Despite this banner ad, this blog entry is not sponsored by Tommy Lasorda. But if you really want to get under the skin of, say, someone you know who's a Giants fan, Lasorda will help do it.

The Dodgers' Hall of Fame former manager has been hired as the focal point of the 2006 Major League Baseball postseason ad campaign that features three different TV commercials and plenty ofprint, radio, internet and mobile phone spots that try to "ignite fans' passion for the playoffs," according to the MLB press release.

You can check 'em out at Lasorda's MLB blog by clicking on the right links.

One of the first things you can do is email a condolence letter to a fan of a team that failed to make the playoffs, complete with a photo of Lasorda, decked out in full Sinatra tux gear, looking as if he could use a Bromo:

The three television spots each open with Lasorda stepping into extreme fan situations that capture the "wanting to run and hide" feeling that every fan has experienced at one point or another. With perfectly delivered dry wit, Lasorda shares a "tough love" message with fans; like one who has climbed into a tree to hide once his team was eliminated from postseason play. In another spot he declares: "Real fans don't hide in October. They celebrate it!"

Tommy's "tough love" messages will appear throughout the postseason in creative ways including beverage coasters and electronic condolence cards that he hopes fans will use to help him spread the word: "It's October! I live for this! You live for this! The World lives for this! To the TV!"

And if you didn't see Lasorda come on during the fourth inning of the Dodgers-Giants telecast on Fox (while the Dodgers were leading 3-2 with two out), they played one of the small ads in the bottom right corner of the screen with a cartoon version of Lasorda saying: "Watch the postseason on Fox! It's October! It's your duty, Judy."

"It's your duty, Judy?" play-by-play man Josh Lewin asked. "That's the new catch phrase we're going with?"

You got somethin' else brewin', Lewin?

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 2:11 PM | Permalink

From the way we've been told how the National League playoffs would shake out if there's a mess-o-teams bunched up after Sunday's play, two of the post-season entrants would be determined this way among the Dodgers (86-74), Padres (86-74) and Phillies (84-76):

If the Dodgers, Padres and Phillies all end up with the same record:
Monday, San Diego plays the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. The winner takes the NL West. The loser goes to ....
Philadelphia, on Tuesday, to determine the NL wildcard and who'll start Wednesday in New York against the Mets.

If the Dodgers and Phillies tie for the NL wildcard:
Monday, the Dodgers go to Philadelphia for a 2:30 p.m. EDT game. The reason the game's so earlier: The Philadelphia Eagles have a game against Green Bay at 8:30 p.m. EDT, and they share the parking lot.

If the Dodgers and Padres finish with a tie:
San Diego is declared the NL West winner (based on regular-season head-to-head) and the Dodgers go in as the wildcard to face the Mets.

If the Phillies and Padres finish with a tie for the NL wildcard (behind the Dodgers):
Monday, the Padres go to Philadelphia, and the Dodgers start against either Houston or St. Louis.

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 9:15 PM | Permalink

Smart and tart, tacky and wacky, with a slant toward the crude and lewd, the new T-shirts and tank tops that have just come up at the online store for the Commerce Casino might be worth considering next time you get busted for busting too many hands and come home empty handed.

If you're down there for a World Series of Poker event, or just flipping through the merchandise at the casino's new webstore, you'll likely be amused and slightly confused by the shirt selection that includes:

For the men:
-- "The Commerce Paid My Rent��? ... navy blue with white lettering. At least pretend you're winning. $11.
-- “You, Me and a Friend Make Three of a Kind!��? ... in red, rust, mustard on brown. A corny pickup line, but considering the patrons, it's likely to work. $19.

For the women:
-- “Wanna Hold’ Em?��? ... across the chest, of course. Just ask for permission first. $20.50.
-- “Make My Day. Call Me!��? ... and when you do, prepared to be rejected. $20.50.
-- “Girls Always Hold the Nuts��? ... red lettering on an orange spaghetti-strap t-shirt with a pair of white aces as an exclamation point. So that's a card-playing term? $20.50.
-- “Nice Pair!��? ... black, white and gold poker chip on a pink camisole tank top. It's 95% cotton and 5% spandex, although more of the later would probably be more necessary. $21.50.
-- “These PAir Always Win!��? ... with the A’s are elevated and offset as a pair of aces—diamond and heart. Get it? $20.

“We wanted to give our customers a selection of creative and fun options that they could not find anywhere else,��? said David Mosikian, Player Relations Manager for Commerce Casino, said in a press release unveiling the new stuff.

Are you in?

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 8:10 PM | Permalink

Bob Miller, already a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame (2000), the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Hall of Fame (2002), the Wisconsin Hockey Hall of Fame (1992), and the benefactor of having the press box at Staples Center named for him, may be the best-known hockey announcer on the Hollywood Walk of Fame when his star is installed Monday (near the Hollywood Wax Museum on Hollywood Blvd., in an 11:30 a.m. ceremony). For more background on that, check out today's Daily News column. (By the way, any possibility of David Courtney doing the introductions over the loud speakers?)

But he won’t be the only one with a hockey connection.

-- Al Michaels, known more for his network baseball and football career, had the famous “Miracle on Ice� U.S. Olympic broadcast in 1980 for ABC.

--Monty Hall, who got his star for career as a TV game-show host, once called New York Rangers’ games.

--Dick Enberg called games for the former Los Angeles Blades minor-league hockey team.

--Bing Crosby was once a part of the original ownership group of the NHL’s California Golden Seals.

--Next year, local longtime L.A. sportscaster Stu Nahan, a former goalie who did Philadelphia Flyers games, will have a star installed.
So based on his background, if a hockey fight ever broke out on Hollywood Blvd., I'd put my money down on Captain Stu. By the way, where'd you get that jacket?

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If not for the New York Yankees and New York Mets stamping an early ticket into the baseball playoffs, Fox's schedule makers might have had to actually wait and see which teams were worthy of some prime-time exposure.
Instead, they'll go with the automatic build-in audience. If L.A. joins the party, all the better.
Fox, which is doing up to 28 postseason games in October, already has the Yankees' first game of its playoff series against the ever elusive "TBA" locked into their Tuesday night schedule (5 p.m., PDT) at Yankee Stadium, with Joe Buck and Tim McCarver.
They take Wednesday off, then come back Thursday with the New York Mets' second game of its series against a different "TBA" -- perhaps the Dodgers -- at from Shea Stadium (5 p.m. PDT) with Thom Brennaman and Steve Lyons.
Fox, which has the World Series, has no intention of hoping for a N.Y.-N.Y. series. Last time that happened, it was the lowest-rated championship final of all time.

