It's been a magical season for Illinois, but they still have one more mountain to climb. Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Thank God for the Illini! Without them this column would be about my fears and anxieties concerning the Cubs 2005 campaign. The three-headed guard monster saved me this winter from thinking about the Cubs offseason futility (They couldn't sign a closer?) Instead of musing about how we will replace the 74 HRs and 186 RBIs Moises Alou and Sammy Sosa provided, I was in Champaign imbibing the beauty of Illini basketball.

I must be honest about my love for the Illini. While I am a stalwart supporter now, I admit I am a fair-weather fan. But before you crucify me, you must understand my plight. I have nothing else to root for.

The Bulls? Eh, sure. Am I excited about the emergence of Ben Gordon and the leadership of Kirk Hinrich? Eh, sure. But a fourth seed in the Eastern Conference isn't all that exciting.

The Bears? Eh, sure. Lovie Smith seems all right, but I am also a tad worried the Bears might run out of time in their quest for a title. At some point the spaceship that landed on top of Soldier Field is going to fly away and take the whole stadium with it.

And then the Cubs. Oh, the love of my sporting life. I guess it is a good sign that Sports Illustrated didn't put Kerry Wood on the Baseball Preview issue with the words "Hell Freezes Over: The Cubs will win the World Series."

I'm not even going to mention the White Sox.

Born in 1982, I don't remember the '85 Bears all that well but I do have a tape of the Super Bowl Shuffle video (that Gary Fencik could dance!). Then there was Michael Jordan, the greatest athlete ever. His presence deluded me into thinking I would always have a champion. I mean, I even got to see the Cubs in a playoff game, so what need did I have for the Illini?

Well, 2004 soured quickly and I was a loser again, until the boys in Orange came along. I've always followed the Illini, but this year I became enthralled after my first visit to Champaign.(Yes, I grew up in Chicago and never set foot in Champaign.)

I was there doing a story on the Orange Krush -- granted I thought Orange Crush was a soda or a 1980s Broncos player -- and something clicked. I think it was the combination of my desire for a champion and the fact that my own collegiate experience lacked a "real" basketball team (go Brown Bears!).