Kritik und Lob » a bit of history that prove the program is about far

Cleveland illustrator Chris Morris took in the experience with fans at Quicken Loans Arena, where LeBron James Cavaliers were handing out championship rings and raising a banner, and Progressive Field, where the Indians were kicking off a quest to win their first World Series since 1948. Heres what he saw:The Champ arrivesClevelands Stipe Miocic was spotted decked out in CLE attire at about 5:30 p.m. before the Cavaliers opener against the Knicks. Miocic, who grew up Euclid, Ohio, and played college baseball at Cleveland State, won the citys first title this year, handing Fabricio Werdum his first loss since 2011 to claim the UFC heavyweight championship in May. He made the citys first successful defense of his title this year, too, defeating Alistair Overeem last month.Taking a shine to the trophyTed Beard and his son Maddux from Strongsville, Ohio, were part of a huge line of fans outside the Q waiting to take photos next to a huge replica of the NBA championship trophy.A banner dayAfter the Larry OBrien Championship Trophy was wheeled out, surrounded by championship rings, there was a short ceremony to hand them out to players and coaches. Then, at about 7:20 p.m., the Cavaliers banner emerged, raised out of a box with the citys skyline on it. Several players walked over and touched the banner for one last time before it ascended to the rafters to the tune of Queens We Are The Champions.Teddys history lessonChicago native Joe Wiegand, a Theodore Roosevelt reprisor, entertained the crowd outside Progressive Field with tales of life from 1908, the year of last Cubs World Series title. Never out of character, he bellowed walk softly and carry a big BAT!A little trash-talkingTwo Indians fans with faces painted like baseballs call themselves the Wahoo Brothers. At 6 p.m. they were entertaining Cleveland fans and irritating those from Chicago, holding a sign advising Cubs fans to Fly the L.Early returnsDanny Jenks, left, and his brother Joe from Macedonia, Ohio, celebrate a Francisco Lindor single in the first inning as they watch the game in the Right Field District at Progressive Field.The Cubs faithfulMike Ryder, left, and Scott Deininger drove over from Chicago for Game 1. It was the friends first visit to Progressive Field and they were pleasantly surprised at how friendly theyd been treated. At this point of the game, however, the Indians were maintaining a 3-0 lead and their concern was growing.He went all out -- almostBradley Siedle wore a full Joe Maddon uniform (down to the blue baseball hose) except for a pair of boat shoes. Siedle, from St. Louis, came to Cleveland for a couple of days. He said he grew up in a household of Cardinals fans and is the only brother who followed the Cubs. He proudly declares its not the only sports rivalry with his family. I hate Duke, he says. Put that in there. All my brothers love Duke.Family tiesTexans Rodger and Joy Jones have a special connection to the Indians -- Rodgers father, Harry, was a sportswriter in Cleveland and later the voice of the team on TV. Rodger still wears his fathers World Series championship ring from 1948.Standing watchDeputy Jake Smith and his German shepherd, Flako, have worked every Indians home game this season. Flako, 3?, is an explosives detection dog, one of many at each home game.Santas still confidentAs the game wound down, by 11:08 p.m. a dejected but confident Santa Cub ODinger said the Tribe will probably take this one but well still win the Series. He became a little more jolly, declaring that because its a battle of two long-suffering fanbases, it would be a happy ending either way.All smiles in ClevelandAfter Roberto Perez hit his second home run of the game in the eighth inning -- a three-run blast -- Kirah Jefferson and Brendan Nichols beamed. The Tribes 6-0 victory capped a historic sports day in Cleveland. Devon Travis Jersey . Robinson finished with 17 points, all but two in the second half, and Lawson had 14 after halftime and finished with a game-high 11 assists as the Nuggets handed Dallas its first home loss in eight games this season. J.J. Hickson led Denver with 22, and Kenneth Faried added 10 points and 10 rebounds. Raul Mondesi Jersey . Detroit and Boston are deadlocked, 1-1, and Tigers manager Jim Leyland could be forgiven if he was caught rationalizing instead of dissecting how his club could blow a 5-1 lead late in Game 2. https://www.cheapbluejays.com/3176h-paul-quantrill-jersey-blue-jays.html . "Hes going to have hip surgery on Jan. 7, and hell be expected to rehabilitate for four to six months beyond that," Canucks general manager Mike Gillis said Friday in an interview. Damaso Garcia Blue Jays Jersey .B. - Sebastien Auger made 44 saves as the Saint John Sea Dogs edged the visiting Acadie-Bathurst Titan 2-1 on Saturday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. Mark Eichhorn Blue Jays Jersey . LOUIS -- St. What went down in the 10th week of college soccer? The aim each week is to bring you five stories that defined the week in college soccer, or help navigate the long road to San Jose, California -- site of the College Cup.BYU and Stanford endure excused absencesThat No. 6 BYU and No. 3 Stanford have players that United States womens national team coach Jill Ellis wanted a closer look at speaks volumes about why both teams are near the top of the polls this season in college soccer. It also made life a little more