In 2016, Dave Williams aka White Sox Dave of Barstool Sports saw the team he dedicated his time, energy and identity trade Chris Sale for a gaggle of prospects with the idea of vying for the World Series. all along the line. Williams saw the entire fan base seem to doubt the move, the announcers left, and South Side morale plummeted as low as it had ever been.
He tried to assure everyone that the future was bright, but his reasoning fell on deaf ears as people began to give up baseball altogether or, even worse, go back to their ” second favorite team”. After seeing enough, Williams has compiled a “banned list” of fans whose allegiance is questioned or completely revoked.
“It was a running list of people who dropped out of Reconstruction before she even had a chance to sign up,” Williams said. “For example, Domino’s Pizza was on the list. Anytime you said bad things about the White Sox, I’d put you on that list. One way to get on that list was to support both the Cubs and the Whites. Sox. I’m of the opinion that you have to choose one or the other. I hate the Cubs; I think that’s how it should be.
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One of the biggest violators of Williams’ unwritten rulebook was beloved Chicago native John Cusack. After several runs from both teams in the playoffs, Cusack had found himself the media darling of both fanbases on several occasions. Instead of questioning his ability to bleed both black and blue, commentators would compliment his love for the city of Chicago.
Williams is never shy about speaking his mind, and when the stars lined up ahead of a long-awaited playoff and Williams saw Cusack outside the guaranteed rate field, he did just that, but that didn’t go exactly as planned.
“He knew the list, people had already told him about it and he was always having fun with it,” Williams said. “He was giving me the middle finger on different videos on social media, like, he was playing in the joke, but I had never met him before this confrontation and I was just going to bust his balls a little bit. It was clear from the start that he was offended that I even approached him. It sort of caught me off guard.
Footage of the unexpected confrontation has gone viral and Williams remains as polarizing as he’s ever been, just on a grander scale after the incident.
A lover of everything Chicago, minus John Cusack and the Cubs, Williams is a proud supporter of notable names in his city. From football players to fighters, Williams tries to keep tabs on how the Chicago natives are performing no matter what they choose.
“I’ve always made it a point to review every Chicago fighter,” Williams said. “Anyone who’s been in the UFC since Chicago, I’ve at least done a deep dive on Wikipedia.”
One name Williams has come across in her Wikipedia searches since entering life as an MMA fan is Pearl Gonzalez.
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As a South Sider by birth and proud of her Chi-Town roots, she’s tailor-made for Williams. Unfortunately for both of them, she could be next on Williams’ banned list.
Gonzalez didn’t grow up a die-hard Cubs or White Sox fan, but grew up a fan of the energy both brought. She may have been born in Sox country, but can’t deny the atmosphere of Wrigleyville. Although Williams wants her to win every fight she fights, her allegiance will forever be in question.
“By her own admission, she wants to root for Chicago, so go for it, but if she claims she’s a die-hard Cubs fan and a die-hard Sox fan, I’d say, ‘No. it’s impossible. You can’t be a hardcore fan of two teams competing for eyeballs, dollars, seated fans. It’s impossible. Those two things can’t be true at the same time,” Williams explained. “If she’s just like, ‘I’m not really a baseball fan but I like going to Wrigley,’ fine. I don’t care.”
She may be safe for now, but she’s already flirting with The Banned List. Maybe one day the stars will align again and Williams will casually confront a decorated martial artist about his integrity as a sports fan. Here’s hoping the UFC veteran has a better sense of humor than John Cusack.
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