I cannot remember a sweeter opening day than April 5, 2004. My beloved Cubs beat the Reds to start their season, while the hated Southsiders were shut down by the Royals.

As I look back on years past, I remember Sox fans talking all spring about how good their team would be and how bad the Cubs would finish.

When the Cubs started off the 1997 season 0-14 there was the infamous “Owen” knock-knock joke from just about every Sox fan I ran into for the better part of three weeks. For those of you who don’t remember the joke, it goes a little something like this:

Sox fan: “Knock knock.”

Cubs fan: “Who’s there?”

Sox fan: “Owen”

Cubs fan: “Owen who?”

Sox fan: “Owen 14!”

That season, the Cubs finished up 68-94 while the Sox finished 80-81. Neither team made the playoffs, but simple mathematics will tell you the Sox had a better season than the Cubs, and at least the Sox fans could say they didn’t lose their first 14 games of the season.

Those arrogant Sox fans. They talk and talk and talk about how GREAT their team is going to be EVERY year. Even last year when they picked up Roberto Alomar and Carl Everett around midseason, they talked and talked and talked.

Just yesterday a Sox fan had the nerve to tell me the only pitcher on the Cubs staff he would take over Esteban Loaiza was Mark Prior. The man (Loaiza) is a one-year wonder people.

On Monday, while watching the Cubs game, I had a good feeling. It was a feeling I have never had in my life as a Cubs fan. The Cubs were up 5-4 and in past years, I would be saying to myself, “Okay, when and how are they going to blow this one.”

However, now I found myself thinking, “We got this one. Even though it’s close, we’re going to win.”

I wonder what Sox fans were saying during their ninth inning collapse. Even when the Cubs were terrible in past years, I’d feel pretty good heading into the ninth inning with a four-run lead. I know what one Sox fan was thinking.

My roommate, who shall remain nameless, was rolling around in jubilation when I came home on Monday. Just in time I opened that front door and planted myself on my couch. It was a matter of five minutes before the Sox four-run ninth inning lead would come a crashing down.

I watched as Cliff Pollitte walked two batters. Then I watched Billy Koch give up a hit and then strike the next batter out, only to be pulled in favor of D’amaso Marte. Marte came in and gave up a three-run homer to some Lopez guy. I couldn’t help but laugh,

forgetting that every sound coming out of my mouth was going right to the heart of my poor nameless roommate.

He couldn’t take it any more. With the game tied at seven and me rolling on the floor laughing aloud, my roommate got off the couch, mumbled a curse word or two, and headed up into his bedroom to watch Carlos Beltran put the Sox out of their misery with a two-run game-winning, walk-off home run.

Now it’s my turn Sox fans.

The fact is Peter Gammons, Sports Illustrated and Chicago Tribune columnist Rick Morrissey all picked the Chicago Cubs to win the World Series. That’s right Southsiders, The World Series.

Where are the Sox going with a starting rotation that includes Danny Wright? I’ll answer that for you real quick, NOWHERE!

Oh yeah, one more thing Sox fans.

Knock knock. Ha ha ha ha ha.