Shockingly, the Northwestern women’s lacrosse team won its fifth-straight national championship this weekend, which is pretty uncommon for any university in any sport. When the lacrosse team won the title in 2005, it was the first national championship for Northwestern since 1941. It took us 64 years to win a team national championship. Since 2005, the Wildcats have won four more women’s lacrosse championships — unheard of in modern-day college sports. Only Maryland, a traditional east coast lacrosse powerhouse, has more national championships.

Somehow, a eight-year-old program in a region not particularly know for lacrosse (especially when compared to the Maryland/Virginia era) has become the absolute most dominant force in the entire sport. And you know it’s getting kind of boring when you simply assume we’re going to win.

The whole thing reminds me of the ‘90s-era Chicago Bulls — they may drop a game or two, let the series go to game six to make the playoffs kind of interesting, but in the end Michael Jordan and company were going to win the championship. They were just too good to lose.

The women’s lacrosse team is just too good.

Sure, there will be some close games — the Wildcats fought a tough Penn team in the semifinals, tying it up in the first overtime period with a miracle last-second goal from junior Katrina Dowd. Northwestern staved off the upset with a goal in the second overtime to win 13-12 over the Quakers. It was necessary drama for a team that often makes its games look like a lacrosse version of the Harlem Globetrotters versus the Washington Generals.

Maybe Northwestern can take the Globetrotters approach to make the games more dramatic: trick lacrosse shots, excessive celebrating and showboating, “Three Stooges” level slapstick humor and a red, white and blue lacrosse ball sound like fun for the entire family! Unfortunately, the NCAA sportsmanship police may have something to say about that,

In individual sports, it’s nice to see one person be so dominant. You like seeing the very best of the very best; it gives fans someone to rally behind. Tiger Woods goes out there and has a good chance of winning any tournament he enters. In any given tennis tournament, you can bet that either Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer will win it all. Team sports need a bit of the unknown, that maybe that dominating force will be shocked by some underdog team, as Northwestern almost was on Friday.

As Northwestern students, we can’t take this kind of dominance for granted. For the past five years, no one has been better than us at lacrosse. The Wildcats broke the Division I scoring record this year in route to their second perfect season since 2005. It took Northwestern 64 years to win a national championship. Now we have five in five years. After Northwestern’s lacrosse run ends, we all may be six feet under before Northwestern puts up a similar streak in any sport. It would certainly be more interesting if there was at least one rival, a team that always nipped on our heels and posed an obstacle in the way of our dominance. Until Northwestern meets its match, I’ll take our national championships. They’re rare in these parts.

Clarification appended: Parts of the original article incorrectly compared Northwestern’s team to Maryland’s team. We have clarified the first paragraph to reflect that the University of Maryland has more championships than Northwestern. North by Northwestern regrets any confusion.

Why do you think so many Romans went to the Colosseum? To watch some Christians get fed to lions, as fun as that may or may not be? No. The social aspect (and getting uproariously drunk on wine) was a huge factor. Part of the fun of watching sports is watching them with other people — the social aspect of the experience increases our enjoyment of the event.

Stadiums are our modern-day Colosseum, but in this century, we can’t always travel to the stadiums of our favorite teams. Plus, I’m pretty sure it’s much more expensive to go to a game now than it ever was during the Roman Empire (they aren’t giving away Bears tickets for goats’ milk). That’s why sports bars are great. You can go to a local Buffalo Wild Wings, get a meal and some drinks, meet up with other fans and really watch any game you want. Places like this are awesome for people living far away from their teams’ local market since they allow fans to catch their favorite teams’ games live.

Too bad Evanston doesn’t really have a good sports bar, or at least not one any reasonable distance from campus.

Tommy Nevin’s is probably a student’s best option, but it’s a fair distance from campus. It’s really more of a traditional pub than an actual sports bar. What’s great about true sports bars like Buffalo Wild Wings and similar venues is that they have pretty much wallpapered the restaurant with television sets so, as a general rule, whatever game you want to watch is already on -– and if it’s not, you can just ask that it be put on and your wish is their command. For big sporting events, like the Super Bowl or Final Four, the atmosphere at these restaurants is like a party.

