Week 12 Picks...

Okay, so three weeks ago I struggled a little with my picks (2-3). But in my defense, I took some chances, and two of the three incorrect picks were very close games. After two weeks of rest, I'm ready to take some more chances. Here goes nothing.

New England 27 - Miami 20
Miami trounced New England 38-13 in week 3. However, I haven't seen too many teams fool Bill Belichick twice. Even with the Wildcat offense, I cannot see Ronnie Brown and the Dolphins running all over the Patriots defense again (even with Adalius Thomas out). With that being said, I still think Miami will pose problems for the Pats. Last week, Matt Cassel showed us he could respond to those types of problems. In the battle of the Bills (Belichick & Parcells), I'm taking the Pats in a close one.

New York Jets 19 - Tennessee 23
Two weeks ago, I started thinking the Jets were going to be the team to hand the Titans their first loss (if the Jags did not). Well, today isn't too weeks ago. Since then, the Titans have overcome a 14-3 deficit against the Jags, and Jeff Fisher has jumped out of a helicopter (arriving at practice, in an effort to motivate his team. I don't know what Jeff will have to do to get them past the Steelers and Colts, but at least he doesn't need to do anything extreme to get them past the Lions on Turkey Day. Oh, and just to comment on this weeks game: the Titans defense should slow down Thomas Jones and capitalize on some dumb throws by Brett Favre en route to victory.

Carolina 30 - Atlanta 17
Last week started what I anticipate to be the decline of this year's surprise story: the Falcons. Carolina's defense should take Michael Turner out of the game. Although Ryan has progressed since their last meeting, I think Carolina's defensive pressure should be too much for him as well. Throw in the one, two punch of DeAngelo Williams & Jonathan Stewart, and its easy to see why the Panthers should be a lock to win in Hot-Lanta.

New York Giants 31 - Arizona 27
This is a real tough call. The Giants are arguably the best team in the NFL right now. On the other side, the Cardinals are impressing all as of late. Kurt Warner has been the surprise player of the year, and Larry Fitz & Anquan Boldin are practically unstoppable. If the Giants defensive front can get pressure on Warner, and I think they will, Boldin & Fitz will have little time to get open. Boldin is such a threat receiving at the line of scrimmage that I do think the Cardinals will generate a lot of scoring, but with the Giants run game controlling the ball, and enough pressure to force a fumble or two out of Warner, the G-men should squeeze out a victory.

Indianapolis 31 - San Diego 20
It's been a surprisingly tough year for the Bolts, who at 4-6, need a victory if they want to preserve any hopes of winning the division. Unfortunately for them, the resurging Colts are coming into town. Look for the Bolts' struggles to continue, with a two-touchdown loss to Peyton and the Colts. I still wonder, was it really worth getting rid of Marty Schottenheimer after a 14-2 season, just because of one playoff loss to the Pats? I'd be worried if I was Norv Turner.

Green Bay 24 - New Orleans 34
New Orleans has had a disappointing season thus far, but there's still a small window of opportunity left for them to make a move. The return of Reggie Bush would help. After all, in his last appearance on Monday night, Bush dazzled spectators with two punt returns for TDs (three if he hadn't slipped on the turf). While Bush's return is still left uncertain (I think he'll give it one more week of rest), I think the Saints will pull it out either way. The Packers defense has been tough as of late, but Drew Brees has been something else thus far. The Saints love playing in front of that home crowd as well.

Image taken from Yahoo! Sports

Down to the Wire...

With the NFL season just past its midway point, and the playoff future of many teams still left uncertain, I thought I'd make some predictions. Here's what I expect to see come January:

AFC East:
New England Patriots (11-5)
If I've learned anything from this decade in football, it's that you can never count out a Bill Bellichek coached team. Even in the absense of stars Tom Brady, Rodney Harrison, and now Adalius Thomas and Laurence Maroney, I still think the Patriots will win their division. Matt Cassell has been up and down at times, but in the last few weeks he has demonstrated an ability to lead. The Patriots have also managed to keep the running game going in the absense of Maroney. They rank 7th in the NFL in rushing, and the recent emergence of BenJarvus Green-Ellis (I know, that's a lot of first names) shows an indication that their ranking may only get better. The Patriots have also shown they are confident enough in Cassell to take chances down the field. As Moss and Welker continue to gain confidence in their quarterback, the only place the Pats can go is up. Oh and right, they're already in first place in the division.

