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gay pride
6.30.2007
Show 'em the damn money: While I find the sport of gridiron (i.e. what the NFL plays) pretty boring purely as a sport for the most part, I'm totally in awe of how the NFL is run as a business. Oh if baseball only were run half as well! What's amazing is that in the space of about 40 years or so, give or a take a decade, the NFL transformed itself from a popular sport but one that had no national cache to one that supplanted baseball as America's Sport, while being run on what can only be called socialist lines. The marketing saavy and financial muscle of the NFL is simply awesome, which makes the issue that was debated in Congress this week even more galling than it should be.
Jim. B, Cyd and I are friends with former NFL player and out gay athlete trailblazer Dave Kopay and after reading about the issue of NFL disability pensions over the last few days, I'd have to say we're lucky that he's still in one piece and alive and able to hang out with us. A gaggle of former players testified before Congress this week about the appalling state of the NFL disability system and some of the testimony has been heartbreaking. The players were before Congress in part because the NFL enjoys a partial anti-trust exemption that doesn't bind it to the same labor laws as "regular" companies; baseball has a full exemption.
The former players want a more streamlined application process when applying for disability, the findings of independent doctors to carry more weight than they currently do and a bump in benefits. Admittedly, I'll almost always side with workers in disputes against The Man, but from my reading, the players aren't asking for anything outrageous, just a more efficient system that isn't tilted in the NFL's favor.
But man! those horror stories. For example, Curt Marsh has had both hips replaced and his right foot and ankle amputated due to the pounding he received in seven NFL seasons as a lineman with the Los Angeles > Oakland Raiders. Other players testified about the awful way that constant concussions have scrambled their brains, the debilitating bone and muscle injuries that playing in the NFL engender, the way their lives fell apart after leaving a brutal sport that left them barely able to fend for themselves. Yikes.
Leave it to former player and coach Mike Ditka to get to the nub of the gist: "All we're here for is to see that the system gets fixed. The system does not work. The reality is if you make people fill out enough forms, you discourage them enough, you make them jump through hoops, eventually they will say, I don't need this, I can't do all this. This is ridiculous. These are proud people. They are as much a part of this game as people playing today. Hopefully these players today understand that the treatment former players are getting could come to them, regardless of what they're making". Wow. --Jim Allen
6.29.2007
Yawn: In August 2005, the Philadelphia Phillies held an increasingly common sight at major league ballparks: a Gay Night. If I remember correctly, baseball hater Cyd got to throw out the first pitch. The event was marred by something else that's common at these events: a protest in the stands by an extremist religious group, that group in this case being Repent America. Maybe they didn't like the way Cyd throws a baseball?
Fast forward to 2007 and San Diego. The division leading Padres (by .001) are hosting a Gay Night on July 8. Cue another group of extremists protesting, this time in the form of the really pathetic ex-gay movement (motto: we still like cock, but we'll pretend we don't so that people won't hate us). A loon named James Hartline is leading the protest, which might include some concessions workers walking off the job in protest. Oh yeah, Hartline, *that's* the way to make people listen to you: cause longer lines for nachos and beer. What a genius! (/sarcasm).
NBA Drafzzzzzzzzzzz: I simply don't get the appeal of watching the NFL and NBA drafts. I guess a lot of it has to do with the mindnumbing hype they receive these days. Twenty years ago, you'd read about the picks in the paper the next day, but in this instant communications age, you have 47 analysts sitting around pontificating and the cringe-inducing sight of 20 year olds in really shiny new suits posing with David Stern. It's hilarious to see some 6'11" dude stand next to NBA poobah Stern, who barely comes up to that dude's belly button. I mean, heaven forbid that ESPN and Fox Sports fill the endless chasm of hours that they need to fill with programming by paying a pittance and actually showing cool sports like pro handball from Europe (sort of basketball meets lacrosse) or sports desperate for exposure in non-Olympic years like track and field or swimming. Mmmmm.....swimmers......
Apart from the ESPN-ization of the drafts, they are important to individual teams, of course. This year's NBA draft features two players that analysts have been fellating like crazy for the last few weeks, Ohio State behemoth Greg Oden and Texas' wunderkind Kevin Durant, both of who left school early. The sad sack Portland Trail Blazers took Oden with the first pick and that will inspire much debate in the coming years if either Oden doesn't pan out and/or Durant is All-Universe in his first few years.
Durant went to equally hapless Northwest brethren of the Trail Blazers, the Not Going To Be Playing There For Much Longer Seattle (Super)Sonics. Those two once-proud franchises have been awful for a while now and while they're not as pathetic as the *tee hee* Boston Celtics *hahahahahaha* or anything, it's hard to imagine that Oden or Durant will be able to single-handedly lift them up out of the muck. Buwahahaha, the Celtics, longtime nemesis of the Lakers, suck. Life is good. --Jim Allen
6.28.2007
What in hell are the Suns thinking? The latest hot NBA rumor is that they're looking to trade Amare Stoudemire and get Kevin Garnett in return. Why would a team that was (possibly) a technical foul away from winning the NBA title trade away their second most valuable player (who's 24) for a 31-year-old who has never, despite all the talent, been able to get even to the NBA Finals and only went to the Conference Finals once? I guess the feeling is, if it hasn't worked yet, let's try to fix it. I just think it's insane to ship off a guy with tons of upside and MVP potential to get another guy who's seven years older. But, chemistry is key; and if Steve Nash thinks he can dish off to Garnett better than he can to Stoudemire, this I gotta see. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
6.27.2007
Curiouser and curiouser. The Chris Benoit story is getting stranger. And it was already bad. For those who don't know, WWE wrestler Benoit killed his wife and son over the course of last weekend before taking his own life.
According to several reports, he killed his wife on Friday by binding her arms and legs and then strangling her. He then spent the weekend in the house (where his wife's body was) with his 7-year-old son and then choked him to death late Saturday or Sunday. Needle marks were discovered on the boy's arm; according to ESPN reports, the parents were giving the boy growth hormone because he wasn't as big as they wanted him to be. Bibles were found next to the bodies of both. Benoit then killed himself Monday after sending odd text messages to neighbors.
Some will blame steroids for much of this, but this doesn't sound like steroids to me. It sounds like insanity. Most people on steroids don't go on two-day killing sprees of their family before taking their own life the next day. This wasn't a sudden burst of 'roid rage. The guy was clearly unstable far, far beyond the use of any drugs, though they certainly couldn't help. -Cyd Zeigler jr
6.26.2007
Beware of golfing in Florida. My first experience with an alligator was visiting my grandmother in Sarasota, Fla., when I was all of 13. She lived on a golf course that was bespeckled with ponds. And in those ponds you could see alligators. They were floating on the surface or sunbathing on the shore. Not big ones, but big enough to know you didn't want to go chasing your ball into them.
Too bad Bruce Burger didn't know better. The dumbass went after his ball on a golf course in Venice, Fla., and was met by the chomping teeth of an 11-foot alligator. He warded the thing off, but now the alligator is captured and either has to be relocated or killed because idiots like Burger don't know how to read' the pond has a "Beware of Alligator" sign. I'm a Darwinist, and I'm thinking maybe the alligator should stay and Burger should be shipped off to some remote pond.-Cyd Zeigler jr.
