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The Daily Digest for Wednesday, July 18, 2007 |
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July 18, 2007 |
≡ Afternoon Bell ≡
 Pan Am Games: gold rush for the USA; who knew? |
= L.A. Stories =
>> What’s Bruin: For today’s UCLA news and notes, see our blog at LATimes.com! Today’s items include:
Rose Bowl is America’s best college venue, but still needs help
Nikola Dragovic member of fourth European Championship team in a row!
Class acts: Bruin academic performance as good as the on-field (sometimes better!)
>> Thinking Blue: The Philadelphia Daily News noted that Dodger catcher Mike Lieberthal – an All-Star in his days with the Phillies – was playing catch along the left field line during batting practice before last night’s game when a 15-minute video montage of his greatest moments as a Phillie were shown on the Dodger Stadium videoboard.
All the Phillies in the visiting dugout applauded.
It’s the second straight time that Lieberthal has been saluted before a rare start in place of All-Star Russell Martin. The last time, he had flowers and balloons at his locker, courtesy of Luis Gonzalez.
>> Laker Lines: In the category of people having too much time on their hands, several reviews of the just-completed NBA Summer League games in Las Vegas have been posted. Among the orchids from observers were high marks for Lakers rookie Jarvis Crittenton. Brian Windhorst wrote on ESPN.com that he’s an “Excellent athlete who impressed many in Vegas with his confidence. He wasn’t consistent in his production but he was with his aggression. He’s caught up in the classic point guard/off guard discussion; opinions differ on where he can help the Lakers in that regard. He ran the offense at times and also played alongside Jordan Farmar.”
Maurice Brooks, writing on NBA.com, ranked Crittenton the 10th-best player in the Summer League and wrote, “It is way too early to hand him the Lakers’ starting point guard position. Phil Jackson probably won’t do that until training camp.”
Brooks rated New York’s Nate Robinson as the best player in the Summer League, followed by Louis Williams of Philadelphia and ex-Oregon star Aaron Brooks of the Rockets.
>> Clip Joint: Al Thornton of the Clippers also made a strong impression. Brooks noted that “With the exception of Aaron Brooks, Thornton was probably the best all-around rookie at the Summer League. The Clippers were fortunate to get him when they did in the draft.”
Windhorst was not as impressed: “Thornton led the Clippers’ summer league team in scoring and he also rebounded well. Yet several onlookers were taken aback by how much Thornton shot the ball, often never thinking of passing. Said one coach, ‘He looks to shoot the ball first, second and third.’ He played 145 minutes and had just three assists while shooting just 38 percent.”
Both Thornton and Crittenton made the official All-Star Summer League squad.
= Panorama =
>> The National Pastime: Today’s objective journalism requires newspapers to look critically and without prejudice at the teams they cover.
The folks at the Philadelphia Daily News didn’t get the memo. In reporting the Phillies’ 10-2 loss on Sunday to the St. Louis Cardinals for the 10,000th loss in team history, the headline was:
WE LOSE!
>> Grappling: Given the rash of deaths of its employees – its wrestlers – in recent years, the WWE released a statement concerning the finding of a medical examiner that controlled substances were found in the blood of the late Chris Benoit as well as his murdered wife and son which is the ultimate definition of “spin:”
For over 20 years, the WWE has been demonstrating our concern for the well being of our contracted athletes, instituting drug testing in 1987 leading up to our current Wellness Program which began on February 27, 2006, administered by Dr. David L. Black of Aegis Sciences Corporation – one of the world’s foremost drug testing authorities.
We believe our Wellness Program is at the very least comparable to those of professional sports and is a program that will benefit WWE Superstars for generations to come.
Not that the program has stopped the parade of coffins, but pray tell, where are the real (as opposed to those played by actors) athletic trainers, physical therapists and physicians in and around the ring as you find at boxing matches everywhere in this country? And since when has a match been stopped because of an injury which required a player to be taken off the field as the NFL does?
>> Around the Rings: Oh, yes, as the fifth of 16 days of the Pan American Games winds down in Rio, the U.S. now has 78 medals (30 gold) to lead, ahead of Brazil with 39 (nine gold) and Canada with 33 (nine gold). Cuba is fifth with 28, but 13 gold.