AFC North: Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5)
This division will come down to one game. December 14th, Steelers vs. Ravens, at Baltimore. While the Ravens defense may be thriving once again, its the Steelers that hold the NFL's top defense. Combine that with a more experienced quarterback and a Pro-Bowl running back's return, and its easy to see why the Steelers should prevail. Both teams face a tough road ahead, but the Steelers are just a little bit better.

AFC South: Tennessee Titans (13-3)
This one isn't that difficult. At 9-0, the Titans are pretty much a lock for the division title. Their final 7 games are fairly tough though. I expect their undefeated season to come to an end in the near future, and with a comfortable division lead in the final weeks, I expect to see some more losses to teams vying for playoff spots.

AFC West: Denver Broncos (9-7)
The AFC West has really fallen off this year, huh? Even so, someone has to win the division. I think Denver will squeak it out in the last game of the season against the Chargers. I haven't given up on Jay Cutler, and I think RB Ryan Torrain should be the surprise sensation that vaults the Broncos into the playoffs.

AFC Wild Cards:
Indianapolis Colts (11-5)
Manning and the gang have looked like anything but the Colts of recent years this season, however, I think we'll see a late season surge from them. They seemed to be back on track these past two weeks, and they've successfully made it through a brutal schedule. The road ahead matches the Colts up with five, below .500 teams. If the Colts maintain their current groove and avoid lapses against inferior opponents, they should coast into the playoffs.

New York Jets (10-6)
Well, as I predicted on the day of the trade, Brett the Jet should propel the Jets to the playoffs. Although lately it doesn't seem like Favre deserves the credit. The Jets have a great running attack, in Thomas Jones & Leon Washington, and their defense has really bailed them out as of late. With a schedule as weak as they have ahead, it would be sad for Brett and company to miss the playoffs.

NFC East: New York Giants (13-3)
Even with the toughest schedule to close out the season (remaining opponents have a combined .621 winning percentage), I still see the Giants taking the NFC East. They've put themselves in a good enough position to withstand the tough road ahead. The division should continue to beat each other up. Barring injuries, I think the Giants will continue to show the league why they are the defending Super Bowl champs.

NFC North: Chicago Bears (10-6)
I should hold my breath when saying this, but in honor of my dear friend Christoph Schoenbeck, I'm taking the Bears. Minnesota came through with a big win last week versus Green Bay, but they face a difficult schedule to close the year. Even though Chicago has blown games I didn't think were possible to, I just have a feeling they're going to pull it out. Their defense is strong, Orton's playing great and should return from injury in a few weeks, and Matt Forte has been all that Cedric Benson was not.

NFC South: Carolina Panthers (11-5)
Carolina has really impressed me over the last few weeks. I doubted them early in the season, but they've proved me wrong, week in and week out. Delhomme has been consistent as always, and young backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart have been great compliments to star wideout, Steve Smith. They also have a strong defense to sweeten the pot. Look for them to edge out the division title from the Bucs.

NFC West: Arizona Cardinals (10-6)
Who needs a young franchise quarterback like Matt Leinart, when you've got 37 year-old Kurt Warner? The Cardinals certaintly don't. Warner's looking young as ever these days, and Anquan Boldin seems unstoppable. Even after a near career-ending play that sidelined Boldin for two games, he still leads the NFL in TD receptions with 10. He sure is making a case for himself in a contract year. When Boldin is covered, Warner has Larry Fitz, speedster Steve Breaston, and RB Tim Hightower to look to. Ironically, the team oddly resembles "the fastest show on turf", Warner's old supporting cast.

