2016 NFL Playoff Preview

Will the playoffs this year be interesting? Or are we going to see Tom Brady walk through the postseason yet again and collect his fifth ring?

This seems to be the dominating storyline throughout sports talk shows as we head in to what I think will be a very thrilling postseason.

Though Derek Carr and Ryan Tannehill's devastating late-season injuries have softened the competition in the AFC, there is still plenty to watch for and plenty of gripping storylines. And thus, I present you with my 2016 playoff preview and predictions.

Q: Could Matt Stafford steal a playoff victory, the Lions' first since '91?
A: Stafford was well on his way to delivering the Lions their first division title since '93, as well as putting together a serious MVP resume before injuring the middle finger of his throwing hand in a week 14 game. The Lions squeaked out a victory over the lowly Bears, but came up short in the team's final three games. Though Stafford has said that his finger isn't to blame for the decline, it's clear that since, the results haven't been the same. Stafford's completion percentage has dropped significantly (he was completing 67% of his passes and completed 60% over the last four weeks) while playing tougher overall defenses. Unfortunately for the Lions, it won't get any easier. Even without Kam Chancellor, Seattle's defense will be a handful and will create some major headaches. Better luck next year, Detroit. Seattle 24, Detroit 13

Q: Will Brock Osweiler win a playoff game?
A: The best way to describe how I feel about the crapshow that will be the Carr-less Raiders and the Texans? This game could go either way and I will not be surprised with either outcome. Connor Cook could confidently step in and make good use of the weapons the Raiders have on the offensive side. A couple of short passes, a big gain off a screen play to Amari Cooper, and a couple of dump-offs to the running backs could potentially open up more throwing lanes downfield, and help the Raiders move the ball and score. Or JaDeveon Clowney and the Houston D could feast on the rookie quarterback, gifting Osweiler a playoff W. Consider that Oakland has more tape on Osweiler than Houston has on Cook. This could go either way and honestly it won't really matter. Whoever it is, the Patriots will crush in the Divisional Round. Raiders squeak one out, 19-16. 

Q: Does Miami. the week's heaviest underdog, have any chance against Pittsburgh?
A: Not if the Steelers play mistake-free football. Pittsburgh could benefit from some Miami offensive miscues, that could turn in to points. Meanwhile, Bell, Roethlisberger and Brown will carve out the Miami defense. Pittsburgh 31, Miami 10.

Q: Eli vs. A-Rodg. Who wins?
A: Green Bay is red-hot. Is there a QB-WR duo that is more in-sync than Rodgers and Jordy right now? It's like they are sharing the same brain. We haven't seen something like this since...

Meanwhile, this is the first time that we are seeing playoff Eli since 2011. His last two trips to the playoffs have proved to be very efficient. Will he work his magic at Lambeau again?

This is going to be the game of the week. This is going to be a very close game, where the margin for error will be very small. A mis-ran route by a Green Bay receiver and a Mason Crosby missed field goal could be costly. This could be a prime "Mike McCarthy screws it up" playoff game. As great as Rodgers is (my regular season co-MVP), I like the Giants' team a lot more than the Packers', and I'm not sure if Rodgers' efforts will be enough. New York wins a wild one, 38-34.

Divisional Round

Q: What's the point-spread on Houston/Oakland at Foxborough?
A: Patriots by 20? Does it matter? The Pats have two bye weeks to the AFC championship!

Q: Has Matt Ryan finally arrived as an elite quarterback?
A: No. Though Ryan's 2016 campaign was the best of his career and definitely worthy of a Pro Bowl selection, context is important.

Matty Ice: 4,944 yards, 38 touchdowns, 7 interceptions.
Rodgers: 4,428 yards, 40 touchdowns, 7 interceptions.
Brady: 3,554 yards, 28 touchdowns, 2 interceptions (12 games).

