Cubs games starting late

If the Cubs playoff appearance on TBS seems like a dream, it just might be. The first two games in Arizona don't start until after 9 p.m. and most likely will linger past midnight.

Forcing third-graders to stay up four hours after bedtime on a school night to see the game on a cable station isn't the best way to build a new generation of fans. Advertising demands have put an end to those days of sneaking a transistor radio into the classroom.

Some parents may decide it's better to make kids skip the games completely than to send them to bed during the fourth inning. Even Cinderella teams should be done by midnight.

At least the action at Wrigley Field gets going before dark. Saturday's broadcast starts at 5 p.m., and Sunday's game (if needed) begins at noon on TNT.