The rest of the Fox schedule through the first round:
Saturday, Oct. 7, 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. (PDT)
Sunday, Oct. 8, 4:30 p.m. (PDT)
Monday, Oct. 9, 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. (PDT)

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 8:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you're in possession of one of those cool ESPN Mobile Phones based on your infatuation with Trey Wingo and the idea he could really be in your bed someday, hang onto it.
The phone, that is. Not the Wingo nightmare. The former will be a collector's item. The later, just another footnote in ESPN humiliation. Kinda like Kenny Mayne in "Dancing With the Stars." Or Chris Berman uttering "You're with me, Leather."
ESPN finally gave in Thursday, announcing it will shut down its phone company less than a year after it tried selling you on a $200 piece of junk, then started giving them away for free in the hopes you'd sign up for years to come.
The result is that ESPN will use their technology on other wireless operations. It's about as useless as an E-Ticket at the Magic Kingdom.
ESPN was quick to stress that its change in strategy had no bearing on Disney Mobile, another ambitious gamble into the cell market by its parent company, Walt Disney Co.
Disney invested $150 million in developing the Mobile ESPN and Disney Mobile phones, calling it the MVNO, or mobile virtual network operator.
Whatever. If the battery's dead after two days and you're sick and tired of all the alerts, it's no good for anyone.
Mobile ESPN will now be a provider of scores, video and other needless stuff to other wireless companies that already have a customer base.
The service had signed up only a few thousand subscribers since launching in late 2005.
At least this marks the end of those Wingo commercials. Even better, about two-thirds of the slightly more 100 employees at Mobile ESPN will likely lose their jobs next year as the company transitions.

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 6:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Golf Channel's reality show, "The Big Break," breaks out a new format: Girls vs. guys, as the sixth season starts today (7 p.m.) from Donald Trump's Trump National Golf Club in Palos Verdes Estates.

The course should be the real star of the show, which runs until Dec. 12. The winner gets $50,000 (supposedly of Trump's money) plus a 2007 Chrysler Aspen SUV ... oh, and some pro event exemptions.
The winning male contestant will receive exemptions into the 2007 Turtle Bay Championship and the 2007 Bank of America Championship, as well as waived entry fees in six 2007 Heartland Players Senior Tour events. The female champion gets an exemption into the 2007 SBS Open at Turtle Bay and the 2007 Longs Drugs Challenge, as well as waived entry fees for the 2007 Duramed Futures Tour season. The exemptions come in most part because The Golf Channel televises those events and has sponsor discretion as to who it can add to the field.

Why to watch this sixth season? The ladies have a former Miss Minnesota in their midst -- 25-year-old Karyn Stordahl-Utecht, who wised up and moved to Indiana, only because she married Indianapolis Colts backup tight end Ben Utecht (although if you go to his official bio on the team's site, there's no mention of this marriage under his personal achievements). There's also a former figure skater and hockey player from Scottsdale, Ariz. -- 26-year-old Laura London. Six others were on the Futures Tour this year, all aged 24 to 26 years old.

The men have ... well, what does it really matter. They're all old enough to be on the 50-plus tour. And despite Trump's claim that he's about a 6 handicap, they all could probably beat him (Trump's a huge cheater).

Here's a short preview of what to expect, including several appearances by big-shot Trump, who must think it can't be a reality show unless he's somehow personally involved.

(UPDATE on Wednedsay AM): Ms. Stordahl-Utecht plays golf about as smoothly as one can pronounce her name. She couldn't get out of a greenside bunker and had problems in deep rough during a closest-to-the-pin challenge. She was the first woman eliminated. Maybe she can caddy through the rest of the series?

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 1:42 PM | Permalink

The Arizona Republic reports that the NFL's Arizona Cardinals will announce a 20-year naming rights deal with the University of Phoenix to rename their new stadium in Glendale the "University of Phoenix Stadium."

Is this because the Bryman School didn't kick in enough dough?

Don't they realize that if you go by initials -- as the people did once with Bank One Ballpark, calling it "The BOB" -- then this place is really going to be called "UPS"?

Cardinals VP & General Counsel Michael Bidwill told the newspaper that the team talked to a "‘number of different" local and national companies about a deal, but would not identify them. That's because on of them supposedly was the Morton family, which created the Hard Rock Café and Morton’s Steakhouse restaurants, and was willing to put up the money to have the place called “Pink Taco Stadium,��? after its Mexican restaurant chain. They even reportedly put up a $5 million deposit to show good faith. The Cardinals wouldn't even consider it and called it a publicity stunt.

Publicity ....

And y'all know what a pink taco is, right? Don't play dumb.

But if the end result is having some commuter school that cranks out MBAs at 130 campuses or even online stamp its name on the thing, won't voters in the weekly coaches poll think that the University of Phoenix actually has a football team, competing against Arizona State and the University of Arizona for state supremacy? Just watch how fast the University of Texas bypasses McNeese State and tries to get the University of Phoenix on its schedule for next season.

Some other questions: How does a school that teaches business explain to its students it has to raise tuition fees so it can afford this naming rights deal?
Another question: Who's the first student to turn in a final term paper on the faulty business practices of buying naming rights to a stadium (do we have to start with Enron?). There's a quote that Al Michaels once uttered on a "Monday Night Football" game: As soon as you hear that a company has bought naming rights to a stadium, sell your stock in that company. It's bound to go bankrupt soon.

And somewhere out there, a pink taco goes uneaten.

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 10:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Fred Cornwell and Nolan Ryan, forever linked on this day in L.A. sports history.

On September 26, 1981, USC (2-0, No. 1 in the UPI poll, No. 2 by AP) and Oklahoma (1-0, No. 1 in the AP poll) met up at the Coliseum in a Saturday afternoon game that didn't need any more buildup. USC pulled within three with just under seven minutes to go on the second of Marcus Allen's two touchdowns. Oklahoma, which fumbled 10 times in the game and lost five, had to punt with about 4:00 to go. Following a few crucial third and fourth-down conversions, USC faced a third-and-goal from the seven with 8 seconds to go, and coach John Robinson could have settled for a tie. But why? USC QB John Mazur scrambled away from Sooner defenders and found tight end Cornwell in the back of the end zone to clinch a 28-24 victory. One play earlier, Mazur tried to throw it to Allen in the end zone, but Cornwell put up an arm and knocked it down by accident. Allen ran for 208 yards en route to a Heisman Trophy season that ended 9-3 for USC and a Fiesta Bowl loss. Oklahoma finished 7-4-1.

(I was at this game as a sophomore going to USC, experienced plenty of beer in the student section and was lying on the floor of the bathroom back at my apartment later in the day when I heard about ....)

And on September 26, 1981, Ryan faced the Dodgers at the Houston Astrodome. The Dodgers had already clinched a spot in the playoffs based on winning the first half of this season split by a players strike. The Houston Astros were trying to fend off the Cincinnati Reds for the "second-half" title with eight games to go. Here, on the NBC Game of the Week, Ryan threw his fifth career no-hitter, breaking a tie with Sandy Koufax no-hitters. In the Astros' 5-0 win, the 34-year-old Ryan improved his record to 10-5. In the final inning, Ryan fanned pinch-hitter Reggie Smith on three pitches for his 11th strikeout of the game. Ken Landreaux grounded out to Denny Walling at first base, then Ryan got Dusty Baker to ground out to Art Howe at third base. "I really didn't feel like I had good velocity today," said Ryan, who at that point led the National League with a 1.74 earned run average. "but I got ahead on my curve balls." The Dodgers and Astros ended up meeting in the first round of the playoffs, with the Dodgers surviving to face (and beat) Montreal for the NL title and the Yankees in the World Series.