NFC Wildcards:
Washington Redskins (11-5)
Expect the NFC East's surprise team of the year to hold off both Philadelphia & Dallas for a WildCard spot. The offense has come together under Jim Zorn more quickly than anyone would have ever expected. Portis has been having an MVP-like year, Santana Moss is torching defensive secondaries, and Jason Campbell isn't making mistakes. Expect a big win for Washington versus Dallas or Philly to secure a second place finish in the competitive NFC East.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-6)
From Day 1 it was considered a lock for three NFC East teams to make the playoffs, but I don't think its going to happen anymore. The NFC South has surprised everyone with three teams at 6-3 or higher right now. I think the NFC East will continue to beat each other up, opening the door for Tampa Bay to steal the last playoff spot. Dallas could turn it around and take the spot, thanks in part to their 13-9 win over Tampa earlier in the year, but I can't see it happening right now. Yes, Dallas does have Romo back, but I expect problems in their defensive secondary to prevent them from redeeming themselves for last years unexpected loss in the playoffs. Tampa Bay's schedule isn't much easier, but it should be just easy enough to get them into the playoffs.

Image taken from Yahoo! Sports

Another Night, Another Upset...

Last Saturday, fans across the country watching to see if Texas could survive its last difficult test before the Big 12 championship, got quite a show. The Longhorns, fresh off wins against #1 Oklahoma, #11 Missouri, & #7 Oklahoma State, seemed almost unbeatable coming into the game. But Texas Tech was looking to show the country that there was more than one undefeated team in Texas; they did just that.

For the first time this season, the Red Raiders, criticized for having no defense, silenced the critics with a defensive pounding right from the start. On Texas' first possession, running back Chris Ogbonnaya was swallowed in his own endzone by a fired up Texas Tech defense for a safety. The defense didn't stop there. They continued to bruise Texas' offensive line, constantly applying pressure on QB Colt McCoy, and produced a few 3 and outs and many short drives for the Longhorns. They held Texas to a first half total of only 6 points.

On the offensive side, Texas Tech lived up to their hype. They moved the ball efficiently and with ease throughout the first half. QB Graham Harrell found different targets all over the field. However, Texas' defense was able to slow them down near the redzone, and thanks in part to a dropped TD pass in the endzone, the Red Raiders went into the locker room with a 22-6 lead at the half. A score that, although a blowout, didn't do justice for the dominance Texas Tech showed.

In the second half, just like he had against Oklahoma, WR Jordan Shipley got Texas going with a 45 yard punt return for a touchdown. With the score at 22-13, and a Texas comeback knocking at the door, Tech's defense rose to the occassion again. This time it was safety Daniel Charbonnet coming through in the clutch, with a 23 yard interception returned for a score, to put the Red Raiders up 29-13 in the 3rd.

But Texas wasn't done yet. QB Colt McCoy showed why he was the favorite to win the Heisman, leading Texas back with three scoring drives, throwing two TD's (91, 37) in the process. The third and final scoring drive put Texas up for the first time, 33-32 with just 1:29 remaining.

Fortunately for the Red Raiders, their offense had already scored 10 times this year in a 1:30 seconds or less. They also had a confident quarterback at the helm, looking for revenge on the school that said he wasn't good enough to lead their team. Well Texas, it looks like you were wrong. Harrell led his team all the way down the field, and in quick fashion. On 1st & 10 at the Texas 28, with only 15 seconds remaining, Harrell fired a ball into the flat that bounced off the hands of his intended receiver & floated for what seemed like a year in the air. As it came down into the arms of a Texas defensive back, it appeared the Longhorns had survived again; someway, somehow. But wait. Unexplainably, the gift of an interception slipped right through the hands of the Texas defender, giving new life to the Red Raiders with just 9 seconds to go. At the 28, Texas Tech faced a 45 yard field goal with only a walk-on halftime contest winner and a shaky backup to kick it through the uprights. For these reasons, Texas Tech tried to squeeze in one more play. A quick out-route to make the kick a little shorter would probably be the way to go, right? Wrong. How about a downfield pass to the best wide receiver in the country, Michael Crabtree? Yeah, that'll do. If you had never heard of him, and you've seen ESPN in the last week, you know him now. Crabtree casually ran down the sideline in double coverage, probably thinking, "Yeah, I'm about to score the game-winning touchdown", made a play back to the ball thrown behind him, and made a leaping grab near the sideline at the five. Every fan watching must have thought it was over, knowing Crabtree would naturally run out of bounds to set up a nice chip-shot field goal. But no, Crabtree decided it would be best to just break a sure tackle while tip-toeing the sideline, and run it right in the endzone for the win. It was unbelieveable.

