Week 8 NFL Picks + Some long overdue World Series/Sabres thoughts

Just awesome. Even if you hate the Cardinals

Ok, so baseball is probably number three on my list of 'favorite sports,' and while I can always be suckered into watching a Cubs game on TV (and I can never deny the chance to actually go to Wrigley), if the Cubs aren't in it, then I lose interest. So much of a good baseball season is getting to know the players, their idiosyncrasies and their strengths and weaknesses. It's about listening to the local radio or TV guys and growing to love them in their homer-ism. The season is long enough to create these sustained storylines, and a playoff run is downright magical once you know so much about the team. With these playoffs, though, I had none of that connection. National broadcasts of teams that I frankly knew only on a surface level. (To be fair, I spend most of my summer in the woods, away from most baseball coverage, so I am at a disadvantage.)

The Cardinals are a hated rival of the Cubs, but damnit, I couldn't help but feel happy for them once Game 7 finished and they had won their 11th World Series. It's too good of a story to hate. The Cardinals were three games out of the playoffs with five games left in the season, managed to play themselves in (with some help from the free-falling Braves) and then beat the two best teams in the NL (the presumed favorite Phillies and the NL Central champion Brewers) en route to the World Series. Then came one of the best World Series of my lifetime. At first I held back from watching, because I didn't think I'd be interested (call me a bad baseball fan, fine, whatever), but the series pulled me in. Game 1 was an exciting 3-2 win for the Cards, Game 2 featured an ninth inning comeback by the Rangers for a 2-1 victory. I missed Game 3 up in the woods, but Albert Pujols showed off why he's one of the best of all time with a three HR opus. Game 4  feature Derek Holland's pitching gem that evened the series at 2 all. Game 5 was marked by Mike Napoli putting the team on his back as Tony LaRussa had communication issues with his bullpen, giving the Rangers a 3-2 lead in the series. Then came Game 6, which might be the most dramatic, best World Series game I have ever seen. It started sloppy, with both teams committing errors leading to a 4-4 tie. The Rangers pulled away to a two run lead behind back to back homers and seemed destined for their first title in the ninth inning, up 7-5. The Cardinals were down to their last strike. Literally. And they converted. There is nothing more dramatic than that- little kids dream about hitting home runs in the bottom of the ninth with only one strike left. That's something out of fairy tales. What happened next was, therefore even more ridiculous. The Rangers pulled away in the 10th, taking another two run lead, and the Cardinals, AGAIN down to their last strike, pulled back. Finally, in the 11th, they won on a walk off homer.

Sorry, who was saying baseball was boring? Because for every awful game of baseball we get, every four hour, 5-2 game, there's also brilliance like these games. Game 7 was nothing special- but of course, it had to follow Game 6, so it was dead from the start. But the Cardinals won. They were one pitch away from a losing the whole thing- twice. If you saw a movie with that sort of ending, you'd call it hacky or unrealistic. But we saw it happen. That's why we can still love baseball. There's no clock, nothing to tell us the game is over until the final out is recorded; there is an infinite amount of time for comebacks.

(Looks at roster) "What did I just get myself into?"

Onto some more Cubs-ish news, the Cubs successfully lured away Theo Esptein from the Red Sox (although it probably wasn't that hard to get him away from the circus that was the Red Sox over the last two months) and have installed him as the President of Baseball Operations (I love sports organizations, because they have ridiculous titles like that). Epstein promptly brought in a former protege of his, Jed Hoyer, to be the new GM. Listen, I'm very excited to have a new braintrust running the "Baseball Operations" of this team, because Jim Hendry has been struggling since 2008. He needed to be replaced, and Epstein and Hoyer are certainly sharper baseball minds at this point. But really, the unbridled optimism that has come with it needs to stop- there is a lot to fix on this team, and it won't be quick. Plus, we have no idea if Epstein and Hoyer will actually produce. Epstein was handed a pretty good team in 2003 when he took over the Red Sox, and then they won the World Series (twice). This Cubs team is nowhere near as good. They have no pitching ace and a weak rotation. The offense is a mess, with Starlin Castro being about the only consistently good hitter on this team. So it's going to take a ton of work to mold this team into a winner. And remember, Esptein was behind this summer's Carl Crawford deal, a mega contract which turned out to be a huge bust- something Cubs fans are used to (ALFONSO SORIANO...). Epstein is certainly not bulletproof. Hoyer's talent apparently comes in building a great farm system, which is a better move for the long term future, but he also presided over this year's Padres team, a 90 loss disaster. Things are looking better for the Cubs, but I wouldn't say anything is guaranteed. I guess we'll have to see in a couple of years. But watching last night's game, all I could think was, "I want that to be the Cubs. Sometime. Please." The waiting game will most likely continue.

