On the same day that one Kansas City athlete found out that he won’t be playing for a month or so, another Kansas City athlete found out that his return from the brink of career disaster has officially come full circle.

Royals hurler Zack Greinke was named the AL Cy Young Award winner today, beating out Felix Hernandez, Justin Verlander, C.C. Sabathia, and Roy Halladay.

Curiously, Jose Contreras did not receive any votes.

For the season, Greinke went 16-8 with a 2.16 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, and struck out 242 batters in 229.1 innings. Clearly he was the most dominant pitcher the AL with the putrid performance of his team being the only black mark on his resume.

Good for the voters for not holding that against him.

Greinke’s Cy Young victory completes an incredible turnaround for the 26-year old pitcher whose promising career seemingly bottomed out in 2005 when he went 5-17 with a 5.80 ERA. It was later learned that Greinke suffers from social anxiety disorder, something that he clearly has a much better handle on now.

MSF salutes Zack Greinke, clearly the right choice for this year’s AL Cy Young Award.

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* – Zack Greinke photo credit: Robert Beck  via SI.com

Via The Big Lead, Sammy Sosa has addressed the swirling speculation over why his skin appeared so drastically different than we remember at a recent event he attended with his wife.

Incredibly, Sosa actually specifically addresses the notion that he may have somehow wanted to look like Michael Jackson. For the record, I don’t think anyone thought Sosa wanted to look like Jackson specifically, just that he might have been dealing with a similar skin pigmentation disorder or appearance issues.

Here is an excerpt from the ESPN story that describes Sosa’s response to the skin whitening speculation:

“It’s a bleaching cream that I apply before going to bed and whitens my skin some,” said the former slugger during the “Primer Impacto” program at the Univision Spanish network.

“It’s a cream that I have, that I use to soften [my skin], but has bleached me some. I’m not a racist, I live my life happily,” said a smiling Sosa during the interview.

….

“What happened was that I had been using the cream for a long time and that, combined with the bright TV lights, made my face look whiter than it really is. I don’t think I look like Michael Jackson,” Sosa said.

“I’m going to market it, I’m a businessman,” Sosa joked about the mysterious cream, about which he revealed only that it was bought in Europe.

We have obviously dabbled in some speculation regarding the cause of Sosa’s skin whitening, and there really is no point in getting into it more. Sammy says that he’s using a “bleaching cream” and that it whitens his skin some, and there is really no reason not to believe him.

And as anyone who has bleached their clothes knows, bleach tends to remove color. So the conclusion that we can draw from his statement is that either Sosa is, in fact, deliberately trying to alter his skin tone. And there are really only two possible explanations for why: it could be because of personal identity issues or a skin disorder, perhaps one like vitiligo that can cause patches of pigmentation loss and that he may want to cover up by lightening all of his skin.

So we’re basically back where we started with the speculation.

There is really no need to get into it any further. It is a personal choice of Sammy’s and he can do as he pleases. Since I was one of the first sites to post the pictures on Saturday, I just wanted to give Sosa’s side of it know that he’s spoken out.

If you want to delve further into the issue, you will find a variety of theories as to why Sosa’s skin is turning whiter in the content and comment sections of our first and second post about this story.

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* – Sammy Sosa photo credit: Big League Stew

The Yankees won the title this past Wednesday night, so the media has been less inclined to criticize or ignore baseball than usual of late. They’re also more likely to wrap the season up for 48 or 72 hours (instead of 24 or fewer) before moving 100% into football, instead of the 95% coverage the NFL has enjoyed since September.

But during the MLB playoffs, I did hear, nationally and locally, on TV, radio, and the blogs, that the postseason “lacked.” While it’s true no series went the distance, close to half of the 30 total games played went down the last  inning or even the final batter. The media’s consensus could not be more incorrect; this was a GREAT postseason overall.

Let’s take a look at the best games, in no particular order:

Game 3 ALDS: Anaheim at Boston

The Angels finally overcome a two-decade nightmare versus Boston by sweeping them in comeback fashion at Fenway: with three runs after two were out in the 9th, off a closer who’d never blown a postseason save.

Game 2 ALDS: Minnesota at New York

A-rod finally “gains his stripes” with a two run homer off Joe Nathan to tie the game in the 9th, then Mark Teixeira, in one of his few big hits during a subpar postseason, hits a walk-off to left in the 11th.

Game 4 NLDS: Philadelphia at Colorado

The Phillies close out the series with three in the 9th off Rockies’ closer Houston Street. This after the maligned bullpen blows a 2-1 8th inning lead, and the series looks destined to return to Philadelphia for a deciding fifth game.

Game 2 NLDS: Saint Louis at Los Angeles

Favored Cardinals are one out from tying the series on its way back to Saint Louis when Matt Holliday drops a fairly-routine fly ball, paving the way for an improbable Dodger rally off closer Ryan Franklin, capped by a walk-off single by seldom-used veteran Mark Loretta.

Game 4 NLCS: Los Angeles at Philadelphia

Dodgers are one out from a 2-2 series tie with pivotal game five on the horizon. However, Jimmy Rollins — who had a terrible postseason otherwise and was cocky to boot — splits the right centerfield gap to score two runs, giving the Phils a 3-1 series lead. They cruise in Game 5 to the pennant.

Games 2, 3 and 5 ALCS: Anaheim vs. New York

Game 2 saw Anaheim boot the ball all over the park, and blow an 11th inning lead, eventually losing in the 13th on an error in judgment by their second baseman. Rodriguez again hits a game-tying homerun to save the day for New York, this time in the 11th with two outs. Anaheim avoids pitching to him the rest of the series in close games.

In Game 3, Anaheim comes back from desperation down 3-0, ties the game, then after some questionable managerial moves by Joe Girardi, wins it on an 11th inning walk-off by their hot-hitting back-up catcher. (.533 in the playoffs)

Game 5 witnesses an early 4-0 Angels lead, then a six-run Yankee 7th as the Pinstripers move to within nine outs of the AL pennant. But Anaheim pieces together three clutch runs in the bottom of the frame, then holds on through a bases loaded, two out, full count at bat in the ninth. A spectacular game.

Game 4 World Series: New York at Philadelphia

A series changer. Phils comeback with a run in the 7th and 8th to tie Yanks, then Brad Lidge gets two quick outs in the 9th as Philadelphia looks toward the bottom of the 9th and a potential 2-2 series. Yet, down to his last strike, Johnny Damon singles, then Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada get back-to-back run-scoring doubles. New York puts a 3-1 stranglehold on the series as they move toward their 27th world title.

