CUB FANS ATTACK (and are beaten down)

it's almost a guarantee that you get angry e-mail responses when you pronounce the cubs d.o.a. and after reading them, my response is always based on facts and figures, not smarmy north side emotion.

why is it all cub fans have a second helping of the kool-aid they first tasted in spring training? i can understand the first cup of enthusiasm but there is no reason to drink the second because it has to be sour by now. really bitter.

here are the facts, cub fans. if you don't understand them, please contact someone who understands the game to explain it to you. there are many of those people about eight miles south of wrigley field.

the cubs are behind 4 teams for the wild card and 8 games behind the cardinals in the central division who have carpenter, wainwright, pinero and now smoltz. add that to the league mvp and 4 more regulars hitting around .300 AND maybe the best closer in the national league and you are looking at a HUGE mountain to climb. "but we still have time" lamented one cub fan.

oh really? well, if the cards go 18-18, the cubs need 29-11 to tie. when's the last time the cubs played .725 winning baseball? we ALL know the answer to that.

the cubs have no emotion, no integrity, a shattered locker room that is begging to be cleaned out and a manager who has lost the team for a variety of reasons. i had one fan contact me and his plaintif wail was "wait until mid-september and then we'll check the standings." trust me, there's no reason to wait three more weeks. it's over.

but just for fun, let's set the cardinal magic number at 18 wins starting today and we'll see if i'm right. the cardinals have 21 remaining home games where they've played .600 ball ALL YEAR. ring up 13 wins and that leaves them needing just 5 road wins and they play 12 of their 15 road games against the likes of pittsburgh, cincinnati, houston and milwaukee. p.s. the cardinals also play .545 winning baseball on the road. and remember the final poison cookie to go with your kool-aid. for every extra game the cards win over 18, so must the cubs.

the only thing i can guarantee right now about the cubs is that they will be asking their season ticket holders for playoff money any day now.........