Bryan Bickell is not alone.He might feel like he is, but hes not.The 30-year-old winger for the Carolina Hurricanes was diagnosed recently with multiple sclerosis. In a statement last week he said he hasnt been feeling right since the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs and could not understand what was happening. He was shocked to learn of the diagnosis but hoped to return to playing after the right amount of medication and treatments.Former Minnesota Wild goaltender Josh Harding was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in November 2012 and is now a high school goalie coach. Current Calgary Flames goalie coach Jordan Sigalet was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in late 2003 while he was a junior at Bowling Green University. The disease -- which can cause impaired vision, extreme fatigue and spasms and paralysis of muscles, and has no known cure -- tends to more frequently affect women, Caucasians or people with Northern European heritage.Former Major League Baseball standout Rocco Baldelli had his promising career cut short after being diagnosed with a mitochondrial disease -- which has similar symptoms to multiple sclerosis -- when he was 29.At one point, I didnt know if my body was just failing me and I was going to die, Baldelli said. These are the kind of thoughts -- death, or not being able to walk anymore. You go from worrying about playing center field and where youre going to live in the offseason and winning baseball games, to worrying about what is wrong with me and am I dying?Baldelli first began to feel something was wrong when he was 25.You know, especially as an athlete, when something is seriously wrong, Baldelli said. You get to a point where you just want an answer.Now a 35-year-old first-base coach for the Tampa Bay Rays, Baldelli was considered a generational player after Tampa selected him sixth overall in the 2000 amateur draft. He had all the key tools -- speed, strength, athleticism -- to go along with his ability to hit, run and throw. He was a complete player who earned the nickname The Woonsocket Rocket and was once compared to Joe DiMaggio.During the 2007 season, his legs, specifically his hamstrings, would tighten up, then cramp, and his muscles werent able to recover to a point where he was able to play every day. Baldelli met with team trainers and doctors to pinpoint what was happening. He was tested for multiple conditions by specialists all over the country. No immediate answers came, complicated by the fact that he also had been dealing with Lyme disease since he was 15. It was an emotional time.Then, before the 2008 season, he was diagnosed with a cell disorder channelopathy, a mitochondrial condition that prevented him from being an everyday player in the majors. He was limited to 28 regular-season games with the Rays but still found a way to help the club reach the World Series that October and even homered in Game 5 against the Philadelphia Phillies before Tampa lost that series.There are playbooks for injuries -- broken bones and [torn] MCLs -- but theres no real playbook, no right way or wrong way to proceed in these situations; youre figuring it out as you go, Baldelli said. Its scary, to say the least.Baldelli never wanted to discuss his health. He didnt want anyone to feel bad for him or his situation.When youre playing, its a real delicate thing to talk about, and youre not really sure what to say, how to say it, but its a little easier for me to discuss right now, Baldelli said. When youre still out there and trying to play, its hard to talk about these things. It makes you feel your own mortality.A native Rhode Islander, Baldelli was released by the Rays and signed with the Boston Red Sox in 2009 and played 62 games. Despite treatments and medications, the fatigue created by the disease became too severe, and he was forced to retire in 2010 after returning to the Rays for 10 games. He was 29.During his ordeal, Baldelli never thought about calling it quits until the very end because he was doing what he loved, but major questions remained.How do I go on living the rest of my life? Whats the rest of my life going to be like? Baldelli said.Baldelli still works out every day. He eats well and sleeps right. He has no choice, because if he doesnt live life in such a manner, he wont be able to recover and function well enough.I feel good, he said.When he learned that Bickell, a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Chicago Blackhawks, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Baldelli understood firsthand the challenges that lie ahead.Its a very scary thing, Baldelli said. These are not things that young, professional athletes are really thinking about. These arent the thoughts that are in your head. Youre out there trying to compete, trying to earn a living and just trying to enjoy a pretty cool life. When you start dealing with these things, it really starts to freak you out. It really starts to make you question whats going on. As an athlete, you usually feel strong and people like to say invincible. You just never really think something like this is going to happen to you, and its not even on your radar.When it does happen, it scared the hell out of me. I was going for a lot of tests, and my body wasnt cooperating. I was feeling things that I knew I shouldnt be feeling.Since these types of diseases affect everyone differently, its tough for Baldelli to lend any advice.Thats a hard question, he said. Theres no right way to approach these situations. You start to re-evaluate a lot of things in your life. You start to think about the rest of your life and how you want to spend it -- the things that are really important to you and the things that are not. You really start to get an early look at these things that probably most people dont really start to contemplate until a little later on in life. You just dont know how much time youre going to have, and you want to make the most of it. Pacific Color Hydro Flask . -- Ohio States Urban Meyer has never had any issue acclimating to the biggest stages in college football. Hydro Flask 32 Oz Cobalt . Fred Couples, captain of the U.S. side, put it all into perspective. "We know whos in charge," he said. http://www.cheaphydroflaskstore.com/mint-hydro-flask.html . One game after a miserable showing in Oklahoma City, Gay tied a career high with 41 points and the Sacramento Kings cruised to a 114-97 victory at the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. Olive Green Hydro Flask . The International Olympic Committee released the official list of bid cities on Friday after the deadline for applications had passed. The candidates -- all previously announced in their own countries -- are: Almaty, Kazakhstan; Beijing; Krakow, Poland; Lviv, Ukraine; Oslo, Norway; and Stockholm. Cobalt Blue Hydro Flask . The scientists believe the small earthquake during a Marshawn Lynch touchdown was likely greater than Lynchs famous "beast quake" touchdown run three