Luke Adam and Captain Pominville celebrate a goal

Quickly onto hockey, where my beloved Buffalo Sabres have ripped out to a 6-3 start behind sterling play from their top line of Pominville-Adam-Vanek and an improving defense in front of a usually solid Ryan Miller (and finally, a dependable backup in Jhonas Enroth.) They started gang busters in Europe, with two wins over quality teams from the West, with eight goals over two games. The early season back in the States has been marked by some inconsistent play at home (two really annoying 4-3 losses) and mostly sterling play on the road. The team is rolling out three lines that can score, with the aforementioned top line doing most of the damage. Lindy Ruff's decision to put Luke Adam on the top line was brilliant- why not put the rookie with the best wingers and see what he can do? He's responded so far with three goals and five assists, giving the Sabres another dependable center that they desperately needed. The other lines are playing inconsistently but still are a threat to opposing teams, though free agent pick up Ville Leino has struggled early and asked to be moved back to the wing and Tyler Ennis was trying too hard with the puck before his ankle injury. Right now the top line is shouldering the load, but the other lines have enough talent to pick it up eventually, leading to a deep,dangerous scoring attack. The defense has markedly improved- Robyn Regehr is a pure defenseman who makes great plays in his zone. Ehrhoff has started slow but is a fixture on the power play and is no slouch on defense. Tyler Myers has had a maddening start to the season, littered with turnovers and bone headed mistakes, but it's early and he's adjusting to yet another new defensive partner. Jordan Leopold has stepped out as a very dependable fixture on D and the third pair of Sekera (who has played very well) and Gragnani (who is great on the power play but struggles in five-on-five) isn't being forced into big time, pressure situations. (I can only hope that Mike Weber starts to get more playing time instead of watching from the booth.) Ryan Miller has had some bad games, but has also been transcendent in stealing games from Montreal and a shutout in Florida. Enroth has been able to step in after poor Miller starts and get the job done. Overall, the team looks to be in good shape. If the offense gets more consistency from all the lines, the defense picks it up even more, and they can figure out whatever's ailing them at home, this should be one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference for the rest of the season. That's a beautiful thing to think about. This is a quality team, built for success. I haven't seen too many of that in my personal fan experience.

The Face of A Franchise?

(Exhales). Alright. Onto the Week 8 NFL picks, as my Bills return from their bye week (more on that in the preview). Last week I went 7-6 Overall and ATS. Kind of a rough week, looking back, with some real swing and a misses (like the Titans). Well, it's over .500, so I can take that.

Indianapolis at Tennessee (-8.5)


The Colts basically threw up a white flag in the first quarter of their game last Sunday and ended up losing 62-7 to the Saints. Which basically explains the size of this spread. But look at the Titans the last couple of weeks- they've imploded. Without Kenny Britt, the offense has stumbled behind the awful running of Chris Johnson and no pass game, and the defense has been destroyed. The Colts are an awful team, to be sure, but they can stay in this game. They've shown flashes of competence, and the Titans are nowhere close to the Saints. The Titans can bounce back this week for a win, but it won't be pretty.
Pick: Titans win, Colts cover


Jacksonville at Houston (-9.5)


Houston was supposed to have made some sort of grand statement last week in demolishing the Titans, but I'm still not convinced. This team is definitely good enough to win the AFC South (which is the second worst division so far), but they still lack, to me, a signature win that puts them among the NFL's elite. The return of Andre Johnson in this game, or soon, should help immensely, though. The Jaguars have a nasty defense, which uglies up the other team and keeps them in games. The Jaguars, even with their anemic offense devoid of talent at wide receiver, should be able to stick around long enough, thanks to Maurice Jones-Drew, to make the Texans sweat a little bit. Also, SHOUTOUT to loyal reader Ben Quazzo, a Jaguars truther who successfully predicted the Jaguars win in last week's column's comments. While the prediction might have been behind a layer of irony, you can't tell on the internet, so, good for you!
Pick: Texans win, Jaguars cover


Minnesota at Carolina (-3)


Christian Ponder actually showed a spark at QB for the Vikings last week, although it might've just seemed that good after seven weeks of Donovan McNabb. Ponder now goes on the road to take on the presumptive rookie of the year in Cam Newton, who has led the Panthers to two wins now and is good for about three or four awesome plays per game. It's scary to think about how good he is now and about how good he has the potential to be. The Panthers don't do much on defense, but their offense has been able to make up for it. The Vikings have a decent defense (with an awful secondary), and an offense that hasn't been trustworthy, especially since we haven't seen how Ponder will handle the road. In this case, I've got to take Cam and the Panthers to get the win at home.
Pick: Panthers win, cover


New Orleans (-13.5) at St. Louis


So, you saw the Colts-Saints game last week, right? The Rams are just as bad as the Colts, and are going without Sam Bradford this week. The Cowboys were able to trample the Rams last week, and I'd say the Saints are a step above the Cowboys in all respects. So, St. Louis, enjoy your World Series, because the Rams are brutal. Look for Drew Brees and co. to keep chugging along.
Pick: Saints win, cover