“Some of our biggest days of the year are the Ohio State or Michigan games,” said Max Bartz, Tommy Nevin’s general manager. Events like the Bears, Super Bowl or college football games can bring in a capacity crowd of more than 200 people, said Bartz. “Even if they don’t have tickets to the game, they come to Evanston to watch the game here.”

Unfortunately, that means that much like at our own stadium, Northwestern fans are outnumbered in their own bars.

For some reason no one has been willing to take the risk of opening a sports bar in the downtown area — I have no idea why. I know Northwestern hasn’t always been the most amazing at sports, but there’s a sizable portion of the student body that really enjoys watching them and would likely gladly patronize a sports bar. As NU’s revenue sports continue to improve, more and more students will be interested in watching games (and considering the chilly Chicago weather, even home games might gain viewers if students had a fun, casual place close to campus to gather and cheer on the Wildcats).

For those who are less-than-interested in NU sports, but rally behind professional teams, a sports bar would offer a convenient place to gather with other pro-sports fans. During the exciting Celtics/Bulls series, for example, there was a group of 20 or so students watching game four on a Sunday afternoon on the couches at Norris. Norris isn’t exactly the average sports fan’s ideal viewing venue; you could probably attract even more people with the fun atmosphere provided by a sports bar. Hell, the old Barnes and Noble’s has sat unused since I came here as a freshman, and there is still no business in there. It’s also in a great location relative to campus, so maybe I should recruit some investors.

So let’s say you’re not buying this. “I’m not a sports fan, why do I care?” you say. Well, there is also the fact that a sports bar is a sports BAR. When has a bar ever done bad business in a college town? (Besides that cereal bar, Cereality, but that doesn’t count because you couldn’t get your Cheerios with whiskey). All these whippersnappers do is drink nowadays, so there should be plenty of money to be made. And yet the closest true sports bar is the Skokie Buffalo Wild Wings about 20 minutes away. You could drive there, but how many students are willing to do that?

There are a lot of mythical Evanston laws supposedly forbidding activities and establishments from skipping to bowling alleys, but I’ve never heard even rumors alleging a ban on sports bars (and my search of the Evanston zoning laws didn’t turn up anything to suggest such a ban exists). So until someone decides NU students would frequent a real sports bar, I guess we’ll all just have to live with cramming into a dorm room and watching NUTV, because who needs food, fun and flat screens when you’ve got that?

East

1 – Cleveland
4 – Atlanta
Peter McGrain: The Cleveland LeBrons — I mean Cavaliers — come fresh off their spanking of Detroit “No Allen Iverson in sight” Pistons to face an Atlanta Hawks team that outplayed the Miami Heat in seven games. Cleveland is too good on both sides of the ball to drop a game to the Hawks, who are good but just outmatched in this series. Cavaliers 4-0.
Farrukh Virani: Come on. Even Joe Johnson’s breakout performance doesn’t keep up with LeBron’s consistent stat bursters. And if Josh Smith misses another dunk, he might as well start his own All-Star competition. Caveliers 4-1.
Josh Sim: The Hawks have absolutely no chance against LeBron & Co. If we could just imagine, though — Josh Smith and LeBron James trading ridiculous dunks throughout the series. If only Smith would look at the scoreboard once in a while. Cavs jog past 4-0.

2 – Boston
3 – Orlando
PM: This series should be a huge letdown following the instant ESPN Classics that were the games of the Bulls/Celtics series. Rajon Rondo’s flagrant fouls will not be enough to steal the series against Orlando like they were against Chicago. The loss of Magic guard Courtney Lee to teammates Dwight Howard’s flying elbows could hurt Orlando, though. I’m going to stick with my gut, since the series against the tough Bulls has exhausted the Boston starters. Magic 4-3.
FV: Orlando isn’t the same team without Jameer Nelson, but Boston is in far worse shape without Garnett, especially after their exhausting series with Chicago. Some may say that the fatigue may kill them, but the Allen, Pierce and Rondo trio has some Irish luck backing them up, also known as their bench. After the way they started stepping up, that help is the key ingredient in the matchup. Plus, the Chicago series was an enlightening and invigorating series. Maybe if Alston had more time and Howard started making some free throws for once in his life? Bye bye, Orlando. Boston 4-3.
JS: Boston barely got by against Chicago’s hustlers and snipers. A worn-out Celtics unit won’t stand for long against a refreshed Magic unit loaded with playmakers and a certain beast in the middle of the paint. Rajon Rondo goes off for another stat-stuffing series, but will also throw in about 3 elbows and 2 shoves to Redick and Gortat. Watch out for Scalabrine, though. He’s shown that he’s only human against opponents 6′3″ and up. Orlando moves on 4-2.

