When my dad and I head off to a new stadium on our trip, it's an unwritten rule that we always try to root for the home team. On a few occasions, such as when the Brewers happen to be in town, we've broken the rule a bit, but for the most part, we throw on a home team cap and cheer like we've been fans for decades.

Normally, it's very easy. Then again, normally we don't visit the stadium of our arch rival.

That's right; it was time to attempt to be a Cubs fan.

In the beginning, it was surprisingly not very difficult. By the time we reached town, the Cubs had traded away most of their best players, including pitcher Ryan Dempster and catcher Geovany Soto. As a result, looking up at the line-up Tuesday afternoon, the home team looked more like the Iowa Cubs than the Chicago Cubs.

Plus, the Cubs are awful this year. Rooting against them would be like rooting against the Detroit Lions back when they struggled to win a single game in a season.

The biggest thing the Cubs had going for them, besides their tragically hilarious ineptitude, was legendary Wrigley Field. I love Miller Park, but being at the famous field, seeing the ivy-covered outfield walls, looking up at the massive manual scoreboard and singing along during the seventh-inning stretch, felt like how baseball is supposed to be.

Wrigley Field also has an advantage over Miller Park, and many other stadiums, by being placed in the middle of the city. Brewers fans do an awesome job of bringing a city-like environment and excitement to Miller Park's parking lots, but it's hard to match walking down a street and seeing all of the bars and restaurants packed with fans.

They were quality fans as well. Since the Cubs aren't doing well this year, most of the people in attendance were hardcores who actually knew the game and weren't there just to drink and yell profanities. You know, like the many who come up for the Cubs-Brewers series.

With all of that going for the home team, I was ready to put on my best face and become a Cubs fan. I bought myself a Cubs hat (three actually; the gift store had two cool old-school hats from the '20s), ready and eager to cheer on my former rivals.

Then the game started.

As the game went on, it was becoming apparent that Pirates pitcher A.J. Burnett was in the midst of a no-hitter. The Pirates hit a grand slam in the first inning that was more than enough to sink the offensively challenged Cubs, so there was little pressure on the Pirates ace. The win was seemingly already in hand; only history was in question.

As we entered the seventh inning without a Cubs hit, it was time to stop rooting for the Cubs and start cheering on history. It's not every day you get a chance to witness a no-hitter in person. It seemed like many of the fans in attendance were of the same mind.

Unfortunately, in the eighth inning, our chance at seeing history was lost. With two outs, Cubs pinch hitter Adrian Cardenas laced a single to right center. The crowd deservedly gave Burnett a long standing ovation. He finished the game off with eight strikeouts and one lone hit.

It was easily the most exciting 5-0 game I've ever seen, though thanks to the almost no-hitter, my goal of becoming a Cubs fan for a game was lost. It seems that even fate doesn't want me to become a Cubs fan.

Trip notes: Wrigley Field may not host many wins this year, but it certainly still hosts a number of interesting characters. The most memorable of them was Beany, a friendly motorcoach driver my dad and I ran into. Beany had tons of stories, ranging from technically dying in a motorcycle crash to the numerous bands he'd driven coach buses for. He also had a massive championship ring from Eastern Kentucky University. Our conversation only lasted about five minutes, but he had enough fascinating stories for five hours.

Total hot dogs eaten: Still four. I discovered an addictively delicious BBQ pulled pork sandwich across the street from Wrigley that cut into my hot dog numbers. Between the hot dogs and pulled pork, it's safe to say I'm going to need some bigger pants.