McLaren have done a very good job in their career befor

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. Jalen Brunson Jersey . -- Arizona knocked off some quality opponents, rolled over a few overmatched ones and grinded out victories even when things didnt go so well. Steve Nash Jersey . Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game for both teams night. http://www.mavericksteamofficial.info/dwight-powell-mavericks-jersey/ . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . Dirk Nowitzki Jersey . Only three players drafted by NHL clubs were included on the Czech selection camp roster on Wednesday. Those players were Dallas Stars 2012 first-rounder Radek Faksa, Winnipeg Jets 2013 fourth-rounder Jan Kostalek and Phoenix Coyotes 2012 seventh-rounder Marek Langhamer. Jose Juan Barea Mavericks Jersey . President of baseball operations Larry Beinfest was fired Friday after 12 years with the Marlins. The move came as the team neared the end of its third consecutive last-place season in the NL East. Jenson Button thinks Stoffel Vandoorne will excel at McLaren if he can successfully cope with the pressure of his first full season in 2017.?Vandoorne has been elevated to a race seat next year after months of speculation, with Button stepping back to an ambassadorial/reserve role so he can have a years break from F1. Button thinks Vandoorne has been perfectly prepared for the McLaren drive after being in a reserve role of his own for two seasons, one which included his F1 debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix earlier this year in place of Fernando Alonso.To be fair to Stoffel, hes achieved a lot in his career, but most drivers that get to drive a McLaren have done a very good job in their career before they get there, Button told Sky Sports. Hes had the best schooling if you like because hes been with the team since 2013. This year hes shadowed Fernando and myself. So hes been at every race, hes stood by us every time weve done engineering, debriefs.Everything apart from driving the car hes been there so hes learnt so much this year. Hes in a perfect position, but its still a difficult role to be a driver for McLaren, one of the biggest teams in the woorld with so much history.ddddddddddddVandoornes elevation will put him alongside two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, widely regarded as the most complete driver on the current grid. Button hopes Vandoorne rises to that challenges and lives up to the lofty expectations McLaren has for him.Its tough, and hes alongside Fernando Alonso. Hopefully for his sake he does a good job, and if he does he will have a long and exciting career with McLaren.But obviously if you dont perform in your first year, that has consequences as well so theres always pressure.The team is in a good position. They have two world champions, and they have Stoffel who is hungry to succeed in the team. The future is looking really good for McLaren-Honda.A long and exciting career at McLaren for Vandoorne might well spell the end of Buttons chances of returning after his year off. His new deal states he can drive in 2018 if McLaren wants him back, but that would only happen if the team did not retain either Vandoorne or Alonso for that campaign.? ' ' '