CHICAGO -- Youd think that a team trailing the World Series 3 games to 1 would look to, say, George Brett for inspiration. Or Willie Stargell. Or even Don Denkinger. But that wasnt where those 2016 Chicago Cubs looked Sunday night, when the time arrived to save their season.Nope. The Cubs found their inspiration in -- who else? -- the great Rocky Balboa.The bad news was, Sylvester Stallone wasnt available for any pregame Yo Adrian speeches. The good news was, the Cubs had their own personal winner of the Rocky Balboa look-alike contest, Mr. Anthony Rizzo, available to stand in for him.So suddenly, several hours before Game 5 of the World Series, the clubhouse TVs all flashed scenes from Rocky. The theme song, Gonna Fly Now, blared through the room. And out danced Sugar Ray Rizzo, shirt off, shuffling around an imaginary boxing ring, trying to deliver an important message to a group of teammates who were pretty sure hed just lost his mind.And what, you ask, was that message?It was all about going the distance, Rizzo would reveal, many hours later, after an excruciating 3-2 win over the Cleveland Indians that will allow these Cubs to box one more round. It was just to let everyone know its time to go the distance.Now they probably wouldnt appreciate it if we were to observe here that Rocky was one of the great underdogs in the history of fictional sports -- whereas the 2016 Cubs went into this postseason ranked as the very best team in their very real sport. That would be true, of course. But its the last day of October. And for these Cubs -- still down, 3 games to 2, in this World Series -- every day could still be the last day of their season.So this is no time for the analogy police to step in and tell them their little Rocky skit has been ruled by the judges to be factually inappropriate. Not that theyd give a cahoot anyway -- because for this team, all that matters right now is this:Theyre alive. Theyre breathing. Theyre going to live to play another game in this fascinating World Series and this magical season. And for this group of men, that has a meaning beyond what you would probably expect.Yes, they keep their dream alive to win this World Series. But theres also one more thing. Winning the game they played Sunday means one more plane ride together. It means at least one more game together. It means at least one more day at the ballpark, hanging out with a group of people who love being around each other and playing baseball with each other.Its that team chemistry deal, man, said Kyle Schwarber. Its such a key factor in who we are. And its been our identity pretty much the whole season.So theyll climb onto that plane to Cleveland on Monday and feel more grateful to be boarding it than youll ever know. The sign posted in their clubhouse Sunday night said: HALLOWEEN COSTUMES ENCOURAGED ON THE PLANE. So as they prepared to play another win-or-else baseball game, these men were actually joking about going shopping Monday for costumes to wear on the plane. Because of course they were.Winning postseason baseball games is always serious business. But one thing that has separated this team from almost any Cubs team that has come before it is that it never let that business get too serious.Nevertheless, if the Cubs are really going to go the distance in this World Series -- if they are going to win Game 6 in Cleveland and then win a Game 7 against the best pitcher (Corey Kluber) that any team has faced this October -- it wont take a lot of fingers for them to count the list of teams that have done what theyre aspiring to do.No team has climbed out of a 3-to-1 hole to win any World Series in more than three decades, since Bretts 1985 Royals did it against the Cardinals. But only three teams have ever won a World Series the way the Cubs are trying to win it -- by going down, 3 games to 1, winning Game 5 at home and then taking Games 6 and 7 on the road.Those three are Stargells 1979 Pirates (against the Orioles), Mickey Lolichs 1968 Tigers (against the Cardinals) and Bob Turleys 1958 Yankees (against the Braves). And thats it.So the odds against the Cubs joining that group are longer than Lake Shore Drive. But lets just say this team has noticed it has already defied 71 years worth of odds that said that Cubs teams never get to this point in the first place. So why would they not believe that these odds dont apply to them, either?Were all about writing our own history, said Kris Bryant, whose game-tying fourth-inning homer Sunday could turn out to be a Series-changing moment if the Cubs keep winning. This team is a special one. And we look at so many times throughout the year where we havent been playing good, but I feel like we turn that around.Someone told me today, Bryant went on, that 17 times this year, we lost a game and went on to win three in a row. So why cant we do that now?The way to pull off what theyre trying to accomplish, actually, is exactly how Joe Maddon keeps laying it out -- with three one-game winning streaks. And history tells us that, too.You might be amazed to know that 61 percent of all teams that trailed in a World Series, 3 games to 2, have won Game 6. And of the 37 teams to pull that off, slightly more than half (19 to be exact) have also won Game 7.So its the totality of