Harmon Joins Illinois Media School Talking Chicago & Career
Tuesday afternoon, I had a fun opportunity to chat with the next generation of sports talking heads at the Illinois Media School. Keith Susmarski and Jack Savio invited me to ponder the meaning of life, talk some Chicago and Los Angeles sports and travel the long and winding road of my career in sports media. […]
A Message For The College-Bound By Brian Grey
As I traversed my social media timelines on Monday, I found a gem between accounts of the eclipse. Yes, there were some solid, professional takes in the mix to offset the crazy “built my own viewer” crowd. I was most taken back by the photos showing large gatherings of people in city centers and campuses. […]
Wojnarowski Explains “Pick-Tipping” On FSR
On Thursday night, the NBA welcomed its latest draft class. After months of speculation, the top pick went down without incident. The Minnesota Timberwolves selected Karl-Anthony Towns from Kentucky, the first of a long parade of John Calipari disciples. Calipari had six players selected overall, including four in the lottery. I digress. Calipari was one […]
Participation Trophy: Are You A F-O-G? Join The Gonzalez Family In Miami
I saw a headline on Yahoo! Sports that grabbed my interest. I would have loved to sit in on the pitch meeting that netted this gem from the Marlins. “So … the Nationals are coming to town.” “The Nationals. Well, they’re not in first place right now, so we have to scrap that language.” “What […]
“Just Sit Right Back …” Yasiel Puig’s On A Boat
“Viva Puig!” It’s a battle cry heard across Los Angeles as the Cuban defector leads the Dodgers back into NL West contention. Across the United States, that sentiment is shared by fantasy owners who won the bidding war for Puig’s services. For the past several days, Major League Baseball pundits, former players and fans have […]
Not A Bad Consolation Prize: No Kate Upton, But Nina Agdal Steps Up
Jake Davidson made national news and went viral when he invited Kate Upton to prom in the greater Los Angeles area. Alas, Ms. Upton was otherwise engaged. However, her SI teammate, Nina Agdal, stepped into the mix and will accompany Davidson to the prom. Check out the full story here. The original pitch got over […]
PTC: Harmon’s Blog With MLB & Life-Saving Technology 523
As longtime readers know, I grew up on the South Side. Yes, it needs to be capitalized. The White Sox have long turned to trainer Herm Schneider to monitor player health, and his ability to rehab players is the stuff of baseball legend (Bo Jackson, anyone?). Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports wrote a piece chronicling […]
FMC: Matt Kemp Delivers A Major League Moment
Don’t worry. I’ll celebrate Matt Harvey’s heroics in grand fashion on the Dome come Wednesday. I wanted to acknowledge and celebrate a great off-field act from Dodgers star Matt Kemp. The video of Matt Kemp’s gracious and heartwarming act in San Francisco has dominated social media for the better part of the past 24 hours. […]
FMC: General Manager John Schneider of the Seattle Seahawks
Everybody chant with me. “Be aggressive! Be — Be — Aggressive!” Alright, so there might have been a “Bring It On” reference at some point this week that got random cheers stuck up in the Dome. The flag is being raised on a new era for the Dome, and I commemorate this period with the […]
The Ravens Have Changed Quite A Bit: Do You Remember Michael Silver’s November Piece?
