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The Daily Digest for Thursday, May 24, 2007 |
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May 23, 2007 |
≡ The Second Half ≡
 Raider fans: 'Til death do us part . . . |
= Tonight’s Menu =
>> The Angels were a big underdog in today’s game at Detroit (Jeremy Bonderman vs. Ervin Santana) and they played like it. Final: Tigers 12, Angels 0. The Angels are now 11-14 on the road while the Tigers improved to 15-8 at home.
>> In tonight’s NBA game, the Pistons are a five-point choice to beat Cleveland and take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference final. The over-under is 175, so the projected score is Detroit 90, Cavaliers 85.
On Saturday, the Jazz remain a two-point choice over San Antonio in game three of their series (San Antonio leads, 2-0). The over-under line is 190 means the projected final is 96-94 for the Utahns.
>> In the WNBA – their season started, you know – the 1-0 Sparks are a four–point underdog to the 1-0 Indiana Fever in a game to be played in Indianapolis. Los Angeles is 8-2 vs. the Fever in their last ten meetings, but with an over-under of 140, the final is supposed to be Fever 72, Sparks 68. Says Bruce the Moose of the Fever, “I’m getting hot just thinking about it.”
= L.A. Stories =
>> Thinking Blue: IS IT TRUE that some Dodger brass are losing some of their enthusiasm for first baseman James Loney because of a lack of power? It’s worth noting that the incumbent first baseman, Nomar Garciaparra, has one home run and 10 extra-base hits in the first 47 games of the season, but is batting a solid .282 and is responsible for 39 runs in 46 games played.
>> Quack Attack: If you’re trying to analyze the Stanley Cup finals between Ottawa and Anaheim, you certainly won’t get any help from their head-to-head meetings, because there haven’t been many.
The last time the two teams played was 16 months ago!
And it’s been so long since Ottawa came to Anaheim that the arena was known as the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim! That game was in October of 2003.
>> Laker Lines: Bruce Jenkins of the San Francisco Chronicle agrees with us that the NBA Draft Lottery results were bad for the Lakers:
The Lakers are feeling a bit of panic, as well. While they try to develop center Andrew Bynum, who actually regressed as the season went on, Portland (barring the unforseen) will draft [Greg] Oden, one of the few prospects ever to remind people of Bill Russell’s defensive mind-set. Seattle will take Durant, described by some very responsible insiders as a 6-foot-10 Michael Jordan.
Solution: The Lakers can’t wait on Bynum, especially with Kobe Bryant so publicly expressing his frustration and impatience. They’ll package Bynum with Lamar Odom and another one or two players in an attempt to trade for a superstar. The way Minnesota general manager Kevin McHale detests the Lakers, stemming from his playing days with the Celtics, you figure that even if he were to trade Kevin Garnett (no lock by any means), it wouldn’t be to L.A.
= Panorama =
>> The National Pastime: The Yankees have baseball highest payroll, so it makes sense that they would win the award for the most expensive free-agency flop of all time. The Dodgers were in contention with the $20 million they paid for Eric Gagne for almost no production over the last two years, but the Yanks are triumphant.
Who is it? Pitcher Carl Pavano, signed to a $40 million, four-year deal before the 2005 season. He’s started 19 games in three years (including two this season), has a 5-7 record and has now been scheduled for reconstructive elbow surgery that will end this season for him and probably most or all of next season as well. “When we signed him, we had high expectations,” said Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman. Not any more.
>> NBA Fantasm: Strange coincidence placed former Ohio State Buckeyes center Greg Oden in Portland, Oregon yesterday, one day after the Trailblazers won the right to make the first selection in the June 28 NBA Draft.
However, he wasn’t there to meet with the team, but rather executives from Nike about a possible endorsement contract. Nike is headquartered in nearby Beaverton and its arch-rival adidas has its headquarters in Portland itself.
The Trailblazers will invite Oden and former Texas star Kevin Durant for private workouts after the NBA Draft Camp is held, but for now the talk is about money, not basketball. Jason Quick of The Oregonian reported that Jim Gatto of adidas told him that both his company and Nike are probably more interested in signing Durant than Oden “simply because research has shown that big men are less marketable than high-flying players such as Durant.”