With Texas being the third #1 to go down this year, Alabama was finally given a taste of the nation's top-ranking. Texas Tech's upset didn't go unnoticed though. They jumped up to the #2 spot in the country, with a BCS title bid in their hands. It's only a matter of whether or not they can hold on. It won't come easy though. Texas Tech has to take down #8 Oklahoma State and #4 Oklahoma, in Oklahoma, all before the Big 12 Championship. If they can somehow survive those three tough tests, they'll find themselves in the BCS National Championship. Can they do it? It is possible. Will they do it? I can't see it happening. If they can survive this weekend, I expect to see Oklahoma play the role of the spoiler again, and end their perfect season. I will certaintly be rooting for them though. Texas Tech is the most exciting team in the country, and I would certaintly rather see them play, than a Penn State team who's only significant victory came against one of the many overrated teams in the Big 10, Ohio State. The upsets never seem to stop coming though. It should be a crazy finish.

Image taken from Yahoo! Sports

The Boys Are Back in Town...

For 9 1/2 months the Cowboys have had to live with the question of "What if?" on their minds. Last January, people and analysts galore had been talking about the Patriots final test for 19-0; the highly favored Cowboys out of the NFC. All Dallas had to do was take down the Giants, who they easily handled twice already in the regular season, and the Packers, who just didn't seem quite up to par. But getting past their divisional foe was much harder than expected. As Romo let his last pass fly into the arms of R.W. McQuarters in the endzone, the Cowboys season ended in immediate fashion, and much more prematurely than expected. For the next three weeks, Romo and company had to sit at their homes and watch as the Giants lived their dream. I'm sure there's not a day that goes by that the Cowboys don't think about that game.

With Romo now standing at 0-2 in the playoffs as a starting quarterback, he's more motivated than ever to get over that hump. The Cowboys made it their mission to make sure an upset like that never happens again. They took a chance on Adam "no longer Pacman" Jones, drafted Felix Jones, and even recently picked up the "offensive" Roy Williams. When Tom Brady went down, it was almost as if their goal was placed on a platter for them. But who would've thought that the ever so confident and underappreciated Giants would still be winning games? The Giants stayed neck and neck with Dallas and later passed them for first place in the power rankings. Then the Cowboys hit another setback when quarterback Tony Romo broke his finger. They've also lost Adam Jones, and lost to the Redskins, Cardinals, and Rams. Now Brad Johnson is leading the helm, with an injured TE, a surprisingly shaky offensive line, and an underproducing star wide receiver with a flare for the dramatic. What's happening in Big D? This wasn't part of the plan.

Fortunately for the Cowboys, next week they have a bye, and Romo & Witten should return in Week 11. Unfortunately, on the other hand, the same guys searching for revenge on the Giants for the last 1o months will not all get their shot at redemption. Lucky for them they'll have a shot once more this year, and possibly in the playoffs, where it truly matters.

Don't count Big D out though. Just because they're absent a few players, doesn't mean they can't pull off the upset. Their defense picked it up last week behind the play-calling of Wade Phillips, and the Giants have always struggled against the likes of backup quarterbacks. Confidence is great, but overconfidence has cost the Giants many times in the past. Because it's such a big rivalry though, I expect the Giants to bring their A game. I'm taking the Giants with a 30-17 victory at home.

Here are some other predictions for Week 9:

Baltimore 16 - Cleveland 24
The Browns are a much better team than they were in Week 3 against the Ravens. Look for them to avenge their 28-10 loss with a big home win to put them back at .500.

New England 28 - Indianapolis 24
I don't know why, but I've just got a feeling about this game. It would make sense that with Brady out of the mix, Indianapolis should easily win. But Manning & the Colts are off their game as of late, and Cassel seems to be getting more comfortable with his role as the starter. I think the Patriots receivers are starting to have confidence in him as well. I see the Pats squeeking out a victory in Indy.

Pittsburgh 23 - Washington 17
As good as Washington seems to be this year, I think Pittsburgh is just better. Pittsburgh got bruised up against the Giants last week and injuries in their special teams could create some problems tomorrow, but I think Big Ben & the Steelers will show their resilience in a tough win on Monday night. The "Steel Curtain" should slow down Portis, and Pittsburgh may even see "fast" Willie Parker back in action. Regardless, it should be a great Monday night game.

