Tag Archives: sports

Review: “Wrigley Field: An Oral And Narrative History Of The Home Of The Chicago Cubs” by Ira Berkow

Spring Training is fast approaching and so is the season when great baseball books are released. “Wrigley Field: An Oral And Narrative History Of The Chicago Cubs” could be the gem of the year.

Ira Berkow went all out and made the most all-encompassing book about Wrigley Field ever printed. Not only are there interesting stories, but the photos in this book are amazing. Panoramic shots from various seats in the bleachers and rooftop seats to intimate portraits of early Cubs players.

This isn’t a small book. It’s a ‘coffee table’ book in size, but with enough written content to read and not just flip through.

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2014 NBA All-Star Weekend: Betting Odds

The first-half of the NBA season is nearly complete and NBA All-Star Weekend starts this Friday.

The most anticipated events are the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest and Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout on Saturday and the actual All-Star game on Sunday.

The betting odds for these three events are very interesting. There are a few favorites in each event, but some underdogs interest me. You could get a bit lucky and win a nice chunk of change.

Will Lebron James and Kevin Durant battle for the All-Star game MVP? Is the second time’s the charm for Paul George in the Slam Dunk Contest? Can Stephen Curry hold off defending champion Kyrie Irving in the Three-Point Contest?

Here are the odds for All-Star Game MVP, Slam Dunk Champion and 3-Point Shootout winner.

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Fantasy Basketball: Week 9 – Top 10 Waiver Wire Pickups

I hope you’re doing well in fantasy basketball this season. I’ve been taking chances on guys with big upside and stashing them away. That strategy has worked so far, but I’m still tweaking with my roster, in-between poker hands at 888poker.com. I just keep finding quality guys on the waiver wire.

I advise you to look at every box score, especially bad teams’ box scores. You can find a few gems on bad teams. Players aren’t as highly coveted and they can slip through the cracks. You will find bargains, trust me.

For example, the Milwaukee Bucks have a few players worth a pick up, you’ll find two in this post.

Most of these players are owned in less than 50% of leagues (and some are owned in less than 10%). You should pick these guys up or at least keep a close eye on them.

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2013 MLB Rule 5 Draft Results

It’s rare I cover baseball news this time of year. NFL, NBA, NHL and college football are in-season and the only news worth mentioning right now are significant trades.

I try to weed out trade and free agent rumors in MLB, since there is so much fabricated information. Agents leak out wrong information to gain leverage in negotiations.

Something did happen today in the MLB, the Rule 5 Draft. As you may already know, the Texas Rangers selected Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson in the minor-league portion of the draft. Wilson played some minor league baseball in the Colorado Rockies farm system.

In the past, the major league portion of the MLB Rule 5 Draft has been significant in the past. Josh Hamilton, Jose Bautista, Johan Santana, R.A. Dickey and even hall of famer Roberto Clemente have been selected in the past. Here are today’s results and what the rules are after drafting a player.

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2013-14 College Football: Bowl Schedule

We all know Florida State will meet Auburn in the BCS National Championship game, but now the rest of the bowl schedule is also finalized.

We list the teams playing in each bowl game, what time each game is on and which channel you can find it. It’s no surprise that ESPN carries most of the bowl games.

We also list the handful of bowl-eligible teams that did not receive a bowl bid.

Where did Oregon, Oklahoma State, Ohio State and Alabama fall after late-season losses?

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2013-14 College Basketball – All-Name Team

I’m a little late this year with my college basketball ‘All-Name Team’, but it’s been a busy football season.

We have many new entries this season, but I’m sad many of the great names like Chief Kickingstallionsims have graduated.

We picked through every Division-I college basketball roster and a few smaller schools for our list. This year’s class isn’t as solid as in years past. We are in a rebuilding year in hopes that next year’s class will be filled with gold.

My name is Bobby Roberts, so I am often jealous of people with unique names. The most unique thing about my name is that I was not born ‘Robert Roberts’, Bobby is my given name. I don’t know too many grown men named Bobby.

This list consists of names that we wished he had and ones we find humorous.

