Clearing the space between my ears ...

*Pitchers and catchers report for the Cubs on Feb. 14, for the Nationals on Feb. 16 and for the Orioles on Feb. 13. Baseball IS America's Pastime. I can't wait.

*So I heard there was some kind of BIG football game on Sunday. Ohhhh, that's right. Super Bowl XLV. The Packers beat the Steelers. Whoop dee doo.

The bigger story was that about 400 people are going to sue the NFL because even though they had tickets to the game, they didn't get to see it from their seats. Some had to watch on TV. The NFL offered triple the cost of the ticket and free tickets to next year's game, but you can bet that won't be near enough for some people.

The even bigger story was that we bought a new 47-inch Vizio LED flatscreen. Can you say sweet? Costco has some good deals. And when Ed and I went to bed Sunday night, it was on our brand new Simmons fluff mattress. We'd been sleeping on a cheap IKEA mattress for about 5 years, and it was killing our backs.

Doing our part to keep the economy going. Yay!

*We went to the D.C. Auto Show on Friday. Fell in love with all the usual suspects, but the vehicle I really liked is pictured here. The Ford Connect. Kind of like a Honda Element, but different. Half car, half van. I think most people buy it for their businesses or as taxis, but I've seen a few people out & about who use it as their primary car. And with three dogs, it would be perfect for hauling them around. And just about every review of the Connect has been very good. Gotta keep an eye on that one.

*Going to visit the family units in Little Rock on March 1. They are supposed to get 6 inches of snow tomorrow. They've already had more snow there than we've had this year. Effers. Just kidding. I know where I don't want to be right now -- at Cheryl's house in Des Moines. The current temperature there is -4. That's MINUS 4. Brrrrrrrrrrr.

Back to reality

So ... what is there to say about the Bears-Packers game yesterday? Other than the fact that I still think the better team LOST. Ditto the Jets-Steelers game.

The bigger question is whether or not Jay Cutler quit on the Bears or not. If he did, he'll never be able to play quarterback in Chicago again. Fans won't stand for it.

On the other hand, we now know that Todd Collins IS NOT an NFL quarterback and that maybe Caleb Hanie is the guy who should lead the Bears next year.

I'd say get rid of Lovie too, but he'll get an extension since he got the Bears into the NFC Championship Game for the second time in five seasons.

But really -- Steelers-Packers? When I tune in to the Super Bowl on Feb. 6, it won't be to watch football. Commercials, commercials, commercials. Thank God for the DVR.

So for me, football season is over. Finished. Done. One for the books. Time to put my Blackhawks wheel cover on the car and cheer on the defending Stanley Cup champions until baseball starts.

Valentine's Day can't get here quick enough. That's the reporting date for Cubs pitchers and catchers. Can't wait.

Only 75 days until ...

... Baseball's opening day. I should be thinking about the Bears-Seahawks game Sunday, or even the Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks (I miss you Dustin Byfuglien). But somehow, it all comes back to the Cubs.

Trust me. If the Bears don't win Sunday, I'll be in mourning until pitchers and catchers report in February. But until then I can revel in the trade for Matt Garza and the other offseason moves they made -- signing Carlos Pena and bringing back fan favorites Kerry Wood and Reed Johnson. The Wood signing was especially sweet -- he can still close if Carlos Marmol falters. And Johnson is one of the guttiest players in baseball.

And thank God the Cubs did make some moves. The Brewers got Zack Greinke and they still have Fielder and Braun. The Cardinals still have Pujols. The Reds won the NL Central last season despite Dusty Baker. Notice I didn't mention the Astros or Pirates.

And watch out for the Nationals this year. They probably aren't going to the playoffs, but they are going to have a say in who does. Who woulda thought Jayson Werth would want to play in D.C.? Oh ... forgot about that $126 million check they flashed in front of him.

Oh well. No P90X workout today. I tweaked my right knee and I'm pretty sore from the last couple of days. Week 2 of Round 3 starts tomorrow.

And I might as well go ahead and make a prediction about Sunday's game.

Bears 31, Seahawks 9.

Please.

Back to the blogosphere ...

... Well, I've decided to start blogging again. I think it will help me as I get cranking on Round 3 of P90X.

