Painting The Corner: Harmon’s Hardball Notes 4.4
As I wrote in yesterday’s PTC, Carlos Marmol’s hold on the Chicago closer job is tenuous. His effort against the Pirates on Thursday afternoon didn’t do anything to help solidify things. Marmol inherited a 3-0 lead, but then surrendered two earned runs on three hits and a walk. The fact that he was able to […]
Painting The Corner: Harmon’s Hardball Notes 4.3
Don’t you just love day baseball? As you ponder TPS Reports and reasons (some legit) to blow off a meeting, you can monitor the diamond and bemoan the early-season exploits of your lineup. Or, you can celebrate “Senior Prom” like the Rays. Let’s get into the notes from Wednesday’s action. I prefer the term “quick […]
FMC: Jeff Samardzija, Chicago Cubs Starter
On Monday, baseball fans celebrated the rebirth of their beloved sport. Our own Jay Mohr painted a perfect picture of our relationship with the game on “Jay Mohr Sports” live from Dodger Stadium. If James Earl Jones narrates it, Mohr’s passionate ode to baseball could be added to Jones’ soliloquy from “Field of Dreams.” And, […]
Jay Mohr Sports on FOX Sports Radio: The Ode To Opening Day
FOX Sports Radio host Jay Mohr took his show to Dodger Stadium to celebrate the opening of another baseball campaign. You know the comedic chops. If you know Jay’s work at all, you know of his love and passion for sports. Toward the end of the three-hour program, he took a break from the impressions […]
Harmon’s Opening Day Ranking Sheets: The Road To 2013 Fantasy Dominance
Prior to Sunday’s opener, I posted updated positional rankings on the FantasyPros.com website. We had great success in the 2012 season on the Dome, producing a top-10 finish (seventh) in the draft cheatsheet competition on the FantasyPros.com site. Injuries dominate the early-2013 landscape, as owners try to ascertain how much to discount injured stars such […]
Former “Fantasy Freaks” Guest, Anthony “Spice” Adams, Retires In Style
Some time back, we welcomed former San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears defensive lineman Anthony “Spice” Adams to the Fantasy Freaks show on FOX Sports Radio. Adams, of course, found post-football success online with a series of entertaining video bits that spoke to life as a free agent. Well, after dominating a “Dancing With The […]
Chicago Analysts Tussle: Gill Suspended
This is a story that popped up a couple days ago following the controversial finish between the Bulls and Nuggets earlier this week. Former NBA player Kendall Gill and BTN Tim Doyle got into it on the set of the “Sports Talk Live” show on CSN. Gill has reportedly been suspended indefinitely after going after […]
A Piece of TV History: “The Office” Casting Sheet, Day 1
As longtime listeners of my run with The Fantasy Freaks on FOX Sports Radio know, Rainn Wilson has been a friend to the program and an active participant in fantasy football leagues. I am curious to find out whether “The Office” fantasy league(s) will continue for 2013, but for now, I take pause to celebrate […]
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 […]
Mike Wallace Takes His Talents To South Beach: WR Among Day One Highlights
The Twitterverse was abuzz on Tuesday morning with great anticipation for the start of free agency. I assume somebody saw the famous “Twitter Whale” along the way, but my unending run of innumerable Tweets from NFL Insiders and beat reporters forged ahead without fail. My head was spinning as the countdown clock wound to zero. […]
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 Early-Spring Cheatsheets: Fantasy Baseball 2013
The first run of spreadsheets has been completed and entered into the Dome. I already have a number of players italicized and highlighted for further review as we roll through the second half of spring training. Announcements regarding position battles, rotation slots and closer competitions will necessitate adjustments, of course, and I won’t toss out […]
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: 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 […]
The Freaks Talk Joe Flacco’s Contract On FOX Sports Radio
I understand that two huge events, “March Madness” and Major League Baseball’s opening day, are just around the corner. As a Chicago native, my attention drifts toward the ice and the incredible season-opening streak put forth by the Blackhawks. That’s a long post to come following Tuesday night’s game against the Wild. I digress. Let’s […]
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 Ultimate Sin”: Tebow Cancels Appearance At Mega-Church
You could almost hear the record needle scratch. ‘ On Sunday morning’s edition of “The FOX Fantasy Freaks” radio show, I introduced the topic of Tim Tebow’s forthcoming appearance at the First Baptist Church of Dallas, a mega-church run by the controversial Dr. Robert Jeffress. At the time I raised the topic, I questioned the […]
Harmon Talks To HOF Wide Receiver Michael Irvin at Eiffel Society During Super Bowl Week
After a day of shaking hands and flapping gums at the media center, it’s always good to pause and get a taste of the true flavor of Super Bowl week. I spent each afternoon driving around the city of New Orleans, checking out the classic architectural structures, the neighborhoods and talking to the locals. At […]