CHICAGO -- Ernie Banks, Billy Williams and Ferguson Jenkins. Ron Santo and Ryne Sandberg, too. Hall of Famers for the Chicago Cubs, but no championship rings.They all tried. Some got closer than others, but the famed drought got the best of them all. And decades of empty Octobers eventually took on a life of their own.Now, as a new group of Cubs prepares to take aim at a lifetime of free drinks on the North Side, Sandberg, for one, believes this team might be uniquely positioned to succeed where so many others failed.I think when its talked about in that regard and you dont have a game plan for that, you know, that that can be talked about on a daily basis, Sandberg said, addressing the elephant in the room -- the 108 years since the Cubs last won the World Series. It can be brought to the players attentions, but I think this team here focuses on other things.They focus on their teammates, themselves, winning the game, having fun, somebody come up big and lets celebrate in the room in there, and I think thats their mentality. It seems to work.While the rest of baseballs postseason picture is being sorted out, the Cubs are closing in on home-field advantage for the NL playoffs and making sure they are as ready as they can be for what they hope will be the franchises first World Series since its seven-game loss to Detroit in 1945. The NL Central champions completed a three-game sweep of Cincinnati with a 9-2 victory Wednesday night and lead Washington by eight games for the best record in the National League.Playing to electric crowds all summer at a giddy Wrigley Field, the Cubs have spent most of the season looking down at the rest of the majors. And with the playoffs on the horizon, it seems as if they are only embracing the escalating pressure coming their way.I think pressure is what you make of it, said Jon Lester, one of the front-runners for the NL Cy Young Award. I mean we all know what the deal is around here. You cant run from it. All you can do is show up and play.The Cubs made it to the postseason last year as the second NL wild card and then eliminated Pittsburgh and St. Louis before they were swept by the New York Mets in the NL Championship Series. That feel-good run by a team that appeared to be coming into its own turned into a runaway division title in 2016, boosted by offseason deals for free agents Jason Heyward, Ben Zobrist and John Lackey.Perhaps sensing what was coming, manager Joe Maddon told his pitchers and catchers to embrace the target when they arrived at spring training in February. That slogan quickly went on a T-shirt and then Maddon poked fun at himself with Try Not To Suck, a carry-over from last year that turned into a popular shirt around Chicago this summer.Those slogans could serve the Cubs well next month.Why would you ever want to work somewhere where theres no expectations? Maddon said. I dont understand that. Theres that comfortable component of society that maybe they want to live in that moment where there are no expectations or any kind of pressure, and that to me would be absolutely no fun whatsoever.I think all of our guys, where youre trained coming up as an athlete, you want to play in the championship game. You want to be the champion.But ahead of them is one unique challenge, beyond the obvious difficulty of winning three series against baseballs best teams. One misstep in the playoffs, one bad bounce, and the Cubs twisted history -- everything from the infamous billy goat curse to the black cat that taunted Leo Durocher in 1969 and Steve Bartmans misplayed foul ball 13 years ago -- all comes roaring back to the forefront.The only comparable situation is Bostons World Series title in 2004, stopping an 86-year drought. Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein was the general manager of the Red Sox at the time, and Lester was a minor leaguer in the Boston system.Those guys wanted to be the team that won it, Lester said.That same attitude resides in Chicagos clubhouse at the moment. Lester signed with the Cubs in December 2014, and Heyward, Zobrist and Lackey arrived last winter -- each hoping to be on the team that put another banner on top of Wrigley Field. To do it in this city, its a no-brainer that it would be making history, Heyward said at his introductory news conference last December.So, Lester said, bring on the pressure that goes along with every Cubs postseason run.I mean its there, he said. You cant run from it. You cant worry about it. You just have to worry about what your team can control and really just try to win it. Thats all you can really do.---Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap Maximilian Philipp Jersey . The CFLs leading rusher kept adding to his gaudy numbers this season and scored the winning touchdown with just over two minutes to play. The New Westminster, B.C., native plowed three yards into the end zone for the last score of a heated, see-saw battle between the two teams with the best records in the CFL. Custom Borussia Dortmund Jersey . 10 VCU 85-67 on Thursday night at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. The Seminoles (4-0) have scored at least 80 points in each of their games. http://www.footballdortmundpro.com/Kids-Julian-Weigl-Jersey/ . -- Anaheim Ducks captain and leading scorer Ryan Getzlaf has been scratched from Sunday nights game against the Vancouver Canucks because of an upper-body injury. Jadon Sancho Jersey . Miikka Kiprusoff had just announced his retirement after a decade-long run in Calgary and it would be up to Berra and Ramo to fill the void. Nuri Sahin Jersey . Burris threw two TD passes, including a key 15-yard fourth-quarter strike to Bakari Grant that effectively countered a Toronto comeback bid and led Hamilton to a 33-19 victory. RIO DE JANEIRO -- The remnants of the final two targets scattered in the dreary Brazilian sky, landing in dozens of places across the rain-soaked Olympic shooting range.Fehaid Al-Deehani raised his shotgun overhead with a shout and turned toward the crowd, pounding his chest as he walked toward them.No matter what his team was called, what flag was raised or anthem played, the gold medal belonged to him.Competing as an independent athlete with Kuwaits Olympic committee suspended, Al-Deehani captured the first gold medal of his storied career by beating Italys Marco Innocenti in the mens double trap finals Wednesday at the Rio de Janeiro Games.That was for my country, for the people who dont want us to participate in the Olympics, Al-Deehani said. Im showing them that we are here and we got the medal.A proud Kuwaiti army officer, Al-Deehani is not just the most decorated Olympic athlete in his country, he is the only one to earn a medal. He won his first, a bronze, at the 2000 Sydney Games and another in London four years ago.Rio was his sixth Olympics, but it would not be for Kuwait.The Arab country has been engaged in an ongoing rift with the IOC, which has accused Kuwaits government of interfering with sports.The IOC suspended Kuwait in October and the country countered will a $1.3 billion lawsuit against 14 board members of the Gulf states Olympic committee and the national federations of several sports. A lawsuit against the IOC was thrown out by a Swiss court.The IOC made a concession just before the Rio Olympics, allowing Kuwaits athletes to participate as independents under the IOC flag, should they qualify.Al-Deehani refused to carry the IOC flag for the independent team during opening ceremony, saying he would only carrry Kuwaits flag.ddddddddddddOnce shooting started in Rio, Al-Deehani became intent on defying the IOCs decision by winning a medal for his country, not an independent team filled with Kuwaitis.Al-Deehani almost didnt make it past the semifinals, needing a shoot-off to get past American Joshua Richmond into the final six.But Al-Deehani had the best score in the semifinals, hitting 28 targets to earn a spot against Innocenti in the gold-medal match. With at least silver in his grasp, Al-Deehani dropped to his knees and put his face to the ground before getting up and pounding his chest at the crowd.The feeling was much better than any before because you know if you are competing for the gold medal, you have at least the silver for sure, Al-Deehani said.He didnt want to stop there, though.His confidence soaring, Al-Deehani took an early lead in the final and overcame a couple of late missed shots to put himself in position for gold. Shooting first and leading by two, he knew gold was his if he hit both targets on his final turn.Al-Deehanis shots were true and so was his heart as he pounded it numerous times at the crowd.But sorrow tinged the joy once he stepped on the top step of the podium.Wearing a plain blue sweatshirt, Al-Deehani raised his arms and smiled before receiving the gold medal, but turned somber as the IOC anthem played and the IOC flag was raised instead of his countrys.It hurts very much, said Al-Deehani, who struggled to stifle tears as the IOC anthem played. I cant describe my pain. It is too sad.Steven Scott hit all 30 targets to defeat British shooter Tim Kneale for the bronze medal. 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