years ago, which also came against New Orleans during a playoff game. Basketball is my favorite sport I like the way they dribble up and down the court Just like Im the king on the microphone So is Dr. J and Moses Malone I like slam dunks, take me to the hoop My favorite play is the alley-oop I like the pick-and-roll, I like the give-and-go Cause its basketball, uh, Mister Kurtis BlowThats right, Kurtis, as of Tuesday evening theyre playing bas-ket-ball!We fantasy hoops junkies finally made it through the long stat-less drought of the offseason, but some big questions loom.Who will be fantasys Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year? Which players will be good trade bait early on? Will Dennis Schroder break out? Will Kristaps Porzingis, Nikola Jokic or Myles Turner bust?Dont worry; I have the answers for you.At the start of each week this season, Ill tip things off by posing and seeking answers to five key questions, thus The Starting Five.This weeks contributors are ESPN Fantasys Jim McCormick, John Cregan and Kyle Soppe.The consensus is that James Harden or Russell Westbrook will be the 2016-17 fantasy MVP. If it doesnt end up being one of them, who will it be?McCormick:? Karl-Anthony Towns looks even more ridiculously talented than expected this preseason. With a new coach prone to riding his core players for heavy minutes and Towns essentially providing prime Tim Duncan production plus 3-point upside and clean free throw numbers, his second year could see him become the top fantasy commodity.Cregan: Stephen Currys value translates in ways that go beyond the obvious volume categories. Even with a 20 percent drop in points per game, he could still do enough in the percentage categories and 3-pointers to push Harden and Westbrook.Soppe:?It has to be DeMarcus Cousins. I believe the Warriors simply have too many chefs in the kitchen for one to garner fantasy MVP honors, and while Boogie can be an explosive personality, there is no denying that he has the well-rounded game that could earn him the No. 1 spot on our Player Rater when all is said and done.Who will be fantasys Rookie of the Year?McCormick:? Its not the homer in me -- although maybe watching every preseason game and liking every tweet is a factor -- but Joel Embiid could provide rare block rates and even produce helpful points and boards in limited exposure. Philly will prove patient with its key big man, but increased playing time throughout the preseason and his potential to play through back-to-backs opens up intriguing upside for his long-awaited debut season.Cregan: I like Dario Saric as a dark horse candidate. Rookie production hinges on volume, and Saric is in line for a starting gig on what amounts to a developmental team. He has across-the-board, multi-categorical fantasy potential. Most of the other touted rookies (Buddy Hield, Kris Dunn) may not break into the 25-28 MPG range.Kyle Soppe:?Ben Simmons will be the best player over the next decade, but for 2016-17, Dunn is the rookie you want. He is the type of big guard that todays NBA is built around, and the Timberwolves have plenty of young talent to alleviate some of the pressure felt by Dunn. Dont rule out a midseason trade opening up even more minutes for the pride of Providence, but I dont think Dunn needs that to be the best of this bunch.Name a player you see as fantasy trade bait because he will start hot but then fade as the season goes along.McCormick:? As much as I like Eric Gordons prospects as a relatively high-usage combo guard for the Rockets up-tempo attack, his long and troubling injury history suggests investors should test his likely rising stock early on.dddddddddddd With the potential to enjoy a top-10 rate from beyond the arc, marketing his shooting volume after a hot start could prove profitable and provide some cost certainty that Gordon himself cant offer.Cregan: Hes not a big name, but I really like what Tim Frazier has shown this preseason filling in for Jrue Holiday. I could see Frazier racking up midround value the first month of the season, but then losing most of that production when Holiday returns.Kyle Soppe:?Rudy Gay. As you may have heard, hes not exactly a fan of playing in Sacramento. For fantasy owners, thats a darn shame, as he is the unquestioned perimeter option on the fastest-paced offense from last season. My thought is that he balls out early, proves his value, and then gets moved to a better real team that asks him to do less.What are your expectations for Dennis Schroder (ADP: 58) this season now that Jeff Teague is gone?McCormick:? Given the endorsements throughout our preseason content series, Im clearly high on Schroder in the wake of Teagues departure. The Atlanta guard has long consumed a valuable usage rate, while a lack of minutes and touches has held him back from becoming the volume scorer his profile suggests. I expect Schroeder to surge past his ADP and firmly fit into the top 50 of the overall player pool.Cregan: Not as high as 58, especially in a turnover league. I dont think his upside in assists is worth the hit in field goal percentage. Hes probably more in the 60-70 range overall. Ive avoided him entirely in turnover leagues.Kyle Soppe:?My expectation is that I will get him at that price in a lot of leagues. Im looking for Schroder to put himself in the top-10 conversation at the point guard position, as Im using Teagues 2015 as a guide (PG13) and believe Schroder offers more upside. Invest with confidence and thank me later.Kristaps Porzingis (ADP: 30), Nikola Jokic (ADP: 47) and Myles Turner (ADP: 71) are among the most-hyped breakout bigs in fantasy. Which of them is most likely to be a bust relative to his draft position?McCormick: As much as I love his upside, particularly in blocks, Turner faces the most meaningful competition for minutes. Even with the unique Jusuf Nurkic pairing in Denver, Jokics offensive upside is undeniable, while Porzingis has by far the most diverse statistical profile of this trio of young bigs. I have still pursued shares of Turner this season and would even buy into the campaign if he starts slowly, but there is some inherent risk in his exposure potential.Cregan: Oh, man. Can I say none of the above? I really, really like all three of those players in that range. I guess Id go with Porzingis, based on his offensive volume possibly staying at rookie-year levels due to the addition of Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose. But cmon ... all three of those guys have huge ceilings. Their ADPs are probably their floors (barring injury).Kyle Soppe:?Jokic, but that has very little to do with any lack of confidence in him and more to do with me liking the price of the other two. Porzingis is a rare blend of size and skill, while Turner gained a mentor in Al Jefferson to help the development process. Jokic is going to be fine, but with two other frontcourt options, Im not sure he has the usage upside of the other two. 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