It was a good day to be a fan of the Cubs.  For though we have been in struggles before, there was no struggling today.  Instead, the sky was blue, the birds were chirping, and cubs.com had a weird article debating whether we should tear down Wrigley or something stupid.

Treasure these days, and beware the harshness of winter.  For it feeds, and feeds.  There will be times like these when you learn to love again, and when Jacques Jones will learn to field again, and there'll be someone at first base on a regular basis again.  But that's not what's happening right now.  Right now is darkness, like the goat god Pan, drinking wine and belching fire.  Beware the goat.

'Tis is a fine time for Cubbies baseball.  We did not lose.  Today.  Okay, ANAGRAM TIME!

I rot if I don't shit green...H-DAMN, G!

That's when you gotta reach really far down in to the depths of your soul and wonder how true your colors are, both on the inside and the outside of everything that is right and wrong in this wonderful game.  Maybe every other team besides yours is on HGH, maybe the goat is a satanic goat that goes door-to-door preaching the Book of Mormon, maybe you just don't care and will say yes to that previous point anyways.

For HARK!  There will be a time when the soul is set to the hottest flames in Peoria, when the fish shall jump out of the rivers and walk upon land, heading over to Long John Silver's to take advantage of their combo meals.  Don't regret those moments, campadres.  In fact, don't regret the Padres, they're atop the NL West somehow.

Have faith in the Dust.  The Dust of the Earth.  The truth and liberty of all that is right.  Visit your Chicagoland Chevy dealer soon.  Buy a toothpick and stab your lover in the temple with it.  Keep faith in the Dust.  Of course, I'm talking about Dusty Rhodes, the American Dream.  Who else?

CEDENO!!!!!  HE'S LIKE, YEAH.

Now then.

Repeating these moments in your skull, in every aspect of your wistful, agonizing life, realize that Al's record is perpetuated by deeds of evil.  For Al, as you can plainly see, is not a creature of God.  Rather, he was an experiment gone completely wrong in the bowels of the Louvre one day.  And that is why he became a blogger, for he is pure evil.

Yes.

And he.

Wear the grudge like a crown.  You know, if Mark Prior got hit by a car, it'd probably heal his shoulder.  Beware THE IDES OF MARCH!

Anagram Time!  

THICKS WOES!!!!

BEWARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!one

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WAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!

So not five minutes ago, I came home from work and looked up cubs.com to see Carlos had a no hitter through seven.  Immediately I rush downstairs, instinctively knowing that ESPN is showing the feat in the bottom of the eighth.  I tell the family what's happening (they all just finished watching Ice Age--good thing I was working!) and plop down in front of the TV.  

Before anything happens, even before a single pitch, my father says, "Just watch, he's gonna give up a hit right now."  

The very next pitch the Astros batter grounds one through a hole on the right side.  I start yelling and point the finger at Dad, who points the finger right back at me.  His logic is that I announced the fact and turned on the TV; my logic is that he's a bigmouth.  WHO'S TO BLAME, CUB NATION????????????????????

Viva la Zambrano!

I guess Cub killer AJ Pierzynski isn't as bad as I always make him out to be when describing him to the entire world.  Pardon the Interruption had him on as a guest for their "Five Good Minutes" segment, talking to him about his fight with Michael Barrett.

When asked about how the incident either helps or hurts his reputation, Pierzynski responded that he always seems to be antagonized when someone like this comes up (a fair point, considering it was the umpire, and not Pierzynski, at fault with the third strike in last year's ALCS).

Offering an example of his unfair treatment, Pierzynski had this to say about Chicago Sun-Times columnist and ESPN personality Jay Mariotti:

"Your guy Jay Mariotti wrote an article about me the other day saying how it was all my fault.  So Jay, here's an open invitation to come to the clubhouse and say 'hello' to me.  If you want to write an article about me, then come speak to me face-to-face."

Both Kornheiser and Wilbon immediately burst into laughter, with Tony responding, "He's not my guy!" and Wilbon jibing at his cohort, "Tony will love that!"  

Pierzynski added that as far as he knew, Mariotti had never been inside the White Sox' clubhouse.  Tony Reali (aka 'Stat Boy') did not deny that fact near the show's finish, but did say that Mariotti was in the interview room when Pierzynski was speaking to the press after the game.

Here's a link to the Mariotti's article: http://www.suntimes.com/output/mariotti/cst-spt-jay21.html

I commentate frequently at deadspin.com, and we just LOVE to say nice things about Jay Mariotti.  I'm sure most of the people here have nice happy thoughts about the man with greasy hair as well...right?

And so with a bunt greeted with immediate silence and a groan heard all around Wrigleyville, the Cubs head to US Cellular Field in the most unusual of circumstances: an outright underdog, out-muscled in every facet of the game, including health, experience, and most importantly, talent.

Can we as Cubs fans stomach this?  Maybe the ones who actually had the digestion to praise the Sox for winning last year's World Series, saying they were happy to see a champion return to the city of Chicago.  Those fans might be the ones holding their stomachs as the series unfolds.

It hurts to think this way, but I'm not used to viewing my Cubs as an underdog, at least not since '96 or '97.  A year ago I'd come back from classes or work to check the box score of the game online, to see if we were extending our win streak or we could break the funk we were in (it was certainly that kind of season).  Now, evil has crept within me; I'm expecting blown saves, a ninth inning rally falling short, and 16-2 blowouts at the hands of teams owned by Bud Selig.  This is one of the worst times to be a Cubs fan, to be behind a team with a top 10 payroll, key injuries and fragile gameplay.  We think we have the second best manager in the city; we are crestfallen that Jose Contreas and Mark Buehrle are not only a better duo than Wood and Prior, but make the latter look like fresh prospects from Iowa.

And yet, baseball in Chicago still holds a taste for the bizarre.  Wrigley Field still brings sellouts, while US Cellular still struggles for a sellout during weekdays (although their attendance is improved from a year ago).  Cubs fans still stand for their team being the city's baseball identity...although I still can't over my Sox friends whispering "1908" behind me back.

This weekend will serves as a crossroads for Chicago baseball.  The White Sox domination of the 2005 playoffs was one thing; a similar domination in this rivalry will make it clear to the entire game who really owns this town.

As a Cubs fan, I seriously don't want that to happen.