May 2011 Archives

Andre Ethier, who's No. 1?

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Los Angeles Police chief Charlie Beck talks to the media at Tuesday's press conference at Dodger Stadium.

UPDATED at 4 p.m. Thursday:

Something's not adding up to Tom Leykis.

The 54-year-old former FM-radio so-called shock jock announced on his website (linked here) back in early April that he wanted to pitch in $50,000 toward the reward money offered by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Dodgers that would be given to anyone whose information led to the capture of two suspects in the Dodger Stadium parking lot beating of San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow on March 31.

But when the LAPD announced Tuesday that they were increasing the total reward from $100,000 to $200,000, and that it included money raised by the Dodgers ($125,000), the L.A. City Council ($50,000), Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich ($10,000), the Giants ($10,000) and American Medical Response ($5,000), Leykis didn't see his part in it mentioned.

"If you do the math, there should be more than just $200,000," Leykis said Thursday afternoon.

So he started to make some calls.

"I got a whole education on the process," he said. "And it's a very troublesome response."

Enough so that he says if someone doesn't figure out why he can't make a donation -- and he's willing to put the $50,000 in an escrow account -- he's rescinding the offer as of 5 p.m. Friday.

"At first I thought it was just an oversight," said Leykis, whose "Tom Leykis Show" aired nationally, based in L.A., from 1994 to 2009 and is scheduled to return next April. "Maybe (police chief Charlie) Beck wasn't aware of it -- even though it was in 1,300 newspapers. I was shocked to find that wasn't the case.

"And I want to make it clear: I don't want to rescind it. I don't need the publicity. I haven't had a radio show on the air in two years. I've lived in L.A. 23 years. I've always had a good relationship with the LAPD, especially in Hollywood where I live. I thought I was doing the right thing, but now I'm being treated with what sounds like distain."

That could be from the fact that Leykis has created a very non-PC reputation during his radio career. Many say Leykis broadcast an overwhelming mysogynistic message that essentially instructed men how to have sex with women by spending the least amount of money and time on them.

Still, he says as a longtime L.A. resident who wants to help the LAPD nab two suspects in a crime that has tarnished the city's and the Dodger's image.

Leykis is a long-time Dodgers fan (linked here), enough to where we offered him a chance to chime in on the public ownership idea of the Dodgers in the wake of the McCourt mess last October.

He responded (linked here): "I would love to see such a movement for public ownership of the Dodgers succeed. Unfortunately, I do not believe that Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig will ever allow his fiefdom to be penetrated with public ownership no matter how good our argument as a community. So I guess that what I really hope for is that someone who loves L.A. as much as I do such as Eli Broad or David Geffen will do the right thing for our community and run our team, not as a silly example of vanity and excess, but in the way that good citizens of means do such good for our community. I would gladly do it if I had a billion dollars."

When he offered the $50,000 contribution on April 5, after finding out that the Dodgers had offered $25,000 to match the $25,000 from the L.A. City Council, making it a $100,000 total, Leykis thought he was helping the cause. (linked here).

Apparrently not.

At the time, Leykis said he had talked to Tony Perez, the communications director for the office of L.A. City Councilman Ed Reyes (right), which was responsible for raising funds. Perez explained to him that there was "no mechanism" to accept public funds for police reward money.

"I said, 'I understand that, but you have people offering rewards, such as the ambulance company, a billboard company, the Dodgers,'" said Leykis. "He made it sound like I would be included, and in six months, I'd be contacted to see if I wanted to renew the pledge if the suspects hadn't been caught.

"When I called Mr. Perez back (Wednesday), he was belligerent with me. He said they couldn't acknowledge rewards from private individuals.

"I said, 'Then what are the Dodgers?' He said, 'They are an organization.' I said, 'No, they aren't, they're a limited liability company -- an LLC -- which is another name for Frank and Jamie McCourt. And from what I've been reading, they don't have enough money to make payroll on May 31.

"What makes you think Frank McCourt can cough up $25,000?' How is McCourt more likely to pay off a reward than I am? Enron was once an organization. Remember Lehman Brothers? If the Dodgers went bankrupt, you think a bankruptcy judge would make the Dodgers pay this reward? No.

"Obviously, I'm forcing the issue now. I'm doing it as a private citizen. I'm not a rabble-rouser. I'm not doing this in my company's name. But if they don't accept it, I'm rescinding it. Because, after all this, what's the point?"

If Leykis' $50,000 couldn't be put toward the reward money, would it be better spent helping with the Bryan Stow medical fund that many have been supporting? Leykis agreed that would be a productive, but he has his reasons.

