of anonymity, told The Associated Press on Saturday that Manfred testified the sport wasnt concerned whether Bosch distributed performance-en

Ive?waited my whole life for a Chicago Cubs World Series win. (Lets be honest, with the exception of a few Guinness World Record holders, who hasnt?)?Ive?dreamed about what it would be like to see them win it all.?On Monday, the team made a move that brings a championship that much closer to the north side of Chicago, sending four players, including top prospect Gleyber Torres, to the Yankees in exchange for closer Aroldis Chapman.Chapman is a superstar who fills an immediate need for the first-place Cubs, who are ranked 14th in baseball in bullpen ERA (3.83) and 22nd in save percentage (65.5 percent) this season. He could very well?be the final piece needed to end the longest championship drought in major pro sports history. You can understand why so many Cubs fans rejoiced at the news.But not all of Chicago was celebrating. Many, like me, dreaded the deal going through. Yes, Chapman is the man with the 105 mph fastball. Hes also the man who missed the first 30 games of the season after being suspended under MLBs domestic violence policy. Hes the man who denied choking his girlfriend in October, but did admit to shooting eight bullets into his garage while the mother of his child hid in the bushes, terrified.No charges were?filed?against Chapman -- the?Davie (Florida) Police Department cited?conflicting stories and a lack of cooperation from witnesses -- but MLB investigated, too,?and?commissioner?Rob Manfred?found?Chapmans behavior to be inappropriate under the negotiated policy, particularly his use of a firearm and the impact of that behavior on his partner.After serving his suspension, Chapman described the night with the gun and the 911 call and the alleged choking as nothing serious. I didnt do anything, he said. People are thinking that its something serious; I have not put my hands on anyone, didnt put anyone in danger. Since I didnt do anything like that, Im not thinking about it. If I didnt do anything, why should I think about it? That is in the past.An alleged assault, a terrified loved one and a confirmed eight bullets shot in a garage, one of which flew through a window into an open field. Not serious? Not dangerous? Its a troubling denial of culpability.Now, just nine months after the incident in question, and two months after Chapmans flippant remarks, a new fan base is being asked to embrace him, to give him a second chance.Some fans may never be comfortable with an athlete accused or convicted of abuse being afforded the privilege of representing a team and a city in professional?sports, but?many would accept giving an athlete a second chance if they felt certain that something had been learned and changes had been made. Not all athletes are going to be good guys,?but people shouldnt have to feel guilty about their fandom as an accepted cost of doing business.Ive written before about?why many domestic violence experts believe one -and -done isnt the best policy, and I agree. Players like?Chapman should not be banned from the league forever, but discipline is necessary, and it must not be for the sake of PR. It must be meted out with the end goal of changing behavior.Those experts say the most important factor in avoiding recidivism is the offenders willingness to acknowledge guilt and take accountability for his or her actions. Baseball is on the right track, putting in place a domestic violence policy that includes education and prevention programs. The next step would be to ensure that these elements of the policy are made clear to fans, so?theyre able to see that real efforts are being made to stop the cycle of violence.For now, Chicago fans will get no real assurance that Chapman has learned or changed, other than a brief statement released?on Monday.?After acknowledging Octobers incident in a statement saying, I?regret that I did not exercise better judgment and for that I am truly sorry, Chapman declared, Out of respect for my family, I will not comment any further on this matter.?Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts?said, My?family, this team and Major League?Baseball take?the issue of domestic violence very seriously.Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein went one step further in acknowledging what comes next for Chapman. [Acquiring Chapman] doesnt mean were turning our back on the importance of character at all, Epstein told the media on Monday. I think because weve emphasized character and building this core that we have, we have a tremendously strong clubhouse culture. We have great character down there. We think that it will help Aroldis as he moves forward.So troubled Cubs fans are left hoping Epstein is right, hoping that Chapman arrives a changed man and thrives in the Chicago clubhouse. Well get no further comment on the matter from Chapman, himself. Just blazing fastballs. Fastballs that will assuredly help the team I love. Fastballs that could be the difference come October.Whenever I picture what it will be like when the Cubs win it all, I see a mass of humans of all shapes and sizes and ages