Rodgers and Brady played better defenses and had overall more difficult schedules than the Falcons did. One could also argue that Rodgers and Brady have less to work with offensively. The NFC North and the AFC East will each have two teams playing in the playoffs. The Falcons rightfully took advantage of the Panthers' Super Bowl hangover. There are many more parts of this debate to be had, but I expect the Falcons to crumble in the playoffs yet again. Until Matt Ryan shows me more in the playoffs, he will be a very good quarterback and not a transformational one (Brady, Rodgers, Roethlisberger). Seattle will handle Atlanta, 31-16.

#3 Steelers at #2 Chiefs- who wins?
In order for the Steelers to get to the Super Bowl, they will have to win in two of the most difficult road environments- Gillette and Arrowhead. But the Steelers, my preseason pick, have a good shot at doing so. While people all around the sport are clamoring about how hot Green Bay (won its last six games) and Kansas City (won 10 of last 12) are, Pittsburgh is being a little overlooked in this regard. Remember, after a 4-5 start, the Steelers won seven straight (eight if we assume they beat the 'Phins). The Steelers have also gotten hot at the right time, as the defense has matured and continued to find itself week by week. This will be a great game, but I'm taking Big Ben. Pittsburgh 31, Kansas City 27.

Q: Will Dak and Zeke's incredible Cinderella run continue all the way through January?
A: Teams like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have shown Dallas to be very beatable. The Giants actually beat them twice. However, I like Dallas in a "third-times-a-charm" game. Again and again we see in sports just how difficult it is to beat a time three times. When two very good teams, division rivals in this case, play each other three times, the law of averages naturally finds a way to play itself out. Chances are, you aren't going to get all the bad breaks all three times. You give the Cowboys a third crack at the Giants and I say they get it done in thrilling fashion. The Cowboys come out on top over the G-Men, 20-17....
...
But I do think the Cinderella story will come to an end in January...

Conference Championships

NFC: #3 Seattle at #1 Dallas
This could potentially be the game of the year, but I think the Legion of Boom comes out on top. Seattle 34, Dallas 31.

AFC: #3 Pittsburgh at #1 New England
This will actually be the game of the year, as the winner of this game will win the Super Bowl. Book it. I think Pittsburgh will be the toughest match-up New England can draw. If it can somehow get to play KC instead, I like the Pats chances at a Super Bowl, but I believe the Steelers will show up at the right time en route to Roethlisberger's third ring. The defense won't stop Brady, but it will slow down Brady, while Gronk's presence will be greatly missed. But if Brady somehow finds a way to win another one, this time without Gronk, at the age of 39, he will reach his greatest accomplishment ever and the argument for GOAT quarterback should be over. Steelers 33, Patriots 31.

Super Bowl
Seattle and Pittsburgh face-off in a rematch of Super Bowl XL. This time the results are a little different. While the Steelers come out on top, the Seahawks put up a good fight. Roethlisberger's magical and improbable season closes at the very top of the sports world. Big Ben leads the Steelers down the field in the final minutes, securing ring no. 3. Steelers 23, Seahawks 20.

An important note: many will read this and laugh it off as a "homer pick." Yes, I am a Steelers fan. Yes, I'm feeling optimistic. But I haven't felt this optimistic about the Steelers in a long time, not since the last time they appeared in the Super Bowl (only to fall short to a scorching hot Green Bay team). Last year I had friends telling me they'd win; I said no. But there's something different about them this year. It seems like they have it. Recent years have plagued the Steelers with crucial injuries down the stretch. This year injuries have been present, but they've been overcoming them and the injuries haven't come at such an important time. If the offensive big 3 stays healthy (*knock on wood*), the Steelers will win the Super Bowl this year.

Whatever happens, I think we're in for a very exciting postseason.

What 2016 Taught Me

I came in to the year 2016 with one distinct goal (or "resolution" if you will): spend a year in God's truth and see what growth follows.

