links!

I'm trying to do these posts a little less often. Unfortunately, that means they might be bigger.

Cleveland Indians
* Having No Blog Is My Blog: Mmm! Pie!
--Everyone loves pictures of Grady Sizemore getting a pie to the face... right? Right?


The rest of Baseball
* Baseball LJ Community: A fair-weather fan or an honest one?
Now, am I mistaken when I think that it is a fans right to cheer when the team is doing well, and to also boo when they feel the team is doing badly? Should the fans constantly be saying, "Oh that's ok. Go get 'em next at bat" when a player strikes out three times with the bases loaded and RISP?

* Editor & Publisher: Barry Bonds' Home Run Record Tainted by Mechanical Device?
...by my estimate, Bonds’ front arm “armor” may have contributed no fewer than 75 to 100 home runs to his already steroid-questionable total.
[and The Cheater's Guide To Baseball's take.]

* Baseball Prospectus: Barry Bonds' Brace
On Monday, an article was published regarding the brace, first at Editor and Publisher (a specialty publication covering the newspaper industry), purporting that the brace worn by Bonds was an illegal aid that helped Bonds hit home runs. The assertions of the author, Michael Witte, were on their surface difficult to believe, but I wanted to know more about this brace. What was it made of? Who made it? Could it possibly help Bonds hit?

* AOL Fanhouse: Is Alex Rodriguez going to get his No. 500 homer ball back?
This is a tough spot to be in. On the one hand, I could see wanting to give A-Rod the ball back if you're a fan of the team. But, you'd be giving up thousands upon thousands of dollars in the process.

* Church of Baseball: Dear Governor Kaine,
There were a few of these [autograph] vultures who obviously were just going to sell them. That really pissed me off, because I was directly affected by such types at least twice: 1) Jay Bruce was not allowed to sign the sweet spot (more unsweetness) of my new ball (remember, he was the first one I saw) because of these types of profit-sucking scavengers, and 2) Joey Votto would not sign my ball because he would "only sign for the kids" (I'll speculate more on that in a minute).

* I'm Writing Sports: Tommy John Surgery: The Truth Revealed
Dr. James Andrews, the leading physician in his field, recently explained in a New York Times article that the extra heat, if it exists at all, comes from the physical therapy and rehab that is done in post-op recovery. He also has a few theories that can explain this hoax: young pitchers begin to throw harder as they mature, players are comparing the speed from when they are injured to the postoperative velocity, and pitchers often improve their mechanics during rehab while also making their bodies stronger. Lastly, the repaired arms are pain free and rested.


Basketball
* AOL Fanhouse: In Defense of The Bay
I'd like to call this subconscious classism, but it's not even hidden. Streeter says Baron belongs in L.A. because Oakland isn't upscale -- Hollywood, pixie dust, whatever the hell you call it. He's saying rich people deserve to watch the most flashy, most exciting players alive. Poorer folk? They'll be fine with Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, right?


Football
* AOL Fanhouse: So How Did Brady Quinn Do?
The Cleveland Browns finally came to a contract agreement with quarterback Brady Quinn today, and on first glance, it looked like the Notre Dame quarterback got more money than he deserved, as the 22nd overall pick.


General Sports Media & Sports Blogging
* SI.com: Dan Patrick on his decision to leave ESPN
--The first interview with Dan Patrick after leaving the worldwide leader.

* AOL Fanhouse: Dan Patrick Heading to NBC in 2008?
That most likely means Patrick would be used on NBC's Olympics coverage from Beijing.

* Sports Business Daily: SportsWatch: What Top Sports News Outlets Covered During May
Sports fans today are consuming more information through more outlets than ever before, but despite this proliferation of media channels, a select few remain as the first destinations for fans. But what exactly are people consuming? How slanted toward a specific sport might one outlet be compared to another?

* Ballhype: Big Tent Sports Blogging
--An interview with the folks behind SB Nation.