Is anyone else nervous?

Hi. My name is Russell and I'm a sports pessimist. (Hi, Russell). I've always been a sports pessimist (except during Spring Training- The Rangers are going to win it all this year!!!!! If for no other reason than Buck Showalter left.) I just assume that bad things are going to happen. Is just coincidence the only playoff game the Rangers have won in their HISTORY was the one game that I didn't watch? (I was at a Star's pre-season game.) Or that whenever I turn a Star's game on it's always literally seconds before the other team scores a goal? Of that the Astros didn't win the Chris Burke game until I turned it off and had to go to church? I could go on and on. The heartbreak that I have felt is not the worst of any sports fan, but it ranks up there. As much as I want to say otherwise, I never believed that Texas would beat USC in that National Championship last year. (Remember the great ESPN commercial: "But they didn't have Vince Young.") Only the Cowboys have saved me from perpetual sports pain. I really think that this pessimism hinders my sports enjoyment. I continually expect for my teams to loose. Somehow, the refs will get screw us (2006 NBA finals) or the hard hit ball will be snagged by a great play by the third basemen (which seemed to happen every inning in the 2005 World Series) or the normally reliable holder will drop a prefect snap on a gimme field goal and he is just caught at the heals before he can redeem himself with a game winning touchdown (Cowboys v. Seahawks) or there will be years of mediocrity broken only by extreme wretchedness and only drops of success (the whole Rangers franchise). So all this to say this:

I am worried about the Mavericks. I worried that they are winning all their games now and won't have any wins in them when the playoffs come. They teased us last year before settling for jumpshots and crying about the refs. I mean seriously. Were there bad calls? Absolutely, but the Mavs didn't have what it took to win. The best team won. Quit whining. It's over. I want to believe that this will be different. That this team is hearing what Avery Johnson is preaching about team defense and toughness. That Dirk is going to carry this team to the championship the way an MVP is supposed to. That they will continue their amazing good luck in the injury area.

They can win 70. They seem to be playing hard every night. They don't take nights off, but beat teams they are supposed to beat and have won every game on the second night of back-to-backs. They play good defense and are a strong offensive team. They have the MVP (I mean, seriously, who else can someone conscionably vote, Steve Nash? Please. He already has two MVPs he doesn't deserve, how can they give him a third?), two legitimate All-Stars, and top notch role players. Their coach is driven and knows how to win. They are playing with a chip on their shoulders. They don't have any weaknesses.

Any yet, I'm nervous. Maybe I'm a moron.