I think its time that I buy a T.V. and get some cable. As much as I love watching "The Sopranos" with my roommates, they are on DVD, so I can watch them another time. However, the surreal feeling of the Cubs in the National League Championship Series is something that I cannot have another time. It must be had now.

The Cubs are finally doing some big things in the playoffs; the 95-year streak of no postseason victories is an illusion now. The scenes of elated fans drinking themselves into stupors in Wrigleyville, trading their years of frustration for October jubilation at the Billy Goat Tavern, Harry Caray's, and the Cubby Bear is just magical. Finally, the Cubs are not just content with arriving; they are set on staying around as well.

The series against the Braves was a scripted play, where it was the Braves' tragic nightmare, and the Cubs' finest hour. Solid pitching and strikeouts turned out to be the ultimate equalizer against a powerful offensive lineup. Kerry Wood setting the tone of the series in Game 1. The Braves counteract in Game 2. Mark Prior fights a rain delay to deliver yet another sparkling performance. Then, it would have been too easy if the Cubs won it in Chicago, considering they are still the Cubs. So onto Game 5, where the Braves realize that we've got Wood.

The Braves were dominated from the opening pitch and they never made any adjustments towards the Chicago aces. In fact, their power hitters, Andruw Jones, Gary Sheffield, and Chipper Jones, hit .059, .143 and .167, respectively. I'm not very shocked that the Braves did not win this series because although the Braves are a playoff-tested team, they haven't been in a race all season. The other teams in their division, the Phillies and the Marlins, were always 10-15 games back throughout most of the season. It is difficult to just "turn on the juices" when you haven't had any adrenaline in your system since spring training. All that can be expected from the Braves now is the dismantling of their offensive juggernaut with several players at the end of their contracts.

As for the Cubbies, the mesh of players created by the Tribune Company and GM Jim Hendry have coalesced faster than most analysts expected. The only hangovers left from the 1998 Wild Card crew are Wood and Sammy Sosa. The Cubs were finally willing to pay for people like Mark Prior, Moises Alou, and, most notably, Dusty Baker. Hendry managed to pry Baker away in the off-season and has made some key trades this year, leading to signs that proclaim: "Thank you Pittsburgh for Ramirez, Lofton and Simon." Hendry, as well as Florida GM Larry Beinfest, are the only GMs standing in the National League, and one of them should take home Executive of the Year in the NL.

Many casual Cub fans may not know too much about the Marlins. Two players to watch out for are outfielder Juan Pierre and catcher Ivan Rodriguez. Pierre is the catalyst for the team and is a speedster on the bases; he will look to distract the young Cubs pitchers. The hero for the Marlins has been Rodriguez, who has been batting .353 in the playoffs. He gets timely hits and makes stellar defensive plays from behind the plate. He has also done a great job managing the young Marlins pitching staff. A potential unsung hero to keep an eye on is Jeff Conine. He's a seasoned veteran that the Marlins picked through a last minute trade. He made some big plays in the NLDS and tends to raise his level of play as his team gets deeper into the playoffs.

This series should be entertaining, more so than the previous series for MLB fans. The Cubs and the Marlins are accustomed to tight playoff races from the regular season, so the adrenaline will be pumping throughout the series.

Prediction: Cubs in seven.

Ashley's Song of the Week for the Cubs is "Sky's the Limit" by The Notorious B.I.G. Ashley A. John is a senior in a senior in material scienes and enginering. He can be reached at sports@dailyillini.com.