"If someone from the Stow family asked for help, of course I would," said Leykis. "But in this case, I was taking it from the crime angle because I live in Hollywood -- I can see the stadium from my house at night, and its nine miles away.

"I have a good friend, Detective Ralph Sanchez, the lead officer in the Hollywood Hills, who I've known a long time. I've always supported the LAPD, on and off the air. For me, this was a way to help the police, by upping the reward.

"I just believe there are forces afoot here preventing me from doing it.

"Is the reason because McCourt is now the LAPD's newest partner? He has to hire all these LAPD officers who get the overtime to station around the stadium. Has he told them not to mention my reward because it's embarassing to him? It seems that way.

"Why play politics with a reward? Is there a reason why his money is good, but mine isn't? And why can't the city help coordinate reward money? They collect money for earthquakes in Mexico. And an average person can't get involved in offering reward money? Why not?"

Leykis said he has since spoken to an assistant at Beck's office, as well as the city councilman representing his district, Tom LaBonge.

Attempts to contact Perez at Reyes' office have not yet been successful.

The Dodgers declined comment.

He butted heads with the company's new management after years of convincing NBC higher-ups for years why it was worth taking huge financial losses in becoming immersed in televising the Olympics.

He's not getting any younger. And maybe it's just time.

The resignation today by NBC Sports Group Chairman Dick Ebersol, an annual selection to The Sporting News' list of the Top 100 most powerful people in sports, ends a run after 22 years as the network's top sports executive.

In December 2003, Ebersol agreed to a nine-year contract to continue running NBC Sports and the Olympics through 2012. The New York Times reported that he intends to stay at NBC through the end of this June, leaving before NBC covers the '12 Summer Games in London.

NBC Sports exec Mark Lazarus has been promoted to take his place.

Incoming NBCUniversal chief executive Steve Burke has been battling with Ebersol over how the network should move forward in Olympic bidding negotations. He's also made changes in NBC Sports to push a greater involvement with its cable partners, especially those owned by Comcast Corp., which recently took over NBC.

"Dick Ebersol is an incredible talent whose contributions to the company over the last four decades in sports, news and entertainment are unsurpassed," Burke said in a statement. "Dick has masterfully produced everything from the Olympics and Sunday Night Football, to the Triple Crown, NHL games and major golf and tennis events. In the entertainment world, he helped create Saturday Night Live, one of the most significant programs in television. We will miss his intellect, experience, and passion for the television business."

Ebersol, who turns 63 this summer, has previous heart surgery and survived a plane crash in 2004 that took the life of his younger son, Teddy, said in a statement: "What I have enjoyed most is working so closely with so many truly outstanding and incredibly talented people over decades of producing some of the greatest events in the world. Those relationships are what I cherish most. I have always said this business is about relationships and I have been fortunate enough to have more deep and meaningful friendships than any man could imagine.

"It has been a sincere privilege to tell so many remarkable stories that have inspired me throughout my entire career. Some of my favorite memories come from reading letters and talking to viewers who also have been moved by such powerful stories.

"I simply want to say thank you to all of those people who have touched me so deeply throughout my career."

On today's SiriusXM's Chris "Mad Dog" Russo show, Bob Costas said Ebersol's call to him this morning to explain what was going on was "the first that I had heard of it. But he sounded very much at peace with his decision and the exact reasons are his to explain."

At age 20, Ebersol joined Roone Arledge at ABC as an Olympic researcher, learning about the importance of the event as a network asset while working at the 1972 Munich Games -- and that included making it a prime-time, tape-delayed production, no matter what time zone it came from.

When he ascented to NBC Sports chief in 1989, Ebersol was executive producer for the '92 Barcelona Olympics. In 1993, he got the network to commit billions of dollars for the rights to the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta. Two years later, he got the rights to the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney and the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City -- packaging the two together for the first time. That led to NBC getting the rights to the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Summer Games, as well as the 2006, '08 and '10 Winter Games.

In 1992, Ebersol was awarded the Olympic Order, an honor periodically bestowed by the International Olympic Committee to recognize remarkable contributions to the Olympic Movement.

Ebersol said he would not attend the IOC meetings next month that involve the U.S. TV bidding rights for the 2014 Winter Games in Russia or the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro. ABC/ESPN and Fox are expected to be among the heavy bidders.

His fingerprint on most recent NBC ventures was orchestrating the network getting "Sunday Night Football" and hiring John Madden and Al Michaels to broadcast it. He also worked a revenue-sharing deal with the NHL.

