Chicago -
By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
The only fans sadder than the ones in Baltimore today are the ones on the South Side, because Cubs. Plus: Blackhawks Deal Tops Cubs Deal; Follow The Bouncing Bulls; Mocking The Bears; and Up The Toffees!
Posted on February 26, 2016
The outfield is the position where a lot of fantasy owners look to satisfy needs for multi-stat depth. You may buy based on power at the infield corners and on speed up the middle, but the outfield is where you find the best athletes capable of feeding any different stat needs.
1. Bryce Harper, OF, WAS.
After he broke free of the hype, character questions and injury concerns (well, for the most part), what we got was a phenomenal MVP season. This year, I think he’s got a real chance at the batting triple crown – along with 120 or so runs scored.
Posted on February 25, 2016
By Roger Wallenstein
Regardless of the hype, Sunday wasn’t a great day at the Sadhouse on Madison.
Most of the time the Bulls toil in a quiet cavern until the last six minutes or so, when fans, who pay an average of $82 per ticket, get revved up at the prospect of the team scoring 100 points. Depending on the sponsor, this will get them a free taco, burger, or donut.
However, Sunday was different. Right from the opening tip, every time Kobe Bryant touched the ball, the more than 23,000 in attendance became energized, alert, and lively.
Posted on February 23, 2016
By Jim Coffman
We know one thing after Sunday’s brutal 6-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild at Gopher Stadium in the Twin Cities (if that isn’t what it’s called it should be): The Hawks have had enough of outdoor games. And no wonder, they’ve played more of these goofy contests than anyone else in the NHL.
There are plenty of other hockey teams that haven’t had the chance to experience the spectacle, the pageantry, the potentially brutal weather conditions (folks were fortunate yesterday – it could have easily been so much colder – and if that had been the case, would this really have been fun for anyone?). It is time to give the Hawks a break from the Stadium Series for a while.
Posted on February 22, 2016
By Roger Wallenstein
The White Sox opened spring training with a number of question marks, not the least of which are back of the rotation, right field, and outfield defense. But none is quite so glaring as the shortstop position.
Gone is Alexei Ramirez, a seven-year fixture in the middle infield on the South Side. (Ramirez played eight seasons for the Sox but only 16 games at shortstop his rookie year of 2008.) Ramirez’s $10 million salary was predictably declined by the front office which, like the rest of us, saw that the 34-year-old’s better days were behind him.
The Padres will pay Ramirez $3 million this season, and we wish him well.
Posted on February 20, 2016
By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
The Blues, The School of Science, The People’s Club. Plus: The Bread Man & Barack; Secord Still Sucks; Bulloney, Pitchers, Catchers, Cynics Report; and Jim’s Last Chicago Fire Comment Ever.
Posted on February 19, 2016
Beyond the top two or three choices, middle infielders mostly tend to produce middling fantasy results, which makes them positions worth gambling on. Why not take a budding prospect over a consistent day to day contributor? You might just strike gold.
Posted on February 18, 2016
By Mica Rosenberg/Reuters
As world soccer body FIFA faces pressure to reform in the wake of a global corruption scandal, several current and former media executives are raising questions about the transparency of the bidding process for U.S. radio broadcasting rights to the World Cup.
In particular, these executives point to the apparent two-decade lock on U.S. Spanish-language radio rights held by Miami-based broadcaster Futbol de Primera. The company was co-founded by Andres Cantor, who famously introduced American soccer fans to the Latin American style of yelling “Gooooooal!”
Posted on February 17, 2016
By David Randles/The Conversation
To quote Liverpool Football Club’s American owners, it was a tumultuous week – but the turbulence has been very much of their making. On seeing 10,000 disgruntled supporters walk out of Anfield in the 77th minute of the Premier League match against Sunderland, Fenway Sports Group was recently taught a valuable lesson in public relations. And other clubs should take note.
If the Liverpool hierarchy didn’t understand the importance of symbiotic relationships with supporters in the business of football, it does now.
Posted on February 15, 2016
By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
Matt Forte sent on his way. Plus: Krausening Peyton Manning; Maybe The Bulls Suck After All; Chicago Is Now NHL Draft Town, Too; Marian Hossa vs. Dennis Rodman; Surprising White Sox Savvy; and Livin’ La Vida Liverpool.
Posted on February 12, 2016
