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The Daily Digest for Friday, July 20, 2007 |
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July 20, 2007 |
≡ Afternoon Bell ≡
 Beckham: a winner for NBC |
= L.A. Stories =
>> Around the Galaxy: Now Victoria Beckham is in the news for her “Victoria Beckham: Coming to America” show on NBC, which – according to Broadcasting & Cable magazine, “aired on Monday to bad reviews but surprisingly strong ratings.”
The show won the 18-49 demographic in its 8-9 p.m. airing slot and had a 2.2 rating and 7 share (about five million viewers).
Beckham “hosted” the NBC prime-time line-up last night leading up to a re-run of her show at 10 p.m. in most markets. If the ratings come in strong once again, look for more of Victoria in America.
= Panorama =
>> The National Pastime: If Barry Bonds wants to have Commissioner Bud Selig present when he ties or passes Henry Aaron’s career home-run mark, he should get busy.
The Giants have a three-game weekend series against the Brewers in Milwaukee and Selig, who lives in Milwaukee, is expected to attend tonight’s game and perhaps more of the series. On the other hands, Bonds probably doesn’t care. The 31st anniversary of Aaron’s 755th and final home run is today.
>> NFL Ticker: “I would not expect Judge Hudson to make any special allowances because Mr. Vick plays in the NFL.”
That’s the opinion of Richmond, Virginia defense attorney Craig Sampson, according to the Associated Press. Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick’s case on dogfighting will be handled before U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson, who has a reputation as a stiff sentencer, but also an evenhanded trialmaster.
“Trial lawyers love to appear in his court because he lets the lawyers try their cases,” said defense attorney William J. Dinkin of Richmond. “Everyone is going to get their fair shake. He’s a very evenhanded trial judge.”
In the meantime, Nike announced not only that the Air Zoom Vick V will not be released this summer, but also that the four other shoes and three shirt products that do have his name attached will continue to be sold in stores.
>> NBA Hoopla: Seattle continued its rebuilding program by acquiring veteran center Kurt Thomas and first-round draft picks in 2008 and 2010 while giving up only a conditional second-round pick to the Suns in 2009.
With rookies Kevin Durant and Jeff Green coming to Seattle in the draft, Thomas will provide experience and leadership . . . for a year. He has one year remaining on his contract at $8.1 million for 2007-08. And Seattle – likely to soon be re-located to Oklahoma City in the absence of a long-shot deal for a new arena in Seattle – will have five first-round draft choices over the next three years.
Phoenix got some salary-cap relief, but now has only former Cal star Sean Marks and end-of-the-bencher Pat Burke playing behind All-Star center Amare Stoudamire. They have one roster spot left and will undoubtedly be looking for another center. Jelani McCoy?
>> TV time: Last Sunday’s ESPY Awards had the lowest rating since it moved to a Sunday evening slot with a 1.8 national rating and 2.8 million viewers.
>> Rings & Things: The latest in the continuing saga of tightening control in Beijing as the 2008 Olympic Games approach: ABC News reported that “A recent Beijing ordinance calls for ordering around 1 million drivers ‘voluntarily’ off the road for the 17-day duration of the Games to drastically cut the amount of pollution produced.”
This is only the start. Once the Olympic organizing committee officials who understand that the first hard impressions of the Games will begin two weeks prior to the Opening Ceremonies – when the Olympic Village and Main Press Center open – get to discuss the issue with the Beijing city masters, the driving ban will be extended to a month.
>> Death Watch: Yet another wrestler has left us too soon: George Caiazzo, who wrestled under the name John Kronus.
Caiazzo wrestled for Extreme Championship Wrestling, the U.S. Wrestling Association and Xtreme Pro Wrestling and was well known as half of “The Eliminators” tag team along with Perry Saturn in the ECW.
Caiazzo died at age 38 on Wednesday, after having a 13-year career and retired in 2002. He was found dead in his girlfriend’s apartment in Laconia, New Hampshire, but police have said the death is not “suspicious” in nature.
Some reports have cited a figure of 105 professional wrestlers who have died at or under age 45 during the past ten years.