>> NFL Ticker: Cal and Stanford rarely agree on anything dealing with athletics, but on protecting the term “the Big Game” for the annual Cal-Stanford football match-up, they were of one mind.
The NFL, trying to obtain even greater control over references to the Super Bowl, withdrew its application to trademark “the Big Game” in view of opposition from both Bay Area universities, along with 18 other companies such as Wal-Mart, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and others who advertise around the Super Bowl.
Cal’s attorney, Mary MacDonald, told the San Francisco Chronicle that “It’s very clear they had no hope of overcoming our more than 100-year use of the mark.” However, the NFL may re-file their application with a more specific intent; Stanford attorney Patrick Dunkley told the Chronicle that the two schools may decide to try and trademark the “Big Game” name as Auburn and Alabama have done with the Iron Bowl.
>> NFL’s ultimate fan: The San Jose Mercury-News reported that the last word of convicted murderer Robert Charles Comer prior to his execution on Tuesday by the state of Arizona were:
“Go Raiders.”
>> NFL upset: Much more stunning than Brady Quinn being selected so late in the first round was Seattle’s decision to select Jones Soda to be sold at Qwest Field instead of Coca-Cola or Pepsi products.
The tiny Seattle-based Jones had just $39 million in sales last year, but was selected by the Seahawks to be the exclusive soft-drink vendor at Qwest Field. It will be the soft drink of choice at the site for the next five years and is the only vendor other than Coke or Pepsi to be affiliated with an NFL team.
Part of Jones’s winning formula was its patented process for putting individual pictures on its bottles and cans. “We want to have something for the fan base,” said Jones Soda’s C.E.O. Peter van Stolk in an interview with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.. “We will have players on the bottles. It will be like a series and almost like trading cards.”
Jones has 21 flavors, but will sell old standards including a cola, diet cola and lemon-lime-flavored soda at Seahawks games in addition to some wilder flavors. It also offers juices and teas and an energy drink known as “WhoopAss.” Wonder whose picture is going to be on that can?
>> Last add, NFL: In case you missed it, 17-year-old Jordin Sparks won the “American Idol” singing contest last night on Fox. She’s the daughter of Phillippi Sparks, who played at Arizona State and then nine seasons in the NFL, mostly for the New York Giants (1992-99).
He’s remembered best by some for playing opposite former USC star Jason Sehorn on the Giants in a very good defensive backfield that held together for six years in the 1990s. He retired after playing one season (2000) for Dallas.
The win by Sparks’ daughter gives the Cowboys a link to both “American Idol” and “Dancing with the Stars,” won by former Cowboy running back Emmitt Smith last season.
>> Kicker: For those desperate for news of a riot surrounding the Champions League Final between Liverpool and AC Milan, happy days are here again!
The BBC reported that “Riot police in Athens used tear gas and batons outside the Olympic Stadium as fans were turned away because they were told the stadium was already full.”
You knew it had to happen with an English team playing. The major problem was apparently the creation of enough counterfeit tickets, or some lax security, so that the 63,800-seat Olympic Stadium was full to capacity even though some spectators were presenting authentic tickets for admission.
According to the BBC, “Police told fans going through the penultimate checkpoint to slow down or even stop moving, then riot police formed a line to stop other fans joining queues to move through the checkpoint.
“They were then told they would not be allowed in as the ground was full because fans with forged tickets, or without tickets at all, had managed to get past security.”
UEFA spokesman William Gaillard said “The behavior of the Liverpool fans is in the end responsible for the problems that took place before the game.”But British politician Michael Howard (former Conservative leader) ripped the host city and UEFA:
I didn’t think the match should have been held at the stadium.
It’s not a football stadium and is not equipped to cope with that number of people.
Ticket checks were a joke. Many people with valid tickets were not allowed in.
This is not acceptable and UEFA really need to look at their procedures and make sure everything is on order.
As far as I’m aware no-one was hurt, and that’s a mercy, but it’s no thanks to the Greek authorities, and I’m afraid there was a large measure of incompetence.
Gaillard’s response? “The Milan supporters didn’t face the same problems because they didn’t behave in the same way.”