Upset Special:

Green Bay 23 - Tennessee 17
The Titans have had a quite a run thus far at 7-0, but I think Mercury Morris and the 1972 Dolphins will be popping champagne once again come Sunday night. Tennessee's defense has been it's cornerstone all year long, but I see them giving up a touchdown more than their running offense can score against the Packers. Collins hasn't made many mistakes, but having no offense through the air is going to catch up with them eventually.

Image taken from giants.com

One Crazy Year...

Aside from the Rays turnaround in Tampa Bay, I don't think there's anything more unexpected in sports than this year's football season. Most of it just doesn't make any sense. It's as if Tom Brady's injury sent everyone in disarray. Looking at the list of all 32 teams, I couldn't tell you who the favorite is to win it all. Steve Young said he wouldn't count the Falcons out. The Falcons! The 4-12 Falcons from last year! The same team that coming into this year didn't have a quarterback, a coach, or a team with any morale? Now they're 4-2 and in contention to win the competitive NFC South? What!?

Three weeks ago "Big D" looked unstoppable. Oh what three weeks can do. Now the Cowboys have an ailing quarterback, Adam "no longer Pacman" Jones has been suspended indefinitely from the league, and TO (who argued he wasn't getting the ball enough after a game in which 33% of the plays went to him) now has to deal with possibility of being outshadowed by the stats of the great Roy Williams. Just like when TO's double coverage left Terry Glenn open for touchdown after touchdown. That could be interesting. Big D might stand for Big "Drama" in the coming weeks for America's team.

How about the New York Football Giants. They were awesome...and then Monday happened. As soon as every analyst started calling them the best team in NFL (finally some respect for the Super Bowl champs!), the 1-3 Browns made an embarassment out of them on national television. As a Giants fan, I hope they take the loss as a wake up call. They can't afford to be overconfident. They got to 5-0, playing with a chip on their shoulder. They're going to have to continue to play with something to prove every week if they want to keep the league's respect.

Chicago on the other hand, has no one's respect right now. They've defied odds to lose games this year. They blew a 14-point lead against the Panthers, a 10-point lead in the last 3 minutes against the Bucs, and after scoring a touchdown to take the lead against Atlanta with 11 seconds left!, they still somehow managed to lose. If the Bears could protect leads no one should ever blow, they'd be 6-0 and atop the NFL power rankings right now. Imagine that.

Then there's the Redskins. After completing the impossible task of winning back-to-back games on the road in the NFC East, Washington lost to a St. Louis team poised to go 0-16. How is that even possible? Well, because that's the NFL. Year in and year out, it continues to be the most unpredictable sport. How else could you explain Chris Berman's preseason Super Bowl pick of the Colts over the Seahawks? It's the same reason 40% of our fantasy football rosters are different come Week 4. It's why they run those classic "4 months earlier" commercials at the end of the season, when they mock confident fans' preseason predictions. There's just no way of knowing. Here's what I think I know about the NFL:

1. The Saints are for real. I said it last week in their loss to the Vikings: If they can clean up their act and rid themselves of the bonehead mistakes, they'll win the NFC South and be a threat to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

2. The Colts are finding their groove. After their 17-point come-from-behind win against Houston, I said to myself, this could be one of those season-changing moments that turns it all around for the Colts. After a 31-3 shellacking of the Ravens this past week, Peyton and the Colts look to be back on track.

3. The Giants will be fine. Every team needs a slap in the face once in a while to remind them it takes more than just showing up to a football game to come away with a victory. The Giants will recognize that their recent successes came from playing with something to prove, and get back to that mentality.

4. The Browns might be back to true form. They made some adjustments in their offensive style of play, and took it to the Giants on Monday. They no longer have the pressure of expectations to deal with; almost everyone has already written them off. They've gotten a lot of their prime time games out of the way, and have the chance to play under the radar for the rest of the season; a role they seemed more comfortable with last year.

5. Lastly, if there's anything we can tell from the season thus far, it's that nothing is a guarantee. I expect to see a lot of shake-ups in the divisional races in the next few weeks to come. No lead will be safe for quite some time. The competition is on even grounds this year in the absense of Tom Brady, and everything appears to be up in the air. It should be quite an interesting year in the NFL.

