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6.30.2003
Diamondbacks Making Fools: In early May, many baseball "experts" declared the Arizona Diamondbacks done. Bobby Valentine said that they had no chance of contending for a playoff spot. It made some sense. On May 2, they were 12-18 and were losing the arms of their two best pitchers, Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling.
It has not proven to be prophetic. With their 5-3 victory at Detroit on Sunday, the D'Backs have won 11 straight games and sit only one game out of the Wild Card spot. In those 11 games, they have outscored their opponents, 65-35.
So much for the "experts."
6.29.2003
Case In Point: The WNBA Just Doesn't Have It: It'd be great if the WNBA could be as exciting as the NBA. But, it just can't. Just take a look at some of the thrilling scores from Saturday's games: Comets 64, Silver Stars 49; Sting 69, Sun 55; and you gotta love this doozy from last Saturday: Sparks 54, Mercury 48. After the complaining that went on when the NBA Finals scores were in the 70s and 80s a couple games, you've got to wonder who isn't just going to WNBA games out of charity.
Speaking of the NBA Finals: We never got the chance to say how very happy we were that the Lakers didn't win the NBA Championship. It was great to see that a team can't just walk through the first 60 games of the schedule and win a championship. Plus, it's been nice here in L.A. to see the fans and press eat a little humble pie. They needed it.
6.28.2003
Why I Hate Pro Baseball: The last week has offered the great contrast of why I hate professional baseball. On the one hand, you have the College World Series. Classic games, guys trying as hard as they can, laying it all out on the line. Pro baseball has what happened Friday night.
The Boston Red Sox set a record for the most runs scored before having a batter retired: it was 10-1 before the Florida Marlins blinked. Then, in the seventh inning, what should have been a great day for the Red Sox to remember became an embarrassment for the League.
In the seventh inning, Boston's Todd Walker hit a line drive that hit Marlins pitcher Kevin Olsen in the head. Olsen went down and everyone in attendance stood up, aghast. Olsen was carted off the field and taken to a hospital. Accidents happen, and this was just one of those accidents.
In the eighth inning, the Marlins "retaliated" by having Blaine Neal pitch a ball at David Ortiz that hit him, sending him to the ground. Retaliation for an ACCIDENT. Are we back in third grade?
Then, in the ninth inning, Boston retaliated for the retaliation by having Hector Almonte throw a pitch behind Andy Fox. Almonte was immediately ejected, the benches cleared, and off we went.
All because of a freak accident.
Then, after the game, Marlins manager Jack McKeon whined to the press that Boston was running up the score by continuing to manufacture runs in the seventh, up 21-5. And here we thought the whole POINT of a team at bat was to score runs. Instead of getting his guys to play harder and stop the run, his Marlins allowed four more runs to score after their 16-point deficit.
Dan Woog and I have talked in the past about the lack of education in the Major Leagues (guys skipping college and going right in from high school) and how that leads ot a less educated class of men in baseball than any other sport.
They were on display Friday. - CZ
6.27.2003
Notes from the Draft: The NBA draft took place in Madison Square Garden on Thursday. Here is some of what we saw . . .
Best Dressed: LeBron James. CNNSI gave him their "worst dressed" award. But, what do straight guys know about dressing well? His outfit was perfect for the occasion. He has been dubbed the white knight who will lead the NBA back to the promised land of success. An all-white suit fit him perfectly.
Worst Dressed: Carmelo Anthony. Maybe it was more his hair than his clothes, but the grey-on-tan just wasn't working for him.
Biggest Bust: First they lose Jay Williams, then the Chicago Bulls throw away a draft pick on Kirk Heinrich (guard, Kansas). The kid may have had some moves, but anybody can learn the moves he pulled. Nothing stands out about him except that, as a point guard at Kansas, he played with exceptional talent around him and choked in the National Championship game against aforementioned Carmelo Anthony.
The 'Go Away' Award: Michael Jordan. He just had to pull something on a night that had nothing to do with him, "leaking" that he had a deal to buy the Milwaukee Bucks just an hour before selection time. Classless.
Soccer Player Dies Mid-Game: He's being remembered as "an extraordinary man" by those against whom he played. But, Cameroon midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe has played his last game, collapsing in the heat 71 minutes into his team's Confederations Cup semifinal against Colombia on Thursday. Foe was 28-years-old.
6.26.2003
ACC to Grow By Only Two? The ACC has voted to invite two Big East Schools - Miami and Virginia Tech - to join their conference. It has been rumored for months now that the ACC was looking to expand by including as many as four schools from the Big East. By inviting the Hurricanes and the Hokies, the ACC instantly becomes a powerhouse football conference (with these two new additions plus perennial contender Florida State), leaving the Big East to focus more on their remaining schools which favor men's basketball.