this task that is the challenge. But with each game a team like this wins, it seems to make it more likely that it can also win the next game. So lets just say these Cubs are going with that.Were making history, Addison Russell said. So why stop? This is entertaining to us. Its fun. And we live for this. We see a lot of challenges ahead of us, and we embrace them.All around their clubhouse, you could find men who would remind you that this wasnt their first moment of truth in this postseason. They had to score four times in the ninth in San Francisco to finish off the National League Division Series. They trailed the Dodgers, 2 games to 1, in the championship series and then won three games in a row. So this wasnt the first time theyve been tested. It was merely the most pressurized.But never had they been through anything quite like this. Falling behind early, on a Jose Ramirez home run. Feeling the tension rippling through their park in 42,000-part harmony. Then spurting back to take a 3-1 lead, only to have the Indians pull within a run, get Jon Lester out of the game and force Joe Maddon to bring in Aroldis Chapman for the first eight-out save of his life.Almost no one on this roster had played in a game quite as intense as this one, with a season hanging in the balance and every pitch throbbing with intensity -- inning after inning, hour after hour. So afterward, you could sense as much relief as euphoria.That was hard, man, said catcher David Ross, as he tried to describe what it was like to watch Chapman have to throw 42 pressure-packed pitches to finish this one off. I kept running in here [to the clubhouse] in between innings and telling the security guard, My heart cant take much more of this.That was high anxiety, Rizzo said. Just every pitch. And it was here, in Chicago. You could just feel the nervous energy. [Dramatic pause.] It was awesome.Well, sure. Its awesome if you win. Its awesome if you survive. But it can only truly be awesome if your team takes something away from a game like this that shows up in the games to come. So is it possible that happened Sunday night? It is, Ross said.Its important, said their voice of veteran wisdom. You keep adding to your résumé of things youve had to deal with and mentally, what you have to go through, and how you prepare and go about your business on the field. And the more that gets put on these guys shoulders over this year, the more they just continue to answer the bell.But they still have two more bells to answer. And theyll both be sounding in Cleveland, where an entire city will be savoring a chance to watch their very own drought end on their very own field. So the biggest tests are yet to come. But for Rocky Balboa and the 2016 Cubs, theyre just grateful for every chance to fight another title bout.Ive never, said Joe Maddon, been looking forward to wanting to play the seventh game of a World Series more in my life. Cheap NFL Jerseys China . "I wrote 36 on my sheet at the beginning of the game," the Cincinnati coach said, referring the yard line the ball would need to be snapped from. NFL Jerseys China . - Blake Griffin had 30 points and 12 rebounds, J. http://www.cheapjerseysapp.com/ .C. -- Chris Thorburn thinks one of the reasons the Winnipeg Jets have been successful under new coach Paul Maurice is that theyre playing together as a team. Wholesale Jerseys . Bradwell was scheduled to become a free agent Tuesday. Born and raised in Toronto, Bradwell is entering his sixth CFL season, with all six played for his hometown Argonauts. Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping . Galatasaray said in a statement on its website Monday that Mancini signed a three-year contract and will be paid 3.5 million euros for the upcoming season, with his salary upped to 4.Got a question on rule clarification, comments on rule enforcements or some memorable NHL stories? Kerry wants to answer your emails at cmonref@tsn.ca! Hey Kerry, I have a question on a video I watched not too long ago and thought maybe you can give some clarification and or give us some stories like always. So the video I saw was NYR vs BOS, during a timeout CNBC had a mic near NYR bench. Obviously Torts was unhappy (as always) and you can see him yelling at an official. However during the video you can clearly hear the official tell Torts "thats enough" then proceeded to swear at the coach. My question is, are the officials allowed to swear at the coaches? I was always under the impression that referees were supposed to be held at a higher standard than every other person on the ice. Seems odd that a ref would go as far as swearing at a coach who is already clearly heated in that type of situation. I understand the fact that everyone has their boiling points, and this official was getting tired of hearing Torts yelling at him. However isnt is the refs job to try and defuse situations rather than add fuel to the fire? Thanks again, love the articles Kory C ------ Kerry, There is a video circulating of a linesman yelling "Eff you" at John Tortorella. Judging by public image of the Rangers coach, he probably deserved it. On several occasions, you can read lips of the officials and phrases like "shut the eff up" seem to be pretty common. Im sure some guys do it more than others