hit one of the most memorable shots in NBA Finals history and made

For Friday nights Cubs game against the Giants, Rich and I werent in 416: Wed scored bleacher seats instead. So while other seatmates held down the fort in the upper deck, I headed to Wrigley early to soak up the atmosphere.Four hours before the ridiculously late first pitch (8:15? MLB, youre killing me.), Wrigleyville was pretty calm but different. Outside-the-park action shifts during the postseason.A significantly larger-than-usual police presence led to rumors that President Barack Obama would be visiting the game. One of my security guard pals complained that a seat was being wasted on a White Sox fan. I pointed out that Michelle Obama, our first lady, grew up a South Side Cubs fan, and that gives him some Cubs cred.The ballhawks on Waveland were out, though they predicted little out-of-the-ballpark action, because The Giants got no hitters. The freelance T-shirt salespeople had reduced in number. During the final homestand, the Cubs and Major League Baseball initiated a lawsuit against the T-shirt sellers for copyright infringement and selling pirated goods. So those guys -- with their ubiquitous shouts of Ten-dollah T-shirts! All T-shirts ten dollahs! were few and far between, selling a much-reduced inventory.The parking-spot salespeople were doing brisk, and much more profitable, business. Due to the scarcity of places to leave ones giant suburban SUV in densely populated Wrigleyville, many home and condo owners rent out their garages or parking spots -- and increase the demand by parking their own vehicles on the street in the morning, taking up a spot that might otherwise be free. Prices skyrocket with the postseason: One friend of mine reported that last year during the division series, her usual $45 dollar spot a few blocks from the park went up to $175. One guy on Clark Street was asking $80 for what had been a $40 spot in the regular season.Then there are the scalpers. Theyve been back in force since late last season, but now you cant walk 10 feet without hearing someone ask, Got extra tickets? Got any extras? or Who needs tickets? The irony on Friday: The team itself still had tickets for sale at the box office, presumably returns from tickets held back for the Giants and VIPs (Maybe Obamas unclaimed seat?). After a quick stop at Nisei (to let them know about the tickets, in case some otherwise shut-out regular wanted a last-minute seat), I went into the park early and got the rally towel. Im not sure which franchise started this tradition, but can we punish that team somehow? Take away a few draft picks? Why teams would give people something to wave around blocking other fans view is a mystery to me.Val Capone was not in her usual spot up in 211 but was stationed under the Old Scoreboard, surely the most scenic spot in the park. I conferred with her there and chatted with Hot Doug Sohn, whose gourmet, named-for-Cubs sausages are one of the highlights of the bleachers. I recommend the Dave Rosello.While we were talking, I noticed the Cubs pulling a fast one, another political moment even if the president never showed. The team had offered the mayor, all members of the Chicago City Council and Illinois state reps and senators the chance to buy a pair of tickets to postseason games. Several aldermen, including adamant Sox fans, declined, but most accepted. The citys ethics board ruled that the Cubs would have to put the names of the politicians who accepted on the videoboard, because the value of the tickets exceeded the $50 limit on gifts. This, cynics suggested, would at least give the voters a chance to boo.The Cubs did indeed post their names -- over an hour before the first pitch, when the park was mostly empty and fans werent watching. I may have been the only person booing.Ah, Chicago, City of Clout.As any ESPN reader surely knows by now, the game was a masterpiece, a Johnny vs. Jon pitchers duel for the ages. Cueto and Lester were both sharp -- Cueto arguably sharper except for one mistake pitch to Javy Baez that barely made it into the left-field basket against a moderate wind (had the breeze been fractionally stronger, Baezs home run trot out of the batters box wouldve been just an embarrassingly long single). The Legend of Grandpa Ross just kept growing, as he got two of the first seven Giants outs by catching Gorkys Hernandez stealing and picking?Conor Gillaspie?off first. The last time a catcher had a pickoff and caught-stealing in the same postseason game? Cubs Hall of Famer Gabby Hartnett in the 1935 World Series.In the stands, postseason baseball, unfortunately, brings out the football spectator in many baseball fans. Lots of shouting and heckling. While a unified Cueeeee-tooooo chant may indeed be audible to the player you want to rattle, if youre 10 rows up