West

1 – Los Angeles Lakers
5 – Houston Rockets
PM: The Rockets, with McGrady sidelined, were able to shake their first-round exit bug. The Lakers dominated Utah, but Andrew Bynum looked pretty mediocre. He’ll have to play better against Houston’s Yao Ming to make this series a blowout, but I don’t think the Rockets can hang with the Lakers for seven games, though it could be interesting. Lakers 4-2.
FV: This is actually their hardest matchup in the West. Houston has a rabid fan base and match up well with the Lakers. Especially with the Rockets bench seeing its best games against the Lakers. The Rockets will put up a great fight as Artest will definitely show a big game and Yao Ming and Scola will definitely have games to remember. But with Bynum back and Gasol at forward, the Lakers are too talented to lose here. Lakers 4-3.
JS: Much like the East’s 1-5 matchup, there won’t be much of a fight put up by the underdogs. Big 7-5 giants can only carry their shorter teams for so long. As quick as this fight will be, enjoy Ron Artest getting manhandled by a certain Kobe Bryant. Lakers in 4-1.

2 – Denver
3 – Dallas
PM: The Nuggets dispatched the Hornets with ease, their first playoff series since Dikembe Mutumbo dispatched the Seattle Sonics (now the Oklahoma City Thunder) in 1994 in one of the greatest playoff upsets of all-time (The big man from Congo will be sorely missed.). They face the hot Mavericks, who easily disposed of the San Antonio Spurs, who looked old in their series. Dallas is hot, but Denver is too loaded with depth and can attack from so many angles. Nuggets 4-2.
FV: The Nuggets fans are probably happy to be in the second round for the first time since 1994. Even though the Mavs have been on a roll, Billups isn’t going to let his hometown down. Terry, Howard and Dirk just won’t be able to keep at the end. Denver 4-3.
JS: The two point guards will do outstanding jobs in keeping this close, but Denver will come through more often than not. The lack of consistent big men in the paint for the Mavs will give Denver the edge, and eventually, the series. Mark Cuban = epic fail. Denver wins 4-2.

Help us fans out by not ruminating on the mystical causes of the Cubs’ collapse while you’re enjoying the game at NU Day. After a few odd coincidences and only a month after the season’s start, discussion of the Cub’s “curses” has begun anew.

At a Chicago Cubs home game Apr. 21 against the Cincinnati Reds, a calico cat ran across center field and into foul territory before a Wrigley Field grounds crew worker picked it up by its tail. Later in the game, a pop foul hit by Jay Bruce of the Reds drifted towards foul territory in left field. It inched closer and closer to the stands until a fan reached out and snatched it away from left fielder Alfonso Soriano in an eerie replay of “Bartman-gate” from 2003. Luckily, this was an early regular season game, not an important playoff game in late October, and the Cubs won the game 7-2.

These two eyebrow-raising events occurred shortly after a severed goat’s head was found hanging on the statue of beloved Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray outside of Wrigley Field on Apr. 13. Pretty classy move, if you ask me.

For those unversed in Cubs lore, the cat incident refers back to a similar situation in 1969, when the Cubs, enjoying a comfortable lead in August, were “hexed” by a black cat that circled the on-deck circle at Shea Stadium. The Cubs choked, losing the lead they had to the Miracle Mets of 1969 who later won the World Series.