I'll still have my usual commentary on a lot of other stuff going on in the world too -- like Chicago sports (Cubs, Bears, Blackhawks and a bit of Bulls, NO White Sox) -- movies and reality TV (can't wait for new episodes of The Amazing Race and Survivor: Redemption Island).

So away we go. P90X for today is: Legs and back.

It's probably time to move on ...

Talk about an exclamation point ...

... Borrowed from The Onion ... I think this just about says it all about the Cubs 2008 season.

Tampa Bay Rays: "Fuck You, Cubs"

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — On the eve of their very first World Series appearance in a short 11-year team history, the Tampa Bay Rays took time Tuesday to acknowledge the Chicago Cubs' decades-long absence from the Fall Classic.

"Hey, fuck you, you losers, you had every chance," the announcement read in part. "Great regular season, wasn't it? But you've been losing so long it's gotten good to you, hasn't it? And without losing in the playoffs, you just don't have much of a team identity, do you? Pathetic. Well, wish us luck — no, wait, we don't believe in luck, good or bad, because we went out and earned a place in the World Series."

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig is expected to officially censure Rays management for the vulgar and undiplomatic nature of the announcement, but acknowledged Wednesday morning that "Christ, you've got to admit they have a point."

Funny. You gotta love The Onion.

But whatever Mary. You lost Game 1 last night to the frickin' Phillies. Go Phillies. In four.

(Bitter, party of millions. Bitter)

Baseball playoffs

I still can't believe the Cubs were ousted in three games again. Which means I could really give a rat's ass about the rest of the postseason.

I was, however, happy to see the Philadelphia Phillies eliminate the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games and advance to their first World Series since 1993. I became a Dodger hater when a couple of guys at work started giving attitude even before the Dodgers played the Cubs in the Division Series. I was told at work last night that one of the guys was taking the Dodgers' ouster pretty hard. Poor baby. I have no sympathy for him or the other guy. Take a lesson from a Cubs fan dude and then you'll know misery. Maybe if you hadn't been so arrogant, I might -- I might -- have felt badly for you. But in this case, you got what's coming to you.

As for the American League, looks like the Tampa Bay Rays (???) are going to move on. If they beat the defending champion Boston Red Sox tonight, they'll host the first two games next week at the Tropicana Dome in St. Petersburg.

Who do I want to win? Who cares? But if I had to choose ...

Go Phillies.

Thank God for Da Bears

Seriously, if I didn't have my Chicago Bears to help me take my mind off the disappointment of the Cubs, I'd probably go crazy. I still can't believe the baseball season is over.

But my Bears are 3-2 (they could easily be 5-0) after yesterday's 34-7 win over the Detroit Lions. My boy Kyle Orton had the best game of his career, the defense is again a monster and rookie running back Matt Forte has been a fantasy football find. Are they Super Bowl-worthy like they were a couple of years ago? Maybe not this year -- I think the NFC road to Tampa is going to end up going through the NFC East (God, please don't let it be the Redskins). But the Bears lead the NFC North, which ain't the strongest division in the NFL. Check out the new Bears widget I've installed at right.

And could there be a funnier commercial than Brian Urlacher ad (at top) for Old Spice Swagger?

The NHL season also begins this weekend (in America anyway) with my Blackhawks in town to face the Washington Capitals. The Capitals are all the rage this year in D.C., so getting a ticket or two to Saturday's game is going to be almost impossible, unless I want to pay like $150 a ticket, which ain't happening. I love hockey and the Blackhawks, but these days I barely have enough money for a six-pack of beer let alone hockey tickets.

So it's a new day and two new sports. The Cubs? Dead to me until the tease begins again in February ...

Another picture worth 1,000 words ...

I really have nothing to say ...

... The Normal Rockwell painting above should explain just about everything you need to know about the Cubs' 10-3 loss to the Dodgers last night, which means the Cubs have to win three in a row to advance to the NLCS.

Hey, it was fun while it lasted. I've even taken my Cubs wheel cover off the spare tire of my Jeep Liberty and replaced it with my Bears wheel cover. And I just know they are going to continue to tease me ...

I pushed that panic button below last night about 10 ...

Oooops ...

No matter what any Cubs fan says, panic has already set in. Ryan Dempster had nothing last night except free passes to first base, and they eventually came back to bite him in the ass in a 7-2 loss to the Dodgers.