Kiwis sink Cheeses. Laurence Maroney would be proud of Team New Zealand in the finals of America's Cup. Not only did they not even have to chase the cheese, they have the cheese chasing them! The Kiwis now have defending champs Alinghi, from land-locked Switzerland, trailing 2-1 in the best-of-nine series. I'm on the edge of my seat. -CZ
WWE star suspected of killing his family, himself. Man this sucks. WWE wrestler Chris Benoit was found dead with his wife and 7-year-old son on Monday. And according to the Associated Press, investigators think Benoit did it. Apparently he killed his family then shot himself. Yes: Alleged, alleged, alleged. He was supposed to appear at an event in Houston Sunday night but bowed out for "personal reasons." I'll say. -CZ
Speaking of untimely deaths. I haven't avoided writing about Rod Beck for any reason other than I don't know how to do him justice. ESPN, CNNSI, Deadspin -- they're all doing a great job. For a guy who was drafted in the 13th round of the 1986 MLB draft (do they even have 13 rounds anymore?), I'd say 286 career saves is pretty damn good. The guy was 38, and we're supposed to find out this week why he died. In several other sports, I'd suspect steroids if a 38-year-old died suddenly. But a pitcher who stopped playing when he was 35? Doubtful. -CZ
6.25.2007
Bulletin board material. Thack thack thack. That's the sound of Randy Moss nailing the rantings of the latest "expert" to dis him. SI's Bucky Brooks has written a column ranking Moss at No. 10 of all the receivers in the NFL. While Bucky calls virtually everyone else on the list of his top 25 "outstanding" and "consistent," he virtually says, "I don't like Moss and I don't want to put him on the list, but I'll get more crap than I can handle if I don't." As a Patriots fan, I can only hope the dissing keeps coming.
Gay runs away. I just loved opening up CNNSI.com tonight and seeing the headline "Gay runs fastest 200m ever at nationals." It's a dream come true: That someone gay would all of a sudden come to dominate the track and field scene and look fantastic in those skin-tight shorts doing it. Well, one out of two ain't bad. The gay the headline referred too does fill out the shorts nicely, but he's not "gay," he's "Gay;" i.e., his last name is Gay. Tyson Gay (above), to be exact. For those of you now saying, "I thought Tyson Beckford was gay," this Tyson has nothing to do with that one. Gay ran the 200m in a time of 19.62, which I believe is the second fastest time ever. Earlier in the meet he ran off a 9.84 in the 100m. In other words, this guy is the next Carl Lewis-Michael Johnson.
And he's Gay.
I wonder if USATF will let you order a jersey with his last name on the back of it. -CZ
6.23.2007
Quick hits: For the first portion of the time I've been a baseball fan, the Baltimore Orioles were one of the class franchises. They won three World Series, seven American League titles and had some truly great players along the way. I'll ignore the spanking they gave the Anaheim Angels in the 1979 AL playoffs, because the Orioles are just plain sad these days. To wit: Miguel Tejada, the O's current shortstop, has the longest current consecutive games played streak in the majors, at 1,152. On Wednesday, Tejada was hit in the wrist by a pitch by San Diego's Doug Brocail. Orioles manager Dave Trembley let Tejada hit on Thursday, despite tests the night before that confirmed that Tejada had a wrist fracture. How sad that a guy wants to extend a streak so bad he'll risk further injury. So, Cal Ripken, your streak of 2,632 consecutive games is safe.
Wimbledon starts Monday and if the current weather predictions hold up in my beloved England, the tournament could end in August: rain, rain, rain is the forecast. Bastard weather, why was there a heatwave when I was there? In any case, this years tournament has handed Roger Federer a fairly easy first-round match against Teimuraz Gabashvili of Georgia (the country, not the state) as he begins his quest to match the great Bjorn Borg's modern record of five consecutive Centre Court singles titles. American hottie Andy Roddick, perennial Outsports favorite, could meet Federer in the semifinals; Roddick won the Queen's tournament warm-up Sunday.
On the women's side, Justine Henin will look to do better than last year's final loss to out lesbian Amelie Mauresmo, as she comes off her recent French Open win. Henin could face two-time champion in Serena Williams in the quarterfinals if all goes to plan. Lots and lots of tennis to come though, and there will probably be the usual spate of upsets.
By the way, looking at Bjorn Borg's record on Wikipedia, I'd forgotten how awesome he was in his prime: in addition to his five Wimbledon titles, he also won six French Opens in a career that basically lasted only nine years (he retired at 26; I'll ignore the sad, sad, sad comebacks). Wow. --Jim Allen
6.22.2007
It's The End Of The World As We Know It: When writing about the U.S. Open golf tournament last weekend, I was remiss in not mentioning that Tiger Woods looked sexy as all hell on Sunday, what with the nipple-hugging fuscia shirt he was wearing. The contrast with winner Angel Cabrera, who could be described as "portly", was hilarious. However, PGA director Tim Finchem wasn't laughing on Wednesday.
The grave situation looming over professional men's golf? *giggle* Steroids. *tee hee* On the face of it, given the not-at-all-ripped bodies of most pro golfers, the idea of golfers juicing is absurd. See: John Daly. However, Finchem, unlike, say, major league baseball or cycling, is being proactive here, and that's a good thing.
Although raw strength does have it's place in golf off the tee, after that it's about skill. Obviously, added strength = better distance off the tee. Dr. Gary Wadler, an advisor to the World Anti-Doping Agency, points out another advantage: beta-blockers calm the nerves and could help with putting. With so much money at stake, it's not unfathomable that some player ranked 147th might juice to give himself any advantage he can.
What's interesting about this is the reaction of the players. Most, including Woods, are firmly in favor of testing, their theory being that there's no 'roids usage, so testing would only confirm that. Compare and contrast with major leaguers, who fight every anti-juicing policy tooth and claw even though only the most naive of...no, stupid is the right word, stupid person would claim there's not a steroid problem in baseball.
The Prisoner: I have a dear friend who is a big Polskiophile. He loves Poland, has lived there, speaks the language fluently and has introduced me to some stunningly gorgeous Polish guys. I was thinking of him when I read a story today about Poland.
Poland and Ukraine have been awarded the Euro 2012 football (i.e. soccer) tournament. Well and good, a nice boost for those two struggling former Soviet block countries. However, a somewhat distressing report from the BBC suggests that to get the Polish facilities up to standard, prisoners would help with construction.
When I was in London and Amsterdam recently, I encountered a lot of Eastern Europeans in menial service jobs, like gorgeous Tomasz who served me a very tasty beer at a searing performance of King Lear. The reason Poland might have to resort to prison workers is simple: since the inclusion of the former Soviet satellites in the European Union, workers in the East have moved West in search of better pay and conditions, as one of the benefits of the EU is high job mobility between countries.
UEFA's decision to award their top cup competition to Poland and Ukraine parallels that of FIFA awarding the 2010 World Cup to South Africa: the host countries are still desperately poor for the most part, completely lack the infrastructure (hotels, roads, places to park corporate sponsors Gulfstream jets etc.) to pull off a month-long tournament and have very few, if any, stadiums that are of the quality and capacity to meet the governing bodies standards.