In case you were holed up with al-Qaeda in Tora Bora in 2003 and missed the round-the-clock coverage of the Steve Bartman incident: Bartman was a Cubs fan who prevented outfielder Moises Alou from catching a foul ball that would have been the second out in the eighth inning of game sixth of the 2003 National League Championship against the Florida Marlins. The Cubs led the game 3-0 (and the series, 3-2) at that point. After Bartman’s interference, the Marlins scored eight runs in the eighth and proceeded to beat the Cubs in game seven, creating one of the most pathetic collapses in sports history.

Bartman became the biggest scapegoat since the goat that tavern owner Billy Sianis tried to bring into Wrigley Field during the 1945 World Series. He and his goat were removed from the premises in the seventh inning, and an angered Sianis cursed the team. The Cubs lost the World Series and haven’t been back since. I’m guessing the goat head was an attempt to break that curse.

The curses make cute stories, especially for students just being exposed to “Cubs culture” by events like NU Day at Wrigley. But that is all they are: cute stories used as a crutch for 101 years of poor play, epic collapses and predictable disasters. There is no magical hex or curse on the Cubs. No one is sticking needles in the hamstring of an Alfonso Soriano voodoo doll. The Cubs have sucked for a century, regardless of any curse, so “fans” should stop bringing them up to seem knowledgeable about Cubs history — or, even worse, using them to excuse the Cubs’ failures.

The very idea of a curse hanging over their heads is enough to spook the players. It gets into their heads, adding pressure to a team that needs pressure as much as anyone needs a Snuggie. Especially when team management denies the curse before bringing a Greek Orthodox priest to exorcise the dugout before… And then the team gets swept in the first round of the playoffs.

For many of you, NU Day will be your first trip to Wrigley Field. Maybe it will even be your first pro baseball game. You should enjoy yourself; Wrigley Field is a fun ballpark and a historic landmark in both sports and American culture. But do the Cubs fans a favor and don’t bring up any curses in an attempt to identify with Cubs fans. If you want to identify, take a gun and shoot yourself in the groin twice. One for 2003 and the other for last year’s collapse versus the Los Angeles Dodgers. It is a roughly equivalent sensation.

If fans want the “curses” to stop happening, then we need to stop acknowledging them and stop believing them — and part of that starts with you, the non-fan or casual fan. Don’t remind us. It’s just superstition, and it only has the power to distract fans from considering the true problems that plague the Cubs.

AL East — The division should be close all year and feature three possible 90-game winners.
1. Tampa Bay Rays — A young core of talent featuring Evan Longoria, B.J. Upton and Scott Kazmir should repeat as East division winner. Number one draft pick David Price will be up in late May to solidify an already excellent rotation. They are off to a slow start, but they were 8-12 at this point last season.
2. Boston Red Sox — A really deep pitching rotation and bullpen and a great offense will carry the Red Sox to the playoffs again. They are really hot right now.
3. New York Yankees — Pitching woes will doom the Yankees to another third place finish.
4. Toronto Blue Jays — There are some solid hitting prospects and the magnificent pitcher Roy Halladay, but there is too much firepower in the division to compete. Off to a great start hitting the ball, but it won’t last.
5. Baltimore Orioles — Mediocre pitching and mediocre hitting will lead to another Orioles cellar finish. Catching prospect Matt Wieters could add some excitement later in the year.

AL Central — A complete toss-up of a division. Any of the five teams could finish first or last.
1. Cleveland Indians — The hitting is there with Grady Sizemore and Victor Martinez, but Cliff Lee will need to be nearly as good as last year for the Indians. They have started off ugly but have came around.
2. Chicago White Sox — The hitting is great and the top of the rotation is underrated, but the bullpen and back-end starters could kill them.
3. Kansas City Royals — The Royals have a criminally underrated pitching staff backed up with some young talented hitters. Zack Greinke is legitimate threat to win the Cy Young.
4. Detroit Tigers — The Tigers feature strong hitting from Magglio Ordonez and Miguel Cabrera, but iffy starters and a volatile bullpen will hold them back.
5. Minnesota Twins — The Twins are a bit of a mystery. They don’t really do anything well besides closing out games with Joe Nathan, but they always seem to be a factor in September.