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 9:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It was just a matter of time before Joe McDonnell found a new regular time slot to fill in the weekday lineup at Xtra Sports 570-AM, and starting Monday, that'll be the new 7-to-11 p.m. window that's currently taken up with repeats of the Phil Hendrie show. McDonnell's show will also run after Lakers games once the NBA season starts.

If only it could have been the Mancow morning slot..

McDonnell's reemergence comes at the same time when Lee Klein won't have his contract renewed to continue his 10 p.m.-to-1 a.m. weeknight show.

The residual effect: How will Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton (not his real name) blow his stack when he come to grips with the fact that program director Don Martin has kept him shoved back on the weekends instead of reintroducing him to the regular weekday audience that still can't be completely satisfied with how the new afternoon drivetime show has been sounding since he was pushed out.

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 11:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

As a way to fill valuable time on the 24/7 ESPN Classic ... and you'd think they'd have enough games backlogged so where this wouldn't be a problem ... they continue to churn out this pseudoshow called "5 Reasons You Can't Blame ..." and then it's about someone who's been blamed for something, and why you shouldn't blame them.

Who can blame 'em for continuing such an ingenious series?

The second season starts Tuesday (7 p.m.) with "... Bobby Cox for the Atlanta Braves Winning Only One World Series Title."
That's followed by "... Bode Miller for Not Living Up To the Hype" (7:30 p.m.)
Thursday is the one that may actually get us to TiVo this thing for the first time. At 7 p.m., it's "...Matt Leinart for Returning for His Senior Season at USC."
If Byrnn Cameron is one of the reasons you can't blame him for returning, then perhaps there's more blame to go around in other areas.

Also on "The Classic," the final five episodes of "Stump the Schwab" air (4 p.m.), leading up to Friday's finale. Remember, Stuart Scott hosts this show, which is produced by Inward Eye Entertainment ... which has nothing to do with the fact that Scott has .... never mind.

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 12:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's not like I needed a pair of Nike sunglasses, glued together by some 4-year-olds in Pakistan during their break on the shoe line, but finishing in the Top 25 of Fred Roggin's weekly quiz show, "The Challenge" on KNBC-Channel 4 woulda got me some.

Wasn't gonna happen. I finished tied for 28th -- the lowest finish in three weeks -- with a measly 145 points.

Not impressive at all for someone who's paid to know this stuff. I had four completely wrong of the nine (even waiting until some answers were eliminated, I still had bad instincts on most). Again, the three I did immediately know, I didn't get the full 40 points.

The 145 points are just half of the 290 that Brian Gomez and Tommy Tedros had to share the title on Sunday night. They had it made in the shade. I was just not focused. I'd been at the Dodgers game earlier in the day -- the Nomar grandslam finish -- and just didn't have my gameface on when I got home last night.

Lesson 2,382 of "The Challenge": It pays to play sober. I needed a designated clicker.

For the season, I've dropped down into a tie for 36th with 485 total points. Sonia Desaegher -- c'mon, a chick is winning? -- is the overall leader with 745 points, with our early favorite, Patrick Alog, second with 730 points, now that he's taken our advice and doesn't do the quiz on a DirecTV feed anymore. I'm still in the Top 100 even with that dismal performance, and seem to be far enough ahead of Mrs. Roggin to not worry about getting any crank phone calls in the middle of the night.

Remember, that's at least a five-second delay on DirecTV over cable or other over-the-air service means. That doesn't help at all get the full amount of points per question and, in this case, it really didn't help me at all.

So, no glasses this week after I did have a tied-for-ninth finish last week and, by finishing in the Top 25, was supposed to get of tickets to the Sept. 30 UCLA-Stanford game. The rules say they were going to contact me within 48 hours to get me that prize.
I'm still waiting to be contacted.... Seriously.

Here are this week's questions and answers. Again, if you finished better than me, drop me an email at thomas.hoffarth@dailynews.com and I'll guarantee a return email congratulating you on your achievement. As minor as it may be:

1) What year the the Anaheim Mighty Ducks come into existence?
a) 1991
b) 1993
c) 1992
d) 1990

2) What major league baseball team drafted John Elway?
a) Kansas City Royals
b) New York Mets
c) Seattle Mariners
d) New York Yankees

3) Which Irvine native has competed in 3 Olympics and has won 7 Olympic medals in swimming?
a) Janet Evans
b) Aaron Peirsol
c) Amanda Beard
d) Lenny Krayzelburg

4) Which former boxing champion is singing this song? (An audio of a song called "Ya'll Must've Forgot")
a) Floyd Mayweather
b) Roy Jones Jr.
c) Antonio Tarver
d) Oscar de la Hoya

5) Who was the last Southland baseball team to win the Little League World Series?
a) Long Beach
b) Northridge
c) Mission Viejo
d) Thousand Oaks

6) Who did the Lakers play in their first regular-season game at Staples Center?
a) Utah Jazz
b) Dallas Mavericks
c) Denver Nuggets
d) Vancouver Grizzles

7) Who is USC's all-time leading rusher in college football?
a) O.J. Simpson
b) Reggie Bush
c) Charles White
d) Marcus Allen

8) Which major league manager was skipper of the real Durham Bulls during the filming of "Bull Durham"?
a) Joe Torre
b) Mike Hargrove
c) Ron Gardenhire
d) Grady Little

9) Besides UCLA, which Division One school uses the nickname "Bruins"?
a) Belmont
b) Bucknell
c) Bradley
d) Bowling Green

The answers:

1) b, 1993. My first hunch was 1992 so I stuck with that until there were only two choices left, '92 and '93. I took '92. I was wrong. 0 points.
2) d, New York Yankees. Knew this right away. Got 35 points.
3) c, Amanda Beard. I'm kicking myself for missing this. Krayzelburg was my first instinct and I clicked onto to it way too early. When it came down to the last two choices -- Beard and Krayzelburg -- I thought I had it until I remembered, Lenny wasn't from Irvine, but from somewhere in L.A. 0 points again.
4) b. Roy Jones Jr. First instinct was to pick De La Hoya because of his CD that was nominated for a Latin Grammy, but the first lyrics of the song played, "When I won my gold medal in Seoul, Korea ..." I opted for Jones and got 35 points.
5) a. Long Beach, in '92 and '93. Fred gave the clue "Think carefully" before revealing the answers. My first thought was Long Beach, but his clue threw me into waiting. I knew Mission Viejo had been in the series final since Long Beach, so I stupidly went with them and got 0 points. A lesson: Don't listen to Fred.
6) d. Vancouver. I had no clue, so waited until three answers were eliminated and took the 10 points.
7) c. Charles White. I thought I knew it right away and got 30 points. I must have hesitated a few seconds and that cost me even more. Really stupid.
8) d. Grady Little. Knew it right away and got 35 points.
9) a. Belmont. Had a hunch it was Bradley for some stupid reason and stuck with it until one answer was eliminated and then took it because I felt pressured to get some points. I was wrong and got 0. Belmont was the team UCLA played in the first round of the recent NCAA basketball tournament, you idiot.

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 9:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Sept. 25, 1971, Marshall edges Xavier 15-13 before an emotional crowd in Huntington, W.Va. It marks a comeback for head coach Jack Lengyel's Thundering Herd after a chartered plane crash kills 75 players, student-athletes, support staff and alumni on Nov. 14, 1970, en route from a game against East Carolina in Greenville, N.C.