in the center-field bleachers, Gillaspie will not hear you when you shout Gillaspie! The White Sox think you suck! Everyone in the park stood at the end of the first, second and fifth innings, when Lester had two strikes on the batter, and of course everyone was on their feet for the entire Aroldis Chapman ninth. One backwards-baseball-cap bro in the row in front of us stood pretty much the whole game, except when he was making beer runs, which, thankfully, was every other inning or so.Baseball is a game of routine plays, and Im of the school of thought that believes maintaining a calm, Zen approach is the best way to enjoy the game. But in a ballpark as electric as Wrigley Field was Friday night, its tough to be nonchalant. Things will only get more extreme if the Cubs advance.A nice problem to have for sure. Kevin Faulk Jersey . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency. Stephon Gilmore Youth Jersey . Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC failed to make the postseason while Montreal Impact fell at the first hurdle losing heavily to Houston Dynamo in the Eastern Conference Knockout Round. https://www.patriotssportsgoods.com/Womens-Andre-Tippett-Inverted-Jersey/ . Louis. To which I would say two things: 1. Where there is smoke, there is or perhaps has been a little fire. Or, in other words, the two teams would appear to have at least spoken. And spoken is defined as one calling the other to inquire, no more, no less. Julian Edelman Patriots Jersey . Thats about all he can do right now, so hes trying not to think about when he might be able to play again for the Los Angeles Lakers. Steve Grogan Patriots Jersey .Y. -- Canadas Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse have another World Cup gold medal after winning the two-women bobsled race on Saturday in Lake Placid, N. Some of the sports stories The Associated Press is covering Tuesday. A full Sports Digest will be sent by about 3 p.m. All times EDT:- CLEVELAND -- The Indians get their second crack at ending a 68-year World Series championship drought. They start Josh Tomlin in Game 6 against Jake Arrieta, who will try to keep the Cubs magical season alive. Game starts 8:08 p.m.- CLEVELAND -- Four months ago, Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller were New York Yankees teammates. Now the two relievers find themselves the heartbeats of opposing bullpens in the World Series.- Notre Dame is No. 1 in the APs preseason womens college basketball poll. The Irish are followed Baylor, UConn, South Carolina and Louisville.- Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson doesnt go out much for fear of drawing a crowd. He has become one of college footballs most recognizable players, and he enters November a prohibitive favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.- The first College Football Playoff rankings are released and the four undefeated teams from Power Five conferences -- Alabama, Clemson, Michigan and Washington -- are expected to hold the top spots. Rankings released about 8:20 p.m.- MUNCIE, Ind. -- In college footballs lone Top 25 game, No. 17 Western Michigan plays Ball State. The Broncos have won 10 straight and are one of five remaining unbeaten teams in the Football Bowl Subdivsion. Game starts 8 p.m.- EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- The Vikings couldnt have played much better before their byee week, as the last undefeated team in the NFL.dddddddddddd. They couldnt have played much worse since.- TEMPE, Ariz. -- A replay malfunction prevented a review of a fumble that resulted in the Carolina Panthers first touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals, a person with knowledge of the NFLs handling of the matter tells the AP.- MIAMI -- More than two years after his last game, Ray Allen retires. He won championships in Boston and Miami, hit one of the most memorable shots in NBA Finals history and made the most 3-pointers in league history.- CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Hornets have made a big investment in center Cody Zeller, signing him to a four-year, $56 million contract extension.- Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Arsenal can become the first teams to advance to the round of 16 in the Champions League.- SHANGHAI -- To get a sense of how much the golf landscape is changing, consider the PGA Tour schedule next year. The Asia swing in October will have as many tournaments as the Florida swing in March.- PARIS -- Tomas Berdych must reach the Paris Masters semifinals to qualify for the season-ending ATP finals. The Czech begins his bid with a second-round match against Joao Sousa.- LAS VEGAS -- The final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event plays until a champion is crowned. First prize: $8 million. Play starts 9 p.m. ' ' '