ESPN analyst is in fantasy land, critics say. In an attempt to keep it “real” about Blacks and Fantasy football, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith is taking a virtual beating in the fantasy sports blogopshere. According to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, about 93 percent of all fantasy players are White. But “to hell with fantasy. I’m about what’s real!” Smith wrote in the latest edition of ESPN The Magazine.  ”I’m not surprised to learn that so few Blacks are among the 30 million people who participate in fantasy sports. I’ve always thought that a lot of these guys [and 96 percent of them are guys] are nerds, desperately in need of more sociable leisure-time activities. Leisure time for Black folks historically consists of direct interaction, the kind of experience you get at a family barbecue or hanging out with friends. Sitting in front of a computer screen pretending to be Bill Parcells? Sounds like work to me.” The reaction to Smith’s article from some Black sports bloggers has been anything but nice.  Uzo Ometu, an African-American fantasy player who also writes the Sportswatcher blog, says, “The average fantasy football player is around 30 years old, makes about $75,000 a year and has a connection to a fast Internet provider. I’m sorry, but that’s just not your typical brother living in the lower-income parts of Brooklyn, N.Y. Don’t get me wrong; there are plenty of well-educated and successful Black people, who are not only making gobs of money, but who are also football fans who love playing fantasy football. Unfortunately, successful Black people [economically speaking] make up just a small percentage of the Black population as a whole, which is why we are thoroughly underrepresented in the fantasy football populous.”

Bengals star legally changes his name

Back in the day, boxer Cassius Clay became Muhammad Ali for religious reasons. NBA star Lloyd Bernard Free became World B. Free to make a political statement. NFL receiver Chad Johnson? He’s Chad Javon Ocho Cinco now. “Have I ever had a reason for why I do what I do?” he asks. “I’m having fun.” The Bengals star has legally changed his name to the Spanish translation of his jersey number 85. The Bengals have no comment on Cinco’s re-invention – understandably.                                                                                       

Venus, Serena may be headed for another tennis face-off. Venus and Serena Williams didn’t get that Wimbledon rematch they seemed headed toward during the Beijing Olympics. Both sisters were eliminated from singles competition before they combined to win doubles gold. The U.S. Open, however, presents another possibility for the pair to go head-to-head after Venus took the title several weeks ago. Both sisters advanced this past weekend and will face each other in the Open’s quarter-finals this week if they each get one more win. “I think that, definitely, the Wimbledon win helped me…if I don’t have a perfect practice, I don’t get really upset about the whole tournament,” Venus says. The sisters are the only two former champions still competing in the tournament.

LeBron James could be a step slower in Beijing.
LeBron James could be a step slower in the Beijing Olympics, depending on how quickly he recovers from an ankle sprain. James suffered the injury during a Team USA practice in Las Vegas this week when he landed on player Kevin Durant’s foot during a scrimmage. It’s believed that the sprain is mild, says coach Mike Krzyewski. Trainers planned to check out the ankle, but Krzyewski says it’s not likely to be “anything serious.”

Receiver won’t wear Bengals jersey again
NFL coach Marvin Lewis says there’s no way released receiver Chris Henry will return to the team after his league suspension for player misconduct. “I’m not interested,” Lewis says. “I don’t think it would be productive for our football team. You have to be a productive part to be an NFL player, and there’re responsibilities to being an NFL player. It’s a privilege, it’s not a right. There’s a lot that comes with being an NFL football player.” Henry, 25, was most recently accused of punching a University of Cincinnati student and breaking his car window. The case was eventually dropped.

NBA champions plan to celebrate in Beantown today.

The NBA champion Boston Celtics will receive a formal fan celebration today at 11 a.m. Players from the 2008 squad that crushed the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6 of the finals Tuesday night will appear on 16 World War II amphibious “duck boats” in a rolling rally through downtown. Former Celtics greats, team dancers and championship trophies from Boston ’s previous glory years will ride on two flatbed trucks. Boston is celebrating its first NBA title in two decades.

A-Rod first got advice from Cincinnati Reds great back in ’06

Alex Rodriguez and retired baseball great Pete Rose have shared a running dialogue about hitting for more than two years. Since their first meeting in January 2006 – when A-Rod asked Rose, “How’d you get all them hits?” – the pair reportedly has formed an unlikely bond. Rose says he told A-Rod that he got 4,256 career hits without watching a single frame of film. The Cincinnati great claims that he remembered every pitch ever thrown his way, while Rodriguez has relied on the wonders of technology to perfect his batting. Yankees star A-Rod remains among the top hitters in the Major Leagues.

Bengals’ Johnson expects quick recovery from procedure

After keeping teammates and coaching staff guessing about his plans for the season, following trade talk, Chad Johnson’s disappearing again. But this time it’s for ankle surgery. The Bengals star will undergo the procedure before Cincinnati ’s camp begins next month. He’s expected to report on time, following a full recovery.