Meltdown at Wimbeldon: Greg Rusedski last year ousted Andy Roddick from the Wimbeldon Championships. This year, Roddick returned the favor, winning in straight sets, 7-6, 7-6, 7-5. After leading the third set, 5-2, Rusedski stopped playing a point when a fan called a shot out - Rusedski thinking it was an umpire. When the chair umpire let the point stand, instead of having it replayed, Rusedski argued using expletives. He never won another game.
6.25.2003
Taking a Pro-Gay Stance in English Football: In what may be a first in professional team sports, the English Football Association will tell clubs to be more accepting of homosexual players, according to an article in the London Daily Telegraph.
?In a campaign to begin in September,? the paper said, ?the FA will say that anti-homosexual attitudes on the pitch and in the stands must be stamped out to make the sport ?inclusive? for gay players. It will also give warning that players, officials and fans who abuse, bully or assault homosexuals could be suspended, fined or even banned from the game.?
Only one British soccer player, Justin Fashanu, has ever come out while playing and he was ?notoriously bullied? by the club?s manager, the paper said. Fasanu committed suicide in 1998.
The paper continued: Lucy Faulkner, the FA's ethics and sports equity manager, said that, in future, those guilty of abuse would be disciplined. "What we want to have in football is a situation where anybody should feel comfortable, regardless of their sexual orientation, ethnic background or their sex.
"There are a number of things we can do apart from suspending people. We can ban people from football, and there are fines as well. If there's foul and abusive language - and it includes comments alluding to sexual orientation - then any sanction is automatically doubled, and trebled for the next offense. The obvious examples would be name-calling, offensive language, things like calling someone a 'poof'.
We doubt that the FA?s action will spur players to come out, but it?s a tremendous first step in recognizing the issue does exist. Fines and suspensions are great attention getters. The FA is to be commended.
6.24.2003
Top Seed Falls at Wimbledon:Day One of Wimbledon provided a shocker for the ages. Top seed and defending champion Lleyton Hewitt was upset by Ivo Karlovic, a 6-10 Croatian ranked 203rd in the world. Karloivc is so obscure as a player that Wimbledon?s official Web site has no photo of him and a bio that simply lists his name, country and that he plays men?s singles.
Hewitt?s loss marked only the second time since 1877 that a defending Wimbledon men?s champ lost his first match. After winning the first set, Hewitt was routed, 1-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-4. The Croat dominated Hewitt with his serve and AP writer Howard Fendrich made the perfect analogy: ?Hewitt, who's a foot shorter, is a gifted returner, but he looked like a baseball batter who couldn't handle Randy Johnson's fastballs coming down at him.?
Rice Is NiceThe Rice Owls, a university known more for its academics than athletics, won the College World Series on Monday with a 14-2 drubbing of Stanford. It was the Houston school?s first national championship in any sport. Stanford is certainly no slouch when it comes to brain power and it was nice to see two schools who value learning also excelling on the field.
6.23.2003
Baseball Races Heat Up: After a weekend of some terrific interconference regional rivalries (Los Angeles-Anaheim; Cubs-White Sox; Yankees-Angels; Oakland-San Francisco; Montreal-Toronto), the baseball division races remain almost uniformly tight.
In the National League, Chicago and Houston are tied for the Central lead, with St. Louis only a game out and Cincinnati four. In the West, the Dodgers and Giants have the same record, while Arizona and Colorado are still within hailing distance. Only Atlanta, with an eight-game lead in the East, looks comfortable, but Montreal and Philadelphia are still very much in the wild card hunt.
In the American League, the Yankees lead surging Toronto by only 1 ﾽ games, while Boston is 2 ﾽ behind. Minnesota leads Kansas City by a game in the Central, while Seattle leads resurgent Oakland by 5 ﾽ in the West. This is shaping up as one of the most competitive seasons in years.
Boxing Controversy? So What Else Is New? Vitali Klitschko, a 6-7 Ukrainian heavyweight, put on quite a show against heavyweight champ Lennox Lewis on Saturday in Los Angeles. He led Lewis on all the judges? scorecards and generally controlled the fight. But Lewis was declared the winner on a sixth-round technical knockout due to a nasty cut over Klitschko?s left eye. The crowd booed when the fight was stopped and cheered Klitschko?s effort. Boxing writers uniformly thought Lewis stunk up the joint, but the Brit (who has taken often homophobic ribbing for living with his mom and a poodle) was defiant. ?I'm happy to give him a rematch,'' said Lewis. ?Then I'll bust up the other side of his face, too.?
6.20.2003
Gay Golf Story: Sports Illustrated ran a very positive profile in in its weekly golf suppplement on the Rainbow Golf League of Columbus, Ohio.
