Remember Josh Robbins? He's the Redondo Beach resident who set out to attend every Major League Baseball stadium, and to set a record by doing so -- in 27 days.

He was featured in the Daily Breeze on June 14, two days before he began his trip. Robbins is chronicling his adventure on his site, thirty27.com, which features a schedule and daily blog.

Robbins' odyssey began in Seattle, where the visiting Florida Marlins played the Mariners in interleague action. He has since seen 11 games, and the 12th is tonight in Cleveland, where the Indians play the San Francisco Giants.

He has been getting some media fame through his exploits, being interviewed by local media on his stops. Even the teams know about Robbins' adventure; he boasts that more than 20 of them even comped him free tickets.

Robbins is having a better time than the teams he visits for their home games. Out of the first 10 games on Robbins' itinerary, home teams have lost 7 times in games where he was in attendance.

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The Wall Street Journal has a report today that says LA Coliseum is putting naming rights on the market in the hopes of raising $100 million to pay for renovations.

The start of the naming-rights process also means a likely end to the prospects of the NFL's returning to the Coliseum. Since the Raiders left Los Angeles in 1994, the NFL has repeatedly flirted with returning a team to the region and to the Coliseum itself, at least temporarily until a new stadium could be built. The prospect of a naming-rights deal could have helped lure a new pro team.

But the Coliseum Commission's Mr. Israel said those talks have been dead since 2006, at which time the Coliseum Commission focused on signing a long-term lease with USC. Last month, the two sides signed a 25-year lease giving the Coliseum Commission 8% of USC's ticket sales -- about $1.5 million a year -- but commits the agency to a list of renovations.

With voters in California against public funding for sports stadiums, commission leaders said naming rights became the only way to pay for the projects.

"We needed a bigger boost," said Pat Lynch, the stadium's general manager. "When the naming-rights deal comes, we'll have the money we need."

LA Observed calls the idea of selling out the 85-year-old landmark "civic heresy."

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With the 2008 Olympics in China only a few weeks away, attention has shifted from protests centered on the Olympic torch to the athletes and their stories.

The New York Times blog will be offering continuing coverage through the games, from multiple angles including reports that center on business and culture as well as sports.

For example, a June 12 entry features South African swimmer Natalie du Toit, an athlete who lost part of a lower leg in an accident and who has been named to her country's ParaOlympic team after also qualifying for the regular competition. She could become the first athlete to compete in both sets of games.

On the home front, The Daily News' blog offers a detailed rundown of the feats and struggles of area athletes as they chase spots on U.S. teams.

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French adventurer Michel Fournier, 64, who wished to set the world skydiving record, saw his hopes float away at North Battleford, Saskatchewan on Tuesday when the helium balloon that was supposed to take him to death-defying heights for his feat, er, got away from him without him attached. The $200,000 balloon was supposed to take Fournier to a world-record height of 130,000 feet.

Fournier had hoped to break the record for the fastest and longest free fall, the highest parachute jump and the highest balloon flight. He also hoped to bring back data that will help astronauts and others survive in the highest of altitudes.

A former army paratrooper with more than 8,000 jumps under his belt, Fournier planned to be freefalling at a height three times higher than a commercial jetliner flies. A mountain climber would have to ascend the equivalent of four Mount Everests stacked one on top of the other.

To read up on Fournier, go to his site, Le Grand Saut (The Big Jump).

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Terry Peterson of Lomita gets his outdoor kicks riding and bouncing around on a unicycle specially designed for extreme mountain biking.

He first caught the attention of the Daily Breeze two years ago, when we wrote a cover story about him for our features section.

These days you can catch the 52-year-old Peterson on YouTube, where he has posted numerous unicycling videos under the name “UniGeezer.” (Some include footage of him as “UniKid.”)

A piano technician by trade, Peterson has put together a compilation of the videos he has made during the past two years.

The final piece of the compilation shows him jumping and clearing a set of stairs with eight steps.

See all of Peterson’s videos on YouTube.

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The NCAA tournament selections have been made. Need some help picking your brackets? First, you should read today's Tom Hoffarth column in sports.

But if that's not enough, here are some Web resources:

BracketScience.com: This site has head-to-head comparisons, historic stats, and strategies that have worked from years past.

10 Tips for Powerful Bracket Predictions: From Teamrankings.com, tells you the factors you need to consider and why some logic doesn't work.

Sportsline.com: Has a list of eight tried-and-true methods for picking a better bracket. We especially like #2:

2. Don't go putting all your No. 1 seeds in the Final Four. They might be the best teams on paper, but since 1979, it has never happened. The closest it ever came was in 1993, when three No. 1s and a No. 2 made it. Plus, do you really want to be the person in your office that picked all the top seeds? We here at CBSSports.com always make fun of that person.

