Hi. Just call me Mr. Pale Hose. I'm not a gambling man. I don't play cards. I don't participate in football pools. I am clueless as to what March Madness is all about. If I am ever seen in a casino or a race track it is merely a social visit. But when one of my Cub fan aquaintances starts trash talking my team, I am more than willing to take his money. Of course I always take the White Sox in the cross town series. And I also have a standard bet involving total wins; a dollar a game. In other words if the Sox win 95 games and the Cubbies win 65, that pays me 30 bucks times however many Cub fans I can snare in my net. You see, Cub fans feel Baseball owes them something for being patient for all these years. It is as if the people who run baseball would say," Gee, the Cubs haven't won anything in 100 years. Lets let them go to the World Series." This feeling of pre-ordained destination really started to gain momentum as soon as the Florida Marlins recorded the final out of the 2003 National League Championship Series. 2003 was the year the Cubs were "5 outs away from going to the World series." The logic of that statement escapes me. That is like me saying I would be a millionaire if the bank teller wasn't such a bitch. Be that as it may, Cub fans spent the off season telling anyone who would listen that 2004 "is going to be our year to go to the World Series." Then they would back up their statement by saying they had Prior, Wood and Dusty Baker. As it turned out, 2004 wasn't their year to go to the World Series. They did however manage to win one more game than they won in the magical season of 2003. Why is it that any time the Cubs finish higher than .500, that season goes on to called "magical"? Mention 1969 to any cub fan and he will stop what he is doing, turn to face Clark and Addison, and start mumbling something about "magical season" while dabbing tears from his eye. The 1969 Cubs blew a 10 game lead in August and finished with 92 wins. Thats not magical; thats "choking". I'm pretty sure just about every baseball fan has one of those clinkers in his coal shute. Its not sentimental,it is one of life viscisitudes. You deal with it and you move on. In the winter of '04, Cub fans were convinced that they would be watching the World Series in Chicago. For once they were right, assuming they could get a ticket to U.S. Cellular Field. After the Sox swept the Astros four straight, 4 million revellers crowded into down town Chicago to celebrate with the Victors. Meanwhile 4 million Cub fans stayed indoors with the shades pulled down and made plans for where they would go to watch the Cubs in the 2006 World Series. 2006 was a disaster for the Chicago Cubs. The only thing they didn't suck at was making excuses. This year I have made my regular dollar a game bet, but I have added a side bet as well. My advisary and I each pick three pitchers from our rotation, and the three with the most victories wins 5 bucks. I chose Buehrle Garland and Contreras. He went with Zambrano Lilly and Hill. I'm not a gambling man, but I know a sure thing when I see it! Until then just call me Mr. Pale Hose.