More specifically, I wanted to be in God's word all 366 days of 2016. I wanted to read at least one chapter of my Bible every day. Throughout college, I've had up and down seasons with reading my Bible. I've had months where I'm in it consistently and months where I'm out of it consistently.

In college, it's really easy to get distracted by what's around you. There's always people to be around and always work that needs to get done. It's easy to get overwhelmed, and it's easy to make excuses.

Being intentional and creating a habit of spending time with Jesus every day prepared me for an emotionally tolling year, that yielded immense growth as a result. Through the following challenges, I learned that there are silver linings to everything life throws at you:

1) Death.
Death seems to be very present this year, as many have experienced heartbreak hearing of their favorite celebrities dying far too soon.

Just a few days in to the new year, four guys I went to high school with drowned in a tragic canoeing accident. One happened to be a guy I knew most of my life, growing up playing baseball together. Another was a good friend that I spent a lot of time with during my junior high and high school years at our church youth group. Through church, I became friends with his mom. Not only did I feel the devastation that the accident brought me and my friends, but I saw just how tragic it was for his family. Over the next couple of weeks, more deaths occurred. And it felt like I was just trapped in this darkness that would never pass.
2) Suicide.
A number of suicides occurred near me. As someone that has dealt with depression and anxiety, I think the sadness hits people like me in a way that may be different from others. We know what the battle is like and we want to see other people overcome it. And when they don't, it breaks our hearts.
3) Loneliness.
Transferring into Valparaiso was a much greater social challenge than I ever expected. Gone were the days of being around friends all the time. Instead, I've spent much time feeling isolated, alone and on my own. I didn't have anyone to live with and I had to move in to a studio apartment on my own. I spent a lot of weekends feeling cooped-up and bummed.
4) Physical Illness.
I was diagnosed with Graves' disease at the end of September and was unable to exercise for months. I had an allergic reaction to my medication that lasted two weeks and brought immense pain to my body. Some days, some of my bones felt broken. The illness itself brought on a great deal of fatigue that made classes harder than they ever needed to be. In addition, my sister tore her ACL and had to miss most of her junior softball season and my grandma has had some health concerns of her own.
5) Overall Anxiety.
Having anxiety, it can be difficult to find the positives when things aren't going your way. Throughout the year I felt the weight of all these things crashing down, and in turn it brought uncertainty to me at times. Graves' is known to increase anxiety, and in the back-half of the summer, I started to really panic about going back to school and returning to the isolation.


I listed off these challenges because I think everyone reading this can relate to at least one of them. At least one of these problems probably nagged you in 2016.

But here I am, standing tall at the end of it. And I can honestly say that each of these things, allowed me to grow and it taught me one big overarching message.

If I do everything that God wants me to do, what in the world do I have to worry about?

In the midst of the storms that rapidly flooded in, God was there to show me that he loved me every single day. I was reminded of his truth every single day. I was reminded that he was there in my battles, every single day. Meanwhile, God healed me physically and mentally from all these wounds.

I knew that God wanted me to be in his word, growing every day. Each Bible story taught me something different and unique, and I read a lot of encouraging verses and passages along the way. Throughout the year, God improved me in little ways, and I know that I started thinking differently as a result, looking for the positives and trying to find God in the little things. God is there in every single situation. I had the most positive-thinking year of my life.

So if God can do this all in my life, I know that he can certainly do the same in your life. He can bring healing and comfort where it is needed.

My suggestion? Try to spend 2017 hanging on the words of our Father in heaven. Try to get in to that Bible every day; you won't regret it. I guarantee that.

Whatever you decide, I hope that 2017 is a wonderful year for you. I hope that the personal changes that you want to make are able to be made and result in you being happier.

If you decide that you want to spend 2017 in God's word, go ahead and let me know. I would love help and encourage any way that I can. You are loved!

The Gospel According to Buddy the Elf

It seems that there's an ongoing power struggle throughout the Christmas season.

