I've been a Cub fan since I was 7 years old (in 1984). Our cable provider had WGN. I would watch GI Joe and Transformers until spring, when the Cubs would start playing. You could say Harry Caray was my babysitter. Jody Davis was my hero.

I was older and even more impressionable in 1989 when the Boys of Zimmer had their wonderful season. After that I became an obsessive Cub fan. I was at my most obsessive through high school and college. Unfortunately, the Cubs uniformly sucked during that time period. Except for 1998, which may have been my favorite team.

As I have aged, I have mellowed out a bit. In the past, a lousy losing streak could literally ruin my mood for the whole week. At some point I decided that it just didn't make any sense to be THAT attached to the team. So I very deliberately and carefully try to keep things in perspective.

But the fire still burns. Evidence - the insane fury and pain I felt as the Cubs laid that egg in the NLDS last year. That ruined my whole MONTH!