On the negative side: He partnered with Vince McMahon to create the XFL in 2000. At least technical innovations came of it, including the overhead camera.

Ebersol helped to create "Saturday Night Live" with Lorne Michaels for NBC as well in the 1970s. During his run there, he met future wife, actress Susan Saint James.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will discuss it, on tonight's episode of "The Colbert Report" (8:30 p.m., Comedy Central) and on Friday's "Today" show (Channel 4, 7 a.m.)

His latest tweet on the subject: "I think the essence of my message to employers is learn to appreciate your staff properly especially when they are high producers."

Following up on the tweets he made Wednesday about how he wasn't holding his breath about getting a statue of himself erected outside Staples Center, Abdul-Jabbar appeared this morning on ESPN's "Mike & Mike In the Morning" radio show and had this to say:

"It's about a whole lot of smaller incidents that as they pile up on you, you get the feeling that you don't mean anything to them. For example, I had to take a cut in salary. At the same time they tell me I had to take a cut in salary they're paying the (head) coach $10 million-$12 million a year. You wonder how much you count when they tell you stuff like that.

"We were flying on a plane back from Orlando two years ago (after the NBA Finals) and they put me (a former assistant coach) in a tiny little seat that I couldn't be comfortable in and there were empty seats up there where (other) coaches sat, which is where I usually flew with the team. It was little things like that, just little things that started to wear on me and make me feel like I wasn't appreciated and I certainly wasn't being treated like family.

"My tendency is to grin and bear it because I figured there must be something happening that I don't understand and this is being done out of necessity. Once I get the idea that that wasn't the case and it wasn't, I figured maybe it was time for me to speak out. I've never been this vocal about anything. I've always tried to stay out of the fray and not be an object of controversy. It doesn't suit me, but something needed to be said."

Gary Miller's time served at the ESPN compound: Eight years in Bristol (1990-'98) as a "SportsCenter" anchor and "Baseball Tonight" host, and working for the company through 2005 as host of "Up Close" and a general reporter.

Most notable achievement: On or off the court?

That no contest plea to disorderly conduct over an embarassing arrest during the 1997 ALCS in Cleveland, involving the need to urinate into an empty beer bottle at an open-bar party because the restroom lines were too long, will always be pinned to him. But we digress.

Gary Miller, meet Jim Miller.

"He had me at hello," said Gary of the author who was writing a book about the oral history of ESPN, "They Have All The Fun: Inside The World at ESPN," which will come out next Tuesday.

Gary Miller, currently a sportscaster at KCAL-Channel 9/KCBS-Channel 2, hosting the Dodgers pregame show, after a run as a local sports-talk show host at KSPN-AM (710), was familiar with Jim Miller from having read his acclaimed project on the history of NBC's "Saturday Night Live." Gary Miller says it "may be the greatest biographical background tome ever penned, and I was a huge fan and admirer from first reading that."

Gary Miller say he thinks the reason why this ESPN book's release comes with so much anticipation versus others written about the company over the years has to do with the track record of authors Miller and Tom Shales.

"The other ESPN books (written in the past) were so lame its hard to describe," said Miller. "Dan (Patrick) and Keith (Olbermann, who wrote "The Big Show" in 1997) was basically about them and their show, which the excerpts already released are much more interesting in terms of offering context than that entire book. At least it was written by talented creative brilliant people."

Then there was the 2000 piece by Mike Freeman, a New York Times columnist, called "ESPN: The Uncensored History."

Says Miller: "Freeman's farce was so poorly written and researched its unimaginable that he was actually employed by the New York Times. He included several what he thought were titillating things about me, one of which was excerpted in Sports Illustrated, but never spoke to me or tried to. Not even about the Cleveland incident. That book was also basically written by Olbermann, with some input from Charley Steiner and Chris Myers. Just pathetic.

"I'm looking forward to this one because of not only participating in it, but trusting the authors, and even during our conversations, finding out things I had no idea about even from the eight year span I spent in Bristol. Plus their style is so compelling, it makes for incredibly entertaining and engrossing reading. I'm far enough removed from Bristol and the mothership, and most of my stuff is known anyhow, that I'm not afraid of any backlash. I'm comfortable with the way I interacted with and treated co-workers that I have no fear of sniping or character assassination. And if there was, Jim would have given me the opportunity to react to it or verify it.

"I think the excerpting has been brilliant, and created a buzz we haven't seen about a book in a long time, and think of the bios that have come out recently like Keith Richards and Steven Tyler. I'm most anxious for the Olbermann portrait. he most brilliant, complex, difficult co-worker I've encountered.