A new Warner Brothers movie, "We Are Marshall", will premier December 22, with Matthew McConaughey (pictured here, on the right) starring as Coach Lengyel and Matthew Fox as assistant Red Dawson (left). The movie follows the team from the air disaster until the epic victory over Xavier less than nine months later. Lengyel has served as a member of the National Football Federation Board of Directors since 1990. To view the movie trailer, link to: www.http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/wearemarshall.html or http://wearemarshall-themovie.warnerbros.com/

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 1:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Are the San Diego Chargers being forced onto our NFL TV slate today? Oh, right, they have a bye.
Super.
But that's only temporary. We got some bigger plans here.

Start with the text of an ad that's been running on KCBS-Channel 2:

"On Jan. 8, 1999, KCBS-TV was granted a license by the Federal Communications Commission to serve the public interest as a public trustee until Dec. 1, 2006. Our license will expire on Dec. 1, 2006. We have filed an application for renewal with the FCC. A copy of this application is available for public inspection during our regular business hours. It contains information concerning this station's performance during the last eight years. Individuals who wish to advise the the FCC of facts relating to our renewal application and to whether this station has operated in the public interest should file comments and petitions with the FCC by Nov. 1, 2006. Further information concerning the FCC's broadcast license renewal process is available at 6121 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90028, or may be obtained from the FCC, Washington DC, 20554."

While that's going on, I ran a note in a Daily News media column on Sept. 8:

"The San Diego Chargers were given an extension on the Thursday deadline to sell out Sunday's home opener against Tennessee, meaning KCBS-Channel 2 waits a day before it finds out if it is required to deliver that game to the L.A. market instead of, say, Denver-Kansas City or New England-N.Y. Jets. As of 1:15 p.m. Thursday, the Chargers were about 1,750 tickets short of a sellout, and the local CBS affiliate will likely buy out the rest of the tickets today to insure the game is televised live."

Ended up, the game's tickets were all bought up by KFMB-TV, Donovan's Steak & Chop House and (get this) Daniel Tucker, chairman of the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation who's been linked to giving money to the agent allegedly trying to buy off Reggie Bush's family.

That media column note prompted an email from Simi Valley reader Jim Meser:

"When the local CBS affiliate was granted a license from the FCC, I thought they were suppose to act in the public interest?"

Jim followed that email up the other day:

"The problem lies with the NFL. Last year, the all powerful league officials deemed Los Angeles to be part of the San Diego market. Does that not show how arrogant the NFL truly is? Living in this area for 45 years, I can tell the dolts on Park Ave. that L.A. and S.D. are about as similar as Bill O'Reilly and Keith Olberman. Call me a conspiracy buff but since the rumors of the Chargers wanting to move to L..A. started, the NFL is now trying to force them opon our market in order to try to cultivate an audience.
"Forget putting a fence on the Mexican border to prevent illegal immigration. Can the Department of Homeland Security put a fence in Oceanside to seal the Chargers in San Diego? "

We've decided to include a map here of San Diego County. We're looking for Los Angeles ... looking up near the top ... still looking....
Nope, don't see L.A. Must be a smoggy day.

But that still had us thinking: What if we started a petition online that would let KCBS know that we consider having the Chargers forced onto our Sunday NFL TV schedule a "public interest" issue.

Consider it done.

Go to this link at Petitiononline.com and sign up. We'll keep it monitored and let you know how it goes. We'll also take suggestions as to what else we can do to get this problem remedied...

You got a better idea?

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 1:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Probably a good thing the Raiders have a bye week.
Otherwise, we may all be saying bye to Art Shell.

How bad is this team so far? The writers at SFist.com make the case this could be an historical season for the Silver and Bleak. Could they be the Worst Team Ever?

"They're 0-2 and have yet to score a TD, having only scored two field goals. The QB has been sacked 15 times, they've given up a safety, been intercepted 3 times, fumbled the ball six times, and have only racked up 291 yards this season. To put that in perspective, eight quarterbacks threw for more yards last week than the Raiders offense has combined in two games.
"And then there's Art Shell, a proud, proud man and consummate professional who is slowly turning into comedy gold. Does his expression change? What's he writing in his notebook? What is he listening to over his headphones? Is he even paying attention?"

What are the odds he survives?

On the online website BetUS.com, here are some of the "Art Shell Special" prpposition bets that you can get some action on:

-- Art Shell puts his California home up for sale: 25/1
-- Art Shell applies for a job with USC: 50/1
-- Art Shell to retire from NFL before Christmas: 4/1
-- Art Shell to sacked By Raiders before Christmas: 3/1
-- Art Shell to elope with Al Davis: 100/1
-- Art Shell to be an NFL Head Coach next season: 2/1

There's more:

-- Art Shell will get fired after?
3rd Game: 3/1
4th Game: 4/1
5th Game: 7/2
6th Game: 6/1
7th Game: 9/1
8th Game: 12/1
9th Game: 7/1
Any time between the 10th and 16th game: 4/1
Does not get fired: 10/1
He resigns at any time: 5/1

By the way, the Raiders odds of winning Super Bowl XLI stands at 250/1
And the odds to win the AFC West Division is 50/1

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 10:24 AM | Permalink

By George Richards
Miami Herald
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A few years ago, the New York Rangers traveled to a remote town in Alaska to play a pond hockey game against some locals.
Of course, Mystery, Alaska, was just a movie. In the real world, NHL teams don’t play exhibitions in Alaska.
Puerto Rico? That’s a different story.
Tonight, the Florida Panthers play the New York Rangers, who will be the host team, in the first pro hockey game played south of Miami Arena when the two meet in San Juan.
“It’s crazy,� Panthers defenseman Joel Kwiatkowski said. “Everyone I tell about this trip just shakes their head. They
can’t believe we’re playing in Puerto Rico. I think this is great for the game. If there’s hockey in Florida, why not Puerto Rico and the Caribbean? "
The game will be televised in New York and in San Juan, but local interest is said to be tepid at best. There is very little buzz about the game on the island, although the Rangers — who set up the game — are trying to drum up
interest. The team has been on the island since Thursday, practicing in San Juan’s 2-year-old arena while visiting hospitals and sightseeing. The team also arranged to have the game called on Spanish radio.

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 2:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If not for a bunch of prizes to contend for, why else would eight knuckleheads try to break the Guinness World Record for watching TV the longest in one sitting?
That's the scenario starting Sunday at the Wynkoop Brewing Company in Denver as the Dish Network, La-Z-Boy and a few others sponsor the "Ultimate Football Fan" contest, hoping to shatter the mark of 69 hours, 48 minutes.
That's all? We've done that already trying to keep up with the Ryder Cup.
The winner wins a trip for two to the 2007 Pro Bowl in Hawaii. Other prizes include a La-Z-Boy recliner, a 32-inch high-def TV from Radio Shack and Dish Network programming for a year.
Contestants from Charlotte, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Green Bay, Indianapolis, Kansas City and St. Louis were chosen earlier this week by local radio stations who hosted their own contests.
Any possible contestants from Los Angeles likely refused to go because winning would mean they'd have to find a new use for their DirecTV dishes.