The Polish proposal sounds utterly appalling on the face of it, especially given Poland's history in the 20th century, but as the Beeb article points out, any prison labo(u)r that would be used would be under the guise of a EU-funded prisoner rehabilitation scheme. The laborers would be bused to sites under armed guard, of course, and their use would not be the first time this has happened. There is a lot of pressure on Poland, Ukraine and South Africa to be ready at a level Western Europeans and Americans expect and failure to do so could have a deleterious economic and social impact. Let's hope it all works out for the Tomasz and Tadeusz' of the world. --Jim Allen
6.21.2007
Are Bengals arrests signs of a conspiracy? Something seems to be wrong in Cincinnati. And I'm talking about the bad behavior of the Bengals. Yes, they certainly seem to be finding ways to get their noses dirty, but doesn't everyone to some extent? On Sunday, Quincy Wilson (yes, someone named Quincy Wilson plays for the Bengals; apparently he's a running back) was arrested in Huntington, W. Va. (just across the state line from Ohio) for not dispersing from a bar when police told him and a few other patrons to leave. It was a post-wedding celebration for a friend of Wilson, and the police decided that all these black people hanging around a bar at 3 a.m. was a "safety concern," according to police (they didn't say "black people," but I don't think they had to). Apparently there was some shooting in the area 30 minutes prior that none of the people at the bar had anything to do with. But, you know those black people; when they hear gun shots they just start breaking chairs and fighting.
To me, there is now a witch-hunt taking place targeting the Cincinnati Bengals. People do the kinds of things the Bengals are getting arrested for all the time. It's just too coincidental to me to have 10 different Bengals arrested in 14 months and 13 different arrests in the last 18 months. I'm big into law enforcement and people paying for their crimes, but something isn't sitting well with me on this one. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
6.20.2007
Zzzzzzzzzz. There are two absolutely dead times in sports. One is February. The other is right now. At least in February there are a bunch of major sports in the middle of their seasons: college basketball, NBA, NHL. But now there is nothing but baseball and the occasional golf or tennis tournament. Yes, car racing is a big draw, but it's the kind of sport that you're either way into or you just couldn't care less about. I don't know many people who "casually" watch NASCAR.
As a result, stories like a video featuring Kobe Bryant ranting about the Lakers and Nike refusing to dump Michael Vick as a spokesperson are top headlines in sports. It's understandable. The most interesting things to actually happen in sports yesterday were a 15-1 score in game No. 70 for the Detroit Tigers and a "four-hitter," as CNNSI called it, for the Minnesota Twins against the New York Mets. I find myself anxious for Wimbledon. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
6.19.2007
More Tiger: The day after he finished second in the U.S. Open, Tiger Woods welcomed his first child. It's a girl: Sam Alexis Woods. Who knows when he'll tackle his next tournament. He said he'd miss a Major to witness the birth of his child. That could have gotten interesting; Sam Alexis was born Monday morning. If he had been able to birdie one of his last three holes on Sunday, he would have forced a playoff on Monday. Can you imagine Woods pulling out of a playoff round (and it is a full round at the U.S. Open) because his daughter was born? Um . . . no.
Just a little more on Sunday's round at the Open. It's the second straight Major that Tiger was in the final group but not with the lead heading into Sunday; the second straight Major that Tiger captured at least a share of the lead on Sunday; and the second straight Major he finished second. It's hard not to think about what Woods might have done in that situation two years ago when he was dominant again, or even last year when he was the AP Male Athlete of the Year.
With that said, the tournament was a bit of a joke, and they should not hold it at that course unless there is some serious work done to the greens. All of the hills and troughs on the green were ridiculous; it was a windmill and some rainbow-colored golf balls short of a miniature golf course. I don't want the champion to be the guy who happens to get lucky on some crazy putts; I want him to be the guy who simply plays the best on a tough-but-not-tricky course from tee to hole. Unfortunately, putts rolling around like they were on a moving surface make good television. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
6.17.2007
U.S. Open, Day 4: It was the perfect set up: needing only to birdie one of the final three holes, Tiger Woods was in perfect position to win his
thirteenth major golf title (Jack Nicklaus won 18) at the U.S. Open at Oakmont. Proving he's human, and maybe not quite the dominant force he once was, Woods couldn't get it done, so Angel Cabrera of Argentina is your 2007 U.S. Open winner.
Thanks to my DVR and the fast-forward button, I was able to watch the six hours of Saturday golf coverage in about 20 minutes. Watching it "live" today (Sunday), I realized how much time is taken by players reading the greens before putts. It sorta adds to the drama and there was plenty of it from Oakmont in Pennsylvania. Australia's Aaron Baddeley, the leader after the third round, triple-bogeyed the first hole and in general, collapsed completely, shooting a horrific 10 over for the day. Baddeley's implosion opened the door for a bunch of other players; at one point, there were at least eight or nine players within two shots of the leader.
Oakmont, however, was brutal and most of those players fell by the wayside before the back nine. It was interesting to see a fairly obscure player like Paul Casey or Steve Stricker make a run and then do a horrible tee shot, land in the bunker or the rough so high the ball would disappear from view. At one point near the end, I thought "Nobody wants to win this thing".
Despite getting only one birdie on the final 32 holes, Tiger Woods was still in the tournament but blown chances like missing a six foot putt on the 13th hole for birdie did his chances in. American Jim Furyk was also in contention, but some horrible tee shots on the last few holes scuppered any chance the native Pennsylvanian had. So, in the end, Angel Cabrera outlasted everyone else and despite having to watch both Woods and Furyk from the clubhouse before he actually won, had just enough --a one under par 69-- to take home the big bucks and prestige that winning a major brings. The players will be glad to get away from Oakmont, but the next major, the British Open in July at Carnoustie in Scotland, doesn't figure to be any easier. --Jim Allen
6.16.2007
U.S. Open, Day 2: As I thought, with my boss gone, I spent most of the day at work following the U.S. Open from Oakmont via live stream on my computer. Amazingly, I saw no fashion abominations, but I did see players looking aggrieved/agitated/resigned all over the place. Ah, golf, that most frustrating of sports.
Predictably, first round leader Nick Dougherty came back to earth, shooting a 7+ on the day. However, he's still in it, really: the new leader, Argentina's Angel Cabrera, is at Even after two days of play. One of the cool things about watching the live stream is that there's lots of overhead shots and damn! there's a lot of nasty bunkers at Oakmont. A lot of players found them; I can't count how many times I'd actually do some work and come back to the feed and see some player plotting with his caddy how to get out of some hideous bunker position.
The big story of the day was Phil Mickelson. It was always going to be a struggle for the increasingly rotund one, what with his wrist being hurt and all. Still, to have a guy who was one disastrous hole (the 18th on the final day) from winning the U.S. Open be sent home after two days for shooting 11+ is still surprising. What's not surprising is that Tiger Woods is in the thick of things. He's 5 strokes back of Cabrera, but on a course where even par is considered an achievement, he has to consider himself lucky.