Should we be putting up Santa decorations or Nativity scenes? Do the tales of Kris Kringle distract us from the true meaning of Christmas?

Well today, what I'm saying to you is this: maybe there are biblical themes within the stories of Saint Nick, and Jesus' light can be shown through such art. Which brings us to today's movie examination....

Yep, my favorite Christmas movie, Elf!

In no way is Elf a Christian movie, but Elf contains some biblical themes that you might have missed, if you weren't looking for them.

Buddy the Elf is sent from the North Pole to the human world, to walk about life as a human. Sound familiar? Jesus didn't come to Earth as a god. In some ways, Jesus was a fish-out-of-water, and many didn't believe that he actually was God. Buddy's claims of knowing Santa Claus and working as an elf in Santa's workshop make him sound certifiably insane to those around him. Buddy is referred to as "the deranged elf-man" by Walter. All this, while trying to share the joy of Christmas with the people he cares about.

Jesus was put on a cross for committing "blasphemy," even though he was in fact the "King of the Jews." Though Jesus and Buddy came to different parts of the Earth, sharing different messages, each was teaching a gospel that raised some eyebrows. 

Buddy did not come to New York to be crucified. He came to build a relationship with his estranged father, and show him the joy and happiness of Christmas, while showings acts of love and kindness to others. Along the way, he stumbles upon Jovie, who is "just trying to get through the holidays." Buddy presents the message of Christmas cheer to her, which is best spread by "singing loud for all to hear." The message is quickly rejected, and Buddy is told to be quiet and to stop singing.

Over time however, Buddy starts to build a relationship with Jovie, which eventually leads to her standing up singing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" in front of a big crowd in downtown New York City. I find this similar to when we as people share the gospel of Jesus with others. In most cases, the person that receives the message is going to reject it immediately, but over time God can work in their hearts and bring them to wanting to have a relationship with Him. When someone comes to Christ, they tend to immediately be fired-up about it, and they want to share the good news with everyone. Jovie finds her Christmas spirit and wants to ignite the spirits of others.

Buddy also brings joy to Walter, Michael and Emily and helps bring them together as a family. Buddy and Michael show Walter that there's more to life than work, and Walter's act of self-sacrificing his job for the good of Buddy converts Walter from "naughty" to "nice."

Best of all though, the scene that still gives me chills is the scene where Santa flies over the group of carolers, to which the whole crowd and disbelieving television reporter Charlotte Dennon look up in awe. This makes me imagine what it will be like the day that Jesus finally returns, riding in on a chariot, as people will look on and think, "he truly is real!" 

Sadly, the best clip I could find on the internet cuts this wondrous scene short. But next time you watch Elf, try to think about some of these things! In no way is Buddy Jesus, but in some ways, Buddy is Jesus-like. To say that someone is a Christian is to say that one is Christ-like.

Though I do not think the writers of the film intentionally did this, I do believe that there are Christian themes to look for and enjoy in Elf. The whole story of Santa is based around believing and has some similarities to faith (The Santa Claus 2 comes to mind!). So I'd challenge you to look for such things while you watch your favorite Christmas classics in the coming days, and maybe just maybe the birth of Christ and the generosity of Santa Claus can coexist this holiday season.

"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."

-Hebrews 11:1

Is there a Christmas movie you think has biblical themes (Nativity Story doesn't count!)? What is it? Let me hear your thoughts in the comments! Or on Twitter @vellvita7.

Merry Christmas!

Life With Graves'

For those that might not have heard, about a month and a half ago I was diagnosed with Graves' disease, an illness that isn't nearly as bad as the name may suggest.

Any illness with "Graves" in the name doesn't exactly sound promising, so naturally spectators are going to wonder what exactly is going on and ask questions. I very much appreciate that people are concerned.

Problem is, I don't always love answering these questions or talking about Graves' a ton. Sometimes when I talk or think about it a lot, it leads me to feeling negative and bummed out, unhappy with my current circumstances, which is ridiculous because though this is a minor speed bump for right now, I have things pretty great.

