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8.31.2005
Roddick is Tennis' Phil Mickelson: Every sport has them: the superstar athlete that always seems to underperform when expectations are the highest. Basketball had Charles Barkley; football has Peyton Manning; until earlier this month, golf had Phil Mickelson. Tennis has Andy Roddick. Yes, Roddick won a U.S. Open; but, even at 23, a lot more has been expected of him.
His performance at this year's U.S. Open certainly isn't going to elevate his reputation as an underperformer. He lost Tuesday evening in the first round to Gilles Muller, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (8), 7-6 (1).
Roddick is obviously a solid player. Hell, I couldn't beat him. I couldn't get a point off of him. But, when you consider him among the elite players of his time, you have to look at guys who have been able to win more than one Major (Agassi, Federer); right now, Roddick is behind that group.
He's just 23, so he's got some solid tennis ahead of him. But, with other young men winning tournaments and Roger Federer dominating Roddick every time, Roddick's legacy is quickly becoming based on his losses rather than his wins. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
8.30.2005
Shave It Off: Some guys look good with facial year but most don?t and Detroit Lions Joey Harrington is among the latter. Harrington is sporting an awful looking beard, which is seemed to be designed to make him look tougher. All it does is make him look like he spent a month on ?Survivor.? This was the same problem that Tom Brady had last year, but he had the sense to shave it before the Super Bowl. Joey, quit pretending to be something you?re not and instead focus on being the best quarterback you can be. Facial hair has never completed a pass.
U.S. Open Opens: Andre Agassi may be nearing the end of his playing career, but he?ll always have New York. Agassi got the superstar treatment he deserved as he played in his 20th straight Open. He easily won his first match in a straight sets iver Romania?s Razvan Sabau.
''Andre, 20 more years,'' one fan yelled near the end of Agassi?s match. ''It's hard not to react to that sort of thing,'' Agassi said. ''It took me a while to understand the mentality of a New Yorker. They don't have a lot of time to waste. If they're going to do something, they're going to bring it. They expect the same from you. That's something I've grown to appreciate and embrace.''
On the woman?s side, Svetlana Kuznetsova lost in straight sets to fellow Russian Ekaterina Bychkova to become the first women?s defending champ to lose in the first round the following year. --Jim Buzinski
8.29.2005
A Division Change: The Oakland A?s completed a sweep of the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday; that?s not a surprise. But what was a shocker was to see the Anaheim Angels get swept by lowly Tampa Bay. The loss knocked the Angels out of the division lead in the American League West and a half-game behind the New York Yankees for the wild card lead. Don?t look now, but the team making a run in the A.L. is the Cleveland Indians, who have been a league-best 19-7 in August and are only a game out of the wild card race.
In the National League, the Philadelphia Phillies still hold a half-game wild card lead, while the hot team is the New York Mets, winners of seven of 10. September will be fun.
Storm Porn: Having two close friends living in New Orleans (they evacuated along with everyone), I found myself watching more cable news than normal on Sunday. It struck me how much CNN, Fox and MSNBC love this stuff, almost like they?re rooting for the hurricane to be as strong as possible. Most offensive was CNN?s constant referral to itself as being the ?Hurricane Headquarters.? How nice of them to brand disaster like a department store brands itself as your ?Back to School Headquarters.? Sickening. --Jim Buzinski
8.27.2005
Friday quick hits: As a follow up to yesterday?s item, an injury to Milton Bradley might have kept the Los Angeles Dodgers from having to deal with the Bradley-Jeff Kent feud. Bradley hurt his knee on Monday, and he?s been told he?ll need season-ending surgery. He?s seeking a second opinion, but I cynically expect the Dodgers would love nothing more for him to disappear for the rest of the year, then trade him in January. One thing that was weird about researching that story is that in the over dozen reports I looked at, none mentioned any specifics of what Kent is supposed to have done to cause Bradley to go public with his grievance. I don?t think it?s the Dodgers stonewalling, I just think that the specifics were never mentioned by Milton Bradley.
* The Washington Nationals came closer this week to getting their new baseball-only stadium built in the south part of the District of Columbia on the Anacostia River. Three construction firms were awarded a contract to begin the preliminary work on a project that the Nats hope to have done in time for the 2008 season. The new stadium is expected to cost $279 million, with a staggering $256 million being allotted for "other costs", presumably infrastructure improvements. Maybe the move from Montreal wasn?t such a bad idea after all?..
* The Rolling Stones are on tour again and the outfield grass at Boston?s Fenway Park paid the price this week. The Stones are touring with a typically gargantuan stage set and the two shows at the Red Sox ballpark thrashed the grass so badly that most of the outfield turf had to be replaced. The Red Sox, desperate to maximize revenue at the major league?s smallest ballpark, have started renting out Fenway for concerts, with Jimmy Buffett and Bruce Springsteen having played there in the last few years without a problem. I wish I was a headline writer at a news site for this story:
"Fenway Park Can?t Get No Satisfaction"
"Fenway Park Can?t Always Get What It Wants"
"Sympathy for the Red Sox Grounds Crew"
"Hey, Stones, Get Off Of My Outfield Grass" etc. etc. --Jim Allen
8.26.2005
History repeats: In 1987, the Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Al Campanis caused a firestorm of controversy when, during an interview, he claimed that African Americans lacked "the necessities" to be managers and front office staff in baseball. Living in Los Angeles, it was a major, major deal; it dominated sports news for weeks after. Now, while I?d normally love anything that makes the hated Dodgers look bad or impact them on the field, I?m getting Campanis flashbacks this week and I just can?t indulge in Dodger bashing at this point.
To say that Milton Bradley has had a controversial time of it during his stint with the Dodgers is a vast understatement. Suspensions, outburts to the media, throwing a water bottle at a fan, it?s a long list of stuff. Bradley is the only black player on the Dodgers, a disturbing fact for the team that broke the color barrier with Jackie Robinson. Jeff Kent is, by his own admission, a difficult person to be around. He doesn?t mingle with his teammates and only really talks to them when he?s yelling at them for not doing their jobs. He?s a white guy from a working class area of Los Angeles. Reports out of the Dodgers camp had the two players at loggerheads in spring training over various issues, including that perennial lame-ass "my dick is bigger than yours" thing that drives me crazy: who?s the team leader.
After Kent did a patented bit of yelling at Bradley for allegedly not hustling recently, Milton Bradley used the nuclear option: he went to the press and accused Jeff Kent of having a problem with African American players. Whether all that?s true or not doesn?t really interest me; what does is how this how played out in the local and national press. Blacks make up about 9% of major league players, a big drop from even a decade ago.
One of the side effects of this is that black players feel increasingly isolated, as Bradley does by being the only black player on the Dodgers. African American athletes have long complained?and it?s mostly justified in my view?that they get double standard treatment from the largely white sports press. Any foibles a black player has are magnified and endlessly pontificated on (see: Owens, Terrell) while white players like Jeff Kent can act like total jerks and have that minimized or not even become an issue. You see it in racial code words all the time: blacks are "athletic" while white players are "disciplined and focused" and so forth.