"Also, I'm wondering if the soulless, heartless manner in which employees are treated by upper management is revealed. They did some positive things, but overall, the experience is really depressing and dronish."

With the Association of Volleyball Professionals prematurely going down in bankruptcy last summer in the middle of the season, who's up for filling the void for some quality beach volleyball tournament?

The National Volleyball League wants a crack at it.

The NVL will take its event to the people -- the infield of Pimlico for this weekend's Preakness, in front of about 80,000 as part of its InfieldFest 2011.

They've got 32 teams of men and women, starting with prelims on Friday at Baltimore before the finals move to Pimlico on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The men's final is at 2 p.m.; the women's at 3:30 p.m. -- with the Preakness going off at about 6 p.m. local time.

While most of the elite former AVP teams are playing overseas in preparation for the 2012 Summer Olympics, Sean Scott (left) and Sherman Oaks' John Hyden are this weekend's top men's team -- they've beaten Olympic gold medal winners Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers six times over the years. Casey Patterson and Brad Keenan, who have been competing internationally, are also considered a favorite.

Lisa Rutledge and 2000 Olympian Annett Davis (the former partner of Jenny Johnson Jordan) are the women's No. 1 seed.

The NVL was created last year by longtime volleyball player Albert Hannemann,a former AVP Executive Director of Player Promotions. They've got six events planned for this summer, including Malibu and Long Beach, along with Virginia Beach, Va., Aspen, Colo., and Miami.

A group called Corrigan Sports Enterprises has helped create this event.

"This weekend has been a long time coming for the players as well as beach volleyball fans around the country," said Hannemann. "We are grateful to Baltimore Beach, Preakness and our sponsors for giving us the opportunity to bring an entirely unique element of entertainment and competition to the infield."

All four courts will be streamed live online at www.thenvl.com.

Update Wednesday 5/18/11 at noon PDT: The publishers' embargo on excerpts has been lifted today (Wednesday). Keep up on the blog posts from Deadspin.com and others on the official ESPN book Twitter account: http://twitter.com/#!/espnbook

Charley Steiner says he left ESPN on very amicable terms in 2002, after 14 years as a "SportsCenter" anchor to start a new career as a baseball play-by-play man.

Axes? Nothing to grind here. Or even slightly sharpen.

Get the point?

So he's only got a sense of wonderment about what this new book, "They Have All The Fun: Inside The World at ESPN," will reveal once it comes out next Tuesday.

"I'm absolutely fascinated by the interest, and how many may buy it and what impact it has on anything," Steiner said on Tuesday night before doing the radio play-by-play of the Dodgers-Brewers game from Dodger Stadium. "All I know is what I've been reading on the Internet. I have no idea what's in it.

"I just know I'll have something to read on the flight home from Houston (where the Dodgers play next week)."

Steiner was one of the 500-plus people who talked to author Jim Miller or Tom Shales for his take on the company. Steiner said the only pitch Miller gave him some three years ago was that he was doing something on "how ESPN became ESPN." A couple of hours later, after their first meeting, Steiner knew Miller's resume, trusted him, and agreed to talk more. And more.

"He knew more about what was happening to me than I did when I was there," said Steiner.

He agrees that the way the publishers have coordinated the mysterious release of excerpts only adds to the intrigue that has built in the days before it is available to the rest of the credit-card toting world.

"They've done a great of controlling the message," he said.

So why does he think there's such a tittering about this book, versus others done on the ESPN culture in the past? It has a lot to do with the previous work about "Saturday Night Live" that these two did years ago, and their track records for being high-level entertainment reporters.

"The previous books were pretty much focused on sexual innuendos - and they weren't inaccurate," said Steiner. "How much of that is revealed in this book, I don't know.

"When you're dealing with an oral history, you let the chips fall where they may. It's not an editorial endeavor but an oral history with people's names attached to it. We all had the option of saying, 'thanks, but no thanks.' But (Miller) was a straight shooter, very thorough. He was very well prepared. I don't know if there was a question that he didn't ask.

"Some of the things he asked me were just jaw-dropping. How did he know that? It's just mindboggling to me, after working there 14 years, all that has come out of Bristol and the face people will now spend money to read about it. They've done a great job of keeping things quiet. I was telling Miller that I'll probably be at the Barnes & Noble at night standing in line as if a new Beatles album was coming out."

Steiner says he regularly talks to former "SportsCenter" colleagues Bob Ley and Robin Roberts. He said he had dinner last week in New York with Keith Olbermann when the Dodgers were in town to play the Mets.