≡ Morning Post ≡
 Booty: who's his favorite target now? |
= L.A. Stories =
>> Looking ahead: ESPN.com writers Ivan Maisel and Mark Schlabach agreed on the three things that intrigue them most about the upcoming Pac-10 Conference football season: UCLA, USC and the Arizona schools.
The Bruins were at the top of both writer’s lists. Maisel noted that “A midseason stretch of three games – at Oregon State, vs. Notre Dame, vs. California – will tell us what we want to know about [Ben] Olson and the Bruins.” Schlabach asked,
Can UCLA finally put together a complete season under coach Karl Dorrell? The Bruins have 10 starters back on offense and on defense. Quarterback Ben Olson is healthy and might finally live up to his lofty billing. He’ll have to if UCLA is going to improve an offense that averaged only 330 yards and 23 points per game last season. Defensively, the same team that dominated USC 13-9 and nearly won at Notre Dame also allowed 37 points to Washington State and gave up 44 to Florida State in the bowl game.
Both writers were much more positive about the Trojans, but found something to be curious about. Maisel asked
OK, seriously: Who plays tailback at Tailback U.? If you have 10 running backs, as USC will have on scholarship this fall, do you have one? And will it matter to the consensus preseason No. 1? It sure would help if quarterback John David Booty discovered a go-to receiver in the huddle. Patrick Turner is the leading candidate but has never held the job.
Both writers looked to the desert and wondered if Arizona – in Bob Stoops’s fourth year – or Arizona State with new coach Dennis Erickson, will step up. As Schlabach wrote, “Both programs have underachieved for far too long.”
= Panorama =
>> Hooping It Up: The decision by Georgetown’s 7-2 center Roy Hibbert to return to school for the 2007-08 collegiate season – and up his stock for the 2008 NBA Draft – could have an impact felt more than 3,000 miles away.
With Hibbert now out of the draft even with an NBA-wide frenzy over frontcourt players, Washington’s freshman center Spencer Hawes could be moved to stay in the draft instead of returning to Seattle for a sophomore season. The go-no go date for withdrawing from the draft is June 18. The draft itself will be held on June 28.
Hibbert’s running mate in the Hoya frontcourt, 6-9 Jeff Green, may also return to school. If he does, Georgetown would be a fashionable pick for a repeat visit to the Final Four and one of the leading teams in the national championship chase.
>> Football Frenzy: From Barry Jackson at the Miami Herald: during the week leading up to the Super Bowl in January, Arena Football League commissioner David Baker told former Boston Globe reporter and now CBS reporter Lesley Visser, “I would like you to be the first woman president of an AFL team.”
She’s apparently considering it and according to Jackson, has contacted at least a couple of potential investors. The team would play in the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida, also the home of the Florida Panthers of the NHL.
>> NBA Fantasm: Think the NBA gets lost on cable? Think again.
Helped considerably by the bruising San Antonio-Phoenix series as well as the Cinderella run of the Golden State Warriors, TNT landed in second place for the week ended May 20 with an average of 2.73 million viewers in prime time. USA Network won the week, with ESPN (which also had some NBA coverage) finishing third, ahead of Fox News Channel.
NBA games accounted for three of the top ten most-watched programs on cable last week, topped by game five of the Spurs and Suns in which Amare Stoudamire and Boris Diaw of Phoenix were suspended. That telecast drew 4.97 million total viewers and the ESPN broadcast of game six was third at 4.53 million.
What was in the middle? Wrestling, of course. The Monday night “WWE Raw” showcase drew well, as usual, with 4.59 million viewers.
>> The National Pastime: Remember Danny Almonte?
He was the too-good-to-be-true Little League pitcher who was eventually found to be too old and his team’s games were forfeited. The fault was fixed on his father, not on Danny. And he didn’t die or go away. He’s still pitching.
He wasn’t drafted last June, but is now getting ready to play with an independent team in Marion, Illinois. Now 20 years old, he’s looking to continue what he’s always done: play baseball.
Marion manager Mike Pinto was tipped on Almonte by a scout and after doing some checking, decided to invite him to play for the Miners. According to a story in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Almonte – a left-hander – has a fastball that runs into the high 80s, a nice curveball and is working on a slider. Can he pitch well enough to get a shot at the majors? Only time will tell, but in Marion, he’ll have a chance to be a pitcher and not a captive of his past.
~ Rich Perelman
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