Honorable mention: Games 2 and 3 Philadelphia vs. Colorado; Game 2 Philadelphia at Los Angeles; Game 5 New York at Philadelphia.

And the best game, of course, was not a playoff game, but rather the “play-in” game on October 6 between Detroit and Minnesota. A classic if I ever saw one.

Sammy Sosa’s stunning new skin color is a story that continues to surprise, and this time the surprise has nothing to do with Sammy’s appearance. Rather, it has to do with the reaction that Sosa’s new look is getting from those in the city of the Chicago.

According to NBCChicago.com, there is a plurality of Chicagoans whose primary reaction to seeing the startling new Sosa picks is laughter. As of 1:33 am CT on November 8th, 41% of responding readers voted “laughing” as their response to seeing the new Sammy. This overwhelmingly topped “sad,” “bored,” and “intrigued,” which were the only other options to receive 10% or more of the vote.

Ironically enough, people from Philadelphia apparently have a little more compassion — or at least curiosity — regarding the new Sammy. Despite have a sports fan base that is renowned for its nastiness (ex. booing Michael Irvin while he lay motionless with a neck injury), the reaction with the plurality of the votes was “intrigued” at 41%.

Below are the screenshots if you’re the kind who likes documented proof of things. First is the Windy City, where the winds that once blew in fawning favor of Slammin’ Sammy obviously have not recovered from his inglorious exit from the city.

And here is Philadelphia, where the “City of Brotherly Love” monicker sometimes gets questions, but does at least appear to be somewhat apt in this case. At a minimum, there is less “brotherly mocking” than what Chicagoans are exhibiting.

Who knows, maybe both have small sample sizes and the numbers will be different in the morning. But I have to say that even knowing the hard feelings that existed in Wrigleyville after Sammy’s exit, I would have expected a little more compassion or at least patience than a plurality of laughter…especially when juxtaposed against the numbers from Philly.

Plus, it gave me something to write about while I wind down after dinner-and-a-movie night and prepare for bed.

I will tell you this: I side with the Philly people on this one.

I’ve been shocked, dismayed, and clearly very curious considering this is my third post on the Sosa subject…but I have not once laughed about Sammy’s new appearance. He is either trying to cover up a pigmentation disorder or purposefully trying to lighten his skin for some sort of psychological reason — no, I don’t buy the “it’s bad lighting!” nonsense — and I don’t consider either option funny.

A post that we made here on Friday afternoon regarding Sammy Sosa’s shockingly white appearance (hat tip again to Jimmy Traina) kicked off a flurry of activity around the web (for example: here, here, and here) and rightfully so.

The pictures are jarring.

It’s been a while since Sammy Sosa has been in the public eye, and we all remember a much darker version of him than what we are seeing in this current pictures. (Not to mention, as Big League Stew pointed out earlier this evening, when did Sammy start wearing green contacts?)

The obvious question in the immediate aftermath of these pictures making their way around the web is, what might be the root cause of Sammy’s paleness?

I decided to do a little digging — admittedly with a hypothesis that steroid use might have something to do with it — and found some interesting information.

Note 11/9: There has been a lot of traffic to this post and some very insightful and informed comments posted. Make sure you read the comments and take into account the fact that I’m not a doctor, but just an interested observer looking for explanations and trying to address the questions/comments I’m getting and reading.

Notice that I am not saying definitively that steroid use by Sammy caused whatever issue he’s going through now. And no one knows if it’s vitiligo, “skin rejuvenation”, etc. I just decided to search for some connection on the steroids angle and open up a forum for discussion since that was a lot of people’s first instinct.

Sammy Sosa with his wife at at a Person of the Year ceremony in honor of Juan Gabriel at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on Nov. 4. (Getty Images)

Hypothesizing that vitiligo might be the root cause of Sammy’s white appearance was a pretty obvious initial direction, and pretty much everyone who has posted about this has mentioned vitiligo (a skin disorder that claims Michael Jackson as its most famous victim).

However, I always assumed that contracting vitiligo was all based on genetics and hereditary issues. The truth, as I’ve come to learn while researching tonight, is that scientists and doctors are still unsure exactly what causes vitiligo.

The prevailing hypothesis seems to be that genetics play a major role in one’s chances of experiencing vitiligo symptoms, but there is also plenty of empirical evidence to suggest that single events and/or lifestyle choices can contribute as well.

Furthermore, there appears to be at least some evidence suggesting that steroid use could be one of the lifestyle choices that increases a person’s likelihood of becoming symptomatic with vitiligo.

Quick aside: I am obviously not a doctor, nor have I done anything more detailed than sift through various Google searches looking for a possible connection between steroids and vitiligo. I am not posting this as an explicit endorsement of the idea, but rather because I found it interesting and thought you might too. I trust you to take the information and make up your own mind.

Steroid.com, as you might expect, purports itself to be “the world’s most visited anabolic website”.  According to Quantcast, Steroid.com get around 125K visitors per month. Not too shabby, especially when the discussions center around activities that are, for the most part, illegal.

I found two forum discussions in particular that seem to suggest a possible connection:

Posted in Anabolic Steroids Q&A: White Blotches / Skin Pigmentation

Initial post: I have just finished my third cycle, after the last 2 cycles blothces on my skin, mainly my face and head have appeared, almost like loss of pigment on my skin. It begins approx 3-4 weeks after I have finished my cycle. When my face goes red from exercise or whatever these blothces are increasingly more noticeable. Does anyone have an idea what is causing this? Or can anyone recommend anything to combat it?

Forum poster response: Fluctuating hormones as the cause would be my guess. Do some google searches on vitiligo and hormones, testosterone, thyroid, etc. You’ll find some info out there.

Posted in Member’s Cycle Results: Melanotan and vitiligo

Initial post: Hi all i have a mate with vitiligo he has white hair eye brows and facial hair and white patches all over his skin. This started about 5 years ago and he has had a hard time with it!

The website Mesomorphosis.com also has a steroid forum where the topic of vitiligo has come up, in this case with a guy asking specifically about white splotches on his penis. Here is one of the responses:

in addition to the other comments here, i’d consider getting your estradiol and test levels checked, ur hormones can effect ur pheomelanin and eumelanin levels. and check if ur diet might be high in phytoestrogens or other endocrine disruptors.

