FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Gregory Sager]

I don't participate in the CCIW football pick'ems, but I do check out the picks every now and then out of idle curiosity. I couldn't help but notice that picking against North Park seems to be the default position of most of the prognosticators in the CCIW football pick'em room, even in non-conference play. This has created a weekly hole on the scoresheet for most of the prognosticators, much to my amusement.

For the first week's game against Aurora, the prognosticators favored the Spartans over the Park by a 13-2 margin. On the heels of NPU's 25-point victory in that game, a few people wised up and switched over to picking the Vikings to win in Week Two -- but just a few. The pickers favored Benedictine over NPU by a somewhat more modest 11-5 tally. Naturally, that left eleven people chagrined after the Vikings cruised to an 18-point win over the Bennies.

This past weekend they gazed into their crystal balls and gave Wash U the nod over NPU by a whopping 13-3 margin. The result of the game, of course, was enjoyed by only three of the sixteen prognosticators.

On behalf of NPU football fans everywhere, I want to encourage the CCIW pick'em room's participants to continue to demonstrate that they are slow learners. Let's get that pro-Elmhurst pick'em margin up as high as we can, people.

Gregory: What recent past football history would lead any "pick-em" participant to jump early on the NP band wagon (other than being an alum) believing that this version of the Vikings would have any different outcome than the past decade plus?

You seem to have missed the tongue-in-cheek tone of my post, Tailgater. I guess that I have to up my quotient of smileys per post. Seriously, though, I don't give a rat's tukhus who you guys pick or don't pick. I was simply making some light-hearted conversation during a lull in this room.

Based on your above analysis of the pick-em pool, I suppose you'd advise that we should all think seriously about betting the house, pre-season, on the Cubs winning the world series next year?  .

I'm a long-frustrated Cubs fan -- I guess that that's a redundancy -- so I always tend towards skepticism where the Cubs are concerned. But you're stating a logical fallacy known as post hoc ergo propter hoc, Tailgater. In a nutshell, you're stating that the Cubs will not win the World Series next year because they have not won the World Series for so long. That is an erroneous assumption on your part, because the futility of the Cubs since 1908 has absolutely no bearing upon how the team will perform next year. Now, if you want to talk about specific game-related causes, such as the effects of a schedule much more heavily dependent upon day baseball than other teams have -- or, in the case of NPU football, the various in-house obstacles that the North Park football program has had to try to overcome, obstacles that I've discussed in this room ad nauseam over the years -- then you have an argument to make. But the one you're making now is constructed upon a fallacy.

I suspect you haven't participated in the "all for fun" pick-em pool over the years in order to avoid having to pick against your beloved Vikings. Totally understandable. 

You suspect wrongly. For several years now I've run the pick'ems in the CCIW basketball room (although I'm ceding that responsibility this coming season), and I've always participated in the CCIW basketball pick'ems even before I started running them. And the CCIW basketball pick'ems predate the CCIW football pick'ems. Furthermore, NPU has not exactly been holding its own on the hardwood over the thirteen years that d3hoops.com has existed. You'd know all this if you had ever ventured out of this room, but it appears that you haven't, so you don't. Totally understandable. 

I do believe I will be picking NP to win a CCIW game before the end of this season if their key personnel can stay healthy. I have to assume the depth chart isn't terribly deep?

NPU has a roster of over 100 players this year, which includes a fully-functional JV team. There's plenty of depth. Whether or not it's CCIW-quality depth at this point is still in question -- the Vikings are still a very young team, just as they've been year after year in the past.

I'm hoping their win comes this week against Elmhurst.

Not much love lost for the Bluejays, eh?

IF the game was at NP I would have picked them. I fear the next opportunity for NP to dent the CCIW win column will come at their home game against Carthage at the end of October and then possibly the following week at Millikin. These are the only three CCIW teams I believe NP might be able to threaten this year.

Having not seen any other CCIW teams thus far this year aside from Elmhurst (not that the U of C's herky-jerky and silent UStream video feed told me much about the 'jays), and realizing that the non-conference competition faced by CCIW teams varies wildly (and, Stagg Or Bust's implication to the contrary, I don't see much common-opponent comparison opportunities to make here, especially in the case of the three teams that played Olivet), I am not going out on any limbs as to which CCIW opponents NPU will or won't threaten this season, at least not at this point. I'm content to simply take one game at a time and see how NPU fares. The Vikings are getting better; there's no doubt about that. But whether that will translate into a CCIW win for NPU this season or not is a matter regarding which I do not feel comfortable making an assertion.