I?ve sensed a slight shift in tone in the coverage I?ve read of the Bradley/Kent situation. There seems to finally be a belated awareness that, hey, maybe African American athletes really do have a point about how they are treated by the white sports press, that there *is* a difference in the way black and white athletes are covered and marketed. Can?t we all just get along?--Jim Allen
8.25.2005
Cock Fight: PETA, the animal rights group, has asked the NCAA to ban the use of the nickname ?Gamecocks,? saying it promotes cockfighting, a ?hideous blood sport.? Jacksonville State and the University of South Carolina each use the nickname.
"Our position is that since cockfighting is illegal in 48 states in this country and a felony in South Carolina - you go to jail, period - we don't think schools should be promoting this illegal act with their mascots," said Dan Shannon, PETA manager of campaigns.
PETA said it has no problem with animal nicknames like Beavers and Bears since they "highlight the power and beauty in the natural world," USA Today reported.
"It's a safe bet that officials at South Carolina and Jacksonville would never dream of calling their athletic teams the Dogfighters, Wifebeaters, Looters or Road-Ragers! By calling them the Gamecocks, USC sends a message to sports fans that cruel, illegal cockfighting is something to cheer about," another PETA official said.
But a letter writer to USA Today told PETA to stick it. "Perhaps PETA should study up on both Revolutionary War and South Carolina history, " Adam Myrick of Florence, S.C., wrote. "One of South Carolina's military heroes in the Revolutionary War, Thomas Sumter, was referred to by British soldiers as ?the Gamecock.? I believe this is the true source of the Gamecock nickname, not any association or fascination with the ?blood sport? as PETA proclaims. "
Of course, it?s easy to mock PETA, so I will resist the temptation (but be my guest). But we never want the name changed, for reasons writer Todd Heustess spelled out in Outsports: Grown men, who have never heard of WeHo and probably have never seen ?Will & Grace,? will wear baseball caps with ?Cocks? emblazoned across the front. T-Shirts proclaim ?You Can?t Beat Our Cocks? on game day. When USC plays a hated SEC rival or when we used to play Miami, fraternity-sponsored banners adorned the stadium proclaiming ?Dem Dogs Can?t Lick Our Cocks? or ?The Hurricanes Can?t Blow Our Cocks!? I mean is this not the ultimate for a gay sports fan or what? -- Jim Buzinski
8.24.2005
Armstrong Accused Again: The French sports newspaper L'quipe says that Lance Armstrong tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance while winning the Tour de France in 1999. On his website, Armstrong said, "Unfortunately, the witch hunt continues. ? The "article was nothing short of tabloid journalism."
The paper ran a four-page report, called ?The Armstrong Lie,? alleging that Armstrong used EPO, which helps muscles carry more oxygen, a huge benefit for a cyclist. The paper said it matched what were called frozen ?B sample? urine samples to Armstrong. The A samples were not frozen and are no longer available and any sanctions by the sport can only happen if both the A and B samples test positive. (There was no test for EPO in 1999).
"I will simply restate what I have said many times: I have never taken performance-enhancing drugs," Armstrong said. But Jean-Marie Leblanc, the director of the Tour, called the newspaper's report "very complete, very professional, very meticulous." And World Anti-Doping Agency chairman Dick Pound has called on cycling officials to investigate the claim. "It's not a 'He said, she said' scenario," Pound told the San Jose Mercury News.
"There were documents. Unless the documents are forgeries or manipulations of them, it's a case that has to be answered."
This is not the first time Armstrong has been accused of doping, but he has remained consistent with his denials and is entitled to the benefit of the doubt. It seems unlikely that this case will put the issue to rest, one way or the other, and one hopes Armstrong doesn?t become the next Rafael Palmiero. "He's stuck with a cloud," Dr. Gary Wadler, a noted doping expert, told the Los Angeles Times. Wadler said that because the research into this sample was done for scientific purposes, rather than to see whether a particular athlete was to be sanctioned for cheating, "it is disquieting to me that this became public in the way it did. Both parties -- the sport and the athlete -- are entitled to have due process and be able to provide appropriate issues of evidence." -- Jim Buzinski
8.23.2005
Snakes in the Grass: The dean of Harvard?s Dept. of Invertebrates, Van Wallach, is the owner of a two-headed king snake, which he calls ?Belichick/Brady,? after New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady.
In a story in the Cambridge Chronicle, writer Brad Kelly noted that, ''During the first feeding, the right head, Belichick, attacked Brady." Wallach said that Belichick ''calls all the plays for the two heads." He said Belichick is longer and does the majority of the feeding because it is more dominant than Brady. ''Brady is neurologically not as fit as Belichick, but the two have learned to work together in unison," Wallach said. ''They each have an independent brain, so it took them a while to figure out that it doesn't matter who eats because they share one stomach."
The snake, which was found in Maine, is one of only 20 of its kind in the world. I had always figured there was something cold-blooded about the way Belichick coached.
Fit to Be Tied: I have never been a big fan of baseball?s wild card system, where the non-division winner with the best record in each league gets a playoff spot. Each team plays 162 games, which should be plenty to separate the most deserving from the rest. The wild card has also destroyed the notion of a great pennant race, since a solid runner-up will qualify anyway. And what good is winning a division only to see a team that couldn't finish first over 162 games get hot at the right time and win it all (the last three World Series champions have been wild cards)?.
There is no denying, though, that the wild card keeps more teams in the playoff race, which means more fans in the seats in September, which is why baseball owners love it. A case in point can be found by glancing at the standings. In the American League, three teams (Oakland, New York and Cleveland) are tied for the wild card spot, with Minnesota only 2 ﾽ back. In the National League, five teams are within 2 ﾽ games of each other. I may be a purist but I know that the wild card is here to stay. -- Jim Buzinski
8.22.2005
Death in the NFL: The NFL was shocked over the weekend by the death of San Francisco 49ers offensive lineman Thomas Herrion, 23, who collapsed in the locker room shortly after his team?s game with the Denver Broncos. A preliminary autopsy did not reveal a cause of death.
Herrion was listed as 6-3 and 310 pounds, but a friend of mine who covers the 49ers said the player looked like he weighed more. Herrion, who played at the University of Utah, was on the field for a 14-play drive for the 49ers that ended the game.
The game was played in temperatures mid-60s with 50 percent humidity, but Denver?s field is at an altitude of more than 5,000 feet, which affects oxygen intake. "We didn't see anything happen," 49ers defensive lineman Marques Douglas said. "I sat by my locker and prayed for him."
NFL players go through rigorous physicals to detect any medical conditions, but there is no doubt that weighing at 300-plus pounds is not healthy for anyone, let alone a professional athlete. As the league?s linemen have gotten larger, Herrion?s bulk did not even stand out. It is surprising that the issue of weight has not been seriously addressed by the players? union.
'' Obesity is associated with sudden death,'' Dr. Joyce Harp, a University of North Carolina endocrinologist who recently did a study calculating the BMIs of all NFL players and found that almost all players qualified as overweight or obese, told the Associated Press. ''Yes, it could be totally unrelated to his weight, but the fact remains that he was 6-3 and he weighed 310 pounds and probably should have been 210 pounds.'' --Jim Buzinski
8.21.2005
Sparks owner talks about gays, firing a lesbian: The Los Angeles Sparks are embroiled in a controversy about the release of a lesbian player, and Sparks owner Johnny Buss is talking about it.