Obviously I do not frequent these forums so I cannot vouch for the historical accuracy of the posters I am excerpting here. And a couple of discussions about vitiligo in a couple of steroid forums does not draw a direct line between steroid use, vitiligo, and Sammy Sosa’s apparent Michael Jackson starter kit.

However, here are a few more things that we do know about vitiligo:

From Medicine.net (and echoed numerous places elsewhere) regarding the use of anabolic steroids:

Notify your doctor if you develop: vomiting, skin color changes, swelling of the feet or ankles.

From WebMD.com regarding the prevalence of vitiligo, which is far more prevalent than I thought:

Vitiligo affects up to 2% of the population, and it is estimated that two to five million Americans have the condition. In most cases, vitiligo develops early in life, between the ages of ten and 30 years. Ninety-five per cent of those affected will develop the disorder before age 40.

For the record, Sammy Sosa turns 41 on November 12th of this year.

And finally, from MayoClinic.com regarding one of the common treatments of vitiligo, which will sound familiar to many Michael Jackson fans:

Depigmentation may be an option for you if you have vitiligo that covers more than half of your skin. Depigmentation therapy lightens the unaffected parts of your skin to match the areas that have already turned white. For this treatment, you apply a medication called monobenzene ether of hydroquinone twice a day to the areas of your skin that still have pigment. Treatment continues until the darker areas of your skin match the already-depigmented areas.

Ultimately, the only conclusion I can make is that there really is no definite conclusion to make. All we have are pictures to go off of. And while they may say 1,000 words, they aren’t telling us specifically what is going on with Sammy’s skin color.

Certainly the general consensus of the sports blogosphere is that Sammy is dealing with vitiligo or something like it, but we’re sports bloggers…not doctors.

I’ve tried my best to do some learning tonight so that I can at least discuss the topic in an informed manner, which I feel an obligation to do since I helped to give the story some momentum earlier this afternoon.

For me, the most intriguing question is if we will find out anything regarding whether Sammy’s confirmed steroid use might have contributed to whatever he is dealing with now.  Something tells me we won’t, and that this story will fade as we move into the weekend and get distracted by football.

However, if there is a connection, can you imagine how powerful of a statement to young athletes Sammy Sosa could make without even saying a word?

If the road this story ultimately travels manifests some connection between steroids and vitiligo (or skin pigmentation changes in general), it will just add one more layer in the case that can be made to young people imploring them to stay away from PEDs.

There is a certain level of vanity required for someone to make the decision to use steroids. No one with any semblance of vanity can look at these pictures of Sammy Sosa and not be both shocked and a little horrified.

Then again, maybe Sammy had dressed up as a vampire for Halloween the weekend before these pictures were taken and just hadn’t showered yet. For his sake, I hope so.

I just doubt it strongly, along with everyone else I’ve seen post about this tonight.

Update 9/9: The Chicago Tribune got ahold of a former Cubs employee who is still in contact with Sosa and says that Sammy is “not trying to be Michael Jackson.” Rather, he is supposedly going through a skin rejuvenation process that “women have…all of the time.”

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* – Sammy Sosa photo credit: Getty Images via Big League Stew

After reading this tweet and following the link supplied by Jimmy Traina, I had to quickly post this.

Does anyone know what is going on with Sammy Sosa?

As Traina’s tweet wonders, did Sosa get a facelift? Botox? Is he possibly dealing with vitiligo (the disease Michael Jackson suffered from that causes splotches of pigment-less skin)?

I am wondering if any of our readers knows of an explanation for Sosa’s drastically altered appearance.

Update: here is a link to our subsequent post on this topic, exploring a hypothesis that Sammy’s new pale look could be the result of vitiligo-like symptoms caused by steroid use.

This is clearly not a lighting issue or anything of that nature. Sosa looks completely different, and you can see him here and here at the same event in different light.

Despite the fact that I hate the Cubs and never was a Sosa fan, I’m not posting this to poke fun at Sammy. It just completely took me aback when I saw the pictures and I wanted to share. I imagine post people’s reaction will be similar and I’m hoping someone can shed some light on the reasoning or explanation behind it.

I don’t really know what else to say.

Quick update: Just sent this post over to my co-worker and his first reaction was to say, “that’s not Sammy Sosa! It must be photoshopped.” I thought so too at first, expect that the links supplied above show Sosa looking the same in pictures taken by many different photographers.

Here is a bigger version of the thumbnail picture above:

Another quick update. Here is a picture that was just sent to me of Sammy Sosa from May of 2009. He’s obviously a little more plump than we remember him (which is to be suspected), but you can see the obvious difference in his skin pigmentation:

One possible explanation posited by a number of readers: a really bad makeup job. I suppose that is possible, although if you look at this picture in particular, his hand is same color as his face. Why would he get makeup on his hand? Not sure the makeup explanation really flies.

Update 9/9: The Chicago Tribune got ahold of a former Cubs employee who is still in contact with Sosa and says that Sammy is “not trying to be Michael Jackson.” Rather, he is supposedly going through a skin rejuvenation process that “women have…all of the time.”

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* – Sammy Sosa looking white photo credit: PRN / PR Photos via Exposay.com

* – Sammy Sosa in May photo credit: Reuters via DayLife

After what must have felt like an eternity, it finally happened.

After years and years of disappointment and despair, happiness and joy finally reigned down on a forlorn franchise and its fans.

Yes, ladies and gentleman, after nearly a full decade without a World Series championship, New York Yankees fans finally awoke from their unbearable nightmare to fulfill their dreams of World Series euphoria.

I mean, look at the picture of this little boy. He is perhaps seven or eight or nine years old. Do you realize that until last night, this deprived young soul had never experienced a World Series championship?

His parents, his grandparents, his cousins, and any friends born in 2000 or before all had known a world in which the New York Yankees had been champions. This little boy, however, was forced to trudge through the first decade of his life in a purgatory usually reserved only for natives of Cleveland or the North Side of Chicago.

But now the world is right and this little Yankees fan, along with Yankees fans across the country, finally have a temporary reprieve from their suffering.

One fan base that certainly is happy for the Yankees are fans of the Chicago Cubs. In fact, in the aftermath of last night’s 7-3 Game Six victory over the Phillies, I spoke with 100-year old Cubs fan Wrigman Bartley to get his perspective on the Yankees winning again.

