A sports blog by and for Midwest Sports Fans
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For the first time in my life, LeBron James finally seemed human.
Maybe it was his elbow. Maybe it was because, as ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser said, “…he looked like he had his bags packed already…”, or maybe it was just because the King clamped up at the time the light shined on him most.
Whichever conspiracy theory you may want to believe, there is one simple fact:
LeBron did not shine in his biggest moment.
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Two articles that I read this morning, one by a writer from Chicago and the other by a writer from New York, illustrate why I am so proud to align myself with my home in the Midwest…and why I can so emphatically tell The Big Apple to kiss my lilly white, corn-fed ass.
As you know, I have not been a big fan of ESPN’s pretty obvious agenda to get LeBron James to go to New York. Sometimes I feel like ESPN New York should be rebranded as ESPN Go To New York LeBron.
Here is the most current example, by none other than Ian O’Connor, who has never met a moment that couldn’t be seized upon to pontificate about the inevitability of LeBron going to NY:
Across the way, LeBron was sitting in a chair at his locker, soaking his feet in a tub of ice. He eventually showered, threw on a black-and-white sweatsuit and headed for a postgame podium to praise the Celtics, acknowledge that his elbow “limited me some” and declare he’s “going to approach this summer with the right mindset.”
The mindset of a great entertainer who looked and sounded like he’s on his way to Broadway.
Unfortunately for O’Conner, and in ESPN’s defense, this viewpoint was not shared by all at the WWL last night.
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The Cubs season hasn’t started off too badly, but some think they have underperformed given the payroll and the “stars” they have on their lineup.
You can make a legitimate argument that at the rate the players are getting paid, they should be performing at a higher level, yielding better results. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
The Cubs have the third highest payroll ($146,859,000), only trailing the Red Sox and, of course, the Yankees. Since you’re paying these players the big money to win, you hope they can win a division title or, ideally, a World Series title.
It doesn’t look the World Series drought will end this year for the Cubs though. Their record stands at 15-20, and the future is not looking bright for the ‘lovable losers’.
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One of the must-follow Twitter accounts during this NBA season, and especially over the past few days, has been @CavsWITNESS. If you are a long-suffering Cavs fan (excuse the redundancy) he is a must follow because he is not only informed, but also eternally optimistic.
Well last night, in the aftermath of the Cavs’ Game 6 loss to the Celtics, during a time when Twitter vitriol for Mike Brown was predictably strong, @CavsWITNESS tweeted something that got the wheels spinning in my head:
It must be said, Mike Brown is a good man and good coach. He also must learn tough lessons of youth. Do recognize what has been done here. Brown’s time in Cleveland has passed. It is not, however, the deeply tragic story you are feeling right now. Time will show.
What really stuck out to me was line I bolded for effect: Do recognize what has been done here.
And it got me to wondering if any coach in NBA history (maybe even in sports history) had ever done so much while earning so little respect.
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Update: Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com is reporting that New York Jets starting quarterback Mark Sanchez has started jogging and is eyeing a return in mid-June for the team's minicamp. Sanchez is three months removed from surgery on his left knee.
Fantasy Impact: Sanchez also ran on a treadmill last week to test out the knee. Looks like he's healing just fine.
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Update: The Chicago Tribune is reporting unsigned restricted free agent FS O.J. Atogwe is very unlikely to be a Bear next season. The Bears drafted Major Wright and traded for Chris Harris, and therefore don't have a place for Atogwe.
Fantasy Impact: Atogwe is content on becoming a free agent, and will do so should he fail to sign his tender by June 1st. He will have plenty of suitors.
This content was written and contributed by Nova Fantasy Sports and is syndicated on Midwest Sports Fans.| Tweet | Email Post
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Update: The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Bears running back Matt Forte will get "60 to 70 percent of the running back touches this season.
Fantasy Impact: Forte and new comer Chester Taylor are similar backs and can catch the ball out of the backfield. They will likely steal carries from each other limiting their value in fantasy leagues.
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Update: The Newark Star Ledger is reporting All-Pro CB Darrelle Revis said talks with the Jets regarding a contract extension are underway. Revis is slated to earn $1 million this season, the fourth year of his rookie deal that is set to void after this season.
Fantasy Impact: Revis is the best in the game, and will most likely earn the richest deal ever for a player at his position. The Jets would be foolish not to pay him.
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Update: Shawne Merriman fired his agent, Tom Condon, and this might mean that his time with the Chargers will come to an end, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Fantasy Impact: It had been speculated that Condon was the issue with Merriman's future because he was asking for a long term deal for his client. Now with him out of the picture it might make it easier for the Chargers to deal Merriman.
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Update: Tight end Reggie Kelly has officially re-signed with the Cincinnati Bengals, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Fantasy Impact: Jermaine Gresham and Chase Coffman, are the go to guys at the tight end position, but Kelly will take on the role of the veteran grooming these two youngsters.
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This isn’t specifically Midwest-related, but I found it to be pretty interesting.
Bengie Molina, the catcher for the San Francisco Giants, wrote a blog post yesterday at his Behind the Mask blog taking ESPN to task for mocking his slow running. (Note: I didn’t see this section of SportsCenter, so I’m going off of how Molina described the segment.)
Essentially, Molina calls out ESPN for sophomorically making fun of his Konerko-like speed around the basepaths and ignoring other aspects of the game like a strong start by Matt Cain and Nate Schierholtz’s first home run of the season.
I’ve ruminated on this for a good 30-45 minutes now since first reading it and have come to the following “conclusion”: I sympathize with your point Bengie, but dude, get a sense of humor.
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If you’re a Cavs fan like me, Tuesday night’s game not only broke your heart, but it broke your TV, vase, and your cell phone. It might have also included a little throwing up here and there, losing a few brain cells, and getting emotional on Twitter…
Game 5 was disgusting, to say the least.
It pissed me off.
I’m a die hard NBA fan, and I could cover all teams if I felt like it. But the Cavs hold a special place in my heart and when something like this goes down, I feel like I must tear them down.
With the Cavaliers now a single game away from letting down the whole state of Ohio, a single game away from possibly tearing up a team we’ve known for years, and a single game away from losing the greatest player since Jordan, there’s no reason not to tear them down!
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Yes, yes, I have called for his head numerous times, but if he gets blamed when the team struggles, he most certainly deserves praise when the RedLegs are hot.
And boy, Cincy is finally playing well.
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The Chicago Blackhawks and the San Jose Sharks both took down two worthy opponents in their second round of playoff action.
The Hawks beat the Vancouver Canucks in six, and the Sharks shocked the hockey world with an upset of the Detroit Red Wings in five games. The two best teams, seed-wise, left in the NHL Playoffs will battle it out to see who is worthy of playing for the Stanley Cup.
If the regular season record between these two mean anything to anybody, it would be in the Hawks’ favor.
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Update: The Saints have waived wide receiver Chris Bell, according to ESPN.com.
Fantasy Impact: Bell has some talent, but he just can't seem to stick on an NFL roster. He might get another shot to get on an NFL roster, but he is nothing more than a practice player at this point.
This content was written and contributed by Nova Fantasy Sports and is syndicated on Midwest Sports Fans.
