Major League playoffs bamboozle Cubs fans

I have hair. And let me tell you, it feels great.

Literally one minute after the Cards clinched the National League Central Division, one of my many cocky St. Louis Cardinal "friends" gave me a phone call.

"Cardinals baby! Woo!" he said. "All the way this year!"

"Yeah, sure," I said. There was no way the Cards were going to make it to the Series. I wasn't relying on any sort of statistic proving the winner of the NL Central hasn't won a World Series title in X number of years. It was pure faith.

I knew the baseball gods wouldn't let a loyal Cubs fan see the Redbirds hoist the trophy at the termination of the season. How else can you explain umpire Don Denkinger calling Kansas City Royals pinch hitter Jorge Orta safe at first in game six of the 1985 World Series, even though everyone else at Kaufmann Stadium knew Cardinals' pitcher Todd Worrell arrived at the base first?

So I told my "friend" I'd shave my head if the Cardinals won the World Series. In fact, I was so confident, I told him I'd shave my head if they even made the Series at all.

When Albert Pujols hit that homer in game five of the NLCS, I was starting to question my judgment. Hey, as a Cubs fan, I know that anything can happen. Yes, I still remember 2003 and the Bartman episode. Don't rub it in.

But did I lose my faith? No. I am a Cubs fan, and despite receiving multiple threatening looks from my Exploring Religions class, I proudly proclaimed that St. Louisans were wasting their time with rally caps and jerseys and "Slama-lama-ding-dong!"

Luckily for me and my hair, Roy Oswalt pitched a wonderful game six, and the Astros won their first-ever National League Pennant.

Still, I was a bit rattled that the Cards didn't pull off the series. The main reason for this train of thought is the loss of Cubs loyalty because of the "other" Chicago team.

My mom, a loyal Cubs fan in her own right, sent me an instant message after viewing my away message that said, "Go Astros." (Note: Never show your parents how to use instant messenger.)

"Why are you rooting for the Astros?" she asked.

Luckily, I happened to be right there when it popped up.

"Why? Who should I be rooting for?" I responded.

"The White Sox," she typed back.

I sat at my desk, stunned.

My mom was born and raised on the north side of Chicago. She's always been a Cubs fan. And yet, she was suddenly rooting for the South Side.

I found out she wasn't alone. Chicago Mayor Richard Daley was calling Cubs fans out to support the Sox. Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a lifelong Cubs fan, was joining in the "Sox-cess." Even here in the 'Ville, my fellow Cubbies supporters were saying the unthinkable: "Go Sox."

This is unacceptable. Do you honestly think New York Mets aficionados cheer on the Yankees whenever they make it to the Series? How about the L.A. Clippers? Did all of their fans dash to the nearest athletic store and buy Kobe Bryant jerseys when the Lakers had their three-peat?

Yes, the Houston Astros are in the Cubs' division, and yes, Cubs fans don't like them. But we should dislike the White Sox even more. Every year, the two Chicago ball clubs face off in the Crosstown Classic - also known as the Red Line Series because both stadiums can be accessed via the El's red line - and every year, bragging rights are up for grabs. The Sox already have us beat this year, so why should we want them to add another check to the list of things they've accomplished that we haven't?

So Cubs-turned-Sox fans might be happy now that the Sox won it all, but how will they feel come next April? For the good of the game, I certainly hope they come back to the North Side and keep one of the best inner-city rivalries alive.