Few things tickle our fancy more than good old-fashioned fan panic. We have it every year with our Cardinals; no matter what might be going right, we're always convinced the sky is falling. We do not root for our teams to win; we root from them not to lose. Looking at us while we're watching an important Cardinals game is to see a man in agony — even if they're winning. It certainly doesn't seem as if it's something that's fun.

So we appreciate Dan Lewis' essay in Walk Off Balk about why he's convinced his beloved Tigers — having an amazing season that fans only dream of — are completely going to blow it this year. Detroit has an 8 1/2 game lead, is clicking in every aspect and just brought in a guy who seems born for FOX postseason features on The Mayor. It has been a season for the Tigers that, if you had put it together on a video game, you'd wonder if you had it on a setting that's too easy. It has been beautiful.

Which is why we absolutely understand the notion that it will all collapse.

Unbridled Pessimism: The Fall Of The 2006 Tigers [Walk Off Balk]

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