THE THING I HATE ABOUT MONSTER MOVIES...

I love monster movies, but the thing I hate about them these days is that you always know who's going to win and who's going to lose. Whether it's monsters versus monsters (in which case the top-billed monster—say, Godzilla—wins) or monsters versus humans (does any monster ever win when pitted against bankable Hollywood humans?), the outcome is certain.

About the Cardinals@Nationals contest beginning tonight, I can say one thing. I know which monster will prevail. Which is unfortunate, since I love dramas where most of the suspense lies in not knowing what's going to happen.