Tonight's the Night (Hopefully Part 1 of a 3 Part Series)

Sports psychologists highly recommend a technique known as "visualization." The idea is to rehearse mentally both the steps towards success and the success itself. So, a tennis player might picture himself tossing the ball to the perfect 1 o'clock position, keeping his arm up and straight, bringing his feet together, pushing up from the legs, reaching up for the ball and striking it at its peak, pronating the wrist, following through, and landing in a balanced position. He would then further visualize the outcome of the play and of the event itself. Sports psychology is huge these days, so it must be an effective technique, right? I might as well give it a shot, I guess.

I am visualizing myself turning on TBS tonight, just in time for the game to start so I don't have to hear a half hour of nonsense about curses, and "do or die," and Manny Ramirez. The Cubs are the visiting team so have the opportunity to bat first, and they use the opportunity to jump out early, after Soriano works a deep count and gets on base with a single, as a good lead-off hitter does. He is Theriot also gets a single, and Lee drives them both home with a stand-up double. Ramirez finishes the inning's scoring with a two-run home run. I, along with Cubs fans and players everywhere, take adeep breath and begin to relax. I am tired, having driven 6 hours today to come home and still being kind of sick, so I start to zone off a little bit, mostly just listening to the game call in the dark with my eyes closed. But when I do stir, the Cubs continue to hold and even grow their lead. I wake up in time for the ninth inning, which I want to watch, but is always my least favorite inning because it takes forever and I just want them to win already. But Kerry Wood makes is easy on me by retiring the side 1-2-3, and the Cubs claim their first game of the post-season. All the players walk out onto the field and slap hands, while the Dodgers players walk off the field in disgust. Most of the LA fans have left a while ago. I wish they would play "Go Cubs Go," but it is any away game so they won't. So I listen to it on my ipod and go to bed, having my best night's sleep in a while.

This is bound to work...