Nice to see South African > Englishman Justin Rose only two back. I discovered a new golf lust object, Niclas Fasth, a gorgeous dark-haired Swede, who is also only two back. Memo to Mr. Fasth: please don't shoot an 85 on Saturday (70 is par), I want you on TV as much as possible. Since I'm burnt out from my trip to London > Amsterdam, I'm going to spend the weekend staring at sports on the TV. Wait, that's what I do most weekends anyway.... --Jim Allen
6.15.2007
U.S. Open, Day 1: I'm not sure how many bazillions of dollars are lost from people surfing the 'net at work, but I was a perfect example of that on Thursday. While I was on hold with a client, bored or at lunch, I was able to watch streaming coverage of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont CC in Pennsylvania. First off, I must mention the eye-searing outfit of American Eric Axley: his bright blue shirt and lime green pants were...no, hideous is too mild. Luckily, he probably won't make the cut.
The two big storylines going in to the tournament were 1) Phil Mickelson's crocked wrist and 2) how tough Oakmont was going to be to play. It cracks me up to see golf pros, the very best players in the world, whine about fast greens and so forth. Still, the consensus was that even par would be doing well and that was borne out by the first day of play: only four players shot under par/broke even.
It makes happy to see an Englishman, Nick Dougherty of Liverpool, lead the pack at 2 under. Until he screwed up on the last three holes, fellow Englishman (via South Africa) Justin Rose was in position to grab a share of the lead, but alas. Other notables in the hunt early on are Jim Fury, last year's U.S. Open champ Geoff Ogilvy, Vijay Singh and Tiger Woods, all three shots back. Tons o' golf to come; luckily, my boss is out of town, so I should be able to follow most of the second round at work, weather permitting in PA, of course.
Phew: Thank Buddah it's over. The NBA finals limped to a merciful end on Thursday, as the San Antonio Spurs coolly and professionally dispatched the Cleveland Cavaliers, 83-82, to win their fourth NBA title in eight years. The final score is deceiving; the Spurs lead most of the way, including a totally lame score of 39-34 at the half. One sequence summed up this series: the Cavs LaBron James had the ball in isolation, the rest of his teammates just standing around. He forced up a crap shot, it bricked, Tony Parker of the Spurs grabbed the rebound, weaved through three Cavs defenders and scored an easy layup. Sad.
Talk now turns to whether the Spurs are a dynasty. Sure, four titles in eight years is pretty impressive; the core of the team has at leat three more years in it, they could easily add two or three more titles. However, to compare this team to the great Los Angeles Lakers 80's Showtime teams is absurd. I'm biased, of course, being a longtime Lakers fan, but those Showtime teams were *awesome*, one of the greatest collection of players in NBA history (Magic, Kareem, Worthy). More importantly, they had to beat other great teams (the Hakeem Houston Rockets, the Bird/Parrish Celtics) to win those titles. The 2006-07 Cleveland Cavaliers? Oh, please. Still, congratulations to the Spurs. Now, on to the dog days of the sports calendar, until the NFL and college football start in a few months. --Jim Allen
6.14.2007
Looking good on the Bay. We're going to get a lot more of well-dressed San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Nolan this season. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, in his infinite wisdom, has granted Nolan and Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio the right to wear a suit at all of their teams' home games. Both coaches were granted the right to do it during two home games last season. It's something Nolan has been fighting for ever since he took over the 49ers in 2005; Nolan's father, Dick, coached the Niners in the early '70s and wore suits on the sideline then. But with the explosion of the NFL in the '70s and '80s, the NFL started dictating what coaches could wear, using them as mannequins to pimp NFL gear made by NFL affiliates. Right now, all coaches must wear Reebok; that hasn't changed, but Reebok is now making suits for the coaches to wear. Of course, that still leaves Nolan with finding a pair of Reebok shoes that look good with said suit.
The good and the bad in the Bronx. OK, let's start with the bad. Jason Giambi won't be a Yankee for long. He's about to be suspended by MBL commissioner Bud Selig for not cooperating with the steroids investigation, headed by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell; and I can't imagine Giambi will suddenly decide to cooperate. Better for him to be suspended for not cooperating than cooperating, being found in violation for using steroids, then suspended anyway.
Now for the good. And it's really good. The Yankees have now won eight straight games and are now sitting 8.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox for the AL East lead. That's still a long way to go, but it's better than the 14.5 games they were behind on May 29; since that date, they are 11-2. They face four more home games against NL teams before hitting the road. Meanwhile, Alex Rodriguez hit his 25th homer last night. So far this season, he's hit a home run more than once every 10 times he has stepped up to the plate. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
6.13.2007
Spurs, no-hitters and Dale: No sports news from yesterday really grabbed my attention, so I'm just going to hit on a bunch of things and see what sticks.
I keep hearing that interest is down for the NBA Finals, but this is the first Finals in a few years that I've watched part of every game and will have done so when the series is over. That comes from my admiration for the San Antonio Spurs. They're my kind of team: Everybody is important, defense is the foundation, they play like a team. The Cavs, right now, are a one-man show. One man (not even "King James" or "His Airness") can't beat a great team alone in a 7-game series. The Cavs may be able to pull out Game 4 on Thursday, but I doubt it.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander threw a no-hitter on Tuesday, about a week after Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling blew his with two outs in the ninth. I have long wondered why the lore of no-hitters is awarded to the pitcher. The batters' incompetence and the fielders' good play certainly both play huge roles in it. How many times have we seen no-hitters that involve 27 strikeouts? Never, and you never will. A no-hitter is a team accomplishment. But, just as pitchers, quarterbacks and goalies are often blamed for every loss, I do appreciate them getting accolades when things go their way.
Finally, Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced today that he will drive for Hendrick Motorsports in 2008, leaving the family team after the clich￩ "irreconcilable differences." I'm no big fan of NASCAR, but if I was I can't see myself getting too excited about which banner a particular driver is going to drive under. Can you imagine getting pissed because Tiger Woods fired his caddy and went in another direction? Or Andy Roddick decided he'd had enough of his old racquet, so he went and found a new company to endorse? I know it's not the same, but you get the point. Earnhardt will do fine no matter what team he races with. And his fans won't care one iota as long as he doesn't change his last name. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
6.12.2007
Leinart liked the Amaechi story: The hit parade of elite straight jocks saying really gay-friendly things continues. This week (well, last week) it's Arizona Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart, talking to ESPN the Magazine: "My favorite article recently was the John Amaechi piece. That was excellent. I appreciate and respect people who are open. That's hard, especially being an athlete. Why aren't there more in-depth articles written by athletes."
Say huh what? In-depth article written by athletes? From ESPN? Who could possibly be tired of Michael Irvin laughing himself off the stage and John Kruk eating donuts? What's as refreshing as articles about the issues surrounding sports is that someone like Leinart actually wants more of it. Most of ESPN's coverage is more style than substance: Brash personalities designed to grab the attention of 20-something males. But the network and the magazine also do their fair share of thoughtful reporting. I imagine many of the execs think they have to suffer a preponderance of the former to present the latter. And while Michael A. Smith may thrive off of that assumption, it's encouraging to hear young guys like Leinart calling for more in-depth reporting.
