February 2010 Archives
Highlights of the week ahead in sports, both here and afar:
MONDAY
NBA: Clippers vs. Utah, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., Prime Ticket:
NBC Olympics, gone. Jay Leno, back. No more 10 p.m. hole. But something we feel comfortable in making a guarantee for tonight's 11:35 p.m. return: At least one Clipper joke during his first opening monologue.
TUESDAY
NBA: Lakers vs. Indiana, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., FSW:
"Sometimes the best moves are no moves at all," Pacers coach Jim O'Brien said after the trading deadline came and went without Indiana, or GM Larry Bird, making any moves. "If you're looking at putting some free agents two years from now into this basketball team with Danny (Granger) two years out, Roy (Hibbert), Brandon (Rush), A.J. (Price), guys like that, then you have to be disciplined in what your doing. You have to make sure, if you make a move, that it's best for the team." What's best for this team now is not to play the Lakers at this point in the season.
NHL: Kings at Dallas, 5:30 p.m., Prime Ticket:
Can the Kings (37-20), winners in 12 of their last 14, reclaim the momentum they had in the post-Olympic break? There are 20 games left in the regular season for them, starting against a Stars' team currently ninth in the Western Conference.
WEDNESDAY
NBA: Clippers vs. Phoenix, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., Prime Ticket:
Forget the fact that the Suns squashed the Kaman-ejected Clips the other night. Did you see this in the Wall Street Journal recently: A study designed for the business publication by sports-reference.com, an Internet sports database, looked at NBA teams' attendance for the past 10 seasons. It then weighed certain factors like city population, arena capacity, prior winning percentage and whether there are other competing teams in the same market. By those measures, Clippers fans are the most devoted. In the whole league. The Lakers fans came in sixth. WSJ also figured out: "One wild card that Lakers supporters can point to: Sometimes, Lakers fans buy Clippers tickets simply because they're cheap by comparison."
THURSDAY
College basketball: USC at Arizona State, 5:30 p.m., FSW; UCLA at Arizona, 7:30 p.m., FSW:
UCLA forward Reeves Nelson, who had laser surgery to repair a slightly torn retina in his left eye, will try out some new James Worthy-type goggles upon his return. Enough time to break 'em in before March Madness kicks in?
NBA: Lakers at Miami, 5 p.m, TNT, Channel 9:
Your Miami Heat, a .500 team with an Olympian point guard who may or may not be around much longer.
NBA: Kings at Nashville, 5 p.m., FSW:
The Kings went 0-3-1 against the Predators last season, including 0-2 at Staples Center, and are already 0-1 against them this season.
Exhibition baseball: Angels vs. Chicago White Sox in Glendale, Ariz., 2 p.m., FSW (replayed at 7:30 p.m.):
We accept practice baseball games from Arizona, and perhaps the first televised sighting of Godzilla in a Halo uniform. After this, the Angels also play the Rockies on Friday (noon, FSW, replayed at 10 p.m.) and Oakland on Sunday (noon, FSW, replayed at 7:30 and 10 p.m.)
FRIDAY
Golf: PGA Champions Tour: Toshiba Classic in Newport Beach, first round, Golf Channel, 3:30 p.m.:
Older gentlemen going around the local golf course, with someone named Eduardo Romero as your defending champion. With a man-purse of $1.7 to split up. The field of 80 includes Tom Watson, Bernard Langer and Fred Couples. Got goosebumps yet?
NBA: Lakers at Charlotte, 4 p.m., Channel 9:
Perhaps by the time the Lakers get to the N.C., these Bobcats will officially be in Michael Jordan's grubby little hands. Commissioner David Stern is supposed to approve the transfer of ownership by the end of this month. Can't do it sooner? Last meeting: Feb. 3, Kobe was 2-for-12 shooting (5 total points) in a two-point victory, where Lamar Odom scored 19 off the bench.
NBA: Clippers vs. Oklahoma City, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., Prime Ticket:
They're referring to Kevin Durant as "Duranchela?" Scary.
SATURDAY
Horse racing: $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap:
Among the 31 early entries (narrowed to 14): Dry Martini, Cigar Man, Mr. Big, Rendezvous, Hold Me Back and Delightful Kiss. Oh, and Tiger's Rock. But we're hoping a Baffert horse, Misremembered, gets in. Remember, Roger Clemens... The 4-year-old will be making his second start of the year and has three runner-up finishes in his last three starts, including the Strub Stakes at Santa Anita a couple of weeks ago, where he blew a clear victory. For those who don't remember.
Exhibition baseball: Dodgers vs. Chicago White Sox in Glendale, Ariz., 1 p.m., Prime Ticket:
"Batting third, the designated hitter, No. 99, Manny ...." He's in the shower.
Special: "Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals," HBO, 8 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.:
An hour-long documentary on the relationship between the Lakers' Magic Johnson and the Celtics' Larry Bird -- starting with their meeting in the 1979 NCAA Finals and taking them through their NBA careers, launches on HBO. "Larry Bird and 'Magic' Johnson are basketball royalty," says HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg. "Their accomplishments speak for themselves at every level, but their intersecting back stories are just as rich and compelling as their championship performances. We will tell their full life stories and provide an in-depth portrait of their complicated and historic bond." Guests interviewed include Pat Riley, Kevin McHale, Michael Cooper, Bryant Gumbel and Arsenio Hall.
College basketball: USC at Arizona, 10:30 a.m.; UCLA at Arizona State, 1 p.m., Channel 2:
Just like that, the Trojans end their season. Today. No Pac-10 tournament. No NCAA shot. Just a long wave goodbye since the regular schedule is done. Meanwhile, the Bruins get some national attention before the Pac-10 tournament starts next week.
NHL: Kings vs. Montreal, Staples Center, 7 p.m., FSW:
At the beginning of February, each Kings player decided to donate $200 per win to the American Red Cross relief operation in Haiti -- up to $4,800 per win -- with the Kings Care Foundation matching each contribution. With the four wins last month, the Kings will be making a $40,000 donation to the American Red Cross during today's game.
NBA: Clippers at Utah, 6 p.m., Prime Ticket:
You're only allowed to play the Jazz twice in one week.
SUNDAY
NBA: Lakers at Orlando, 11:30 a.m., Channel 7:
Magic point guard Jameer Nelson has seen too much Lakers-Cavs NBA Finals talk. After all, who's the defending Eastern Conference champion? "You look at the commercials now, and you'd think Cleveland and the Lakers already were in the championship [series]. I guess that's what the fans want to see,'' Nelson said last week after his Magic beat the Cavs, 101-95. "But I think we're here to spoil it for the fans.'' TNT got the first rematch of last year's NBA Final. ABC has the second, and last, meeting before the Magic go poof into the night. Back on Jan. 18 at Staples Center, Shannon Brown scored 22 off the bench in 21 minutes (while Kobe added 11 in 41 minutes) during the Lakers' six-point victory.
Continuing from today's "Off the Wall" column, with Roland Lazenby, who has authored a biography of Jerry West (linked here):
Q: With Jerry West planning his own autobiography later this year, can see how that book and your book would complement each other rather than compete?
A: Jerry is a very smart man, and in talking to me and choosing to do it this way, I think it's the best possible way for him to discuss his life in detail.
Q: Some of the pre-book release publicity centered on an excerpt taken from the last chapter, a part where Jerry, as the Lakers general manager, admits to protecting the image of the players in the 1980s and '90s, revelations of players like Magic Johnson having sex with women in the Lakers' locker room after games and before going out to talk to the media. Did that distract much from what this book is really about?
A: This book really is a serious effort, and those who have reviewed it have noted that. So I'm not too concerned. Like anyone else, I don't want something things in a different direction from how I intended. For people who have read the book, they've said, 'Wait a minute, that's not what this book is about.' Everyone in Los Angeles is fairly familiar with the painful events that happened in 1991, when Magic announced his was HIV positive. This book is really aimed at the playing career of Jerry West and his efforts to beat the Boston Celtics, which finally happened in 1985. (The publishers) asked me to add a chapter on Jerry's afterlife as a general manager, so I did that, but I really had to summarize a lot of things. I did a book on the Lakers 17 years ago, so I took a lot of information from that. Then a columnist in Milwaukee seized on that information. And that's fine to focus there, but really, it got weird when all these websites picked it up and hyped it in a strange and bizarre direction. I don't think that serves anyone. There's the adage that any publicity is good as long as you spell my name right, but I don't think that applies here. I wrote about it more on my blog to give it some context. It's a relatively minor thing in the course of things.
Q: When you speak of generations not having seen him play, many of today's Lakers fans will naturally assume Kobe Bryant is the greatest player in franchise history, because he just passed West as the all-time leading scorer. Do too many not know that West could really be the best player in franchise history?
A: Let's not forget Magic Johnson. Greatness is measured in points, but it extends to so many things. When you see how Magic energized the city of L.A. and delivered championships and all the amazing things he did, it's hard to beat him as the No. 1 player. It's hard to also overlook Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar). But looking at Jerry West when he came into the league in 1960, with this bankrupt franchise that just moved from Minnesota, joining up with the great Elgin Baylor to form a hyper competitive twosome. They faced Celtics teams with Bill Russell that could be the greatest teams of all time. You see what Jerry and Elgin meant to Los Angeles in terms of bringing the crowds alive and introducing pro basketball as a left-coast thing, then later with Jerry in his role as a coach and executive. It's hard to say. It's always subjective. My personal list would have Magic first, then Jerry, then probably Kareem and Baylor, too, before Kobe.
Q: As far as Jerry's career as a Laker executive, there are quotes you have from him about his relationship with Phil Jackson, and now that we're hearing Jerry's side of things about why he left the franchise, do you believe his story to be accurate?
A: There's no question that Phil forced him out. Tex explained all that to me. Phil just wanted to start over with that culture and he didn't want to get into whether this was 'Jerry's team' or his team. Phil did ask him to leave the locker room in 2000 during the playoffs against Portland, and Tex said Phil knew that would be a blow to Jerry's ego. Del Harris later said that Phil was the only one who could have done something like that to Jerry.
Jerry has had a lot of conflict in his life. He had trouble with Bob Short, the first Lakers' owner, and with Fred Schaus, his college coach who was then his pro coach, and then GM of the team. They were alienated for years. (Eventual Lakers owner) Jack Kent Cooke had a huge, bitter confrontation with him. So all this shows that it's not just all on Jerry. He has a demand for the way a perfect world of basketball should be. It drives him crazy that it's not perfect. He battled a lot with Pat Riley when he thought his ego overflowed. He had his moments with Jerry Buss. So he's had this alienation from a variety of figures, back to his own father. I don't think Jerry ever got the chance to reconcile with his father, but he learned that lesson and did, later in life, reconcile things with Schaus and Cook, and Riley eventually asked him to present him for his Hall of Fame induction.
Q: Ultimately, where do you think Jerry West's contradictory nature comes from?
A: I've had a lot of talks with Tex Winter, and he says there are these types of people, who Phil Jackson calls the 'Alpha males,' who are perfectionists, like Oscar Robertson, or Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson. They are complex and can be difficult to be around. That makes for a great way to play on the court, but you're stunned about how hard they can be to live with that kind of nature day in and day out. Jerry has known that he's horribly moody and could have taken steps to change it, but he knew he needed that anxiety and high pitch to be able to compete. That gave him his edge. He nurtured that over the years.
And there are all these stories out there about him. His legendary unhappiness was always there. I did a radio interview with someone recently in Memphis, and he asked me, 'Do you like Jerry West?' I said, 'Well, I admire him tremendously and, yes, he was very gentlemanly in dealing with me, but he did have these outbursts and anger.' So the host asked me again, 'Do you like him?' And I knew what he was talking about. Sometimes, he's unlikable and truly difficult. But my answer to him was, 'I think you've encapsulated everything in that question.'
Q: Do you look forward to Jerry West's autobiography when it comes out later this year?
A: Oh, I sure do. I can't wait. I'm curious to see how it comes out.
== More Lazenby books of interest:
== "The Show: The Inside Story of the Spectacular Los Angeles Lakers In The Words of Those Who Lived It" (2005) (linked here)
== "Mindgames: Phil Jackson's Long Strange Journey" (2000) (linked here)
== "Mad Game: The NBA Education of Kobe Bryant" (1999) (linked here)
== "The Lakers: A Basketball Journey" (1995) (linked here)
== "The NBA Finals: The Official Illustrated History" (1990) (linked here)
== "They Call Me Coach" (with John Wooden and Jack Tobin) (1988) (linked here)
For those in the bobblehead biz -- our collection has improved to 35 strong, including three versions of Eric Gagne -- the Dodgers offer these in the 2010 season:
May 18: Andre Ethier
June 8: Jonathan Broxton
July 20: James Loney
Aug. 17: Another Matt Kemp (he was also featured last year).
Some, we've passed on. Our shelf doesn't include Fred McGriff, or a couple of other outfielders of the past who've been given out at previous promotions.
That's our fault. We've been lax in trying to collect them all. We only have the second version of the Ramirez bobblehead, given out the night he hit the pinch-hit grand slam, and not the second one.
Now we have a quest to make, to fill out the roster.
Our favorite: Babe Ruth, which is in the middle. Also the Steve Garvey and Ron Cey versions, both large and small, that bookened the shelf.
We're also partial to the Asian Dodger mascot bobblehead that popped up along the time when the team brought in Hideo Nomo.
Three Lasordas, and one Torre.
Fernando, Gibson and LoDuca.
Drysdale and Newcomb are cool.
But the one date we always look forward to during the Dodgers' release of promotions are which bobbleheads will be featured.
Oh, we are still looking for the Joe Beimel. Anyone got one to spare?
Why has NBC been so defensive about how it covers the Olympics? It's the same story every two years, winter and summer, like death and taxes.
You know we're going to get hosed if we want to watch live stuff. You know they're going to do whatever it takes to maximize viewership in prime time.
End this vicious cycle now.
USA Today's Mike Heistand had a great piece earlier in the games suggesting ways to fix this cruddy system -- like allowing more different networks to own pieces of things. An ESPN could do live events all day long for those who treat the Olympics as a sporting event. NBC or someone else could have their prime-time wrapup shows and Mary Carillo features, for those used to seeing it that way.
Why must NBC hoard it all? Because it's the American way.
Sports Illustrated's Richard Deitsch (linked here) tried to peel back more of the NBC onion this week, and succeeded in just making us painfully aware that as long as Dick Ebersol calls the shots and is paid by the rating point, nothing will change.
Deitsch asked executive producer David Neal if the criticism of NBC delaying tape-delaying events was fair or unfair.
"I don't even worry about giving it a rating in my head," Neal said. "We believe in what we are doing here. The amount of time and effort that we put into preparing for the Olympic Games surpasses anything that I've been around. We have the strength in our convictions. We believe in what we are doing. We believe in the way that we present the Olympic Games. And I think the ratings back us up."
And we have the angry viewers emails and Twitters that prove otherwise.
Meanwhile, the New York Times' Richard Sandomir gives us hope (linked here)
Olympic fans who crave the chance to see everything live may find an ally in ESPN, which would discontinue the tape-delay template if it wins the U.S. media rights to the 2014 Sochi and 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
ESPN executive VP of content John Skipper said: "I don't think nonlive is sports fan-friendly. ... It's hard for me to imagine, in our culture, not showing events live ... (but NBC execs indicated that they) believe that its broadcast-focused model works and they do not envision a radical shift in 2012."
Skipper said he does not see any negative effect of running all events live: "If you had a sports-fan presentation for downhill skiing, I don't think you'd have less viewers."
Skipper adds on NBC's Olympics coverage, "I believe the restrictive manner in which they treat all aspects of the Olympics is very old school and I think, ultimately, not fan friendly. I think ultimately you could generate more interest in the Olympics and Olympic sports if we, for instance, had the opportunity to basically report on it, show videos, get people excited. At this point, what we have access to is very limited and it's a very old-fashioned idea. ... We believe in live. We just think at this point with technology and people's expectations and the ability to get instant information, we believe in live."