The story by Eamon Lynch chronicled how the gay golfing group formed, its triumphs and its setbacks. It?s filled with some great quotes and photos that will resonate with a gay and lesbian audience. The only shame is that the story did not appear in Sports Illustrated?s full run, only the golf supplement.
From No Hits to a Win: The Philadelphia Phillies had one of the weirder wins you?ll ever see in baseball. Held hitless for 7 1/3 innings, the Phillies cuffed around starter Mike Hampton then ace Atlanta relieve John Smoltz for three runs and a 3-2 victory. Jimmy Rollins' RBI single with one out in the ninth inning was the game-winner. ?It's good to beat Smoltz,'' Rollins said. ``That dude is tough. Today we proved he's human.? Atlanta still has a comfortable seven-game lead in the National League East.
A Goalie Calls It Quits: Several weeks after Patrick Roy from the Colorado Avalanche retired,
another
household goalie name, Tom Barasso retired Wednesday from the
Pittsburgh
Penguins. Barrasso made history on Oct. 19, 1997, when he became the
first
American-born goaltender to record his 300th career win in a 4-1 win
against
the Florida Panthers. He was a member of the 2002 Olympics and holds
the
all-time NHL record for most points by a goaltender, 48. (item by Chuck Hagel)
6.19.2003
Dad of Gay Victim on ESPN: Kudos to the Human Rights Campaign and ESPN for reaching out to an untapped audience with a very positive message. A new commercial, sponsored by the HRC, shows the father of Matthew Shepherd in a very rustic setting talking about his undying love for his son - whether he was straight or gay. We first caught the comercial on ESPN2 during the College World Series on Wednesday.
Rice in the College World Series Finals: The Rice Owls are in the College World Series finals for the first time in school history, thanks to their 5-4 victory over Texas on Wednesday. They await the winner of the Stanford - Cal State Fullerton matchup. Stanford stayed alive by avenging an earlier loss to the Titans, 5-3, on Wednesday.
6.18.2003
A Night at the Park: We went to Dodger Stadium, a great place to see a baseball game, and watched along with 48,000 others as the Dodgers beat the hated San Francisco Giants, 4-1, for their fourth straight win. The victory pulls the Dodgers to within a game of the Giants in the NL West.
Dodger pitcher Kevin Brown won his ninth straight decision and Paul Lo Duca went 4 for 4, but the real buzz came in the ninth inning, when stud reliever Eric Gagne came in to close the game. He struck out the side and, believe it or not, most of the crowd was still around to see it. Gagne is now 27 for 27 in save opportunities this year.
Our highlight was watching the young usher in our aisle ruthlessly hunt down and puncture beach balls. He had four confirmed kills, all with a medium point blue Bic stick pen. Almost better entertainment than the game.
6.17.2003
Fun and Games Across the Pond: Now that the NBA playoffs are finished and our ?winter? sports are done for another few months, we thought we?d catch up with some interesting sports tidbits in Europe:
The hot story in England is the fate of soccer megastar David ?Gay Icon? Beckham, married to Victoria (Posh Spice). He is all but certain to be playing in Spain next season. Beckham has been the hottest topic for journalists for years, but Julie Burchill of the London Guardian has had enough.
?Much as it pains a feminist such as myself to say so, Beckham has been grotesquely, massively, pussy-whipped by his talentless, ambition-hound of a wife,? Burchill wrote. She goes on to lambaste Victoria for using the royal We, such as saying, ?We've got so many wider interests ... fashion, makeup. I mean, you think, yeah, football's great, and singing's great. But you've got to look at the bigger picture." Burchill concludes: ?Well, good luck to them, wherever their travels may take them, but I
can't help thinking this will end in tears.?
It was tear gas, not tears, in the Balkans after water polo fans went on the rampage after Serbia and Montenegro beat Croatia to win the European Water Polo Championship.
Croatia?s foreign minister cancelled a planned visit to Serbia and Montenegro after thousands of Serb fans attacked Croatia?s embassy. This came after Croatian fans smashed seats and beat up Serb delegates during the final. See, fans are idiots the world over.
6.16.2003
Spurs Are the Champs: The San Antonio Spurs used a 19-0 fourth-quarter run to catch and then pass the New Jersey Nets, 88-77, and win the NBA Finals, 4-2. The Spurs were led by league and series MVP Tim Duncan, who had 21 points, 20 rebounds and eight blocks. David Robinson, the Spurs classy center who is retiring, had 13 points and 17 boards.
The Spurs, who have won two titles in the past five years, are a deserving champion. They beat the three-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, then the talented Dallas Mavericks on their way to the title.
