Sports Blog
Check out the sports blog, where the State News sports staff will discuss everything from Spartan to professional athletics on a daily basis.
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Recent posts
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Early men's hoops awards
With my term coming to an end as an MSU men’s basketball beat reporter since the spring, I can’t help but still feel connected to the team.
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Appreciating the great camera work
So after the blizzard that struck during the attempted second half of Sunday’s field hockey game, I have an extra appreciation for what our camera people do.
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Fantasy football, week 11
Well, it looks like I struggled with last week’s picks as Greg Camarillo had four catches and Willis McGahee busted out from his slump. Oh well, I went 1-1, so I’m back at it again.
Better luck next century
100 years have come and gone since the Chicago Cubs won the World Series. On Oct. 14th, 1908, the Cubs beat the Detroit Tigers 2-0 in the fifth World Series.
Since then, teams like the Florida Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks and Kansas City Royals have won at least one World Series.
The Marlins won the 1997 title in their fourth year of existence, yet the Cubs have gone 100 years since their last World Series title. Generations have come and gone without seeing the Cubbies win it all.
This year was supposed to be the year. The Cubs had the best record in the National League (97-64). They were playing the Los Angeles Dodgers, a team that won the worst division in baseball by barely finishing above .500 (84-78).
The Cubs scored the second most runs in the regular season, while the Dodgers were 24th (of 30). All stats pointed toward a Cubs series win.
But the stats didn’t take into account that it was the Cubs who were playing.
The Dodgers outscored Chicago 20-3 in three games.
The regular season success of Carlos Zambrano and Aramis Ramirez couldn’t overcome the playoff experience of Manny Ramirez and Joe Torre.
This wasn’t about a billy goat or Bartman. The Cubs were simply dominated.
The Cubs are often called “The Lovable Losers.” I wonder how many people love them right now? The Cubs used to be a team that was bad in the regular season, never building hopes up. But the regular season successes of the past six years have changed that.
Cubs fans are no longer happy with division titles. They want a World Series before another generation leaves without seeing it.
Perhaps “Back to the Future Part II” is the answer. The movie correctly predicted that Miami would win the World Series in 1997, which they did (the Marlins play in Miami). The movie also predicts the Cubs finally win it all in 2015.
Cubs fans have waited this long, what’s another hundred years?
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