Sadly, NBC is averaging a 14.2 final Nielsen rating (25.2 million viewers) for its primetime coverage of the Vancouver Games through Tuesday night (12 telecasts), up 14 percent from the '06 Turin Games and exceeding what they promised advertisers.
NBC's Olympic coverage is also seeing double-digit increases among young viewers, according to a memo NBC Sports & Olympics Chairman Dick Ebersol sent to the net's Olympic workers on Sunday, the Sports Business Daily reports.
"Many of you know how much I cherish the fact that our Olympic broadcasts bring families together but nothing pleases me more than introducing young children to the ideals of the Olympics," Ebersol wrote. ... "Our audience polling tells us that 77 percent of parents say that the Olympics provides them a valuable opportunity to talk to their kids about positive values."
In the memo, Ebersol quoted notes he has received praising NBC's coverage from a first-grade class in New Jersey and a viewer from California.
Not the California viewers that we've talked to.
Ebersol then gloated this morning when news came out that the Olympics on NBC topped ratings for Fox's "American Idol" for the second time in two weeks. "Idol" had been undefeated in six years (dating back to May 2004). When going head-to-head against "Idol" the Olympics had 19.2 million viewers against "Idol's" 17.8 million.
"I never thought we would have the good fortune to beat the incredibly well-produced and enduring phenomenon of 'American Idol' even once. But twice?" Ebolsol said in a statement released by NBC today. "At best, I deeply believed we might come a little closer than we did four years ago because the show is such a powerhouse. We are happy to rent 'Idol's' space for a few nights. All the thanks goes to the athletes of the world who give us these great stories to tell. Their stories are the stars of our show -- and led to these two 'miracles' -- just as the young entertainers are the stars of 'Idol.'"
Yuck.
What else is out there to glean some knowledge from:
== Beware of the "ESPN Bandit" in Chi-town (linked here)
== You think you can be a sideline reporter:
== Tony Kornheiser's remarks about Hannah Storm are just part of the biz in N.Y. TV (linked here). "That's the nature of the beast, no matter how long or how much time women are in the field," said WPIX/Channel 11's Lolita Lopez.
== So Scott Van Pelt got punk'd ... and managed to take it as a badge of honor because it's happened to him before (linked here). That just kind of proves he's not too bright. Nor does the fact he doesn't even know when his mike is on ... (linked here)
== ESPN wasn't happy with Peter Pascarelli taking a swipe at Bud Selig, but in 21st Century Journalism, who hasn't? (linked here).
== The MLB Net is, as expected, going spring training crazy (linked here). And the Dodgers' 2010 TV schedule has no curveballs (linked here).
== Order your 3D TV now... from Sears (linked here).
== Did Aaron Boone major in communications at USC? (linked here)
== Johnny, are you Weir? Don't ask the French (linked here).
AND FINALLY:
== NBC produced some numbers to make you forget it's still getting smacked by Fox's "American Idol" during its Winter Olympics coverage.
Such as:
46% of Olympic viewers changed their typical routine to watch the Olympics.
34% delayed doing laundry or other household chores - including paying bills - in order to watch the Olympics.
59% said they didn't watch some of their "regular shows" in order to watch the Olympics
35% of viewers cried or became teary-eyed while watching (25% among men)
66% of viewers cheered aloud while watching the Olympics
63% stayed up longer than usual to watch, resulting in 42% being "more tired than normal."
42% of viewers said the Olympic sport they would most like to try is bobsled
(Source: Research Results)
In my house, 100 percent of the viewers cried while watching. My wife was upset that laundry hadn't been done. I was upset that most of the stuff wasn't on live. And our dog got sprayed in the face by a snunk. That adds up to a perfect score, including a point point in artistry.
(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Scott Gardner)
Canada's Marie-Philip Poulin, left to right, Kim St-Pierre and Charline Labonte drink beer on the ice with their gold medals ...
They're swiggin' beer, smokin' cigars, sharing some great Great White North champaign . . . so what's the problem with the way them Canadian women were out there on the ice upholding the values of the Olympic ideals in toasting their victory over the Americans for the women's hockey gold medal on Thursday?
What other way do you expect the future lumberjacks of Vancouver to party hearty, especially with a national Canadian drinking age of just 19?
Is there more concern that some of the girls were drinking Coors Lights instead of Molson?
Why wouldn't this be some kind of template now for the way the U.S. could celebrate their gold medal over Canada when the men's hockey final takes place Sunday?
They've apologized (linked here) ... but do they need to?
Let's be careful out there gals....
(AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Canada's Meghan Agosta (2) and Jayna Hefford (16) share a light for their cigars, which then gives Agosta the opportunity below to take a long, hard drag ... you enjoying that?
Haley Irwin, left, and Tessa Bonhomme have their own celebration routine above ...
Irwin and Agosta then do it their way, above and below ...
Hopefully it's not too late to glean information from Universal Sports, the Westlake Village-based network that we featured today (linked here) and has been doing great ancillary work during NBC's Winter Olympic coverage.
They're a lean, meaning fighting machine in the effort to get out Olympic news, and stay on the landscape as an Olympic-sports provider after the games end. Not yet on DirecTV or Dish Network, you can find it in Southern California on Time Warner (Channel 226), Charter (305), Cox (805) and Verizon FIOS (464).
Or, if you're into finding such methods of backdoor politics, there's a way to access the BBC's Olympic coverage, through its website, according to a reader who has told us how to do it.
He writes: "On a scale of 1 to 10, at least for me, it was a 3 (getting access). Just a matter of finding the feeds on the BBC website and that was not hard at all. No one tipped me off. The Beeb has a notice on their webpage when you enter it that they have live Olympics coverage. I go there all the time as part of reading football news. If you're in North America it's just live text that updates automatically and a scrolling live results thingy. If you're in the UK it automatically brings up video and their "channel options" of sports to watch. Enabling this simply required finding a proxy server in the UK to mask my location. ... Once the information is entered into the system settings and the browser you go to the BBC page and BAM! It now thinks you're from the UK and it gives you a notification of video. ... And in reality it's not that hard to find information on how to do this."
Have it it, friends...
"If my wife has her way, we'll never watch the Olympics through NBC ever again so long as we're able to get into the BBC. ... The video quality isn't HD. But that doesn't matter. It's good enough. It is the experience though that is stunning."
We got more notes, quotes and back-door anticdotes to pass on as well:
== Darren Sutton and Morgan Ensberg will call the USC-UCLA baseball game from Dodger Stadium that airs Sunday on Prime Ticket at 2 p.m. (with a re-air at 7 p.m. on FSW).
== The day after the AVP announced Mike Dodd had been installed as its new commissioner, the pro beach volleyball tour announced a new deal with ESPN and ABC that has been in the works for several years. For the next two years, the networks will carry 13 events -- four on ABC and nine on ESPN2. Coverage starts with the Fort Lauderdale Open on April 18.
"This new agreement gives us a consistent national reach that will be essential to our growth as a sport, and we couldn't be more excited that both our passionate fans and a growing new audience will be able to follow us on ESPN," said Jason Hodell, Chief Executive Officer of the AVP. "The 2010 season will showcase the veterans and new stars of the AVP to a very large audience, and there couldn't be a better place for that exposure than ABC and ESPN."
This means: No more Fox Sports Net, no more NBC. Probably no more Chris Marlowe calling it.
The 2010 schedule, with only some of it live, and many of it either/or men's or women's events only:
Sun, April 18th - Women/Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (ESPN2,ESPN360, 2:30 pm)
Sun, May 2nd - Men/Santa Barbara, Calif. (ESPN2/ESPN360, 2:30 pm)
Sun, June 6th - Women/Huntington Beach (ESPN2, ESPN360, 11 a.m.)
Sun, June 6th - Men/Huntington Beach. (ABC, 1 pm)
Sun, June 20th - Women/Virginia Beach, Va. (ESPN2, ESPN360, 11 a.m.)
Sun, June 27th - Women/Belmar, N.J. (ESPN2, ESPN360, 11 a.m.)
Sun, July 18th - Men/Hermosa Beach (ESPN2, 9 p.m.)
Sun, July 25th - Women/Malibu (ABC, 1 pm)
Sun, July 25th - Men/Malibu (ESPN2, ESPN360, 8 pm)
Sun, Aug. 22nd - Women/Manhattan Beach (ABC, 1:30 pm)
Sun, Aug. 29th - Men/Chicago, Ill. (ABC, 10:30 a.m.)
Sun, Aug. 29th - Women/Chicago, Ill. (ESPN2, 9 p.m.)
Sun, Sep. 19th - Flex/Hermosa Beach (ESPN2, 9 p.m.)
== Thursday was the first of seven straight days of NFL Network coverage of the NFL combine from Indianapolis. It continues today at 11:30 a.m. and Saturday at 10 a.m. There are 329 players going through the meat market process of inspection and rejection, with Rich Eisen trying to piece it all together for viewership purposes with great patience and help from Mike Mayock, Charles Davis, Jamie Dukes, Marshall Faulk, Michael Irvin, Jim Mora and Deion Sanders. As well as Fran Charles, Steve Mariucci, Brian Billick, Jason La Canfora, Michael Lombardi and Charley Casserly.
The USC and UCLA players expected to be at the combine: DB's Taylor Mays, Kevin Thomas and Vern Alterraun, OL Charles Brown, TE Anthony McCoy, RB Joe McKnight, WR Damien Williams and DTs Brian Price and Kyle Bosworth.
Former Oaks Christian QB Jimmy Clausen should also be there, but isn't expected to throw. And don't overlook TE Dennis Pitta (linked here), right, a former Moorpark High standout who ended up as the leading receiver in BYU history with 221 receptions (for 2,901 yards and 21 touchdowns).
== CBS has somehow decided to make next week's UCLA-Arizona State contest a national affair (Saturday, March 6, 1 p.m.) from Tempe, Ariz., using the Lakers' Spero Dedes on play-by-play with Bob Wenzel, who will be his broadcast partner during March Madness games next month. Dedes will be in the middle of a Lakers' road trip that has them at Charlotte (March 5) and at Orlando (March 7). Dedes and Wenzel will likely do the Pac-10 championship game on March 13, the day before the 64-team bracket is announced.
== Sean Farnham and Michael Cage call the Cal State Northridge-UC Irvine game that airs at 7 p.m. Saturday on Prime Ticket (following Oregon-UCLA at 2 p.m. and Oregon State-USC at 4:30 p.m.)
== "Being John Daly," the reality show series that got some play during John Daly's performance at the PGA's L.A. stop two weeks ago because it seemed as if he announced his retirement while the cameras were on him following his failure to make the cut after Friday's second round, starts with part one on Tuesday at 6 p.m. on Golf Channel. It's the first of eight episodes. The network likens Daly to Mickey Rourke's character in "The Wrestler" -- how a man's professional challenges and personal demons come together to make for compelling watching.
"We've been with Daly day-in and day-out for nearly a year following his attempts to rebuild his personal and professional life," said Tom Stathakes, Golf Channel senior vice president of programming, production and operations. " 'Being John Daly' will be a raw, unprecedented look behind the scenes, and we know viewers will be fascinated as we bring them along for the ride."
== Golf Channel will also be debuting the second second of "The Haney Project," where golf pro Hank Haney works on the swing of comedian and actor Ray Romano. That premieres Monday at 6 p.m. Ironically, Romano's character on the recently completed first season of the great TNT show "Men Of A Certain Age" has Romano committing to try out for the PGA Champions Tour (or the "senior tour" as he called it). The series' 2009 debut with Charles Barkley was the highest-rated original program in the Golf Channel's history. Romano currently scores in the mid-90s and wants to break 80.
AND FINALLY:
== We have our views of it (linked here). But one last take on the Tony Kornheiser-Hannah Storm story that blew up in his face, unfortunately, from Dan Levy of The Sporting News' Sporting Blog:
Do you know how many times Kornheiser has said nearly the exact same thing about Storm in the last few years? At least 30. You should hear what he says about the exposed arms of Hota Kotb, host of NBC's Today's fourth hour. Kornheiser does his radio show with two TVs on in the booth - one on SportsCenter and one on, as he calls it, the Today Program for the specific reason of using it as fodder for the show. He constantly comments on Storm's outfits on the show, so to those who listen every day, it was maybe a little more harsh this time, but not anything out of the ordinary.
If a tree falls in the forest - or in this case an old subversive radio host rips a woman on TV - and it takes two days for the blogs to hear it, is it worth reporting? In this case, because Storm and Kornheiser both get paychecks from the same company, it's certainly worth reporting. And while he both publicly apologized to Storm on his show, and mentioned that he privately apologized as well, Kornheiser has to love this mess because it reminds people that, yes, he still has a radio show and that he's prone to say anything about anyone at any time...especially if she's wearing something provocative on TV during the hours he tapes his show..
Today's media quiz: How old is Hannah Storen, eh, Storm?
If you guessed 45, add two years. We'll go by a story that appeared on her in USA Today in 2004 that identifed her as 41 and also revealed this crazy birthmark under her eye (linked here).
Friday's media column will focus on the work done these last two weeks by the Universal Sports network, an NBC-owned cable channel based in Westlake Village (recently relocated from Glendale) that has been doing a live 7 a.m. to noon block of TV every day that includes live updates, journalism roundtables, extended figure skating shows and plenty more long-form information segments that just don't fit otherwise into the NBC block of channels.
Terry Gannon and Lindsay Soto, above, are two of the main anchors based in Vancouver, but Craig Hummer is in the San Fernando Valley-based studio doing the live reports at the top of each hour -- no video clips because they're still saving that for the NBC prime-time stuff, but at least a way to feel connected.
More on the channel: http://www.universalsports.com//
The Dodgers have a multimedia element to their website (linked here) where you can be part of the "This Is My Town" billboard campaign.
Consider the possibilities.
== The ebony and ivory of Andre Ethier, always patting himself on the back:
== The ability for a cryptic (or not-so-cryptic) reminder about the last time the Dodgers won a World Series:
As much as we love to pay tribute to Milton Bradley (above) and make it look pretty much like the real deal, there are endless possibilities:
Continue reading Who's town is it? The Dodgers say it's anyone's who can type.
Every major-league baseball team will get at least three appearances on the MLB Network's coverage of 78 spring training games, starting with Atlanta vs. the New York Mets from Port St. Lucie, Fla., on Tuesday at 10 a.m.
Of those games, 45 are live, using the local broadcasters. Unless otherwise announced, games will be blacked out in each club's home TV territory.
The schedule calls for the Angels' game against the Chicago White Sox to air at 7 p.m. on March 4, but that game will also be on live (2 p.m.) on FSW and replayed later in the night. Same with the March 6 Dodgers-White Sox game from Glendale, Ariz.
More info: www.mlbnetwork.com
Sears, where you were once able to buy a do-it-yourself home out of a catalogue -- I'll take the Missionary, my dear Roebuck, and put it on my account --will be the first to do your home right with a 3D TV.
Sears will be the first U.S. retailer for 3D TV sets, pushing the Samsung 46- and 55-inch models starting sometime next month. It is already taking orders for the futuristic contraptions on their website (linked here). Just add it to your freakin' cart and go forward. There also seems to be a 5 percent "instant savings" on on electronics over $699.
That's $2,599 for the small flat-screen; $3,299 for the bigger. Or almost twice as much as it used to cost for a Sears house.
You'll need 3D glasses, and the only thing that'll work at first are 3D DVD movies -- but the 3D DVD players won't be around until sometime later this spring. And a 3D disc of "Avatar" is expected in November.
ESPN and DirecTV have already committed to launching a 3D channel sometime this year. ESPN wants its channel go to in June in time for the World Cup soccer tournament from South Africa.
The Kings annual "Rink Tour" meet-and-greet will hit six Southern California-area ice rinks on Saturday from 2:30 to 4 p.m.