So I figured now with some downtime during Thanksgiving break, I would share with all that are curious what is going on.

Graves' disease is an illness that accelerates the thyroid gland to work overtime, and in turn creates some problems for the rest of the body, including weight loss, headaches, stomach aches and dizziness, problems sleeping, fatigue, anxiety, sore throats and more. All of these are symptoms I have been experiencing to an extent since some time in July.

Initially, I wrote off my symptoms as anything significant. I thought I was probably just stressed about going back to school and that as a result I had had some problems sleeping and eating well which created these problems.

After dropping close to 35 pounds over a two-month span and having nagging headaches and tiredness that was keeping me from getting to my classes every day, I knew it was time to talk to a doctor and get a check-up. What I soon discovered was that I had an overactive thyroid which was sending messages to my heart to work harder as well. I was averaging a heartbeat of at least 130 beats per minute. It didn't take much for my heart to start pounding like a bongo. Walking longer-than-short distances and going up 2+ plights of stairs is enough to have me out of breath. Nevertheless, exercise is off the table for the time being.

What I soon found out though was just how common thyroid problems are. As I started to explain to people around me what my problem was, it seemed that a large percentage of people I talked to knew someone who either had an over or underactive thyroid gland. Not only were thyroid problems common, but they can be easily treated with medication.

I got started on two different medications (one for my thyroid, one for my heart) at the end of September. A few weeks later, I had a bad allergic reaction to the thyroid medication which spelled skin irritation and bad body aches for the next two weeks. One night it felt like both my wrists were broken. Nothing was wrong, I just had to stop taking the meds and wait for them to work their way out of my system. This proved to be a minor setback, as I went an entire week without any thyroid medication, bringing back the intensity of some of the problems I have been having.

I got started on a new medication for my thyroid nearly four weeks ago and have seen some results. I've gained 12 pounds since my initial diagnosis. Also, seven or eight weeks on my heart medication has brought down my heartbeat to under-100! The number of headaches I get has gone down significantly, but the headaches and tiredness is still very present. And I still have trouble doing a large sum of walking.

But the best improvement I've seen isn't something that can be measured by any unit, nor is it something that can be directly correlated to my medication dosage. The best improvement I've seen is an improvement of something I've dealt with while feeling 100% fine physically. The greatest improvement I've seen is my level of anxiety at an all-time low.

I've dealt with anxiety since I was a teenager and as we learned, Graves' only increases anxiety. Yet, I know that this trial that Graves' has provided has only increased my trust in God. It's been something that I've allowed God to work through and use to improve me as his son.

Being on the sidelines for the last few months, no doubt I've been limited physically. Initially it was very hard for me. I missed playing sports. But I decided early on that I wanted to make the most out of my time on the couch. So I started spending more time in God's word and just praying. I knew God is the only thing that could and would bring me through this. Often times we make excuses for why we don't give God the time he deserves; now I was out of excuses. 

Next I decided to spend more time writing poetry. It feels good to create something artistically and do something productive. One poem after another and I decided it was time for me to start learning guitar. As I learn guitar and continue to write poetry, I now have new ways to praise God and give him glory. This has been a much better experience than one might think it would be.

And through it all, God has taken away my worry. A thought God has recently put on my heart is as follows: If I do all that God wants me to do, then what the heck do I have to worry about? In other words, if I'm obeying God and keeping his commands, then why spend my time worrying about anything else? God pieces the rest of the messy puzzle together for us if we let him and give him full control.

While a medical diagnosis that brings problems such as these might freak one out, I'm feeling relaxed and I'm holding on to God's promises. And maybe, just maybe, this what God's needed for me to continue to grow in his word and his truth, and to give him all that I've got.


PS- Graves' can go away in time with the help of medications or stay with a person for a long time- either way I know that eventually the medications will bring me back to normal. It won't be too long until I'm feeling normal again!