Arizona at Baltimore (-12.5)


Baltimore is coming off an embarrassing loss to the Jaguars. Suffice to say, they're going to be playing angry. The Cardinals D is a long ways off from being the Jaguars D, and the Cardinals offense with Kevin Kolb is just about as good as the Cardinals offense last year behind Derek Anderson. Which is to say, terrible. The Ravens should be able to fix any lingering offensive problems in this one.
Pick: Ravens win, cover


Miami at NY Giants (-9.5)


The Dolphins managed to lose a game last week that they were winning 15-0 in the final five minutes, in the process building the legend of Tim Tebow. That's a new level of futility. I feel like this team won't even fire Tony Sparano at this point because he gives them the best chance to lose and therefore get Andrew Luck. It's that kind of season in Miami. The Giants can be maddeningly inconsistent, but I don't think they'll be able to let this one slip; the Dolphins won't let them.
Pick: Giants win, cover


Washington at Buffalo (-5) (In Toronto)


Ah, the yearly Toronto game, the one which the Bills have never won since it started three years ago. The Rogers Centre is simply no home field- the fans are usually split 50/50 or are neutral observers. It's not a good atmosphere for a football game, and barely a Bills home game. The Bills are now entering the second half of the season off their bye with some lingering issues. They've lost Shawne Merriman for the season and the rumors about Kyle Williams are not optimistic. These two losses weaken an already poor defensive unit (Merriman wasn't getting much done on passing downs but he was an effective run stopper). I do think Arthur Moats should be able to step in and rush the passer effectively in Merriman's place. The offense is still good, and the return of key offensive linemen and receiver Donald Jones should help in the upcoming weeks. The Bills also just resigned Ryan Fitzpatrick for the long haul, establishing him as the face of the franchise. (I still worry that Fitzpatrick is streaky and maybe not fit for a long term role, but he's the best QB the team has had since Jim Kelly.) I would be worried about this game and all the injury trouble (especially on the offensive line), but the Redskins are starting John Beck at QB, lost Santana Moss for 5-7 weeks, and one of their running backs tore his ACL, leaving the team depleted on offense. The Bills defense might not be great, but they should be able to shut down the suddenly anemic offense of the Redskins, while the Bills offense should be able to put up points against a merely decent Washington unit. These are the games the Bills need to win in order to stay in what will be a crowded playoff hunt in the AFC.
Pick: Bills win, cover


Detroit (-2.5) at Denver 


Detroit suddenly finds themselves slipping with two straight losses. Denver and their walking religion metaphor QB Tim Tebow managed to pull out an improbable 18-15 win last week over the Dolphins. Here's the thing, though- the Lions aren't the hapless Dolphins. Even without Matt Stafford (who's questionable at this point) and Jahvid Best, I would put the Lions above the Dolphins. Tim Tebow is, sorry, NOT a good quarterback- he has found ways to manufacture wins, but that's also come with the help of the rest of his team and in opposition to his poor mechanics and accuracy. Sometime, his luck has to run out, and I see it ending this week, even with the banged up Lions.
Pick: Lions win, cover


New England (-2.5) at Pittsburgh


This should be a great game. If you've listened at all to the hype building up to this one, you'd know that "Tom Brady OWNS Pittsburgh", going 6-1 in his career against Pittsburgh. I look at this one differently, though. Both teams have high powered passing offenses. The Steelers depend on the deep ball while the Patriots move down the field with ruthless efficiency in their two tight end sets. Now, the Steelers defense is not as good as it has been in years past, but I trust them way more to get a stop than the porous defense of the Patriots. They have better personnel, plain and simple. If the game comes down to a shootout, the Steelers have the better chance of making a stop. Which is why I like the Steelers to reverse the trend of Brady domination and win this one at home.
Pick: Steelers win, cover


Cleveland at San Francisco (-8.5)


I've bought into the 49ers as a legitimate NFC contender, and they should definitely take the NFC West. Cleveland could only score six points last week against the Seahawks (and should've lost due to a Seahawks special teams TD that was called back). The Browns have almost no offense and the defense is no elite unit. The 49ers have a great defense and an offense that doesn't make mistakes and scores when they need to. No chance for Cleveland in this one.
Pick: 49ers win, cover


Cincinnati (-2) at Seattle


The Bengals have been a good enough team so far, winning behind a solid defense and the heroics of Andy Dalton (never thought I'd type that). They grind out victories. The Seahawks are usually awful, sometimes managing to fluke out a victory. What makes me hesitate is that fact that the game is in Seattle, where, somehow, the Seahawks become a tough team. I'm not 100% confident, but I'm going with Cinci, because the Seahawks are fresh off scoring three points in an entire game. Sometimes home field just isn't enough.
Pick: Bengals win, cover


Dallas at Philadelphia (-3) 