Different groups of Kings players, coaches and broadcasters will travel to each rink in for on-ice clinics with kids and autograph sessions. There's no admission charge.
The rinks:
== Iceoplex in Simi Valley (131 West Easy Street, 805-520-7465)
== Ice Station Valencia (27745 N. Smyth Drive, 661-775-8686)
== Ice Chalet, Palos Verdes (550 Deep Valley Drive, Rolling Hills Estates, 310-541-6630)
== Aliso Viejo Ice Palace (9 Journey, 949-643-9648)
== Ice Town Riverside (10540 Magnolia, 909-637-3070)
== Pasadena Ice Skating Rink (300 E. Green Street, 626-578-0801)
By Nancy Armour
The Associated Press
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Johnny Weir is looking for understanding, not an apology.
Broadcasters on French-language RDS who made derogatory comments about the American figure skater's masculinity need to consider the impact their words will have on
others, particularly impressionable youngsters, Weir said Wednesday.
"I want them to think before they speak. I want them to think about not only the person they're talking about, but also other people like that person," he said. "What people as a majority need to do is think, and think about who they're affecting. ...
"I don't want, 50 years from now, more boys and girls to go through this same thing."
The Quebec Gay and Lesbian Council demanded a public apology from RDS after one
commentator said Weir hurts figure skating's image and another said Weir should be
made to take a gender test. The remarks were "outrageous" and "homophobic," CQGL said in a statement on its Web site.
Mark Tewskbury, a gold medalist in swimming at the Barcelona Olympics, called the remarks "totally unacceptable."
"I think Johnny Weir adds a fantastic element to men's figure skating," Tewskbury said at a news conference at Whistler Pride House, a venue designed to support gay and lesbian athletes and coaches. "It doesn't send the message that you have to be Johnny or be like him. It shows that all kinds of people take up figure skating, and all kinds of people can be excellent at figure skating.
"I was actually quite shocked that that is still happening in 2010."
Although Weir said he found the comments "offensive," he supports free speech and doesn't think the broadcasters should be punished. He also doesn't really care if people criticize him.
But he does worry that the broadcasters' comments and the attitudes they foster will hurt kids who are different and are trying to find their place in the world. Or cause parents of those children to be less supportive.
"I hope more kids can grow up like I did and more kids can feel the freedom to express themselves," he said. "Out of ugly, I think the most important thing in life is to make something beautiful."
Weir is one of skating's most oversized personalities, and he enjoys challenging convention. He was targeted by animal-rights activists after adding white fox fur to his free skate costume for last month's U.S. championships, and he once posed for a
photo shoot in a skirt and stilettos.
But he repeatedly has avoided questions about his sexual orientation, and did so again Wednesday. People shouldn't be defined by labels, Weir said.
"I don't think the fact I'm a figure skater matters. I don't think who I sleep with matters. I don't think where I'm from matters. I want people to see me for who I am, not what I am," he said. "I don't feel there's anything that anybody has to be out and about about. I think you should be out about being yourself. You need to be out and really own who you are."
Campaigning on a platform of trying to be a voice for the future of women's participation in the Olympic movement, Simi Valley native and U.S. women's hockey star Angela Ruggiero was one of two voted onto the International Olympic Committee's athletes' commission today.
Ruggiero will be joined by British bobsledder Adam Pengilly in landing an eight-year term and full IOC membership during that time.
In a statement issued through the USOC, Ruggiero said: "It is a tremendous honor to be voted by my fellow Olympians to become a member of the IOC Athletes' Commission. I want to thank everyone who has put their faith and trust in me to represent them. I will do all I can to be a good ambassador of the Olympic Movement and represent athlete issues to the IOC - not just from North America - but from around the world."
Scott Blackmum, CEO of the U.S. Olympic Committee, added: "We are very proud of Angela for the way she represents herself, her sport and the United States both on and off the ice. I cannot think of anyone better to represent the athletes at the IOC."
Voting by Olympic athletes was held over the past three weeks at the Olympic villages in Vancouver and in the ski-resort town of Whistler. Pengilly received 615 votes; Ruggiero got 605. In third place was French skier Antonine Deneriaz (455 votes) from the nine candidates.
The athletes' commission was created in 1981 and serves as the voice of the active athletes within the Olympic movement. It has 19 members - eight summer sports
athletes, four winter sports athletes, and the rest appointed by the IOC president to
ensure a balance in terms of gender, sport and region.
Ruggiero and Pengilly replace Pernilla Wibert of Sweden and Manuela Di Centa of Italy.
The 30-year-old Ruggiero, an assistant captain on the U.S. women's hockey team as a defenseman, will be only the third American on the 114-member IOC board, with Anita de Frantz and Jim Easton. The athletes commission has had no U.S. representation since former volleyball star Bob Ctvrtlik's term ran out in 2008. Former track star Edwin Moses has also served on the board.
Ruggiero told us recently that her previous involvement in the Women's Sports Foundation and being an advocate of Title IX compelled her to nominate herself for IOC inclusion as she's working toward a Masters degree in sports management at the University of Minnesota.
"I feel very fortunate to play in four Olympic Games and I'm thinking of ways to give back, to be a voice, especially for women's athletics," Ruggiero said last week. "I'm trying to make sure there are opportunities available for boys and girls. The Olympic movement has such power and the ability to be an international voice for sports. Sports is like music, it's such an international language and speaks to many at once."
A Twitter response posted on Ruggiero's account (linked here) just before 5 p.m. said: "I was just elected by my fellow Olympians to the IOC Athletes' Comm.! I am so honored!!
The commission meets at least once a year and serves as a link between active athletes and the IOC.
"I am so happy for Angela as this is something she's been passionate about for a long time," said Natalie Darwitz, captain of the U.S. Olympic women's hockey team. "I've had the privilege of having Angela as a teammate at three Olympics and have seen the leadership qualities she's brought to the sport of women's ice hockey in the United States for many years. I know she'll be a fantastic leader on the IOC Athletes' Commission."
Ruggiero, who has a degree in government from Harvard, has been involved in ProSports MVP Olympic Heroes Tour, Charles B. Wang Ice Hockey "Project Hope" in China, and Right to Play.
Ruggiero and her U.S. teammates will face Canada for the gold medal on Thursday. Ruggiero was on the U.S. gold-medal winning team at the 1998 Games, and has also won silver (2002) and bronze (2006) with the squad.
"I am very excited about this important responsibility and am honored to be among such high-esteemed Olympians and leaders in the worldwide Olympic movement," Ruggiero said. "To receive this kind of an honor and play in the gold medal game with my teammates is the pinnacle of my career as an Olympian."
Spillover from the latest divorce paperwork involving Jamie and Frank McCourt show that, somewhere down the road, if the man gets his way, the Dodgers are pointing toward forming their own TV network.
No stunner there. Most teams with a market base like L.A. should be doing the game. The model has already been established in New York, and enough teams have local clout to pull it off.
Meanwhile, in the TV schedule released today by the team, about two thirds of the Dodgers' regular-season games in 2010 -- more than 100 -- will appear on long-time cable partner, Prime Ticket, with the other third on KCAL-Channel 9, and the rest on either a national or regional telecast by Fox (KTTV Channel 11) or ESPN.
As usual.
The Dodgers and Prime Ticket (previously named FSW2) have been partners going into their 14th season, and will continue its "Dodgers Live" pregame and postgame. KCAL, which has about 50 games, many of them on Tuesday nights home and away, climbs into the mix for its fifth season and wil lhave its "Think Blue TV" pre and post-game shows.
Games already taken by Fox (KTTV-Channel 11) are on Saturdays, April 17 (vs. San Francisco), May 22 (vs. Detroit), June 19 (at Boston), June 26 (vs. New York Yankees), July 10 (vs. Chicago Cubs), July 17 (at St. Louis), July 24 (vs. New York Mets), July 31 (at San Francisco) and Sept. 18 (vs. Colorado), with some games to be announced. ESPN has already claimed the Sunday, July 11 game vs. the Chicago Cubs and could add more.
Several dates on the Dodgers' schedule are listed as TBA, leaving them open for first choice by the networks.
Nearly immediately after the U.S. men's hockey team defeated Switzerland today 2-0 in the quarterfinals of the Winter Olympics tournament, NBC announced today that Friday's semifinal contest against the winner of the Finland-Czech Republic game will be broadcast live in all time zones.
The noon start in Vancouver means a noon start on KNBC-Channel 4, rather than a three-hour delay, as Wednesday's game was aired. Live coverage of the U.S. win over Switzerland was videostreamed live on NBCOlympics.com.
There is reason to believe that if the U.S. makes it to the gold-medal game on Sunday at 12:15 p.m., it will also be carried live on KNBC-Channel 4.
The Czech Republic-Finland game airs live today on CNBC starting at 7 p.m.
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Baseball fans who sit six rows behind the third-base dugout at the Kansas City Royals' stadium know they might have to duck a few foul balls.
But a Kansas man says it was a flying hot dog, not a baseball, that almost put his eye out last year.
John Coomer has filed a lawsuit against the Royals seeking more than $25,000 for injuries he sustained Sept. 8 when he was smacked in the eye with a hot dog chucked by the team's mascot, Sluggerrr.
Coomer said the wayward wiener caused a detached retina and the development of cataracts in his left eye.
The Royals declined to comment Tuesday. The team is looking for someone new to wear the mascot's large lion costume, spokesman Toby Cook says there's "no connection" with the hot dog affair.
Mike Dodd, one of pro beach volleyball's all-time greatest players, was named commissioner of the AVP today, CEO Jason Hodell announced.
The Manhattan Beach native and resident out of Mira Costa High won 75 titles over an 18-year career (1980-'97), including silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics with the late Mike Whitmarsh. Dodd is second all-time in tournaments played (337), sixth in titles and fourth in career earnings ($1.67 million).
"Mike is the perfect fit for a strategy of embracing the core volleyball community," said Hodell. "His skills as a player, coach, broadcaster and ambassador are world class."
Dodd says he comes into this position "humbled ... One of my goals is to usher in an era of cooperation between the AVP, USA Volleyball, FIVB, and of course all our grass roots organizations and affiliate partners. I believe by working together, we can all better serve the sponsors and players we represent."
Dodd, 53, was the coach for AVP stars Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal at the recent Beijing Olympics. He also captained Team USA to a win over Brazil's best players in the inaugural AVP World Challenge last September.
Dodd is a five-time Manhattan Beach Open winner, with Tim Hovland ('82, '83, '84, '85 and '87). In 2009 he became the first to coach the men's and women's champions of the same Manhattan Beach Open (Gibb and Rosenthal on the men's side and Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs on the women). He also has been doing broadcasting for NBC's AVP coverage.
Leonard Armato has been the highest-profile AVP commissioner until he resigned in April, 2009. Armato had built the AVP from six events in 2002 to 31 events in 2008. Hodell had been acting commissioner since then. The AVP released a 12-event tour for this summer, beginning in April (linked here). Dodd actually played in one of his first beach events with Armato, the 1975 Marine Street Men's Open and finished seventh.
Five quick things you'll learn after reading the 1½-pound "Jerry West: The Life and Legend of a Basketball Icon" by Roland Lazenby, which hit bookstores today ($28, ESPN Books, 448 pages, linked here):
== West, on his relationship with Phil Jackson, and how it played in West leaving the organization's front office: "People think I hate Phil Jackson. I don't hate him. I really didn't know Phil. We are so different in terms of how he interacts with people. I was used to kidding around with people . . . Phil was just different."
== West, on having to fire Pat Riley as coach in the early '90s: "People think I hated Pat Riley or didn't like him. That's not true either. . . There are certain coaches that draw attention and want attention. And there are others that don't. I think the ones who don't want it, their natures are different. Pat is a little bit more flamboyant in his approach to things . . ."
== West, on when the Lakers moved from the Forum to Staples Center in 1999: "I'm not sure (owner) Jerry Buss realized how important that was. It was a license to print money. Jerry had been a great operator and a terrific owner. We used to talk almost every day when he was in his office. But then he quit coming to the office."
== West, hired as the Lakers coach in 1976, tried to talk then-owner Jack Kent Cooke into acquiring Julius Erving, to play alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, when the ABA folded that year. The Philadelphia 76ers made it happen instead. "We could have gotten Julius Erving," West says. "That's the only time I ever got involved. I told Mr. Cooke, 'You should take this guy. . .' He told me it wasn't my money; it was his money. So be it. I never talked to him about those things anymore."
West later admits, even after admitting that he set aside his differences later with Cooke before Cooke's death: "Nevertheless, I really didn't like Jack Kent Cooke."
== A sexy excerpt that has been circulating in pre-book release had to do with Magic Johnson's sexual escapades with the Lakers, where the team sauna at the Forum was a place for him and other players to entertain women, even right after games, before Johnson would put on a robe and do post-game media interviews. Said West: "I cared. I did things for those guys. It was ridiculous, some of the things I did for those guys. If the public knew, they'd be outraged. It was a pretty crazy period for us."
Lazenby has since address that excerpt (linked here) on his "Laker Noise" blog to try to give it some context.
The 12-stop AVP pro beach volleyball tour broke out its schedule with a mid-April start date, a mid-September end date and a lot of holes in between.
Santa Barbara (April 29-May 2), Huntington Beach (June 3-6), Hermosa Beach (July 16-18), Malibu (July 24-25), San Francisco (Aug. 14-15), Manhattan Beach (Aug. 19-22) and a yet-to-be-announced South Bay site (Sept. 17-19) make up half the schedule.
The other stops: Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (the April 16-18 opener), Virginia Beach, Va. (June 18-20), Belmar, N.J. (June 25-27), Chicago (Aug. 27-29) and Mason, Ohio (Sept. 3-5).
Nothing on Fourth of July weekend? Hmm...
She's already been around the world on philanthropic endeavors, including helping the New York Islanders with a program to help China improve its hockey program. And she's been in Donald Trump's boardroom, lasting until the final three on the 2007 season of "The Apprentice."
So a story in today's Sports Business Daily reveals that Simi Valley's Angela Ruggiero has been pitching her agent to get her a spot on the CBS reality show, "Amazing Race," paired up with U.S. Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson, shouldn't be all that surprising.
Both are clients of agent Sheryl Shade, of Shade Global (linked here), whose Olympic clients include Paul and Morgan Hamm, Bela Karolyi, Blaine Wilson, Chellsie Memmel plus Mia Hamm and Kristine Lilly.
"The two of them, then nag me constantly (about 'Amazing Race,') Shade told SBJ writer Erik Swanson about Ruggiero and Johnson.
The SBJ story points on that Ruggiero has built up "an impressive endorsement portfolio" featuring Nike, Visa, Coca-Cola, Easton and Qwest Communications. Shade said that going forward, Ruggiero has a focus on expanding women's hockey with young girls.
"Olympic sports sponsorships aren't always about the money," Shade said. "It's the opportunities they can offer and where they can take her. ..."
It's not like you're going to confuse Angela Ruggiero with Angela Lansbury.
"She's got the goods, and she's got the substance behind her," Shade says of her client. "And she's very good with the press and the media. This is a sport where sponsors every day want to make sure that whomever they choose to have an association with their brands can actually talk and do the messaging correctly. And I think that's one of the reasons they look at her."
Bob Costas, in Monday's Wall Street Journal, said it about viewer complaints related to NBC's coverage of the Winter Olympics:
"Some of it is really informed and insightful, and some of it is something people pull out of their rear end."
Here's some of the reader response we got already from our column today (linked here), by readers like you who speak from either your front or rear ends:
-- Jack & Joy Patzold:
"My wife and I agree with your article this morning that NBC has really screwed up their 'coverage' of the Olympics. We also have the ability to receive MSNBC and just by luck and the schedule in the Daily News Sports section we were able to view the last 20 minutes of the USA vs. Canada game; a thriller to be sure!