AL West — Injuries and tragedy have decimated the Angels, leaving this division wide open.
1. Oakland Athletics — They brought in talented hitters like Matt Holliday, but the pitching is very young and the bullpen is up in the air.
2. Texas Rangers — Feel-good story Josh Hamilton will continue to rake in Arlington. The Rangers will need at least solid starting pitching to do anything in the playoffs.
3. Seattle Mariners — One of the biggest disappointments of last year. They hope to make one more run with Ichiro Suzuki, but I don’t think their offense is good enough to back up pitchers Erik Bedard and Felix Hernandez.
4. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim — They won 100 games last season, but the pitching staff is missing three key starters due to injury, and the offense got worse. Vlad Guerrero is injured and just hasn’t looked the same.

NL East — Another deep division where four teams all have a shot at the playoffs.
1. New York Mets — A great all-around team that was brought down by a shabby bullpen. They addressed that issue and should be a World Series threat this year if their starting pitching past Johan Santana holds up.
2. Florida Marlins — The Marlins are a sleeper team loaded with young talent, such as shortstop Hanley Ramirez and pitcher Josh Johnson. Every five to six years, the Marlins come out of the depths and shock everyone. Don’t be surprised if they don’t fade away.
3. Atlanta Braves — They’ve revamped the pitching staff with Derek Lowe, but I’m not sure if the lineup can compete with the other teams in the division.
4. Philadelphia Phillies — They are a very hitting-dependent team, as their pitching past Cole Hamels is suspect, and even Cole Hamels has looked poor in the first month.
5. Washington Nationals — The Washington Nationals are quickly becoming the Detroit Lions of baseball.

NL Central — The Cubs are the cream of the crop and theoretically should run away with the division.
1. Chicago Cubs — A team that should have made the World Series last year improved on paper, but will they be sabotaged by another playoff disaster?
2. St. Louis Cardinals — The hitting, lead by star first bagger Albert Pujols, is stellar. The rotation and bullpen are far muddier.
3. Cincinnati Reds — Assuming Dusty Baker doesn’t ruin them, the Reds have a bunch of young players who could break out, such as Jay Bruce or Joey Votto. The Reds are probably a year or two away from being a real threat.
4. Milwaukee Brewers — The Brewers went for broke last year and failed. The hitting is still there, but the pitching staff will miss C.C. Sabathia’s arm.
5. Houston Astros — The hitting is good with Lance Berkman, Carlos Lee and Hunter Pence, but the rotation is a mystery past Roy Oswalt.
6. Pittsburgh Pirates — It’s the Pirates. They haven’t been relevant in 20 years. They won’t be this year either.

NL West — A two-horse race between the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers — The pitchers are young, but Chad Billingsley could be a star starter. Their hitting has the potential to be the best in the league and has been so far.
2. Arizona Diamondbacks — Brandon Webb and Dan Haren form an excellent top of the rotation, but the offense is anemic. With Webb on the DL, this is a mediocre baseball team.
3. San Francisco Giants — Another poor offense backed by what the Giants hope is good pitching. Past Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain, I’m not sure they are strong enough to compete.
4. Colorado Rockies — They have some good young guys, but are clearly trying to build for their future after the run to the World Series in 2007.
5. San Diego Padres — The team is in fire-sale mode. Their pitching is filled with unknowns past Jake Peavy and Chris Young, and Adrian Gonzalez is their only impact hitter.

Playoffs
Divisional Round
Tampa Bay over Cleveland — Tampa Bay’s rotation and hitting depth is far too much for the meek Indians.
Boston over Oakland — Oakland will be overwhelmed by Boston’s superior talent.
Chicago Cubs over Florida — Cubs fan hope this will be vengeance for 2003. A terrifying series for the Cubs though, as all the pressure will be on them, and Florida is better than they are given credit for.
New York Mets over Los Angeles Dodgers — Having to face Johan Santana twice in a short series will stop the Dodgers this year.