As free agency loomed, NFL fans, particularly those in Baltimore, were curious to see what Ozzie Newsome and his team would accomplish. We knew that that Ray Lewis was set to retire. Matt Birk did so shortly thereafter. Fans knew that Joe Flacco was coming back on a big contract. And though those fans were […]
Body Shots: AP Reacts To The Percy Harvin Trade
Over the past several weeks, Percy Harvin’s name came up in myriad trade rumors. One of the top suitors for his services appeared to be the San Francisco 49ers. Harvin will join the NFC West. On Monday morning, the Vikings reportedly (per Jay Glazer of FOXSports.com) consummated a deal to send the receiver/returner to Seattle […]
Spinning My Wheels: Harmon Rolls The Dice in Vegas
Following The Leaders Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Chevy Analysis: Sometimes you have to take the chalk. Johnson won the Daytona 500 before finishing second in the Subway Fresh Fit 500. He’s locked and loaded already, and that’s bad news for the drivers of the Sprint Cup Series. The big run continues this week at Las […]
Harmon’s 2013 Fantasy Baseball Early Rankings: Relief Pitchers 1-25
On Thursday, it was announced that Mariano Rivera would officially call the 2013 season his last. The opening strains of “Opening Sandman” should be retired when it comes to announcing the arrival of a closer. I suspect somebody tries to accomplish the theft, but it would be foolhardy to go up against Rivera’s legacy. Rivera’s […]
Harmon’s 2013 Fantasy Baseball Early Rankings: Starting Pitchers 26-60
Are you a fan of the longball and sluggers, or do you load up early on top-notch studs for your pitching staff? Some fantasy owners eschew the selection of an ace to fill out the hitter positions before turning back to the mound. They’re looking for “value” late and to land the next breakthrough arm. […]
Harmon’s 2013 Fantasy Baseball Early Rankings: Starting Pitchers 1-25
1. Justin Verlander, DET 2. Clayton Kershaw, LAD 3. Stephen Strasburg, WAS 4. Felix Hernandez, SEA 5. Cole Hamels, PHI 6. Matt Cain, SF 7. David Price, TB 8. Jered Weaver, LAA 9. Cliff Lee, PHI 10. Zack Greinke, LAD 11. Madison Baumgarner, SF 12. Adam Wainwright, STL 13. Gio Gonzalez, WAS 14. Chris Sale, […]
Harmon’s 2013 Fantasy Baseball Early Rankings: Outfield 26-60
We love to debate where the big names at the top of the draft board should stack up. After all, everybody knows about the on-field exploits of names like Trout, Braun and CarGo. But, as you drift through the pack, things get interesting, contentious and less certain. The term “Sleeper” (“Ninjas” in my world here […]
Harmon’s 2013 Fantasy Baseball Early Rankings: Outfield 1-25
“Embrace debate.” That’s the unofficial slogan in sports media for 2013. That’s been the theme of fantasyland for a long, long time. For 2013, fantasy owners are debating whether Mike Trout can repeat his historic 2012 campaign, whether Josh Hamilton will stay healthy and which media members gets the first “clown” reference from Bryce Harper. […]
Harmon’s 2013 Fantasy Baseball Early Rankings: Third Base
It seems strange to enter a Fantasy Baseball preseason discussion without the longstanding battle over Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez’s health pushes him to the back of the pack, and a new run of challengers battle toward the top of the pack. That isn’t to say that familiar names have been displaced altogether, but a new crop […]
Harmon’s 2013 Fantasy Baseball Early Rankings: Shortstop
The long road to opening day has begun. Regular starters are beginning to see at-bats and pitch to live batters. Ardent fans have descended upon spring training sites. The “wait until next year” mentality fades, at least for a short time in the desert or Florida sun. Hope springs eternal, and preparation for fantasy baseball […]
Harmon’s 2013 Fantasy Baseball Early Rankings: Second Base
Welcome to the beginning of the SwollenDome.com Fantasy Baseball season. Following a brief hiatus to decompress after a hectic football season and the glory of Super Bowl XLVII, it’s time to turn the page and get back onto the diamond. I am rolling through position-by-position to load up the first-look fantasy rankings for the 2013 […]
Harmon’s 2013 Fantasy Baseball Early Rankings: First Base
We’re locked and loaded for another run on the diamond. While the NFL and college basketball continue to occupy some of our attention (with the NHL and NBA Playoffs still off in the distance), fantasy baseball players are working to solidify their cheatsheets. They’re scouring the reports from beat writers in the desert and in […]
Harmon’s 2013 Fantasy Baseball Early Rankings: Catcher
Welcome to the opening salvo of 2013 Major League Baseball coverage here on the Dome. After a successful 2012 fantasy baseball campaign , attention shifted to the power and glory of the NFL. You might think it sad, but I keep a running countdown until pitchers and catchers report on my office wall. Spring training […]
The Freeh Report Is Released: “Total and Constant Disregard”
On Thursday morning, the long-awaited report from Louis Freeh (read the summary here) was finally released. In short, Freeh’s investigation concluded that Joe Paterno and senior officials at Penn State demonstrated “total and consistent disregard … for the safety and welfare of Sandusky’s child victims.” The report discusses at length Paterno’s knowledge of the 1998 […]
The Paranormals, Vol. I: Chatting Up A New Comic Series with A. Diallo Jackson
Harmon diverges from the sports path and talks to A. Diallo Jackson, who creates a thought-provoking new world order in his new release – The Paranormals, Vol. I. It’s a part crime story and part supernatural thriller. In this first part of the interview, Harmon and Jackson remember their early days at Yahoo! and talk […]