When we saw the antics later in the night we could not believe our eyes, This event by Mr. Costas, et. al., ranks up there with equipment malfunction, lip syncing, and virtual anything. We begin not to believe anything that the television media show or say to us. Entertainment, we think not and thank them NOT to think for us, just show the live events, we can turn down the sound and edit out the annoyances.
Thank you for blasting NBC although to change their minds about scheduling is like stopping a Freight train with a Zippo!"
-- Jean Harrell:
"I have been bellyaching for years about their live coverage and made numerous calls to them to complain, mainly on their live tennis coverage. I hate it when they televise tennis because they are seldom live and the results have already been posted on the likes of ESPN. They also have the nerve to tell viewers to look away if they do not want to see the result. Keep up your ridicule of their coverage."
-- Javy in Burbank:
NBC completely screwed up the entire Olympics! Seriously, and they wonder why ratings are in the sewer! FISHING on ESPN 2 and the Westminster Dog show got higher ratings because NOBODY CARES ABOUT ICE DANCING!!!
" 'Old Man' Kornheiser is off today,'" said Mike Wilbon at the opening of Monday's episode of "Pardon the Interruption" on ESPN.
Truth is, Tony Kornheiser is off for a few days, essentially because he spoke the truth.
SportsByBrooks.com confirmed (linked here) that Kornheiser's comments about the attire recently worn by ESPN "SportsCenter" tart Hannah Storm (not her real name: It's Storen) got him punished by the Bristol suits.
According to an Associated Press report, ESPN VP of content John Skipper said Kornheiser has been banished for two weeks because "hurtful and personal comments such as these are not acceptable and have significant consequences."
On his D.C.-based radio show last week, Kornheiser said:
Hannah Storm in a horrifying, horrifying outfit today. She's got on red go-go boots and a catholic school plaid skirt ... way too short for somebody in her 40s or maybe early 50s by now. She's got on her typically very, very tight shirt. She looks like she has sausage casing wrapping around her upper body ... I know she's very good, and I'm not supposed to be critical of ESPN people, so I won't ... but Hannah Storm ... come on now! Stop! What are you doing? ... She's what I would call a Holden Caulfield fantasy at this point.
He apologized on the air, and to Storm, last Friday. Kornheiser, via a link from TheBigLead.com (linked here), had an explanation of what happened to open his ESPN 980 show today.
(So he was punished on the TV end, but not on the radio end where the "offense" took place).
I back Tony 110 percent on this one. It had to be said, if not by him, than at the very least by Hannah's husband, NBC broadcaster Dan Hicks, who has his kids to protect. You can't let your wife out of the house looking like ... well, you know.... no matter how much you think sex sells sports on TV and is vital to your career well-being.
Act your age, Hannah. Ask Linda Cohn for her Macy's card and do the right thing.
What are you thinking? Really? It's not a thong and tube-top, but who's decision is this for you to put on your body?
This goes back to a year ago, when Deadspin.com (linked here) was wondering about the "de-cleavaging" of Storm -- she had been dressing much more appropriately. But then ...
This clip, in August (note, the long lick with the finger):
You ain't Hurricane Hannah any more, and we're OK with that. Dress accordingly. Please. For the kids.
Especially if "PTI" asks you to sit in for Kornheiser this week. Which ESPN, if it was thinking clearly, would do so immediately.
For reference, this is Hannah, on the left and some other ESPN wannabe on the right:
Aaron Boone won't be playing baseball anymore. After 16 seasons in the pros -- 12 in Major League Baseball, with six teams -- the former USC star third baseman won't be going far. ESPN announced today that he's been hired as a new "Baseball Tonight" analyst starting next week, as well as doing some game color.
"It is with a sense of pride, sadness, and enthusiasm that I formally announce my retirement after 16 years of professional baseball," Boone said in a statement. "While it's tough to leave the game as a player, I am eager to start my next career with my new team at ESPN. I am very grateful that I'll be able to stay in the game as an ESPN analyst and work with people who share the same passion for baseball that I do. I really appreciate ESPN giving me the opportunity to evolve in the sport that I love."
Jay Levy, ESPN senior coordinating producer, added: "As a player, Aaron was a tremendous competitor known for one of baseball's most dramatic postseason walk-off home runs. He offers an important perspective, being recently removed from the game and having deep baseball roots, which will make him a great addition to our team."
In 12 seasons, most of them with the Cincinnati Reds ('97-03), Boone was an NL All Star in '03. On the last day of the 1998 season, the Reds helped him make baseball trivia history by starting the only infield ever composed of two sets of brothers -- first baseman Stephen Larkin, second baseman Bret Boone, shortstop Barry Larkin, and third baseman Aaron Boone.
In '03, after he was traded late in the season to the New York Yankees, Aaron Boone hit the famous game- and series-clinching home run in the bottom of the 11th inning of Game 7 of the ALCS to push the Yankees to a 6-5 victory over the Boston Red Sox and Tim Wakefield.
Boone's combined '03 stats: 24 home runs, 96 RBI and a .267 average.
That offseason, Boone tore a knee ligament during a pick-up basketball game played in violation of his contract with the Yankees and was released -- opening the way for the Yankees to obtain Alex Rodriguez. He didn't return to the big leagues until 2005 (with Cleveland), and after stops in Florida ('07) and Washington ('08), he went to Houston ('09) and is believed to be the first player to return to the big leagues after open-heart surgery.
He underwent the procedure in March '09, and returned to the field in September, six months later when he made his Astros debut against the Chicago Cubs. He appeared in 10 games over the remainder of the season. Boone said he had known about his heart condition since his college days at USC, but tests after a physical determined he needed surgery, although it was not an emergency.
Boone is a member of what could be the most famous family of major leaguers -- grandfather Ray was a former All-Star third baseman, father Bob was a former All-Star catcher (including a time with the Angels) and manager (he was Aaron's manager at one time), and brother Bret is a retired All-Star second baseman, also from USC.
Boone, a Villa Park High standout, was a guest analyst for the MLB Network coverage of the 2009 ALCS between the Angels and Yankees and also worked for ESPN Radio.
From the Associated Press:
Two broadcasters are facing criticism for derogatory comments made about American figure skater Johnny Weir.
The Quebec Gay and Lesbian Council has demanded a public apology from French-language broadcaster RDS after one commentator said Weir hurts figure skating's image and another said Weir should be made to take a gender test.
The remarks were "outrageous" and "homophobic," CQGL said in a statement on its Web site.
Weir has repeatedly avoided questions about his sexual orientation in the past, saying it's no one's business and it has no bearing on what he does as an athlete. He is aware of the comments, agent Tara Modlin said Monday.
"The comment is so inappropriate that we will not even justify it with a response," U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun said.
Australia's Channel Nine has reportedly gotten complaints from viewers after two of its hosts joked about the masculinity of Weir and other male skaters.
From Darren Rovell at CNBC.com:
For the 30-year anniversary of Miracle on Ice, we sat down with the game's play-by-play announcer, Al Michaels:
Q: "Do You Believe In Miracles" is arguably the most famous call of all-time in sports. How do you come up with that?
AM: I came up with it from my heart I guess. I know somebody wrote recently that it was the nine-year-old in me. I love sports and you can't think of something like that beforehand.
Q: So, what have those words been worth it to you?
AM: Certainly it's a nice signature I guess. People love to talk about it. For me the irony was I was at ABC, it was my fourth year at ABC and I'm in my mid-thirties at that point,. I was on a fast track to begin with on a staff with Howard Cosell, Jim McKay, Frank Gifford, Keith Jackson. They bring me in and I'm the up and coming guy. I had done the World Series in 1979, so it wasn't like I came out of nowhere and this happened. Now this what great, no question about it, but I was kind of moving along on a track that was going to let me do a lot of the big events at ABC. But, in terms of capitalizing on it, when I go out to give a speech its what people want to hear. It gives me something to talk about.
From NBC's media relations department:
The top 10 metered markets as far as Neilsen ratings for the Winter Olympics over the last 10 days:
1. Milwaukee, 22.8/35
2. Denver, 22.7/37
3. Salt Lake City, 22.4/38
4. Seattle, 21.0/38
5. Minneapolis, 20.5/35
T6. St. Louis, 19.4/30
T6. Columbus, 19.4/30
8. San Diego, 19.1/32
9. Portland, 18.8/34
10. West Palm Beach, 18.7/27
11. Cleveland, 18.1/28
12. Kansas City, 18.0/27
13. Nashville, 17.7/26
14. Boston, 17.6/31
T15. Phoenix, 17.3/28
T15. Providence, 17.3/29
17. Oklahoma City, 17.2/26
T18. Austin, 17.1/28
T18. Tulsa, 17.1/25
T18. Ft. Myers, 17.1/27
T21. Sacramento, 17.0/30
T21. Cincinnati, 17.0/26
23. Washington D.C., 16.8/27
24. Richmond, 16.7/25
25. Indianapolis, 16.6/27
Los Angeles is No. 48 at 13.8/25
From the Associated Press:
Viewers tuning in to the start of the women's figure skating competition Tuesday may notice something different coming from NBC's booth -- silence.
Scott Hamilton said he and partners Tom Hammond and Sandra Bezic have made a special effort this Olympics to keep quiet during performances, except to interject a point or two.
That will continue with the women's event, generally considered the television showcase of the Olympics.
"There are so many details happening during these performances that we're keeping track of," Hamilton said, "but for us to throw that in front of an audience, especially when a majority of your audience is an every-four-year viewer, I think it would be intrusive and confusing and so complicated that no one would enjoy the event."
He said bosses, including NBC Olympics chief Dick Ebersol, wanted to cut down on verbal clutter for artistic events. Because the competition is presented live on the East Coast, there's no opportunity for editing.
Viewers could also drown in technicalities because of a new scoring system, which already had a big impact on men's figure skating.
"We'll give just enough information and let the performances speak on their own merits," he said.
Hamilton said five or six women could legitimately compete for medals. But many of the women are evenly matched, the scoring system is a wild card and in recent Olympics favorites have not reacted well to the pressures of the big stage.
"Handicapping is almost irresponsible," he said.
From the Associated Press:
The United States' thrilling 5-3 men's hockey victory over Canada set or tied records in two countries.
It was the most-watched sporting event in Canadian television history, according to the partnership of Canadian networks airing the games. An estimated 10.6 million people watched the game north of the border -- many of them bitterly disappointed.
In the U.S., the game was televised live on the MSNBC cable network, where it was seen by 8.2 million people, according to the Nielsen Co. That ties Election Night 2008 as the most-watched event on that network, Nielsen said.
NBC offered only a taste of the game -- less than a minute. NBC's prime-time Olympics coverage was seen by 23.3 million. With stiff competition from its own sister network, that was below NBC's average for the Vancouver Games.
From Awful Announcing.com:
Dana Jacobsen, apologizing again:
Figures. Just when NASCAR is all done with L.A., it decided to launch a song-and-dance talent show for its fans.
Speed, the auto-racing cable channel owned by Fox, is about to launch a reality show "Fast Track to Fame" that'll debut on March 1 at 6 p.m., with 10 episodes lined up to find those who think they have talent in coordination of where ever NASCAR stops along the way.
Fox says they way they'll find contestants is through the local media in whatever city NASCAR happens to land (last week, Fontana; this week, Las Vegas). Riki Rachtman is one of the judges. NASCAR personalities will also be part of the judging. Although this here thing looks like the perfect vehicle for Terry Bradshaw somehow.
Broadcast & Cable reports today that the show is the first major development announced since Fox Sports chairman David Hill expanded his role at News Corp.
Michael Waltrip will host it. His brother, Darrell, is part of Fox's NASCAR broadcast team. His other brother Darrell may be the only other person interested in watching this.
"I love talent shows," Michael says in the B&C story. "I went to Hunter (Nickell, Speed Channel president) and told him he should air a NASCAR talent show. He thought it was a great idea, and next thing you know, we're doing it. I know there's a lot of hidden talent in NASCAR Nation, and we're going to find it and have a blast while we do."
Charissa Thompson will co-host the hour-long show for singers, dancers and comedians. Presumably, those who also can play a song on their belly, fart to "King Of The Road" and gangle their car keys will have access to coming on.
It begins taping this week and runs until May. NASCAR does return to Southern California, but not until Oct. 10, the sixth race from the season-ender.
By that time, we'll be so lonesome we could cry.
AP Photo/Julie Jacobson
USA's Bobby Ryan celebrates a goal against Canada by teammate Chris Drury in the second period of a preliminary round men's ice hockey game at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada's Dan Boyle (22), left, Sidney Crosby (87), center, and goalie Martin Brodeur (30) were in on the play.
We interrupt this "live" bobsled competition, right smack in the middle of a run that could possibly end in death, to go "live" to the hockey rink because we need to show you some major event taking place ....
Seriously, that's what Bob Costas proclaimed on our NBC-programmed TV set last night, a little before 10 p.m. ...
We should have seen this coming from three time zones away.
The scoop you couldn't go to bed without knowing about --"live," the last 16 seconds of the USA's 5-3 victory over Canada. You gotta see this. All your pals will be talking about it Monday morning around that broken fax machine over by the receptionist's desk that's been vacant the last seventh months ago after she was laid off now we have to learn to learn the refill the damn unnecessary contraption by ourselves because someone still sends us faxes.
This hockey game, by the way, was an event we actually saw happened, turning a time that we care to refer to as live without quotes around it, exactly precisely and specifically three hours earlier. Way over on MSNBC non-HD. Per NBC's instructions. Because it was buried in HD ice dancing.
The beauty agony of NBC's Winter Olympic coverage originating from our Pacific Time Zone means we're in a constant time warp of sorts that will never add up, no matter how many five-dollar Subway adds buffer reality from the truth of the matter.
Mark this down -- we are at the breaking point in the NBC Winter Olympics when the network in charge, the one losing thousands of dollars in ad revenue, is now breaking into our taped coverage to bring us taped coverage.
Sure, it was once live at one time in another part of this country. But because we choose to live a better lifestyle in the part of the world the NBC does not fully acknowledge as a viable TV community, we continue to be force fed leftover byproduct.
What a bunch of ice holes.
It was curious enough that NBC joined those last few seconds, when the game had already been decided. Why not two minutes earlier, when the U.S. was clinging to a 4-3 lead, and Canada was merclessly firing shot after shot after shot at goaltender Ryan Miller, until they pulled their own goalie, Marty Brodeur, for an extra attacker -- only to have that backfire on an incredible empty-net goal. None of that was worth watching on tape by backing up the time machine just a few clicks?
Instead, for your true live (in the East coast) dive in, you get the already-been-determined view of a game that's over. Like joining a Bar Mitzvah when the frumpy custodian comes in with the pushboom to start sweeping up all the broken glass and empty dreams.
To add insult to insult, after some great analysis (again, what we already saw) from Ed Olczyk and Doc Emick -- Eddie called the victory "tremendously tremendous!" -- and an interview with Miller, Costas comes back, does some recap, goes to another dozen commercials, and NBC returns to have Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth live at the arena for their take on what just happened.
Now, an episode of "Sunday Night Football" breaks out.
Collinsworth, the former NFL player and current NFL commentator who knows a lot about football, says that U.S.-Canada game was so exciting it was "like Ernie Banks ... let's play two!"
Yeah, if you're confused, we're confused which sport he's now referring to as well. It may as well be mixed curling.
Collinsworth added on the importance of this game to Canada: "You could take all the emotion from all the other sports all week and put them in one pile. This is the moment that mattered to them."
Collinsworth added on Miller's 42 saves: "Jim Craig was so awesome back in 1980 but if he were better than Ryan Miller, I'd be surprised."
May we add that Collinsworth just stick to pigskin rather than vulcanized rubber sports?
Michaels, who knows a miracle or two when announces one, was so pumped up about what he just saw, you wish you could have joined him. Oh, wait, we did see it earlier. We know what he's talking about. We saw all the Twitter accounts and blog postings and even a few Western Union recaps of what unfolded.