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 1:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CINCINNATI (AP) -- Thirty baseballs that Pete Rose signed and inscribed with an apology for betting on baseball were sold Friday for $1,000 apiece.

The baseballs were scheduled to be put up for bid in April by Robert Edwards Auctions, which is selling sports memorabilia from the estate of former New York Yankees limited partner Barry Halper.

ESI Entertainment Systems Inc., a British Columbia company that provides gaming products and services, offered $30,000 for the 30 balls. The auction house consulted Halper’s family, which accepted the offer.

Auction house president Robert Lifson said he recommended accepting the offer after Rose started selling identical apology baseballs on his Web site for $299 apiece. The baseballs feature “I’m sorry I bet on baseball��? printed in block letters above Rose’s autograph. A personalized version is selling for $349.

Lifson said the Canadian company was aware that Rose is selling cheaper baseballs online.

Rose accepted a lifetime ban for gambling in 1989, but denied for nearly 15 years that he bet on baseball. He finally acknowledged in his latest autobiography, published in January 2004, that he made baseball wagers while he
managed the Cincinnati Reds.

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 5:14 PM | Permalink

From this morning's Ryder Cup action in Ireland, we see Michael Jordan apparently not hitting on Elin Woods, and a few other reasons why the gallery provides more drama than watching the Americans struggle again in the underdog role against those pesky Euros:

(Laurent Rebours/Associated Press)
Elin, left, of course, and Tabitha Furyk watches the fourball match... without needing a sheet of instructions about what the heck fourball is all about. Maybe an Irish magazine can explain it to them.

(Alastair Grant/Associated Press)
Here's Amy DiMarco, right, Melissa Lehman, center, and Amy Mickelson watching more fourball. Lehman, we remind you, is a Crescenta Valley High grad (class of '81).

(Matt Durham/Associated Press)
More of Mrs. DiMarco, right, and Mickelson watching more fourball and touching each other in a nice way.

(Matt Dunham/Associated Press)
Here's Morgan Norman, left, the new girlfriend of Sergio Garcia and Greg Norman's daughter, hanging out with Diane Antonopoulos, the galpal of Luke Donald, again, really into the fourball from the Euro point of view.

(Laurent Rebours/Associated Press)
OK, one last shot of Elin and Whoever Furyk as they salute the arrival of former President Bush ... or, can't stand the sun in their eyes. We'll go with the later.

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Whatever didn't fit into today's Daily News sports media column and sidebar notes happened for a reason.
What that reason is, we're not completely sure.
Here's some other tasty tidbits worth considering:

-- Rory Markas, the Angels' radio play-by-play man who regularily makes our annual Top 10 list of the best in the business at his profession, has turned the hour-long pregame show on 710-AM into a sort of chatfest as he's done many interviews with interesting baseball people over this season. The best of those interviews will air during the final week of the season on "Angels Warm Up" and include Don Newcombe, Dave Garcia, Buck O'Neil, Johnny Pesky, Bob Sheppard, Bob Feller and Moose SkowronCount Basie and Duke Ellington after games. Maybe the most memorable is of Sheppard (pictured above), the distinct New York Yankees public address announcer, and his recollections of 9/11 and he recites the first Yankees lineup from 56 years ago that he ever did (although Markas points out that he left out Jackie Jensen). "It was a real pleasure talking to all these men," Markas says.

TVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVTV

-- It may seem as if ESPN was responsible for rebuilding the Louisiana Superdome considering the amount of coverage the network is giving to it as it prepares for the Monday night match up of the Saints' home game against the Atlanta Falcons. Here's some of how ESPN and its tentacles plan to wrap around this story and practically squeeze the life out of it, and hopefully FEMA will be standing by to rescue the people from ESPN as it gets in the way of itself around the Crescent City this weekend:
--There will be more than 30 ESPN on-air personalities at this game, not counting former "SportsCenter" anchor Robin Roberts, who now works for that silly ABC "Good Morning America" show.
-- "Outside The Lines" will air three live shows from the city with Bob Ley, and including reporters Jeremy Schaap, Mark Schwarz and John Barr on the Katrina impact, etc.
-- Dan Patrick's radio show is live from the Superdome this weekend, and then "Mike & Mike" and "Cold Pizza" fire up from there on Monday.
-- "Pardon the Interruption" is live from inside the 'dome (2:30 p.m. Monday)
-- "NFL PrimeTime" with Stuart Scott is live outside the 'dome (3 p.m.)
-- "Monday Night Countdown" with Chris Berman, etc., is back live inside the 'dome (4 p.m.)
--Oh, right, then there's the game at 5:30 p.m.
--And don't forget, ESPN NFL Community Outreach: In support of the New Orleans community, the return of Saints football to New Orleans, and in recognition of the re-opening of the Louisiana Superdome, Team ESPN will make a donation to benefit the NFL Youth Education Town (YET) in New Orleans, which serves as an educational and recreational center aimed at positively impacting youth in at-risk neighborhoods, and the New Orleans Recreation Department (NORD).

Meanwhile, former Saints QB Archie Manning will host a benefit show on HSN, (Home Shopping Network) on Monday (4 p.m.) with some proceeds going to the Saints' Katrina Fund.

TVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVTVTV

--We're not a real fan of the reality show "The Contender," but we will note that the final live show gets off at 7 p.m. Tuesday from Staples Center for ESPN. Stephen "Two Pound" Forbes of Portland takes on Grady Brewer from Oklahoma in the match.

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Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 8:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By ARNIE STAPLETON
Associated Press

DENVER _ Mike Shanahan never calls a timeout to ice the kicker because Jason Elam let him in on a little secret among the kicking fraternity: most of them like the extra time to check out the conditions.

“That’s why I don’t do it,� Shanahan said. “He said it gives the guy a chance to focus a little bit more. I don’t think
I’ve ever done it. If I did do it, it was before Jason told me.�

On Sunday, Elam missed a 44-yard attempt through a strong crosswind against Kansas City in the first half at Invesco Field, but nailed a 39-yarder through the same uprights in overtime for a 9-6 Denver win.

“On that last one, it was kind of nice when Kansas City called a timeout. I was able to go out there, see what the wind was doing, see what the plant foot area was like,� Elam said.

And visualize the ball going through the uprights.

“It is kind of funny. I don’t know where all that started,� Elam said. “But I love it when they call timeout. If they didn’t, maybe I would call my own timeout.�

Read on:

Elam’s views are shared by kickers across the NFL, especially veterans.

“I’m a big fan,� said Arizona’s Neil Rackers. “It just gives you time to get out on the field and visualize. You’ve got time to go through your whole routine.�

Rackers said the strategy can be a good one in certain cases.

“Maybe a rookie, somebody like that, some kicker that’s playing Oakland and they’ve got Warren Sapp screaming at them, that might work,� Rackers said. “But I think the vets prefer it, to be honest with you.�

So, why do coaches call timeouts before big kicks then?

New England coach Bill Belichick said it’s not always just about trying to rattle the kicker.

