In 2005, the Chicago White Sox won the World Series and embarked on a new popularity.  Over the course of the last six years, the popularity has waned due to poor performance on the field and off the field incidents.  The Sox got back into the playoffs in 2008, but went out in the first round to the eventual AL Champion Tampa Bay Devil Rays. From then on, it's been three poor seasons, highlighted by a bitterly disappointing 2011, which set in motion the departure of White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen.

Had the White Sox been more successful, they would have owned baseball in Chicago, or at very least, a much higher percentage of the market.  But failures in 2010 and 2011 brought attendance down and have hurt the Sox ability to sign and keep players.  Fan favorite Mark Buehrle may not be re-signed simply because the Sox don't have the payroll flexibility to do so.

All this time, frustration and dissatisfaction on the North side was at an record high.  After two quick playoff exits under Lou Piniella, Piniella "retired" in August of 2010, similar to the stunt he pulled in Tampa Bay in 2005. The 2011 Cubs were dead in the water from day one and their bloated payroll and lack of effort led to the dismissal of their General Manager, Jim Hendry in July (although Hendry stayed through August.)

Enter into the breech one Theo Nathan Epstein, the newly anointed President of Baseball operations for the Chicago Cubs.  In one press conference, Epstein served up a batch of kool-aid even the crustiest reporters and talk show hosts lapped up.  The former Boston wunderkind talked about changing a culture, of melding old and new and about putting systems in place for all players from the rookie leagues right up to the major leagues.  He talked about the players having pride in the uniform and in knowing that the organization and their teammates had their backs.  He talked of a "Cubs Way" and how the culture of the organization would be assessed, analyzed and rebuilt from the ground up.

Meanwhile, across town, the White Sox must have been watching.  The same White Sox who have the worst farm system in baseball and who have spend the least on the draft.  The same White Sox whose internal wars between their GM and their Manager turned into a national embarrassment.  The same White Sox who value fan comfort and familiarity over someone with a track record of success.  The same White Sox who claimed Alex Rios off waivers and thought Adam Dunn was going to hit 40 home runs. 

And if they were watching, they should be afraid, very afraid.  Because at the end of the nineties and in the early part of the last decade up until 2005, the Cubs were the shizzle and the White Sox were just trying to keep up.  Without an iconic ballpark and lacking the confidence of their fans, Epstein's performance yesterday has re-energized Cub fans while Sox fans live off fond memories of six years ago.

If Theo succeeds and the Sox continue to flounder, the Sox are in trouble.  Big trouble. And no Elvis night or Dog day afternoon is going to fix it.