"When we walked into the building, it was just electric and it stayed that way until the very end," Michaels said.
Then why didn't NBC share that earlier?
Too late. Michaels couldn't convey the essence of that three-hour game that, again, we saw because we took the time in our schedule to want to watch it as it happened.
NBC, which proports to care about hockey because it's the only major network to carry NHL games during the season as well as the Stanley Cup Finals, blew its prime opportunity to bring the most exciting event of the Winter Olympics to the most eyes.
And when it tried to scramble to make up for its boner -- no matter the fact that Olympic hockey will not deliver the ratings that a brother-sister skating team from England would bring dressed up Daisy Duke cowboy outfits touching, holding and sitting on each other in very inappropriate ways -- NBC pucked it all up.
Sorry, but if NBC was trying to appeal to female viewers, my wife was coming out of her seat watching the U.S.-Canada hockey game. She couldn't believe the intensity. Or the lack of penalties. Or the Canadian player who practically rode the U.S. player on his back into the boards and finally was called for a penalty.
But then, later in the evening, she settled in for her figure skating. Even as Tom Hammon called that pair "ridiculous" for their Aboriginal unoriginal costumes.
Ridiculous was an adjective used in that case in the proper manner. We agree it should also be used to describe NBC's lack of full coverage of these Games.
From Vancouver.
Where, if you check your watch, it'll be the exact same time as it is here in Los Angeles.
Nothing gets lost there in the exchange. Except NBC's credibility.
O, Canada. Oh, NBC....
The MLB Network's latest "Prime 9" list goes to the heart of the matter: The Bestest MLB Team Broadcasters in History.
Before you tune in tonight, think about the possiblities.
Who's not on the list? Easy there, Terry Smith. We just want the best nine.
We promised the MLB Net not to reveal the actual order of the list, from No. 1 to 9. We have the names of the those who'll be feature on the show -- Curt Gowdy, Phil Rizzuto, Harry Caray, Ernie Harwell, Harry Kalas, Jack Buck, Red Barber and Mel Allen.
Oh, and Vin Scully.
Again, not in that order. As we promised. For that, you'll have to tune in and pretend to be suprised.
"Prime 9" on broadcasters airs at 5:30, 8:30 and 11:30 p.m. today, Channel 213 on DirecTV, Time Warner 276 & 470, Cox 119, 262, 340 & 762 or 737, Charter 418 & 429 or 718 and Verizon FiOS 86 or 586. It repeats 10:30 a.m. Tuesday and 7:30 a.m. Sunday.
Highlights of the week ahead in sports, both here and afar:
MONDAY
Winter Olympics: 8 p.m. to midnight, Channel 4:
Prime time fodder goes heavy with the figure skating dance gold-medal final. Ever try to dance on the ice? We won't dance around the fact that our interest is more in the two women's hockey semifinals -- USA vs. Sweden at noon (USA Network) and Canada vs. Finland at 5 p.m. (CNBC). The men's U.S. curling team also has a border war to solve with brooms and stones against Canada (9 a.m., USA Network).
NBA: Clippers vs. Charlotte, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., Prime Ticket:
Four years ago, Michael Jordan became partowner of the Charlotte Bobcats. During Friday's Cleveland-Charlotte game, Bobcats owner Bob Johnson sat courtside, but avoided reporters as rumors continue to circulate that NBA commissioner David Stern expects the team to be sold in 60 days -- perhaps, all to Jordan. Who wasn't courtside. And probably won't be on this trip West with the team. But you never know.
TUESDAY
NBA: Lakers at Memphis, 5 p.m., Ch. 9:
Seemed like just a couple of weeks ago when the Lakers were in Tennessee, and Kobe was proclaimed the greatest Laker of all time because he passed Jerry West on the franchise's all-time regular-season scoring list. Has Kobe even played in a game since then? If he's back on the court for this one, that'll be news unto itself.
Winter Olympics: 8 p.m. to midnight, Channel 4:
The women's figure skating starts with the short program in prime time. Since Johnny Weir finished sixth in the men's competition, does that disqualify him from becoming a late U.S. entry into this mix?
WEDNESDAY
Winter Olympics: 8 p.m. to midnight, Channel 4:
The four men's hockey quarterfinals are played at noon, 4:30 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., with NBC taking the first one live. In prime time, the women's Alpine giant slalom gold-medal final should put Lindsay Vonn back in the spotlight. There's also gold to give out in the women's frestyle style skiing aerials, the women's bobsled, the men's short track 500 meters, the men's cross country 4x10km relay and the women's short track 3,000 relay.
NBA: Lakers at Dallas, 6 p.m., Ch. 9, ESPN:
This one won't be played at the Cowboys Stadium, but many eyes will curiously tune into the game. How will the new-look Mavs operate against the same-old Lakers? Ex-Wizards Caron Butler (left) and Brendan Haywood looks as if they've fit into the Dallas lineup.
NBA: Clippers vs. Detroit, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., Prime Ticket:
Still time for the Clippers to clear more cap space. Just don't suit up any more players the rest of the year.
THURSDAY
Winter Olympics: 8 p.m. to midnight, Channel 4:
The ladies figure skating competition comes to the medal distribution in prime time, so we'll see if Mirai Nagasu or Rachel Flatt have any shot at something shiny. And the women's hockey medals are sorted out, with the expected U.S.-Canada faceoff to come in the afternoon (3:30 p.m., MSNBC), following the bronze-medal game (11 a.m.).
College basketball: USC vs. Oregon, Galen Center, 7:30 p.m.; UCLA vs. Oregon State, Pauley Pavilion, 8 p.m., Prime Ticket:
Make sure no one on the USC bench is yapping at the refs, especially the loud guy with the fedora doing the PA.
Golf: PGA Tour Waste Management Phoenix Open, first round, Golf Channel, noon to 3:30 p.m. (final round: Sunday, noon):
The event at the TPC in Scottsdale has a new corporate sponsor, ironic since so many spectators on the course manage to get wasted.
FRIDAY
Winter Olympics: 8 to 11:30 p.m., Channel 4:
More from Vonn-couver: the women's Alpine slalom final shares the stage with Apolo Ono, again, in the men's short-track 500 gold medal final. The first of two men's hockey semifinals are live on NBC's afternoon broadcast (noon to 2 p.m.). The other has a 6:30 p.m. slot (on MSNBC).
NBA: Lakers vs. Philadelphia, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., FSW:
Last meeting in Philly: A 99-91 victory a month ago. That's just about the time Jrue Holiday, the UCLA one-and-done gun, moved into the Sixers' starting lineup. He makes a return to L.A. averaging 5.5 points and 2.2 assists a contest. And is that Jason Kapono still down there on the end of the bench?
NBA: Clippers at Phoenix, 6 p.m., Prime Ticket:
The PHX kept Amare Stoudamire. Maybe so he and Chris Kaman can relive those good ol' All-Star days.
SATURDAY
College basketball: UCLA vs. Oregon, Pauley Pavilion, 2 p.m., Prime Ticket; USC vs. Oregon State, Galen Center, 4:30 p.m., Prime Ticket:
Take a stroll around Pauley Pavilion one more time, for old time's sake. After this final Bruins home game, construction begins next month on the facilities' $185 million renevotation, starting on the outside. After the 2010-11 basketball season, the building will close for interior work, set to reopen in the fall of 2012. First Mac Court goes away on the Oregon campus, and now Pauley gets a good ol' L.A. facelift.
Winter Olympics: 8 to 11 p.m., Channel 4:
If the network can pull away long enough from the figure skating "champions gala" -- which doesn't award any medals -- there's championships to be given out in the men's showboard parallel giant slalom, the four-man bobsled and the men's Alpine skiiing slalom. The men's curling final is also taking place in the afternoon (noon, CNBC), with the men's hockey bronze-medal game at night (7 p.m., MSNBC). And it's all supposed to end in time for "Saturday Night Live." Which, of course, is taped.
SUNDAY
Winter Olympics: 7 to 10:30 p.m., Channel 4:
Before the closing ceremonies and any more malfunctioning caldrens, there's the men's hockey final live (Channel 4, 12;15 p.m.) after the men's cross country 50k gold medal race (Channel 4, 9:30 a.m.)
NBA: Lakers vs. Denver, Staples Center, 12:30 p.m., Channel 7:
They're still buzzin' about Carmelo Anthony's performance against LeBron James last week in Cleveland. And then trying to figure out how the Nuggets went out two nights later and lost to Washington. The Nuggets had just a 13-13 road record when this week started, but one of them was a 13-point win against the Lakers earlier this month.
NBA: Clippers at Sacramento, 6 p.m., Prime Ticket:
NBA rookie of the year candidate Tyreke Evans keeps these Kings interesting to watch.
Simi Valley native Angela Ruggiero hasn't just seen the lopsided scores that have been part of the women's hockey tournament at the Vancouver Winter Olympics. She's been helping produce them.
With two goals and two assists from her defenseman position, the 30-year-old Ruggiero has heard the talk that there's too big a discrepancy between the haves -- Canada and the U.S. -- and have nots -- Russia, China, etc. -- during the preliminary rounds that ended Thursday.
After the U.S. finished off Finland 6-0 in its final game, coming after a 12-1 win over China and 13-0 over Russia, there has been some worry that women's hockey could go the way of women's softball in the Olympic movement -- disappear because of a lack of balance in the world's performances.
Canada won its three games 41-2; the U.S. won its three games by a combined 31-1. The U.S. and Canada have combined lost just four games -- two to Sweden, and two to Finland -- since the women's world championship was sanctioned by the International Ice Hockey Federation in 1990.
"I put the onus on the federations," Ruggiero said in a story posted by the Toronto Globe and Mail (linked here). "Especially the countries that have men's programs like Russia."
These are the fourth Olympics for women's hockey, and the problem, says international federation president Rene Fasel, has been consistent: a lack of female players. There are 700 million women in China, he points out, and yet only 166 play hockey. Canada has 85,000 players, and the USA boasts almost 60,000.
"The IIHF and the federations need to step it up and help their women develop as much as the men," Ruggiero said in a USA Today story (linked here). " It's disappointing to see a country with a tradition and history as much as Russia not have a medal contending team."
A Vancouver Star columnist wondered if it really would be beneficial for the women's hockey movement if the U.S. met Canada for the gold.
"Give us some time,'' Ruggiero told her, after the U.S. beat China (story linked here). "You can't expect a whole nation to adopt a sport overnight and have thousands of girls start playing. They're going to see these girls play in the Olympics, regardless of the score, and say, `Hey, maybe that's a sport I want to try.'''
Ruggiero's concerns about the future of her sport have put her in a position to do more than just talk about it. She's on the ballot to become an IOC member of the athlete's advisory board. She'll find out Wednesday if she's won the election to a seat on the board -- which would make her the only U.S. representative.
Ruggiero talked to us recently about her future goals with women's hockey, her past achievements and her present state of mind as the U.S. squad goes for its second women's hockey gold in the last four Olympics. The Q-and-A will be in Sunday's editions.
Meanwhile, other stories that have been written about Ruggiero leading up to and through the Winter Games:
== A feature on NBCOlympics.com that includes many family photos (linked here)
== A feature in the Ventura County Star (linked here) that quotes her dad, Bill: "Angela always said she was going to play in the NHL and I didn't have the heart to tell a 7-year-old you are not playing in the NHL. You are a girl. At the time they didn't have anything for women basically. There was no world championship, no Olympics, no Division I college programs. But thankfully, things progressed over the years."
== A feature in the New York Times (linked here), the Detroit Free Press (linked here) and the Associated Press (linked here)
== The Vancouver Olympic site link to women's hockey (linked here)
== Her philanthropic side (linked here)
== On her opinion of the "unique" looking medals (linked here) that some have called "microwaved Frisbees": "I think they're awesome. One thing about the Winter Olympics is the originality of the medals. Haven't seen them in person, but I hope I get the honor!"
I've just about slept through the entire Winter Olympics. Not so much by choice, but by a flu bug and chest cold that's knocked me out into another antbiotic anthem.
No media column Friday. An Angela Ruggiero Q-and-A is slated for Sunday. Otherwise, just resting up for Week 2 after a very weak one.
Other than that, am I really missing anything?
Fox Sports Radio sends a transcript of Chris Myers and Steve Hartman having Charles Barkley on their show today to talk about Tiger Woods. Barkley says he agrees with Ernie Els that Woods is being selfish by holding a press conference during the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona.
Barkley: "I one hundred percent agree with Ernie."
Myers: "Oh, OK. Well that's cool."
And before heading back to napland, we're trying to piece together the thought of Hannah Storm in red go-go boots and a very short Catholic school plaid skirt. We can actually see it ... but not on her (go to this link). So tarty ...
Highlights of the week ahead in sports, both here and afar:
TODAY
Dog show: Westminster Kennel Club, USA Network, 5 p.m.; CNBC, 6 p.m.
Stump, the 10-year-old Sussex Spaniel, is the defending champ here. We're stumped to provide any more info beyond that.
Winter Olympics, Channel 4, 8 to 11:30 p.m.:
Bode Miller's run in the men's downhill has been pushed back to tonight (actually today, but you won't see it until tonight). If the weather on the mountain is still a mess, the figure skating pairs gold-medal night will make up most of prime-time viewing.
TUESDAY
NBA: Lakers vs. Golden State, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., FSW:
Against the Clippers last week, Warriors rookie Stephen Curry had 36 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds in a 30-point win. He's the first Golden State player in 17 years to even get a triple-double. The last: Chris Webber, also against the Clippers. And they count those in the record book? OK, Kobe, get back on the court and guard Curry.
NBA: Clippers at Portland, 7 p.m., Prime Ticket:
Since Kim Hughes has taken over, the Clippers are ... even more useless than when Mike Dunleavy was there before he excused himself. Maybe it's because they have a coach named Kim.
Winter Olympics, USA Network, 9 a.m.; MSNBC, 2:30 p.m.; Channel 4, 8 p.m. to midnight:
In the morning, the U.S. men's hockey team has an early wake-up call against Switzerland, featuring Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller. In the afternoon, the U.S. women's hockeys quad takes on Russia. In prime time, it's the men's figure skating short program and Lindsey Jacobellis trying to redeem herself in the women's snowboard cross -- going up against "American Idol" picking its 24 semifinalists, two episodes of "Lost" and the Best in Show selection for the Westminster Kennel Club. Who are you betting on there?
WEDNESDAY
Winter Olympics, Channel 4, 8 to 11:30 p.m.:
It's Shaun White's white-out moment again. 
The gold-medal winner in the '06 Winter Games defends his title in the halfpipe. He won his third consecutive Winter X Games superpipe gold last month, hitting his head on the halfpipe in a scary crash during practice, then using the same trick in competition to win. He also claims that "Flying Tomato" nickname is so 2006. Conan O'Brien called him "Animal" during a recent appearance, a reference to the wild-haired Muppet who bangs on the drums, and White says: "The Animal has become my thing here." Meanwhile, Lindsey Vonn will get her first test, perhaps, in the women's Alpine downhill. There's also gold to give out in the men's 1,000-meter speedskating. Meanwhile, Lindsay Vonn is supposed to see if the women's downhill will finally take place.
NBA: Clippers vs. Atlanta, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., Prime Ticket:
The Hawks' Jamal Crawford set an NBA record against the Clippers a couple of weeks ago. Wanna guess? He registered his 24th career 4-point play, passing the record held by Indiana's Reggie Miller. Crawford did it playing 744 fewer games than Miller, more than 26,000 fewer minutes and with about 3,300 fewer shots from behind the arc "That's huge," Crawford noted, "hopefully I will continue to add to it." Why wouldn't he? He's playing the Clippers again.
Golf: PGA Tour WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship first round, in Marana, Ariz., Golf Channel, 11 a.m. (semifinals and final on Saturday and Sunday, Channel 2, 11 a.m.)
