A 10-year-old super fan is urging his parents to move to follow his favorite team.

Young Zach Bennett from Albany, NY, has Neurofibromatosis which causes tumors to grow on his nerves. The treatment for his ailment has so far required over 20 surgeries, including having both legs amputated.

His favorite hockey team the Albany River Rats recently moved to North Carolina and now that's where Zach wants to go! His family has actually agreed because there's a hospital in Charlotte that specializes in Zach's illness. The team, now called the Charlotte Checkers, flew the family down for a visit recently and Zach had the time of his life.

The family has put their house on the market and as soon as it sells, Zach's dad says they'll move.

Posted by: Sports Anchor Rafer Weigel
Filed under: Sports

"True Champions" are people using sport or sportsmanship to make the world a better place. Today we're spotlighting U.S. Army Captain Ivan Castro.

After 17 months of rehab Captain Castro ran his 14th marathon. In fact he ran the Walt Disney World marathon AND half-marathon... back to back winning him the coveted "Goofy Award." The 43-year-old ties a string to his guide Jeff Bryan who runs with him step for step. They finished the marathon in about 5 hours.

Captain Castro is one of only three blind active duty officers in the Army and the ONLY blind member of the elite Special Forces Unit.

Tell us about YOUR "True Champion." Send an email to morningexpress@cnn.com (or click here), put the words True Champion in the subject line, and tell us all about the person in your life who is making a difference through sport!

Posted by: Sports Anchor Rafer Weigel
Filed under: Sports • True Champions

The Windy City is breathing a sigh of sadness today.

One of my boyhood heroes has passed away. He was one of the best to ever play third base. He played on a team known as the "Loveable Losers." But the most impressive thing about Ron Santo is that he played 15 seasons in the majors while suffering from juvenile diabetes—something he kept a secret from his teammates and the world for years. Santo’s battle only became known when he fell down in pain after a routine throw to first.

He didn’t have the kind of medical treatment we do today. We don’t know if he regularly took insulin but he would eventually lose both his legs to the diabetes. His passing was reportedly from complications from bladder cancer.

But the biggest injustice of all, is this man (even while fighting a life-long uphill battle against diabetes) was one of the five or six best players to ever play third base and he died not being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

It’s been a bad year for baseball. The ratings were terrible in the post-season and there were several blown calls. But Santo not being inducted while he was alive is the biggest blown call for me, and that was one they could have overturned. Sadly time has run out let Santo on the podium.

He wasn't just a good player. He was also a good man and a loving husband and father. There's a saying that states, "no cheering in the press box," but when Santo covered the Cubs in the booth he unapologetically cheered for Chicago. "I'm a fan," he explained. And we loved him for it. There was no pretense about him. He was who he was and those are the kind of people most of us tend to admire and adore.

I had the pleasure of meeting Ron once and it was a moment I'll never forget. The warmth that he emanated was palpable. Sadly he's gone now and baseball didn’t give others a chance to get to know him like I did with an enshrinement in Cooperstown.

Hopefully this is a call baseball will reverse.

R.I.P. Ron. You will be missed.

Posted by: Sports Anchor Rafer Weigel
Filed under: Baseball • Ron Santo • Sports

We've been asking you all week to nominate people you thing are "True Champions." People using sport or sportsmanship to make the world a better place... well you sent in some GREAT ONES! Thank you! We're looking forward to featuring as many as we can on Morning Express with Robin Meade.

Today we're featuring Myra Anderson's nominee, Ed Taylor. Myra's son Justin is on a baseball team in San Antonio, Texas for adults who have special needs. It was started by Ed whose grandson is also disabled. Take a look at the video above to see how Ed and the Lonestar Play Ball baseball league is making a huge difference in so many lives!

For more info on Lonestar, check out their facebook profile –>HERE<–

Then tell us about YOUR "True Champion." Send an email to morningexpress@cnn.com (put the words True Champion in the subject line) and tell us all about the person in your life who is making a difference through sport!

Posted by: Sports Anchor Rafer Weigel
Filed under: Baseball • Sports • True Champions

Sometimes it’s hard watching your team lose. Admit it sports fans—you’ve cried after your favorite team lost before. For me it was the Cubs after the Steve Bartman-botched foul ball… and again back in the 1984 playoffs against San Diego… and again in the 1989 NLCS with San Francisco… and again… and again… nevermind, I’m crying right now.

This young man’s meltdown to me captures the true nature of an angst-ridden fan. 5 year-old Aiden from San Diego just watched his Chargers lose to Oakland and he took it really hard. Even worse, HIS SISTER PICKED THE OPPOSING TEAM TO WIN! After the loss, he swears off the sport forever with cries of “I HATE FOOTBALL!”