The Nets are much less deserving of being called the league?s second-best team. They are lucky to play in the weak Eastern Conference; one suspects they?d be only the sixth or seventh-best team in the West. They have now lost eight of their 10 NBA Finals games over two years, and the East champ is now 6-20 since 1999. It?s time for the league to re-seed the playoffs.
Furyk Wins Open: Jim Furyk won the U.S. Open, matching the lowest total (272) in 103 years of Opens. It was Furyk?s first major.
6.15.2003
College World Series Underway: The College World Series got underway Friday and Saturday, with the teams from the West dominating the first round of games. Stanford dominated South Carolina the first day, with an 8-0 victory powered by pitcher John Hudgins, who threw eight two-hit innings. On Saturday, Texas used their bats to blow past Miami, 13-2. Cal State - Fullerton and Rice also won their first round games.
Roddick Gets a Big Blast Andy Roddick finally beat Andre Agassi in the semifinals of Queens Club championship in London, 6-1, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (8-6). During the match, Roddick tied a record with a serve that sailed at 149 mph.
6.14.2003
Records Were Meant to be Tied: Vijay Singh and Jim Furyk are tied for the U.S. Open lead at 7-under at Olympia Fields; and, with that, they are also tied for the U.S. Open record for 36 holes. Singh's 7-under all came on Friday, shooting a 63 to catch what seemed to be an unreachable score by Furyk. Tiger Woods is chasing close behind, at 4-under.
All That's Left is Planning the Parade: New Jersey Net backup center Dikembe Mutombo guaranteed a victory for his team. If only his team was listening. The Nets lost their second of three home games in the NBA Finals on Friday, 93-83, to the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs now have two home games to wrap up the series.
6.13.2003
Neuheisel on His Way Out: University of Washington football coach will be fired, the school?s athletic director Barbara Hedges said. ?Rick's actions have left me little choice and have seriously undermined his ability to remain as head football coach at the university," Hedges said. "Rick's admitted gambling on college athletics shows poor judgment."
Neuheisel, who has been guilty of NCAA violations before, admitted he participated in a high-stakes NCAA college basketball pool. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer said he bet $6,400 and won $12,123 over the past two years. Neuheisel changed his story about the pool several times, which fit into what many said was a pattern of lies. The cumulative effect was too much for Hedges and Neuheisel will be gone. Seems like he finally got what he deserved.
6.12.2003
Nets Tie It Up: Can anybody here play this game? After a pathetic shooting effort by both teams, the New Jersey Nets held off the San Antonio Spurs, 77-76, to even the NBA Finals at two games each.
The Nets won despite shooting only 36% (11% from 3-point range), blowing a 15-point lead and not scoring a basket from the field in the final four minutes. The Spurs shot an even more anemic 29% and had a last-second 3-pointer that would have won the game fall short. While this series is close, it has not been well played and is not the NBA?s finest hour.
Yankees No-Hit: How many Houston Astros pitchers does it take to no-hit the New York Yankees? Try a record six. In an historic game, the Astros became the first team in 45 years to hold the Yankees hitless. The Yankees had gone 6,980 games with getting at least one hit.
While fans at Yankee Stadium applauded Houston?s Billy Wagner getting the last out, Yankee manager Joe Torre was less than pleased. ``This is one of the worst games I've ever been involved in. It was a total, inexcusable performance,'' Torre said. But to their credit, the Yanks did show class, sending over bottles of champagne to the Astros dressing room. ``That's how the Yankees are, they're pretty classy,'' Wagner said.
6.11.2003
Gay NASCAR Fans: It seems as if gay NASCAR fans are coming out of the closet. An article in the Advocate quotes marketer Bill Doyle as saying that as NASCAR grows, so does its gay fan base. No statistics are cited to back it up, but Doyle did offer some theories. ?The drama,? Doyle told the Advocate. ?It?s just like a soap opera. There are great stories, and there are fascinating characters who reappear each week to continue the conflict and change the story line. People tune in each week to see what?s going to happen to their favorite driver.?
Again on Sunday, the FOX team showed why they--and their writers--rule. In a taped comedy bit, announcers Jeff Hammond and Mike Joy were told at their Pocono hotel's front desk that they would need to share a honeymoon suite. They say sure, whatever. Then, Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Harvick check in for their second honeymoon--and are sent to the same room! When they let themselves in, Jeff and Mike are in the hot tub, chin-deep in bubble-bath, laughing and sipping champagne! Then, rather than fight over the room, Kevin and the Mrs. decide to join the fun -- but as he's about to get in the tub, Kevin snarls, "you guys keep your hands above the water." Group sex and NASCAR! Sweeet!