but Im wondering how common and accepted it really is for officials to swear at players and coaches? Thank you, Eugene Kory and Eugene, It is inappropriate for a referee or linesman to curse at a coach or player at any time! In the heat of the battle (and as emotions escalate), it is imperative that officials fight the human instinct to engage their perceived adversary. Instead, their objective should always be to defuse the situation by becoming part of the solution instead of part of the problem! The best way to do that is for the official to remain in control of his own emotions. That being said, have I ever slipped up and cursed at a player or coach? Absolutely! After all, there are times when we just cant fight off our human instincts. I must say, I learned very early in my career that to defuse hostile situations, I needed to remain as emotionally neutral as humanly possible. I also recognized that to be successful, I needed to develop positive relationships with players and coaches through appropriate forms of communication. From a state of calm, I attempted to exert control by creating a "win-win" situation wherever possible. I recognized that every player and coach had distinct and unique personalities and it was my job to figure out what worked best in dealing with them. Body language and tone of voice are two elements that need to be kept in check as an official enters a debate/confrontation. The first time I came to understand there was a better way in dealing with an out-of-control coach was when Bryan Murray was behind the Washington Capitals bench in the early 1980s. Bryan is an emotional guy and, at the time, led the league in bench penalties for his theatrics in protest of the officials decisions. During one game in the Cap Center, the coach was standing up on the dasher boards screaming wildly and waving his arms at me. I decided to try a differennt approach, since bench penalties didnt seem to be altering Bryans unacceptable behavior pattern.dddddddddddd I approached Murray with both of my hands up in front of me with palms open (a sign of peace as opposed to a finger point) and my monotone voice only loud enough so that I could be heard as opposed to screaming back at the out-of-control coach. I took control of the situation by stating to the coach that I would like to talk with him but in order for me to do so, he must calm down and to please get off the dasher boards. Bryan immediately complied to my polite request as his emotional pitch conformed more toward the one that I had presented to him. At this point, I started the conversation by saying, "You might not agree with what I have to tell you but let me explain the reason for my decision on the play." I quickly and calmly communicated with the coach what I saw on the play. Murray listened intently and then paused for a brief moment as he chose his words to respond. Bryan said, "Well youre right about one thing, Kerry, I dont agree with what you just said but thanks for coming over and explaining it to me!" In Bryans post-game interviews, he said the dialogue that he and I had was the first time that a referee ever approached him at the bench to provide an explanation and he really appreciated it. That incident taught me a huge lesson in relationship building. I also found that it was important for me to think of what I was going to say and actually hear myself before opening my mouth. When my emotions would start to rise and my voice got louder, I would take a breath in an attempt to return to centre or neutral. I can recall stopping in mid-sentence during a heated debate with a player and saying, "Im sorry I just said that; let me rephrase, what I meant to say was..." I learned the hard way it was much better to adopt the philosophy as a referee to "treat disrespect with respect" than to engage in or attempt to win an "Eff you" contest. I attempted to set acceptable and achievable limits for game participants similar to those I set for myself. Lastly, I tried not to take myself too seriously and to find humor in situations wherever possible. I learned that valuable quality early in my career as well when a team was getting their butts kicked at home and became extremely frustrated; especially with me. My response at the time, to their disrespect, was to assess misconduct penalties and as the score mounted near the end of the game, I had four players from the home team in the penalty box with 10s! The coach had enough of me as well and wanted to get thrown out of the game. He sent his captain over to me at the stoppage who very politely relayed a message for me. The captain said, "My coach wants to know if he can get a penalty for thinking?" Somewhat confused by the question, I responded by saying, "I guess not as long as he doesnt think out loud!" The captain then said, "In that case, he wanted me to tell you he thinks youre an Effing A#$%^&*!" I started to laugh, finding the humor in the statement. The coach, who was waiting for a battle response from me that never came, started to grin and then laugh as well. The game ended without further incident and a positive relationship blossomed with the coach. Sometimes you just have to find the humor in the situation, Torts! 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