Nikon D300 (s) vs D7000?

I will soon be upgrading to one of these cameras. Please don't suggest I switch to Canon, Pentax, or Sony. I already have Nikon gear, so I'm sticking with the one brand. I shoot alot of my kids sporting events: Football, Soccer, Volleyball, Wrestling. I will be using a Nikon 80-200 AF f2.8 lens. I have done extensive research on these two cameras, and I'm stuck as to which one will be best for me. I realize that the D7000 is a newer design, higher MP (which I'm not concerned about in the least), and better low light performance. What I'm looking for is someone who has had real world experience with both models. All other things being equal, I would buy the D7000, but it just seems by the specs that the 300(s) is better suited for sports with better auto focus, a bigger heavier body to help control the heavy lens, & easier ergonomics for adjustments on the go. I'm not worried about IQ of one vs the other. I have been using a D100 for the last, well forever, and I get excellent results from that camera, so either of the new ones should do as far as that is concerned. Also, I don't really care about video. I have an HD video camera.

The replacement for the professional level Nikon APS-C sensored camera has yet to be released.

The D7000 has a much higher performing sensor than the D300

Here is what an old D300 can do when shooting sports

As you can probably tell, technique is probably a little more important than the lab tests

Here's the brutal honest truth. Today, late in 2012, the D300 and S version are very expensive semi pro bodies sporting an outdated sensor. In low light, the Sony image sensor in the Nikon D7000 (also in the Sony A580, Pentax K5, K 30, Sony A57) beats out the old one. Yes the pixel count is higher, but that doesn't matter it's a newer generation of Exmor sensor.

The Nikon D300/s use the same Sony sensor found in my Sony A700, both were announced in the summer of 2007, great cameras in their day, even today, but the sensor can't deliver past ISO 1600 like the newer sensor. So only go with the D300 if you absolutely need the tougher build, weather sealing, and features the D300 might have over the D7000. I use my A700 from time to time for football, both day and night, and indoor basketball, and events here in wine country.

I shoot only with primes, faster than your zoom, and I still struggle with noise. The images even when cleaned up in LR4 don't look clean enough for my picky taste at ISO 2000 and beyond. Yes there are tricks, and yes I can show small images that are only 1600 pixels on the long side that look great, but clients don't want only little photos for the web. So for that reason, that's why I'm not a big fan of the D300, D300s in low light. I got tired of waiting for Sony so I picked up a Sony A580 for a second and better low light body, next a Nikon D700 used, and possibly a Sony A99 in the future.

I don't buy into the bigger heavy body to balance lenses. I think those are things photographers tell themselves and repeat, but look at the difference in weight for each body, it's very small, not enough to offset a large zoom lens. At the end of the day, we take photos with image sensors not bodies. Newer isn't always better (Nikon D3200, Sony A65, A77 sensors suck) but in this case, the sensor is better. I'd rather buy a 2010 image sensor than a 2007 one found in the D300 and D300s. Either way, best of luck.