Latasha Byears was an important part of the Sparks' championship runs, playing a powerful power forward. In 2003, she was accused of sexual assault and was quickly released byt the team; she hasn't been picked up by anyone else since. It was around that same time that the Lakers' Kobe Bryant was accused of the same thing: sexually assaulting a woman. Not only was he not released, but he was vocally supported by his team. The Lakers are owned by Johnny Buss' brother, Jerry.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Buss said that gay issues are a topic of discussion at the team and league levels, and that he knows there are gay players in the League.
"We've discussed homosexuality in the NBA and WNBA," Buss told the L.A. Times. "We don't ask. If you look at the general population, you could come up with statistics on who is homosexual and who is not. I don't know why that would be any different in professional sports. Now it's one of those things that people won't come out and disclose. I think they should. I know there's a lot of prejudice in America and it's sickening to me."
He said that Byears' being lesbian didn't influence the decision to fire her. "What I have learned over all the years, you're just better off being blind to certain lifestyles," he said.
It certainly seems strange that the Lakers would vocally support Bryant at the same time the Sparks cut Byears, when both were accused of the same thing. It's no secret that gays and lesbians are treated differently by society, and by sports. I just wish the powers that be, like Johnny Buss, would either start treating us the same way; or at least have some balls and come clean about it. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
8.20.2005
Hapless Royals: Pity sports fans in Kansas City. If members of the Chiefs aren?t posing for mug shots (see yesterday?s entry), the local baseball team is heading toward a record no team wants: most consecutive losses in a season. After losing 4-0 to the Oakland A?s on Friday, the Royals have now lost 19 in a row, two shy of tying the 1988 Baltimore Orioles record for futility. What a sad state a once proud franchise has come to; the Royals had some great teams in the 80?s, winning the World Series in 1985. Knowing how these things work, though, they?ll probably win on Sunday (potentially the record-tying loss) and just be a footnote, instead of history makers.
NCAA: idiots The proposed banning of the use of Native American-derived team names and mascots by NCAA teams (Indians, Braves, Warriors etc.) got murkier on Friday when the geniuses at the NCAA announced that if no tribes that are declared "namesake tribes"?three different wire stories failed to enlighten me as to what the heck that means?object to a team using the name, the team/school can appeal and possibly keep the name.
The most obvious example is the Florida State Seminoles. The school is threatening to sue; Seminole tribes in Florida and Oklahoma have given their blessing for FSU to use the name, but other Seminole tribes haven't. What are earth is the NCAA thinking? They caused a stir by announcing a ban, with all sorts of complex provisions (i.e. band members and cheerleaders can?t wear Native American images after 2008) and then, with Friday?s announcement, give those same teams a loophole. "Poorly thought out" doesn?t begin to describe their policies. --Jim Allen
8.19.2005
Chiefs police blotter: The Kansas City Chiefs have had a bad few days at their River Falls, Wisconsin training camp. Oh, nothing on the field, mind you; it?s during their off hours that Chiefs players are causing coach Dick Vermeil headaches. Tackle Junior Siavii and safety Greg Wesley were busted on Sunday after a drunken confrontation with police in a Minneapolis hotel. Then kicker Lawrence Tynes was nabbed for breaking the nose of a bouncer in a bar fight in River Falls. A kicker!
To top all that, quarterbacks Todd Collins and Trent Green were involved in a melee at club on Sunday that lead to a woman being hurt. Apparently, Collins was climbing on things and took umbrage at being told to get down; Green was acting as a peacemaker. Tynes is in the most potential trouble: he?s charged with a felony. Chiefs fans have to hope that their team is as fired up when playing the Chargers, Raiders and Broncos as they seem to be when challenged in bar situations.
Randy Moss, diplomat: "Randy Moss is the best player in the NFL" is an assertation that gives Jim B. and I an endless supply of ways to mock Outsports co-founder Cyd, who regularly says that very thing. New ammo for Jim and I: in a taped inteview on HBO?s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel Moss said (and this is a quote from the wire story) "I have used, you know, marijuana ... since I've been in the league".
The ?.. part in the wire story is interesting, because the interview won?t air until this coming Tuesday, so the exact quote is unknown. However, Moss might be as dumb as a box of hair because it seems that later on in the interview, when asked if he currently smokes pot, he says "I might. I might have fun. And, you know, hopefully ... I won't get into any trouble by the NFL by saying that, you know. I have had fun throughout my years and, you know, predominantly in the offseason". Again with those pesky ?..?s but "predominantly"? Is he taunting the NFL to bust him for a drug policy violation? Are the Raiders and Chiefs going to have any players available when they meet for the first time on September 18th? --Jim Allen
8.18.2005
SI's Bogus List: Now and then you can see that the sports establishment's mentality still lives and moves at the level of hetero posturing in high school. Sports Illustrated and CNN just gave the latest nod to "listmania" by publishing what they call the "25 most intriguing characters" in sport in the last 25 years. What standard did you have to meet to be a "character"? According to sportswriter Roy Johnson, you have to "fill our notebooks with more than stats and facts ... give us the colorful ... make us laugh, or roll our eyes ... give us highlights to replay forever."
Not surprisingly, only three of the 25 listees are women:
# 12 - Serena Williams
# 19 - Anna Kournikova
# 24 - Picabo Street
Only one of those women -- Street -- made the list because she fit Johnson's description. The CNN/SI comments make it clear that Serena and Anna met a standard that wasn't applied to the men: sex appeal. Johnson noted "Serena's booty-dacious catsuit."
The list was heavy on macho sports -- football, baseball, hockey, boxing, etc. And it grandly ignored some truly intriguing figures. For example, I would have expected to find Tiger Woods there...but instead it was John Daly who represented golf. Intriguer #1 is Charles Barkley for his mouthy abilities as basketball analyst.
Most unsurprising of all: none of the 25 intriguers is out. Even Martina Navratilova, one of the most amazing tennis players who ever lived, with her ability to galvanize a crowd, didn't make the list. When push comes to shove, GLBT athletes and coaches are still off the scoreboard -- and females are on it only because of the way their bodies fill a swimsuit. -- Patricia Nell Warren
8.17.2005
David Carr Is Cute: Houston Texans quarterback David Carr came to training camp with a new haircut, after letting his locks grow long last season. See before and after photos. Guard Zach Wiegert told Carr he looked like a "European supermodel," according to the Houston Chronicle.
Center Steve McKinney seemed to upset his quarterback when he called him cute. ?I said he looked cute," McKinney said. "He didn't like that comment, so I said, 'Let me rephrase it: You look handsome.' " Carr also didn?t like that, and told the Chronicle: "I told him I'd slap him if he said that again." Oooh, how butch! McKinney wouldn?t give it up, saying: "He's just real sensitive about the way he looks. If somebody told me I was cute, I'd take it as a compliment."
Carr, who goes out of his way to praise the Lord and mention his wife in almost every interview I?ve seen of him, fingered the latter for his new look. "My wife (Melody) wanted me to cut it," said Carr. "It's kind of what I've had my whole life, so I'm used to it. I feel like I've lost 10 pounds."