Now some of you may be a little disturbed by this. After all, a 5 year-old that upset can be troubling. And some don’t like that the parents posted his tirade on youtube. I see your point. I’m not saying I’d do this with my son. I probably wouldn’t. My first instinct would be to comfort him, not video tape him. But I should point out his father also posted Aiden’s first steps on the internet, too. So clearly he loves his son. And to me, the “David visits the dentist” video is much worse and I thoroughly enjoyed that.

So watch and debate, but to young Aiden I say, “I know how you feel son."
And click "recommend" below if you'd like to share it with your friends on Facebook.

Posted by: Sports Anchor Rafer Weigel
Filed under: Extras • Viral Video of the Day • YouTube

Another basketball trick shot and it's awesome! Fore!

Posted by: Sports Anchor Rafer Weigel
Filed under: Golf • NBA • Sports • YouTube

We've shown you many great basketball shots, but this one is the best by far! From the Stratos-Fear ride at Alabama Adventure. Looks real to me!

Posted by: Sports Anchor Rafer Weigel
Filed under: Sports • Viral Video of the Day • YouTube

Dear LeBron. Thank you!
Signed,
Art Modell

He went from the “Chosen One” to the “Hated one” in the blink of an eye squinting with rage disbelief, shock, despair and tears.

It’s not just that LeBron James left his home state crushing the hearts of a fan base that has supported him and been hurt like no other. It’s HOW he did it. First he acted like Mr. Potter and had all his team meetings in downtown Cleveland right in front of all the fans. And then the ultimate slap in the face — a one-hour special to rub it in. After the Browns left, I didn’t think there could be a darker day in Cleveland but there is.

“Et Tu LeBron?”

If he was serious about leaving he shouldn't have had those meetings in the heart of the city he'd crush, and he should have announced it in a different way. Yes, the proceeds to his "ego-fest" one-hour special helped the Boys and Girls Clubs, but he should have just written them a check and sent a text message.

I feel your pain Cleveland. You’ve become the New Orleans of the sports world. As fans you’ve endured heartache after heartache and now your once basketball “messiah” is parting the Atlantic Ocean in South Beach.

You have every right to be upset and angry. But while it may be too soon to say this, I have to: With every break up it takes two to tango and unfortunately your team’s general manager played a role in this split.

LeBron talked about it in his narcissism-fest… ahem… interview on ESPN: you need two stars to win a title. Magic had Kareem, Jordan had Pippen, Kobe and Shaq and Pau, Bird had McHale. Who did LeBron have? Mo Williams? Donyell Marshall? In seven years while he was there the team brought in no one worthy of one-name status except Shaq and by then the Big Diesel had nothing left in the tank. Seven years should have been enough time to bring in a guy to compliment him. If they could do it in San Antonio you could have done it in Cleveland.

I’m not saying LeBron shouldn’t have stayed. He should have. He has said he wants to eclipse Jordan’s status of stardom. Unfortunately he could only do that by winning titles in Cleveland. He will be accused of chasing a championship by joining the “Superfriends” in Miami. One title in Cleveland would be worth three in South Beach.

But in the end, LeBron realized the relationship with the Cleve wasn't going anywhere and it was time to move on. I’m sorry Cavs fans. Don’t hate the player. Hate the game… or your general manager’s missteps since 2004.

Other teams are doing some soul-searching from this too. Chicago found out it’s still paying for breaking up the Bulls dynasty and sending Phil Jackson packing. Dwyane Wade may have gone to the Bulls (his family is in Chicago and he’s from there). But that lack of loyalty was why in the past he said he didn’t want to play there. Had he signed in Chicago, Bosh and James would have followed to play with Derrick Rose and Joaquim Noah. That roster would have actually been even better than the Bulls’ dynasties of the past! How’s that for Karma?!

New York found out it can’t just pick up whoever it wants by saying “Hi, I’m New York. Can I make you star?” You need to have more than a name. You need to have game and the Knicks don’t right now. And the Clippers and New Jersey were reminded… well… that they’re the Clippers and New Jersey.

But all of that pales in comparison to Cleveland’s sorrows right now. So grab a tissue Clevelanders. Unfortunately, I don’t have anything consoling to say other than football season is almost here and your Browns actually may not suck this season.

And you may just forget about Art Modell for a minute.

Posted by: Sports Anchor Rafer Weigel
Filed under: Art Modell • Cleveland • Derrick Rose • Donyell Marshall • Joaquim Noah • LeBron James • Miami • NBA • Phil Jackson • Sports

A strange phenomenon happened in this country over the weekend. Americans showed an unprecedented amount of attention to U.S. soccer in spite of being played under the most annoying conditions.

