Obama: Cub fans 'not serious'

SOX FAN IN CHIEF | Only 'beer, beautiful people' at Wrigley

We all knew Barack Obama is a Sox fan, but he took it a bit further in an ESPN interview.

Obama joked about the stereotype of Cubs fans, who probably are tired of being described as partying people-watchers instead of serious fans.

"You go to Wrigley Field, you have a beer, beautiful people up there,'' Obama said, according to ESPN transcripts. "People aren't watching the game. It's not serious. White Sox, that's baseball."

The interview took place Wednesday in Greensboro, N.C., and aired on SportsCenter Monday night. Here are excerpts of Obama's comments to ESPN's Stuart Scott. The interview will be rebroadcast during today's 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. SportsCenters:

Favorite athlete: "My favorite player when I was a kid was Dr. J. He had those old Nets shorts with the socks up to here."

If he had to pick an athlete as VP: "I'm a Chicago guy, so I'm thinking Walter Payton. 'Sweetness.' That guy had durability -- he could block as well as run."

Baseball's steroid hearings: "I'd like to see the baseball commissioner handle this without Congress being involved. We've got a lot of stuff on our plate."

Who he'd root for in a Cubs-Sox World Series: "Oh, that's easy. White Sox. . . . You go to Wrigley Field, you have a beer, beautiful people up there. People aren't watching the game. It's not serious. White Sox, that's baseball. South Side."