Heading Toward History: The Kansas City Royals lost to the Seattle Mariners, 4-3, Tuesday for their 17th consecutive loss. They are threatening the American League record of 21 straight losses, set by the 1988 Baltimore Orioles.
Rush to the Rescue: News item: Rush Limbaugh, who once said Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was overrated because the media wanted to see a black quarterback succeed, now wants to help McNabb and wide receiver Terrell Owens settle their differences on his radio show. "I am here to offer and to assist. I can," Limbaugh said on his radio program Friday.
Actually, it?s a great idea. Rush can call T.O. a ?feminazi? and McNabb a ?puke,? and they can bond by tossing him in the Schuylkill River. --Jim Buzinski
8.16.2005
Too Sexy for This Poll: News item from USA Today: Fox will announce this week that it will have season-long online voting for the "NFL's Sexiest Man," producer Scott Ackerson says. Similar foxsports.com voting for NASCAR's "sexiest" drew 16.8 million votes. "That was the impetus for this," Ackerson says. "And what the heck, lots of women watch football - let's give something for them."
Either Ackerson is clueless or doesn't want to admit the obvious: It won't just be women who vote in this. I would guarantee that the Outsports readership will have plenty of click-throughs on the Fox site. He need only read our Hunks of the NFL
thread (which is now up to five pages of comments) to get a sense. --Jim Buzinski
The PGA, Day 4.1: How dare I think, for even a moment, that Phil Mickelson is a big choking dog of a golfer. Sure, in the past he?s blown leads at major tournaments. Fine, those blown leads lead to really tedious "Mickelson: Best Current Player Never to Win a Major" stories before every major. After the shot he made on the 18th hole on Monday at Baltusrol in New Jersey, all those choke jobs in the past are forgiven. While not in the category of Tiger Wood?s shot on 16 in the Masters that seemed to defy the laws of space and time, Mickelson?s shot was still pretty impressive.
With play being halted by weather on Sunday, Mickelson, Steve Elkington and Thomas Bjorn all could have won when play was finished on Monday. Elkington and Bjorn, however, had some heartbreak on 18: both had putts for birdie hit the edge of the cup and spin out, meaning Mickelson could force a playoff by holding par. After hitting a good tee shot on 18, Mickelson hit his second shot in the rough by the green and a playoff?and potentially pissed off soap opera fans?beckoned. A great 50-foot chip shot with his third shot landed right near the cup, however, and after a simple tap-in, the title was his.
With his PGA Championship win, Phil Mickelson has won a major in consecutive years (he won the Masters in 2004), something only Tiger Woods has done in the last ten years. So who?s the Best Current Player Never to Win a Major? Expect stories about Sergio Garcia to use that theme when the majors roll around in 2006. --Jim Allen
8.15.2005
The PGA, Day 4: I watched the coverage of the PGA Championship from Baltusrol in northern New Jersey on Sunday, convinced I knew what my Jock Talk entry was going to be about: what a choking dog of a player Phil Mickelson was. In the space of seven holes, he went from a three-stroke lead to being two strokes behind. However, he regained some form and then the weather, and CBS, took over.
Even though the tournament organizers knew that showers were predicted for the late afternoon, they stuck with a 3 p.m. (Eastern Time) tee time for the final pairing of Mickelson and Davis Love III, so that the winner would be crowned around 7 p.m., in time to lead in to CBS? 60 Minutes ("except on the West Coast", as we were constantly reminded). Sure enough, rain wiped out play with Mickelson on the 13th hole. He?s one shot ahead of Steve Elkington and Thomas Bjorn, who were at 15 and 14, respectively, when play was halted. The final holes will be played on Monday, weather permitting. CBS has to hope that play isn?t delayed on Monday (tee time is 10 a.m. Eastern) because if they do, they?ll piss off people who don?t hesitate to write or call the network when something pre-empts programming: soap opera fans. --Jim Allen
8.14.2005
The PGA, Day 3: One of the great debates of the ages is this: are golfers athletes or just people who play a game that isn?t very easy to do well? I tend to think the latter but the "they?re athletes" crowd point to how walking a big course can tire one out. That?s laughable in the context of, say, the Tour de France, but on Saturday that faction may have had a point: the weather at Baltusrol in northern New Jersey on Saturday was exactly like what I remember summers in Jersey to be like when I lived there briefly in the early 70?s: hot, muggy and pretty unbearable.
Phil Mickelson, who took a three shot lead in to Saturday?s third round. Struggling in the oppressive heat, he frittered it away to Davis Love III and is now tied with Love going in to the final round, both at six under par. Thomas Bjorn of Denmark played out of his head, shooting a 63, joining an amazing 17 players who are within five shots of the lead, including defending champ Vijay Singh, who is well within striking distance at two strokes back. Tiger Woods must really be cursing his opening round 75 now, because he?s played well enough to climb within six shots of the lead at even. History is not on his side though: he?s won all of his majors while leading going in to the final round and has never come back from a deficit of great than five strokes in any of his PGA Tour wins. Sunday should very interesting.
Relay woes: What is it with track and field relay events and the United States? At the World Track championships in Helsinki, Finland, the U.S. men dropped the baton during the first exchange of the 400 meter relay on Friday night. On Saturday it was the women?s turn to beat themselves: during the 1,600 meter relay, the U.S. women "won" but were disqualified for "multiple lane violations". An appeal was denied, so none of the reports I read could say exactly what those violations were. Overall though, it?s been a great meet for US of A, with 13 gold medals and 24 overall. Special mention must be made of Ethopia?s kick-ass women?s distance runner Tirunesh Dibaba, who won the 5,000 meters a week after winning the 10,000 meters. In the wire report I read it said the feat was "unprecedented" so I?m assuming that such a thing had never been done before. Let?s see any of the golfers at Baltusrol do that. --Jim Allen
8.13.2005
The PGA, Day 2: Wow, that was close. Tiger Woods had not missed the cut, which sends home players after 2 days of a tournament, in any of the 36 majors (Masters, US Open, British Open, The PGA) since he turned professional. He was seriously in danger of breaking that streak on Friday at The PGA being played at Baltusrol in northern New Jersey. Going in to the 18th hole, anything less than a birdie would have meant he went home and caused panic at CBS, which is televising the final two rounds (Tiger in the hunt = good ratings). Woods has won as much as he has for a reason: he?s cool under pressure. He hit a great tee shot on 18 and had a relatively easy time of making birdie to ensure his survival. He?s played very poorly, however, and will probably be an also-ran come Sunday.
The crowded leaderboard thinned out a bit on Friday. Phil Mickelson played well enough to take a three stroke lead over Jerry Kelly and a four stroke lead over three players. On a non-playing related note, three fans were hurt, one with a broken left leg, when a huge branch of an oak tree near the putting green on the fourth hole snapped loose and fell. How bizzare.--Jim Allen
8.12.2005
The PGA, Day 1: Before I left work on Thursday, I clicked on a leaderboard for the PGA Championship, taking place this weekend at Baltusrol in Springfield, New Jersey. I saw that South African hottie Trevor Immelman was listed at the top, which made me happy. It was bunched up there, too: six players are at 3 under, with Phil Mickelson, Ben Curtis and Rory Sabbatini, another golf lust object for me, among them. Defending champion Vijay Singh is still very much in it, only three strokes behind at even. On the first page of the leaderboard, I didn?t see Tiger Woods' name. It wasn?t on the second page either. Hmmmmm?finally, on the third page, listed as tied for 113th, there was Woods, at 5 over.
