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When I was 8 years old in the fall of 1984, my father purchased a bottle of cheap champagne that said Chicago Cubs 1984 NL East Champions. He promised we would pop open the bottle and spray it all over each other when the Cubs won the World Series. But then a ball rolled through Leon Durhams legs. Steve Garvey pumped his fist. And the bottle never got opened.When my parents moved, the bottle went with them. Another shelf. Another layer of dust.It went through Will Clark in 89. The high of Game 163 in 1998, and the low of being swept by the Braves days later. And then 2003. I wont name names. But I watched in utter jealousy as the Red Sox and White Sox ended their tortuous droughts in subsequent years. Someday, I told myself. Someday.A few years back, my oldest daughter asked me why we cheer for a team that always loses -- that hadnt won a World Series since a date that she couldnt even process. I talked to her about loyalty. About belief. And about how amazing it would be when that someday finally happened. I told her the story of the time Theo Epstein walked me through the Cubs training facility in Arizona, pointed at the 1908 and 1945 World Series banners hanging from above and told me to ignore them. Were going to get a couple of those for ourselves, he insisted that day.Epstein knew -- this was about far more than being the best baseball team in the world. This was about family. About generation after generation passing along a love for something while not knowing when the payoff would ever come.This year I believed was the year. But a sobering thing happened before these playoffs even began. I was at the gym when I took the call. The words on the other end were numbing. Open heart surgery. Sooner rather than later. A little less than a year earlier, doctors had discovered an aneurysm on my aorta, the same ailment that killed actor John Ritter. They told me I probably would need surgery at some point in my life. But a cardiac surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic, the same one who saved the life of NBA forward Jeff Green, had reviewed my case. He didnt think I should wait. He told me I had a month. Maybe two.Before his nurse could even explain the procedure, before the talk of stopping my heart or putting me on a ventilator, I said four words: After the World Series. She said something about the Indians, how she wasnt sure they would even make the World Series. And I told her no. She didnt get it. This was because of the Cubs. I pulled out a calendar and told her we could schedule the procedure for the first Monday after the World Series: Nov. 7. The doctors agreed.And so did most everyone who knows me well. They got it. Yes, technically, I was walking around with a ticking time bomb in my chest. The aneurysm could rupture at any point -- a potentially fatal occurrence. But the odds were small. One friend texted me, Forget the World Series. Forget the Cubs. This is the World Series of life.I told him I couldnt do it. I had to wait.And so for the past month Ive watched every pitch of every game with an even greater sense of interest. I had been scheduled to cover the Cubs through the postseason for ESPN, but after one day at Wrigley Field before the start of the National League Division Series, I knew I couldnt handle it.A little more than 30 years ago, on the afternoon of May 26, 1986, my grandfather had a stroke at Wrigley Field. His friends said he was heckling Pete Rose when it happened. He spent the rest of his life in a nursing home, unable to use the left side of his body. I had been to Wrigley probably a hundred times since then. Each time I climbed those cement stairs and looked out to the ivy and old scoreboard, I thought about him and how much he loved the Cubs. But on the day before this years division series, a paralyzing fear came over me. What if I was next? I began to sweat. And shake. I tried to talk to colleagues and friends like everything was fine. But inside I was flipping out. I left without writing a word.On the drive home, I decided I would spend this October surrounded by family and friends. If the unthinkable was going to happen, I wanted to have the people I loved by my side. Each victory against the Giants and Dodgers brought the Cubs one step closer to the World Series, and at the same time, brought me one day closer to surgery.When the final opponent ended up being the Cleveland Indians, I had no words. My father had grown up in Cleveland a die-hard Indians fan. He moved to Chicago in his 20s, decided there was no way he could cheer for the rival White Sox and picked the Cubs as his new team. He fell in love with Wrigley and introduced it all to me. I never had a chance.Now, here was his hometown, the same place I would soon visit to help save my life, facing the Cubs in the World Series. In the last week of October, I went to Cleveland for a series of pre-op tests. It just so happened