The top 64 players in the world go in the March Madness format. Except, of course, for Tigers.
THURSDAY
NBA: Lakers vs. Boston, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., TNT:
Last meeting: The Lakers' 90-89 victory at in Boston, thanks to another Kobe Bryant clutch hoop, and Ray Allen missing at the buzzer, was noted for a lot of players touching each other. Ron Artest, you're up again as the primary enforcer. The NBA trading deadline is also today at noon. One last swap option: Lakers send Adam Morrison to the Celtics for ... it's their choice.
College basketball: USC at Washington, 7:30 p.m., Prime Ticket; UCLA at Washington State, 5:30 p.m., FSW.
WSU's Klay Thompson, who was leading the Pac-10 with a 22.8 points-per-game average, scored just 13 in the Cougars' 74-62 loss at UCLA back on Jan. 23. WSU never led in that game.
Winter Olympics, USA Network, 9 a.m.; MSNBC, 2:30 p.m.; Channel 4, 8 p.m. to midnight:
Evan Lysacek comes in as the No. 1 men's skater in the world; U.S. teammate Johnny Weir is No. 8. The free-skate gold medal is at stake for one of them. In the morning, the U.S. men's hockey team faces Norway; in the afternoon, the U.S. women's hockey team takes on Finland.
FRIDAY
Winter Olympics, USA Network, 9 a.m.; Channel 4, 8 to 11:30 p.m.:
Don't wait for the men's gold-medal run in the skeleton set for prime time. Focus on the U.S. women taking on the pesky Russians in live curling during the afternoon slot.
SATURDAY
NASCAR: Nationwide Series Stater Brothers 300 at Fontana, 2:30 p.m., ESPN2:
What we learned about Danica Patrick from last week's Daytona appearance: Wrecks are just part of the deal. She wasn't so much reckless in her Nationwide series debut, and the longer she can stay on Auto Club Speedway today, the better the post-party situation.
NBA: Clippers vs. Sacramento, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets have been sold. The NBA says it must be played.
Winter Olympics, Channel 4, 8 to 11:30 p.m.:
Again, will the women's Super G event include Lindsey Vonn? At least the bobsleds make their debut.
College basketball: USC at Washington State, 2 p.m.; UCLA at Washington; 6 p.m.; ESPN:
Given some national exposure, the Bruins can't be all that comfortable going into Seattle knowing that when they last met the Huskies, they needed Mustafa Abdul-Hamid's jumper at the buzzer to win 62-61 at Pauley Pavilion. Washington is ridiculous 16-1 at home this season.
SUNDAY
NASCAR: Auto Club 500 at Fontana, 11 a.m., Channel 11:
Word on the streets of El Cajon is that native son Jimmie Johnson -- winner of the four NASCAR Sprint Cup titles, voted AP Male Athlete of the Year and NASCAR Driver of the Decade -- will soon get his due. The El Cajon City Council voted a couple of weeks ago to rename part of a two-mile street in the city Jimmie Johnson Way. Some many not notice. That same piece of street is currently named Johnson Avenue, named after a local pioneer whose first name isn't even known by city historians. The speed limit will remain 40 mph. They drive much faster in Fontana, on or off the track. Just watch out for those potholes.
Winter Olympics, MSNBC, 4 p.m. and 9 p.m.; Channel 4, 8 to 11:30 p.m.:
NBC may be TV partners with the NHL to do a game of the week during this season, but when the U.S. faces Canada today in a highly-anticipated men's hockey tournament, the game has been sent to MSNBC to be carried live at 4 p.m. Some puckheads are furious about feeling slighted, but .... In another marquee matchup, Finland meets Sweden (9 p.m.). Meanwhile, on NBC tape-delayed prime time, it's figure skating original dance.
Good people will pay for good information, whether it's putting the New York Times online as a subscriber service, or taking up a collection to send a reporter to spring training.
When Washington Nationals beat writer Matt Zuckerman was laid off at the Washington Times -- the paper recently dropped its sports section -- he started a blog NatsInsider.com in late January.
We might have been more inclined to start a paper drive, but when Zuckerman considered what would take to survive a six-week stint at the National's training site in Viera, Fla., and report on the team activities -- just as he had been the last five years for the stinkin' newspaper -- he instead went to asking for reader donations through a PayPal account.
Brilliant.
He thinks he can make it work on $5,000. He received nearly twice that much in pledges so far, from more than 200 contributors. And he'll keep accepting financial help through Wednesday. He even set it up as something like an NPR pledge drive -- for $20, you get this; for $40, you get this ...
From this blog post (linked here), you can still help fund the cause in what could be a precident-setting event for consumer journalism.
We're hoping it works, the customers are pleased, and others will be as resourceful in keeping the coverage alive.
Meanwhile, other stuff we want to wrap our media-sized brains around from the things we hunted and gathered over the last 14 days:
== By the time he hits 55, Chris Berman could high-tail it out of ESPN and to the NFL Network. We hope. But we doubt his ego would let him do that. (linked here).
== Fordham University is going to give 92-year-old Ernie Harwell a lifetime achievement award in May -- one named after Vin Scully (linked here). That's nice and all, but even Harwell knows he probably won't live but another couple of months because of his health (linked here).
== Not many who can think and vote at the same time agree that a Kobe Bryant excused absence will make a difference in their lack of interest for the NBA All-Star Game (linked here).
== The latest on Warren Sapp, still waiting to find out if he has a job with the NFL Network (linked here)
== The latest on Michael Irvin and whether he'll get another radio show on ESPN (linked here)
== Not sure why ESPN360.com had to rebrand to ESPN3.com, but it has (linked here)
== Fox -- not just Fox Soccer Channel -- likes soccer, too (linked here)
== It's OK with us if we never find out the names of other TV sideline reporters who this Erin Andrews' perv spied on (linked here)
== It's also OK with us if the Steve Phillips thing just goes away, but then he shows up on "The Today Show" and ... all fat chick broke loose (linked here)
== Still waiting for Versus to return to DirecTV ... and waiting ... and the NHL playoffs are coming ... and we're waiting (linked here)
== SI grades the Super Bowl coverage ... mostly As and Bs (linked here)
== How did the Super Bowl draw the biggest audience ever for a TV show? The perfect snowstorm (linked here). But even Alan Alda isn't that impressed (linked here). Although the record number of commercials were more storm damaged (linked here)
== "Shaq Vs." is coming back for a second season -- and might include eating contests and spelling bees, since he lost all six events in Season 1 (linked here).
== A "massive tidbit" from the "massively underrated" me raised the hair on the back of my neck (linked here). "I don't know who to be more impressed with: Hoffarth for going there or (Larry) Burnett for being so candid," writes Brooks Melchior. I'd go with the candidness on Burnett's part.
AND FINALLY:
== Yes, Virginia, there was a problem with reporting the final score of the Super Bowl. (linked here)
WhoopAss, as in a "big ol' can of," was the name of an energy drink that claimed to "revitalize attitude and restore faith in mankind," cranked out by those snarky guys at the Seattle-based Jones Soda Company.
Somehow it disappeared in 2008, but it was said to be actually quite popular in Canada, even though the character on the front has a kid making a fist with the letters "U-S-A" across his knuckles.
Our theory that NBC will do all it can to exploit not just American gold digging in the Winter Olympics coverage from Vancouver, but how the U.S. does it at the expense of Canada and ruining their party, is all over today's media column (linked here).
And we also discuss it with Ken Jeffries on the Daily News podcast (linked here).
So as you're gearing up for your first three-hour delay of something important -- the 6 p.m. opening ceremony tonight won't be on your TV until about 9 p.m. -- here are some other cans to open:
== NBC will have Bob Costas and Matt Lauer co-anchor the thing tonight (7:30 p.m.), with Al Michaels popping in as well as Brian Williams, Tom Brokaw, Mary Carillo, Cris Collinsworth and Dan Patrick. The Weather Channel's Jim Cantore will do everything but make it snow. The order of entrance is in French alphabetical order, but Greece always goes first, Canada now goes last and USA will be No. 82 in line.
== Steve Physioc and Marques Johnson have the FSN national call of Sunday's USC-UCLA men's game from Galen Center (Prime Ticket, 7 p.m.) Jim Watson and Mary Murphy call Saturday's Trojans-Bruins' women's contest (Prime Ticket, 11 a.m.)
== FSW airs a half-hour special (Saturday, 7 p.m.) called "Freeway Faceoff: Bound for BC" that highlights the Kings and Ducks players headed for the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Set to discuss matters are the Kings' Jack Johnson, Dustin Brown and Jonathan Quick (for Team USA) and Drew Doughty(for Team Canada), plus the Ducks' Bobby Ryan and Ryan Whitney (Team USA), Corey Perry (Team Canada) and goalie Jonas Hiller (for Team Switzerland). The show leads into the Kings-Colorado telecast at 7:30 p.m. and reairs at 10:30 p.m.
== NHL.com will also use Kings.com and FSW reporter Heidi Androl to host its coverage of the Games from Vancouver (linked here).
== The NFL Network has claimed coverage of the revived Arena Football League, which will return on Friday, April 2 at 5 p.m. with an AFL Game of the Week telecast for 18 weeks. The playoffs start in August leading into the 2010 ArenaBowl at a yet-to-be-determined facility. No doubt recently retired QB Kurt Warner could be considered as a possible analyst for the game coverage.
The NFL Net notes that Arena Football was actually invented in 1981 by Jim Foster, a promotion manager at NFL Properties at that time who went on to launch Arena Football league play in May, 1987. NBC and ESPN are among the networks that have carried games, with ESPN holding joint ownership in the old AFL until it shut down after the 2008 season.
The 15-team AFL will not include a team in Los Angeles, but has places such as Chicago, Dallas, Tampa Bay, Orlando, Salt Lake City and Phoenix on board.
== Entertainment Weekly cites multiple sources that "Friday Night Lights" will end after Season Five wraps up in June (linked here). The fourth season of the show ended its DirecTV run Thursday, but it doesn't debut on NBC until April 30. The fifth season starts on DirecTV in the fall, and may not be seen on NBC until 2011.
== NBA Digital says it will have more than 50 hours of exclusive content to today through Sunday with the NBA All Star Game and surrounding loudness from Dallas. At the All-Star Scene site (www.nba.com/allstarscene), players and celebs will shoot HD pocket video cameras. Included is Christopher Mintz-Plasse (McLovin from "Superbad"). Meanwhile, NBA TV going 20 hours with stuff such as behind-the-scenes on media day and the West and East team practices.
== Part of tonight's TNT one-hour special on the 10th anniversary of "Inside the NBA" (8 to 9 p.m.) is this insightful clip (above) of when Kobe Bryant came into the studio to demonstrate on Kenny Smith how he sets himself up for a game-winning shot -- hesitating, counting the clock down in his head, clipping the defender's arms -- but then he can't hit the shot:
Best of Inside: Kobe Bryant Visits Kenny's Court from Turner Sports on Vimeo.
== HBO will reair the first three half-hour episodes of "24/7 Jimmie Johnson: Race to Daytona" on Saturday (11 p.m.). Episode 4 finishes the series Tuesday (10 p.m.) with a follow-up as to how he did in Sunday's race.
== CBS somehow sends Super Bowl weary Jim Nantz back out with Nick Faldo for the final two rounds of the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am (Saturday and Sunday, noon). During Saturday's coverage, which traditionally focuses more on the celebs, Nantz and Faldo will do interviews from the 17th tee, rather than have Gary McCord handle it (he's still at the 16th).
== Wired.com announced it has added a sports blog Playbook (http://www.wired.com/playbook/), starting with how athletes at the Winter Olympics are confused about Twitter rules.
== SportsMediaWatch.com reports (linked here) that the final round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera last Sunday on NBC had a 1.9 overnight rating, down 46 percent from a year ago and the lowest overnight for the event since at least '02.
== AND FINALLY:
AP Photo/J Pat Carter
Danica Patrick talks to her crew chief Tony Eury Jr. and other team members during the practice session for the NASCAR Nationwide Series auto race in Daytona Beach, Fla. Wednesday.
== ESPN vice president of motorsports Rich Feinberg , on how Saturday's coverage of the Nationwide race (ESPN2, 10:15 a.m.) won't be all about Danica Patrick:
"We actually talked about that in our staff meeting this morning. First of all, I watched the ARCA race, and I thought SPEED's presentation was very balanced. I enjoyed it. There was a lot of Danica, but the reality is that was why I personally turned on the race, so it gave me what I was looking for.
"As big a story as that is, there are a lot of other stories here. First and foremost, it's about racing in Daytona. It's the biggest race for a lot of people. You win at Daytona and things change for you. And that's going to be our primary thing. After that, the next biggest story, and quite frankly opportunity for all of us, is Danica. It's our strong belief that there will be people that turn on Saturday's Nationwide telecast that perhaps don't watch a lot of Nationwide races or NASCAR at all, because of the interest in her.
"We want to serve that curiosity. We want to serve that interest because our belief is if they like what they see, and we provide them what they're interested in, they may come back next week, and next week, and watch Fox' Daytona 500 coverage (Sunday), and read more stories. The more people that watch, the more successful the entire sport is.
"It's a balance thing but we also view it as an opportunity."
Truth is, Patrick's stock car racing debut last week put Speed Channel on the map. That race gave Speed 2.6 million viewers, compared to 1.3 million a year go. That the highest-rated ARCA telecast ever, and the most-watched race of any kind in Speed TV history. It almost had as many viewers watching Fox's coverage of Daytona 500 qualifying on the same day (2.4 million), even though Fox is in 40 million more homes than Speed.
Who are you kidding? Just fire up the Danica-Cam and let it play out itself. Especially if clods like this are getting in her face:
(AP Photo/Terry Renna)
Danica Patrick signs an autograph for race fan Steve Burke of Winter Springs, Fla., during the NASCAR Nationwide Series auto racing practice at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday.
MovieTickets.com asked moviegoers to pick the greatest Winter Olympic movie of all-time.
The results:
1. Cool Runnings (1993) - 40 percent
2. Blades of Glory (2007) - 22 percent
3. Miracle (2004) - 20 percent
4. The Cutting Edge (1992) - 14 percent
5. Downhill Racer (1969) - 4 percent
(Total votes 14,967)
Our call:
1. Downhill Racer ('69). Robert Redford plays David Chappellet, pre-Bode Miller. He's pissed off at his coach (Gene Hackman) most of the time. According to "The Ultimate Book of Sports Movies" by Ray Didinger and Glen Macnow, Redford did his own skiing, but only had a stunt double (former ski racer Joe Jay Jalbert) when he needed to fall down. What really makes this film stick with us is the movie's tagline: "How fast must a man go to get where he's at?" Never end a promo with a preposition.
2. Ice Castles. (1978). Robby Benson, hot off his awkward appearance as Henry Steel in "One On One," is pitted up with real-life figure skater Lynn-Holly Johnson, who suddenly goes blind (!) after a skating fall. (What is it with eye issues in skating movies?) Our boy Rob pulls her back and makes her realize she can still compete in the Winter Olympics. Can't you see how good you are? Oh, right ... Just listen to the Marvin Hamlisch score and dream big.
3. Miracle on Ice (1981). Not the really good version six years ago with Kurt Russell as Herb Brooks. Here, it's Karl Malden as Herbie in a made-for-TV flick just a year after it happened. Steve Guttenberg and Andrew Stevens are also in it, which gives it a dash of "Slap Shot." Don't view this one sober.
4. The Cutting Edge ('92). Without this, there's no "Blade of Glory." D. B. Sweeney goes from hockey player to figure skater and gets matched up with Moira Kelly. Can they co-exist?
5. Cool Runnings ('93). John Candy tries, but really can't pull it off in this Disney flick that seems to be one big ad for Red Stripe beer.