Woods had a miserable day in the heat and humidity, a big comedown from his commanding performance at the recent British Open. While it?s still early, his bid to win three of the four majors this year is in trouble. Yes, I know, I?ve counted him out before but as Cyd pointed to me, this was Tiger Woods worst round of the year by two strokes. There?s still plenty of golf to go, however.
Bring me the head of Scoscia!: Jim B. and I had the pleasure of entertaining Outsports message board stalwart Joe in Philly on Tuesday. Joe was in Los Angeles as part of a West Coast tour to follow the Phillies around. We went to Dodger Stadium to watch the ball game, eat Dodger Dogs, mock the hapless Dodgers and chat. During the game, I opined that Mike Scoscia of the Angels of Wherever, my favorite baseball team, is the best manager in baseball right now. However, after events of the last two days, I?m out for blood.
Much of the Angels success of the last four seasons has been founded on their amazing bullpen. It?s a tag team affair, with about four guys getting regular work. Scoscia has a formula: hope the starters get through six innings and then, if there?s a lead, go to the bullpen no matter what. The idea is to keep the starters fresh.
However, that formula is starting to backfire. Four years of steady work means that those same relievers that were largely responsible for them making the playoffs last year have run out of gas. On Wednesday and Thursday, the Angels were playing the Oakland A?s, with first place in the AL West at stake. On both days, the starters (Ervin "Magic" Santana and Paul Byrd) pitched really well; however, the bullpen completely imploded, blowing leads in both games that lead to losses. I?m baffled as to Mike Scoscia?s thinking: it?s August, why is he preserving the starters? Pitch ?em until their arms fall off. The Angels made no trades before the deadline and they can't count on any minor leaguers to help.
I?ve seen it before: a manager or a coach gets used to a system and when things start going wrong, they?re slow to react because "The System" has always worked in the past. It?s the same mentality that makes NFL coaches play soft "prevent" defenses late in games. As the saying goes, "The only thing the prevent does is prevent you from winning". Grrrrrrr??ah, patience, I have to tell myself, patience??
Heisman busts: Jason White won the Heisman Trophy as the best player in college football for Oklahoma in 2003. The Heisman seems like it's more a burden than anything. Add White to the list of recent winners that have crashed and burned trying to make it in the NFL. While Carson Palmer (2002) should be a stud for years for the Bengals, Chris Weinke (2000) and the laughable Eric Crouch (2001) are duds. White has a good excuse though: after major surgery on both knees, he called it quits this week because those knees acted up again. He decided that being able to walk without a cane when he was 40 was preferable to the NFL. Matt Leinart (2004) stayed for his senior year at the USC, so he's a mystery at this point. --Jim Allen
8.11.2005
Terrell Owens, Narcissist: It was hard to tell Wednesday whether Terrell Owens was a professional football player or getting ready for a bodybuilding contest. There he was in the driveway of his suburban Philadelphia home, doing 40-pound bicep curls and dozens of ab crunches. He delighted locals (and the assembled media) by throwing a football shirtless to one fan, his cut pecs rippling in the sun, and stopping to sign another fan?s No. 81 Eagles jersey. As reporters peppered him with questions, Owens mostly said ?no comment,? later changing it to ?N.C.,? apparently to conserve his breath.
Meanwhile, Owens? Eagles teammates were sweating it out in practice a few miles away, confirming what we?ve all known all along: With Terrell Owens, it?s always all about him. The vain, self-centered, yet very talented wide receiver was sent home for a week by Eagles Coach Andy Reid after the two apparently got into an argument. This came on the heels of Owens threatening all offseason to hold out in a contract dispute and about 10 days after he arrived in camp to much fanfare. But reports say he has seldom interacted with his teammates, something Owens seemed to confirm when he said: "I think some people are kind of ticked off because I haven't really said much. They don't pay me to go in there and talk to everybody and be friendly to everybody. They paid me to play and they paid me to perform. That's what I've been going in there and doing."
I wrote last summer that Owens would be a cancer, and was off by less than a year. He was terrific for the Eagles last season, helping to lead them to the Super Bowl. But he then followed the same pattern of behavior he exhibited in his final season with San Francisco, where we went out of his way to insult or argue with coaches and teammates. It?s hard to see how he fits on this year?s Eagles, but it?s also hard to see any team willing to trade and even harder to see the Eagles simply release him. He?ll be a yearlong distraction but at least he?ll look good doing it.
World?s Greatest Athlete: American Bryan Clay earned that honor by defeating defending Olympic gold medalist Roman Sebrle of Czech to win the decathlon at the World Track and Field championships in Helsinki, Finland, in a gusty rainstorm. I liked Sebrle?s explanation for why he came up short: "Maybe too much celebration after the Olympics." --Jim Buzinski
8.10.2005
Tennis gets it right: Baseball, take notice. The world's no. 10 tennis player, Argentine Guillermo Canas, has been suspended for two years for testing positive for the prohibited diuretic hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) at an ATP tournament in Acapulco in February. In addition to the suspension, Canas has been stripped of all of his singles and doubles ranking points and has been ordered to repay $276,070 of prize money he has won this year.
Note that he has not been tested positive for steroids, but a diuretic that is sometimes used to cover up steroids. Meanwhile, baseball is suspending players for just over a week for testing positive for steroids. Like those people in baseball who have been suspended, however, Canas said that he never knowingly took any banned supstances. Yeah, right.
Because tennis is now signed up to the World Anti-Doping Agency's protocol, the two-year suspension was the minimum they could have handed down. Canas had reportedly appealled the suspension, which he learned of earlier this summer. A tribunal hearing his appeal in July unanimously ruled that the had committed a doping offense.
I have to imagine that this kind of sweeping punishment will have a ripple effect in tennis. For a player to now use a prohibited substance, knowing that the sport is serious about handing down stiff penalties, he would have to be willing to give up a huge chunk of his career if caught.
I wish all sports had these stiff penalties. If I ruled the world, all of the pro sports leagues would mandate a one-year suspension for the first offense and a lifetime suspension for the second offense. Hopefully, other sports will take notice of this suspension. More likely, though, is that they'll completely ignore it, focusing on the revenue that harder hits and home runs bring in. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
8.9.2005
Gretzky to Coach: It?s highly unusual for me to be writing about hockey in August, but the sport finally got some positive pub when it was announced that Wayne Gretzky has agreed to coach the Phoenix Coyotes this season.
The NHL, coming off a lost season due to an owner?s lockout needed some positive news and Gretzky?s hire will do that. For most Americans, Gretzky is about the only hockey player, playing or retired, they could name and will be focus of big stories in all the cities the Coyotes pay a visit to this season.
