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Once again, Kyle Orton proves his QB value

The wonderful thing about sports is you can always expect the unexpected. What you think will happen won't, and what you think won't happen will.

That's why I'm amused on a consistent basis how so-called experts like myself make the same mistakes over and over. We frequently let our emotions get away from us, and it happens to all of us.

When the trip isn't watch was expected, however, a few of the smart ones will eventually get off the train they are riding.

Sometimes a lost cause surfaces, though, and makes a comeback, like with one by one of my favorite Chicago Bears quarterbacks of all time - Kyle Orton.

I remember being on local radio when Orton was leaving the Bears, and he told me he appreciated me sticking up for him. Well, guess who was starting for the Buffalo Bills last Sunday and beating the Detroit Lions? Yep, it was Orton.

Here in Chicago, though, Jay Cutler was once again failing to close out a much-needed game against the Carolina Panthers.

Hey, I never thought the Bears should have acquired Cutler in the first place. The Denver Broncos traded him, and that's all I needed to know.

I have to be straight up, though, because I also wanted to keep Josh McCown and the injured QB just isn't getting it done in Tampa Bay with Lovie Smith.

MLB Playoff selections:

I took the Baltimore Orioles over the Kansas City Royals on my Rebel Inside video the other day at dailyherald.com, and mentioned to stay tuned for the National League winner.

While I believe it's going to be the San Francisco Giants, I respect the St. Louis Cardinals immensely, and they may have the best franchise in all of baseball.

Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times called the Cardinals the San Antonio Spurs of MLB, and I think that's a good comparison. But the Giants seem to make some noise almost every other year, and this just might be the one it makes even more.

I'll bet most people don't even know the Giants manager is Bruce Bochy, but he is one of the best.

It appears the Giants and Cards are evenly matched, which makes this a difficult series to handicap, so I have to go by my gut.

Both managers, Bochy and Mike Metheny, have tasted success. The Giants have Madison Baumgarner (18-10), the Cards have Adam Wainwright (20-9). The Giants have Pablo Sandoval, Buster Posey and Hunter Pence, and the Cards have Matt Carpenter, Yadier Molina and Matt Holliday, so it looks comparable.

The gut says the Giants will get it done against the Cards. I am sticking with my Orioles pick because I think the Royals will simply run out of gas.

Program notes:

Follow me on Twitter@ north2north, and listen to Fox Sports Daybreak with Andy Furman and myself from 5-8 a.m. Monday through Friday on Fox Sports radio, and check me out on iHeart radio or Foxsportsradio.com.

• North's column appears each Tuesday and Friday in the Daily Herald, and his video commentary can be found Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at dailyherald.com. For more, visit northtonorth.com.

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