“Go f&$k yourself with your stupid questions, you dirty piece of White Sox scum,” he politely responded when I asked him what was going through his mind watching Derek Jeter celebrate his 5th World Series crown. “Those jerks in New York have now won 27 World Series titles and I’ve lived for a cotton-picking century and not experienced one.

“Even you and your pathetic White Sox got one in 2005. It’s unfair, it’s unjust, and it make me want to puke.”

He then immediately fell asleep as it was well past his bed time.

As my dad (a lifetime Yankees fan) texted me last night, “Everything is back to normal. The Yankees are World Series Champs.”

I suppose he is right.

It’s simply a fact of life that men like Wrigman Bartley cannot tell even their great-great-grandkids about the time they saw the Cubs win the World Series. But damnit, if a 9-year old Yankees fan has to suffer the injustice of entering 3rd grade or 4th grade without a World Series, the earth may as well just stop spinning on its axis.

Yes, all is truly now right with the world.

The Yankees are back on top, and it hasn’t even taken 24 hours for the rest of the nation to be sick of it.

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* – Yankees kid photo credit: KenjiBaseball via Flickr

* – Cubs fan photo credit: Katrina Wittkamp/Aurora Select via AARP.org

[Note: For clarity's sake, the Cubs fan pictured above is named Richard Savage, and you can read about him in this AARP profile. There is no "Wrigman Bartley"...I made him up simply for the sake of taking a gratuitous dig at Cubs fans, which any longtime reader of MSF knows is my favorite pastime.  The picture fit perfectly. Just didn't want anyone to be confused or for there to be stories in 48 hours with Richard Savage calling me an idiot blogger living in my mother's basement. Not that such a thing has ever happened before, but you get my drift.]

I need not recap the past five games too much, since TV ratings, as expected, have been extraordinary.

I think any baseball fan (not of the Yankees, I suppose) is happy we’ll see a World Series Game Six for the first time since 2003, due primarily to AJ Burnett’s ineffectiveness on three days rest, and of course, the magical bat of one Chase Utley.

I picked the Phillies in five, especially after they split in New York, and was wrong.

I find it amazing that, especially coming into the late innings of Game Four, three of the Yanks best players — Teixeira, Cano, Rodriguez — were all hitting under .100 in the series, and yet the Yanks were on their way to a 3-1 lead.

I guess that means New York has outpitched Philly, recorded the outs when needed, caught the balls when necessary, had the key choppers and flares find holes or drop (especially Damon, Posada and Jeter, sans Monday night in the 9th), and that Ryan Howard, MVP of the NLCS, has done nothing offensively — other than tie the World Series record for strikeouts in just five games.

Considering this background, I think Philadelphia will lose the series, because:

1. Their bullpen simply won’t be able to hold late leads on the road. They were awful much of the season, decent in the first two rounds, but reverted backwards in Games Four and Five. If Madson, Lidge and others struggled in front of a supportive crowd, how will they fare in a hostile Bronx versus a delirious crowd hungering for their first world title in a decade? Not well, my friends.

2. Charlie Manuel, who, in 48 hours has gone from genius to moron, then back to genius, won’t bruise Ryan Howard’s ego and rightly hit him 5th or 6th Wednesday night. The big first baseman clearly won’t touch Andy Pettitte or C.C. Sabathia; meanwhile, Jayson Werth hit two homeruns off Pettitte in Game Three, and therefore should hit 4th. Otherwise, Howard will be a liability and extend his record for Ks in a world series/postseason. He has 21 punchouts in 45 lifetime World Series at bats. That’s really, really bad.

Throwing Pedro Martinez in Game Six, considering his mostly-solid work in Game Two, is a no-brainer, as is throwing Andy Pettitte, who won Game Six for New York vs. Anaheim.

But what about Game Seven?

The Yanks will turn to Sabathia, which is hard to argue, but for Philly? Cole Hamels is an emotional wreck, and J.A. Happ has 28 career big league starts.

As for the Yankee bullpen, Damaso Marte will be used as much as possible, plus Mariano Rivera, who, overall, has been his usual self. The rest of the Yankee pen has been underwhelming.

Yanks in…seven.

I think Pettitte loses Game Six, or does not get a decision. Two of his four starts this postseason has been substandard, and three days rest will be difficult for the 37 year old Louisianan. But Sabathia gives New York enough on Thursday night — especially with the impending indecision on Philly’s starter – to give the Yankees their 27th world championship.

Johnny Damon — six hits in the last two games — will keep chugging along, and is named MVP. (Though, naturally, this morning on ESPN radio, Buster Olney and Mike Greenberg mused that if Chase Utley homers tonight — thereby breaking Reggie Jackson’s record for dingers in a Fall Classic — he should get strong consideration for MVP, especially if no one on the Yanks has a big night, and Rivera gets an easy save in a 6-2 or 5-1 victory. I disagree for reasons I need not enumerate.)

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* – Charlie Manuel photo credit: Chris Gardner/Getty Images via About.com

The 2009 World Series embodies everything that a Midwest baseball fan hates.

1) No representation from either of the Central Divisions. That’s right, no White Sox, Cubs, Cardinals, Tigers, Twins, Brewers, Astros, Indians, etc. In fact, none of these teams even really came close.

2) Two straight weeks of complete immersion in the East Coast bias/obsession that can become so annoying and grating during the regular season.

3) A battle of two teams with enormous payrolls who, on a yearly basis, pluck the best players off of teams in smaller markets who cannot afford them. (And yes, I know the Cubs, and to a certain extent the White Sox, have a high payroll…but Chicago gets Milton Bradley and Alex Rios, New York and Philly get C.C. and Cliff Lee.)

With all of that being said, I’ve decided that we have done enough actual analysis of this year’s World Series. AJ wrote a great preview piece earlier this week, and that will have to suffice.

In place of the article that I was going to write about the 2009 World Series (currently tied at 1-1 if you live in The Shire and don’t get Fox or have an Internet connection) before I thought more about it and just got pissed off, I decided that we could all benefit from a couple of gratuitous photo galleries of two of the most attractive WAGs on either team.

So while there are many legit questions out there as the series heads to Philly (What’s up with ARod and Ryan Howard? Does either manager have faith in its bullpen?), we are going to tackle one that is perhaps a little less exigent as part of our usual Friday Morning Would series.

Would you rather have your favorite baseball hero date Minka Kelly or Kate Hudson?

