EXTRA: Sox or Cubs; which ballclub's fans drink heavier at the ballpark?

You never know where or when a ‘Sox versus Cubs’ debate can break out. Sometimes, it even occurs during a Cook County Board session.

Such was the case on Monday when the finance committee convened for a serious session to review a series of tax increases being considered to balance the county budget for 2012 – ones that county Commissioner William Beavers of the South Side denounced as “poor man’s taxes.”

ONE OF THOSE increases involves a boost in the alcohol beverage tax – the retail sales of beer, wine and assorted spirits. Which invariably will get passed down to the consumer by those who have to pay it.

That includes the people who feel the need to buy a beer (or four) whenever they attend a sports event live.

Which caused county Commissioner Jeff Tobolski of LaGrange to say that he thinks many people will wind up just paying the extra tax without complaint – mo matter how much more in price it makes the cost of a ballpark beer.

“I’m sure it won’t be dry at the stadium,” Tobolski said, adding that he was including, “the Cell (U.S. Cellular Field), Cubs Park (Wrigley Field) and the stadium (Soldier Field)” in his assessment.

APPARENTLY, COUNTY COMMISSIONER Peter Silvestri of the Northwest Side is one of those Cubs fans who has never called his ballclub’s ballpark “Cubs Park.” Because he quickly snapped on Tobolski for excluding the Wrigley Field crowd, whom he implied are much heavier drinkers.

“I’d bet there is more beer sold at Cubs games than at the Sox,” he said. Which sounds like “fightin’ words” to someone like me who is old enough to remember the days when the old Comiskey Park was informally referred to as, “the world’s largest outdoor beer garden.”

All of which caused county Commissioner John Fritchey of the North Side, who considers himself a Cubs fan, to retort, “you know why they sell so much beer at the games. I say that reluctantly.”

It makes sense.

IF I ROOTED for a ballclub where a 100-loss season was always a very real possibility, I’d probably need to imbibe in the alcoholic beverages a tad too much myself.

Then again, there are times when I watch political people at work who manage to make the most basic issues overly-complicated to the point where I feel like I could use a shot or two to recover.

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