difficult for the Cougars and Cardinal this week.This past Wednesday, BYU players watched from the stands in Sandy, Utah, as once-and-future teammate Ashley Hatch debuted for the national team (the halftime dance cam enabling BYU forward Nadia Gomes to appear on the stadiums video big board before Hatch did as a second-half substitute). Those same players then went on the road and earned a 2-1 win at San Diego, always a tricky West Coast Conference venue. With only RPI deadweights remaining in their final three games, the Cougars could ill afford a slip in San Diego, Hatch or no Hatch, as they pursue a top-eight seed in the NCAA tournament.Stanford did BYU one better, not only beating No. 22 Colorado without midfield star Andi Sullivan or goalkeeper Jane Campbell, but also beating Utah without Sullivan again. Neither the Buffaloes, who beat Cal on Sunday, nor the Utes, who tied Cal on Thursday, have lost any other conference games.Florida States surprisingly important winThe NCAA selection committee has in recent years demonstrated a willingness to venture at least some distance from the dubiously accurate RPI in seeding its tournament. That said, the odds of landing a top-eight seed in that tournament (and thus the chance to host at least three rounds) are still far better for those teams with corresponding RPI rankings than without.All of which takes on added meaning when noting the following familiar postseason names entered this past weekend outside the RPI eight: Florida, Florida State, North Carolina, UCLA and Virginia.None of those teams had more ground to make up than the Seminoles, No. 18 in the RPI, with wins against UConn and Miami their most notable résumé entries. So for a program that can generally afford to use the regular season to tune up for yet another extended NCAA tournament run, there was a lot on the line when Kaycie Tillman headed home just her teams fifth shot for an overtime winner against No. 4 Duke on Thursday.Watch the Seminoles, ranked ninth in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Top 25, and it is clear they remain a team best avoided in the postseason -- a skilled veteran defensive unit with a young and talented, if not thus far prolific, attack. But when it comes to hosting in Tallahassee for more than the first round, they needed this win badly.The wins pile up for South CarolinaThe lone remaining unbeaten team in Division I, No. 2 South Carolina, clinched the SEC regular-season title with a 2-0 win at Tennessee on Sunday. It is the second regular-season tittle for the Gamecocks, who also managed it in 2011.ddddddddddddThe win in Knoxville came in relatively comfortable, or at least predictable, fashion for a team that has outscored conference opponents 20-3. Savannah McCaskill scored twice in the second half and is now just one goal shy of matching the programs single-season record of 14 goals.The more revealing result was a 2-1 win at Vanderbilt earlier in the week. South Carolina has trailed for a grand total of 85 seconds this season, which is to the say that the Gamecocks have rarely been in anything but control. They didnt trail in Nashville, either, but they conceded the tying goal with just two seconds remaining in regulation, one of the few instances in the closing minutes in which Vanderbilt even had the ball in that half. Rather than wallow, South Carolina dominated possession in the first overtime and reclaimed the win on Daija Griffins 97th-minute winner.Florida Gulf Coast (and soccer fans) gets a scareIf you dont know Tabby Tindell, you have a pleasant surprise awaiting when you do see her -- at this level or the next. The Florida Gulf Coast senior trails only Savannah Jordan in career goals among active players and ranks fourth in assists among the same group. She scored the winner when the Eagles won at Miami this season and was the centerpiece of the team that won an NCAA tournament first-round game a season ago and pushed Duke in the second round.But Tindell wasnt on the field when Florida Gulf Coast beat North Florida 1-0 on Saturday to clinch the programs seventh consecutive Atlantic Sun regular-season title, a result and a bit of history that prove the program is about far more than one person. The Naples Herald reported Tindell missed the game with an MCL injury, and while school officials said the specific injury was never confirmed, she is expected back in time for the conference semifinal on Nov 4.Texas A&M makes the most of its crowdIt wasnt win-or-go-home for Texas A&M on Sunday against Auburn, but it was win if the Aggies harbored any hopes of again playing at home. Entering the SEC game, Texas A&M had drawn more than 33,000 fans through its first 12 home dates, its average of 2,782 per game trailing only South Carolina nationally. But in a departure for what has been one of the most consistent and successful programs in Division I, the team itself hasnt been among the nations best on the field this season.Struggling to find goals anywhere, the Aggies are winless away from College Station. Serious RPI trouble in the most recent rankings even imperiled a 21-year streak of postseason soccer. So it didnt bode well when the first lead they claimed Sunday lasted barely a minute. Enter Emily Bates and Haley Pounds. Tied 1-1, Bates drew a penalty with a hard run into the box and Pounds converted for an 84th-minute winner.All of that after the Aggies rallied at home for a 2-1 overtime win against Kentucky on Thursday. ' ' '