So now it's up to Carlos Zambrano, he of the no-hitter and he of the unpredictable personality, to get the Cubs even tonight in a must-win game. If the Cubs lose tonight, they are all but dead heading to Los Angeles.

That's really all I have to say about this. If you'd like to read a good analysis, go to bleedcubbieblue.com.

Am I worried? You bet your ass I am...

And so it begins ...

Just 11 more victories, and this will be one glorious season for the Chicago Cubs. Time to erase the bitter memories of 2003 and 100 years of futility.

The National League Division Series begins tonight at Wrigley Field against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Closer turned starter Ryan Dempster (left), he of the 17-6 record this year, goes up against Derek Lowe. Expect a low-scoring affair, even if the wind is blowing out.

The Cubs were 5-2 against the Dodgers this year, sweeping at home and splitting at Dodger Stadium. But that was before the Dodgers traded for Manny Ramirez and Casey Blake. That offense got a huge upgrade, with Manny putting up MVP-type numbers since he got there.

But the Cubs had the highest-scoring offense in the NL this year, and their pitching more than matches up with the Dodgers. If we get a good Carlos Zambrano, followed by Rich Harden and Ted Lilly if we need him, I see no reason why the Cubs won't be playing in the National League Championship Series late next week.

Against who you ask? Either the Philadelphia Phillies or the Milwaukee Brewers (thanks Mets, for choking so bad that even the Brewers, king of the chokers, were able to get in). It should be a good series, but I think the Phillies pitching is better than Milwaukee's, which is CC Sabathia and who?

Could you imagine, however, if the Brewers made it? That 90-mile stretch from Chicago to Milwaukee would be one crazy scene for a possible seven games.

But I just don't see that happening. My predictions:

Cubs over Dodgers in four.
Phillies over Brewers in four.
Tampa Bay Rays over White Sux in five (and thanks to the Minnesota Twins, too. See Mets above).
Los Angeles Angels over Boston Red Sox in five.

In the NLCS I like the Cubs over the Phillies in six and the Angels over the Red Sox in seven.

World Series: Cubs over Angels in seven.

Jayson Stark of ESPN has a great analysis of the playoffs and picks the Cubs to win the World Series over the Red Sox.

One caveat: Heaven help me if it's the Cubs and White Sox in the World Series. Possibly losing the ultimate grudge match would be too much to bear. It wouldn't be pretty. And it'd be almost as bad if the Brewers were to make the Series instead of the Cubs.

You know Fox is hoping for either a Cubs-Red Sox or Cubs-Angels World Series. Fox would probably throw up if it was something like Rays-Brewers or White Sox-Brewers. How boring.

Stay tuned ladies and gentleman. The wild ride is about to begin.

Top photo courtesy AP

Geez Astros, get over it already

Apparently the Houston Astros are still complaining about having to play the Cubs at Miller Park after Hurricane Ike, blaming everybody but themselves for the two losses they suffered in Milwaukee.

Check out Thunder Matt's Saloon for a summary of what really took place.

The Lou Piniella song

Check out this song written from Sweet Lou's days with the Seattle Mariners. I think it's high time it was rewritten with Cubs references.

This is some funny sh*t.

Piniella photo courtesy AP

Go Cubs Go!

More pictures of the Cubs' NL Central clincher can be found here, and a complete recap can be found at the Cubs' website here.

And just for good measure, here's the song of the year (Eddie Vedder's tribute can be found in a blog below).

With thanks and appreciation to Steve Goodman, who wrote the original Go Cubs Go!

Enjoy.

Photo courtesy AP

This picture is worth a thousand words ...

... Need I say more??

The magic number is 2 ...

After today's stirring, improbable 7-6, 12-inning victory over the Brewers, I thought it was appropriate to post this tribute to the Cubs from none other than Pearl Jam's own Eddie Vedder, who is a huge Cubs fan.

I heart Geovany Soto, soon to be the NL Rookie of the Year.

Magic number is 4

The Cubs continue to roll while panic mode has settled in in Milwaukee.

The Cubs beat CC Sabathia and the Brewers 5-4 last night, dropping the magic number to clinch to 4 games, and moving the Cubs 9 games ahead of the Brewers in the NL Central.