Philadelphia is coming off the bye and looking to continue climbing up the NFC East standings, and I feel like they've had enough time to iron out some of the mistakes that were plaguing them in the previous weeks. The Cowboys are able to beat up on bad teams (the Rams) but can't find a way against good teams, showing a special ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Not sure why I still trust Philadelphia, but I think their talent wins out here and they can outscore Dallas, even with Dallas' good pass rush- Vick neutralizes that.
Pick: Eagles win, cover


San Diego (-3) at Kansas City 


The Chiefs have stormed back from the grave to bring themselves back to respectability and back into the AFC West race. The Chargers have meanwhile stumbled through their season, managing to win unimpressive games against bad teams (like the Chiefs a couple of weeks ago) and losing to good teams (the Patriots and Jets). I'm still going with the Chargers here, because the Chiefs have risen from the dead with plenty of luck, playing some very poor teams and playing the Raiders last week with Kyle Boller at QB (followed by a fresh off the street Carson Palmer) and without their best player, Darren McFadden. The Chargers received a wake up call with last week's bad, give-up-a-comeback loss, and now, with the division in the balance, I see the Chargers winning this one even if the Chiefs manage to keep it somewhat close.
Pick: Chargers win, cover


Season: 67-36 Overall, 52-49-2 ATS

Live from Wrigley Field, it's... The One and Only Chicago Flubs

Cubs fans are a funny bunch. Down 10-0 in the bottom of the ninth, 2 outs, and up comes Darwin Barney (winner of April's NL Rookie of the Month and a personal favorite) to the plate. At this crucial juncture the game, the Cubs have mustered 2 hits against perennial Cy Young candidate completely mediocre pitcher Paul Malholm. 2 hits. On the flipside, Randy Wells, fresh off a DL stint, gave up 5 runs in only a couple innings of work, including a three run home run to Ronny Cedeno. RONNY CEDENO! Yes, the same Ronny Cedeno who I theorized could hit into a double play with no one on base, the same one who could move runners backwards on the bases. The relief pitcher, James Russell (I think, since there's no jumbotron at Wrigley to tell me the pitcher at all times. One of the simple pleasures of Wrigley.) proceeded to give up 5 more runs, really holding down the fort real well. And, oh yeah, Marlon Byrd and Fukudome are being rested, leaving two no names (and I mean no names) playing right and center field. They both looked like they were in high school. Hallelujah for the farm system! Sorry, make sure you wipe off the sarcasm that was just dripping off that paragraph before you proceed.

So, there were the Cubs, down 10-0 on a rainy afternoon in Chicago. I might've left the game a couple of innings ago, but I was lucky enough to be in a box (dessert cart!!!), thanks to my friend Andrew. Since the game has been out of hand for a couple innings, my friend Nick and I have turned to an old past time to create interest- 25 cent bets. After some disastrous bets on my part- I trusted a little too much in Neil Walker- I was down 75 cents. So here's Darwin Barney, stepping up, and I turn to Nick and say, "Double or Nothing- Darwin Barney gets a hit." Nick thoughtfully chews on his S'More cake and finally shakes my hand, solidifying the bet. I start cheering, the last thing I can do to influence Darwin. Nick and I had this conversation earlier- the only possible thing we can do to influence the game is cheer, and that's exactly what I'm doing.

Barney goes down 0-2 quickly. In my head, I'm already thinking about how I'm going to pay Nick his $1.50, what I'll do to make it up to him. I sarcastically say that Darwin hits better when he's down 0-2, anyway, and prepare for the inevitable strikeout or groundout that comes next. And then, remarkably, Barney hits an infield bloop that falls perfectly between the pitcher running out and the shortstop charging in. The throw to first is too late, and Darwin Barney has singled and saved me $1.50.

Of course, at this point, I'm screaming with joy, celebrating the timely hit, number 3 for the Cubs all game. But oddly enough, the rest of the stadium is cheering with me. All 10,000, give or take, fans that have remained at the game, the hopeless souls who still believed, are wildly cheering, half with sarcasm, half with hope. A chant of "Let's Go Cubs!" is heard throughout the stadium. Up next is Starlin Castro, the lone bright spot for the Cubs in this game, and, for the most part, this season. The remaining fans are as energetic as they can be, trying to will Starlin to start the most improbable comeback, the one that every person remaining has secretly been harboring in their head, the one they might've sarcastically talked about before but now that notion is playing around in the back of their head, and they'll be one of the glorious few who stayed at the game and saw the Cubs come back from 10 runs. The story of a lifetime. We've been beaten down for years, for more than a century, but we'll be there at the very end waiting for the small chance of joy, these 10,000.

Starlin takes a couple pitches, and then hits a fly ball almost straight to the right fielder. The fans initially see it and hope for a home run, and make the excited sound for a half second before it is cut off by the realization that this game is over. And, like that, the game is over. No comeback, no Go Cubs Go today, no W flag hanging over Wrigley.