“If that’s the play of the game, sometimes it’s not even as much about icing the kicker as it is making sure you’ve got your absolute best rush ready to go in that situation,� he suggested. “If there is any type of adjustment you want to make for a length of the kick or the hash marks that it’s on or whatever it is, that can be a part of it, too.�

Ryan Longwell, who joined the Minnesota Vikings this season after a nine-year career in Green Bay, loves the timeout, even though he botched his first chance at a game-winner as a rookie when a freak 30-second downpour during Philadelphia’s timeout resulted in him slipping and missing a chip shot as time ran out.

“I’ve always been a big fan of it, because with playing in Lambeau for so many years it gave us a chance to fix the field a little bit, make sure we had a good spot on the field, clear the snow out of the way, or ice if we had to,� said Ryan, the Packers’ career scoring leader. “So I’ve always actually appreciated it.�

Plus, he said, it gives the linemen a chance to recuperate.

“Usually those situations for a game-winner are coming after a two-minute drill and the linemen are gassed and it kind of gives everybody a chance to catch their breath for one last play,� Longwell said.

He also believes that coaches fear getting second-guessed if they don’t try to ice the kicker.

“So I think a lot of coaches do that just for that reason, to clear their conscience on using all the timeouts.�

Dave Rayner, the Packers’ new kicker, said timeouts can be a godsend for kickers “because a last-second field goal or whatever, you run on the field, it’s kind of a blur, you’re just out there. This way, it kind of gives you time to relax, think about whatever you’ve got to think about.�

That extra time to think is exactly what coaches are after.

Cowboys kicker Mike Vanderjagt, for one, would rather just run onto the field and kick, not such a surprising stance given that eight months ago he botched a last-second field goal for Indianapolis
after Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher called a timeout in the AFC playoffs.

“Sometimes when you get out there, you’re rushed so much that before you know it, the snap is coming. So if you get a chance to get out there and figure out the situation, you’re that much better off,� Vanderjagt said. “Obviously, the bigger the kick, the more you want to just get it going. So it’s really six of one and half-dozen of the
other.

“I would rather just get out there, personally, and snap-hold-kick.�

Rayner said timeouts don’t really intimidate kickers. Then he remembered yanking a 53-yarder three weeks ago after Chicago called one, “so, I guess my own theory doesn’t really work. But I don’t think it really does a whole lot. It depends on the kicker and the mental aspect of it.�

Packers punter Jon Ryan interrupted with a mystery of his own.

“Why,� he wondered, “don’t they ever ice the punter?�

Hmmm. Icing the punter ... Isn't that what the kid at Northern Colorado did with a knife the other day?

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 1:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By ELIZABETH DUNBAR
Associated Press Writer

RALEIGH, N.C. -- A policy banning strippers from on-campus events is back in the rule book at Duke University, after officials noticed it was missing when members of the school’s lacrosse team were accused of raping an exotic dancer earlier this year.

The policy governs only on-campus events and wouldn’t have applied to the March off-campus lacrosse team party where an exotic dancer has said she was sexually assaulted by three men in a bathroom.

The rule had been a part of Duke’s Bulletin of Information and Regulations long before the lacrosse case surfaced, said Stephen Bryan, the school’s associate dean of students and judicial affairs director. It was left out during a revision before the 2004-05 school year, he said.

“It was a complete error,� Bryan said. “When the lacrosse thing happened, that’s when I looked at it and realized it was inadvertently removed.�

Because the policy applies specifically to organized, on-campus events, students can hire a stripper to perform in an apartment or dorm room on or off campus. There are no plans to change that, Bryan said.

“The bottom line is that strippers are not illegal,� he said. “It’s a moral choice. ... We made a decision that a stripper at a campus event is something that we don’t want to support.�

Student government leaders said they will look at the policy and seek feedback from classmates.

Duke is “based primarily on freedom and liberty and we want to make sure our policies reflect that,� said Maggie McGannon, the student government’s vice president of student affairs. But she said banning strippers from campus events seems reasonable.

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 7:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Fox’s decision to deliver the Angels-Athletics game Saturday (1 p.m., Channel 11) to the L.A. market (as well as 21 percent of the country) may have looked good on paper two weeks ago, when the pick was made. The Dodgers-Diamondbacks game would have been a better call, but the network has only one more Dodger regular-season appearance left to use (of nine total), and it’s saving it for next Saturday at San Francisco. Then how about showing the L.A. market the Philadelphia-Florida game (with former El Camino Real High standout Randy Wolf throwing for the Phillies), which is already going to 30 percent of the country and has wild-card implications for the Dodgers?

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 5:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Dodgers plan to unveil a test treat at Dodger Stadium on Friday night, a one-night-only attempt at making something already special even better.

Behold the Avo Dog, where Dodger Blue meets Guacamole green.

A topping with fresh Chilean Hass avocados, chopped tomatoes and lime juice will be offered at some concession stands tonight, courtesy of Farmer John and the Chilean Avocado Importers Association. There'll be folks stationed at the condiment carts throughout the stadium to serve up the topping for those who want it -- for free.

To some, sticking his or her wiener in a batch of guac may seem unsavory, even downright wrong. Don't knock it 'til you've tried it.
And here's how you try it, based on a recipe the avocado producers have passed on in hopes of making it a standard food item someday at the park:

Prep time: 15 minutes
Serves: 8 (or 2, if you're any kind of dog eater)

Ingredients: 8 Farmer John foot-long hot dogs
8 hot dog buns
2 medium ripe tomatoes, seeded, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
2 large ripe Hass avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, chopped and mashed
2 limes, juiced
Salt, to taste

Instructions:
1. Grill hot dogs until lightly browned. Open hot dog buns and grill flat.
2. Mix avocados, diced tomatoes and lime juice in a small bowl.
3. On each hot dog bun spread desired condiments (ketchup, mustard, relish, mayo)
4. Place hot dogs on each dressed bun and top with avocado mixture. (Add grilled or raw onions if desired.) Sprinkle with a little salt. Serve.
Eat. Eat more. Seriously.

Total cost for all those ingredients is about the $15 range. For our tastes, a red onion chopped in would be even better. And a little cilantro. And some tortilla chips.

You do it as you please. And go easy on the mustard. Don't want to take away from that guac burst of taste.
Ole.

And for those who thinks this all borders on blasphemy, well, we've got a book for you to read while the rest of your family loads up on this new concoction:

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 11:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In an online blog he's doing for CBS Sportsline, New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush on Thursday again denies he did anything wrong while playing at USC amidst allegations he and his family accepted more than $100,000 from a sports marketing agent who was trying to procure his services.

"Firstly, for me and my family, we are not going to speak on the allegations, because there is nothing to speak about. We are not going to get into a shouting match with the media -- it could go on forever. It would just be a 'he said, she said' thing.
If there comes a time that we need to address it, we will, but I can assure everybody there is nothing to worry about. People are just digging to find something."

First, is "firstly" a word? Secondly, he does go on to address it:

"My friends and family support me because they know what kind of person I am and I would never put the school (Southern California) in jeopardy. Honestly, if I accepted $100,000 in gifts, I might as well have stayed in college and got my degree."

That's nice logic.
So the fact that you left early is supposed to be an indication that you didn't take any money? Or at least your family didn't take anything illegal?

