|
|
|
The Daily Digest for Wednesday, September 12, 2007 |
|
September 12, 2007 |
≡ Interim Report ≡
 Quinn: closer to the starting job |
= Program Note =
We expected that TheGoodSportsNetwork.tv would be up and running on Tuesday, September 4 and in fact produced five audiocasts for the network for that week. But you can’t hear them or read the text . . . yet.
However, we are told that the site will be up and running on Monday, September 24. In the interim, we will continue to get ready for daily audiocasts plus a Saturday morning “weekend preview edition” of The Sports Examiner.
Meanwhile, we’ll be posting a weekday note and sending out the Tip Sheet to keep you informed. Stay tuned.
= Tonight’s Menu =
>> The 85-59 Angels try to make it two in a row against the 61-82 Orioles at Camden Yards tonight, with Kelvim Escobar (16-7, 3.04) on the hill for the Halos. He’ll be opposed by Baltimore’s Daniel Cabrera, who’s 9-15 with a 5.11 ERA. Escobar will be going for his 100th career win while the O’s are 3-17 with new manager Dave Trembley. As expected, Los Angeles is favored: it takes $125 to try to win $100 on the Halos while $100 on the home team could return $150.
>> The 75-69 Dodgers might have expected to lose to 78-65 San Diego and Jake Peavy last night, but they need to beat Justin Germano (7-9, 4.38) and Greg Maddux tonight and tomorrow to get back in the Wild Card race. Derek Lowe (11-12, 3.80) will pitch for Los Angeles, but the Padres have won eight of the last ten from the Dodgers. Nevertheless, the Blue Crew is a slight favorite: wager $140 to try to win $100 in the Dodgers or try $120 on the Padres to reach for the same $100.
= L.A. Stories =
>> What’s Bruin: See our daily blog on UCLA sports at LATimes.com! Today’s posts include:
Harwell to redshirt?
Party Planner: UCLA at Utah
>> Talk of Troy: USC opened 10 points over Nebraska for this week’s game in Lincoln. The over-under is set at 50, so the sharpies think USC will win, 30-20.
There’s no line on whether Cornhusker coach Bill Callahan will actually try to win the game, or go into a shell like he did last year at the Coliseum to try and keep the score close.
At least one of the Nebraska players is looking forward to the game: junior offensive guard Matt Slauson. He told the Omaha World-Herald that the Huskers were a little intimidated last season at the Coliseum. “Initially we came out scared.
“Now we know ‘em. We know what they’re like. We know their speed. Now we can just focus on the things we have to do to prepare for them.”
= Panorama =
>> NFL Ticker: In case you missed him, Charlie Frye started for the Cleveland Browns Sunday in a season that will likely make-or-break Romeo Crennel’s career as head coach. After 20 minutes in the season-opening 34-7 loss to Pittsburgh, Frye was pulled after completing four of ten passes for 34 yards and an interception. Derek Anderson took over and yesterday, Frye was dealt to the Seattle Seahawks for a sixth-round draft choice!
From starter in Cleveland to the sidelines in Seattle in one day! While Anderson will probably start this week, the ascension of ex-Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn to starter sometime this season seems sure.
>> NFL Hot Seat: Since Bill Callahan led the Oakland Raiders to the 2003 Super Bowl against Tampa Bay, the team is 16-49 and has gone through head coaches like Donovan McNabb goes through Campbell’s Chunky Soup.
A little less noticed, however, is that Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden is also on the edge this season. Since his Super Bowl victory in 2003, his team is 27-38, losing last week at Seattle, 20-7.
>> Keeping track: Asafa Powell’s world record of 9.74 seconds in the 100 meters heats in a meet in Rieti, Italy was made all the more amazing by his follow-up mark of 9.78 in the final about an hour later!
It’s easily the best one-day double in history, averaging 9.76 seconds, or 1/100th better than the world record when the day started. But does this mean Powell is in better shape for the Olympic Games next year?
Not necessarily. Powell’s problem has never been one-day events, it’s two-day events. In Beijing, he will have to run a heat and a quarterfinal on the first day of the track events, then really do some running in the semifinals and final the next day. That four-race schedule seems to take the edge off of him by the time he gets to the final, not to mention his chronic tenseness in major showdowns, such as against Justin Gatlin in 2004 or Tyson Gay this year. More strength and more relaxation will be his keys to success.
>> Kicker: Finally some sanity in the soccer world. Yesterday’s 11-0 rout of Argentina by Germany in the opening game of the Women’s World Cup may finally give the folks at FIFA some pause before expanding the tournament from the present 16 teams to 24.
Even FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who would let pub teams enter the World Cup if it would sell more tickets and bring more sponsorship and television revenue, told reporters “this is not good when we look to the future.” Argentina is considered the best team in South America and FIFA is scheduled to decide whether to expand the number of teams for 2011 at the end of this tournament.
>> Puncher: Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager of Manchester United and one of the world’s legendary soccer coaches was punched in the groin while waiting to be picked up outside a train station in London on Monday afternoon.
A 43-year-old homeless man named Kevin Reynolds was arrested for the attack, which he confessed to, as well as head-butting a community support officer who tried to break up the fight. Reynolds was termed a “fighting drunk” by Magistrate Daphne Wickham, was jailed in advance of his sentencing date and could face up to two years in prison.
Ferguson was not seriously hurt and was able to attend a fund-raising event for the victims of the September 11 terrorist attack later in the evening.
>> Kung Pao Games: If you want to make Chinese officials squirm, just mention Darfur and the 2008 Olympic Games in the same sentence. “The Olympic Games and Darfur are totally irrelevant [to each other],” said Guijin Liu, the Chinese government’s special representative for Darfur yesterday at the United Nations. China’s support for the Sudanese government, which reportedly backs the militias which have caused a humanitarian crisis in the country, has caused considerable controversy as the Beijing Games approach.
The hue and cry will get louder as the Games approach, but probably subside during the Games unless a high-profile team wears a “Save Darfur” patch or flag on its uniforms during the Games to keep attention on the issue. Think what a reaction that would bring!
~ Rich Perelman
>> Have an opinion? You can send it using the “Comment” button below!
>> Don’t forget to register for our drawing for free sports memorabilia! Just click on the “Register & Win” tab at left; enter today!
|
|