I'm certain that no CCIW team wants the stigma of being the first NP victim in over a decade.

On that, we agree. And that will make NPU's first CCIW win all the sweeter ... because it seems to me that NPU's 3-0 start and strong performance against a legit Wash U team is raising some awareness around the league that the Park may not be the completely hopeless gridiron doormat that it has been in the past. And if that's the case, it's going to make CCIW opponents take NPU more seriously ... and the eventual win will thus be less a case of the Vikings sneaking up on an overconfident foe.

[hazzben]

UWP over UWW would still be a major upset, IMO.

I'm guessing that'd be a major upset in everyone's opinion 

[robertgoulet]

Some news on former NCC star Matt Wenger:


He was among the final cuts for the UFL's Omaha Nighthawks 2011 roster, but due to Nighthawks LB Patrick Thomas (NC State) sustaining a season ending injury in the first game of the season he has been resigned and should suit up in week 2.

http://www.omaha.com/article/20110925/SPORTS/709259849/1142#nighthawks-add-five-for-2nd-game

Not exactly a team lacking in talent. Roster includes notables Jeremiah Masoli, Troy Smith, Eric Crouch, Garrett Wolfe, Maurice Clarett, and Dusty Dvoracek.

[badgerwarhawk]

Good for Wenger and good luck to him.   He was a beast.

[robertgoulet]

Good for Wenger and good luck to him.   He was a beast.

I see that they also signed Kyle Nelson who was tight end/long snapper for Mount Union and an undrafted free agent released by the Jaquars.

I feel bad for the kids who happened to be in the 2011 class. Many of them whom would have gotten an invite to an NFL camp were deprived of that opportunity simply because of bad timing. Not that they would have made the team, but to even have an opportunity to be in an NFL camp is pretty special (not that there's anything wrong with playing in the UFL).

[Tailgater]

I don't participate in the CCIW football pick'ems, but I do check out the picks every now and then out of idle curiosity. I couldn't help but notice that picking against North Park seems to be the default position of most of the prognosticators in the CCIW football pick'em room, even in non-conference play. This has created a weekly hole on the scoresheet for most of the prognosticators, much to my amusement.

For the first week's game against Aurora, the prognosticators favored the Spartans over the Park by a 13-2 margin. On the heels of NPU's 25-point victory in that game, a few people wised up and switched over to picking the Vikings to win in Week Two -- but just a few. The pickers favored Benedictine over NPU by a somewhat more modest 11-5 tally. Naturally, that left eleven people chagrined after the Vikings cruised to an 18-point win over the Bennies.

This past weekend they gazed into their crystal balls and gave Wash U the nod over NPU by a whopping 13-3 margin. The result of the game, of course, was enjoyed by only three of the sixteen prognosticators.

On behalf of NPU football fans everywhere, I want to encourage the CCIW pick'em room's participants to continue to demonstrate that they are slow learners. Let's get that pro-Elmhurst pick'em margin up as high as we can, people.

Gregory: What recent past football history would lead any "pick-em" participant to jump early on the NP band wagon (other than being an alum) believing that this version of the Vikings would have any different outcome than the past decade plus?

You seem to have missed the tongue-in-cheek tone of my post, Tailgater. I guess that I have to up my quotient of smileys per post. Seriously, though, I don't give a rat's tukhus who you guys pick or don't pick. I was simply making some light-hearted conversation during a lull in this room.

Based on your above analysis of the pick-em pool, I suppose you'd advise that we should all think seriously about betting the house, pre-season, on the Cubs winning the world series next year?  .

I'm a long-frustrated Cubs fan -- I guess that that's a redundancy -- so I always tend towards skepticism where the Cubs are concerned. But you're stating a logical fallacy known as post hoc ergo propter hoc, Tailgater. In a nutshell, you're stating that the Cubs will not win the World Series next year because they have not won the World Series for so long. That is an erroneous assumption on your part, because the futility of the Cubs since 1908 has absolutely no bearing upon how the team will perform next year. Now, if you want to talk about specific game-related causes, such as the effects of a schedule much more heavily dependent upon day baseball than other teams have -- or, in the case of NPU football, the various in-house obstacles that the North Park football program has had to try to overcome, obstacles that I've discussed in this room ad nauseam over the years -- then you have an argument to make. But the one you're making now is constructed upon a fallacy.