Thug Back on Ice: The Gretzky news overshadowed the decision by the NHL to reinstate Todd Bertuzzi, who broke the neck of opponent Steve Moore on March 8, 2004, with a blindside punch. Bertuzzi, a Vancouver Canucks forward, was suspended for the final 13 regular-season games of the 2003-04 season and the Stanley Cup playoffs, and was not allowed to play in Europe during the lockout. The suspension cost him $500,000 in lost salary.
Bertuzzi will not be allowed to play in any game against Moore, but this is a moot point since Moore is still not healthy enough to play and is an unrestricted free agent.
I agree with Moore?s lawyer, Tim Danson, who told the Canadian Press: ''He is quite disappointed, given he is unable to resume his NHL career and may never resume his NHL career.'' If I was Commissioner Gary Bettman, I would not allow Bertuzzi back on the ice until Moore is healthy to play; if this never occurs, I would make Bertuzzi sit the entire 2005-06 season. If he attacked Moore anywhere but on the ice, he'd be looking at serious jail time.--Jim Buzinski
8.8.2005
Thai Boxer Sentenced for Porn: Sirimongkol Singwancha, a leading Thai boxer, has been fined and sentenced to jail for allowing pornographic pictures of himself to appear in the gay-targeted Thai magazine Heat. (Picture here.) Sirimongkol was reportedly fined the equivalent of about $4,800; according to Gay.com, the fine was reduced to about $100, and his jail sentence of six months has been suspended for at least two years, because he has cooperated with authorities.
According to Queer Day, Sirimongkol said the pictures were originally taken "for fun and for them to view in privacy. I regret (it) and I'd like to apologize to everyone. I'm very stressed now and sometimes losing sleep. I hope that I would be forgiven for what I had done."
The photos appeared in the magazine two years ago. But, the magazine issue was just discovered by police when they raided a newsstand in Northern Bangkok. The photos were full-frontal images with several featuring his erect penis. Apparently, this is all a part of Thailand's crackdown on the porn industry. The pics are now making their way around the Internet - shocker.
Why can't some of the top athletes in the U.S. decide to take some nude pictures and accidentally leak them to gay magazines? I mean, surely Andy Roddick or some fourth-string NFL receiver could use some extra cash. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
8.6.2005
NBA to Vegas: Here we come: The NBA, after much hand wringing, awarded the 2007 All Star game to Las Vegas on Friday. The image concious league was wary about letting Sin City host the game but when gambling regulators passed rules that barred local casinos from taking any action on 2007 All Star game related activities, the path was cleared. It marks the first time that a city without a team has hosted the game, but it likely won?t be the last as Paris?that?s Paris, France, not Paris, Texas?is being mooted for 2008 or 2009. The move is also seen as a test run for the possibility of a team playing in Vegas, either as a relocating franchise or an expansion team; again, gambling is the major hurdle. It?s highly unlikely that the casinos will go for a season-long ban on NBA betting.
Brain dead: You would think that people in the media would know better than to use racially tinged language in public, given how often athletes and others in sports get raked over the coals for saying stupid things. Larry Krueger of KNBR in San Francisco must be a really dim bulb, however, because he?s really pissed some people off in the Bay Area. KNBR has been the San Francisco Giants longtime radio station; Krueger hosts a show there. Frustrated by the Giants poor season, he lashed out on Wednesday with this comment: "I just cannot watch this brand of baseball any longer. A truly awful, pathetic, old team that only promises to be worse two years from now. It's just awful. It really is bad to watch. Brain-dead Caribbean hitters hacking at slop nightly". He?s probably right about the team: they mortgaged their future in 2002 and 2003 to make a push for the World Series title but that?s gone; they?re going to have a painful rebuilding process to go through.
However, saying "brain-dead Caribbean hitters", in San Francisco no less, is just career suicide. Giants manager Felipe Alou, who was born in the Dominican Republic, was more sad than angry. Shortstop Omar Vizquel was ticked off though, commenting "I haven't heard anything like that since John Rocker", which is a pretty high bar for moronic comments. The team made all the right noises, but the radio station was less than stellar. They suspended Krueger without pay for a week and said he will not be fired. The wisdom of that is debateable, but what?s not debateable is that the decision by the station to offer the offending clip on their website, but with the word "Caribbean" edited out, is really dumb. The saying "Closing the barn door after the horses have left" comes to mind. --Jim Allen
8.5.2005
Cold: After reading Jim B.?s entry from yesterday and then scanning the news for sports stuff to write about today (Thursday), I realized that there was nothing really worth writing an extended entry about. Oh sure, Rafael "Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire" Palmeiro might get slapped with perjury charges for his bald faced lies in front of the Congressional steroids investigation; fine, Terrel Owens of the Philadelphia Eagles is already an annoying prat a few days in to training camp, making me wish he'd just take a Trappist Monk vow of silence so I never have to hear a word from him again; and so on. But how to top Jim?s great find? I?ll try?...
Via Mark Bechtel?s blog at Sports Illustrated comes a story that has me wondering: how weird are human beings? Apparently, in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, they have a demoliton derby in the local rodeo arena that?s an annual event. It seems that part of the demo derby is that someone strips their clothes off and streaks around the arena naked. It all seems a bit 1970?s to me, but whatever. This year, however, it all went wrong.
As usual, some guy got naked and started running around in front of the crowd of about 5,000. From what I was able to glean from a couple of stories, it?s just part of the derby, the cops usually turn a blind eye. For whatever reason, this year was different. The dude was running around with a fire extinguisher, trying to spray the crowd. The police went after the guy and when he eluded them, they pulled out a taser gun and zapped him. Taser guns are nasty; getting electric shocks throughout the body can?t be fun. Naturally, the streaker went down like a sack of potatoes. The crowd didn?t like this and started booing the police. Many who were quoted afterwards thought the police were way out of line. I wasn?t there and I haven?t seen any video, so I can?t make that call. I do know, however, that the PA announcer at the arena would get all the drinks he wanted from me should I ever meet him. Not content with watching the streaker get the snot knocked out of him by the police, he had to put the boot in: referring to the man?s genitals, the PA announcer snarked "Must be a chilly evening".
I can?t wait for October, when baseball, basketball, hockey and football (college and NFL), not to mention the real football, i.e. soccer, are all in full swing. --Jim Allen
8.4.2005
Private Parts ?Fried in Butter?: This qualifies as the most bizarre sports story of the year. The Australia Wallabies rugby team, as part of a male bonding exercise on a trip to South Africa, graphically detailed which of their teammates they would most like to eat.
For example, Stephen Larkham wanted Drew Mitchell's testicles for dessert, while Chris Whitaker preferred Rocky Elsom's private parts "fried in butter, garlic, chilli and parsley." The story came out after the players left questionnaires with their eating preferences in a restaurant, which then gave it to the Cape Times. Team management gave the players the question: "The Alive Scenario - Who to Cook?" during a gathering at a local Cape Town bar, asking them who should be "sacrificed in the name of culinary delights." The players were instructed: "You must nominate a player for each dish and how you would prepare them. Ways to present them include on a spit, marinated, skewered, boiled, in dumplings, etc. Be creative, but it is your view only. No comparing notes."
It was based on the true story of the 1972 rugby team in Uruguay whose plane crashed in the Andes, forcing survivors to resort to cannibalism.
