Preview: The American League Championship Series 

October is here, also known as the time of year you can’t help but feel bad for Cubs fans. It almost seemed unfair to them that this team was burdened with top notch starting pitching, a strong middle of the lineup, depth in the bullpen, a rabid, hungry fan base and history on their side. I mean they can’t lose forever, right? Statistically, they were due! And this was the best team they’ve had in decades! Yet, it’s like they didn’t even show up to play in Chicago or Los Angeles. What was I thinking predicting them WS champs? They haven’t won a playoff game in five years!

Compound this with my bitterness with the results of the Yankees season and the very real possibility that Boston is the best team in baseball again and it’s been a rough year. Luckily the Rays and Red Sox will meet in what should go down as one of the most fascinating ALCS series of recent memory. The Phillies, despite weak starting pitching rivaling that of a T-Ball team (think about it), and a shaky bottom of the order, takes on Manny Ramirez, who I theorize is an idiot savant, and whoever else plays on the Dodgers. Not nearly as much pizzazz there so we'll just stick to the mouth-watering ALCS.

But before I do that, I'd like to get something out of the way. I've lived in Burlington now for four years as an unapologetic Yankee fan. I try to ignore arguing with the Boston fans as much as possible. It's useless. To have a reasonable, fact-filled discussion or debate is often an insurmountable challenge to them. And don't get me wrong, Yankee fans are often no better. Throwing D Batteries at opposing teams and fans is a sure-fire way to make yourself look like an asshole. So let's get to the crux of it — arguments like "Yankees Suck," "Yankees F***ing Suck," and my favorite, "F***ing Yankees Yahh Suck," are hard to take.