Yet that moment of excitement after Darwin's hit is still there, that residual feeling. While some of my friends just say that the Cubs suck, my friend Andrew has a different feeling, half joking, but at heart, we want it to be true. "I think that Darwin Barney hit was the turning point for the season, no, the franchise," he says, "I want to look back and tell my kids that I was there when Darwin Barney hit a bloop single in the bottom of the ninth. Sure, Starlin Castro popped out the next play, but it changed things."

I stopped, turned in my All Star Ballot (Starlin at shortstop!) and say, "If the wind was blowing out, that would be a home run."

We talk about more things as we zombie shuffle out of Wrigley, like how every shirt or jersey we buy for a player ends up with him sucking or leaving (That's why I didn't buy a Starlin T-Shirt, and perhaps Andrew saying he got a D-Rose jersey explains some things from the Bulls series..), about the Champions League, what have you, but the exchange about the wind sticks in my mind.

We're Cubs fans. Even in the face of a three hit shutout at the hands of Paul Malholm, an absolute drubbing by the Pirates, we're standing and cheering after a 2 out single, waiting for the wind, for once, to be blowing our way, for the impossible release of joy to occur. It's pathetic, but we're locked in. At this point, it's been too long for us to give up, can't admit that we've wasted any time supporting the Cubs. We've subscribed to the fact that one day we'll get it. Till then, I'll be right there with ya till the ninth inning, looking to the flags to see if they're finally flapping out.

Cubs Opening Day Live Blog

Lost in all the NFL draft talk and the Sabres playoff run (which I haven't written about, yet) is the fact that the MLB season has begun, the Cubs are back, and they're starting TODAY. I'm sick at home, so why not run a Opening Day live blog? Cubs-Pirates-FEEL THE EXCITEMENT.

1:23 While WGN showed the Pirates lineup, they showed a terrifyingly haggard Pirates fan. Yikes. Kind of sums up the franchise. A cursory look at their lineup shows three players I know- Andrew McCutchen (the one good player they have), Lyle Overbay (the name just sticks in my head) and Ronny Cedeno (an ex Cub who I hypothesized could hit into a double play with no one on base).

1:26 Dempster, the Cubs starting pitcher, starts with three balls, then throws two strikes, eventually forcing a groundout to shortstop Starlin Castro, who makes a nice play on the ball. He's one of the reasons I'm sort of excited for this season. Dempster strikes out the next batter on three pitches, but then gives up a double to McCutchen. Despite his goofy dreadlocks, he's good.

1:29 Dempster strikes out Overbay to get out of the jam. Dempster looks good so far. Cubs trot out Fukudome to lead off. Maybe he'll have another huge April and do nothing afterwards (as always).

1:33 Fukudome flies out, but Castro hits a screamer towards the third baseman, who can't handle it, so Castro makes it to first. That's right, the youngest opening day starter gets our first hit.

1:35 Castro scores FROM FIRST (well, sort of) after the Pirates third baseman (Alvarez, I guess?) skies his throw to first. Byrd at second. That's a promising start. Pretty amazing to run the bases that quickly.

1:37 Here comes Carlos Pena in his Cubs debut. Huge x factor for the Cubs this year. He's got 30 HR potential, but he bat below the Mendoza Line last year. If he can raise that average closer to what he's used to, I'll be a lot more confident about the the teams offense.

1:39 And he draws the walk. That won't help out the ol' average (because it's a flawed stat at heart), but its good for the team.

1:41 I'm surprised that Tyler Colvin isn't playing. I guess the Cubs have to squeeze every cent out of Fukudome, but Colvin is much better. They should have Colvin playing and Castro batting lead off, but, hey, that's just my opinion. Geo Soto pops out to end the inning, stranding two men on base.

1:45 Oh, here comes Ryan Domuit to the plate. I know him too, but only because I did an MLB 2k10 "My Player" mode as a pitcher with the Cubs and pitched against the Pirates a ton of times. Like most years, this looks to be a down year in Pittsburgh. Dempster goes 1-2-3 in the second inning.

1:50 Here comes Alfonso Soriano to lead off the second. Unbelievably that its his fifth year with the Cubs. So much money for so little production. He might be the streakiest baseball player I've ever seen. Sometimes he'll go on these ridiculous tears when gets a homer a game, and then the rest of the season he's just striking out or popping up. To start the 2011 season, he pops out.

1:52 And now, the Cubs second baseman, DARWIN BARNEY!!! Who? Exactly. Love the guy's name, though. Also, he just fought off an 0-2 pitch for a base hit. Good for you Darwin.

1:54 Ryan Dempster gets up to the plate and can't even lay down a bunt. Yikes. The announcers are calling it uncharacteristic, and I sure hope that's true.

1:56 Darwin, NOOOOOOO!!! Caught stealing, and it wasn't even close. Plus the announcers had previously called out Ryan Domuit for not being great at throwing out base runners. The Cubs are not going to be stealing too many bases this year, it seems.