League Championship Round
Tampa Bay over Boston — Tampa Bay’s rotational depth and young studs will push them over the top in an exciting rematch of last year’s American League Championship Series.
Chicago Cubs over New York Mets — The Cubs make their first World Series since 1945 over the team that stopped them from going in 1969.

World Series
Tampa Bay over Chicago Cubs — Hearts will be broken and many a bottle of beer will be consumed in Chicago when Tampa Bay ekes out a game seven win.

As a primer for the uninformed, the 32 NFL teams get together in Radio City Music Hall in New York and try to build up their squads from a crop of college players. Teams pick in reverse order of their finish the previous season, so the Steelers pick last this season, but the order can change due to trades over seven rounds.

Northwestern usually doesn’t have a great presence at the draft, and this year was no different. Not a single Wildcat was selected, not even our star running back, Tyrell Sutton. He is a good pass-catching running back though, and was picked up as a free agent by the Packers. He’s got an uphill climb to make a splash in the NFL but it’s not unheard of. Of course, with very few of our players appearing, the interest for the student body is lessened. Sutton wasn’t the only Wildcat to sign as a free agent, however: Defensive tackle John Gill signed with the Lions and wide receiver Eric Peterman signed with the Bears.

Of course, in the interest of full disclosure, I am a lifelong Chicago Bears fan, which may be the source of my bitterness when it comes to the draft. When your team’s history of first round picks in the past 20 years includes Rashaan Salaam, Curtis Enis, Cade McNown, David Terrell, Marc Colombo, Rex Grossman, Michael Haynes and Cedric Benson, it is pretty easy to get bitter about the draft. Luckily, the Bears traded this year’s first-round pick, a 2010 first-round pick, a 2009 third-round pick, and a nubile, fresh virgin to the Denver Broncos for the coolest diabetic since Wilford Brimley: stud quarterback Jay Cutler. It took 70 years between Sid Luckman and Cutler, but the Bears finally got their quarterback. The Bears decided (wisely) to get out of the first day of the draft, and picked up a lot of nice pieces for their team on Sunday. No one really watches the second day anyways though.

The significant problem with the draft is that the first round lasts an eternity for no good reason. In 2007, the first round of the draft lasted over six hours  — for only 32 picks. The teams have had since the end of the season three months ago to prepare for this, and all they have to do is take a player they have decided they wanted. Why do they even need 10 minutes? Once the first round ends, the whole process magically becomes faster, since they can finish five rounds on Sunday and yet only churn through two rounds on Saturday. This year the draft got moved into the late afternoon, so it was on during primetime. I liked it better in the morning so I could sleep through it.

In between the commercials and the actual picks, we have the manufactured drama created by inviting various players to the draft. I had enough of this shoved down my throat with the whole Brady Quinn (former Notre Dame star quarterback who now plays for the Browns) fiasco in 2007. Quinn was expected to go high in the first round, but he kept falling. As each team that “needed” a quarterback passed on him, the cameras would cut back to Quinn. Eventually, he was taking by the hapless Cleveland Browns, who had traded for a second first round pick to grab him.  Something like this happens every year, and the dramatic moments are forced and tiring.

And then there is Chris Berman.  Listening to his tired catchphrases and weak analysis is the mental equivalent of sticking your hand into a garbage disposal.  It just detracts from the analysis of some of their better experts like Mel Kiper Jr. or Todd McShay to have a brutish oaf like Berman talking about how a player “IS GOING ALL…THE…WAY!” Berman is there for “personality,” and it’s a personality that got tired before I was even born.

While not directly related to the draft, the NFL scouting combine is a week-long crap factory that kicks off the draft season in February (three weeks after the Super Bowl, the off-season is basically over). Basically, NFL teams have the prospects come in, and then they are studied and analyzed like race horses. We see players who under perform at the combine become stars in the NFL (Anquan Boldin), and players that tear the combine up become absolute busts (Ki-Jana Carter? Mike Mamula?).  Scouts and general managers may have learned by now not to put too much stock in how fast a guy runs a 40-yard dash in spandex, but plenty of analysts haven’t. Horrifically, the 40-yard dash this year gave us footage of Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith running at the Alabama pro day without a shirt, and it was as horrible as you would imagine it to be.

