Sox on the brink...

It ain't the way we dreamed it would happen, is it Cub fans? I figure that around 10:30 tonight or 10:45 Tuesday night Mayor Daley will say: "to hell with homeland security" and sound the air raid sirens throughout Chicago, ala his father in 1959. This will be the first pennant winner for Chicago in my lifetime.

Yes, Virginia there is a thing called the World Series and the Chicago Cubs, they're not invited. I have followed baseball since the late 70's. In that time I have seen these midwest teams in the World Series: Tigers, Indians, Brewers, Cardinals, Royals, and Twins. You add the Sox to that list and there is only one team in the midwest that has not played in the Fall Classic since 1982. Our beloved bruins.

I saw the Sox play in Spring Training at Tucson Electric Park. When I got back to Chicago, I told my Sox fan friends that I didn't see many wins on either side of town this summer. Well, I was right about one side of town.

Next Saturday, the World Series will begin inside the City of Chicago. (I cannot believe I just wrote that sentence). The baseball world will turn it's attention to 35th and Shields. Meanwhile on the Northside, we focus on whatever we can not to think of what should or could have been in 2003 and 1984.

Sox will finish this thing off
I know, I know Sox haters. The Cubs had 2 game leads in both 1984 and 2003 and blew it. Shit like that only happens to our jinxed team. Guillen and his staff have a team that won 99 games in the regular season and they have a chip on their shoulder. The southsiders don't take anything for granted. Put that all aside, the real reson that I see the Sox closing this thing out is their starting pitching. Contreras throws tonite and if there is a Game 6, Tuesday, it'll be Buerhle.

Hey jealousy
I am big-time jealous of the White Sox success. Kenny Williams built a team that could win in any league--based on pitching, speed and defense. Williams did all of this on a smaller budget than that being allocated to Jim Hendry from the Tower. It's not how much you spend, it's how you spend it.

Congrats
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the 2005 Chicago White Sox and their fans on winning the American League Pennant.


College Gridiron
Saturday was a day of Fantastic Finishes throughout College Football. Here in the Big Ten we saw Wisconsin beat Minnesota on a blocked punt in the final second of the game (please explain why the 'sota punter didn't take a safety?). Michigan beat Penn State on a touchdown pass with the clock at :00.

Still the best finish was in the most hyped game of the day (and probably season). Notre Dame and USC played a classic in South Bend. I never thought the Irish had a prayer against men of Troy. Notre Dame played USC better than I had envisioned. They even thought they had the game won, the student section started making their way onto the field. Still, somehow SC pulls out the miracle at the end. That was probably the biggest test USC will face this year en route to their third straight national title.