PPS- Thank you to everybody for the prayer, care and support. I very much appreciate the love and understand why you may ask what's going on. This blog was my hope to keep everyone up to speed with what's going on, and I will continue to keep you in the loop.

PPPS- I'll let my favorite band Relient K play us out with one of their great but overlooked songs- I'm on the up and up.

7 Reasons Why the Warriors Won't Win the 2017 Title

Photo via Associated Press

The Warriors are rapidly currying favor (see what I did there?) from fans and journalists all across the nation. But here's why 2016-17 won't be all sunshine and rainbows for the city by the Bay.

1) Many stars, still only one ball. Only so many points can be scored by an offense, and putting four guys who made last year’s All-NBA teams together doesn’t guarantee victory, shot attempts and by translation, happiness- just ask Kevin Love. The Warriors had no shortage of scoring or outside shooting in 2015-16, so how much better can their offense be? There comes a point where you to need remember that there is still only one ball that’s being played with in an NBA game, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
2) By adding Durant, the Warriors could be sacrificing some defense. Durant is no-slouch defensively, but Andre Iguodala is a hitman. Iguodala limited and contained LeBron in last year’s finals, until a back injury slowed Iguodala and allowed LeBron to run wild. With Barnes and Iguodala, it was easier for Steve Kerr to allocate minutes between the two wings. Durant is going to play significantly more minutes than Barnes demanded. Though Klay Thompson is a defensive whiz, the Warriors might struggle with distributing minutes among “the big four”, Iguodala and whatever big the Dubs want to roll with. If there’s a coach that can solve such an equation, it is Kerr, but this will be much more complicated than it looks on paper.
3) Size is a concern. Having a dominant big guy in today’s ever-changing NBA is quickly becoming overlooked and undervalued. Last year it appeared that the big man approach was outdated, until we got to May. Steven Adams and Tristan Thompson punished the Warriors in the low post. Losing Bogut was a bigger blow than expected, allowing Thompson a great number of offensive boards and letting LeBron to fly freely to the rim. Meanwhile, Varejao was flat-out awful in the Finals, making me wonder if the Cavs sent him over to Golden State as an undercover mole, in charge of messing things up. The Warriors did little to address their interior needs and even sacrificed Bogut and Ezeli for Durant. Other teams’ grind-it-out in the paint strategy could be their kryptonite. If they decide to run small with Iguodala with the big four, they will be at an even greater loss inside.
4) Team chemistry is equally as big of a concern. Look, Durant and Curry seem to love each other, and off-the-court I think this team should get along great. However, once this team hits adversity for the first time, it could have some serious problems. Durant is a very emotional guy, and it could be difficult for him if he has to defer even more than he did when he was playing with Westbrook. It’s not going to be fun for him traveling across the country and getting booed in every NBA arena outside of the Bay Area. LeBron had a tough time with it his first year in Miami and I think it showed. There’s going to be a lot more pressure. This could quickly become a miserable and far-from-fun year for this team.

