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Thursday thoughts: Chicago baseball can have this claim to fame (or possibly infamy) this season: the longest spring training in big-league history. Because that’s basically what the rest of the season will be for both teams, as the front office for each will assess its young players to determine who merits being in the major leagues. Well, that’s after cutting as much payroll as possibile and creating more openings for names few have heard of. And likely will not hear much of again.
Chicago Bliss quarterback/safety Heather Furr is serious about football.
* From the fine folks at Bovada, (www.Bovada.lv, Twitter: @BovadaLV) come some odds to win the World Series: 13-2: Detroit; 7-1: St. Louis; 8-1: Atlanta; 9-1: Boston, Los Angeles Dodgers; 10-1: Oakland; 12-1: Texas; 15-1: Cincinnati, Washington Nationals; 16-1: Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay; 18-1: Baltimore Orioles; 20-1: Arizon; 25-1: Cleveland Indians; 28-1: New York Yankees; 33-1: Los Angeles Angels, San Francisco; 40-1: Toronto; 50-1: Philadelphia; 66-1: Colorado Rockies; 75-1: Kansas City; 100-1: San Diego; 250-1:New York Mets; 500-1: Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Minnesota, Seattle; 1,000-1″ Milwaukee, Houston; 5,000-1: Miami.
* For those looking for some postseason activity in the not-too-distant future, the Legends Football League (formerly Lingerie Football League) announced Wednesday the league’s divisional playoffs will be held Aug. 17 at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill. They originally had been scheduled for Denver There will be an Eastern Conference game between the No. 2 and 3 seeds at 7 p.m. with the Western Conference contest scheduled for 9 p.m. The Chicago Bliss could end up playing a postseason game at its home venue. Tickets to the contest will entitle patrons to view both games.
* Speaking of the LFL, voting for the all-fantasy team began Wednesday and will run through July 31. For information how to cast a ballot, click here.
* Anyone upset that the Chicago Blackhawks did not win Team of the Year at the ESPYs needs to realize hockey is the fourth of pro sports’ four majors (football, baseball, basketball and hockey) and rates behind college football and basketball with many people whose familiarity with ice generally involves a mixed alcoholic beverage.
* Speaking of the ESPYs, here is Robin Roberts receiving the Arthur Ashe award for courage (and for all those who detest LeBron James, the basketball star showed a side few are familiar with as he introduced her):
More from the ESPYs:
Chicago Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot is a guest on the July 18 “Sports & Torts” show.
If it’s Thursday (and chances are excellent that it is because yesterday was Wednesday — provided that you are reading this on July 18, 2013, or a subsequent Thursday), then it is time once again for “Sports & Torts” at noon Central time on Talkzone.com with co-hosts David Spada and Elliott Harris. The highly acclaimed interview program (well, it is held in such high regard in the Spada and Harris households as well as reportedly elsewhere) has another stellar show scheduled for July 18.
The guests for the July 18 effort at Chicago Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot (the No. 3 overall pick in the 2011 WNBA draft who was an all-star as a rookie — meaning she played in the last all-star game the league held) and legendary linebacker Sam Huff, who gained fame with the New York Giants in the 1950s.
If you miss the noon broadcast (and/or if you would like to enjoy an encore presentation), the show should be available later Thursday via podcast on Talkzone.com.
Speaking of the Sky, it has a game Thursday morning on the road against the New York Liberty. Meaning by the time you read this, the SKy would have an 11-4 record heading into a rematch with the Liberty Saturday night at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill.
The players voted into the starting lineups for the 2013 all-star game are to be announced Thursday night. Chances would seem excellent for the Sky having a player (or more) voted in by fans. Forward Elena Delle Donne, the overall leader in early voting, appears to have an excellent chance to be the first rookie to lead overall voting. Sky center Sylvia Fowles, the Eastern Conference player of the week, also is a possibility to start.
Sky forward Swin Cash was MVP of the 2011 contest (there was no game in 2012 because of the Olympics) when she played for Seattle. Sky guard Epiphanny Prince no doubt would have been an all-star if there had been a 2012 contest.
Reserves will be announced July 23. A guess (not necessarily educated because I am the one making it) is the Sky will have at least three players on the all-star squad.
Here is where we go for our daily dose of non-gratuitous video (thanks, as always, to the editorial and video departments at elliottharris.com and their broad-minded definition of “gratuitous”):
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