What's also incredibly encouraging is Leinart's line, "I appreciate and respect people who are open." Appreciation and respect. I dont' know if he had really thought through those two words when he said them, but you can't ask for much more than that. Denny Green or no Denny Green, I'll be cheering for the Cardinals to return to the playoffs this season. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
Stop with the Sopranos!: I never got into "The Sopranos," so never got the bug that makes otherwise sensible people want to do nothing but blab about how every scene and utterance conveys Something Important. The ratings for the series finale Sunday night attracted about 12 million viewers (The "Seinfeld" finale had 76 million), but all 12 million must work in the media based on the incessant coverage. Every news or sports show I tuned into Monday had some sort of Sopranos segment, including two(!) on ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption." The sports blog Deadspin also devoted space to the show and Peter King of Sports Illustrated practically salivated over the show in his Monday NFL column. I have no problem with sports media talking about the larger culture from time to time, but the Sopranos worship borders on a cult, and I'm glad I'm not a member. -Jim Buzinski
6.11.2007
The Outsports jinx alive and well in tennis, losing steam in the NBA: A couple days ago I boldly predicted that Roger Federer would win his first French Open. Bzzzzzz! He went down in flames again to Rafael Nadal, losing in four sets. You've now got to start wondering if Federer will ever complete his career Grand Slam. He is totally dominant on grass and hardcourt; and even on clay he's very good. But it's starting to look like he's going to need someone else to knock off Nadal in the French Open if he's going to win it. Nadal's now won the event three straight times; the last man to do that was Bjorn Borg, who won four in a row from 1978 to 1981. They're the only two men to win it three straight times since it became the French Open in 1968.
It looks like we will have been right about something though, and maybe right on the nose. The San Antonio Spurs, whom we picked to win the NBA Finals in five games, look set to do just that after totally dominating the Cleveland Cavaliers last night. We stopped watching late in the third period with the Spurs up by a couple hundred points. Apparently in the fourth quarter, the Cavs cut the lead to 8 points, and there's some hubbub this morning about the Spurs letting up. It's irrelevant. The Cavs may win one at home, and the Spurs will be celebrating their fourth title by the weekend. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
6.10.2007
Woman power: Horse-racing people like to debate competition between the "girls" and the "boys." Most female Thoroughbreds can't hold their own with the males, and compete in their own gender division. But there are always exceptions! Saturday, for the first time in 102 years, a filly won the Belmont Stakes -- after taking on six muscle-bound colts.
It was fun to see the hard-boiled New York fans coming unglued with excitement as little Rags to Riches duked it out with big powerful Curlin, all the way down that long, long home stretch that is the killer of American racing. At the end, with the "get out of my way" attitude that she's known for, the filly bulled ahead by a neck.
Earlier I had liked Street Sense, and my handicapping buddy Heather liked Tiago. But Street Sense didn't enter -- he had not recovered well after the Preakness. Rags to Riches' owners put her in at the last moment. After further discussion over the phone, Heather and I agreed that we both liked "the girl." OK, we admit to some ideological bias in favor of females. But RTR had things going for her. Her pedigree says distance, and the Belmont is the longest (by a quarter mile) race among U.S. classics. She was coming off a good rest after winning the Kentucky Oaks in May. Her slender lean build might give her an aerobic and cardiovascular advantage over that last quarter, in a sport that is weighted towards sprints today, with Thoroughbreds that look more and more like muscle-bound Quarter Horses with every passing year. Last, she needed (and got) a smart ride by jockey John Velazquez.
Horse racing has been looking for a big new popular favorite, and Rags to Riches is it. She's positioned for a shot at "Horse of the Year." And, as an awestruck TVG commentator said afterwards, "That's no girl. That's a woman."--Patricia Nell Warren
6.9.2007
Federer limps into the French Finals: Roger Federer is going to be in his eighth consecutive Grand Slam final, which is a record. So in saying that Federer reportedly looked a little shaky in his 7-5, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (7) semifinal win over Nikolay Davydenko is like saying the San Antonio Spurs shot only 40% in, ho-hum, their fourth championship in nine years. But you get my point. Federer committed 45 unforced errors, so he wasn't as sharp as usual. But he still won in straight sets. The guy's a rock star. He said it was a great win for him, I imagine because he didn't play so hot and still won. When you can play badly and still win, that is a good sign.
He will get the chance to beat his clay-court nemesis, Rafael Nadal, in the finals. Federer beat Nadal in May, the last time they played on court; but Nadal has owned Federer on the surface otherwise. Nadal beat the world No. 1 in last year's French Open final, 1-6 6-1 6-4 7-6(4), to win his second straight Fench Open title.
I fully understand that I'm about to put the Outsports jinx on him, but I have the feeling that Federer is going to pull it off this time. If he does, he will complete his career Grand Slam and be the first man to win four straight Grand Slams since before I was born. My prediction: Federer, 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-2, 6-7(8), 6-4. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
6.8.2007
Dark Cloud Over Horse Racing. As fans looked forward to the 2007 Triple Crown, they had a new item on their wish list. They prayed for the first Triple winner in 28 years...and they prayed that no horse would break a leg. People are still haunted by what happened to Barbaro in the Preakness last year. The tragic spectacle of a magnificent animal going down at full speed with a shattered leg is all too frequent these days. And unfortunately, it happened again on Preakness day last week. A horse named Mending Fences somersaulted with a fractured ankle and was euthanized.
The sport has been slow to address this ugly issue. It came up first in 1978 when Ruffian snapped a leg in a televised race in front of millions of fans. Thoroughbred horse racing is hundreds of years old, entrenched in old traditions and institutions. But today, this rising tide of casualties right on the track (as well as the ones that the TV cameras never see, because they happen during works or around the barns) is telling us that something's wrong. In the year since Barbaro's death, more and more concerned individuals in the sport are saying that something must be done.
What has gone wrong? Especially in the U.S.? First of all, horses are not full-grown until they're five years old. Yet they're raced as two-year-olds -- an age when bones and joints are still soft. The reason: money. Horse racing is a very costly business, so an owner will try to get back his $500,000 outlay on a promising yearling in a single year. Second, many U.S. tracks have dirt surfaces (in Europe and South America, the old-style turf courses are still favored). Dirt tracks are known to be hard on horses' legs and hoofs. Third, the current regulations allow a horse to be run while on pain medication like Lasix or Bute. Fourth, today's Thoroughbred horses are very inbred. Recent DNA studies show that 95 percent of males trace back to just one foundation stallion born in 1700, namely the Darley Arabian, with most maternal lineages traceable to just 10 foundation mares. There used to be many other bloodlines, but they've gradually vanished from the gene pool. We would never allow this to be done to humans, yet it's done with reckless impunity to purebred animals! Inbreeding results in congenital problems, notably a loss of strength in the bones and skeletal structure. Hence the rising curve of crippling and fatal injuries.
Many U.S. racetracks are now installing synthetic surfaces that are allegedly kinder to horses' legs. But it won't be enough. Two-year-old racing should be outlawed, along with running horses on pain medication. Most important, genetic fresh air is needed. A dynamic called "hybrid vigor" will show up in the very first generation of crossbreds, in the form of stronger bones. Since the Thoroughbred already has Arabians in its distant ancestry, the Arab could be the breed of choice to hybridize with. Indeed, Arabian racing has made a big comeback in the U.S., with its own Jockey Club. The best of these Arabs could surely infuse new health into the Thoroughbred.
With the Belmont ahead on June 9, fans are praying again.
