If you didn't already know this, I am a resident of IL. Not by choice, but that is where I've spent my entire 25 years of existence. When you're from IL, you're either a Cubs fan or a Sox fan. I was never a fan of either. I really don't sway towards either, to appease either fandom...both, to me, are run by idiots(Hendry, Williams, Guillen and LOU).

The Cubs/Rays series is a match-up of perennial losers, of sorts, who have become 2 of baseball's "hottest" teams. The Cubs haven't won a World Series in 99 years, longer than they've played in Wrigley Field. The Rays haven't reached the playoffs, let alone 71 wins, EVER in their 11 year existence.

Like every Cub fan that I run into daily, "THIS COULD BE THE YEAR!!!" which usually turns into "WAIT TIL NEXT YEAR" by September/October for most Cubs fans.

The Cubs fans are so confident with their team nowadays, I see most looking at schedules and starting to guarantee wins against teams to almost a sickening extent.

So, you'd think that Cubs fans would be kinda conservative in regards to playing the Rays?? Nah, I've heard just about every Cub fan guarantee a 3-game sweep on our home turf.

Why, I ask, why would one perennial losing teams' fan do that?

Well, it's simple....overconfidence, lack of intelligence and not knowing this team. White Sox fans that I know have correctly tried to try to walk these overconfident fans off the edge, stating that there's something to this Rays team that isn't like the old teams of the past.

Let them think what they think, like the teams that have come in Tropicana thinking they're going to sweep us....let them fall and get their necks stepped on by a team that plays the same "NL Style" of run-manufacturing, but know how to make it work in the AL.

Let them think that Lou is a good manager, when we already know that he's horrible with youngsters and a horrible strategist.

Let them overlook us, so we can knock the winds out of their sails....