the dates were the same as Games 1 and 2 of the World Series. On the day of Game 1, I bounced from appointment to appointment in a Cubs T-shirt. Most everyone gave me a hard time -- playfully. I threw it right back. When one nurse chucked a wad of paper at me and I dropped it, I quickly replied, My bad. I catch about as well as the Indians. We all laughed. After my final test that day, my wife and I headed straight to Progressive Field for Game 1. It was surreal. The Cubs. The Indians. My team. My dads team. The World Series. And in the left-field corner, a massive ad for the Cleveland Clinic.For most of the postseason, I had managed to stay relatively calm during games. I watched my wife roll herself into a ball on the couch. There were friends who refused to move an inch when something good happened. And others who admitted to wearing the same underwear after a Cubs win. But I stayed relatively sane, taking a rational approach to the highs and lows of the postseason. Until Game 7, that is. I spent all of Wednesday unsure what to do with myself. I cleaned the house. I took out the garbage. Then my wife reminded me it wasnt garbage day.For my entire life I had wondered what this moment would be like. The Cubs, one win away from the World Series. Where would I watch the final game? In the stadium? The press box? A bar? The streets of Wrigleyville? But now that the biggest Cubs game of my life was here, I was home. On the couch.Throughout the night, I listened to my 2-year-old repeat the chorus to Go Cubs Go over and over and over again. I chuckled when she pointed to the TV and yelled KRIS BRYANT! and then danced maniacally to one of?Anthony Rizzos walk-up songs, Intoxicated. But perhaps I was most touched by a moment in the eighth inning, when Rajai Davis hit his tying home run and my older daughter turned to me, probably reading the pain, fear and anguish on my face and said, Dad, its going to be OK. We got this.From then on, its all a bit of a blur. When Ben Zobrist doubled home Albert Almora Jr. to give the Cubs the lead in the 10th, I know I high-fived my neighbor so hard he thought I broke his hand. And when the final ground ball rolled into Bryants glove and he threw it to Rizzo, I know I grabbed my daughter, held her as tightly as I could and whispered in her ear, This is why we believe.From there, I thought about my father. My mother. My grandparents. I thought about Richard Savage, Betty Maute, Helen Keiling and so many other older Cubs fans I had met over the years who were no longer with us. There was champagne. No, it wasnt that same bottle from 1984. At some point, in some move after Dad died, that bottle disappeared. But the moment was just as special. I dont remember what time I went to bed. But when I woke up Thursday morning, the TV in my bedroom was still on. My daughter was sleeping next to me, and the first thing my eyes saw was a replay of Epstein being doused with champagne. It wasnt a dream.Early Monday morning, around the time the people in Chicago begin waking up to get back to their normal lives, a team of doctors will roll me into an operating room in Cleveland for the six-hour surgery that will save my life. As the anesthesia kicks in and my thoughts begin to drift to a calming place, Ill see a bunch of grown men in blue jerseys jumping up and down in an infield. Ill see a 39-year-old backup catcher ending his career in the most unimaginable way possible.Ill picture that bottle of champagne, cork popped, sitting empty on my kitchen counter. Deep inside there will be smiles. For the Chicago Cubs just won the World Series.And I was alive to see it. Discount Air Max 90 . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. Cheap Air Max 90 .Y. - Jerome Samson scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the St. http://www.discountairmax90.com/ . Its the second straight game Bell has scored in extra time for Kelowna, which beat the Brandon Wheat Kings 6-5 on Friday, and he now has four game-winning goals on the season. Cheap Air Max 90 Wholesale . LOUIS -- Cardinals cleanup hitter Allen Craig says hes recovered from a foot injury and ready to be put on St. Cheap Air Max 90 Free Shipping . White came in fourth place in the event. He was the two-time defending gold medallist. The gold medal went to Swiss snowboarder Iouri Podladtchikov. The All Blacks and Springboks usher in the fourth block of Rugby Championship matches with the world champions hosting their great rivals in Christchurch. Unfortunately for Springboks fans, and neutral observers, the result appears to be a fait accompli. After hammering both the Wallabies and Pumas - the latter albeit after a dogged 50-minute battle - the out-of-form Springboks look to be nothing more than road kill on the All Blacks journey to a 15th straight Test win.Put under huge pressure by Argentina last week, the All Blacks showed their class in first denying the Pumas tries they seemed certain to score and then