I love this sport -- my own family was in it. But I also love the horses. Like many fans, I am sickened -- not just by the casualties, but by the slowness of many in racing to get their heads out of their entrenched traditions, and see the dark clouds of political trouble ahead. The racing industry may believe itself to be politically unassailable. But a backlash is definitely building. Indeed, what happens at most U.S. race meets is now relentlessly on TV view every day, thanks to coverage by the interactive betting channels TVG and HRTV.
Maybe that's what it will take -- bettors who are sickened enough to stop betting, and perhaps a few prosecutions of racing figures for cruelty -- before the sport takes meaningful action in the name of horse welfare. - Patricia Nell Warren
6.7.2007
The Ducks do it: As if the NHL wasn't having enough problems, consider this. The last three Stanley Cup champions have been teams from Florida, North Carolina and Southern California. Yep, the Anaheim Ducks knocked off the Ottawa Senators in game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals, 6-2, on Wednesday to take the Cup. Before this unlikely run of warm-weather teams, only one team - the Dallas Stars in 1999 - had ever won the Stanley Cup based in a warm climate. Is it progress for the league or a detriment? Given that you could fit more people in my apartment than watched the Ducks' clinching game, I'm claiming the former. So who will win the championship next season? My money's on the Phoenix Coyotes; it couldn't get more weird than that!
I am thrilled for Outsports contributor Jim Allen though. A long-suffering Anaheim Angels and Ducks fan, these last few years have provided him with two championships he can be proud of. -Cyd Zeigler jr
6.6.2007
Problem people in the NFL. The liveliest of all the major sports' offseasons is surely the NFL's. And this week has certainly added to it with a couple of high-profile people saying and doing some really stupid high-profile things. And believe it or not, none of it involves Terrell Owens!
Hall of Fame guard Joe DeLamielleure, among other retirees, has been critical of Gene Upshaw's running of the NFL Players Association lately. Upshaw was asked about it this week by the Philadelphia Daily News and said: "A guy like DeLamielleure says the things he said about me; you think I'm going to invite him to dinner? No. I'm going to break his ... damn neck."
Yes, you read it right. The head of the NFLPA threatened to break the neck of one of the league's Hall of Famers. DeLamieelleure's wife, Gerri, took the bait and fired away with a doozy:"A physical threat from a man in that position? I'm worried," Gerri DeLamielleure said. "When I can't get Joe on his cell phone, I'm real upset."
So what did Mr. NFL Policeman Roger Goodell, who has been throwing around suspensions to players for conduct like this, say about Upshaw's comments? "I don't think anybody I know has done more for retired players, or players in general, than Gene Upshaw. I think it's unfortunate this kind of thing is going on."
When you're a player, you get tossed out of the league for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. When you're Goodell's buddy, you get high praise when threatening to kill someone. The good ol' boys are hard at work.
A couple weeks ago, Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis said there was nothing wrong with dogfighting. "I don't know if he was fighting dogs or not, but it's his property, it's his dog," Portis had told WAVY-TV in Virginia. "If that's what he wants to do, do it. I think people should mind their business."
Now Portis is apologizing not because he's suddenly found dogfighting to be immoral, but because he didn't realize how bad his comments would look. "I didn't know it would affect that many people, didn't think what I said was that offensive," Portis said. "But after doing research and seeing how serious people take this, I shouldn't have made the comments."
In other words, he still thinks there's nothing wrong with dogfighting, and he still believes Vick can raise his animals to kill each other. He just shouldn't have said it. Maybe everyone in the NFL should take a lesson from Portis: Keep your mouth shut. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
6.5.2007
Outsports hits Albany. I had the great experience yesterday of spending the day lobbying for gay rights in Albany. I went with a group that visited almost exclusively Republican legislators to try to get their support for the Dignity for All Students Act, which would protect students from bullying. The State Assembly has passed it overwhelmingly for several years (like 120-7) with bipartisan support.
The Republican-controlled State Senate has repeatedly passed their own bill with one exception: the lack of inclusion of protection for "gender identity and expression" in the language. For some reason, some of the most conservative Republicans are hung up on it. But given how far Gov. Spitzer has pushed the issue of gay rights by simply proposing a same-sex marriage bill in the state, the GOP-controlled Senate just might be up for passing this legislation. I told the story of transgender people in sports, and L.A. Times sportswriter Christine Daniels in particular, a few times. To hear where sports had gone on the topic was eye-opening for some of them.
We also talked at length about same-sex marriage. I was blown away to hear the reception to civil unions that so many Republicans have. With marriage on the table, civil unions have become the conservative position on the issue. My sense is, if there was a civil unions bill on the table in New York, it would pass both houses by an overwhelming margin with strong support from both sides of the aisle. The rub, of course, is that it's not marriage, and with the state moving quickly in that direction, settling for civil unions, while it seemed like a reach even three years ago, certainly seems like it is settling now.
Serena out, Henin in. Justin Henin-Hardenne took out Aussie Open champ Serena Williams, 6-4, 6-3, in the quarterfinals of the French Open Monday morning. Henin-Hardenne is the two-time defending champ at famed Roland Garros. Pin-up Maria Sharapova moved into the semifinals as well; it's the first time she has made it to the French Final Four. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
6.4.2007
Cavs on a roll; Spurs gonna roll: If you haven't gotten enough pub about LeBron James until now, you won't be able to say that in a week unless you stick to HGTV and The Food Network. Crowned "The King," James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first NBA Finals in franchise history after dominating the Detroit Pistons Saturday night to take the series 4-2. Sports reporters have to be ecstatic: The storyline for the finals is written for them. Team-oriented San Antonio, with a great defense, will try to stop the one-man-show Cavaliers and "the next Michael Jordan."
In the end, it won't matter that the Cavs rallied to knock of the Pistons. The Spurs are going to kick their collective butts. Too much defense, too many players who can score, and homecourt advantage. This is over in five.
Matt Millen's 'faggot' KO'd: Former NFL wide receiver Johnnie Morton, whom Detroit Lions owner famously called a 'faggot,' was knocked out in the first minute of his professional debut as a mixed martial artist. And when he refused to take a drug test after the match, he was promptly suspended from the sport. Sounds like he's ready to tackle the Tour de France next.
What's good for the Sports Guy: For those Outsports readers who try to claim that we somehow stray from sports too much (and I challenge anyone to find one article on Outsports that has nothing to do with sports), I offer this tidbit from a big name in sports writing. Bill Simmons has been one of ESPN.com's most popular columnists for a few years now. He calls himself simply "The Sports Guy." He is an unabashed sports fan; and unlike many other sports reporters, he doesn't try to hide it and speaks from that voice. I happened upon his podcast today and gave the most recent episode a listen. The entire podcast was about how the Real World Road Rules Challenge is not only a sport but the fourth greatest sport in the country and how one of its stars should be drafted in the NFL (though he's never played football before). All that from "The Sports Guy." Classic. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
6.2.2007
London Calling I'm typing this out from an off-license shop off the Euston Road in London. Bloody hot, muggy weather, where's my beloved English drizzle? As anyone who knows England at all is aware, nostalgia for the past is a very powerful national strain. Few things make the English more nostalgic than thoughts of their greatest (only?) major sporting triumph, the 1966 Word Cup football ( i.e. soccer) win over the hated Germans, a 4-2 win at the old Wembley Stadium.