"It was like having a family there," said Steiner. "We were together every day for seven years. Now we're the dinosaurs."

And you know how much kids are into dinosaurs.

Previous blog posts on the new ESPN book:
== An Entertainment Weekly excerpt (linked here)
== A GQ excerpt (linked here)
== Dan Patrick's first take (linked here)
== More Dan Patrick on Keith Olbermann (linked here)

With publisher Little, Brown and Company lifting its embargo on book excerpts, Entertainment Weekly was the first major publication to give more sizzling material from "Those Guys Have All The Fun: Inside the World of ESPN" by Jim Miller and Tom Shales before its official release next Tuesday.

Among the stuff that EW found dirty/funny with some shelf life (linked here):

== "The company would have Christmas parties up at some horrible place in Bristol," says former general counsel Andy Brilliant. "A couple of them were drunken orgies.... It became like a big frat party. There were a lot of drugs being done in the bathroom. There was quite a bit of screwing going on afterward, a lot of it extramarital. But everybody went back to business the next workday."

Brilliant!

== "There was screwing in the hallways," says reporter Sal Marchiano of ESPN's early days. "OK, maybe not in the hallways, but there were a couple of stairwell stories.... There were drugs in the building, that I knew. There was one guy who dealt pot."

Don't take the elevator! Head to the stairs!

== At one point in the '80s ESPN kept an apartment in New York City. "I remember [an ESPN exec] coming in and saying, 'We gotta get rid of this apartment...because the mail boys got a couple of our secretaries hooking over there,'" says former ESPN CEO Bill Grimes. "Hooking! That's what he said.... 'They're making money after work when no one's there. It's getting out of control.'"

Hookers! Out of control!

== Sexual harassment got so bad that anchor Karie Ross actually stood up in front of 200 or so people in the cafeteria and demanded that it stop. Her plea didn't have much impact. "No fewer than fifty cases of sexual harassment were reported by women on the staff to ESPN management in the first half of the 1990s," the authors write.

No one cares, Karie!

== "I was introduced to [Chris Berman], and my title was mentioned," recalls marketing senior VP Lee Ann Daly. "He was like, 'Oh, goddammit, do we need another vice president?' And I just said, 'Nice to meet you, too, Mr. Berman.' ....there was really no need to be a jerk. But that kind of stuck with me. I noticed that Chris Berman was rarely happy. He was always very difficult to please."

Oh, happy day!

On SI.com, executive vice president of content John Skipper was asked during the ESPN upfront presentation in New York about the perception of "a frat-boy culture" on the company's Bristol, Conn., campus -- not so much in light of the book excerpts but of NHL analyst Matthew Barnaby being pulled off the air after being charged with a felony over a domestic incident with his estranged wife in Amherst, N.Y.. He pleaded not guilty to five criminal charges, said there was no violence between and him and his soon to be ex-wife and and apologized for the "unfortunate incident."

"We do not condone that kind of activity," Skipper said. "In fact, we've taken lots and lots of steps to create policies. We're fairly stringent when people do things. We suspend people. We fire people.

"It is clear to everybody who works for us we are not going to tolerate it. It's just human nature, human behavior. No, we don't have a culture run amok. It's a phrase everybody likes to use now. We have a culture of hard work, and achievement and serving fans. We have a lot of employees. A few of them, every now and then, do something stupid."

Like talk to book authors.

(AP Photo/The Star Tribune)
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks during a news conference at the governors residence in St. Paul, Minn., today with Gov. Mark Clayton, left.

By The Associated Press

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said after meeting today with Gov. Mark Dayton and supporters of a Minnesota Vikings stadium that the league will contribute financially to its construction, and that he believes efforts to get the facility built are ensuring the team's future in the state.

"I think the commitment here is to get something done and I think that will ensure the success of the Vikings," said Goodell, after he was asked if he could envision a scenario where the team would leave Minnesota.

The NFL commissioner met early in the morning at the governor's residence with Dayton, legislators sponsoring the stadium bill and state Transportation Commissioner Tom Sorel to talk about the team's partnership with Ramsey County to build a $1.1 billion stadium in suburban Arden Hills.

Goodell would not reveal how much the league would kick in, saying he would release more details in the next few days. As part of its deal with Ramsey County, the Vikings pledged to pay $407 million, about 39 percent of the total project cost.

Apparently not, although that's obviously not the first thing you'd think of when constructing an obituary on the Hall of Fame slugger from the Minnesota Twins, who lost his battle with throat cancer today.

