Let's try something new...

Rather than post my game recaps over what it is becoming an increasingly terrifying proposition that the Braves are again a third place team, why don't we talk about the positives?

The Braves falling short this season gives us more time to devote to watching football. The Braves may not be capable of winning, but I have my Dallas Cowboys, my Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and my lovable James Madison University Dukes to care about. The Dukes face off against North Carolina with a real short of beating a DI-A team.

More time for fall series premieres. Scrubs enters its final season as part of the highly entertaining NBC Thursday night lineup. Well, except for the putrid 30 Rock. Seriously, I've taken leaks that were more comical. Being drunk and trying to aim into a bowl that seems smaller each time is fun times. Oh, college, I miss you more and more with each passing Friday.

More time to write that great American novel. I'm thinking...Paris Hilton and Michael Jackson travel on scooters from Hollywood to Disney World. Think of the hijinks!

Less time worrying about whether or not Bobby Cox actually knows what he is doing. Honestly, Cox has killed me with his odd decision making with Kelly Johnson (is he valuable, is he not valuable) and bullpen management that it might be best for both Bobby and myself to have a few months apart. When the weather starts to get warmer in the spring, maybe I'll have put it behind me. Then again, I still want to hurt Phillip from the 4th grade for telling the class ugo that I had a crush on her. You're dead to me, Phil. Dead!

There will be less time to worry about John Smoltz's shoulder. Love the guy, but every time he shakes his arm after a splitter, I start a rough draft on my poem, "Ode to the Balding Superhero." I'm up to 7,127 rough drafts.

There may not be less time to worry about what John Schuerholz will do because he'll remain busy sorting through the bargain bin (can you believe I found Hackers there?), but there might be less time to worry about Schuerholz's legacy. Thankfully, those are built on the field, not with Mark Bowman's latest rambling about how great Schuerholz really is. Sorry, Marky, but it gets kinda irritating.

Did you know that snow usually falls when baseball isn't played? That's enough to get excited about.

And did you know that the NHL and NBA will get their seasons rolling in the coming months? No? Well, that's not too surprising.

See, kids, it's all great when you put it into perspective. After hardly a whimper against the Cardinals on Sunday, the Braves are just three games over .500, which is convenient because they are three games under .500 since May 1st. My hope is put in to the chest that formally harbored Davy Jones's heart and it's time to dream up a new scenario of just how good the Braves could be. This season has been licked. Some people will doubt it, some people will hold on hope, some people will pick their noses.

But in the opinion of one Dreamscape, one Tommy Poe, one BAMF, this season is a lost cause. We'll get them next year, I'm sure.

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This was also Raw Numbers #30 over at chopnation, though altered somewhat.