Surpassing Worth

The Associated Press: Human eye can’t keep up with fast-closing Phelps

Not to diminish anything Michael Phelps has done, but take a serious look at the frame by frame from the 7th Gold Medal race.

Can anyone say oops? Frame 2 looks like the Serbian touched first. But who can argue with Omega’s technology?

But I still think he’s hot. If the human were the judge, I’d say 7 golds and one lowly silver. But let’s say he won all 8 (which he technically did) With the 8 gold medals, he is tied with Brazil, Poland, Kenya, and Romania in the medal standings. He has as many medals as whole countries do. But if we count just golds alone for the standard of olympic excellence, then he’s in 9th overall behind Japan, who has 9 gold medals. He’s ahead of countries like, Brazil, Canada, Spain, France, and Italy. If that’s not sick, I’m not sure anything else will impress you more.

It was a really bad year to move to Boston. They are in an unprecedented season in their sports history. The Patriots are a dynasty. The Bruins aren’t bad. The Red Sox are owning the American League. And as some of you have just witnessed, the Celtics are the new NBA champions. It’s a bad year for a Chicagoan in Boston.

But before the Big Ticket, Jesus, & the Truth got to hold the trophy, I got my hands on it. And you know what I did? I purposefully put my fingerprints all over it! Take that Danny Ainge!

I’m telling you. Wait ’til October folks. Wait ’til October. Cubs vs. Red Sox. Cubs in 6 at Wrigley. Can’t wait.

• According to Scott Miller of CBS Sportsline, there’s going to be a Tiger and Cub pitted against one another in the ’ship. Sports Illustrated believes the same.

• According to Erik Karabell of Fantasy Sports fame, it’s going to be a match between the cursed, Cubs vs. Red Sox.

• ESPN the Magazine published that the Indians would meet the Cubs in that elusive series.

• And in a general consensus, the Cubs are picked as favorites to win the NL Central.

Every year, there seems to be similar expectation from this team. Every year, they have new off-season acquisitions that will change the outcome of their previous year’s letdown. Every year, they have questions about the starting rotation and the dependability of their bullpen. Every year, the pundits pick them to succeed, but without fail, every year the Cubs have stumbled far short of their intended goals and have left their faithful fans with that all too familiar taste in their mouth. If losing was a candy, it’d be sour jawbreaker.

But why do I believe all the hype this year? Well, simply because I’m a cubs fan. I’ve bought the hype every year. But something in my blue & red blood tells me that this year’s not just hype. Something in my heart of hearts (all cubs fans are born with two hearts, in the case they blow a game in the ninth) tells me that this year’s going to be different. Again, it could just be that good ol’ north side optimism. But the spirit of Harry Carey tells me this is it. And c’mon, 100 years without a world series trophy to hold? Records are meant to be broken, right? Don’t curses only last for a 100 years?

Let’s just put it simply: Opening day is tomorrow and for Cubs fans, this means it’s the beginning of the end. We’re sick of the billy goat. We’re sick of the curse. We’re sick of “close enough”. We’re sick of “maybe next year”. We want October baseball under the lights. We want the ivy at Wrigley to glitter with champagne sparkles. We want those special 2008 World Series balls hitting the streets on Waveland and Ashland. We want a ring ceremony to begin our 2009 Season. We want to be champions again. Is this the year we can change all that? Yes, we can!