jumping on the slightest opportunity to stay ahead in the game. That play was led by usual suspects Beauden Barrett and Ben Smith, while Julian Savea enjoyed his best game of 2016 with a typically bullocking display. The Springboks, meanwhile, barely troubled the Wallabies after scoring two early five-pointers from turnover ball; they were then left to lament some poor discipline as Australia came away with a six-point win.Team newsNew ZealandIt will be a proud day in the Savea household with Ardie joining Julian in the All Blacks starting side. The Hurricanes flanker replaces Sam Cane at openside in the only change to the run-on XV with Matt Todd added to the bench. Highlanders fly-half Lima Sopoaga is also among the replacements with Aaron Cruden succumbing to a groin injury.Ben Smith, Israel Dagg, Malakai Fekitoa, Ryan Crotty, Julian Savea, Beauden Barrett, Aaron Smith, Kieran Read (capt), Ardie Savea, Jerome Kaino, Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Owen Franks, Dane Coles, Joe Moody.Replacements: Codie Taylor, Wyatt Crockett, Charlie Faumuina, Luke Romano, Matt Todd, TJ Perenara, Lima Sopoaga, Anton Lienert-Brown.South AfricaInjury and form have seen under-pressure Springboks coach Allister Coetzee make two changes to his tight-five with Pieter-Steph du Toit and Vincent Koch earning starts at lock and tighthead prop respectively. Du Toits promotion was forced by Lood de Jagers bruised knee while Koch is straight a selection call for Lourens Adriaanse.Johan Goosen, Bryan Habana, Jesse Kriel, Juan de Jongh, Francois Hougaard, Elton Jantjies, Faf de Klerk, Warren Whiteley, Oupa Mohoje, Francois Louw, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Vincent Koch, Adriaan Strauss (capt), Tendai Mtawarira.Replacements: Malcolm Marx, Steven Kitshoff, Lourens Adriaanse, Franco Mostert, Willem Alberts, Jaco Kriel, Morne Steyn, Damian de Allende.Key matchup: Aaron Smith vs. Faf de KlerkHooked before the 50-minute mark in Hamilton, Aaron Smith will be desperate to atone for a poor outing against the Pumas. The worlds best No.9 endured arguably his toughest night at Test level last weekend, the Pumas able to rattle Smith around the fringes and apply the pressure that derailed his usually exemplary delivery and sharp running game.dddddddddddd There is no debate around Smiths long-term starting position, but the fact TJ Perenara made an immediate impact from the bench will have reminded the Highlanders scrum-half there are plenty of talented New Zealand No.9s waiting in the wings.One of the stars of the Lions run to the Super Rugby final, Faf de Klerk was comprehensively outplayed by opposite Will Genia last weekend. De Klerk was responsible for three turnovers and missed two tackles, though his job wasnt made easy by a pack who went missing after the opening quarter. De Klerk will be looking for an improved delivery in Christchurch this weekend, while any running opportunities will depend on the Springboks ability to match it with the All Blacks through the middle.Key stats- The Springboks havent beaten the All Blacks in New Zealand since 2009 when they triumphed 32-29 in Hamilton.- Julian Savea has scored 42 tries in 46 Tests, yet he has never crossed the stripe in six matches against South Africa.- The All Blacks have made an incredible 52 clean breaks in three Rugby Championship Tests this year while the Springboks have managed just 24.WeatherChristchurch looks set for a cloudy day on Saturday with a top of 19 degrees, though that will drop by kick-off. There is just the 25 percent chance of rain while light winds of around 11km/hr are expected.UBET verdict: $1.04 New Zealand, $11.00 South Africa.The last four times South Africa have played New Zealand have resulted in three wins for the All Blacks, but in those wins it has only been by an accumulated 13 points. New Zealand won 20-18 in a World Cup semifinal last year, and that was on the back of a 27-20 win in Johannesburg as part of the Rugby Championship. In 2014, South Africa won at home in Joburg (27-25), while New Zealand won 14-10 in Wellington. So recent history says there isnt much between them, but the form this year has meant that New Zealand are red hot $1.04 pops to win at home this week with South Africa at $11. Perhaps the value way on this game is to take South Africa receiving 21.5 points start at $1.90?VerdictWhether its a reflection of the transitional phase of Springboks rugby, or merely the current All Blacks global superiority, its hard to see South Africa getting anywhere near New Zealand this weekend. They fell just two points short in London last year, but this is a far different outfit and one that has already been beaten by Ireland, Argentina and Australia. If they can disrupt the All Blacks lineout, and turn up defensively than the damage might be minimised; but there is just too much attacking class in this New Zealand side for them to be denied a 15th straight Test victory.New Zealand by 30. ' ' '