIFA have increased the number of matches they organize, so now we have a calendar that is beyond saturation," said Mathieu Moreuil of the Premier League. Other competitions are being devalued because the Club World Cup is taking place at the same time, like the CONCACAF Gold Cup, also being played in the United States. U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino is unable to call on leading players like Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah because they are at the Club World Cup with Juventus. "That is the circumstance that we have and we need to adapt," said Pochettino, a former PSG coach who may disagree with the view of Luis Enrique, currently in charge of the French side. "I think it is an incredible competition," he remarked looking ahead to the Club World Cup.
Japan Times
a day ago
- Japan Times
WADA calls on U.S. to stop Enhanced Games from taking place
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) chief Witold Banka has called on U.S. authorities to prevent the drug-fueled Enhanced Games from taking place next year. Speaking in Lausanne in an address to a meeting of Summer Olympic officials, Banka said the inaugural edition of the Enhanced Games — where athletes will be free to use performance-enhancing drugs — in Las Vegas "must be stopped." "We all must stand up and condemn those who put greed and ego before the well-being of athletes and the values of fair competition," Banka said. "As the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles approach, we cannot allow what should be a celebration of honest sporting endeavor to be overshadowed by this cynical attempt to undermine clean sport. "WADA is now urging the authorities in the U.S. to seek ways to prevent the Enhanced Games from going ahead as planned. For the sake of athletes' health and the purity of sport, it must be stopped." In separate remarks following the address, Banka urged U.S. authorities to consider legal action to prevent the Enhanced Games from taking place. "Every effort should be made by the authorities in the U.S. to prevent this dangerous event from going ahead as planned," Banka said. "This should be explored from the legal perspective. For example, I would question whether it is legal for licensed doctors to give these potent drugs to healthy athletes. "It goes completely against the rules and values of their profession ... I think there is a strong role to be played by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA)". USADA has been a strident critic of WADA in recent years following controversy over the global doping watchdog's handling of positive drug tests from 23 Chinese swimmers in 2021. Responding to Banka's remarks on Wednesday, USADA chief executive Travis Tygart accused the WADA president of "attempting to leverage this sideshow to distract from fixing WADA and to stoke anti-American rhetoric." "As we have repeatedly said, for all of the obvious reasons, the Enhanced Games or any other open competition is a bad idea," Tygart said in an email, urging Banka to accept an invitation to a U.S. Senate hearing next week where the 2021 case involving Chinese swimmers is to be discussed. The first Enhanced Games will be staged in Las Vegas in May 2026, with athletes participating in three sports — athletics, swimming and weightlifting. Athletes will be allowed to use drugs banned across international sport such as steroids and human growth hormones, with winners of each event receiving $250,000, and a bonus of $1 million for any athlete who breaks a world record.