I still watched the NFL draft  because I really love the NFL. Also, watching the Oakland Raiders make seven horrible draft picks was pretty entertaining. But I muted Chris Berman.

It’s been six months since the Chicago Cubs wet the bed in the National League playoffs against Manny Ramirez and the Los Angeles Dodgers — yet another chapter in a long tome of spectacular Cubs collapses. And although the White Sox also bowed out early in last year’s playoffs to the Tampa Bay Rays, they won a World Series in 2005 and very few people expected them to be in the playoffs at that point anyway. The trauma just wasn’t the same.

But that was then. This is a new season, a blank slate for Chicago baseball.

The Chicago Cubs are definitely the stronger of the two local teams. Returning with the majority of an offense that was at or near the top of the league in every measure, the Cubs have also added the switch-hitting, quick-tempered outfielder Milton Bradley. However, infield depth could be a concern, as Aaron Miles is the only back-up at second, third and shortstop.

In addition to their offense, the Cubs return with a starting rotation that led the National League in ERA last year. The Cubs rotation is both strong and deep — they dumped their worst starter, Jason Marquis, and moved left-hander Sean Marshall to the rotation. The main concern about their rotation is the health of fragile fireballer Rich Harden, and whether they will get good seasons out of Carlos Zambrano and Ryan Dempster.

Bullpen depth is an issue for the Cubs. Relief ace Carlos Mármol is back but struggled in both the World Baseball Classic and in spring training. However, when he has his stuff, he is nigh unhittable. The departed Kerry Wood, now of the Cleveland Indians, has been replaced by Kevin Gregg who spent two seasons as a solid, if unspectacular, closer in Florida. The rest of the bullpen is a bit of a question mark though. Neil Cotts, Aaron Heilman, Angel Guzman, David Patton and Luis Vizcaino are either unproven or struggled in 2008. The team’s only true weakness is the bullpen, but it isn’t a major one. This is a team that should have competed for the World Series last year and should compete for it this year. They will run away with the NL Central division and make a strong showing in the playoffs, but more on that later.

On the South Side, things look considerably bleaker. The White Sox are still struggling to find a strong leadoff man and centerfielder and are hoping Dewayne Wise can fill both voids. Alexei Ramirez, who had a strong rookie season at a variety of positions after coming from Cuba, will start at shortstop. The corner outfielders are the best hitters on the team. Jermaine Dye is one of the most underrated players in the league, but he could be traded by the trade deadline if the Sox fall out of competition for the playoffs. Carlos Quentin, acquired from Arizona last year, had a breakout season last year, smacking 36 home runs before missing the rest of the season to an injury he suffered while slamming a bat to the ground in frustration. If the White Sox are going to get to the playoffs again, they need Dye and Quentin to have stellar seasons and get strong performances out of their veterans. Josh Fields is a touted prospect but may not be ready to start at third in the major leagues, and they will certainly miss Joe Crede’s defensive prowess at third.

The pitching staff is a mix of veterans and young, promising starters. Mark Buehrle is the ace of the staff and is always consistently solid. Gavin Floyd and John Danks both had solid rookie campaigns last year and look to improve on last year’s numbers. At the back end of the rotation, Jose Contreras is wildly inconsistent. Former ALC Young winner Bartolo Colon rounds out the rotation, but he has struggled for a few years now and is well past his prime. Bobby Jenks is the ninth inning man for the team, and he has been a dependable closer in his time with the White Sox. The rest of the bullpen could be a problem though. Octavio Dotel, Scott Linebrink and company will have to improve on last season’s numbers if the White Sox wish to compete, even in a fairly weak AL Central.

Overall, the Cubs seem to have all the pieces they need make a deep postseason run, with a strong starting staff and great hitting. The White Sox can make the postseason on the back of their great power hitters, but will need their starters and bullpen to overachieve to make any meaningful splash.

FIRST ROUND

EAST

1 – Cleveland
8 – Detroit
Josh Sim: As if State getting whupped only a few weeks ago wasn’t bad enough, expect a bloodbath to the same degree in this series. Pistons request a bailout. Cavs 4-0.
Peter McGrain: Remember when Detroit scared people? Then they traded Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson, who isn’t even playing for them. The Pistons end up roadkill under the Cavs’ bus. Cavs 4-0.