Image taken from Yahoo! Sports

Tough Luck...

Last night, America got its first taste of the Reggie Bush they knew so well in college. For the first time in his three year NFL tenure, Bush left fans across the country saying, "Now that's a #1 pick right there". If you thought his 71 yard punt return for a TD was just a fluke, odds are Reggie's next two returns changed your mind. Before his second return, Bush raised his arms in an effort to get the crowd going, almost as if he knew he was going to break one again. When he caught the ball, it didn't look like he would, but after a few jukes and some broken tackles, Bush found himself about to round a corner at full speed, with only the punter to beat down field. Unfortunately for Reggie, he ran into the only thing that could stop him, a slick spot on the turf that tumbled him to the ground at the 50. The Saints took 3 to tie it up, came up with another defensive stop, and out again came Reggie. Apparently Childress (the Vikings head coach) didn't think it was possible to break three punt returns in a row. Well...he was wrong. Reggie weaved through the Vikings special teams again, turned on the after burners, and left Minnesota, once again, in his dust. As electric as the crowd was, and as amped as the Saints were, it wouldn't be enough for New Orleans.

Reggie's night was overshadowed by misfortune and poor play from his supporting cast. Poor play that continues to hinder the Saints potential to be the NFC Championship finalist it was just a few years ago. The talent is there. New Orleans has an offensive genius for a coach, a top 3 quarterback in the game (maybe #1 right now), a playmaker in Reggie Bush that can change the game with one touch, and a deep receiving core. Last night, their defense even showed flashes of brilliance as well. Yet somehow, someway, the Saints can't seem to get the "W" at the end of the day. Even when they dominate games, they still manage to lose.

Last night was bizarre. Brees described it as the weirdest game he's ever played in. The Saints had 375 yards of total offense and two punts returned for a score. The Vikings had just 270 yards of total offense. Throw in the 354 return yards for New Orleans compared to the 117 for the Vikings, and any person that had only seen the stats would assume the Saints won in a blow out. Yet the final score in the SuperDome last night was 30-27 Vikings.

The Saints had 11 penalties for 102 yards. They also turned the ball over 4 times and failed to recover an onside kick. Gramatica missed two field goals, one of which was blocked and returned for a TD. That's pretty pathetic for a professional football team. You can't expect to win with this many miscues. To give the Saints some benefit of the doubt, the officiating didn't help their cause. Ed Hoculi again finds himself on the hotseat, because of some of the calls he and his officiating staff missed last night. One of the Saints' turnovers came on a Reggie Bush fumble that never would have occurred had the officials not missed a blatant facemask take Bush to the ground, which left the ball vulnerable to be punched out. Hoculi and his crew also missed a helmet-to-helmet hit that should have resulted in a 15 yard penalty at the end of a pass play from Brees to Miller. Odds are a 31 yard field goal would have been easier for Gramatica to knock through the posts than the 46 yarder he missed without the penalty tacked on. Good thing the game wasn't decided by 3 points, or else that call would have had strong and controversial implications on the result of the game.

Regardless of the mishaps of the officials, the Saints can't look for excuses. Yes, Sean Payton had reason to be irrate with Hoculi and his staff, but he had just as much reason to be irrate with his players. They let a game get away from them that they dominated. They controlled the first half, yet were still losing. Then Reggie came to the rescue in electric fashion, giving the Saints a chance to put all their miscues aside and all the bad calls behind them; but they still lost. A bonehead pass interference penalty put the icing on the cake, setting the stage for an easy game-winning field goal for Minnesota.

Ron Jaworski set aside some time during the game to forget reminding the fans to protect the quarterback (at Joe Theisman's request I'm sure), and made a very true comment about the NFL. He said that in this game, its easier for teams to "lose" games, than to "win" them. This proved to be true last night for the Saints. At 2-3, New Orleans remains in last place in the NFC South, kicking themselves for the fact that they could just as easily be 5-0 right now. The Saints, to me, are still a top team in the NFC. In the next few weeks, most of their stars are scheduled to return from injury. If they can clean up the mental mistakes they've made thus far in the season, New Orleans should emerge as the NFC powerhouse they were just a few years ago. The talent is there, but the smarts have yet to be seen. Look for New Orleans to clean up their act and make a run at the postseason.