Wallaby Matt Dunning, who looks like he could feed the entire team with his 253 pounds, was especially popular. Lote Tuqiri reportedly wanted to prepare him for starters in a sweet and sour sauce, while George Gregan said Dunning would be part of his main dish of "sweet pork, slowly roasted,? the Sydney Morning Herald said. Tuqiri was also fond of Morgan Turinui for dessert, explaining: "The amount of sweets he puts in, it's got to rub off in his meat somewhere." This prompted Rugby Heaven to call the dish ?Morgan Tiramisu.?
If I were playing the Wallabies, I would get really nervous and start running if I heard them bragging that they eat their opponents for lunch. This also would allow ESPN to branch out with its new "Competitive Eating" show. First up, the Oakland Raiders slow-roast Warren Sapp.--Jim Buzinski
8.3.2005
More ?Roid Rage: Ryan Franklin, a starting pitcher for the Seattle Mariners, was suspended for steroid use on Tuesday, a day after Baltimore?s Rafael ?I?ve Never Used Steroids? Palmeiro was suspended 10 games.
"There's got to be a flaw in the system," Franklin was quoted as saying by The Associated Press at Detroit's Comerica Park, before the Mariners played the Tigers. "I have no clue."
The ?no-clue? defense is about all most players offer as an excuse and it?s simply not believable. Steroids work, which is why athletes in almost all sports use them, and risk the chance of getting nabbed.
Palmeiro had hinted that he had somehow unwittingly taking supplements with steroid elements, but the New York Times shot that down with a report that Palmeiro had tested positive for stanozolol, which ?does not come in dietary supplements and is among the most popular steroids on the market. It can be ingested or injected and usually remains in a person's system for at least a month.? This is the same steroid that sprinter Ben Johnson was caught using in the 1988 Summer Olympics, and is hard to believe someone could ?accidentally? use it. (?Your honor, it is true that I accidentally sat on that syringe. Why else would my butt be sore??)
Amazing A?s: The Oakland Athletics beat the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday for their sixth win in a row. Since starting the season 17-32, the A?s have gone a sizzling 43-14, the best record in baseball in that span.--Jim Buzinski
8.2.2005
Rafael Palmeiro should fry: Major League Baseball has nabbed its first big name for steroid use -- and it probably couldn't be bigger. Not even five months after he pointed his finger at members of Congress and proclaimed vehemently that he had never taken steroids, Baltimore Oriole Rafael Palmeiro was suspended from baseball on Monday for 10 days for testing positive for steroids. Most people were speculating today that the actual positive test occurred in May -- just weeks after his Congressional appearance.
Today, Palmeiro was in major damage-control mode. He held a phone teleconference during which he said he never intentionally took steroids. Watch out, folks -- this is going to be a regular defense for athletes caught taking steroids. What they're doing is getting a wink from their nutritionists or trainers, who are telling them to "just take this" or "just inject this" with no questions asked. This is totally bogus. They may not know EXACTLY what they're taking - but, they know that it is probably steroids and that it CERTAINLY isn't legal. It is the fault of these athletes for not rejecting anything they don't know or understand fully.
The fact of the matter is, Palmeiro did take steroids, did lie to Congress, and all the time railed against steroid use. It makes sense: if he was doing it and moving up the all-time hit and home run lists, he would want other players to not take it, to stay ahead of the competition.
I hope Congress fries Palmeiro. He lied under oath, and with disdain. If I was in Congress, I would immediately begin an investigation with the aim of finding Palmeiro guilty of perjury and with the goal of putting him behind bars. Make an example of this guy who was trying to get everyone to see him as an example of fair play and rejection of steroids. And if I was the Baltimore Orioles, I would abandon this lying cheater and kick him to the curb. The only way this disgusting cheating will stop is if the teams and government reject every single one of them. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
From Jim Buzinski: I agree that Palmeiro has apparently been caught lying and should be publicly scorned, but investigated and jailed? That's an extreme overreaction as were the Congressional hearings in the first place; just a chance for politicians to act all high and mighty on a no-lose but relatively unimportant national issue.
Edge Is Turning Japanese: Indianapolis Colts running back Edgerrin James, who a week ago said there was no way he would accompany the team to Japan for a game, has changed his mind and will now go. ?Yeah, I?m going to go," James said. ?I might drive."
Last week, James said the closest he was going to get to Tokyo, where the Colts will play the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday, is Benihana?s. ?Yeah," James said Monday, ?I might go to the original Benihana."
James hates flying and preseason games, but he face disciplinary action from the Colts, something Coach Tony Dungy hinted at. "I kind of likened it to that letter I got from the IRS a couple years ago saying I owed more money," Dungy said. "Your first reaction is to say 'I don't owe this money and I'm not going to pay it.' Then you look at it and say 'Well, maybe I do owe this money and maybe it's a good idea to pay it.' I went ahead and paid what they thought I owed." --Jim Buzinski
8.1.2005
Much Ado About Nothing: Baseball?s trade deadline came and went Sunday with none of the rumored big names leaving. The biggest name that stayed put was Manny Ramirez, who was whining about wanting out of Boston. On Sunday, he abruptly interrupted Manager Terry Francona?s press conference to announce: ''I want to be with this team and win another World Series.''
Ramirez may have a screw loose, but the Red Sox would have been insane to trade him, not with his 28 home runs and 92 RBIs. So what if he pouted ? it wasn?t like he was going to deliberately strike out. His story, though, gave the Northeast-obsessed media (I think sometimes that the Yankees and Red Sox are the only two Major League Baseball teams) something to fixate on in the dog days of the season.
All in all, there were no blockbuster trades, though some teams like the Chicago White Sox and Atlanta Braves made seemingly small moves that may pay off come September and beyond. At least we won?t have to hear much about Manny.
Serbs Win Water Polo Title: Serbia and Montenegro beat Hungary, 8-7, this weekend to win the men?s world water polo championship in Montreal. This was S&M?s (a great acronym!) first title since 1991, when they competed as Yugoslavia.
In American terms, this was like the Red Sox finally beating the Yankees. Hungary is the gold standard of water polo and in 2004 won both the world title and Olympic gold. I became a huge water polo fan while covering the 2004 worlds? website.
in Long Beach, Calif. It?s a shame no U.S. TV network saw fit to show any of the action, though ESPN, the self-described ?Worldwide Leader in Sports,? found a space on its schedule for competitive eating. Just what a country with an appalling rate of obesity needs! --Jim Buzinski
7.30.2005
Dynasty: One of the hardest things for a team to do in sports is to win titles consistently. The New England Patriots have a done a good job of it recently, having won three of the last four Super Bowls. The first signs that the Pats might possibly be done with their run of success have been cropping up recently: linebacker Tedy Brusci announcing he would sit out the 2005 season due to health issues; fellow linebacker Ted Johnson retiring suddenly due a series of concussions that might have caused more series damage had he continued playing and now, three-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Richard Seymour missing the first day of training camp because he wants a contract extension.
One possible beneficiary of the disarray in the Patriots defense is Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who in addition to not being as cute as his brother Eli of the New York Giants, has been awful against the Pats the last few seasons. The Colts and Pats play on Monday night, Nov. 7th in Foxboro and Manning has to hope that disarray continues until then.