First, the tale of the tape:

Minka Kelly v Kate Hudson

Now some visual evidence of the two.

Note: click on the thumbnails to enlarge the pictures, then click the enlarged lightbox image to return it to thumbnail size.

Minka Kelly Pictures and Video

[View with PicLens]

Fast forward to the 2:40 mark of this one, from Friday Night Lights.

Kate Hudson Pictures and Video

[View with PicLens]

Okay, so now let’s break the debate down with some analysis of their respective positives and negatives.

Minka Kelly Positives:

• She seems very quiet and down-to-earth, not someone who will draw unnecessary attention to herself.
• She’s on a sports show about Texas high school football, so she clearly understands the old phrase “sports are not a matter of life or death…they’re much more important.”
• She’s a brunette, and I’ve always been partial to brunettes.

Kate Hudson Positives:

• She grew up in a world of fame and notoriety, so the spotlight will not faze her.
• She is both worldly and still relatively young
• She has a very solid, established career and makes good money herself; hence, she doesn’t need to date a famous baseball player

And now the negatives…

Wait, am I crazy? There aren’t any negatives for either one of these lovely ladies and they both clearly have been boons for their respective boyfriends’ performances this season.

Derek Jeter hit .334 during the regular season, which is .017 points higher than his already high career batting average. He also hit more home runs (18) than he’s hit since 2005 and stole more bases (30) than he has since 2006. And, as expected, so far so good in the playoffs as well. Jeter is 15-45 (.333) and has three HRs, five RBIs, and has scored ten runs.

Alex Rodriguez also had a solid season and then exploded during the first two playoff series, which many people actually attributed to the presence of Kate Hudson in his life. Something about how it made him relax more, or this, that, or the other.

Regardless, after hitting .286 with 30 HRs and 100 RBIs during the regular season — pretty pedestrian numbers by ARod’s lofty standards — he went 14-32 in the ALDS and ALCS with five HRs and 12 RBI, many of which were of the clutch variety. He has, however, struggled so far in the World Series (0-8 with 6 Ks).

So Minka Kelly clearly helped to engineer a regular season resurgence for The Captain, while Kate Hudson helped turn Alex Rodriguez into a playoff masher…at least until the World Series started.

The question though, is would you rather have your team’s star player dating? Is it as simple as the age-old blonde v brunette debate? Are there legitimate baseball reasons to choose one or the other? Do you not care and just feel grateful that I put together the two stunning photo galleries above?

Chime in below with your answer…and then, like me, go back to lamenting the absence of a non-East Coast team in the World Series while simultaneously preparing yourself to deal with it anyway.

I want you to play the song below while reading this post. Try, as best you can, to not be distracted by the vicious, piercing irony of the chorus as it relates to the sports teams of Cleveland.

I know, it’s not going to be easy…especially after the events of last night rubbed even more salt into the (eternally?) tragically open wounds of an entire city’s fan base.

On the same that night that the last two Cy Young Award winners — both of whom were Indians when they won it — faced off in Game 1 of the 2009 World Series, the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James dropped to 0-2.

You might think, well hey, at least Cleveland fans have the Browns game to look forward to this Sunday!

And this sentiment, of course, would be met either with hearty laughter or plaintive cries, all depending on one’s perspective, mood, and current level of sanity.

No, ladies and gentleman, sports in the city of Cleveland most certainly do not rock. Last night was simply further confirmation of this ever deepening and depressing truism.

But don’t take it from me. Scan the Cleveland sports blogosphere. It’s hard to wait for next year when you can barely make it from day to day this year.

Cavs/Raptors Reaction: Biff Goes Boom Again on Murder Mike — (Cleveland Frowns)

I’m beside myself about tonight’s Cavaliers loss in Toronto. In a town where Jhonny Peralta has been the starting shortstop for the better part of a decade and Brian Robiskie is a second round pick, it’s too much to bear yet another coach who’s too dumb to see what’s apparent to even the most casual of fans.

Tribe Fans Hide Your Eyes: D-Day is Here — (Waiting For Next Year)

Most Indians fans I know refuse to watch one second of it. I for one, will be glued to the TV. Will it make me sick? Absolutely. Seeing two former Indian aces face off against one another, knowing that just one year ago, they were in the same rotation in our city, is nausiating.

Note: to be fair, this post by WFNY does go onto say that the departures of C.C. and Cliff Lee were somewhat inevitable and that you can’t hold the feet of Indians’ management to the fire for too long as punishment.

Still, the fact remains, what other fan base has had to watch that?

Only in Cleveland.

Time-honored tradition of rooting against teams has arrived for Browns fans — (No Logo Needed)

After Mangini’s press conference on Monday where he stated he’s sticking with Derek Anderson and his 40.6 quarterback rating the Voice of Reason is officially throwing in the towel.  I’m done, stop the fight.  Bring out Zastudil and let him punt my fandom (and this season) out at the 5-yard line.

Cleveland Browns are how bad? — (Starting Blocks)

The Cleveland Browns are probably worse than their 1-6 record indicates.

In the Browns’ last two games, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers have combined for 1,003 yards gained against the Browns porous defense.

The Browns’ inept offense has totaled 336 yards in the two games.

The Cleveland Browns have played 907 games, including playoffs, since they began as a franchise in the All-America Football Conference in 1946.

Never has the team had a worse two-game stretch in yardage differential. Pitrtsburgh and Green Bay outgained the Browns by a combined 667 yards.

For some reason the spelling error in this excerpt just seems appropriate. Hence, I left it. Why not? It fits the motif.

Meet the Snworb — (The Kardiac Kid)

The Browns’ lethargic, pathetic performance last week against the Packers summed up their last 10 years of futility. Fans and pundits call for the heads of Lerner, Kokinis, and Mangini, or argue that we should boycott the Browns. We could fire Mangini and Kokinis, but it would begin another rebuilding process. Lerner could sell the team, but who’s to say the new owner would be any better? And why should Browns fans boycott a team they love?

None of these solutions get us any closer to what Clevelanders really want: a competitive professional football team.

Cleveland fought hard for the Browns.

The new Browns franchise is unacceptable.

The City of Cleveland should take the name, colors, logos and legacy of the Cleveland Browns away from this franchise*.

I think that’s enough of the excerpting.

Point taken, right?