The remembrance of his life on the KTLA.com website (taken from sister media partner Los Angeles Times, linked here) mentions: "Killebrew retired after playing with Kansas City in 1975 and spent several seasons as a broadcaster, most of them with the Twins."

But one of them was with the Angels. On KTLA. In 1983. With the late Bob Starr. Killebrew was with the Twins' broadcast from '76-'78, with Oakland (as a broadcaster and hitting coach) from '79-'82, and then back with the Twins from '84-'88.

And despite what many say, Killebrew wasn't the model for the MLB logo. But you'd have a tough time convincing us of that (even after the guy who designed it in 1969 says it's not true, linked here). He also told David Davis for his piece in the Washington Post the same thing long ago (linked here).

Meanwhile, check out this link to Killebrew's other connection to the Angels -- a 522-foot homer that he hit off a knuckleball from the Angels' Lew Burdette on June 3, 1967 at the old Metropolitan Stadium in Minneapolis. Although Ross Newhan says it was 570 feet (linked here) and the seat was green.

This CBS sit-com idea from the mind of ESPN's Colin Cowherd that we made mention of in last Friday's media column isn't gonna fly.

It's out of development. Deepest apologies to Damon Wayons and Eliza Dushku, who were set to be part of the cast.

The radio show host/"SportsNation" sidekick tweeted that CBS decided it was a no-go: "Network passed on my sitcom. On to plan B. In talks with Charlie Sheen for new show "Almost Winning." Taste that CBS"

The blog SportsGrid.com has already said: "Tough the show never aired, in a way, we already miss it. Why? Because everyone banding together to make fun of Colin Cowherd's sitcom was great fun."

Where one door closes, another opens. But not at ESPN.

Today, the Worldwide Leader in Sports has its day to do its so-called "upfronts" -- releasing new information about upcoming shows that will hopefully motivate ad sales. ESPN is doing a big Times Square thing with Michelle Beadle and Scott Van Pelt asked to step away from their own shows and pimp what's coming up. The Laker Girls were also available (somehow) to participate in this.

What's there to know?

== A new afternoon lineup on ESPN2 starting Sept. 12 will include "Dan Le Batard is Highly Questionable," giving the Miami Herald sportswriter his own 30-minute gig at 1 p.m., hopefully limiting his time available to go to "Around The Horn" or sub on "Pardon The Interruption."

== "Numbers Don't Lie," a half-hour show weekdays at 12:30 p.m. on ESPN that " tackles the biggest sports stories of the day by providing historical and numerical perspective." With a host TBA, a former player TBA and an "expert" TBA. It usually means they're crunching the numbers to find the right, economical fit.

== Three new documentaries that will air starting in October:
= "Catching Hell - The Steve Bartman Story"
= "Renee - Renee Richard's Story"
= "Play On," the story of Johann Olav Koss

Other stuff from the ESPN release:
= ESPN will conduct a formal bid process to determine the X Games host cities. Final cities will be selected in 2012 for a three-year agreement.
= The launch of the ESPNDeportesLosAngeles.com website with Time Warner Cable, making it the first ESPN Spanish-language site for a city.
= Kenny Mayne's "Wilder World of Sports" is a six-part digital series going global.

More from Dan Patrick (from the previous blog entry, linked here) on his syndicated radio and TV show this morning, in light of what could be coming out of the new book, "Those Guys Have All The Fun: Inside the World of ESPN" by James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales, what has already been revealed in a GQ excerpt, and what probably wasn't included in the 1997 book that he and Keith Olbermann wrote capitalizing the success of their partnership at the net:

On the Keith Olbermann information released:

"Everything I read on Keith's story and how people viewed him was accurate ... There was stuff I didn't know first-hand, but I was aware of second- and third-hand. ...

"But what stood out was that on one hand, you have the brilliance of Keith. What he could do and bring to a show. But you also had the other side ... what he can bring to a show that can bring it down. You end up at the end of the day almost even. Keith was great on TV. I thought he changed 'SportsCenter' and changed sportscasting but then he got off the air and you had to deal with all the other things there.

"A lot of jealousy went on there. A lot. The 6 p.m. Eastern show, a lot of jealousy with the 11 o'clock show. Because we were 11, and we didn't know who was watching. There never released any ratings. Which I found interesting in the (excerpt), John Walsh, the former boss, said the ratings went up after Keith left - that's interesting because we never got to see any ratings when we were there. And then all the sudden the ratings became important?