I suspect you haven't participated in the "all for fun" pick-em pool over the years in order to avoid having to pick against your beloved Vikings. Totally understandable. 

You suspect wrongly. For several years now I've run the pick'ems in the CCIW basketball room (although I'm ceding that responsibility this coming season), and I've always participated in the CCIW basketball pick'ems even before I started running them. And the CCIW basketball pick'ems predate the CCIW football pick'ems. Furthermore, NPU has not exactly been holding its own on the hardwood over the thirteen years that d3hoops.com has existed. You'd know all this if you had ever ventured out of this room, but it appears that you haven't, so you don't. Totally understandable. 

I do believe I will be picking NP to win a CCIW game before the end of this season if their key personnel can stay healthy. I have to assume the depth chart isn't terribly deep?

NPU has a roster of over 100 players this year, which includes a fully-functional JV team. There's plenty of depth. Whether or not it's CCIW-quality depth at this point is still in question -- the Vikings are still a very young team, just as they've been year after year in the past.

I'm hoping their win comes this week against Elmhurst.

Not much love lost for the Bluejays, eh?

IF the game was at NP I would have picked them. I fear the next opportunity for NP to dent the CCIW win column will come at their home game against Carthage at the end of October and then possibly the following week at Millikin. These are the only three CCIW teams I believe NP might be able to threaten this year.

Having not seen any other CCIW teams thus far this year aside from Elmhurst (not that the U of C's herky-jerky and silent UStream video feed told me much about the 'jays), and realizing that the non-conference competition faced by CCIW teams varies wildly (and, Stagg Or Bust's implication to the contrary, I don't see much common-opponent comparison opportunities to make here, especially in the case of the three teams that played Olivet), I am not going out on any limbs as to which CCIW opponents NPU will or won't threaten this season, at least not at this point. I'm content to simply take one game at a time and see how NPU fares. The Vikings are getting better; there's no doubt about that. But whether that will translate into a CCIW win for NPU this season or not is a matter regarding which I do not feel comfortable making an assertion.

I'm certain that no CCIW team wants the stigma of being the first NP victim in over a decade.

On that, we agree. And that will make NPU's first CCIW win all the sweeter ... because it seems to me that NPU's 3-0 start and strong performance against a legit Wash U team is raising some awareness around the league that the Park may not be the completely hopeless gridiron doormat that it has been in the past. And if that's the case, it's going to make CCIW opponents take NPU more seriously ... and the eventual win will thus be less a case of the Vikings sneaking up on an overconfident foe.

I indeed noted your tongue-in-check. You miss mine. You need another hobby. You have way too much time to analyze some posts far too deeply.  Apparently I need to add more smilies and winks as well. My questioning response was poking fun at your hypothetical observation and deserved enthusiasm as to why NP is winning games.

As for the Cub comparison....I'm judging them only on recent past performance as I do with NP, not back to the beginning of time. There's not enough money under the salary cap to improve the current Cub roster from this past few years of mediocrity to be a championship team next year. No fallacy with that thought just brutal reality. I'm willing to bet. 

OK, so you've participated in basketball pick-ems. You didn't specifically answer my light-hearted suspicion as to why then you choose to not participate in the CCIW football pick-ems?

You of all people know that depth isn't about numbers. It's about the quality of the reserve players backing up those who apparently perform better. Top tear teams have second and third team players that could possibly start in other programs. My point toward NP winning a CCIW game this year was.....if NP has to rely on reserves due to injuries are they as talented and capable of running the system as the starters? Are their parts easily replaceable? If the reserve quality isn't there neither will be the CCIW win under normal circumstances (Trying to avoid the no absolutes argument  ). Yes other CCIW teams may have there own depth issues at the time they face NP.

It's not about little love for the Bluejays, it's about not wanting Carthage to be the first NP victim. If we're the second NP victim so be it, just not the first. Elmhurst and Millikin play NP at their home. Carthage will be on the road at NP. Although it may be only a fractional advantage playing at home, it's still an NP advantage. You can ask Washington U. how that worked out for them. You can also ask the 2004 CCIW Champion Carthage team who escaped from NP that year with a 13-10 win.

Confucius says:  'He who laughs last, laughs least   '. Be careful how you use those smilies! 

[Tailgater]

Nobody is saying NPU is ready to fight for the top spot.

And neither was I

[LETS ROLL]

New Top 25 Out:http://www.d3football.com/top25/2011/week4

Spots 1-7 stay the same with Wheaton remaining at #7

North Central makes the jump back to the Top Ten, making the #9 spot with previous #9 Ohio Northern and #10 Wartburg losing.