6.10.2003
They?re the Devils, Devils: One of the classic ?Seinfeld? episodes was the ?Face Painter,? where Elaine?s date, the amiable doofus David Puddy, appalls her by wearing New Jersey Devils face paint to a hockey game. On the way back home, a celebratory Puddy pounds on a stopped car, sticks his head in and hisses to an unsuspecting visiting Salvadoran priest: ?Don?t? mess with the Devils, buddy. We're No. 1, we beat anybody. We?re the Devils! The Devils!? The priest lapses into a coma thinking the end is near.
We thought of Puddy as the Devils skated in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals to a convincing 3-0 win over the gritty Anaheim Mighty Ducks. New Jersey scored twice in the second period and once in the third, while goalie Martin Brodeur registered his record seventh shut out in the playoffs.
This was truly a home-and-home series; the Devils won all four in New Jersey, outscoring Anaheim, 15-3, in the four game. The Ducks took their three on the West Coast as it was the first Finals since 1965 where the home team won every game. It was New Jersey?s third title in nine years, stamping them as NHL royalty.
6.9.2003
Take Me Out to the Tonys: 'Take Me Out,' a play about a professional baseball player coming out of the closet which hit Broadway last year, was chosen Best Play at the Tonys Sunday night.
Joe Mantello was the surprise winner for Best Director, and Denis O'Hare won the award for Featured Actor, for their work on the play.
Lopsided French Final: Despite being ranked #4 in the world, Juan Carlos Ferrero had never won a Grand Slam tournament. Then, he faced a guy who probably shouldn't have been in the finals - and it showed.
Ferrero trampled over Martin Verkerk, 6-1, 6-3, 6-2. It was the most lopsided French Open finals score in 25 years, and the third most lopsided in French Open history.
Spurs Recapture Homecourt Advantage: Just two days after stealing homecourt advantage, the New Jersey Nets saw the San Antonio Spurs take it right back. It may have been ugly, but the Spurs' 84-79 victory puts them right back in the drivers' seat for the series.
The game tied for the fewest combined points in one half of an NBA Finals game (63) in League history.
In the end, though, it was too much Tony Parker (26 points) and too much Tim Duncan (21 points, 16 rebounds) for the Nets to contend with. Jason Kidd nearly matched his poor Game 1 performance with only 12 points on 6-19 shooting.
6.8.2003
Clemens Stuck on 299: New York Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens failed for the third time to win his 300th career game, after the Yanks lost 5-2 to the Chicago Cubs. Clemens (6-4) left the seventh inning ahead 1-0 but with two runners on base. Relief pitcher Juan Acevedo promptly gave up a three-run home run to Eric Karros as the Wrigley Field faithful went crazy.
``I apologized to Roger. Nobody wants to go in and screw up,'' said Acevedo.
Plucky Ducks: The Anaheim Mighty Ducks beat the New Jersey Devils, 5-2, to tie up the Stanley Cup Finals at three games apiece. The Ducks scored three times in the first period and never looked back. The two teams play one game for the Cup on Monday.
Funny Cide Fades: Funny Cide took the lead early in the Belmont Stakes, but faded down the stretch and failed in his bid to win the Triple Crown of horse racing. Empire Maker passed Funny Cide around the final turn and won the race on a muddy track. Ten Most Wanted finished second and Funny Cide third. It has now been 26 years since there was a Triple Crown winner.
6.7.2003
Spurs Let One Get Away: Not to take anything away from a solid effort by the New Jersey Nets, but the NBA Finals are now tied because the San Antonio Spurs reverted to the sloppy play that has reared its head several times during the playoffs.
For the record, the Nets beat the Spurs, 87-85, led by the brilliant Jason Kidd and his 30 points. But San Antonio lost for two reasons?22 turnovers and 11 missed free throws (in 25 chances). League MVP Tim Duncan stunk from the free throw line, making only 3 of 10. For good measure, Duncan was only 8 of 19 from the field. The Spurs are still the better team, but the Nets have the next three games at home and if they win out, they are the champs.
Sosa Sits for Eight: Sammy Sosa?s corked bat will cost him an eight-game suspension, the National League ruled. Sosa is still playing while he appeals.
Unknown in the Final: Who is Martin Verkerk? You have to be a tennis fanatic to know he?s an unranked Dutchman who will now play Juan Carlos Ferrero in the French Open final.
6.6.2003
Serena Goes Down: After four straight Grand Slam singles titles, many were wondering whether Serena Williams would ever lose again. But her aura of invincibility was broken in the women?s semifinals of the French Open when she lost 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 to Belgium's Justine Henin-Hardenne.
Williams broke down into tears after the match, saying, "I'm not used to crying." The crowd obviously got to her, lustily jeering every time she made an error. Some writers called the crowd?s action out of line, while others said the fans were more pro-Henin than anti-Williams. "I know I didn't play the most beautiful match but I think it's bad when people start booing between serves and others are egging them on by doing ridiculous things," Williams said. She may have won sympathy in defeat than she ever got in victory.