≡ Morning Recess ≡
 Ciao, Starbury! |
= Tonight’s Menu =
>> The 53-41 Dodgers will play 47-46 Philadelphia at 12:10 p.m. today at Dodger Stadium with Kyle Kendrick (4-0, 3.82 ERA) up against Chad Billingsley (6-0, 3.26). The Dodgers are favored with $140 needed to try to win $100 while it takes $125 to try for the same $100 on the Phils.
>> The 55-37 Angels face 36-56 Tampa Bay once again in the Tropicana Dome, with Bartolo Colon (6-4, 6.44) trying to get back on track against Scott Kazmir (6-6, 4.18). The game is rated about even (!), with $115 needed to try to win $100 on the Angels and $110 to try to win $100 on the Devil Rays.
= L.A. Stories =
>> What’s Bruin: See our daily blog on UCLA sports at LATimes.com!
>> Around the Galaxy: The betting services are having a field day with David Beckham’s arrival in the U.S. Some of the better propositions from Costa Rica-based BetUS:
For Beckham to win an MLS title with the Galaxy during his stay: risk $200 to win $100.
For Beckham to convert to Scientology by 1/1/08: risk $100 to win $700.
For Beckham to do a cameo in a Tom Cruise film: risk $100 to win $1,000.
For Beckham to divorce Victoria by January 1, 2008: risk $100 to win $2,500.
For Beckham to be photographed inside a strip club: risk $100 to win $6,000.
For Beckham to elope with Katie Holmes: risk $100 to win $10,000.
And there are plenty more . . .
>> Thinking Blue: The New York Post reported that the Yankees have their eye on Dodger Wilson Betemit, but the Dodgers haven’t found much of interest on the Yankee roster. According to the newspaper, the Yankees covet Betemit’s slugging ability – he has 10 home runs in just 140 at-bats – but Scott Proctor (2-5, 3.58 ERA in 47 games, giving up 45 hits in 50 1/3 innings) isn’t that interesting.
= Panorama =
>> NFL Ticker: Amid all the hoopla, two important points: Michael Vick must appear in court on July 26. And the Federal indictment does nothing to slow or stop (yet) the state case in Virginia’s Surry County, where prosecutors may try for a separate indictment once its grand jury begins meeting on July 24.
>> NFL Odds: WagerWeb has its odds out on the upcoming NFL season and there’s a clear choice in the AFC, but little idea about the NFC.
In the AFC, New England is a strong 2 1/2-1 favorite, with San Diego at 3 1/2-1 and defending champion Indianapolis at 4 1/2-1! The next closest team is Baltimore, at 9 1/2-1 with Oakland having the longest odds at 650-1!
In the NFC, Carolina, Chicago, Dallas, New Orleans and Philadelphia are all 6-1 with Seattle at 6 1/2-1. The longest odds in the conference are predictably on Detroit, at 500-1.
>> NBA Hoopla: “No matter how lofty public activities are, they can’t be allowed to take first place in a player’s life. No matter how sweet personal life is, it can’t be compared to the exultation of capturing glory for one’s nation.”
That’s from the China Sports Daily, ripping Houston Rockets star center Yao Ming for not reporting for training camp for the Chinese national team. Yao has been busy after the end of the NBA season with appearances for the Special Olympics and on behalf of the organizing committee of the 2008 Olympic Games. He’s also helping to plan his upcoming wedding.
China is scheduled to play an all-star team from the NBA Development League during the upcoming Stankovic Cup, an international pre-Olympic competition to be held later this month in Beijing.
>> NBA International: Knicks guard Stephon Marbury told Marc Berman of the New York Post that he plans to finish out his contract with New York over the next two seasons and then play in Italy. Italy?
“I would’ve played 13 years in the league,” said Marbury, speaking of the end of his contract. “I’m not thinking of doing it, I’m going to do it. My wife loved it there. It’s like a Beckham thing.”
Italy is a strong basketball country with a top-flight league of its own. Marbury will be 32 when his contract expires and visited Rome, Milan and Tuscany during a trip there in May.
He’ll also be in a position to help sales of his inexpensive Starbury shoe, since his exclusive contract with Steve & Barry’s will expire in about another year.
What about the Knicks? “We’re on the verge [of a championship] right now in my mind,” he said. Let’s see what happens on the floor . . .
>> Rings & Things: Summer is normally a rainy season in the Beijing area, but media reports in China noted that rockets will be used to eradicate rain clouds and ensure perfect weather during the 2008 Olympic Games.
Just as likely: the measures will cause more rain.
~ Rich Perelman
>> Have an opinion? You can send it using the “Comment” button below!
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