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Get your brackets ready and your money lined up for your office pool. It's March Madness time!

The tournament is set to begin. NCAA reveals all this afternoon at 3. The Selection Show determines the fate of the 64 teams battling it out in the first round.

The UCLA Bruins, ranked third in the AP Top 25 poll, have been dominant this season and are sure to be a force in the tournament.

Keep an eye on Hawthorne's Russell Westbrook, a Bruin sophomore guard. Before wearing No. 0 at UCLA, Westbrook was a standout varsity player at Leuzinger High in Lawndale.

Westbrook and the Bruins are the team to watch. Staff Writer Brian Dohn is on top of it at the Inside UCLA blog.

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Our sports guys and Web gal compiled a list of which high school football players have signed with colleges on National Signing Day. Updates will be coming all day.

Check the chart.

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Is there such a thing as a healthy map? Sorta! Gmaps Pedometer not only gives you mileage, but it will act as a pedometer for you. Enter your weight and route and it will tell you exactly how far you’ve walked and how many calories you burned in the process. Next time you want that Starbuck’s Cinnamon Dolce Latte with whipped cream, you might want to walk to the store in order to indulge.

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It's been awfully rainy and cold here lately, but it's summer in Australia, where the world's best tennis stars have taken to the courts. So bask in others' ability to play a few sets in the sunshine and enjoy the terrific play. Get official schedules, news, photos and more at Australianopen.com. Schedules are updated every evening. If the time zone difference is giving you trouble, go to the World Clock. Select "Australia - Victoria - Melbourne" for one time zone and "U.S.A. - California - Los Angeles" for the other. For U.S. TV listings, go to ESPN, the network broadcasting matches. If you stay up late, you can watch live matches. Rebroadcasts come in the afternoon. It's your own fault if you miss any of the action.

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As the Patriots and Giants prepare to face off in Super Bowl XLII, we thought you might appreciate some Web destinations dedicated to the gridiron -- or at least mentioning it. First, check out the official Super Bowl XLII site for all the official news, merchandise, etc.

Then, if you get confused because of all the Roman numerals, head here for a refresher on how the Romans used to do math and for a handy converter.

Then if you're planning a party but want something more than beer, grub and football, check out these ideas for Super Bowl parties. Some of you may think that a "Sopranos" party is a little excessive when such a big game is on, but this one is for those of you who don't.

Last, get your fill of Super Bowl commercials. It's not a comprehensive collection, but it's pretty close.

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How would you recognize your favorite sports team without its logo? For an unusual twist on sports trivia, Sports Logos presents a historical reference guide. Look into the the evolution of logos and uniforms, even for leagues that no longer exist.

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Once upon a time, New Year's Day was filled with the biggest bowl games and essentially signaled the end of the college football season. In 1998, after years of debate about the need to decide a consensus national champion on the field, the Bowl Championship Series was instituted and the college football season ended with a matchup between two teams chosen by a complex formula as the best teams in the nation. The system has drawn more controversy than consensus, however, and has left football fans and pundits hollering for a playoff system.
Tonight, Ohio State and LSU will meet in New Orleans at 7:30 on KTTV Channel 11 to determine which is the best team in the nation. To get prepared for the game, check out www.bcsfootball.org/bcsfootball for background on this year's match-up and for the history of BCS.

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LA36 is a cable-only station that shows some of the major LAUSD high school football games, including Friday night's final between Carson and Birmingham. The problem is that it is only available in the city of Los Angeles and only to certain cable providers. If you're one of the lucky few who get the channel, check the schedule to see when the game will be rebroadcast.

If not, the video is posted on the Web site, where you'll also find other games from the season.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers are entering a float in the Rose Parade to mark their 50th year in Los Angeles, and they need fans to help build it. Volunteers are asked to complete an online form.

The volunteer dates are:
Today and Sunday: 8:30am - 4:00pm
Dec. 1-2, 8-9, 15-16 and 22: 8:30am - 4:00pm
Dec. 23: 8:30am - 1:30pm

According to the floatmaker's Web site, which includes a rendering of the float, "Dodger Stadium will be depicted, complete with 12 Dodger Baseball legends and Nancy Bea playing game-day favorites on the stadium organ. Fifteen fans will also be on board, cheering from the bleachers for the 35 foot tall MLB player with the Grand Slam swing."

Continue reading "Work on the Dodger float" »

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Get the latest talking points before you watch today's college football games. See staff writer Scott Wolf's USC blog and staff writer Brian Dohn's UCLA blog.

Live game stories will be here at 12:30 for UCLA v. Arizona and at 5p.m. for USC v. Oregon St.

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