Draymond could also get upset if the team struggles and he is capable of lashing out at any given moment. Draymond might want to touch the ball more and if he doesn’t, he could carry a bad attitude on defense, where he is needed most. Draymond might not like being the fourth guy that doesn’t make it on to posters and billboards. What if Durant has another foot injury? Or Curry hurts his knee again? This team could find itself in a great deal of turmoil very quickly, and is gambling on everybody staying healthy. The Warriors had to sacrifice some of their depth to get Durant, a roll of the dice that just about any team would take, but with any gamble comes the chance of coming up short.
5) The history of super-teams is not what one might think. The 2012-13 Lakers and 2003-04 Lakers are two prime examples of teams headed by four stars or more that couldn’t figure it out, and eventually burned into flames. Payton, Malone, Shaq and Kobe melted against an inferior Pistons team. Kobe, Dwight, Nash, Metta and Pau barely reached the 2013 playoffs and were immediately eliminated. Also keep the 2010-11 Heat in mind.
6) The Cavs are capable and the Cavs have LeBron. Though the Warriors caught some bad breaks in last year’s Finals, LeBron cemented his place as the best player in the league and with Kyrie, brought a title to Cleveland for the first time in decades. And I have no reason to think that the Cavs can't do it again.
7) The Spurs are capable. After losing Duncan and getting a raw deal in last year’s playoffs (pure robbery from the officials), the Spurs are still chugging along. Duncan passed the torch to Aldridge in the same way that David Robinson passed it to him early in the new millennium. Even without Duncan, the Spurs have the best frontcourt in the league headed by Kawhi, Pau and Aldridge. Pau will fit in beautifully with a great-passing and great-shooting team. Kawhi can lockdown Durant while Aldridge and Gasol (and whatever international big guy they have this year) bully the Warriors in the paint. Each of those bigs can step outside and knockdown mid and long-range jumpers too. Ginobili and Parker can still stroke it with Danny Green (another beast defender) and Patty Mills, and I love what the Spurs have to offer. Also, be on the lookout for Jonathon Simmons and Kyle Anderson. Both guys have shown a lot of promise and I think could be key contributors to another Spurs’ championship team.

While the Spurs might not carry the same star power or the same degree of shooting ability, the Spurs are a team. A team that can shoot, pass and grind, and a team that’s a little more versatile than the Dubs. And as we saw with those Lakers teams, the more talented team sometimes loses to the team that plays better together as a team.

I’ll take the Spurs over the Warriors in 7 and the Spurs over the Cavs in another 7.

Slaying the Giants

I distinctly remember a scene from the non-memorable 2012 film The Watch.

Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and company stumble upon an alien invasion and play Batman to their town as the vigilantes known as the neighborhood watch.

The gang shoots down an alien, after using several bullets, to which the alien squirms and fights for its dear life. Even when it appears to be dead, Stiller and Vaughn comically continue to shoot the alien out of fear that the alien could still come back to life. The thing just wouldn't die.

                                          (The short bit can be seen from 1:35 to 1:54ish)

As I watched game 3 of the National League Division Series, one thing became increasingly clear- the San Francisco Giants are the annoying alien that never seems to die, defying every logical reason that they should be gone. In other words, they aren't dead until somebody actually chops their head off and puts them to bed.

Over the course of game 3, Cubs fans experienced a wide range of emotions, all the way from pure ecstasy and hope to bitter heartbreak and despair. The threat was real. It had felt as if the Cubs had stopped firing the gun and allowed the alien to get up and walk around.

Suddenly we were all reminded just how great of an empire the Giants have built. Midway through the 2010's, the Giants had already collected three rings- all in even-numbered years. The Giants had won each way imaginable, including a 2014 Wild Card run finishing in a game 7 thriller. With a 10-game win streak in elimination games, we knew exactly what the Bay Area Bombers were capable of.

Game 3 slipped out of the Cubs' fingers and with the Giants nursing a comfortable three-run lead a night later, panic set in for fans. A couple of guys were texting me wanting to talk about what the Cubs needed to do in the off-season- all this, with the Cubs still holding the 2-1 lead in the series. Yet at the time, it didn't seem so crazy; it felt like the Cubs were going to be the Giants' latest prey.

What happened next is something I haven't fully digested yet. Backed in to a corner, the Cubs offense came up big and knocked in four runs to take a 6-5 lead. Less than 24 hours after blowing game 3, Chapman made up for his mistakes and the Cubs were going to the NLCS. The alien had finally been obliterated.

Photo via AP

The Cubs actually did it. They performed a mafia hit on a dynasty and moved past a major roadblock. Though they had never faced this Giants' team in the playoffs before, they were now overcoming different demons.