1:58 The Cubs advertising strategy this year features billboards with a Cubs player facing off with either Derek Jeter or Albert Pujols. Ahh, the classic strategy of not very good teams- "Come see stars we don't have! Come see better teams!" The other example of this I've seen in Chicago was the Bulls in the Jamal Crawford/Jalen Rose/Eddy Curry nightmare days. The Blackhawks would've done the same thing back in the Bill Wirtz pre-Patrick Kane and Jonathon Toews day, but I don't think they had an advertising budget. Speaking of which, now that the Blackhawks are in a precarious position for the playoffs, yes, once again, the bandwagon fans are disappearing...

2:05 Hey! Kosuke got a hit! Can't wait to NOT see this past June.

2:07 The Pirates bungle a potential double play, allowing Castro to reach first. Man, that is so Pirates-y.

2:08 Just remembered that Ron Santo died, so I won't have the delight of hearing him on the radio. What a bummer. Byrd reaches base on a single, moving Castro up. Here comes Aramis Ramirez with a RBI chance.

2:10 Ramirez gets a single but he can't bring in the run, so now its bases loaded for Carlos Pena. He could make the city fall in love with him right now with a big hit here. Seriously, Cubs fans will LOVE a guy early in the season, with all their hope built up.

2:12 Tom Ricketts (the owner) has awkwardly been in the booth this whole inning, but at least he sounds like a real baseball fan. Pena grounds into what could've been a double play, but Ramirez is savvy enough to slide into the second baseman, so Castro comes in for another run scored. 2-0 Cubs!

2:14 Geo Soto once again fails to get a hit with runners on base. Thanks, Geo, you've been AWESOME ever since you won Rookie of the Year. Can't help but think that Colvin could've done a little more in that spot.

2:17 The Cubs began the game with God Bless America, the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem, along with the 9/11 flag. Woah. We get it, baseball is AMERICAN. Also, the Ricketts are also apparently funding the Tea Party. Weird.

2:21 Dempster gets out of a jam (Overbay doubled) with a strikeout. He's been pitching well. It's weird to see that on Opening Day, because I'm used to Carlos Zambrano going out on Opening Day and getting shelled. My routine has been thoroughly messed with.

2:27 Cubs go down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fourth. Darwin couldn't save us. But I'm still hopping on the bandwagon.

2:35 The Pirates had a man on second with 1 out with Ronny Cedeno coming to the plate. I thought this was a sure double play opportunity. Instead, Dempster walks him. It's RONNY CEDENO. Now there's men on second and third with two outs (after a sac bunt). Dempster's gonna have to work to get out of this one. In an alternate universe, Carlos Zambrano is pitching this game and has just given up a home run and is screaming at the dugout.

2:39 Oh god, Dempster just walked the bases loaded.

2:42 Full count, bases loaded....and oh my god, he just hit a grand slam. Not a good place for Dempster to put that pitch. I guess me making fun of the Pirates is coming back to bite me. Now that I remember it, the Cubs sucked last year against the Pirates.

2:45 It's pretty easy to take the energy out of Wrigley field, and Neil Walker just did exactly that. Add in the fact that its cold and raining...the Cubs need to do something in this inning to get the fans back.

2:48 Aaaaaand Kosuke strikes out. See, even I'm getting bitter, and I'm sitting at home.

2:52 1-2-3 inning for the Cubs. Oof.

2:58 Dempster should be out after this inning. He's having trouble hitting the strike zone consistently this inning (the 6th). Taking his time between pitches, too. His location is also off (a belt high changeup,yeesh).

3:04 Dempster eventually gets out of the inning, but I'd describe his performance as 'laboring'. Which could also describe my interest in this game.

3:07 Shots of people in ponchos watching the Cubs losing set to U2's 'Beautiful Day'. I never knew WGN was so ironic.

3:12 Carlos Pena gets the green light on a 3-0 pitch and skies it straight upwards, leading to a fielders choice when the Pirates can't catch the pop up. And, right on cue, here comes Geo Soto. I'm guessing double play here. Literally right after I typed that Soto almost grounded into a double play, but it turns into another fielders choice. Now Soriano comes to bat, and it seems like a perfect opportunity for him to strike out, but instead he pops out. Still 4-2 Pirates. Yikes.

3:19 Adam Dunn is trending on twitter for doing well for the White Sox, while Neil Walker is trending for killing the Cubs. McCutchen just hit a 2 run homer. This game is going swimmingly.

3:25 Russel comes in and strikes out the next batter. Maybe the crowd will be revitalized by Santo's family singing the seventh inning stretch. Let's Get Some Runs!

3:31 Darwin Barney (MY BOY!!!) pops up and somehow the Pirates let another one drop. If the Cubs had a competent offense today, they'd take advantage of more of these mistakes.

3:34 Tyler Colvin is pinch hitting! Watch him strike out and make me look like an idiot.

3:35 Yep.

3:38 Hey, Kosuke showed up! An RBI single brings in Darwin Barney to cut the lead to 6-3. That was that capitalizing-on-their-mistakes thing I was talking about.