Devils Take Series Lead: After a series that saw 12 goals in the first four games combined, the New Jersey Devils and Anaheim Mighty Ducks went nuts, scoring a total of nine in the Devils? 6-3 win. New Jersey leads the Stanley Cup Finals, 3-2, and can win the title with one win in the next two games.
``It was unbelievable,'' Devils goalie Martin Brodeur said of the scoring outburst, much of it coming off weird bounces of the puck. ?What a weird game. I'm really thankful for my offense--and you usually don't say that too often, because they don't score too many goals.''
Neuheisel Into the Pool: University of Washington football coach Rick Neuheisel may lose his job after admitting he was part of a high-stakes college basketball betting pool.
Neuheisel admitted that he collected $20,000 on a $5,000 bet in 2002 after Maryland won the NCAA title. According to the Seattle Times, Neuheisel said he had no idea that such wagering among friends would violate NCAA rules. That?s a pretty lame excuse considering that every coach and player knows gambling--especially big bucks-- is a big no-no. We bet he gets sacked
6.5.2003
Spurs Take Game One: If the New Jersey Nets had a chance this series, they had to take game one. Instead, it couldn't have gone worse for the Nets. Having outplayed the Spurs in the first half, they entered the second half tied. Jason Kidd shot badly. Foul trouble hounded them. Time Duncan was on fire. And all they have to show for their efforts: a 101-89 loss that has them in a tough spot.
Sosa Will Get More than a Suspension: Whether it was an accident or not, Sammy Sosa's legacy will feel the biggest brunt of the revelation during the Chicago Cubs' game on Tuesday that he was using a corked bat.
Sosa's excuse has been that it was an accident - he has one corked bat that he keeps around to help him impress the fans during warm-up; and that bat somehow ended up in his hands when he went to the plate Tuesday. Despite having a couple dozen of his other bats x-rayed on Wednesday, the thing that is sticking in the minds of a lot of people: it takes only one. And Sammy had that one corked bat.
Jay Mariotti, the Chicago Sun-Times sports columnist, has said that he has questioned Sammy's meteoric rise in recent years because of his stature, and numbers, before his sudden race to be homerun king with Mark McGuire. Mariotti has also said that he has given Sosa the benefit of the doubt, waiting for a piece of evidence to come to the surface. - CZ
It just did.
Jeremy Bloom Will Be Back in Pads: University of Colorado student-athlete Jeremy Bloom announced Wednesday afternoon he will return to play football for his sophomore year at CU. Bloom made the announcement at the Dal Ward Athletic Center in Boulder.
?This a testimony to Jeremy?s love of the game, his love of his teammates, his love for the University of Colorado and his unselfishness," said Gary Barnett, CU Head Football Coach. "In so many ways, he epitomizes what a student-athlete should be about it.?
6.4.2003
Shea Did Say ?Faggot?: We reported last week that Shea Hillenbrand, traded from the Boston Red Sox to the Arizona Diamondbacks, taunted his boss, General Manager Theo Epstein, on WAAF radio last week saying ``Trade me, [bleep].'' We reported conflicting stories of what the bleep was; one reader said ?faggot,? another said ?fucker.?
We can report that the slur in question was a not-so-nice-word for gay people. Since Hillenbrand was a regular on WAAF, it?s possible the readers were talking about two separate incidents. But there is no doubt he did said ?faggot.?
After the story was plugged twice by the Boston Herald;
, it got the attention of a Red Sox message board
; most of the comments, thankfully, condemned Hillenbrand for his utterance.
?I didn't hear Shea's comments and don't know the context of it but I can see the outrage there. There really is no need for such a comment,? one poster said. Another was more blunt: ?Only a complete asshole would say something like this under any circumstance.?
While Hillenbrand?s comment, uttered on a radio station that considers itself edgy and provocative, isn?t the worst thing we?ve ever heard, he still needs to be called on it. It shows that in his world, being called ?faggot? is about the worst slur imaginable and points out the macho, ultra-hetero atmosphere that still exists in much of the sports world.
The general silence of the Boston media to this story is also telling. There are apparently still some slurs you can utter without consequences. Imagine the reaction if Hillenbrand had referred to Epstein as ?kike.?
6.3.2003
Ducks Tie It Up: After losing the first two game of the Stanley Cup Finals by a combined 6-0, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks looked more like roast ducks. But after a second straight dramatic overtime win, the Ducks have tied up the series with the favored New Jersey Devils.
In a game that saw both goalies shine, it took only one goal to settle things. It was provided by the Ducks? Steve Thomas 39 seconds into OT for a 1-0 win. The Ducks have tied a playoff record with 12 one-goal wins.