Redlands moves from #15 to #13

I was surprised to see that IWU only received 6 votes, despite opening 3-0 (even if not overly impressive). I was surprised that UWP collected 33 votes, even after losing to Wheaton.

We'll find out more about these two teams this weekend, with IWU hosting Wheaton and UWP visiting UWW.

I don't find this to be surprising at all, and this is why:

Aside from a hard fought loss to a #7 Wheaton team, UWP has had 3 other solid victories thus far this season. Stevens Point has recently been the second best team to come out of the WIAC and I believe that UW-Lacrosse is much improved this year as well. Usually teams do not drop too far in rankings after losing a game to a higher ranked team, especially if the game remains respectable, as it certainly was.

Also, I'm guessing that IWU has not received a substantial amount of votes yet, due to their strength of schedule at this point in the season. While undefeated, their victories have come against Hope (2-2) Alma (1-3) and Aurora (1-2). I don't usually put much stock in comparing margin of victory, but maybe the voters are as North Park and Wesleyan had almost an identical margin of victory against common opponent Aurora.

As Mugsy pointed out, this week will be very telling. I always get nervous when Wheaton has to travel to IWU as we tend to struggle there (we've lost in our last 3 trips to Bloomington).

[Mugsy]

UWP over UWW would still be a major upset, IMO.

I'm guessing that'd be a major upset in everyone's opinion 

Upon digesting the quick response to the post, I was stating the obvious.   

[Gregory Sager]

I indeed noted your tongue-in-check. You miss mine.

I dunno. To me, you seemed sort of defensive regarding your pick'em fraternity. Perhaps we need dueling smileys in this conversation.

You need another hobby.

Why? Picking fights with Carthage fans is good, clean fun. Besides, I stink at making birdhouses or collecting stamps.

You have way too much time to analyze some posts far too deeply. 

Oh, pshaw. Didn't take any time at all.

(I would just like to note for the record that this is probably the first appearance of "pshaw" on d3boards.com.)

Apparently I need to add more smilies and winks as well.

Perhaps Chuck, the Smileymaster General of the CCIW, could give us both a tutorial.

My questioning response was poking fun at your hypothetical observation and deserved enthusiasm as to why NP is winning games.

Yeah, but I'm encouraging you guys to keep picking against NPU. The "slow learner" bit really applied to the non-conference slate. I think that we all know that NPU is stepping up in class in terms of competition once it enters CCIW play (although I wouldn't be surprised if Wash U was able to knock off a CCIW team or two if the Bears played a CCIW schedule).

As for the Cub comparison....I'm judging them only on recent past performance as I do with NP, not back to the beginning of time. There's not enough money under the salary cap to improve the current Cub roster from this past few years of mediocrity to be a championship team next year. No fallacy with that thought just brutal reality. I'm willing to bet. 

Very true. The cupboard is pretty bare for the Cubs right now. But that's a game-specific reason for why they won't win the 2012 World Series. The fact that they haven't won one since 1908 isn't.

OK, so you've participated in basketball pick-ems. You didn't specifically answer my light-hearted suspicion as to why then you choose to not participate in the CCIW football pick-ems?

More a lack of interest than anything else, really. I haven't participated in any of the other pick'ems run in the various basketball rooms. The only pick'ems in which I've participated are CCIW basketball and the D3 basketball tourney (and I've skipped a few of those tourney pick'ems over the years as well).

You of all people know that depth isn't about numbers. It's about the quality of the reserve players backing up those who apparently perform better. Top tear teams have second and third team players that could possibly start in other programs.

Absolutely. That's why I said in my previous post that I don't know if NPU has CCIW-quality depth. I know that the Vikings have bodies to spare. But I don't know how many of those bodies are trustworthy in terms of putting them out on the field against a Wheaton or a North Central or an Illinois Wesleyan and having them do the job expected of them. We'll find out soon enough.

My point toward NP winning a CCIW game this year was.....if NP has to rely on reserves due to injuries are they as talented and capable of running the system as the starters? Are their parts easily replaceable? If the reserve quality isn't there neither will be the CCIW win under normal circumstances (Trying to avoid the no absolutes argument  ). Yes other CCIW teams may have there own depth issues at the time they face NP.

Attrition is an important part of football. We all understand that. I'm well aware that much of NPU's depth is untested. That's a big reason why I'm so cautious about saying whether or not NPU will win a CCIW game this year, regardless of the fact that the Vikings are 3-0 and beat a good team last Saturday.