That Wembley Stadium is gone, replaced by a hideously behind schedule (that's "shed-yul" to you) and hideously over-budget "New Wembley". It looks all shiny and new and there is much discussion of the excess number of bathrooms there are. On Friday, the English national squad played Brazil in a friendly, the first time that the English squad has played a match at the new place. The game ended 1-1.
The big news is the return of the prodigal, David Beckham, to the England fold. New manager Steve McLaren had dropped him from the team after England bored everyone to tears in Germany in last year's World Cup. He is, of course, a shadow of his former self in footballing terms, but England is so desperate that they've included him in the squad against Brazil. The Brazilians could field a C team and beat most other countries best sides, but that won't be needed for a sad England, short on imagination and spark.
Michael Owen, horribly robbed of the much coveted Outsports King of the Hardwood title a few years ago in favor of the bland clone Jeremy Bloom, also makes a return to the England line-up after a long spell of injuries. So this is what it's come to, England relying on a faded playboy and an injury-prone man who probably should be playing for Wales.
As I went about my business today, the capital is crawling with lager louts, strutting around with their England jerseys on. I've been tempted to shout "Brasilia! Brasilia!" at them, but I don't want my holiday marred by being beaten senseless. The other huge sporting news in this country starved for sporting success is that the quite gorgeous Andrew Flintoff, of the England cricket squad, has crocked his foot and is out of play for a while. The tabloids here are legendary, and there is much delightful wailing and lamenting at the chances for "our lads" in their upcoming matches. It's gotten so bad for English sports that their national rugby side, the one bit of good news in the last 20 years when they won the Rugby World Cup in 2003, has been decimated by, of all things, illness on their "disastrous" tour of former colony, South Africa.
America, this is your future. In 20 years, native sports that we've exported such as baseball and basketball will be dominated internationally by people other than Americans. Nobody outside of the US gives a damn about gridiron (the so-called football played by the NFL), so at least we'll have that to cling to. It'll be like England and its long-gone empire, right? --Jim Allen
6.1.2007
LeBron's coming out party: I mean "coming out" in the athletic sense. LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers single-handedly willed the Cavs to a 109-107 double-overtime win over the host Detroit Pistons, giving Cleveland a 3-2 series lead. James scored 48 points, including the Cavs' final 25 and 28 of their last 29. His driving layup with 2.2 seconds left proved to be the margin of victory. What made it more amazing what that it was obvious that James was going to be the only offensive force for the Cavs down the stretch, yet Detroit could not stop him.
It was the kind of performance, if Cleveland wins the series, that will cement James' status as a legit superstar. Given how crappy the much of the playoffs have been, especially in the East, and tumbling TV ratings, Thursday's thriller was just what Commissioner David Stern's doctor ordered.
Harry Potter's peter: Our correspondent Jim Allen is vacationing in England and Amsterdam for two weeks and dropped us this line: "My god, London. Men, gentlemen, I'm astonished. Saw Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) bare all last night. It was hilarious to see all the guys with theatre glasses spring to attention when he took his clothes off. Sadly, he didn't measure up, if you know what I mean, and I'm sure you do." Radcliffe got naked for a pivotal scene in the play "Equus."--Jim Buzinski
5.31.2007
England's new rugby shirt: Gay British writer Mark Simpson reviews the new English rugby shirt for its national team (photo here), and concludes that it "somehow manages to be even tighter than the last, launched just four years ago to massed gasps."
What's more, he adds, is "that it has an added sash/arrow plunging from armpit down to large, firm thigh. ... Is it just me, or does it seem to shout: 'If You Wanna Score - Flip Me Over!'?"
Simpson, credited with coining the term "metrosexual," has also written extensively about what he calls "sporno," the intersection of sports and porn as evidenced by the Dieux de Stade rugby calendar and video and Calvin Klein ads featuring shirtless jocks.
Shut up, Kobe: The big sports story in Los Angeles is the demands by Lakers star Kobe Bryant that he be traded. Or not. It all depends on which interviewer Kobe talks to at the time. Wednesday morning he told one interviwer he wanted out. Hours later he had changed his mind, but then later told the L.A. Times he does want to be traded. Why should anyone care? He's under contract for two more years, so he isn't going anywhere. I have never been a Kobe fan and wonder why everyone gets in such a lather over what he says. The Lakers won't trade him this year and he knows it, so he should just shut up, enjoy his summer and get ready for next season.
NHL ratings: Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals was watched in 523,000 households, an 18% drop from a year ago. That is a cable rating of 0.72, barely more than a test pattern. The rating was less than half that in New York City. For the record, the Anaheim Ducks beat the Ottawa Senators, 1-0, to take a 2-0 series lead. --Jim Buzinski
5.30.2007
Internet sex object: We now bring you the case of Alison Stokke, 18, from Newport Beach, Calif. A former gymnast, she is now a champion high school pole vaulter with a 4.0 GPA and will be going to Cal. And, she is gorgeous (even I can see that.) So what's the problem? Stokke is freaked out that she's become an Internet sex sensation, with her photos posted on blogs, a fan page being set up, her dealing with a fake My Space profile and 150,000 people viewing a YouTube clip of her. "Teen tests Internet's lewd track record," said a front pagearticle in the Washington Post.
The story detailed how Stokke is concerned she will be the victim of a stalker and how her family (her dad is a defense lawyer) is scouring Internet message boards to pick out potential stalkers (he can skip the Outsports message board, where Stokke will get as much attention for her looks as Street Sense). She told the Post she felt violated, with reporter Eli Saslow writing: "Her body had been stolen and turned into a public commodity, critiqued in fan forums devoted to everything from hip-hop to Hollywood."
Allow me to roll my eyes. I do not minimize the often unwanted attention young women face (and I accept the father's desire to keep an eye on things), yet the Post article gives zero evidence that anything untoward has happened to her, save for more photographers showing up at her meets. The original photo, as the Post acknowledged, was not sexually explicit. Her family became aware of her Internet fame because she showed them sites that discussed her. And if the desire is to get less attention, cooperating with the Washington Post for an article (and two staff photos) hardly seems like the way to do it. Saslow, whose angle was the sexualization of Stokke, might have been getting a bit worked up himself when he described the photo that made Stokke a Web starlet: "At 5 feet 7, Stokke has smooth, olive-colored skin and toned muscles. In the photo, her vaulting pole rests on her right shoulder. Her right hand appears to be adjusting the elastic band on her ponytail. Her spandex uniform -- black shorts and a white tank top that are standard for a track athlete -- reveals a bare midriff."
The biggest victim as I see it is the photographer who took the original image. His copyrighted work has been posted on dozens of sites without his OK and I can't even find him name. He has gotten at least one site to remove it, but as we know at Outsports people have zero respect for copyright on the Web and it can be very time consuming to track down violators. The best outcome would be for Stokke and the photographer to team up for a calendar and split the profits -- they might as well cash in instead of letting everyone get their kicks for free. --Jim Buzinski
5.29.2007
Ian Roberts acquitted: Former Australian pro rugby star Ian Roberts, who came out while playing, was acquitted of charges that he assaulted his ex-boyfriend. The case was dismissed by a magistrate, who noted that in the three-month trial, Roberts' ex-boyfriend Ben Prideaux was told repeatedly to calm down on the stand because he was agitated. The magistrate said Prideaux "was injured either when he was dragged out of the hostel room by the much larger Roberts -- as police had alleged -- or when the defendant took steps to calm him by holding his flailing arms," the Sydney Morning Herald reported. The magistrate said there was not enough evidence that Roberts had assaulted Prideaux. Another of Roberts' exes had testified that Prideaux became agitated when Roberts tried to calm him down after a confrontation last July while the ex-player tried to retrieve some personal items from the Prideaux's hostel.