Giant-Killer in Paris: Who is Tommy Robredo and how has he single-handedly shaken up the French Open? Two days after knocking off top seed Lleyton Hewitt, the 21-year-old Robredo of Spain upset three-time French Open winner Gustavo Kuerten 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4 in the fourth round. Next up for Robredo is Albert Costa.
?I've beaten the Ace, I've beaten the King,'' Robredo said. ?Now I need to beat the Jack, don't I? I've beaten No. 1, I've beaten someone who won here three times, and the next person in my path is Costa. If I beat Costa, I'll have beaten the entire deck of cards.'' Remind us never to play poker with that guy.
6.2.2003
French Open Shockers: So much for form holding at the French Open this weekend. A day after Lleyton Hewitt was bounced from the men?s side, the women lost three marquee names?Venus Williams, Lindsay Davenport and Jennifer Capriati.
Venus Williams, jeered off the court in Paris, was way off her game in losing to Russia?s Vera Zvonareva; Williams had 12 double-faults and 75 unforced errors. Davenport was forced to call her match with an injured toe, while Capriati fell to Nadia Petrova in three sets.
Rocket Misfires Again: Roger Clemens? bid for his 300th career pitching win failed for the second time. Clemens left Sunday?s game against the Detroit Tigers ahead, 8-6, and needing the New York Yankees bullpen to get the last nine outs. But the Tigers tied it in the seventh and the game then lasted 10 more innings before the Yanks pulled it out. Clemen?s next shot at 300 will likely be on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs.
5.31.2003
Player Utters the ?F? Word: Shea Hillenbrand, traded from the Boston Red Sox to the Arizona Diamondbacks Thursday, taunted his boss, General Manager Theo Epstein, on WAAF radio last week saying ``Trade me, [bleep].'' But what the bleep stood for is in dispute; we just know it begins with ?F.?
Hillenbrand, an All-Star infielder hitting .303 this season, was traded to Arizona for reliever Byung-Hyun Kim. He was talking with Greg Hill on WAAF when he made the quote about Epstein, according to the Boston Herald. The paper wrote that, ?And by ?bleep? we mean a not-so-nice word for a homosexual!? An Outsports reader said he heard Hillenbrand say ?faggot.? ?I heard it myself and was talking with a co-worker about it,? this reader said.
However, another Outsports reader said the player used ?fucker.? ?I happened to be listening last week to the show referred to in the Boston Herald article,? the second reader wrote. ?At no time did Hillenbrand use "faggot." What he said (and I think this was pretty clear) was "fucker." It's hard to say for sure, but the word used was bleeped by WAAF.?
The word, whatever it was, ?was said in jest,'' the DJ Greg Hill told the Herald. Either way, one can imagine that Epstein and Hillenbrand won?t be exchanging Christmas cards. We will try and track down what actually was said.
5.30.2003
Spurs Reach Finals: It looked like 1998 for Steve Kerr and it was bad news for the Dallas Mavericks. Kerr, a onetime starter for the Chicago Bulls? dynasty of the 1990s and now a benchwarmer for the San Antonio Spurs, was magnificent in Game 6 of the NBA Western Conference Finals. Kerr entered the game with the Spurs down by 13 early in the fourth quarter and by the time he sat down they had gone on a 23-0 run to whip the Mavs, 90-78, and reach the NBA Finals. Kerr shot 4 for 4 from the 3-point line as the Spurs outscored Dallas, 34-9, in the fourth. ?This is one of best nights of my career, ranks right up there with anything that happened in Chicago. There?s always a chance to have one moment, and tonight was one of those nights,? said Kerr, who had scored only 2 points prior in the series. San Antonio takes on the New Jersey Nets in the Finals starting Wednesday.
Devils Post Another Shutout: Martin Brodeur posted his second Stanley Cup Finals shutout in a row as the New Jersey Devils beat the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, 3-0, to take a 2-0 series lead. It would take a total hockey diehard to find much interest in this series. The Ducks had only 16 shots on goal and seem totally outclassed. Wake us when it?s over.
5.29.2003
Agassi Rallies for Win: Andre Agassi barely survived against Croatian teen Mario Ancic to reach the third round of the French Open. Agassi fell behind two sets before rallying for a 5-7, 1-6, 6-4, 6-2, 7-5 win. ?Sometimes, you just have to find a way. You have to dig deep and come up with the goods,'' said Agassi.
Braves? Three-Peat: Rafael Furcal, Mark DeRosa and Gary Sheffield are the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 hitters for the Atlanta Braves and they did something for only the second time in Major League Baseball history?start a game with consecutive home runs. It was a nightmare game for Jeff Austin of the Cincinnati Reds, who gave up the home runs. Austin also became the first pitcher in 11 years to get knocked out of two straight starts without making it through the first inning. Ouch.
