So, the Braves are out of the playoffs in the first round again. Now, I’ll admit, I got sucked in by this team. It would be hard not to. The enthusiasm of rookies like Brian McCann and Jeff Francouer was infectious and the veterans like Andruw Jones were playing at their height. This was a Braves team that unlike previous years was actually fun to root for. So, yeah, it hurt to watch them go out in a drawn-out eighteen inning affair.

A cursory cruise across the Internet finds Braves fans ready to commit hari-kari. The milder words include “disapointment”, “let down” and the more vitrolic include viscious threats against Bobby Cox and John Schuerholz and for the entire roster to be cleaned out. Phrases like “cursed” and “we’re the Red Sox of the South” are already being coined.

I’m sorry. I’m not buying it.

Cursed? Come on. I can still remember when the Braves won the World Series. It wasn’t that long ago. There are some fans who weren’t even alive when their team last won (if ever.) Are we going to dare compare Boston’s 86 years with 10 years of just plain old bad luck? How about the futility of the Cubs? (I’ll refrain from mentioning the other team in Chicago since that would be like talking about a pitcher during a no-hitter.) Let’s have a little perspective here.

Let’s be honest. Last July, did anyone really think this Braves team would even be in the playoffs earlier this year? How do you possibly play eighteen rookies and win your division? (Talk about futility, how do you think the Phillies and Mets feel right now?) If the Braves had somehow gutted their way past the Astros, does anyone really believe they would have lasted in seven games against the Cardinals? (…and if by some miracle the Braves did win the NLCS, would the crumbling Braves pitching staff lasted against either the White Sox or Angels??) This year, if anything, was an amazing overachievement. That’s something to be proud of, not ashamed.

So, hats off to the Astros. They are a gritty team that should make the series against St. Louis extremely interesting. Most of all, hats off to the Braves for an amazing ride. There’s no reason to be upset.

Now, the NC State-Georgia Tech football game, on the other hand….