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      LeBron hearts the Yankees

      October 5, 2007 /

      LeBron James has never kept his fan loyalty to the Yankees a secret. In fact, LeBron announced to millions of people last weekend while hosting “Saturday Night Live” that he was going to be rooting for the Yankees, even if they drew the Indians in the first round of the playoffs.

      Hey, everyone has a right to root for whichever team they want, even professional athletes. To each his own, right? But as a Cleveland sports fan myself, I’m not down with LeBron showing up for Game 1 at the Jake Thursday night wearing a Yankees cap, and then taunting the fans with the hat during the game. That just doesn’t sit right with me, and judging by this message board, it doesn’t sit right with a lot of Cleveland fans.

      Cleveland is most definitely a football city, but LeBron is without question the face of Cleveland sports right now…at least until Brady Quinn takes the Browns to the Super Bowl. That doesn’t mean that LeBron has to root for every Cleveland sports franchise, but he crossed the line when he wore a Yankees hat to the game last night. That’d be like David Ortiz donning a Peyton Manning jersey during a Colts/Pats game in New England or, even worse, Tom Brady wearing a Yankees hat to a Sox/Yankees game at Fenway. You just don’t do it.

      Yes, athletes are fans too, and they all rooted for other teams before they landed their current gigs. I get that. We all get that. But fans need to feel connected to their superstar players, to feel like they’re rooting for one of their own. LeBron showing off his Yankee pride at the Jake doesn’t have any effect on what he’s going to do on the basketball court this coming season, but it certainly has an effect on the fans’ relationship with him. That’s not to say that he’s going to get booed at The Q, but it creates that much more separation between the fans and the player.

      Even worse, it leads to even more uncertainty about LeBron’s future in Cleveland. After all, if he’s not loyal to his hometown baseball team, then how loyal is he going to be to his hometown basketball team when his contract runs out, especially if a big market franchise has the cap room to give him a max deal?

      Take note, LeBron: If you’re going to side with the enemy, do it in the comforts of your own home.

      MLB, NBA

      Tribe, D-Backs and Rockies roll

      October 5, 2007 /

      Who said the newbies wouldn’t complete? The postseason-starved Indians crushed the Yankees to take a 1-0 series lead, while the Diamondbacks and Rockies cruised to a 2-0 advantage in their respective match ups. Find recaps below.

      Rockies 10, Phillies 5
      Colorado used the long ball to beat Philadelphia in Game 2, getting two dingers from Matt Holiday and a grand slam from Kazuo Matsui, the first of his career. The Denver Post believes it’s the Rockies’ mojo that is willing them to victory…While Jim Salisbury of The Philadelphia Inquirer thinks the Phils were so content with stealing the NL East from the Mets that they’re just trying to sleepwalk past the Rockies.

      Diamondbacks 8, Cubs 4
      Chicago jumped out to an early 2-0 lead when youngster Geovany Soto homered in the second. But Arizona hammered Cubs starter Ted Lilly, collecting four runs in the second and two more in the fourth. Jason P. Skoda of The Arizona Republic gushed over Augie Ojeda’s penchant for being a thorn in the Cubs’ side…In Chicago, Sun Times columnist Jay Mariotti referred to this series as a choke-job by the Cubs, one the team has never seen before (really).

      Indians 12, Yankees 3
      Cleveland got a blast from the past as the postseason-savvy Kenny Loften went 3 for 4, with four RBI and a run scored. Thanks to a long postseason layoff and a huge Game 1 rout, the fans are pumped in Cleveland writes Plain Dealer reporter Grant Segall…In the Bronx, New York Post columnist Mike Puma criticizes Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui for letting Tribe pitcher C.C. Sabathia off the hook in a wild fifth inning.

      MLB

      Week 5 Preview

      October 4, 2007 /

      Every week, I highlight a few players to start and a few players to sit at each position. I’m a firm believer in starting your studs, so I won’t tell you about how Carson Palmer or LaDainian Tomlinson has a tough matchup – just go ahead and start them. I’ll focus on the borderline guys – players you’ll only start under the right circumstances. It’s important to note that depending on your roster and situation, you may not be able to follow these recommendations. For example, if I suggest you bench a solid starter like Ben Roethlisberger, only do so if you have a clearly better option on your bench.

      START ‘EM

      QB: Jay Cutler looks like a nice start against the Chargers, who have given up an average of 253 yards and 2 TD per game thus far…Expect a good game out of Matt Schaub, who may not throw for a ton of yards against Miami, but should be good for a TD or two…Chad Pennington has a pretty nice matchup against the Giants, who have allowed 219 yards and 2 TD per game…For the desperate (or Donovan McNabb and Carson Palmer owners), Jason Campbell has a nice matchup against the Lions, who have been pretty bad against the pass.

      RB: Edgerrin James is in for a big day against the Rams, who have yielded the 4th most rushing yards (along with 1.8 rush TD) per game…Marion Barber and Julius Jones look like decent starts against a Bills defense that has allowed 148 yards per game on the ground…Ahman Green (or Ron Dayne, if Green can’t go) should have a nice day against the Dolphins, who are last in the league in rush defense…It looks like Clinton Portis will play, and he’s a nice start against the Lions, who have given up 1.5 rush TD per game thus far.

      WR: Could Lee Evans build on his first decent game of the season? The Cowboys have been pretty bad against opposing wideouts and there’s a good chance that the Bills will be playing catchup for most of the game…Brandon Marshall (and Javon Walker, if he plays) are must-starts against the Chargers…Wes Welker faces the Browns (30th in passing yards allowed) is a definite start in PPR leagues.

      SIT ‘EM

      QB: It would be wise to bench Derek Anderson against the Patriots. He can start if necessary, because there’s a decent chance he’ll rack up yardage trying to catch up, but the Pats have been tough against opposing QBs…David Garrard and Damon Huard should be avoided in the JAX/KC game. Both defenses are in the top 5 in the league in fewest passing yards allowed…Philip Rivers has a brutal matchup against the Broncos, who have allowed only 115 yards and just 1.3 TD per game.

      RB: Marshawn Lynch faces the Cowboys, who have yielded an average of 81 yards and 0.3 TD on the ground…Jamal Lewis managed to score against a stingy Ravens rush D, and this week he has to face the Pats who are 3rd in the league in rush defense…Brian Leonard will find the going tough against a surprisingly good Arizona rush defense. The Cardinals have allowed just 96 yards per game on the ground…Cedric Benson has been spotty this season and this week he faces a Packers defense that has yet to allow a rushing TD.

      WR: I know it’s tough to bench him, but Braylon Edwards may struggle if the Pats are successful in their plan to limit the Browns’ passing game. He should start in most leagues unless owners have another good option at WR…Dwayne Bowe is on fire, but he faces a Jags defense that has allowed just 151 yards and 0.3 TD through the air in three games…Vincent Jackson will probably continue to struggle when he goes up against Champ Bailey and the rest of the Denver secondary…Don’t expect much out of Joey Galloway, who had a very quiet week 4. He faces a Colts secondary that is tough to throw on (176 yards per game).

      SLEEPER OF THE WEEK

      Antwaan Randle El (vs. DET)
      Randle El should get more targets if Santana Moss doesn’t play (and it appears that he won’t). Since his huge week 1, he’s been pretty quiet, but the Lions secondary is very suspect.

      TOUGH SLEDDING

      Shaun Alexander (@ PIT), Frank Gore (vs. BAL)
      Unless you have a better option, Alexander and Gore should still be in your starting lineup, but ratchet down the expectations for these studs. Both defenses are in the top 8 against the run and have given up just one rush TD so far this season.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

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