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Saturday stats: According to an ESPN Sports Poll, LeBron James is the most popular player in the NBA. Well, he already was the most prominent player on ESPN, based on seeing him almost endlessly during the season. The Miami Heat star was the favorite with 12.9 percent of poll respondents. He topped runner-up Kobe Bryant (12.5) of the Los Angeles Lakers for the first time since 2008-09 (before King James lost his crown by leaving Cleveland for Miami. Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant (3.6) was third, Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose fourth (2.8) and Miami’s Dwyane Wade fifth (2.6). Gee, imagine how popular Rose might have been if he hadn’t missed all of last season as he recuperated (physically and psychologically) from anterior cruciate ligament surgery.
There always is room around here for a photo of Chicago Bliss players.
* With their 5-1 loss to the visiting Kansas City Royals, the White Sox dropped to 40-60 for the season and 16 game behind the American League Central-leading Detoit Tigers. Meaning all the Sox have to do is win their next 20 games to get to .500 and have the Tigers go 3-17 to move past Detroit. Assuming the mathematical computation department at elliottharris.com has figured correctly. And assuming the Sox are capable of winning 20 games in a row. Would you believe capable of winning 20 more games by the end of the season? That sounds more plausible.
* Speaking of the Sox, left felder Casper Wells dropped a ninth-inning fly ball to give the team 71 for the season. In 2012, the Sox committed 70 — for the entire season. On the bright (?) side, it was Wells’ first error of the season. Yeah, didn’t think that would be much consolation to Sox fans.
* Speaking of errrors, San Francisco first baseman Brandon Belt let Anhony Rizzo’s ninth-inning grounder that would have ended the game go through his legs for a two-run error and a 3-2 Cubs victory. The Cubs are 46-55 and the Giants 46-56. And which one won the 2012 World Series? That’s a rhetorical question, but for those wondering, the Cubs last one in ’08 (as in 1908).
* The Cubs have a better record than the White Sox. And which team is rebuilding? Something says both will be very shortly. Or as soon as Sox general manager Rich Hahn can find a trading partner for some of his veteran players.
* The Chicago Bliss defeated Minnesota 25-12 Friday to improve its Legends Footbal League record to 2-1. The Bliss plays next on Aug. 10 at Green Bay with postseason possibilities looming. And for those who think there is a LFL mention merely to run a photo of a Bliss player, please remember around here we need to justification/rationalization for doing whatever we do. Such freedom comes with running your own show. Or site. Thank you for your indulgence.
The WNBA’s “Three to See” apparently was not meant to be — as far as the 2013 all-star game is concerned. Brittney Griner, Elena Delle Donne and Skylar Diggins — the top three selections in the 2013 draft — will not participate in the league’s contest Saturday (July 27) in Uncasville, Conn.
Phoenix center Griner and Chicago forward Delle Donne are injured after being chosen to start (Delle Donne led all players in all-star balloting, a first for a rookie). Tulsa guard Diggins has been less than sensational and was not selected as a reserve.
The league announced Friday (what took it so long?) Delle Donne, who suffered a concussion in the Sky’s loss Wednesday at Washington will miss the game. She leads the league in free-throw percentage (.931) and is fourth in scoring (18.2 points per game). Griner has been sidelined by a knee injury.
For those who would like a glimpse into Delle Donne’s life, here is some video definitely worthy watching. An incredible story:
Here is where to go for a daily dose of non-gratuitous video (thanks to the efforts of the editorial and video departments at elliottharris.com and their generous definition of “gratuitous”):
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