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The Daily Digest for Monday, July 23, 2007 |
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July 23, 2007 |
≡ Afternoon Bell ≡
 Glaus: back to Anaheim? |
= L.A. Stories =
>> What’s Bruin: For today’s UCLA news and notes, see our blog at LATimes.com! Today’s items include:
What’s Bruin: Hot days at the Central Ticket Office
What’s Bruin: As Pauley renovation nears, travel plans are discussed
What’s Bruin: Going bowling . . . close to home
What’s Bruin: Paulsen makes Mackey Award Watch List
>> Around the Galaxy: Beckham-mania was in full force on ESPN on Saturday night as the Galaxy faced Chelsea. If you missed the telecast, it was half-soccer game and half-celebrity watch:
ESPN has three in-booth announcers, two more on a stage set overlooking the field, Allen Hopkins on the field and Bonnie Bernstein talking to celebrities during the game.
ESPN’s play-by-play announcer Davey O’Brien had the call of the night during the first half, as Beckham squirmed uncomfortably on the bench:
He actually stood up there. That was exciting.
The game was supposed to start at 5:30 p.m. Pacific time, but didn’t kick off until 6:10! There was a 30-minute pre-game special about Beckham starting at 5 p.m. followed by a full-fledged pre-game show leading into the game telecast, which started at 5:30. So when the game opened, it had been preceded by fully 70 minutes of hype.
Almost lost in the hoopla over the event was the strong play of the Galaxy defenders and midfielders and a disappointing game from the Galaxy’s $1 million-a-year star Landon Donovan. Widely hailed as America’s best player going into the 2006 World Cup, Donovan’s play has been quite unremarkable since that tournament started and he missed a clear opportunity to score a goal on a header in the second half that likely would have caused the game to end as a 1-1 draw – which would have been a spectacular result for the home team.
After the television cameras shut down and the U.S. media contented themselves with comments on the game and the spectacle, the London tabloids went into overdrive.
The Sun had breathless coverage – plus video – of the Beckhams appearance at the Museum of Contemporary Art’s Geffen Contemporary Museum in downtown Los Angeles for a party hosted by Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith.
Of Victoria’s outfit, The Sun reported: “Of course Posh made sure she was not outshone even by some of the most beautiful women in showbiz.
“She wore incredible killer heels teamed with a skimpy black dress that made the most of her assets.”
>> Halo Talk: Bob Matthews of the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle – not far from Toronto – noted that “The Toronto Blue Jays are listening to offers for slugging third baseman Troy Glaus, and a return to the power-challenged Los Angeles Angels would be a logical move.”
= Panorama =
>> The National Pastime: While the San Francisco Giants play their next seven games at home, with hopes of seeing Barry Bonds tie and break Hank Aaron’s career home-run record before going on the road, it’s clear that baseball commissioner Bud Selig will not be present.
But neither will Giants principal owner Peter MacGowan! Radio reports indicate he’s off on a summer vacation and will miss this week’s games . . . including the possible record-tying and record-breaking home runs!
>> Wrong spot, wrong time: As sad a story as there is in baseball: Tulsa Drillers first-base coach Mike Coolbaugh died after being hit in the head by a line drive in the ninth inning of a Texas League game on Sunday against the Little Rock Travelers.
Coolbaugh, 35, who played in 44 major-league games for Milwaukee and St. Louis, was hit by a drive by Tino Sanchez of the Drillers and was pronounced dead when he arrived at a local hospital in Little Rock. Worst of all, he leaves a pregnant wife and two young sons.
>> NBA Hoopla: If ex-NBA referee Tim Donaghy was purposely making bad calls to influence games, his supervisors didn’t see it.
According to the New York Daily News, Donaghy “received an above-average evaluation from his superiors for the past season, according to a person close to the embattled ref.
“‘The league was extremely pleased with his progress,’ the source said. ‘They thought it was his best year.’” And reporter Frank Isola added this note from a retired NBA referee who asked not to be identified: “‘The playoffs are a reward. He made it to the second round. From everything I heard, he was on track to referee third-round games next season.’”
However, players and coached weren’t as enthusiastic, as Isola reported: “That Donaghy would lead the league in [calling] technical fouls is not at all surprising to people who know the ref and have described him as both ‘hot-tempered’ and ‘always angry.’”
It’s understandable if the game you’re working is not moving in the direction you bet on . . .
>> Pucked up: More from Rochester’s Bob Matthews: “Two years after calling off a season to get the NHL’s financial house in order, the salary cap is on the rise at a rate almost certain to result in financial disaster again. The playoffs end in June, and no one in the league seems aware of the main reason the TV ratings are so miserable for the playoffs: playing a game on ice in the summer.”