Image taken from Yahoo! Sports

Not Chicago's Finest...

It's been 100 years, and the same sadness that has loomed over the Cubs franchise for so long, still resides at Wrigley Field. Even in a season that generated so much promise, the Cubs fell short of their goal. And to add insult to injury, their disappointment came in embarassing fashion. This was supposed to be their year. The same Cubs' fans that, for so long, watched their team expecting the worst, were confident their sorrows were over. But what happened? The Chicago faithful has been left stunned for the past 24 hours, trying to find some logical answer to that question. I myself can't seem to find a reason. After seeing their 4 error performance in Game 2, I too, almost found myself believing in the curse. What occurred in the infield that game, was just too unreal.

The only explanation I can come up with for Chicago's collapse, is that they ran into an underrated and well-coached team in the Dodgers. Los Angeles finished 17-8 in September to capture the season-long divisional race it had with Arizona. Although the Dodgers had a somewhat easy schedule down the stretch, they didn't squeeze by the teams they faced, they annihilated them. Combine their hot play as of late with the playoff experience and knowledge of Joe Torre, and you've got yourself a team poised to make a run, if not at least some noise, in the playoffs. Let's also not forget about Manny. Since the addition of Manny, the Dodgers are 33-23. The organization felt his presence from Day 1. Ramirez is batting .394 with 19 homers and 56 RBI's, since joining LA. Stats that can only be described as "straight diculous", as Stuart Scott would put it. With numbers like those, it's no wonder Ramirez has helped transform the Dodgers into a World Series contender.

All in all though, it's not the Dodgers talent that should be evaluated right now, it's the Cubs play that should be called in to question. A week ago they were the NL's best team; the favorite to win the World Series. Now they find themselves watching the rest of the playoffs from home with their families. Another catastrophic collapse in Chi-Town. The Cubs' lineup couldn't touch the Dodger pitching. They put too much pressure on their pitching staff to be perfect. A task near impossible against a strong Dodger lineup. Lowe, Billingsley, & Kuroda made the Cubs look silly at the plate. Soriano, the multi-million dollar all-star, went 1-14 with 4 strikeouts in the series. Fukudome was 1-10; Ramirez & Soto, 2-11. The Cubs' all-stars proved to be complete non-factors in the series. You can't expect to advance with stats like that.

So once again, Cubs fans are forced to postpone their joys and happiness for at least another year. Hopefully, at least not for another hundred. It begs the questions: Is the curse real and what can the Cubs do to overcome it? What made the ball bounce the way it did at Wrigley in Game 2? Why couldn't the middle infielders execute a routine double play they've completed over and over throughout the course of the season? Once again all these questions are left unanswered, and will leave Cubs fans dumbfounded over the course of the next 6 months. I wish I had the answers. I myself was pulling for the Cubs this postseason. In fact, I've been pulling for them all season long. The Chicago faithful deserves a World Series title. I think they've had enough misery and disappointment to deal with in the last century.

I also feel terrible for good ole' Steve Bartman. I can't imagine what life is like for him these days. The man, a diehard Cubs fan, had to leave the city he loved so dearly and hideout somewhere in Florida. He's hated by all the people he cheered alongside for so long. When Buckner returned to Fenway and told the story of the hardships he had gone through in the last 20 years, I couldn't help but feel terrible for him. Yes, Bartman made a mistake. But Cubs fans can't say that Chicago didn't have a chance to win that game. It was still in their own hands to win that game and that series, and they blew it. The Cubs need to get their mind off the curse, and play the way they know they're capable of playing.

While it's unfortunate the Cubs have to wait another year for another shot at breaking the curse, they have to realize they still have a team very capable of doing the deed. They hit a slide at the wrong time. That doesn't mean they won't get hot come next October. They need to shake this year's ending off, and comeback with something to prove next season. I still think this squad can be the one to end the curse that has haunted this franchise for the past century. In fact, if this team sticks together, I don't see this curse lasting more than two or three more years. Until then, we wait.

Chicago, hang in there. Your finest hour will come.

Image taken from Yahoo! Sports