5.28.2003
Roy Retires: Colorado Avalanche goalie Patrick Roy will announce his retirement on Wednesday, ending an 18-year career that ends with Roy perhaps being the game?s all-time greatest. Get a hold of his career accomplishments: A four-time Stanley Cup champion. The NHL's career leader in victories with 551 and games played with 1,029. The all-time leader in playoff victories, games played and shutouts. Roy won two Stanley Cup titles each with the Montreal Canadians and the Avalanche.
Devils Take Opener: The New Jersey Devils beat the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, 3-0, to take Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The Ducks had been off for 11 days since clinching a spot in the finals and it showed. On the other side, Devil goalie Martin Brodeur was superb, recording his fifth shutout of the playoffs.
Mavs Stay Alive: Well, knock us over with a feather. Trailing by 19 at one point and missing their star Dirk Nowitzki, the Dallas Mavericks rallied for a 103-91 win over the Spurs in San Antonio. The Spurs still lead the series, 3-2. Dallas looked at but dead before outscoring the Spurs, 29-10, in the final period. ?I saw blue shirts on the floor, I saw blue shirts ripping rebounds from guys in white shirts. They wanted it more and they deserved it,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.
5.27.2003
Brown Out: Larry Brown has always been an enigma. A terrific basketball coach, Brown has had as many addresses as Starbucks. He took UCLA to the NCAA men?s finals, then left. He won an NCAA title with Kansas, then left. The pattern is familiar and he has taken a record six NBA teams to the playoffs. And it continued on Monday, when Brown resigned as coach of the Philadelphia 76ers. For Brown, his Philly tenure was epoch?six years and one trip to the NBA Finals. But Brown sensed it was time to go. "This has been coming for a long time,'' Brown said at a news conference. ?I kind of thought in the middle of the season that we needed a change, a fresh look. And that's been on my mind awhile." Expect Brown to be coaching somewhere in the NBA next season.
Ducks vs. Devils: The Stanley Cup Finals start Tuesday and we can wager that few people care, which is too bad for hockey. Having teams in suburban Anaheim and New Jersey will do little to stir the pulse of anyone except the true puck diehards. And the brand of hockey practiced by the Anaheim Mighty Ducks and New Jersey Devils is less than scintillating. A lot of dumping the puck into the zone and terrific goal tending; expect a lot of 1-0 or 2-1 games. Yawn. The incredibly exciting hockey we saw during the 2002 Winter Olympics shows the sport?s potential for reaching a larger audience. We only hope the powers that be in the NHL realize they have a game that needs fixing. Nonetheless, Devils in six.
5.26.2003
NBA Finals All But Set: Two teams from the old ABA are very close to meeting for the NBA Finals. The New Jersey Nets are in, by virtue of their four-game sweep of Detroit. And the San Antonio Spurs are one game away, taking a 3-1 Western Conference series lead with a 102-95 win Sunday at Dallas. The Mavericks, missing star Dirk Nowitzki, could not handle a strong second-half rush by the Spurs, led by Emanuel Ginobili (pictured), who had 21 points.
No Three-Peat at Indy: Gil de Ferran held off Helio Castroneves at the end to win the Indianapolis 500 and deprive Castroneves of his third straight win at the Brickyard. Castroneves was thisclose to a win, finishing 0.299-seconds behind, the third closest finish in Indy history.
5.24.2003
Spurs Win, Nowitzki Hurt: The San Antonio Spurs beat the Dallas Mavericks, 96-83, to take a 2-1 lead in their NBA Western Conference Finals series. But the biggest news was the knee injury suffered by the Mavs? terrific scorer Dirk Nowitzki. The blond German went down hard in the fourth quarter and may miss the rest of the series.
?The news is not good,? Dallas coach Don Nelson said. ?His knee is very sore. I don?t expect he?ll play and I?m not sure if he?ll play in this series. We should not take a gamble or a chance on Dirk Nowitzki. I told Dirk he must feel he?s totally 100 percent for me to play him again this series.?
If Nowitzki is out, then Dallas is likely done. His injury will have an effect similar to that of Chris Webber, the Sacramento Kings star who got hurt in Game 2 of the Western semis against Dallas. The Kings had a hard time overcoming Webber?s loss, and Dallas will have the same problem minus Nowitzki.
The Devils Do It: The Stanley Cup Finals are set following the New Jersey Devils? 3-2 Game 7 thriller over the Ottawa Senators. For the third time in the series, Jeff Friesen of the Devils scored the game-winner, this time with 2:14 remaining in the third period. The Devils now face the Anaheim Mighty Ducks for the league title.