Not to take any frantic buzz from the pending release next week of "Those Guys Have All The Fun: Inside the World of ESPN" by James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales, but former ESPN "SportsCenter" anchor Dan Patrick tried to temper the anticipation a bit on his syndicated radio and TV show this morning, saying he thinks "people will be disappointed in the book because it won't be as titillating as they thought."

Still, Patrick added, "I think you're going to find out things that will fascinate you."

Patrick, who spent 18 years at ESPN as an anchor and host on both TV and radio before leaving in 2007 to start his own media venture, responded to the GQ excerpt of the book that came out Monday (previous blog post on this linked here). It's the first real piece of meat dangled by the publishers to the mainstream media in anticipation of the release of the book next Tuesday.

Patrick is quoted in the excerpt, but offered much more background to that, his time at ESPN, and what he thinks will be a somewhat deflated response based on previous books done on the network.

"I don't think people are going to read the book and come away with what they want," said Patrick. "It's because the previous book by Mike Freeman ("ESPN: The Uncensored History" in 2001) had a lot of sex in it, sexual harassment stories in it. I don't know if Jim Miller and Tom Shales will have that approach. I think they'll tell stories. They told me some stories that I didn't even know took place. But I think that you will find with these writers is they did their homework. And they have just about anything they want to write, they have it at their fingertips.

"And people ratted on one another. That was really what was sad. People just turned and fired. It was 'ready, fire, aim.' And people just turned and stabbed everybody. That's what I found out, which is really disheartening.

"It's people who are still there, who work with some of the people they stabbed in the back. That's the real sad part.

"You build friendships. It's a great place. But there are people there who are conniving, backstabbing and jealous. I'm talking about talent to management. And that's what's sad, because it should come to this. And it will. There'll be bloodshed, it'll be ugly. It'll be embarrassing.

"But the story after the book is out will be: What wasn't in the book?"

For those blood-thirsty scallawags who can't wait for eight more days, GQ has done the gentlemanly thing and published the first major excerpt of the new 770-page book, "ESPN: These Guys Have All The Fun" by Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller (linked here).

And, as expected, Keith Olbermann is already questioning its base in factuality.

Not that he's mentioned (yet) in any of the expected tales of sexual indiscretion, drugs or other illicit behavior. In-house battles were his forte. The former "SportsCenter" anchor, who left L.A.-based KTLA-Channel 5 and KCBS-Channel 2 to take the job in Bristol in 1992, gets first crack at being put in the spotlight by the authors' publishers, Little, Brown and Company.

The excerpt has a quote from former ESPN Chairman Herb Granath: "I was enraged by Olbermann. Guys like that just piss me off, you know, because there's no loyalty. It's just me, me, me. There was no choice but to get rid of him."

Olbermann, who has already plucked the humorous illustration of him from the GQ story as his new Twitter avitar, tweeted: "till I saw this on Friday I had never heard the name 'Herb Granath.' ... What was he? A Nijna?"

The excerpt also says that a different ESPN exec said that in 1997 he decided "we would be better off without Keith" and decided not to renew his contract.

Olbermann's Twitter response: "I told them in '96 or early '97 I was not coming back. The whole 'we didn't renew his option' is untrue. There was no option."

The GQ excerpt -- which according to the New York Times' Friday media column (linked here) wasn't so easy to get, considering the cone of silence put over this project -- also has a few other humorous responses, such as Charley Steiner, the current Dodgers' radio play-by-play man and former ESPN colleague, who talks about how in 1992 Olbermann was put on this new ESPN2 channel, complete with a black leather jacket, to try to show how hip this new network could be: "The problem about the birth of ESPN2 was, you can't try and be hip; either you are or you aren't. It's that simple. But putting poor old Keith in a black leather jacket like he's heading for a dominatrix studio, come on!"

It was Olbermann who actually made that night famous by pronouncing: "Welcome to the end of my career" as he begain the first ESPN2 show, "SportsNight."

Adds Michael Mandt, a production assistant: "I was working the teleprompter for that first show, and I can tell you that first line of Keith's was not on the prompter."

And another quote from producer Bill Wolff: "Chris Berman made that place. But the guy who made ESPN a household word, the guy who made ESPN mean something in the market to everyone, was Keith Olbermann. God, he was a genius. He just reinvented sportscasting by being the smartest guy who ever did it. And watching him in the mid-'90s was a pleasure. It was appointment viewing: What was Olbermann going to say that night."

And one more from "Outside The Lines" anchor Bob Ley: "We felt not so much relief when Keith left as unrestrained fucking joy. And it may not be fair to him, because I don't know what his issues are. Some of what happened with him back then is romanticized, but there are still people there who remember how people were treated, spoken to, referred to, and no amount of subsequent gentle behavior is going to erase that."

