Dein erstes Forum » his loyalties are not divided.

CLEVELAND -- Jason Kipnis was raised on Chicagos North Side, and like so many other kids, he grew up idolizing Ryne Sandberg, watching Sammy Sosa smash home runs and listening to Harry Caray.He bled Cubs blue.And he never once blamed Steve Bartman -- they went to the same high school, by the way.We have a joke, the Indians second baseman said, referring to the infamous fan vilified in Chicago for a failed attempt to catch a postseason foul ball. The only thing Im mad at Bartman for is missing an easy flyball.Kipnis finds himself in a unique situation in his first World Series, facing the team that helped shape his life. The Cubs are in his DNA. Theyre the team he learned to love, the one that taught him the game and the one that often broke his heart. But while Kipnis family and friends intend to remain true to their Cubbies over the next week, his loyalties are not divided.Theres zero conflict at all, he said Tuesday on the eve of Game 1. Lets be clear about that.Kipnis, though, said watching the Cubs wrap up their first NL pennant since 1945 on TV was emotional. Some of his friends were at Wrigley Field on Saturday night and when the last out was recorded, part of Kipnis was there, too.I didnt know how to handle it, he said. I didnt know if I was happy, mad, sad. I was emotional. I was choked up, I was like, `Oh, no what does this mean right now? But its nothing more than excitement for the games.He was 11 in that magical summer of 1998 when Sosa and Mark McGwire seemed to belt a home run in every at-bat. Baseball was bulked up and booming and Kipnis was under its spell.As he reminisced during an interview session, the two-time All-Star seemed to remember every swing.Thats when I was really watching baseball closely and turning into a baseball fan, said Kipnis, who is dealing with a sprained left ankle sustained in Clevelands ALCS celebration. In the `98 season, it was `Hey, Sammys up, get to a TV every time. And on WGN there were always recaps of the games. Thats pretty much what I grew up on.He was in high school when Bartman, innocently sitting in a front row seat down the left-field field lane, became an unintentional celebrity in Game 6 of the NL Championship. The slight man, wearing a Cubs cap and headphones so he could listen to the game on the radio, reached out and tried to catch a foul ball in the eighth inning as Cubs outfielder Moises Alou tried to close in.The Cubs derailed from there, blowing a big lead and losing and then dropping Game 7.The Curse had a new chapter.Kipnis lived close to Bartman and very vividly remembers seeing police staked out around his house to prevent any zealous fans from getting at him. There are Cubs fans to this day who hold a grudge toward Bartman. He has remained in hiding.He didnt deserve that, Kipnis said. He never asked for all the stuff that probably happened to him afterward. I dont think he deserved any of that. He was probably actually a pretty loyal fan and he wanted a ball, and its just the way events turns that turned him into this scapegoat.Kipnis wishes those Chicago fans who havent been able to let go would finally forgive Bartman and turn an ugly moment into something special.I would love to see him throw out a first pitch, he said. Everyone would go nuts.Despite his Second City roots, Kipnis knows hell be treated like a complete stranger -- and sworn enemy -- when the Series shifts to Wrigley for Game 3. Hes taking solace that there will be a few welcomed faces in the crowd.But the Friendly Confines wont be very friendly.He wouldnt have it any other way.If theyre Cubs fans, theyll boo as they should if youre a baseball fan, he said. But Ill have enough there that youll hopefully hear a couple cheers.Kipnis knows what a championship would mean to fans for both teams, who have gone a combined 174 seasons without celebrating a World Series title.They have the only drought that could make our drought look small, he said. Theyve got us by 40 years. Both franchises have been yearning for this championship, but its pretty neat one of them will come to an end.And Kipnis isnt torn over which one he hopes continues.Theres not one part of me that doesnt wish this curse would keep going, he said.---This version corrects to NL pennant instead of AL pennant in the seventh paragraph. Cheap Nike Air Max Shoes Wholesale . -- Five former Kansas City Chiefs players who were on the team between 1987 and 1993 filed a lawsuit Tuesday claiming the team hid and even lied about the risks of head injuries during that time period when there was no collective bargaining agreement in place in the NFL. Cheap Air Max Online Australia .ca. Hey Kerry, big fan of yours, just finished reading your book. I think that we all saw the Canucks/Flames line brawl just after puck drop. It was obvious that something was about to happen, even to the referees because the fourth lines were on to start. http://www.cheapaustraliaairmax.com/ . Thousands of fans at Mosaic Stadium will be cozying up to each other in an effort to stay warm in chilly temperatures and block the Prairie wind that locals say can knock your socks off. Air Max Sale Australia . It is a cliché dragged out by fans and pundits regularly when discussions take place around which teams are better than others. Nike Air Max Sale Australia . Both players have lower body injuries that will keep them out of the lineup until at least January 31, which is the first game they can be activated from IR. TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Arizona Cardinals have released long snapper Kameron Canaday and safety Marqui Christian.Arizona also placed tight end Troy Niklas on injured reserve with a wrist injury and elevated tight end Ifeanyi Momah from the practice squad in moves announced Tuesday.A rookie from Portland State, Canaday earned the starting job out of training camp, but had glaring errors on snaps twice in three games. He botched a snap that was returned for a touchdown in Sundays loss to the Buffalo Bills.dddddddddddd.The Cardinals are expected to try out long snappers this week before Sundays game against the Los Angeles Rams.Momah was released by the Cardinals on the final roster cut on Sept. 3 and signed to the practice squad the next day.---Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '