A 6-hour airplane ride to Hawaii is a great way to get some writing done. There’s only so much you can do stuck in a seat for that long. Wi-fi is weak over the ocean, so I can’t even monitor the Cubs at Cardinals series today. Last night’s opener was a disappointment, as has been the start of the season in general. Today, Kolten Wong hit a game winning homer against Brandon Morrow in the 10th, causing me to further question his ability as the Cubs new closer. Other than a four-game sweep of the Brewers, the Cubbies have essentially played .500 baseball, unworthy of a team with that much talent. Last season’s World Series hangover somehow continues to linger, as the “W” flag fails to wave over Wrigley Field.

The Cubs starting rotation has shown little promise, other than stingily allowing the then Division leading Brew Crew only one earned run and eleven hits in four games. I thought it was a renaissance, but they only managed a five-game winning streak. The Rockies took the next two games and St. Louis handed out the third straight loss last night and the fourth today. Yu Darvish has been the weakest link, showing the same vulnerability that lost the Dodgers last year’s World Series. Only Kyle Schwarber has shown improvement in an offensive lineup that hasn’t changed much from last year. Thankfully, it’s a long season.

My other Chicago baseball favorite, the White Sox, have been even worse coming out of the blocks. My man Yoan Moncada #10 has shown some promise, but the organization continues to remain a cellar-dweller. There were not heavy expectations this year, as fans like me start to already look to next year. Attendance at Guaranteed Rate continues to deteriorate along with their place in the standings.

For me, there hasn’t been much to root for in the Wide World of Sports. The Trailblazers lost in four and the Pacers found LeBron to be too much. The Timbers no longer have an Indiana University connection, and I’m afraid that despite the city’s optimism and money, Major League Baseball will probably not find its way here. For a while, it was College Baseball that struck my fancy. Oregon State continues to perform at the top of the charts, but my alma mater I.U. has fallen to the middle of the low- ranked BIG conference, after recently peaking at #10 in the nation. Tiger’s return to golf has been relatively uneventful, and the NFL draft sparked little interest. You may have also noticed that I skipped right over College Football. I honestly seem to have lost interest and enthusiasm around my favorite ball-hobbies. In the words of B.B. King, “The Thrill is Gone.”

If there was one positive this past week, it’s been coach Archie Miller and Indiana University basketball recruiting. A new potential savior, Romeo Langford has put the Hoosiers back in the spotlight, if even just for a year. My expectations may be too high for a kid to make an impact in such a short period of time, but it’s renewed my faith in the program. A 6’10” graduate-transfer big man, and perhaps the return of leading-scorer Juwan Morgan, after he finished dipping his toe in the NBA pool, could signify a resurgence. The bad news is that  I may have to wallow through six more months of sports mediocrity before I catch the Fever again. By the way, how are they doing?