  For years I've sat back and watched the Cubs blow it. Whether it be bad off-season trades, plaguing injuries, or just really awful post-season luck, the Cubs can't catch a break and I'm getting sick of it. Experts blame the infamous Billygoat Curse for the Cubs losing history. Supposedly in the 1920s the Cubs made it to the World Series and were on the brink of winning it all. At the beginning of the sixth game, a die-hard Cubs fan shows up to Wrigley Field with his Billygoat. When the toll-keeper refused the man with his furry friend entry, he cursed the Cubs shouting that he hoped they never win the World Series again.
Since then...they haven't. They finally have the squad to take them over the hump and Mark Prior sustains the first serious injury of his career. Then, Kerry Wood lands on the DL. BAM, aces one and two are gone, leaving Carlos Zambrano to pick up the slack for the pitching staff. Also on the down side is Sammy Sosa. He has had 50+ homeruns in his last 7 seasons and he now has 20 at the halfway point of this season which doesn't help offensively for the Cubs. The fans of Chicago do have something to cheer about however. They are in second place in the Central division 10 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals with plenty of baseball left. Both Prior and Wood are healthy and the Cubs have won 5 out of their last 8 including 3 wins against the team nipping at their heals in third, the Cincinnati Reds. The Cardinals have been on an unbelievable tear winning 10 straight and 15 out of their last 17.
This won't last for long and I cannot wait until the Cubs creep back into the picture when the Cardinals play the beasts of the east like the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox (who by the way are also cursed). Come October my predictions for the playoff tree are as follows: National League: Chicago Cubs/Atlanta Braves LA Dodgers/Philadelphia Phillies American League: NY Yankees/Anaheim Angels Boston Red Sox/Chicago White Sox The Cubs will take out my other favorite team, the Braves, while the Dodgers easily take out the Wild Card team Phillies. The Yankees wont be stopped in the playoffs as they will beat the Angels and then take out the Red Sox to make it to the Series.
On the other end the Cubs and Dodgers will play to see who will take on the Yankees in the Series and I have to have faith in my Cubbies to make it past the Dodgers. Frankly, even I can't see them nipping the Yankees in the World Series, so I call Joe Steinbrenner taking home another W. S. ring and the Cubs going home cursing the Goat that will curse them for another year. 