As far as the Indians are concerned, the meeting of C.C. and Cliff Lee was more the malevolence of circumstance than anything else. Yes, it sucks for Indians fans that the team couldn’t keep one or both of them, but the economics of Major League Baseball dictated their departure.

You see, C.C. ends up on the Yankees and Cliff Lee ends up on the Phillies…yet the Indians, nor any other club, ever once had a chance to bid on Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Chase Utley, or Ryan Howard. Notice the glaring difference? (Note: this is not an original thought. I read it somewhere and cannot remember where to link back.)

As Rasheed Wallace once brilliantly said in a post-game interview: “it is what is is, and it do what it do.”

As far as the Cavs are concerned, I’m on record as saying that the Shaq experiment is a bad one. I just don’t see it working. Shaq of ten or even five years ago? Sure, it’s a good move. Rotund, immobile, uninspired Shaq of today?

Hell no.

I still have faith that LeBron can single-handedly make some sweet lemonade out of the lemons surrounding him, but I just really don’t see this team as being closer to an NBA championship this year than they were last year.

Time will tell, but the Cavs could not have had a more inauspicious start. to the season

And then there are the Browns.

Oh the Browns.

What is there really to say? As a commenter pointed out in the Starting Blocks post I linked to above, “somebody”predicted dire consequences if Eric Mangini were hired. We’re stuck with the current situation right now, so I’m trying to make the best of it, but games like last Sunday really make it difficult.

At the end of the day, the only thing that Cleveland sports fans really have to get them through such dire (life)times is eachother. And here, here, and here you go for the evidence.

When my mom looked at these pictures, her first comment was, “Wow, these all people all just go there to get drunk, don’t they?”

Yes, I suppose technically that is true in most cases. But look around the sports landscape at what these people are forced to cheer for. They go there and to cope.

To survive.

The lyrics to the song may say that “Cleveland rocks,” but unfortunately the only thing that ever gets rocked are the hopes, dreams, and wishes of Cleveland sports fans.

Game after game.

Year after frustrating year.

So they wait. And in the meantime they find solace at places like the Great Lakes Brewery, with tools like 8-person beer bongs, and with coolers full of Jello shots.

And I don’t think anyone can really blame them.

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* – Browns fan photo credit: daniel1212 at PhotoBucket

* – Indians fans photo credit: Clemson Baseball Girl

Earlier this afternoon Myles and I had the great pleasure to host SI.com’s Jimmy Traina on the latest edition of the MSF Podcast.

We are grateful that he was able to take 30+ minutes out of his afternoon to talk with us, and impressed that he was able to be so composed…what with his beloved Yankees (especially Derek and Minka) preparing for Game 1 of the 2009 World Series tonight.

But I guess when you’ve already won 27 of them and can buy your way into the playoffs every year, it’s easy to stay even keel. (Actually, more on this topic later.)

If you are not familiar with his work, Jimmy Traina runs the Hot Clicks blog on SI.com and is an editor of the always entertaining Extra Mustard section of the site, which fuses sports, pop culture, and humor. Hot Clicks is one of the most visited sports pages on a daily basis, as any publisher knows who has ever received a link from Traina.

Let’s just say it can put a strain on your server.

Use the in-page player below to listen to the podcast, or feel free to download this and all MSF podcasts for free on iTunes.

Tonight’s game — between ex-Indians CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee — provided an excellent introductory topic, as Traina offered his advice to Indians fans (watch anything else) and went against the grain from what you might assume he’d say concerning payroll discrepancies in baseball.

We also discussed the pressure of always being expected to win, whether he thinks A-Rod can ever become a “true Yankee,” what it was like to meet his hero Derek Jeter, and his thoughts on Mark Sanchez and Hotdoggate.

From there, a very informative discussion ensued regarding his role and daily duties at SI.com, how he acquired what most guys would consider to be a dream job, and how his view of the media has changed over the years — including how being on TV or in a newspaper does not necessarily mean that you know more than the average sports fan. (And yes we’re talking about you Jay Mariotti and Chip Caray.)

Finally, we rolled out a new section of the podcast that is currently going by the ultra-creative name of Five Questions. We won’t give away of the answers — you’ll have to listen to the podcast — but here are the questions so you’ll know what to look forward to:

1. In honor of Aslyum.com’s Movember promotion to raise cancer awareness, what are your top 3 non-Mattingly mustaches?
2. Who is your favorite SI swimsuit model of all-time? (Hint: she’s pictured to the right)
3. If you were told that tomorrow was going to be your final Hot Clicks, which lovely lady would get the featured spot at the top of your last hurrah post?
4. What is the best Halloween costume you’ve seen? (This answer definitely surprised (and somewhat disturbed) me.
5. Choose one of the following options: film a documentary in which you go trick or treating this weekend with either one of the Road Warriors, in full costume…or…be the fifth wheel for a double date with Derek Jeter, Minka Kelly, A-Rod and Kate Hudson.

Once again, we thank Jimmy for his time and think you’ll enjoy this latest MSF podcast offering. It is both entertaining and informative, especially if you’ve ever entertained a career in sports media or had a massive man crush on Derek Jeter.

And if you want some solid Yankees commentary during the games this week and next, follow Jimmy on Twitter, @jimmytraina, and definitely make Hot Clicks a daily stop.

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* – Jimmy Traina photo credit: SI.com

* – Derek Jeter / Minka Kelly photo credit: Brian Bahr/Getty Images via SI.com

* – Mallory Snyder photo credit: MM Agency

There will not be a freeway series this year in baseball, nor will there be a cross-country coastal series. There will be an “Amtrak” Series, however.

And hopefully the Phils and Yanks will travel like The Babe did in the old days when they commute back and forth over the next week or so in the Fall Classic.

By virtue of a clutch game 4 win that gave them series control and an eventual second consecutive NL pennant, the Philadelphia Phillies will take on the New York Yankees, fresh off another close victory and series win over the gutsy Anaheim Angels.

Before we get into previewing the 2009 World Series between the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies, here is a quick look at the TV schedule and probable pitching matchups (which we will update as more information becomes available).

Yankees-Phillies 2009 World Series TV Schedule and Probable Pitching Matchups

While the Phils waited nearly 100 hours to see who they’d face from the AL, New York was busy capitalizing on Angel miscues again (while leaving busloads of runners on base) to take the AL pennant early Monday morning before a hungry crowd at the new Yankee Stadium.