≡ Morning Recess ≡
 Beckham's 23: earned $20 million so far? |
= Tonight’s Menu =
>> The 56-38 Angels are in Minnesota to face the 49-46 Twins, who lost all three games in their just-completed series with Detroit. John Lackey (12-5, 2.98 ERA) will pitch for Los Angeles, against Carlos Silva (7-10, 4.55). Of note is Lackey’s 7-2 record on the road and the Angels 7-3 mark in their last ten against the Twins. The visitors are favored, too: it takes $110 to try to win $100 on the Halos, but $100 could return $115 on the home team.
>> The 54-42 Dodgers will try again against the 53-42 Mets, but after last night’s 13-9 debacle, they will send Brett Tomko (2-7, 5.75) to the hill against Oliver Perez (8-6, 3.13). Anyway, as the Dodger pitching has dropped off, the Blue Crew is now averaging 7.3 runs and 14.4 hits per game over its last eight. With Tomko pitching, the Mets are favored: it takes $120 to try to win $100 on New York while $100 on the Dodgers could return 105.
>> The 7-13 Sparks are in line to lose their seventh straight game in the first of a seven-game road trip against the 12-9 Phoenix Mercury. The home team is a 10-point choice with an over-under of 166, so Phoenix is supposed to rise by an 88-78 final.
>> In Saturday’s 5:30 p.m. game at the Home Depot Center – 1:30 a.m. in London, so the pubs will no doubt be staying open late – Chelsea is an overwhelming favorite against the Galaxy. It takes $250 to try to win $100 on the visitors, but a $100 wager on the Galaxy – likely without David Beckham – could return $600! If you foresee a draw, you can put down $100 and collect $280. Chelsea is second choice, at 8-5, behind Manchester United (7-5) to win the 2008 English Premier League.
= L.A. Stories =
>> What’s Bruin: See our daily blog on UCLA sports at LATimes.com!
>> Talk of Troy: A new football rankings system called the Student Athlete Performance Ratings (SAPR) was noted by Scott Wolf in the Los Angeles Daily News, devised by researchers at Iowa and Maryland. It’s supposed to measure football and academic success by incorporating a series of football statistics along with the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate (APR).
The APR is already suspect since there isn’t enough data yet to compile four-year ratings, and the football measures strongly favor schools with good historical records that belong to conferences. That’s why Auburn ranked first, with Georgia and Miami (Florida) tied for second, Florida State fourth and Michigan fifth. USC is eighth and if you want to know how ridiculous this ratings system is, check out the rankings for Notre Dame and Navy. One school has been a football powerhouse since the 1920s and graduates its athletes at a high rate. The other used to be a football powerhouse and helps defend our country. They’re tied for 23rd place.
>> Around the Galaxy: European news reports indicate that although he hasn’t played a single second, David Beckham is paying off for the Galaxy.
Beckham is being paid a little more than $6 million to play soccer this season in Los Angeles and the team has already signed a shirt sponsor in Herbalife, worth $20 million over five years and about $6 million in other deals.
And his no. 23 jersey, which goes for $80 a copy, has pre-sold about 250,000 before its unveiling last Friday and that’s another $20 million right there.
And let us not forget the non-league, friendly matches that the Galaxy will play relentlessly during Beckham’s five-year stay, such as the one against Chelsea tomorrow. Those could earn the team about $1 million per game and the Galaxy is already planning a 2008 tour in Asia and what would be a wild series of matches in Great Britain.
= Panorama =
>> NBA Hoopla: The New York Post ran a major story today that an NBA referee - now identified as 13-year veteran Tim Donaghy - is being investigated by the FBI concerning betting on basketball games, including ones he was working!
The paper noted an Associated Press report that the referee was aware of the investigation, which focuses on a betting ring in the New York area, and plans to turn himself in next week. According to the Post, “the referee apparently had a gambling problem, slipped into debt and fell prey to mob thugs,” apparently by making bets with mob-connected bookies.
>> Pan Am-O-Rama: The U.S. team of college baseball players lost to Cuba, 3-1, in the gold medal game of the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro. The all-professional Cuban team pitched Adiel Palma and Pedro Luis Lazo, both of whom pitched in the World Baseball Classic in 2006, against Jacob Thompson of the University of Virginia and four relievers.
Nevertheless, the U.S. zipped into triple figures in medals at the Games in the seventh of 16 days of competition, with 109 (43 gold). Brazil remained second with 56, followed by Canada at 54 and Cuba at 41.
~ Rich Perelman
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