Again, he's not done:

"These are crazy allegations and people don't use their head when they speak about stuff. I'm not worried about the media; they do what they do best -- write stories and give opinions. I don't even read the newspaper or listen to what they say on TV.
"I wasn't at all distracted against Green Bay. When it's game time, it's game time. I feel so blessed to be here, my whole life is a blessing. I love doing what I can, I make money and help people in need -- that's what matters the most. Making a difference in the community and focusing on football -- the positive things. "

Like, being positive when he can score his first touchdown before a national audience. He concludes:

"I'll be looking forward to scoring on Monday Night Football -- I look to score all the time -- but it would be great to get my first score in prime time.'

OK, we get it.

And for anyone who wants some more creative writing on this issue, check out the very latest story on The Onion, which carries the headline: Reggie Bush Claims He Made $100,000 Through USC Work-Study Program

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 11:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We wrote the other day about the New York Daily News exclusive on 30 baseballs signed by Pete Rose that turned up in an auction that read, "I'm sorry I bet on baseball" with his autograph.

Then we updated it Tuesday to pass on how Pete figured out a way around that by offering the same autographed balls on his website for $299. Meaning, if you really wanted one, you don't have to get one by bidding up on it.

Now this story takes a step deeper into the muck that is Rose's ongoing bid to clear his name and make good on his gambling habits.

Again on his site, he's offering the same "sorry" balls, only personalized. For $349.

Is this really worth an extra 50 bucks? Maybe if you tell him your name is "Bud" and then mail it to the MLB offices in New York...

Here's the website pitch:
"Get Pete’s now-famous “I’M SORRY I BET ON BASEBALL‿ inscription on a baseball, addressed to you or the recipient name of your choice, with his autograph below it, all guaranteed authentic! Includes a Certificate of Authenticity from Mounted Memories ...

"Important: In keeping with our standard return policy, no returns or exchanges will be accepted on personalized autographed products. This item cannot be canceled after four days from date of placement."

It doesn't say you can't ask for the name "Bud," does it?

The next step for this punchline will be an opening of "The Simpsons" with Bart at the blackboard writing: "I'm sorry I bet on baseball."

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 8:11 AM | Permalink

In what figures to be his last regular-season scheduled start at home -- that's a lot of conditions put on one outing if someone's trying to decide whether it's worth saving the ticket stub-- Roger Clemens gave the Houston Astros fans the long goodbye after seven solid innings again during his performance Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds. He left with a 7-0 lead, giving up just three hits and striking out six. He won the game 7-2, improving to a stellar 7-5, and No. 348 overall.

Worth every penny that the Astros spent on having him come back at midseason.

The Associated Press did a fine job covering all angles of Clemens' farewell salute at Enron, er, Lemonade Park. And the whole thing was completely staged.
The seven-time Cy Young winner walked to the mound for the seventh, but Astros manager Phil Garner came out before he threw a pitch and replaced him with Russ Springer. That allowed the fans to stand for aroaring ovation and let Clemens tip his cap as he walked off the field. The cheering continued and Clemens came out for a curtain call, shirt untucked, pumping his fist in the air before disappearing into the dugout.

The 44-year-old Clemens will have two more scheduled starts this season -- and possibly for his career -- at Philadelphia on Monday and at Atlanta on Sept. 30.

Here's another angle of his long goodbye:

Here's a different crop of the same photo:

And here's one you don't see every day:

At least that one didn't have the guy in the plaid shirt in the front row clapping.

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 1:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

To promote some stuff he's done in conjunction with Fox Sports Net's "Best Damn Sports Show," Kobe Bryant was offered up as interview fodder for any takers by the FSN folks.
Regrettably, we passed. I mean, what new could we possibly gleen about the Life of Kobe that we didn't already get from Fred Roggin's interview with him during Sunday's episode of "The Challenge"? Seriously, talking to Kobe isn't a high priority.
But John Nadel of the Associated Press took the challenge.
Here are the gems he got Kobe to reveal under a story with a headline: "AP Interview: Kobe ready for another run as season nears"
--"My knee's getting healthier."
--"We made some key additions."
--"I think they played extremely well" (on the U.S. basketball team that lost to Greece)

Already, my interest isn't piqued.
Read on, if you must ...

By JOHN NADEL
AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Kobe Bryant took care of a number of things this summer: He traveled around Asia _ where some of his basketball comments got lost in translation _ underwent knee surgery and hit the weights.

One thing he didn't do was play for the United States at the world championships. He wanted to be on the team, but his right knee didn't cooperate. He had arthroscopic surgery instead, a decision he's altogether happy with as he gets ready for his 11th season.

"The knee's getting healthier and stronger day by day," the Los Angeles Lakers' star told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "I haven't been able to run yet; I should be cleared to run in a while. I've been doing a lot of weight training, things of that nature."

Bryant hopes to hit the court running before the end of the month _ just in time for the start of training camp Oct. 3.

"We just have to play it by ear," he said. "The most important thing is to get all the strength in my leg back. You don't want to rush it."

Bryant expects to be 100 percent healthy by the time the Lakers open the season Oct. 31 against the Phoenix Suns.

"I hope so," he said with a laugh.

It was common knowledge that Bryant's knee bothered him last season, but apparently more than he let on.

"It took me 45 minutes to warm up for practice and games. It was crazy," he recalled. "It was very sore, you just played around it. I couldn't attack, put pressure on the defense the way I wanted to."

Maybe not, but he still managed to win his first scoring championship, averaging 35.4 points _ the highest since Michael Jordan's 37.1 in the 1986-87 season and the eighth highest in NBA history.

Bryant led the Lakers to a 45-37 record and the playoffs after they went 34-48 a year earlier, when they failed to qualify for the first time in 11 years. Los Angeles extended Phoenix to seven games in the first round before losing.

Bryant, who turned 28 last month, figured rest was all his knee needed. But that didn't do it.

"I got back into my training, a couple days into it, it got sore," he said. "Then, it started getting worse."

He had surgery July 13, thinking he would make a full recovery in eight to 12 weeks. He seems right on schedule.

Bryant hopes the signing of Vladimir Radmanovic, Maurice Evans and Shammond Williams will strengthen the Lakers.

"We made some key additions with those guys," Bryant said. "We turned some heads the way we performed last season. We were a very young team. We're still a young team. I think it will be exciting."

Bryant helped put on three clinics this summer _ in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Philadelphia _ and will be part of a three-sport clinic Tuesday in conjunction with the New Orleans Recreation Department and the Fox Sports Network's "Best Damn Sports Show Period."

"It's an uphill battle," Bryant said, referring to the ongoing recovery from Hurricane Katrina. "With any uphill battle, the important thing is to take it one day at a time. They're not alone in this."

Member of the New Orleans Saints are expected to participate along with the New Orleans Hornets and the New Orleans Zephyrs, a Triple-A baseball team.

During the summer, Bryant toured Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan. While in Taipei, he was quoted as saying the U.S. basketball team will have to work on its chemistry to perform well at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Didn't happen, he says now.

"Those words never came out of my mouth," he said. "I think something must have gotten lost in translation. Obviously, they misunderstood everything I was saying."

Bryant plans on playing in the Olympics, joining the likes of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade. He credits other national teams for improved play, pointing to the world championships as a good example. The U.S. lost to Greece in the semifinals and finished with the bronze medal.

"I think they played extremely well," he said, referring to the American team. "Greece played better on that day. What can you say? It's on us to have that challenge to step up to that level."