Do we have the two best teams in baseball playing for the world title for perhaps the first time since 2004? Some would argue yes; I might argue no (Chicago and Houston were darn good in 2005, but since they did not play on the east coast, the media would not admit it; the Rays and Phils were arguably the two best in 2008, but Tampa is not Boston nor New York).

In any event, Clifton Phifer Lee and ALCS MVP Carsten Charles Sabathia take the hill Wednesday night to kick of the 124th World Series.

(It’s very sad for an Indian fan such as myself to see the two starting pitchers in the World Series opener be ex-Cleveland hurlers… and the past two Cy Young winners! Even Yahoo Sports, in one of their previews, noted this is “a match up that only a Clevelander could hate.” They then went further with that analysis. Indeed, my wife and I saw Lee and Sabathia pitch in person FOR the Indians back-to-back nights just 16 months ago in Cleveland.)

Reading the New York papers the past two mornings, you’d think the Phillies should not even show up. Long-time NY sportswriter and all around know-it-all, Mike Lupica, has pretty much guaranteed a Yankee victory parade, while all is forgiven of Alex Rodriguez, who plays in his first Fall Classic. Monday’s huge New York Daily News headline deliriously blasted “World is right again” — with the Yanks back as AL Champs.

Aside from the ignorant hyperbole, not all baseball fans are thrilled (in fact, probably the majority) the Yankees will play in the Series. And it’s not their players or even their payroll, but often the unchecked egos of their fans and media, most of whom I know didn’t watch the playoffs the past eight seasons once the Pinstripers were eliminated.

“I am a Yankee fan, not a baseball fan,” one New York friend emailed me last night. Another temporarily blocked my emails when I questioned Joe Girardi’s moves in Game 3. Even the venerable “Paper of Record,” rarely known for their detailed sports takes, has deemed the past few Yankee-less World Series as “clunkers.”

The great fans of Boston, Chicago, Saint Louis, Detroit and Philadelphia might disagree.

Philly fans, who can be abrasive, are now suddenly the underdog for the first time in awhile, despite being the experienced, defending champs. They’re “excited” about this opportunity. But since they were champs last year, shouldn’t the Yankees be “excited” too, or even more ecstatic, since so many of them have never played on the grandest stage? No, they’re the Yankees; they “belong” here. They’re now the sentimental favorite, apparently. A New York-centric view of the world indeed.

One Phillie fan I know, wrote me s such:

“For a team that hasn’t won a World Series in the last nine seasons, they are awfully entitled, thanks to ESPN, SI, etc., constantly declaring them as champions at the start of every year.”

But I truly digress…and apologize.

The Yanks were, in many ways, given games 1, 2 and 6 at home versus the Angels. Their only clutch hit with men on base during Sunday’s clincher was Johnny Damon’s 4th inning single, while overall, aside from the 7th inning of game 5 and throughout game 4’s drubbing, the Yanks relied on homeruns for their offense, mostly solo shots.

Again, give them credit for pouncing on their opponents’ mistakes, but it was sad for any baseball fan to see the Angels implode, considering Anaheim had the best defensive season in franchise history during 2009. The Phils are good defensively too, and will want to avoid those shortcomings, hoping, among much else, that Chase Utley ceases turning the double play like Chuck Knoblauch or Steve Sax.

Old adages and history often tell us that good pitching beats good hitting. And though these teams have no doubt pitched well, they also have the best hitting lineups in baseball, so as usual, the clichés may work oppositely.

Philadelphia has a deeper starting rotation, but is it actually better than New York’s top three?

The Phils, overall, have better position players than the Yanks, especially in the outfield; they have an AL-style lineup, while New York, despite immense power and payroll, played small-ball to beat the Angels in at least two ALCS games. This World Series will probably come down pitching, especially with men on base — like most playoff short series do — but a few key decisions must be made:

• Does New York plan to use Sabathia on three days rest twice (if necessary)? Or will Chad Gaudin, who’s thrown one meaningless inning this postseason, pitch in game 4?
• Is Charlie Manuel right to throw Pedro Martinez in game 2? And is he doing this more to shelter 2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels from the Bronx crowd?  Or because he has a hunch about this being a “special” October for Martinez, who knows New York’s hostile atmosphere very well? If the former, how confident can “Jolly Cholly” be if Hamels has to start a game 6 or 7 in NY? Hamels is a key — perhaps THE key — to the outcome of this series. Period.
• Despite Jorge Posada’s one RBI in the ALCS and ten LOB in game 6, is Joe Girardi still going to have Jose Molina catch instead of Posada, and thus have two near-automatic outs in the lineup?
• Is Philly considering Cliff Lee on three days rest for game 4, or do they have confidence in Joe Blanton/J.A. Happ?
• Will it greatly hurt the Yankee offense when they sit Hideki Matsui in Philadelphia? And assuming the Phils DH Raul Ibanez in New York, how much of a lift will putting Ben Francisco and/or Greg Dobbs in the lineup give the NL champs?
• With respect to bullpens, while Philly’s was better than expected in the NLCS, sans Game 2, the Yankees, especially Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain ,were still subpar. Of course, Mariano Rivera was solid, if not spectacular, sans the 8th inning Game 6. Brad Lidge was Rivera in 2008, but this is 2009.

The storylines are splendid, and the two skippers as different as night and day. In the end, will the Yanks hang banner number 27, or will Philly become the first NL squad to win consecutive titles in 33 years?

To me, the first two games should answer those ultimate questions. Therefore my prediction is that if New York takes a 2-0 lead, it’s over. But if Philly can steal one in The Bronx — i.e. if AJ Burnett comes out flat — I’ll take the Phils, perhaps in as few as five games. At least this series will draw huge TV ratings. They’ve already been through the roof this postseason, in spite of all the unnecessary days off between and during series.

Last thought: where would the Yankees be without the capital to acquire Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and Burnett, three of the five main keys to their success in 2009, and two-thirds of their starting pitching rotation? The third being Andy Pettitte, who, without steroids, would have retired by now.

By the same token, where would the Phillies be without Cliff Lee and Raul Ibanez? Even I, regularly reticent to utilize such banalities, cannot ignore the “rich getting richer.”

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* – C.C. Sabathia photo credit: AP via Newsday

* – Cliff Lee photo credit: The Zo Zone

If you are a Yankees fan, today is a bittersweet Friday for you as the ALCS will go back to the Bronx. And if you didn’t watch the game, this tweet from MSF’s second-favorite Yankee fan (Dad is #1) sums it up quite perfectly:

I’d like to see a “Yankees 3, Girard 2″ backpage tomrorow, with “Clueless Joe” as a runnerup. Don’t let me down, News & Post. Good night.