(AP Photo/The Seattle Times, Mike Siegel)
Former Olympic downhill skier Phil Mahre, left, passes the Olympic flame to Canadian torchbearer Chamila Anthonypillai on the Canadian side of the U.S.-Canadian border at Peace Arch Park on Tuesday morning in Blaine, Wash. The Olympic flame entered the U.S. at Blaine, Wash., for the only time on its 106-day journey across Canada in the longest domestic torch relay in Olympic history.
By David Crary
The Associated Press
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- A carbon-neutral torch relay. A multimillion dollar partnership with Canada's aboriginals. Bouquets for medal winners made by former prostitutes and drug addicts.
Even before the first event -- and the first big protest rally -- organizers of the Winter Games claim to have set new Olympic standards for environmental and social responsibility.
A progress report released Wednesday detailed the scope of the efforts by the Vancouver Organizing Committee, extending far beyond now-expected efforts to minimize environmental damage and maximize conservation.
"We have forged a new level of sustainability performance for the Olympics," said VANOC's CEO, John Furlong.
Continue reading How Vancouver is trying to make sure these Games mean something.
AP Photo/Craig Ruttle
Kris "Hi-Lite" Bruton of the Harlem Globetrotters shoots and scores wearing a goalie mask as his team took on the Washington Generals during a basketball game on the outdoor ice rink at Lasker Rink in New York's Central Park today.
The Associated Press
The Harlem Globetrotters have a new way to beat the Washington Generals -- on ice.
The famed basketball barnstormers played on a hockey rink for the first time in their 84-year history today, putting on a show in New York's Central Park ahead of a tour of the area.
Both teams wore ice cleats on their shoes but the Globetrotters' mascot appeared unable to find ones that fit his cartoonish sneakers, and wound up adding some unintentional slapstick to the routine.
The Globetrotters' Kris "Hi-Lite" Bruton put on an old-school goalie mask and used a hockey stick to bat down a shot. The Generals grimly stuck to their usual brand of basketball -- and lost 32-15.
The Globetrotters (official site linked here) have their annual appearance in Southern California this weekend: Saturday at 1 and 7 p.m. at Honda Center in Anaheim; Sunday at 1 and 6 p.m. at Staples Center and Monday at 1 p.m. in Ontario. The team is honoring former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda before their 1 p.m. game Sunday at Staples Center. Lasorda was born in 1927, the same year the Harlem Globetrotters played their first-ever road game in Hinckley, Ill., on Jan. 7, 1927.
Lindsey Vonn wearing nothing but protective snow cones wouldn't have been too bad.
But it's Mrs. Andy Roddick who'll be the latest to be banned in high school computer searches, middle-school libraries and kindergarden teacher's lounges.
It just goes with the territory.
That Brooklyn Decker landed the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover this year is no real surprise. The element is that SI seems to want to revive is that girl-next-condo, with a nice yellow bikini. Although we believe her top was probably too big, because it keeps falling off.
Decker, talking to the Associated Press, compared it to covers from the 1980s or '90s, when Elle Macpherson had that friendly, sun-loving look.
Roddick may have made some SI covers of his own -- oh, wait, he's never made a cover -- but the 22-year-old Decker has some athletic background. She ran hurdles for her high school track team in North Carolina, played soccer and did some competitive cheerleading.
"This celebrates the girls and their personalities," Decker said of her cover. "I think it's why they get such beautiful pictures."
David Letterman gets to show it off first on Monday's show (she'll be on tonight's show):
Decker with the Dan Patrick Show guys in Miami last week:
Highlights of the week ahead in sports, both here and afar:
TODAY
NBA: Lakers vs. San Antonio, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., TNT:
Eva Longoria-Parker can't be desperate enough to want to come to this game and get some national TV exposure, right? Is Tony even playing or is that ankle giving him trouble again? This is the Spurs' annual "Rodeo Trip" where they take the road for eight games because of some hoe-down in San Antonio. L.A. has the Grammy Break. San Antonio has the Achy Breaky Break.
NHL: Kings at Ducks, Honda Center, 7 p.m., Prime Ticket:
A win over the Ducks would make it an even 10 straight for the Kings. A Ducks win would make it 10 wins in a row at home. That's something else. Meanwhile, it's four down and two to go in the series after this latest slugfest. There's one more home-and-home on April 3 and 6, a week before the playoffs start -- and perhaps, the Ducks will still be scrambling for the No. 8 spot.
TUESDAY
NBA: Clippers vs. Utah, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., Prime Ticket:
Kim Hughes. That's not a player on the Sparks, but the new Clippers coach? Hmmm. So far, no wins. C'mon, Kimmy.
WEDNESDAY
NBA: Lakers at Utah, 6 p.m., Channel 9; Clippers at Golden State, 7:30 p.m., Prime Ticket:
After these two games, whatta say we knock of until next week and let those who didn't make the upcoming NBA All-Star Game head over to Hawaii, soak up some rays, hang out with the NFL Pro Bowl guys .... what do you mean?
THURSDAY
Golf: PGA Tour: AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, first round, Golf Channel, noon to 3 p.m. (final round, Channel 2, noon to 3:30 p.m.):
Celebrities who are supposed to play: Billy Murray ... why do you need to know any more? George Lopez, Tom Brady, Ray Romano, Tony Romo, Vin Gill and Kelly Slater will tag along for the whale watching. And to watch Chris Berman.
NHL: Kings vs. Edmonton, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., FSW:
Last meeting: A Kings' 3-2 road win back in the middle of December, when Sean O'Donnell somehow ended a drought of 157 games without a goal to tally the game-winner with 4:33 remaining.
FRIDAY
Winter Olympics: Opening ceremony, 7:30 p.m., Channel 4:
In 2011, Vancouver's BC Place will unveil an innovative, energy-saving retractable roof. But not in time for the Opening Ceremonies of the 23rd Winter Games, making it the first time this event will take place in doors. This warms our heart. By the way, BC Place can be rented out for movie shoots -- don't they shoot all films in Vancouver now? It's already been used in "The Lizzy McGuire Movie" and "Best in Show." Hang around long enough and they'll start on "Tooth Fairy 2."
SATURDAY
Winter Olympics: 2 to 6 p.m. and 8 to 11:30 p.m., Channel 4:
Apolo Ohno has a chance to win gold in the men's 1,500 meter short track in the prime-time edition of Day 2. Before that, the first gold medal will be given out in ski jumping, men's 5,000-meter speed skating and the women's biathlon during the daytime coverage.
NHL: Kings vs. Colorado, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., FSW:
After this contest, the league takes a hiatus until March so some players can compete in the Winter Olympics hockey competition for their countries. The others can sit around, eat donuts and play foosball.
SUNDAY
College basketball: UCLA at USC, Galen Center, 7 p.m., FSW:
BIG SCORE: Way back when -- it had to be less than a month ago -- the Trojans recorded a 67-46 thumping over the Bruins -- the 21-point margin was the greatest ever for a Trojan team at Pauley Pavilion and the most against at UCLA team in 65 years. "I'm embarrassed for our team," UCLA coach Ben Howland said. "I feel embarrassed for the program, for the former players and coaches. That's all you can say, it was embarrassing." Not as embarrassing as it would be if the Trojans beat the Bruins this time at Galen Center by more than 34 points -- that's the all-time margin (60-26) set back in 1940.
NBA: All-Star Game, TNT, 5 p.m.
KISS ME: Can't really see Kobe Bryant and LeBron James puckering up before this extravagant exhibition game the way Magic and Isiah used to. The best of the West and East will likely take a back seat to the game being played in the Dallas Cowboys' home stadium with the mega-tron video screen hanging over them. "From a shooter's standpoint, I would like to play in a smaller venue," said TNT analyst Reggie Miller, "but ... you're playing in a place where there will potentially be 100,000 people watching you ... sight lines really don't matter. Personally for me, I can't wait to watch it on 'Jerry-Vision.' That's awesome."
Auto racing: Daytona 500, Channel 11, 9 a.m.
REV MY ENGINE: Despite a rain-shortened race in 2009, the event still drew 16 million TV viewers, more than the NCAA Final Four (13.5 million), 2008 Summer Olympics, (15.2 million), 2009 NBA Finals (14.3 million), Kentucky Derby (11.8 million), final round of The Masters (14.3 million), and the final round of the U.S. Open (7.1 million).
Drag racing: Winternationals at Pomona, ESPN2, 5 to 8 p.m. (delayed)
DRAG QUEEN: The National Hot Rod Association starts its 24-event season at the 50th Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, and the plan is to pay tribute to its past with as many of the legendary cars, drivers, and magical moments they can get into the facility. It was February, 1961 when NHRA founder Wally Parks hosted the first running of the now-historic and iconic Winternationals. Qualifying starts Saturday from 8 to 11 p.m.
Winter Olympics, 1 to 6 p.m. and 7 to 11 p.m., Channel 4:
I HEART CURLING: Speedskating, luge, biathlon, the Nordic combined ... it's all out there on Day 3, plus the first look at the U.S. women's hockey team (noon, USA Network, vs. China) and Lindsay Vonn propelling herself down the ski slopes in prime time. But those really in the know can't wait for cartoon curling. Fox has counterprogrammed an episode of "The Simpsons" (Channel 11, 8 p.m.) where Marge (a world-class sweeper) and Homer (with that bowling technique down) represent the U.S. curling team. Says Simpson's writer Rob LaZebnik: "We liked the idea of a sport that you could do with your spouse, and all the issues that presents. Plus, we're hoping we get free Olympic stuff." To get Marge and Homer on the same team, the writers had to declare "mixed curling" a demonstration sport. Just like there could be mixed hockey.
Tallulah, a chimpanzee at the San Francisco Zoo, buries her head in a box full of treats as she picks a Super Bowl winner in San Francisco on Thursday. Chimpanzees at the zoo were enticed by treats to various locations in their pen to help them choose a Super Bowl winner.
AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez
THE SUPER BOWL COUNTDOWN FOR PEOPLE WHO JUST AREN'T PAYING ATTENTION:
Where: CBS. That would be Channel 2 on your home entertainment systems. If you can figure that out on the remote, you're halfway there.
Who: Jim Nantz and Phil Simms are on the call. Lance Barrow will produce and Mike Arnold will direct.
When: Kick off is about 3:28 p.m. Sunday.
But you want more...
== Here's how the CBS pregame lays out so you can adjust your sleeping patterns:
= 9 a.m.: "Road to the Super Bowl" recaps the 2009 season, produced by NFL Films. "For those who love football, this show is red meat," said NFL Films president Steve Sabol. "No interviews, no talking heads, all action."
= 10 a.m.: Phil Simms' "All-Iron Team" includes finding 1972 Super Bowl MVP Jake Scott living the simple life in Hawaii, and features on Steelers owner Dan Rooney and former Chicago Bears defensive guru Buddy Ryan.
= 11 a.m.: "The Super Bowl Today" with James Brown, Dan Marino, Boomer Esiason, Shannon Sharpe and Bill Cowher. Contributors include Dick Enberg, Katie Couric, Steve Tasker, Solomon Wilcots, Lesley Visser and Sam Ryan.
== 3 p.m.: "Kickoff Show" with player intros.
== The NFL Network is laying claim on having the "longest Super Bowl pregame show in history," with its 8 1/2 hours starting at 6 a.m. with 17 broadcasters spread out around South Florida.
Leading up, it will have commissioner Roger Goodell's press conference today (8:30 a.m.), the Pro Football Hall of Fame announcement (Saturday, 1:30 p.m.) and the Super Bowl MVP press conference (Monday, 5:30 a.m.).
== For the AV nuts:
= CBS has six high-speed cameras, known as SuperVision, both on sideline carts and hand held to follow the game. Each camera can shoot 500 frames per second (a normal camera shoots 60) in 1080i high definition format.
= Six cameras will be calibrated with the first down line by SportsVision, including Skycam and endzone cameras.
= On the Secondary Audio Programming, Armando Quintero and Benny Ricardo will call the game in Spanish.
== Try following Boomer Esiason around Miami.
After he's done on the CBS' pregame show from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., he goes to the Westwood One broadcast booth to do the radio call with Marv Albert, Mark Malone and James Lofton.
Esiason did double duty for both CBS Sports and Westwood One for Super Bowl XXXVIII (Houston) and Super Bowl XLI (Miami).
A few more things about Larry Burnett, the featured story in today's Daily News linked to the final Top 10/Bottom 5 list of the L.A. market's play-by-play men (linked here):
== Yup, he wears a hairpiece.
He tried for awhile to go without it while calling games for the WNBA Sparks. He grew a beard, went clean on the top, kept the hair on the sides. It was a nice look, but one he says came about only because he had neck surgery at the time.
"The older you get, the more difficult it is to get a job especially if you're new at it. I just remember that the bald guy wasn't getting a lot of work, not that the hair guy is getting a lot either.
"It's a very psychological thing. It's all in your head. Sometimes it's less hassle to just go natural, but I do look younger. And when you look better, you feel better, so I do (the hairpiece) for a business standpoint.
"It's a very subjective thing, wondering, 'Am I doing it for me? Or for the audience?'
"I guess this business is so cosmetic, sometimes you gotta play that game."
== While he grew up on the East Coast, soaking in the call of Bob Murphy, Ralph Kiner and Lindsay Nelson on Mets' games, and Curt Gowdy on the AFL games (and his team, the Jets), Burnett says he learned a lot by listening to Chick Hearn's Laker calls after moving to Agoura Hills some 20 years ago to start working at Prime Ticket "Press Box."
"I never tried to imitate him, but the way he influenced me was that whenever I was there at a game early (to do the Lakers' pre-game show on the radio), Chick was already there prepping, ready to go. I might have had a headache or didn't feel like working but when you were around him, it went away. He could make a meaning less game early in the season sound like a playoff game. He had so much fun with it.
"When I did more work with the Sparks, we had a few simulcasts (on TV and radio), and I wondered whether it was best do to a radio call and talk a lot, or just do a TV call and pull back. Chick always did it like radio. So I did that. That's what you've got to do. If you're going to err one direction on a broadcast, give 'em too much rather than too little."
== As seemingly all media jobs have tried up in town, Burnett found himself working at the Tommy Bahama store in Camarillo selling clothes to help make ends meet for about nine months last year.
"I'd never done sales before and turned out to be a top salesman. It's amazing what you can do when you have to do it. I didn't make a lot (of money) but I sure upgraded my wardrobe."
== On his company called TB4US (Think Before You Speak), accessable through his website www.larrybsports.com, Burnett has been a media consultant to teams that need to instruct their players how to deal with situations like damage control, better interviews, having the reporters hear their side of the story, etc. He has worked in the past with track and field athletes, as well as the San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns and UCLA's baseball team.
"It's just part of trying to reinvent yourself.
"Here, we're trying to give the players the lay of the land with the media, showing them clips, giving them different opions on handling an interview, getting out in front of things. Last November, I had a meeting with the Mavericks, and what I noticed was that the guys who were already good with the media really listened and asked questions. Guys like Dirk Nowitski. Then there were those who could have cared less."
A round of applause -- much louder than a golf clap -- to Larry Burnett for calling games for the D-Fenders, the Lakers' Development League team, these last four seasons.
Not that it's the best-kept media play-by-play secret in L.A. It's just that you gotta know when they're playing to want to hear what's going on.
At the official NBA Website (linked here), the future is now, and Burnett -- the former ESPN "SportsCenter" anchor who also does the WNBA's Sparks -- tells it like it is.
Usually, in an empty Staples Center. With only the players' family and friends watching. All with the incentive to stick around to see the Lakers play later that night.
Friday's conclusion to the 18th annual best-and-worst of the L.A. media focuses on the play-by-play men, and how Burnett has managed to creatively make D-Fenders game worth paying attention to.
== More on Burnett, his official website (linked here)
How do you get soaked at Dodger Stadium? Keep buying your tickets through Ticketmaster.
Four years ago, we threw a blog posting out there about the charges that occur when, for instance, a Dodger fan wanted to buy a $6 pavilion seat through the team's Website. By the time Ticketmaster rang up all its fees, that $6 ticket became $15.50 (linked here), a 158 percent increase over the face value.