hugging in the Wrigley Field bleachers and grandstands. I see fans crying over Ronnie and Ernie, grandpas and grandmas and everyone else who didnt make it quite long enough. I see bleacher bums and ball hawks refusing to leave the park or the bar or the street until the last song has been sung, the last champagne bottle popped, the last memory made.When the Chapman deal was finalized, my daydreaming got an edit. Now, I have to picture Chapman pitching the final out of the World Series. The guys Ive come to love -- Rizzo, Bryant, Fowler, Ross, Arrieta -- piling on Chapman on the mound. Chapman on the front page of every newspaper in the country. Chapman, the lasting image of the victory. Chapman, the hero.Its not the picture I always dreamed of. Malik Hooker Youth Jersey . Each of Houstons starters scored in double figures as the Rockets improved to 2-0 against the Spurs this season, with both victories coming on the road. They also moved within 3 1/2 games of San Antonio (22-7) for the lead the Southwest Division. Quenton Nelson Jersey . Barcelonas entertaining victory ensured the defending Spanish champions retained their share of the league lead with Atletico Madrid two rounds ahead of their meeting in the capital. Real Madrid needed a late goal by substitute Jese Rodriguez to earn a 3-2 victory at Valencia to stay in third place and three points behind its title rivals. http://www.coltsofficialstore.us/authentic-bobby-okereke-colts-jersey/ . -- For the first time in two months, an opponent was standing up to Alabama. Ben Banogu Colts Jersey .Y. - General manager Billy King says the Brooklyn Nets are looking to add a big man and confirmed the team worked out centre Jason Collins, who would become the first openly gay active NBA player if signed. Marshall Faulk Jersey . Rob Manfred, baseballs chief operating officer, testified last week during the grievance filed by the players union to overturn Rodriguezs 211-game suspension. A person familiar with the hearing, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press on Saturday that Manfred testified the sport wasnt concerned whether Bosch distributed performance-enhancing drugs to minors because MLBs interest was his relationship with players under investigation. The ICC has been challenged to do more for disability cricket if they are to justify the claim of governing a truly global game.The call was made by Ian Martin, the ECBs head of disability cricket, as the organisation seek to stage a World Championship for physically disabled cricketers in 2019.The first disability World Cup was staged in Bangladesh in 2015. On that occasion, five nations took part with the hosts joined by England and the other teams - India, Pakistan and Afghanistan - heavily subsided by the International Red Cross. The ECB now hope to host a seven-team event (this time termed a World Championship) in 2019. The hope is that those nations invited - Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, South Africa and England - will play a two-week T20 competition between the 2019 World Cup and The Ashes.The process is complicated, however, as several cricket boards have little involvement with disability cricket. In India, for example, four or five organisations claim to be the governing body of the nations physical disability cricket with the BCCI seemingly reluctant to take responsibility. As a result, funding - or even just selecting a side said to represent India - is problematic.In 2015, and again for the 2019 tournament, the ICC have had no meaningful involvement with the organisation of the tournaments, in spite of comments made by Haroon Lorgat in 2012, when he was the chief executive of ICC, that disabled cricket is on the agenda.Were not as inclusive as we should be, Ian Martin, the ECCBs head of disability cricket, told ESPNcricinfo.dddddddddddd We talk of being a global game and we celebrate images of it being played in different communities and in different environments - by Maasai Warriors or on mountain tops - as evidence of its popularity and diversity.But if we are not providing opportunities for people to play in countries where we think of cricket as a popular, accessible sport, were not truly global and were not fulfilling our duty.A global governing body should be able to evidence what it is doing to enable participation for disabled communities within its member nations. But rather than being driven and guided by the ICC, such matters are devolved to individual boards who have little or no experience in developing the game for disabled people. I think we can do better.In the long term, the likes of Martin would like to see ICC membership criteria extended to include requirements for the encouragement and development of disability cricket. In the short term, he is hopeful that some contribution from ticket sales for the 2019 World Cup will be allocated towards the physical disability World Championship.But while other sports embrace and take pride in the development of their physical disability programmes - the Paralympics, for example, attracted a huge TV audience - the lack of support from the ICC for such schemes in cricket reflects poorly upon them. ' ' '