I personally couldn’t care less. I’m actually glad Joe Girardi keeps making baffling moves (and that the Yankees jinx themselves) because, in the absence of NLCS drama, the ALCS is at least giving us a 6th game.

So for all of you Yankees fans out there, don’t be too down in the dumps today. Your team is still up 3-2, you still have the best lineup, you still have Mariano Rivera, you still have C.C. Sabathia ready to dominate a Game 7, and…

…Derek Jeter is still daring Minka Kelly.

So continue reading as Minka and I show you What You Need To Read this Friday morning.

Hot Topics

Think the “Sports Fan Coalition” has your best interests at heart? Hardly. The guys at the aptly named Rumors and Rants tell you why.

The Deadspin-ESPN thing will probably have blown over by the time you read this, but here is an interesting take on the issue at TUP.

Who’s the current leader for the Heisman? MoonDog offers his opinion.

Very interesting take, specifically about Kevin Durant, at the Wall Street Journal on emerging stats-based analysis of the NBA.

Week 7 of the NFL season is approaching. If you need help with your picks, Sharapova’s Thigh is a good place to go.

Midwest sports news

In Cavaliers news, Rick and the boys at WFNY are helping Shaquille O’Neal learn his new offense in Cleveland. Plus, LeBron wants to dunk on George Bush.

In Bears news, Cedric Benson is still being called out for his comments from earlier this week. And no one has funnier in-game, with-helmet-on expressions than Jay Cutler…so create a caption!

In Cubs news, will a new hitting instructor help end the curse???

In Bulls news, Derrick Rose is living a pretty charmed life right now, wouldn’t you say? Hanging out with Marissa Miller, being picked as preseason NBA MVP by Rick Bucher…not a bad way to start the new season.

In Browns news, Brady Quinn is losing a lot of money with Derek Anderson starting and so many guys have the flu, will they even be able to field a full team this Sunday???

In Hoosiers news, Coach K says something I agree with: Indiana should celebrate the coaching legacy of Bob Knight.

In White Sox news, GM Ken Williams is not paying attention to the playoffs but has finally opened up about his plans for the offseason.

In Tennessee Volunteer news, we know that Lane Kiffin will do crazy things to lure recruits. Here are some details.

Blogging and social media

Blogs with Balls 2.0 was recently held in Las Vegas. Here is some reaction from the participants, plus an insightful look at the future of sports blogging from Alana G.

A pretty glaring example of plagiarism in the blogosphere.

Interesting story from NPR about how Facebook and Myspace are divided among social lines.

A nice Blog World Recap by the most lijit social media expert out there.

Other random stuff

Sports Crackle Pop calls “bullshit” on this Got Milk ad with Chauncey Billups. I tend to agree…and hate milk after working out…but it is a good source of protein.

According to HMJ, 44% of Americans think marijuana should be legalized. What say you?

Some sports cliches just need to be done away with.

Awesome: 7 Rules Sports Movies Live By, courtesy of the good folks at Gunaxin.

Beer pong, by Nike.

Ha, ha, ha

HMJ has the pic of Andy Milonakas giving weed to a homeless guy.

There is no explanation for this, so just watch it…and prepare to be rendered speechless as you are regaled by the ridiculous tale of a man, his horse, and its raisin-like taste. (Note: I decided to just embed the video below too.)

More funny pictures of Jeff Fisher from Tirico Suave.

Jim Zorn will apparently now be coaching from the parking lot.

A little something for the fellas

The next Erin Andrews?

Just because: The University of Oregon cheerleaders

The 20 Hottest Female Mascots of All-Time

Guyism presents the girls of 1986

Video Goodness

***Take note, a few brief moments of this video — and perhaps a close examination of the lyrics — have some NSFW elements. But otherwise, as ridiculously stupid as this is, I guarantee you it will get stuck in your head and that you will laugh. That’s all I’m going to say.***

Have a great Friday and a great weekend everybody. Send your tips/comments/suggestions to jerod [at] midwestsportsfans [dot] com.

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* – Minka Kelly photo credits: AskMen.com

Have you been paying attention to the Major League Baseball Playoffs? If so, and you’re a present or former Cleveland Indians Fan, you have noticed the ridiculous amount of former Indians playing outstanding baseball.

Meanwhile, Cleveland Indians owner Larry Dolan can’t figure out why the Indians’ attendance has plummeted since the Dick Jacobs days.

Here is a hint Larry: you have only paid Grady Sizemore, and that is it.

The Indians produce a mediocre team year in and year out, and the fans day by day miss Dick Jacobs more and more.

The title, “If You Pay Them, They Will Come” means that if you pay the players you let go, your fans would appear in groves to Progressive Field. With the talent you let go and that is currently stretched across the eight teams that made this year’s playoffs, you too would be contending for a World Series title.

Think about the revenue that you would be raking in having playoff games at the Jake, sorry, Progressive Field. It would be insane. Look back at the mid-90s numbers that the Jake was bringing in.

The numbers are staggering.

From 1995 through 2001, the Cleveland Indians averaged over 41,000 in attendance per game.  From 2002 through 2008 your average game attendance plummeted to a dismal 22,800, nearly a 50% reduction!

Game one of the 2009 World Series appears headed for a matchup of Cliff Lee versus C.C. Sabathia. Does that not make you sick!?

Your back-to-back Cy Young award winners that you let waltz out the door.

It is no coincidence that these two aces helped carry their respective teams to the playoffs and beyond, and you had them both!!!

Click here for the remainder of the Cleveland Indians currently playing in the playoffs and sound off your frustrations!!

Kurt Fraschetti / ProFootballinsight.net
Kurt@ProFootballinsight.net

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* – C.C. Sabathia photo credit: AP via Newsday

* – Cliff Lee photo credit: The Zo Zone

AJ, who wrote two excellent previews of the ALCS and NLCS, provided great insight on some of the key matchups and components that will ultimately determine who ends up playing for the World Series.

And Myles and I discussed the question I posed earlier today: does “guy code” dictate that we should all forgive Mike Sim-Walker?

So enjoy the latest edition of the MSF Podcast, and look for more general sports discussion in a similar format each Thursday moving forward.