Baseball zen: A friend of mine e-mailed me yesterday to mock my favorite baseball team, the Angels of Wherever. The Angels hit a dry patch this week, losing four straight games, including a brutal 18-inning loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday. The Angels blogs I frequent have been in panic mode as well ("Why can?t they hit the ball all of a sudden?" is the general tone). However, one of the things that baseball haters always focus on?the season lasts seemingly forever?is also its strength. Unlike the NFL, where every loss is catastrophic, baseball teams can count on at least two or three slumps throughout the year and still be contenders.
When I looked at the schedule last night to see who the Angels played next, I knew all would be well: they were playing the Yankees. Amazingly, the Angels are the only major league team to have a winning record against the Bronx Bombers since Joe Torre has been the manger. Sure enough, the Halos got a great pitching performance from rookie Ervin "Magic" Santana on Friday and beat the Yankees in New York, 4-1. It?s a marathon, people, not a sprint; it?s the end result, not how you get there that matters. --Jim Allen
7.29.2005
Stop me if you think that you?ve heard this one before: Larry Brown said all the right things at the press conference introducing him as the new coach of the NBA?s New York Knicks: I love New York (he?s from there), it?s a tough job but someone?s gotta do it, it?s going to be bad before it gets better etc. The Knicks have been sad sacks for ages and that?s not something the NBA wants for the team that plays in the largest media market in the country; they need the Knicks making the playoffs and getting to the finals, not going home after only winning 33 games last season. Brown could be an inspired choice for the Knicks; in his career as a team fixer-upper, he?s repeatedly come in to bad situations and turned things around in a few years. I had to laugh when I read this quote though:
"I know this will be my last stop. Basketball started for me in this city, and I want to be here when it's finally time for me to stop". He apparently said that while chuckling and well he should: he?s had eight NBA coaching jobs and two in college, in a coaching career that started in 1972. Brown is being paid a reputed $8 million a year, but it will be worth it for the Knicks if he can turn things around for them. One thing is for sure: with money like that, Larry Brown will be able to afford better outfits than this monstrosity. Yikes! Luckily, that photo isn?t in color.. --Jim Allen
7.28.2005
Edge loves Benihana: Indianapolis Colts running back Edgerrin James doesn't expect to accompany the Indianapolis Colts to Tokyo for their Aug. 6 preseason American Bowl game with the Atlanta Falcons.
In a Sports Illustrated storythis week, James confirmed he will be on time for training camp but added, "The closest I'm going to get to Tokyo is Benihana."
James does not like traveling by airplane, the Indianapolis Star reports. He also dislikes preseason games and is miffed over his contract. -Jim Buzinski
Out from the shadows: Aussie swimmer Grant Hackett isn't the household name that Michael Phelps and Ian Thorpe are. But, he's now the best 800m freestyle swimmer ever. Hackett broke Thorpe's world record in the event at the World Swimming Championships with a time of 7:38.65.
"That was a fast world record, and Ian is one of the greatest swimmers of all time," Hackett said after setting the mark. "Any record is great, but to get one of Ian's records is a little more satisfying."
He still may not become a household name, but we're hoping he makes the magazine covers that Phelps and Thorpe have been featured on. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
7.27.2005
Phelps, finally, makes a splash: It must be hard getting up for a lowly World Swimming Championship after winning a truckload of gold medals at the Olympics. You would have thought so after Michael Phelps finished seventh - and that was just in his heat! - in the 400m freestyle. It was the first time in five years he failed to advance to the finals of an individual event at a major meet.
But, Phelps bounced back at the championships in Montreal on Tuesday, winning the 200m freestyle and setting an American record with a time of 1:45.20. It was his second gold medal of the meet after winning the 4X100m freestyle relay.
As long as Phelps' handsome face and bare torso keep gracing the covers of magazines, I'm all for him winning more and medals any way he can. - Cyd Zeigler jr.
7.26.2005
Ricky's Back: After announcing his "retirement" from the NFL about a year ago, running back Ricky Williams arrived at Miami Dolphins camp ready to put the last year of wacky headlines behind him.
"There were things about life that I wanted to explore outside of football, and I had never had the chance," Williams said after a team meeting on Monday. "I realize by making that decision, I affected the team in a negative way and upset a lot of fans. I'm very regretful that people were hurt in the process of me doing that. I do realize that to a lot of people it comes off as being very selfish. So I do offer an apology to all the people who were negatively impacted."
When he quit the team before last season, many of his teammates called him a traitor and said that they would never welcome him back. But, the franchise's worst season (4-12) in 40 years cost coach Dave Wannstedt his job and sobered up many of Williams' once-former now-present teammates who are now singing a different tune.
"In the team meeting, he did what he had to do," center Seth McKinney, who last year called Williams a "quitter," said. "He's a man about it. We're all being men about it. Nobody is holding any grudges. We all want him back. He's a great player."
What will Williams' impact be this season? It's impossible to say at this point. Last year's Dolphins were quite possibly a Ricky Williams away from making the playoffs. This season, they won't have him for the first four games as he serves a suspension for drug use. Still, with a backfield of Williams and Ronnie Brown out of Auburn, it's hard to believe that the Dolphins won't be much better this year.
Williams could end up with another team before the Dolphins have their bye week, as trade rumors abound. But, it will be interesting to see if Williams can will the Dolphins to a strong turn-around from last year's dreadful season. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
7.25.2005
Lance rides off into the sunset: Few of the great ones leave on top. John Elway retired from the NFL right after his second consecutive Super Bowl championship. Michael Jordan left the game TWICE after threepeating (before coming back for a bad stint with the Washington Wizards). Now Lance Armstrong is the latest on a short list of elite athletes to retire while still at the peak of his athletic ability.
On Sunday, Armstrong raced to his seventh consecutive Tour de France victory. The next closest string of victories is five, posted by Spain's Miguel Indurain from 1991 to 1996. No one else has won it six times, consecutively or otherwise. It's an incredible acheivement that Armstrong has accomplished. As much of the world knows, he battled back from cancer to now be regarded as possibly the most dominant athlete in the world.
I had cheered for him in his previous six Tour victories. But, this one was tarnished a bit for me. While we'll probably never know what exactly happened, the allegations of steroid abuse ring too true to me to ignore. I've heard the stories about how this vein in his body is four times as wide as the average persons, or his lungs can hold twice as much air. The mythical stories of how well-built for cycling his body is rival the rumors and myths of ancient Greece.
Still, with so much steroid abuse in cycling, it's hard to believe he was the most dominant person in the sport for seven years and did it without "help" (and I'm not talking about his teammates). I want to believe he did it all through just hard work - but, it's a tough story to believe. I suppose, even if he did, it didn't really give him an advantage; if he did use steroids, it just kept him on par with all of the other cyclists who do it.
Either way, what Armstrong has done - and what he'll be remembered for - is truly amazing. I can't imagine getting through ONE Tour de France, let alone winning seven in a row. To Armstrong and his teammates, I take my hat off to you. Yours is, at this moment, arguably the greatest present "dynasty" in all of sports. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