It's not about little love for the Bluejays, it's about not wanting Carthage to be the first NP victim.

I understand that, too. I'm just trying to stir the pot as far as the Carthage and Elmhurst fans are concerned.

If we're the second NP victim so be it, just not the first. Elmhurst and Millikin play NP at their home. Carthage will be on the road at NP. Although it may be only a fractional advantage playing at home, it's still an NP advantage. You can ask Washington U. how that worked out for them. You can also ask the 2004 CCIW Champion Carthage team who escaped from NP that year with a 13-10 win.

Given the fact that opposing fans regularly outdraw Vikings fans at Hedstrand Field, I'm not so sure that NPU has much of a home-field advantage. Now, if this was soccer it'd be a different matter. Hedstrand Field is a snakepit for opponents in that sport, because NPU's fan support in soccer is so tremendous. Football? Not so much. A lot of parents, a sprinkling of students and alumni, and that's it. It's an uphill battle to overcome the inertia of four decades in terms of improving NPU's football fan base. Nothing short of actually winning a few CCIW games will probably do it.

[Mugsy]

Wheaton vs. Illinois Wesleyan game capsule

Statistical Category	Wheaton	IWU	Comment
Offense Scoring	42.0	26.7
Defense Scoring	21.0	3.0	IWU only 1 TD allowed in 3 games
Off Pass Efficiency	160.6	165.9
Off Pass Efficiency	65.3	67.9
Off Pass YPG	265.3	239.3
Off Pass TD's	9	7
Off INT's	3	2
Def Pass Efficiency	95.8	86.4
Def Pass Completion %	46.0	47.8
Def Pass YPG	167.3	148.7
Pass TD's Allowed	4	0
Def INT's	6	1
Kick Return Ave	23.5	13.6	Wheaton 12 returns, IWU 5
Punt Return Ave	9.7	6.9
Punting	31.6	45.5	Wheaton 7 punts, IWU 13
Turnover Margin	+1.00	+0.33
Off Rush YPG	218.7	143.0
Off Yards Per Carry	5.1	3.5
Off Rush TD's	7	4
Def Rush YPG	107.7	85.0
Def Yards Per Carry	3.6	3.0
Def Rush TD's Allowed	3	1
Total Offense	484.0	382.3
Total Defense	275.0	233.7
Sacks By	2	2
Sacks Allowed	6	7
Penalty YPG	78.7	48.0
Red Zone Offense	82.4	66.7	Wheaton 10 TDs, 5 FGs : IWU 7 TDs, 1
Red Zone Defense	62.5	50.0
Off 3rd Down Conv %	51.2	44.7
Opp 3rd Down Conv %	25.0	26.8
Field Goals	6 of 7	1 of 4
PAT's	12 of 15	11 of 11
Time of Pos	33:59	32:35

Noteable Players:
Top Rusher:
RUSHING            Team Cl   G  Att  Yds   Avg TD Long Yds/G
-----------------------------------------------------------
   Stinde, T.J....   IWU  FR   3   55  254   4.6  2    44    84.7
   Swider, Justin. WHEA SO  3   21  210  10.0  2   41    70.0

QB Comparison:
                      Team Cl    G Att Cmp Int  Pct.  Yds TD Avg/G
-------------------------------------------------------------
Meador, Garrett WHEA SR  3  88  59   2   67.0  733  9   244.3
Gallik, Rob....     IWU   SO  3  76  52   2   68.4  659  6   219.7

Top Receivers:
RECEIVE YDS/GAME   Team Cl  G    Rec  Yds TD Long Avg/C Yds/G
-----------------------------------------------------------
  Watkins, Teddy.     WHEA SR  3   19  190  1   48  10.0      63.3
  Burnett, Dayton      IWU  SR  3   12  161   0   32  13.4      53.7
  Driver, Joey...         IWU  SR  3   16  150  3   25   9.4       50.0
  Cook, M........        WHEA JR  3    6  141   2   62  23.5      47.0

INTERCEPTIONS      Team Cl    G  Int  Yds TD Long Int/G
-----------------------------------------------------
       Langs, Jordan.. WHEA SR  3    3   51  0    34   1.00

PUNTING            Team Cl    G Punts   Yds Long   Avg
----------------------------------------------------
    Garvey, Alex... IWU  SO  3    13     592   70    45.5