2 – Boston
7 – Chicago
JS: With Kevin Garnett most likely out for this series, it’s up to Paul “I’m the best player” Pierce to put the Celtics through. Just hope he doesn’t wuss out with another “knee injury.” Another reason to watch: Joakim Noah and Glen Davis going at it: The two most unorthodox body types for basketball athletes going head to furry ‘fro. May the ugliest one win (that’d be Joakim, far and away). Bulls 4-2.
PM: It may be the homer in me, but I think this could be interesting since the Celtics won’t have Garnett (apparently, at all this postseason). So the Bulls can probably steal two games. Celtics 4-2.

3 – Orlando
6 – Philadelphia
JS: The lack of shooters for Philly will quickly turn this into a laugher. To wit, Orlando’s scrubs will get their most meaningful playing time since their college days. Expect JJ Redick to be the new Darko “Human Victor Cigar” Milicic. Magic win 4-0.
PM: Philly center Samuel Dalembert is going to be Dwight “Superman” Howard’s kryptonite. Or not. Magic 4-0.

4 – Atlanta
5 – Miami
JS: Anytime a team has a player with the name “Zaza,” it’s hard to take them seriously. Hope that Jamaal Magloire, Michael Beasley and Mark Blount take the court together: The sleepiest-looking frontline in these playoffs. Dwyane Wade stuffs the stat sheet in a series filled with athleticism and sloppy defense. Heat move on 4-1.
PM: The Hawks are relevant for the first time since Dominique Wilkins (do kids these days even know who he is?). D-Wade is still going to carry the Heat to a first round win. Heat 4-2.

WEST

1 – LA Lakers
8 – Utah
JS: The glitz of Hollywood versus… Utah. Jerry Sloan & Co. are never to be underestimated, but Kobe’s hungry. He’s like that fat kid without a snack. He needs this. The Jazz will keep the cookie jar away as long as possible, to no avail. Lakers win 4-1.
PM: Three months ago this would have been interesting. Then again, if the Jazz hadn’t played like garbage for the rest of the season they wouldn’t be the 8th seed. Lakers 4-1.

2 – Denver
7 – New Orleans
JS: Chauncey vs. CP3. Nene vs. Tyson. Carmelo vs… The Hornets’ lack of depth inevitably brings them down. But don’t be surprised if CP3 goes en fuego in the Mile High. Denver win 4-3.
PM: Easily the hardest game to predict. The Hornets are much better than the seeding, but the health of Chandler and Stojakovic is a key factor. Denver is talented and deep and Chris Paul probably can’t win it alone. But he’ll come close. Denver 4-3.

3 – San Antonio
6 – Dallas
JS: Watch two dysfunctional Texan teams stumble and crawl to the finish! The Spurs are plummeting faster than stock; the AARP are already calling for Timmy D’s knees. But Dallas might slip up just enough to let the geriatric Spurs keep their hopes barely alive. In the battle of elders, Jason Kidd reigns supreme. Dallas goes 4-2.
PM: This is not the Dallas team of old. They finished hot, but even a banged up, Ginobli-less Spurs should handle the Mavs. Though without Ginobli they may not draw as many “flopped on the ground like a soccer player” charging fouls. Spurs 4-2 .

4 – Portland
5 – Houston
JS: The up-and-coming Blazers, fresh from an era with more arrests than wins, are ready to put a stamp on their playoff homecoming. Meanwhile, the Rockets are still figuring out the playoffs – namely how to… well, win. A personal Northwestern homer-bias: Rockets GM Daryl Morey is an alum. These two cerebral franchises will play it out, chess-style, but expect the Rockets to checkmate the Blazers in the eleventh hour. Rockets by a nose 4-3.
PM: This should actually be a good series, but Houston chokes in the first round, no matter how much they try to blame that on McGrady. Portland is going to be very good in the near future and home court advantage will carry. Blazers 4-3.