Through four series', the Cubs had never won a playoff game in the pacific time zone, much less eliminated a west coast team from the playoffs. Ever. In the back of my mind, somewhere, there is my memory of the 2007 and 2008 playoffs, where the Cubs got swept in back-to-back NLDS's by the Diamondbacks and Dodgers.

Then there's the one time the Cubs have faced the Giants in the playoffs, in '89- when they split 1-1 at home, and got embarrassed on the west coast. And who can forget '84? My parents did an excellent job of shielding me from the misery that was '84 and the Cubby-killer that was Steve Garvey, until I stumbled upon one of the San Diego games last year on ESPN Classic. Oh, the evil and disturbing things you see in college.

But after a century and a quarter, the Cubs have gotten over another hump. And what better than to do it against a team that's a modern dynasty? A team that won its last 10 elimination games and possesses the indisputable, without argument, best postseason pitcher of the era? And what better way than to do it in dramatic, comeback fashion?

As the victory began to sink in, I started to think back to the 80s and 90s NBA Eastern Conference. Teams had to wait and pay their dues before they could be the new sheriff. Isiah had to wait through Bird's Celtics. Jordan had to get past Isiah's Pistons. Everyone else had to wait until Jordan stepped away from basketball (twice) to get their chance to reign supreme. The Knicks and Pacers, led by alpha dogs Reggie and Ewing, got to the top of the Eastern Conference, but only after Jordan was done running them over.

And now, for the National League in an even-numbered year of the 2010s, the Giants are finally out of the picture, and it's someone else's turn.

The Biblical Themes in Finding Dory

Image via Google Play, property of Pixar

Pixar is no stranger to making references in its movies.

Whether it's a Buzz Lightyear toy in the background of the waiting room of the dentist's office of Finding Nemo, a Darth Vader reference in Toy Story 2 or one of the several references to The Shining throughout their films, Pixar has shown to enjoy placing familiar images in viewers' heads.

Finding Dory makes good use of this, however it may come in a less familiar way, if you caught it.

At the near-end of the film, Dory is lost swimming, until she notices a trail of shells. Her parents (who she has not seen since her adolescence) taught her at a young age to follow the trail of shells, and she'll be home. Dory continues upon the trail, to where she finds her parents still avidly searching for her after many years, still laying out shells. Her parents drop the shells and quickly swim over to warmly embrace Dory; it truly is a great feel-good moment. The camera zooms out and the audience sees that the parents have made dozens of different trails, all leading to the same place.

I couldn't help but think of several different biblical themes shown in this scene.

First, Dory's parents are named "Jenny" and "Charlie." I'm pretty sure that through every mention of them, it is always "Jenny and Charlie" and never "Charlie and Jenny." Now let's do something wild, and put the letters of their first names together. JC. Where else do we see "JC"? Jesus Christ?

Let's put Jesus in the place of Dory's parents.

In this case, the multitude of paths paved by shells lead to Jesus. Jesus is actively setting paths before his people, and actively searching for them.

Each Christian has their own unique personal journey that leads to Jesus. And God, who is a father, set that path before each of them.

There also comes a point where Dory is about to get to her parents. All of the sudden she gets scared and says that she isn't sure if she wants to see her parents. She wasn't sure if they would accept her after all of these years.

Oftentimes, as humans, we feel the weight of our sin and our human pride comes in to play. We don't feel like we are good enough for God. This is because we are undeserving of grace. In this case, Dory feels that she is undeserving of her parents' love after many years away from them.

The love that Dory is shown upon her arrival is reminiscent of the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15), a tale that further symbolizes the home and the feast that our Father is preparing for us in Heaven.

This wouldn't be the first time that director Andrew Stanton has used biblical imagery in his films. In 2008, he talked about the biblical influences on the making of Wall-E. So maybe there's something to this, or maybe this is a rare coincidence. I'll let you be the judge. Nevertheless, Pixar hit another home run with its 17th installment Finding Dory.