3:42 Another hit by Starlin Castro. This guy is a machine. Now Byrd is up, tying run at the plate, one out.

3:45 Byrd pops out, so now its Ramirez's turn to try and make something happen, but he flies out into deep left center. Once again, we strand two base runners. That's not a trend you want to continue.

3:57 After a quiet inning for the Pirates, Pena gets on base with a goofy hit, allowing Geo Soto to not do anything with a man on base (he pops out). Soriano's up now. Guessing he'll pop out or strike out, in classic Soriano fashion (as you can tell, its been a pretty bitter five years with Soriano).

4:00 Yep, strike out. I think we have 3 more years with this guy. Well, here's DARWIN BARNEY!!! Maybe he can cement himself as 'my guy' with a clutch hit.

4:04 He struck out. Well, he hasn't been doing that for five years, so I can't be completely disenfranchised with him.

4:09 Jeff can't-spell-his-last-name-the-former-ND-WR is pitching for the Cubs now. If I had to choose between professionally playing football or baseball, I'd definitely pick baseball too. It's a pretty lazy sport and they make a lot of money for not a lot of effort (with so much less brain damage than football).

4:18 The aforementioned Jeff walks the bases loaded, but eventually settles down and gets the batter to line out to Starlin Castro, who makes another great play in the field for a double play. He had a bunch of errors last year but looks much improved this year. Now it's time for the bottom of the ninth, the Cubs last shot.

4:21 Blake Dewitt starts the inning by striking out. Now its up to Kosuke and the the top of the order.

4:23 Fukudome walks, getting him up to 3 times on base in five trips. I don't care, I still very much dislike Kosuke.

4:25 Starlin Castro gets his third hit of the day on a base hit up the middle that's initially stopped by Cedeno, but he can't make a play on it. Now Marlon Byrd is the tying run at the plate.

4:27 Byrd strikes out disastrously, missing late on the first two strikes and then looking at the last pitch.

4:28 And Ramirez grounds out to end the game, Cubs lose 6-3. That was a very Cubs-ish ninth inning- get in position to at least tie, and then failing to produce. If this team hopes to make a playoff run this year, the situational hitting is going to have to get a lot better. I know its just one game, but it was not a sparkling start by any means.

Final thoughts, I guess, on being a Cubs fan. It's perennially being in the bottom of the ninth inning, down a couple runs, but hoping, hoping for that one time when things will go wonderfully right. And its been that way my whole life, and the 82 years before that. Sure, there are fans who just go to Wrigley to get drunk and leave early if the Cubs are going to lose; but there's also that faction just waiting, waiting, waiting.

Cubs deal for an ace; NFL Wildcard Picks

Finally, after speculation began at the Winter meetings, the Cubs dealt for Matt Garza, trading away a bunch of prospects who I didn't know existed (which is good, because if I did, they'd probably have a ton of potential. But I suppose I could've said the same thing about the Lou Brock trade way back when, if I was alive. Apparently, the shortstop they traded was a top prospect, but we have Starlin Castro, so...

Anyway.) With this trade, the Cubs acquired a solid pitcher the staff, one that we desperately needed, and who could be an ace of the staff. Let's look at his stats last year, shall we?

32 starts, 15 wins, 10 losses, 3.91 ERA, 150 SO, 1.25 WHIP

In the AL East, playing against a great division along with the requisite games against the AL, which is a lot better than the NL talent wise. Those are good numbers. Now he's in the NL Central- a weak division- and gets to play all those lesser quality NL teams. This is a move the Cubs needed to make to even stay relevant in the division. They got their ace (or a quality 2nd or 3rd starter, depending on how you feel), responding to Milwaukee's acquisition of Zach Grienke (who's better, but still, it's a step). Pitching was a major need, and their staff was unquestionably improved by this deal.

That's your hot stove news. Onto some Playoff Football. Glorious. Saturday and Sunday Football...it's like a dream come true.

Saints (-10.5) at Seahawks

Guh, the Seahawks are in the playoffs after "winning" the NFC West after "winning" against the St.Louis Rams in a terrible game. Now they enter the playoffs under .500 facing off against the defending Super Bowl Champions. It doesn't take much to see that Seattle won't last long in the playoffs; they are pretty terrible on both sides of the ball. The Saints may not have a running game, but the Saints should be able to pass the ball effectively enough and also should be able to blitz/terrify the bajeezus out of Matt Hasselback and the anemic Seattle offense. Saints win and cover. Yes, on the road. Seattle is that bad. If the Saints lose this, then...I don't even know. My faith in humanity might be lost.

Jets at Colts (-3)

Along with Packers-Eagles, this is the hardest one to pick. The Jets have played up and down all year, and are liable to lay an egg at any moment. The Colts have been similarly inconsistent, are dragging an injured team into the playoffs, and don't have the same efficiency we've seen out of them in years past. I'm tempted to go with the Colts (out of sheer Jets hate), but I know the Jets are going to be psyched up for this game after the Colts beat them last year. It's tough to say this, but I think the Jets win outright.