≡ Morning Recess ≡
 Cameron: it's been hard (courtesy Sam Haythorn, USC Athletics) |
= Tonight’s Menu =
>> The 55-44 Dodgers are in Houston tonight to face the 42-56 Astros in the first meeting between the teams this season. Chad Billingsley (6-0, 3.56 ERA) will pitch for the Dodgers against Chris Sampson (7-6, 4.15) with the home team on a 3-6 skid while the Blue Crew is 7-4 in its last 11, averaging 6 1/2 runs and 12 1/2 hits per game. Thus, the Dodgers are favored: it takes $120 to try to win $100 on the visitors, while $100 on the home team could return . . . $100!
>> The 57-40 Angels start a three-game series against the 46-52 Oakland Athletics in Anaheim with Bartolo Colon (6-5, 6.38) starting against Chad Gaudin (8-5, 3.39). Colon has been hammered in his last nine starts, with a 1-5 record and 8.67 ERA, but Gaudin has lost four of his last six starts as well. Both teams are skidding: the Angels are 2-5 in their last seven while the A’s have lost eight of ten. Somehow, the Angels are favored: it takes $130 to try to win $100 on the Halos, but only $100 to try to win the same $100 on the visitors.
= L.A. Stories =
>> What’s Bruin: See our daily blog on UCLA sports at LATimes.com!
>> Talk of Troy: From a long story in the Ventura County Star about Brynn Cameron, who will return to the USC women’s basketball team for this coming season after giving birth to a son, Cole, with former USC quarterback Matt Leinart on October 2006:
Leinart has been vocal in the media about his fondness for his son. He frequently speaks about his need to balance his time so he can be there for Cole. Cameron and Leinart, who dated during Leinart's time at USC, broke up in 2006.
Cameron wants to shield her son from the tabloids, entertainment magazines and other sensational media.
“It's kind of hard for me as the mom — I'm with Cole probably 99.9 percent of the time — to open a magazine or read a newspaper article with Matt saying, Oh, I love being a dad. I love changing diapers. I love doing this. I'm like, Wait, what?’” said Cameron, who added, “I don't know how to word how he is about this, but it's been hard when I'm doing all the work, but he gets all the credit for it.”
The Arizona Cardinals quarterback and former USC star “comes and goes whenever he wants,” Cameron said.
Cameron says she and Leinart have Cole's best intentions in mind, but co-parenting is a challenge with two unique individuals.
“I don't want to sit here and bad-mouth his lifestyle, but it is hard because we are different people. He likes that Hollywood stuff and I don't like that and raising a kid together, you have to work together as parents, but we're so different,” Cameron said.
“It's hard, but I have to raise Cole to be a strong, secure kid so he knows what's right and wrong, what's good and bad and what really matters in life, which isn't what's going on in Hollywood or who's dating who. That's not what it's all about, and I think he'll know that being raised by me.”
The Star's attempts to reach Leinart through the Arizona Cardinals were unsuccessful.
The story, by staff writer Jeffrey Dransfeldt, was titled “Brynn Cameron, inspired to set example for son, is giving basketball another shot.” She will have two years of eligibility remaining after taking last season off on maternity. As a freshman in 2004-05, she led USC with 72 three-point baskets.
She’s living with her parents in Newbury Park, who provide support for her son when Cameron is away.
= Panorama =
>> Keeping Track: Although little noticed – but happily not ignored – over the weekend was Alan Webb’s American Record in the mile in 3:46.91, breaking Steve Scott’s 1982 mark of 3:47.69.
The difference is that the mile is rarely run now and Webb’s time moves him to no. 8 on the all-time list. When Scott ran 3:47.69 in 1982, it moved him to second all-time behind Sebastian Coe in a race which was frequently contested at a high level. It confirmed Scott’s existing place as one of the elite middle-distance runners in the world.
Webb can do that with a strong showing in the upcoming World Championships in Osaka, Japan in late August. In the meantime, it’s a great record to have and finally a step forward for American distance running after two decades of sloth.
>> Pan-Am-O-Rama: The United States completed its romp in the pool during the Pan Am Games in Rio de Janeiro with a staggering total of 38 medals, winning 19 of 32 events. And this with the country’s third-string team at the event.
Even more amazing is that the Cubans – the world’s dominant boxing power – didn’t show up for the boxing competition! No one knows why . . . and no one from the Cuban delegation is talking about it. It is also a blow to any chance the Cubans might have to catch Brazil for second place on the medals table.
~ Rich Perelman
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