When I blogged about the World Cup a few weeks ago I predicted the vuvuzelas - those annoying horns blown throughout the match - would be such a deterrent that Americans already on the fence about soccer would just tune out. Well, I was right about one thing. People didn't like them.

But I was wrong about them driving viewers away. According to the Associated Press TV viewership reached record amounts in this country for Saturday's match against England.

ESPN – who broadcasts the World Cup – actually re-mixed the sound to try to minimize the horns. But many of us still couldn't take it and simply turned the sound off. That's what happened when I was watching it with my family. We were together for my cousin's wedding in Wisconsin and I had them turn the match on while we were getting ready. Within two minutes my aunts and cousins screamed "TURN OFF THE DARN SOUND! I CAN'T TAKE IT!"

I still say the "headache horns" should be banned. But that's because PLAYERS like Argentina's Lionel Messi are now complaining saying they make it harder to concentrate and give an unfair advantage to teams used to them. American football teams when preparing for games on the road sometimes practice with speakers to simulate opposing crowd noise. Perhaps teams in this World Cup should practice under those conditions as well – or else just use earplugs.

That's how I'll be watching from now on – with earplugs or with the sound off. But I'll still be watching. And apparently you will be too.

Our sister network CNN is tweeting the World Cup. Follow @WorldCupCNN for regular updates like this:
*@WorldCupCNN Want to know more about the vuvuzela? CNN's Nkepile Mabuse talked to someone that makes the horns. http://on.cnn.com/bB1eYB

Posted by: Sports Anchor Rafer Weigel
Filed under: Morning Express crew • Rafer Weigel • Soccer • Sports • Uncategorized • World Cup

The Summer of LeBron is here and the hysteria has officially been elevated to “ridiculous.”

In an exclusive interview with CNN’s Larry King (which will air on Friday 6/3, see preview below), LeBron says Cleveland has an “edge” to resign him because he has a lot of memories there and it's where he’s “comfortable”. They can also offer him $30 million more than any other team which helps. New York, Chicago, New Jersey and the Clippers are expected to throw all they can to land him — which is why most in Cleveland expect LeBron to leave when he’s a free agent July 1st. The city has very low self-esteem when it comes to sports — understandable since they haven’t won a pro championship since Lyndon Johnson’s administration. That’s why they’re making almost desperate attempts to try to convince him to stay.

Never before in history have we seen an entire country go so ga-ga over signing a guy to bounce and shoot a ball wearing a tank top & shorts. And the lengths they’re going to are slightly bizarre. There’s the musical rendition of “We are the World” sung by Cleveland celebrities. Some say it was done tongue-in-cheek but you don’t grab the governor and investigative reporter Carl Monday and book studio time for a “joke.” Then there’s the website pleasedontleave23.com which basically features young kids begging him to stay. There’s even a website of a guys letting themselves be harmed physically to "show LeBron James how much he means to Cavs fans."

Wow. Just wow.

Cleveland, you can re-sign LeBron. But you gotta take it down a notch. The fastest way to turn off someone you’re courting is to come on too strong. I urge you take a page out of the movie "Swingers:" You’re money and you don’t even know it. Right now you’re Mikey coming home form the bar with Nicky’s number and calling her 12 times until she tells him, “never call me again."

By all assumptions, it’s down to Cleveland, New York and Chicago. New York? No offense, but the Knicks are the Paris Hilton of the NBA. They’re considered A-list for doing nothing but because of who they are. Cleveland, you’ve at least BEEN to the playoffs the last few years! *This just in: NYC has made it's own web plea starring Mayor Bloomberg: C'Mon LeBron! Chicago? As much as that would make me happy as a Bulls fan, LeBron knows he’ll always be in Michael Jordan’s shadow. And the Clippers and New Jersey will always be second-fiddle in their respective markets.

Cleveland, LeBron just gave you "his number" in that Larry King interview. Give him your max offer and then don’t call… for six days. Then, go after former Toronto star Chris Bosh & Joe Johnson formerly of the Atlanta Hawks. I would argue those TWO players together make you a better team than you were last year with just LeBron. Make THEM you’re top targets. LeBron will see you gallivanting with other players and go, “wait a minute!” and will want you even more!

So take a deep breath Cleveland. Right now you’re the PG-13 guy that everyone’s rooting for. Be the rated-R guy who’s just a little bit off, with a little bit of an attitude and you’ll be the big winner.

Posted by: Sports Anchor Rafer Weigel
Filed under: Morning Express crew • NBA • Rafer Weigel • Sports