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 1:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

All right, so grounds keeper may be the more acceptable term for those who keep the grounds used for playing baseball in tip-top shape. You can either enter a contest to become a Fantasy Dirt Dragger through some "Think Blue" promotion, or you could actually educate yourself as to what goes into a career as a guy who does more than just cut the grass and drags a hose across the pitcher's mound.

The MLB Urban Youth Academy in Compton has scheduled a "Grounds Keeping Field Day" on Saturday (Sept. 23) -- a sorta symposium on what needs to be done and how to do it. Murray Cook, the MLB Field Consultant and President of Brickman Sportsturf, will be there, as will Barney Lopas, the Angels field and ground maintenance manager; Chad Olson, the project director at International Sports Turf, and Kyle Waters, director of grounds and sports turf for the Home Depot Center.
They'll discuss the right way to water a field, build a pitcher's mound, take care of the home plate area, marking the lines, and set up batting practice.

Registration at the academy on the Compton Community College campus (901 East Artesia Blvd.) is first-come, first-served. The day, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., includes a lunch at 11:30 a.m. and a discussion on internship programs with Major League Baseball and the MLB Urban Academy

For more info, call (310) 763-3479 or visit www.youthbaseballacademy.com

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 10:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

According to the International Skating Union, that's the opening night of the 2009 World Championships -- which will be held at Staples Center and be used as the qualifier for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Sharpen your blades of steel right now. Dick Button's comin' to town.

"There are so many great skaters coming from the L.A. area, so I think the community will really embrace the event," Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen, left, who lives and trains in Orange County, told the Associated Press, still rubbing her behind from falling on the ice so many times during her Winter Olympics routine. "Plus, it's always great to get a worlds in our own country, especially right before the Olympics. It will make the event just that much more huge."

L.A. beat out bids from Helsinki, Finland, and Budapest, Hungary. It will be the 12th time the world championships have been in the United States, and the first since Washington had them in 2003. Only Germany has hosted more worlds — 13.

Staples Center will be used for all competitions in 2009 (March 23-29), just as it was when Los Angeles hosted the 2002 national championships. Some practices will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

The worlds will be in Tokyo in 2007 and Goteborg, Sweden, in 2008. The 2009 European championships were awarded to Helsinki, which beat out six other bids. They will be held Jan. 19-25, 2009.

OK, that's too many dates to remember. Lemme pull out the calendar and start mapping this out before I get a brain freeze.

Back to Cohen: You may remember the story the Daily News ran a few weeks ago about her new Hollywood aspirations, and her official website, SashaCohen.com, isn't shy about pushing her into that next phase of her career.

Or is that Sacha Baron Cohen?

(Did you know her actual birth name is Alexandra Pauline Cohen ... she's already gone Hollywood)

Either way, if hooking up Tom Arnold just to get a role in "Soul Plane 2" is what you're looking for, please, just say no. See the red in his eyes? That's just from the flash photography. He's the devil.

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 6:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last week, the NFL was falling all over itself announcing it had the country's No. 1 and No. 2 prime-time rated shows..

This week ... well, when you consider Emmitt Smith's cha-cha was more important to some level-headed viewers, there can't be all that high-fiving around Roger Goodell's office.

NFL prime-time games ranked second and fourth for the week (9/11-9/17) among all programs. The Sunday night game on NBC (Redskins-Cowboys) ranked second (18.4 million viewers), while the CBS national game on Sunday (mostly Patriots-Jets and Chiefs-Broncos, while the L.A. market was stuck with Chargers-Titans) was the week’s No. 4 show (16.7 million viewers).
What was better? Ahem, ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars� ranked first; CBS’s “Survivor� was third for the week.

Oh, really?

Meanwhile, in what we've slowly come to realize is a pretty cool deal, the NFL Network (for those who have it) is replaying four games from the previous Sunday on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. On "NFL Replay," the New York Giants-Philadelphia game replays at 5 p.m., with the New York Jets-New England game at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at 5 p.m., it's New Orleans-Green Bay and at 7:30 p.m., it's Carolina-Minnesota.
They're edited down to 90-minute telecasts, with only the stuff that matters.

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 5:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ESPN says Hall of Fame reporter Peter Gammons, who suffered a brain aneurysm in late June, will be on the 3 p.m. PT edition of "SportsCenter" and the 4 p.m. PT edition of "Baseball Tonight" on Wednesday (Sept. 20). Gammons willl report from Fenway Park, where the Red Sox are hosting Minnesota.

An ESPN spokesman said that future appearances will be scheduled as Gammons is comfortable with doing more.

On the ESPN.com website, Gammons has posted his first column since coming back and explains how his aneurysm happened:

"Honestly, I remember very little except that I got a splitting headache driving to the Gold's Gym in Mashpee, Mass. At 7 a.m. on June 27, I pulled into a parking lot to sleep. I remember very little about all the people who saved the life of someone whose sister, Anne Durant, died of the same type of aneurysm a decade earlier.

"A wonderful person named Agnes Rockett-Bolduc watched me pull into a parking lot, tried to talk to me and immediately called 911. Within minutes, or, really, seconds, the guys at Mashpee Fire and Rescue had me in an ambulance screaming for the Falmouth Hospital, and Dr. John Mendleson, where they immediately diagnosed that I had suffered an aneurysm and needed to get to Boston. So Bill, Christopher and Tim were flying me in their helicopter toward Brigham and Women's Hospital in a matter of minutes."

Posted by Tom Hoffarth at 4:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We're trying to find a reason to get pumped for the Ryder Cup over in Somewhere, Ireland at a club that goes by some letter ... K? ... when it occured to us:
Elin Woods? Elin Nordegren? What do we call her now?
We call ourselves lucky.

Lucikly, there was a photographer around to shoot Mrs. Woods (above, center) as she showed up with Diane Antonopoulous, the girlfriend of Europe's Luke Donald, at the Curragh Racecourse in Ireland on Tuesday while the players of this weekend's big golf tournament were attending a meeting.

Not so lucky was the fact a photographer also found Mr. Woods out on the course later in the day. It appears Tiger was either trying to duck the crush of fans or he found a nice quiet place to contemplate his next shot.

This may not answer the question about what a bear does in the woods, or what Woods does while chasing The Bear, but it's a nice ad someday for PortaPotty.

Meanwhile, Tiger apparently is having a (bleep) fit about how his wife is portrayed in the media. According to this story in something called NewsMax.com, Tiger "is furious after a magazine in Ireland printed topless photos of a woman it wrongly identified" as Elin. It quotes the Britain's Daily Mail as saying Tiger was "appalled" by the latest issue of the Dubliner.
The magazine goes on to claim that golfer Chad Campbell's wife Amy is a "large-chested singer" and says David Toms’ wife Sonya finds it "liberating" to wear her bikini around the house.

We have no link to any of these pictures because, well, we feel if you really want to find 'em, you'll find 'em on your own.
Now get to it.

By the way, the Belfast Telegraph has a story with the lowdown on each player and his wife. This includes a blurb on Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman and his wife, Melissa, the 1981 graduate of Crescenta Valley High (who went by Melissa Zoutendyk back then):

The deeply religious United States captain cr