Cubs might not be such a long shot

In October, it's all about how many Shots can be fired from the Pot. ...

Baseball fever

I suppose after 62 years - or 99, depending on your interpretation of 'futility' - it's understandable why so many

Cubs

fans last week were convinced their heroes would find a way to lose the

National League Central

. ... But in that sorry division, the best team playing its way out of the postseason picture simply wasn't possible. ... And now that they're in the playoffs, there's no good reason the Cubs can't at least reach the

World Series

, or even win it. ...

The

Rockies-Padres

13-inning, winner-take-all showdown for the last NL playoff spot Monday night was thrilling stuff. ... I'm still not convinced the Rockies'

Matt Holliday

touched the plate with the winning run, but I'm not convinced he didn't, either. ... I am convinced

TBS

' replay angles were inexcusably limited, pitiful and of no help to viewers; something that doesn't bode well for

Turner

's upcoming playoffs coverage. ... I'm also pretty sure home plate ump

Tim McClelland

didn't know what he had just seen and made up his late call - right or wrong - based on Holliday making no subsequent move to touch the plate and Padres catcher

Michael Barrett

picking up the ball and scrambling back to tag Holliday. ... Uh, safe? ...

Loved watching the Rockies jump around and celebrate their first trip to the playoffs since

1995

. ... Hated seeing them pull on caps and T-shirts proclaiming '

Wild Card

' ... Spare us, puhhhhh-leeeeezz! ... Get paraphernalia that flaunts 'We're going to the playoffs!' ... Or even just plain, '

PLAYOFFS!

' ... But let's get over the wild card being some kind of its own championship, because it's not. ... It's a consolation prize that gives you a second chance after you failed to win a division title. ...

Should they be afraid?

The

NCAA

has declared a moratorium on new applications for

Division I

membership until 2011. ... The powers that be think there are too many schools trying to be D-I, and want to re-evaluate the criteria. ...

Watch how this shakes out ... Another round of

conference realignments

is a certainty, and while the focus is on football, the real shakedown could occur in basketball, where some members of the

BCS

cabal would love to squeeze the have-nots - including some of the so-called 'mid-majors' - out of the tournament picture. ...

I don't think mandating football as a

membership criteria

will happen, but what's decided certainly could affect successful basketball programs at schools that don't sponsor football. ... That would include places like

Bradley, Creighton, DePaul, Gonzaga, Marquette, Saint Louis

and

Xavier

, among others. ...

Bad messages

Fallout from the recent mini-scandal that cost New England Patriots coach

Bill Belichick

a $500,000 fine for cheating included a couple of troubling points. ...

One was the apparent acceptance of the notion that 'if you're not cheating, you're not trying.' ... The other was rumbling from the

NFL

coaching ranks that New York Jets coach

Eric Mangini

was some kind of rat, because it was his organization that turned in Belichick. ... (Mangini used to serve on Belichick's staff.) ...

These are disturbing messages to send our kids. ... First, there's no excuse for cheating. ... Second, reporting a cheater to the authorities is right and proper. ... That is, unless you're ready to buy into the growing culture that witnesses theft or murder and maintains a code of silence. ...

Three strikes

1. My old friend

Steve the Collector

says he had a chance to acquire a Montreal Expos cap, worn by

Pete Rose

during his 95-game stint with the team in 1984. ... Rose had autographed the top of the cap, but that's not unique. ... The cap's value was inside, where the banished

Hit King

had marked ??his bets. ... Alas, my buddy couldn't cut an acceptable deal for the cap. ...

2.

Illinois High School Association

execs say class expansion is all about giving more kids the opportunity to experience the state finals, but they had better hope the fans accept the new format, especially in boys basketball. ... The booming financial success of

March Madness

in

Peoria

since 1996 allowed the IHSA to drop membership fees and postseason entry fees for its schools and their teams. ... If four classes flops at the box office, there'll be more than hell to pay. ...

3. Who would've thought run-it-down-your-throat

Metamora High

would send a quarterback to

QBU

? ...

Caleb TerBush

last weekend accepted a scholarship offer from

Purdue

, alma mater of Hall of Famers

Len Dawson

and

Bob Griese

, plus prolific college passers such as

Drew Brees

,

Mike Phipps

and

Mark Herrmann

. ... Good luck, Caleb! ...

Parting shot

A new television network -

Women's Sports TV

- is expected next month to announce its plans for a Spring 2008 launch. ... Wonder if its honchos will demand placement on

basic cable

?

KIRK WESSLER

is Journal Star executive sports editor/columnist. Write him at 1 News Plaza, Peoria, IL 61643, call (309) 686-3216 or e-mail kwessler@pjstar.com.