Roberts, 42 and an actor, is now living in Los Angeles (with a new boyfriend) and said the court case cost him in $100,000 in legal and travel fees. Roberts said Prideaux was "still my friend," while the accuser said "I am happy it's over," the paper said. He came out in 1995 while still playing, something still unprecedented for a male team sport athlete. Hat tip on this item to Andy of U.K. Gay News.
Stanley Cup: The Anaheim Ducks scored a goal with less than three minutes remaining to beat the Ottawa Senators, 3-2, in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals in Anaheim, Calif. The Ducks rallied from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits over the Senators, who had lost only three times in their three previous playoff series.
"I think every kid dreams of scoring a goal to win a game in the Stanley Cup final," said the Ducks' Travis Moen, who knocked the bouncing puck into the net with 2:51 left. Odds are that much of Southern California did not see the game, which was broadcast in the area only on cable channel Versus, not available on some cable systems. It is odd that the NHL did not strike a deal with an over-the-air channel in L.A. to show the finals. Game 2 is on Versus, but all remaining games are on NBC, available everywhere.
Spurs in charge: The San Antonio Spurs beat the Utah Jazz, 91-79, to take a 3-1 lead in their NBA Western Conference playoff series. It was Utah's first home loss this season in eight playoff games, and made it clear this series will end soon. As I wrote last week, the NBA playoffs have lost all their excitement without Dallas, Phoenix and Golden State. This has been made clear in the dropping ratings of the semifinals.--Jim Buzinski
5.26.2007
Quick hits: The 2011 Super Bowl was awarded to Dallas --Arlington, actually-- where the Boyz are building a new mega-stadium to replace venerable ol' Texas Stadium. From the reports I've read of the announcement, however, "awarded" should read "fleeced". Along with the usual luxury box and ticket perks, Big D will provide "187 hotel suites and 1,416 for the NFL and other VIP's", a total of 10,000 trained volunteers to help with events etc. and top it off, a cool $1 million to help the poor, cash-starved (and socialist) NFL defray "game day costs". Enjoy it all, taxpayers of Dallas and surrounding counties!
While the TV woes of the NHL have been well documented of late, the picture isn't that bright for the NBA during these playoffs either. Ratings are down, but what's amazing to me is the number of viewers: the games are averaging 3-5 million viewers in a country of over 300 million people. With all the the media attention that sports, and the NBA, get I'm amazed that so few people really watch the games. Um, maybe I need to stop spending so much time parked in front of the TV watching a game and on sports-related sites, it's obviously inducing media related myopia.
Ah, steroids in baseball, a perennial favorite subject of mine. Most pro athletes are as dull as watching paint dry in interviews, wisely using mostly cliches. The New York Yankees Jason Giambi flapped his gums a bit in an interview with USA Today and it might cost him. "I was wrong for doing that stuff . . . Steroids and all of that was a part of history". Wow. Apparently, Giambi also failed a test for amphetamines within the last 12 months, but knowing how pathetic baseball's hierarchy is about performance enhancers, it might be another year before Commissioner Bud "Beelzebud" Selig does anything. Memo to Selig: this issue isn't going away, your head in the sand stance blows, deal with it and let's all move on. --Jim Allen
5.25.2007
Culture of Responsibility: I was in England last Millennium and I was talking to a cousin of the friend I was with. We got to talking about some vital, contentious issue or other, like whether The Beatles or The Stones were the better band back in the day (hint: The Beatles) when I said something like "That's a travesty, they should sue". The cousin smirked at me and said "Only you Americans sue like it's a national sport".
Case in point: the Hancock family, the bereaved survivors of the late St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock. In a move as predictable as the sun setting every day, the family has sued the restaurant where Hancock boozed it up until he was twice the legal limit, the towing company that owned the flatbed that a drunk, probably stoned, not wearing his seatbelt while talking on his cell phone man whose SUV smashed in to AND the guy who had the nerve to have his car stall in traffic, necessitating the tow truck.
I did my time in restaurants in my early 20's and I can tell you, cutting people off from the hooch can be really, really difficult. When that someone is a minor celebrity like Josh Hancock was in St. Louis, it's *really, really* difficult. At what point does the fact that Josh Hancock sat in a restaurant for 3 1/2 hours drinking and then got in his SUV become Hancock's problem? The idea that he'd have stopped drinking if they had cut him off is absurd; he was yakking on his cell phone at the time of his death with a friend about meeting at a.....wait for it....another drinking establishment.
What's most galling to me is a statement by Hancock's father, Dean: "The facts and circumstances of Josh's death have caused great pain to all of Josh's family". I'm assuming that Mr. Hancock isn't referring to his son driving while wasted and then gabbing on a cell phone instead of calling a cab or putting the damn cell phone down while driving ripped. Since Mr. Hancock is his son's estate manager, he is responsible for "any legal actions necessary against those who contributed to the untimely and unnecessary death". So, you're going to sue your dead son as well, Mr. Hancock? --Jim Allen
5.24.2007
Quick hits: Item: Any Roddick says the Men's Fitness cover is his face and someone else's body. "I spent the last few weeks in Austin really focused on my training and getting back into shape ... but pretty sure I'm not as fit as the Men's Fitness cover suggests," Roddick wrote on his site. "Little did I know I have 22 inch guns and a disappearing birth mark on my right arm. I saw the cover for the first time when I landed after Rome ... it was pretty funny ... I walked by the newsstand in the airport and did a total double take ... I can barely figure out how to work the red-eye tool on my digital camera ... whoever did this has mad skills ... maybe Rafael Nadal wants his arms back?" Comment: At least they didn't give him Borat's body (or Borat's manager's body) or Roddick would be suing.
Item: Keyshawn Johnson calls it quits. Comment: The former No. 1 pick in the NFL draft decided to retire rather than play for a reduced salary. Mr. "Throw Me the Damn Ball" was always a better self-promoter than a receiver and his skills weren't anywhere what they used to be. Expect him to surface on ESPN as another talking head.
Item: Ottawa hopes to bring first Stanley Cup to Canada since 1993. Comment: I am rooting for the Senators since a city in Canada is more of a hockey hotbed than Anaheim, Calif. The last two cups were won by Tampa Bay and Carolina, not exactly part of the snow belt. The Ducks have the home ice, but the Senators are 12-3 in the playoffs so far.
Item: Yankees win two of three from Red Sox. Comment: Boston is still 9 1/2 games in front of New York, but the season is not quite two months old so the Yanks have plenty of time to rebound if they can get some pitching.
Item: AC Milan beats Liverpool, 2-1, to win the Champions League final in Athens. Comment: This game was huge in Europe, with millions across the continent riveted to their televisions. In the U.S. it was met with a collective shrug (though a few friends of mine were really into it). As a casual soccer observer, I get confused by all the tournaments and am not sure why one is considered more important than the other (sort of like college bowl games).--Jim Buzinski