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Could Auburn Leapfrog Ohio State In BCS?

Auburn just had one of the most improbable last-second victories over a #1 ranked team in college football history. Is that enough hyperbole for you?

Auburn ran back an Alabama missed field goal 100+ yards as time expired to win the game. They now find themselves in the SEC Championship title game next week.

Earlier in the day, Florida State easily beat Florida and Ohio State squeaked by Michigan. As it stands right now, those two teams would be playing in the BCS Championship game in Pasadena, California.

The ACC and Big Ten are two of the weakest BCS conferences this year. So, are we really going to see a Florida State/Ohio State BCS Championship game?

If Auburn and Ohio State both win next week, could Auburn leapfrog Ohio State in the BCS Standings?

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Did Jason Kidd Spill Drink On Court To Delay Game?

Did Brooklyn Nets head coach Jason Kidd pull a fast one on the refs?

In the closing seconds of the Nets/Lakers game, Brooklyn found themselves trailing 96-94 with 8.3 seconds left in the game. They ran out of timeouts and that’s when coach Kidd pulled out a playground trick.

As Tyshawn Taylor headed to the bench, you can see Kidd mouth the words, ‘hit me.” Kidd had a drink in his hand and when Taylor bumped him, he spilled his drink on the court. This delayed the game while ball boys and other staff wiped the spill on the court. Kidd had enough time to speak to a few of his players.

I think he did it on purpose, but you decide for yourself. The video is posted after the jump…

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Fantasy Basketball: Week 5 – Top 10 Waiver Wire Pickups

Fantasy basketball just finished its first month of play. The toll of the season is starting to show its ugly face. A few major injuries occurred last week with Marc Gasol and Derrick Rose both suffering significant injuries.

Sports is all about opportunity and ‘the next guy up’, so Memphis and Chicago will look to the bench. Which players will benefit the most and receive more playing time?

On the other side, there are a few guys returning from injuries (Trevor Ariza & Tobias Harris). Which players on Washington and Orlando will they replace in the lineup?

Most of these players are owned in less than 50% of leagues (and some are owned in less than 10%). You should pick these guys up or at least keep a close eye on them.

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2013-14 College Football: Bowl Projections [UPDATED]

Well, yesterday’s games really put a wrench all bowl projections written last week. Baylor, Oregon and Texas A&M’s losses rearranged a half dozen bowl games and moved Arizona State, Oklahoma State and Missouri up a few spots.

There are 35 bowl games this year, so 70 spots are up for grabs. Not every team that wins six games will play in a bowl game. As of today, 66 teams are already eligible, with most teams still one regular season game left.

We project the teams that will play in all 35 bowl games this year as of November 24th, 2013. Many bowl games are shaping up to be fun to watch…but a few bowls are looking bad, really bad.

We can’t wait to pick these games against the spread…that will come much later.

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What Will Pacers Do With Danny Granger?

The Pacers are currently 11-1 with the best record in the Eastern Conference. They have exceeded all expectations and even took the Miami Heat to a Game 7 in the conference finals last season…but they have a huge problem. It’s a problem many teams in the NBA wish they could have. Danny Granger.

Granger, who has been out for nearly a calendar year, is due back next month. Lance Stephenson replaced him in the starting lineup and is becoming a star. He has already recorded two triple-doubles this season.

When Granger comes back, do you mess with the chemistry of the team and replace Stephenson in the starting lineup? Could they bring Granger, their longest tenured player, off the bench? Is a trade the best long-term solution to the problem?

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Fantasy Basketball: Week 4 – Top 10 Waiver Wire Pickups

Fantasy basketball just finished its third week of play…and the injury bug has plagued some key fantasy players. This is when researching depth charts can drastically change your team’s production.

Steve Nash, Ersan Ilyasova, Trevor Ariza, Dion Waiters, Chauncey Billups and Michael Carter-Williams are all dealing with injuries. This post focuses on their replacements for the week and a few gems who are earning more playing time.

Most of these players are owned in less than 50% of leagues (and some are owned in less than 25%). You should pick these guys up or at least keep a close eye on them.

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