It's come up again, now for USC or UCLA fans who are interested in buying a $5 general admission ticket to the Trojans-Bruins game to be played at Dodger Stadium on Feb. 28.
In this pretty cool scenario for those stircrazy for the 2010 MLB season to start, the Dodgers are hosting this USC-UCLA game as the back-end of a doubleheader at 2 p.m., following an 11 a.m. Oklahoma State-Vanderbilt game.
In a press release, the Dodgers have make it clear that all proceeds from the event will benefit the Dodgers Dream Foundation.
The $5 tickets can be purchased at www.dodgers.com/classic on line, as well as in person at the USC and UCLA campus box offices. If you buy them the day of the game, it's $10 at the stadium. There is no charge for parking.
Do it through the Dodgers' website, and Ticketmaster takes charge.
There is still a $2-per-ticket handling fee.
Then there's a $3 transaction fee.
Then there's an extra charge of $2.50 if you want to print them out yourself.
Now that single $5 ticket is $12.50.
You might as well pay $10 at the gate and have all of it go to the Dream Foundation.
(And for the record, concession stands will be selling beer at the college games, a luxury usually not afforded college students at their own facilities).
You can avoid the $2.50 print charge and have them mailed to you with no fee. Or, you can pay anywhere between $14.50 and $25 to have them delivered via UPS. Seriously? The other charge is $3, if you want to "avoid long lines and pick up your tickets at a participating Ticketmaster Retail Outlet."
At the very least, that $5 ticket will cost twice as much -- $10 -- if you want it through Ticketmaster.
We're guessing it can only get better bitter when Ticketmaster merges with Live Nation.
That's prime time, of course, if you're reclining on a sweaty Barcalounger on the wrong side of country.
Fox, in releasing its 2010 MLB Saturday afternoon baseball schedule, decided to go prime-time with games May 22 and June 26.
On the first date, the Detroit Tigers will face the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. On the second, the Yankees visit Dodger Stadium. Both will have a 4 p.m. first pitch. Which shouldn't be inconvenient for anyone except Andre Either trying to follow the flight of a fly ball to right field.
Why not save the "under-the-lights" concept for games that will actually be under the lights -- on the East Coast, with their 7 p.m. starts?
"We've been thinking about taking a few of our afternoon dates to prime time dates for quite some time now, and this season's schedule is so strong that the time seemed right," said Fox Sports President Ed Goren. "There is still no platform that has the reach of prime time broadcast television."
Fox has done prime-time games in the past -- usually a Yankees-Red Sox game, where it really was prime-time at the location -- but never scheduled two in the same season.
The other interesting read-between-the-lines aspect to the Fox schedule: MLB rules say a team can't appear more than nine Saturdays a season on the network. The Dodgers and Philadelphia are scheduled a maximum, along with Seattle, Atlanta and Minnesota. The Yankees, Boston, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets and St. Louis have eight appearances. The Angels, Texas and San Francisco have seven. Tampa Bay and the Chicago White Sox have five.
Fox's 26-week schedule of the usual 1 p.m. games begins April 10 -- except that one starts at noon. The L.A. audience will likely get New York Yankees at Tampa Bay instead of St. Louis-Milwaukee or Seattle-Texas. The last two Saturdays (Sept 25 and Oct. 2) are network's decision based on the pennant races.
In between, the dates most interesting to L.A. fans, and Vin Scully (who gets the day off):
Saturday, April 17: San Francisco at Dodgers
Saturday, April 24: New York Yankees at Angels
Saturday, May 29: Seattle at Angels
Saturday, June 5: Angels at Seattle
Saturday, June 19: Dodgers at Boston
Saturday, July 10: Chicago Cubs at Dodgers
Saturday, July 17: Dodgers at St. Louis
Saturday, July 24: N.Y. Mets at Dodgers
Saturday, July 31,: Dodgers at San Francisco
Saturday, August 21: Angels at Minnesota
Saturday, September 4: Angels at Oakland
Saturday, September 11: Seattle at Angels
Saturday, September 18: Colorado at Dodgers
Last week, ESPN announced the first half of its Sunday Night Baseball schedule, featuring play-by-play man Jon Miller, who was just voted into the Hall of Fame, with Joe Morgan. It starts April 4 with -- surprise -- New York Yankees at Boston (on ESPN2, 5 p.m.)
The other dates of interest locked in (with 5 p.m. starts):
Sunday, July 4: Kansas City at Angels
Sunday, July 11: Chicago Cubs at Dodgers
They have designated June 6-27 as games to be determined, which means it could take the June 20 Dodgers' game at Boston as well as the June 26 Dodgers' home game against the Yankees.
With 5 p.m. local starts, that also creates a sun/shade problem. Ask Kaz Ishii about that...
Mom always said don't play with matches. You might get burned. Kind of like giving an athlete a media credential and asking him to act like a reporter during Super Bowl week.
Worse, an athlete taking it upon himself to brand his nickname as a media network.
If the line continues to blur between journalistic reporting and athletic ego-stroking, it takes another step with Chad Johnson.
This explains it better:
The Associated Press
CINCINNATI -- Chad Ochocinco and other prominent NFL players will be asking the questions and giving reports during Super Bowl week.
The media-savvy Bengals receiver plans to attend news conferences and parties leading up to the title game in Miami, gathering insights from coaches, players and celebrities for his array of social networks.
He'll have help in the unprecedented plan. Redskins tight end Chris Cooley, Ravens Pro Bowl running back Ray Rice and Cardinals Pro Bowl defensive lineman Darnell Dockett also will be toting microphones and tossing questions at the Colts and the Saints -- and maybe even commissioner Roger Goodell.
It's the first such venture since the receiver formed his "Ochocinco News Network" with Motorola.
"It'll be something new, something never done before," Ochocinco told The Associated Press in a phone interview from Miami, where he played in the Pro Bowl on Sunday night.
Ochocinco and his three helpers plan to function as reporters, updating a Web site and a Twitter feed during the week. The players have hundreds of thousands of regular followers on their personal Twitter accounts and other social network platforms.
They expect to attend media sessions where players and coaches are available, conduct interviews with guests at the media headquarters, and provide behind-the-scenes glimpses at the nightly Super Bowl parties in Miami.
The goal is to provide players' reactions to the whirlwind week.
"That's what everybody wants to hear," Ochocinco said. "They want to hear the players' perspective. They don't want to hear what the other [media] outlets say about what they feel is going on. People want to hear what the players feel about the events, the whole nine yards."
The Pro Bowl receiver launched his "News Network" last October, planning to enlist other NFL players in breaking news. He didn't do much with it during the season as the surprising Bengals won the AFC North title before losing to the Jets in the playoffs.
"At that time as the season neared the end, I had to slow down a little bit on most of the social media stuff," he said. "Coach [Marvin] Lewis never said anything directly to me, but you understood that it wasn't the right time to be doing as much as I used to. So this is the perfect time to do what I'm doing right now, and I'm the perfect fit for it."
Motorola, which is promoting its MOTOBLUR technology, assembled the four-player crew that will cover the Super Bowl.
"When OCNN first launched, the goal was to give fans unprecedented access into Chad's life and the game he loves," Motorola marketing officer Bill Ogle said. "Expanding OCNN with more correspondents for the Super Bowl just made sense."
All four players are adept at social networking, but have never been involved in such a project.
"To be honest, I don't really know Chad that well," Cooley said in a phone interview. "He's so outgoing, he's such a prevalent figure in social networking. When Motorola asked me to do this, I was excited because I get to hang out with Chad for a week."
Dockett got to experience the other side of the Super Bowl last year when the Cardinals lost the title game to the Steelers. The other three players will be experiencing it for the first time.
"I can't wait," Cooley said. "It should be a lot of fun. Just to be interviewing Peyton (Manning), to talk to Drew Brees -- that will be great."
They're taking it seriously. The four players had a production meeting on Monday. They plan to attend media day with the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints today, arriving in their own OCNN van. When evening comes, they'll split up to attend the parties and report on them.
Ochocinco should have the inside scoop on one event. He's hosting a party for 400 people at his South Beach home on Friday night that will raise money for Haiti.
The NFL commissioner traditionally holds a question-and-answer session with reporters during the week. Ochocinco plans to be in the media contingent and hopes to get called.
What would he ask Goodell?
"I'm not sure right now," he said. "When that time comes, I'll be prepared for him. Trust me, I have a lot of questions for him."
== Johnson announces his Super Bowl plans on ESPN.com (linked here) "Hey, everyone. I know you love following me on Twitter, so now you can get a chance to read me in more than 140 characters at a time. This is going to be awesome."
Or, not.
The news that 16-year-old Abby Sunderland has decided to head into Cabo San Lucas just 10 days into her attempt for a non-stop, unassisted voyage around the world would appear to mean that this is simply a restart on her often-delayed mission.
On her most recent blog entry (linked here), the Thousand Oaks teen said problems with her solar panels and wind generators are not allowing her enough power, so she will port in Cabo San Lucas to add "a new battery or two."
While that seems to end any non-stop voyage, Sunderland says she will restart as soon as she can on the 40-foot Wild Eyes.
"Don't start worrying, since I'm still north of the equator, I won't have to give up on the non-stop attempt," she wrote.
She said she is also have trouble with the wind speed gauge "so that needs to be fixed as well."
Sunderland left Marina del Rey on Saturday, Jan. 23, expecting to spent the next five to six months sailing around the world.
If she's not able to break the record as the youngest to sail non-stop, solo around the world, she can still break the record of 17-year-old Mike Perham of Britain, who stopped on land during his voyage. Perham broke the age record that Abby's brother, Zac, had set just a month or so before Perham landed.
To find Abby's location: http://abbysunderland.com/location-route.php
Highlights of the week ahead in sports, both here and afar:
TODAY
NBA: Lakers at Memphis, 5 p.m., Channel 9:
Last night's Grammy extravaganza -- such a dog-and-Gaga show. The Lakers had reason to pay attention because it means, after this one, they can finally come home and face the music. Kobe Bryant may even be able to dial it back and wait until they get back to Staples Center before he breaks the franchise's all-time regular-season scoring record. The Grizzlies just had their 11-game home winning streak snapped. Some expect a letdown after Sunday's win in Boston. Relax. We'll predict a Memphis-type spankin' to take place before the Lakers leave the building.
TUESDAY
NBA: Clippers at Chicago, 5 p.m., Prime Ticket:
The Clips may have already passed last year's win total already, but losses to the two worst teams in the Eastern and Western Conference on back-to-back games last week is no step forward. Why do we even bother any more?
NHL: Kings vs. N.Y. Rangers, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., FSW:
A current poll on NHL.com asks: Which Western Conference coach is the strongest candidate for coach of the year? Colorado's Joe Sacco was the top choice with 24 percent of the vote. Then there's Chicago's Joe Quenneville, Phoenix's Dave Tippett, Vancouver's Alain Vigneault . . . the Kings' Terry Murray was last among six available choices. Even after that 5-0 road trip? With back-to-back rallies against Boston and New Jersey? It's hard to underplay how impressive that trip was. Now, back home, they face the Rangers, who beat the Kings, 4-2, way back in mid-October back in New York. For a little primer, go back to 1981, when the Kings hosted the Rangers in the playoffs at the Forum, and listen to some names from the past trading punches.
WEDNESDAY
NBA: Clippers at Atlanta, 4 p.m., Prime Ticket:
Now the Clip's trip ends. As if it matters.
NBA: Lakers vs. Charlotte, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., FSW:
Larry Brown hasn't quit on this team yet. Here's a chance for the Bobcats' Gerald Wallace and the Lakers' Shannon Brown to get an early start on the dunk contest.
THURSDAY
Golf: PGA Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club, first round, Golf Channel, 2 p.m. (final round Sunday, Channel 4, 11:30 a.m.):
Honestly, how is a round ball hit by a square groove go any better into a round hole ? If you didn't get your fill of Phil Mickelson and his groovy wedge controversy during the San Diego tournament, Lefty is ready do the right thing in L.A. this week. The Northern Trust Open's two-time defending champion, who still has to contend with Steve Stricker nosing through his bag, will probably come and go again in his private jet, and finish up in time to get everyone in front of the TV for the kickoff to Sunday's Super Bowl -- if, of course, there's no rain mucking things up.
College basketball: UCLA vs. Stanford, Pauley Pavilion, 7:30 p.m., Prime Ticket; USC vs. Cal, Galen Center, 7:30 p.m.: A month ago, USC dropped a pair in the Bay Area to the Bears and Cardinal; UCLA spilt the difference. They're all still bunched up in the Pac-10 standings like they all like each other. Except Cal's at the top.
NHL: Kings vs. Ducks, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., FSW:
In this season's two previous meetings, the Kings have a 4-3 win at Anaheim in early December and a 4-0 win at Staples a few weeks back. That last one should have a residual effect. In the third period, there were two fights, five roughing minors, one 10-minute misconduct and one game-misconduct on Ducks forward Bobby Ryan for shoving Oscar Moeller head-first into the boards. Although the rivals tangle twice in four days (the next is Monday), the key will be a home-and-home series in early April, with just a couple of regular-season games left.
FRIDAY
NBA: Lakers vs. Denver, 7:30 p.m., FSW, ESPN:
If the Lakers and Cleveland are vying for the first- and second-best records in the NBA, who's right behind 'em? How 'bout them Nuggets, who've done most of their damage at home (21-3). Last meeting: A ridiculous 105-79 Denver win, where the Lakers scored only eight points in the third quarter and 23 total in the second half.
SATURDAY
NBA: Lakers at Portland, 7 p.m., Channel 9:
Someone sent us a link to that naked photo of the Blazers' Greg Oden. It went straight to junk mail.
NBA: Clippers vs. San Antonio, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., Prime Ticket:
The Clippers can soften the Spurs up for their meeting with the Lakers a couple of days after this. Or, give them a false sense of ancient superiority.
NHL: Kings vs. Detroit, Staples Center, 1 p.m., FSW:
A couple of weeks ago back in Detroit, Brad Richardson stepped up and lit the lamp with the game-winner in the third period to lead the Kings back from a 2-0 deficit and snatch the victory. Could that have given them the confidence to push forward?
College basketball: UCLA vs. Cal, Pauley Pavilion, 1 p.m., Channel 2; USC vs. Stanford, Galen Center, 4:30 p.m., Prime Ticket:
The Bruins' 76-75 OT win at Berkeley came after Michael Roll picked up a loose ball and hit a 13-footer with 1.9 seconds left. He had 19 points and six assists in the contest.
SUNDAY
NFL: Super Bowl XLIV in Miami, New Orleans vs. Indianapolis, 3:18 p.m., Channel 2:
Which Pierre is feeling lucky today?
Saints running back Pierre Thomas, aka the PT Cruiser, does all the heavy lifting for Reggie Bush. And he rarely fumbles (has none since Week 8). And based on his playoff performance, he'll be the person that the Colts' defense has to contain.
Then there's Colts receiver Pierre Garcon, the Haitian who spend the days before a recent playoff contest trying to find relatives in the earthquake-ravaged country and raising funds for relief efforts. Then he caught an AFC-title game record 11 passes. Give it up for both of them.
Here some other things to ponder from Bodog.com (linked here):
== Odds to win Super Bowl MVP:
=Peyton Manning 2/3
=Pierre Thomas 10/1
=Pierre Garcon 14/1
== Longest run from scrimmage for Pierre Thomas:
=over 13 1/2 (-115)
=under 13 1/2 (+115)
== Will Pierre Thomas score a touchdown?
=yes (+105)
=no (-135)
== Total receiving yards for Pierre Garcon:
=over 62 1/2 (-140)
=under 62 1/2 (+110)
== Longest reception for Pierre Garcon:
=over 27 1/2 (-115)
=under 27 1/2 (-115)
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