Ravens (-3) at Chiefs

The Chiefs benefited from an easy schedule and a weak division (which they only went 2-4 against) in order to succeed this year. They have a good run game and a decent defense, but the rest is nothing special. Last week, they were playing the Raiders for seedings and got blown out. The Ravens were also playing for seeding and won an ugly game. Even at their worst, the Ravens were able to grind out a win in their trademark boring fashion. With that in mind, I'll take the Ravens to win and cover. They have more talent than the Chiefs on both sides of the ball. The Chiefs are good enough to beat the bad and mediocre teams, but now they face a solid team, and that will be a bit too much for them, unless the Ravens literally bungle the game away.

Packers at Eagles (-3)

This looks to be the best game of the weekend, and also the hardest to figure. Both teams have explosive (at times) offenses, turnover oriented defenses that blitz A LOT, and hilariously terrible coaches, when it comes to clock management. The Eagles, though, have slowed down lately, seeming to struggle in the cold weather. The Packers have been on a roll lately, and their ferocious defense, I think, can contain Mike Vick. Both teams will put up points, but I have more faith that the Packers can get that one stop. So, Packers win but don't cover. Hope the sparks fly in this one.

The Red Sox Throw Down the Gauntlet

That's right, it's THE HOT STOVE. The Red Sox followed the trade for Adrian Gonzalez (why couldn't the Cubs get him? AAAARGH) with a huge deal for free agent left fielder Carl Crawford (once again, come on Cubs!), bolstering the defense, speed, and offense of the whole team. The offense will now have Crawford, an elite leadoff hitter with gamebreaking spead, join Gonzalez, an amazing left handed power hitter, along with Pedroia, Ellsbury, Drew, Youkilis and the corpse of David Ortiz. Either way, the Red Sox sent a message to the rest of the league AND the Yankees. They will not be missing the playoffs next year. The Yankees are usually the big spenders (and may get Cliff Lee, the best pitcher on the market), but the Red Sox blew them away with this one.

Last year, the Red Sox tried the sabremetricians new "thing", great defensive metrics. It didn't work. Now, they've kept their defense intact AND added great offense. Watch out.

What makes it all more depressing is that the Cubs, who could've used either of those players, instead end up with Carlos Pena. Yes, Carlos Pena who hit .196. .196! That guy will be batting near cleanup in the lineup. I can only hope that the switch to NL will improve his game, along with returning to hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo. But it's frustrating to see the Cubs sit on their hands while teams like the Red Sox, who are in a comparative market, make great moves.

If the Cubs can trade for Matt Garza, though, I would love that. AL pitcher to the NL? Instant improvement. Either way, the Cubs need more improvements. Last year's team is not gonna cut it. A nucleus of Colvin, Castro, Byrd, Soriano and Pena (the last two are pretty iffy) is not playoff worthy, barring any huge improvements from the supporting cast. An improved pitching staff (i.e. with Garza on it, or Lee, if one can dream big for a second) could really improve the Cubs chances. Look what happened to the Giants. Pitching can win you games even with a decent offense. The Cubs just need to do something to inspire hope. And Carlos Pena is not that something.

Baseball is now irrelevant

At least in Chicago, no one could give a damn about baseball. I have received some complaints about not writing about baseball, so here goes.

In Chicago, with the Bears season started and both teams out of contention, pretty much everyone has tuned out. The White Sox acquisition of Manny Ramirez was big for about a day, and then the White Sox dropped out of the division race.

I support the Cubs, as you would expect, and what else can I say but what a forgetful season. Besides the emergence of Marlon Byrd, Starlin Castro and Tyler Colvin, this team has been dreadful. The pitching completely fell apart, as Zambrano reverted back to his basket case form, Randy Wells completely regressed, Ted Lily was traded after a good start, Silva faded after his great start, and Ryan Dempster couldn't carry the rotation. The offense, besides those three aforementioned players (and sometimes Alfonso Soriano, the most frustrating player in the bigs), has been nothing special since Derek Lee was traded. Aramis Ramirez completely stumped, Theriot is not a Major League lead off hitter, and Kosuke Fukudome is one of the worst personnel decisions the Cubs have made in the 2000s. And of course Sweet Lou just gave up, leading to a big show about who will be the new manager.

All I can say is that the Cubs should a) try and get Joe Torre or Joe Girardi and b) get rid of almost everyone on the team. Keep Marmol, Dempster, Colvin, Castro, DeWitt, Byrd, and Soriano (because of the contract) and try to improve almost every other position. Zambrano will stay until his contract expires, and then he can be jettisoned. A great improvement to the team would be a left handed hitter, a lead off hitter, and some more quality starters. With those pieces, they could contend. And it's a long way till that. Till then, the Cubs will be Chicago afterthoughts heading into October.