The game was the first for new Brewers manager Dale Sveum, who replaced Ned Yost. Seriously, how worried must the Brewers be if they fire their manager when the team is leading the wild-card playoff race? And now they don't even lead the wild card. Better them than us, that's for sure.

Closer-turned-starter Ryan Dempster won his career-high 16th game, following up another masterpiece by Ted Lilly, who one-hit the Astros on Monday after Carlos Zambrano no-hit the Astros on Sunday. I heart me some Ted Lilly and Ryan Dempster.

The game ended with a nasty bender of a slider by closer Kerry Wood (photo courtesy AP) to strike out Prince Fielder, who had already homered twice in the game.

A sweep of the Brewers and the Cubs can start planning for the postseason. The sooner the better I say. But if not the Brewers, the Cubs should be able to clinch at home this weekend against the Cardinals.

That would be just as sweet.

Also, Ron Santo, Joe Torre and and Luis Tiant are among 10 players on the latest Hall of Fame ballot for Veterans Committee voters.

It's time to vote Santo, my all-time favorite Cub, into the Hall of Fame. It's ridiculous that he's not in already. His stats are much better and more deserving than about half the players already in the Hall. He also played with diabetes, which nobody knew at the time. And he has since paid the price, having lost both of his legs.

Vote him in guys, while he has a chance and the time to enjoy it. Check out this video below.

A magical season

Who would have thunk it?

A no-hitter from Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano, who hadn't pitched since Sept. 2 because of shoulder tendinitis. Against the red-hot Houston Astros, who are about to overtake the fading Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central and wild-card. At Milwaukee's Miller Park because the series was moved out of Houston because of Hurricane Ike.

Who would have thunk it?

Big Z was superb last night, allowing only a walk at a hit batter while striking out 10 in the Cubs' 5-0 victory. He was truly unhittable, throwing the first no-no by a Cub since Milt Pappas in 1972. The crowd, which was 99% Cubs fans (it is only a 90-mile drive from Chicago to Milwaukee), roared its approval on almost every pitch.

More importantly, it gave the Cubs a 7 1/2-game lead over the Brewers, who lost a doubleheader yesterday and were swept in four games at Philadelphia. The Cubs magic number to clinch either a playoff berth or the NL Central title is down to seven (any combination of seven Cubs victories or Brewers losses).

And as for the whining Astros, who complained about the series being moved to Milwaukee? Get over it. I'm sure other venues were scouted for this series, but I'm sure the dome over Miller Park had a lot to do with the series being moved where it was. I feel badly for the people of south Texas, but the Astros just need to shut up and play ball. They're getting paid millions to do what many of us can only dream about.

Onward and upward. This season is going places most of us never thought possible. Let's hope Ted Lilly can complete the "Wrigley North" sweep today.

Big Z no-hitter photo courtesy AP

Close, but I'll take it

So the Cubs are back on track after taking the final two games of the three-game series against the Cardinals, winning 4-3 Wednesday and 3-2 last night.

Rich Harden's return could not have come at a better time. CC Sabathia? Please. I'll take my man Rich Harden, who has pitched as well if not better than the Brewers rental who is going to skip town after the season anyway.

But could we not do it with so much drama? Kerry Wood had danced around danger in his past three or four appearances, but he came through again last night -- thanks to some bad baserunning by the Cardinals.

And kudos to Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukudome, who pretty much saved the game with two outstanding defensive plays in the eighth inning.

Now it's time to sit and wait. Hurricane Ike has its eye set on Houston, so the Cubs flew back to Chicago to wait out the storm. Eventually these games with the red-hot Astros will have to be played though. They've talked about alternate sights -- wouldn't it be great to fill up Nationals Park with 40,000 Cubs fans?

But the Astros say this series will be played in Houston. Smart for them -- if they play this series anyplace else, and Milwaukee, St. Louis and Atlanta have been mentioned, it won't matter that the Astros are the home team. Cubs fans will cheer them into submission.

In any case, the Cubs have a 5 1/2-game lead on the Brewers, who are desperately trying to hold on to at least the wild card. They need to start worrying about the Astros approaching in their rearview mirror.

Go Phillies.

Harden photo courtesy US Presswire