FIELD GOALS        Team   Cl  G   FG  FGA  Pct.  FG/G
---------------------------------------------------
    Roche, Scott... WHEA SR  3    6    7     85.7  2.00

TACKLES (All positions)
Player             Team  Cl  G Pos Solo Ast Total Avg/G Sack
-----------------------------------------------------------
Houk, Ben...... IWU    SR  3 LB    14  10    24   8.0  0.0
Gresko, Ryan... IWU  SR   3 LB     8  10    18   6.0  1.0
Chapman, Jordan WHEA SR  3     10   7    17   5.7  0.0
Cummings, P.J.. IWU  SR  3 DB    8   6    14   4.7  0.0
Whittington, M. IWU  SR  3 LB     6   7    13   4.3  0.0
Wenzel, Scott.. IWU  SR  3 DB    7   6    13   4.3  0.0
Driggers, Austi WHEA SR  3         9   3    12   4.0  0.0
Dykstra, Brando WHEA SO  3 DT  8   4    12   4.0  0.5

PASSES DEFENDED    Team Cl  G Brup  Int Total Avg/G
---------------------------------------------------
       Bushong, Erich. IWU  SR  3    6    0     6  2.00
      Langs, Jordan.. WHEA SR  3    2    3     5  1.67
       Cummings, P.J.. IWU  SR  3    4    0     4  1.33

[Mugsy]

Overall on paper Wheaton & IWU match up very evenly, with a couple of key differences that I attempted to highlight in the capsule found in the previous post.  I would give Wheaton a slight nod on a tougher schedule to this point on the basis of playing UW-Platteville, though Olivet negates that somewhat.

If I'm not mistaken I believe both teams have banged up starting running backs.  Stinde missed part of at least one game (I don't recall which) due to a leg injury of some sort.  Wheaton's starting running back, Peter Garrett has been struggling with nagging injury all year and was held out of the Olivet game (he could have played if necessary).

I'm not sure what other injuries exist that will play a factor.

One area that could be a key to the game is how Wheaton's offense that is averaging 42 ppg matches up with the IWU defense that is allowing only 3 ppg.

I never would have guessed that both teams who historically have had strong defensive fronts would only have 2 sacks a piece in 3 games.

[BoBo]

UWP over UWW would still be a major upset, IMO.

I'm guessing that'd be a major upset in everyone's opinion 

          click to enlarge

"...I would have to agree with that statement!!"

[Always.A.Titan]

Overall on paper Wheaton & IWU match up very evenly, with a couple of key differences that I attempted to highlight in the capsule found in the previous post.  I would give Wheaton a slight nod on a tougher schedule to this point on the basis of playing UW-Platteville, though Olivet negates that somewhat.

If I'm not mistaken I believe both teams have banged up starting running backs.  Stinde missed part of at least one game (I don't recall which) due to a leg injury of some sort.  Wheaton's starting running back, Peter Garrett has been struggling with nagging injury all year and was held out of the Olivet game (he could have played if necessary).

I'm not sure what other injuries exist that will play a factor.

One area that could be a key to the game is how Wheaton's offense that is averaging 42 ppg matches up with the IWU defense that is allowing only 3 ppg.

I never would have guessed that both teams who historically have had strong defensive fronts would only have 2 sacks a piece in 3 games.

Stinde missed most of the Aurora game.

What surprised me most is the number of sacks given up by each team thus far. The competition hasn't been the fiercest with the exception of UWP. It makes me wonder if the sacks by #s will increase this coming week especially if both teams have running backs who are slightly banged up.

[Always.A.Titan]

There's not enough money under the salary cap to improve the current Cub roster from this past few years of mediocrity to be a championship team next year. No fallacy with that thought just brutal reality. I'm willing to bet. 

Do you mean there is not enough money under the sun to fix the organization? 

I watched the Catching Hell documentary last night. It was brutal to watch all of those replays especially seeing Gonzalez boot that double play ball. It is still pretty rough to be that close and yet so far away. I wasn't around for the Cubs in '69 and that silly cat or the falling apart of '84 and I don't remember the fall of '89 (since I was 1), but the 2003 NLCS is the defining moment for my understanding of living and dying with the Cubs. I am still in utter disbelief of how that all happened, and how the city blamed it on 1 guy.

To that point, I liked how the documentary used Buckner's story to go hand in hand with Bartman. In the end, maybe it is not Chicago that has to forgive Bartman, but Bartman has to forgive Chicago.

Here is to next year!!!