The book comes out officially on Tuesday, May 24. If not sooner on the Internet with more sausy chapters characterized as deleted (linked here).

Highlights of the week ahead in sports, both here and afar:

THIS WEEK'S BEST BET:

MLB: Dodgers vs. San Francisco, Wednesday and Thursday, Dodger Stadium, 7 p.m., Prime:

Over at Angel Stadium the other night, more than 40,000 red Lucha-Libre-inspired wrestling masks with a white halo "A" logo were given out to the crowd, and they set a supposed Guinness World Record by putting them on for 10 minutes between innings to become "the largest gathering of people wearing costume masks." Quite a feat -- and a promotion the Dodgers couldn't even mask any interest in repeating. Not with the Giants back in town for the first time since opening weekend, after what happened to Bryan Stow in the Dodger Stadium parking lot on March 31. This is the first meeting back at Chavez Ravine for the NL West rivals since the Dodgers finally beefed up security. The inspiring news last week is that the 42-year-old Stow appeared ready for a transfer to a hospital closer to his Bay Area home, and billboards donated by local company have started going up around L.A. with the wanted posters of the two suspects.

MONDAY

MLB: Dodgers vs. Milwaukee, Dodger Stadium, 7 p.m., Prime:

By this point in his career, Brewers' All-Star outfielder Ryan Braun should be primed for an endorsement deal yet with Brawny paper towels. We went so far as to check the company website to see if that Brawny Man guy on their wrapper is even real.
Their answer: "The Brawny Man was created in 1974 as a symbol of Brawny paper towels. Although the Brawny Man has worn many styles and faces over the years, he is not based on a real person." There you go. And the former Granada Hills High standout wouldn't even have to change his nickname. When Braun left a game last week with a bruised ankle -- he crashed into the out-of-town scoreboard along the left field fence in Miller Park trying to chase down a fly ball -- Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said: "Brauny was hurting. If he had to go back out there, then he would have." You can't get much tougher. He hit his NL-best 12th homer in a win Sunday and drove in four - that makes 11 RBIs in his last five games. Tuesday's meeting (7 p.m., Channel 9) is a Clayton Kershaw bobblehead giveaway. After this, the teams don't meet again until four games in mid-August in Wisconsin.

AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
Oakland Athletics right fielder Conor Jackson catches a fly ball hit by Chicago White Sox's Carlos Quentin, which doubled up Paul Konerko on the bases in the eighth inning of Sunday's game in Oakland.

MLB: Angels at Oakland, 7 p.m., Channel 13:

The .500 Athletics have put up nasty offensive numbers (25th in the major leagues with a .235 team batting average, 27th in on-base percentage) countered by some very nasty pitching (first in the big-leagues with a 2.74 staff ERA and second in quality starts). Former El Camino Real High standout Conor Jackson is hitting a team best .282 in 85 at bats, pushing for more starting time in right field. After this one, just one more on Tuesday (7 p.m., FSW).

TUESDAY

NBA playoffs: Western Conference finals, Game 1: Oklahoma City at Dallas, 6 p.m., ESPN:

Psst. Something's up with Mark Cuban. The Dallas Mavs owner didn't offer up a peep during the recent sweep of the Lakers, and now that his team is one step away from the NBA Finals, he's still avoiding interviews. Asked recently by the Associated Press recently if there was a reason for his low profile, he replied: "Nope." He's even been tame on Twitter. After the series, all he tweeted was, "i'm proud of our guys and the MFFL Nation. One game at a time. We believe" (MFFL stands for "Mavs Fan For Life," which he has on his license plate.) Would he rather have faced Memphis than Oklahoma City in this round of the playoffs? He won't say. Kevin Durant vs. Dirk Nowitzki is a tall order to fill. The series quietly continues Thursday (6 p.m., ESPN) and Saturday (6 p.m., ESPN).

NBA: Draft Lottery, 5:30 p.m., ESPN:

ESPN "Insider" Chad Ford has broken down the 2,184 potential lottery scenarios, and each time has the winning team taking Duke freshman guard Kyrie Irving. Except the Clippers. Even with their 32-50 record and missing the playoffs (again), they traded their pick to Cleveland with Baron Davis in the deal for Mo Williams and Jamario Moon last season. Minnesota (17-65) has the highest odds of winning this and claiming the rights to Irving when the actual draft takes place on June 23 -- a week before the current collective bargaining agreement ends.

NHL playoffs: Eastern Conference finals, Game 2: Tampa Bay at Boston, 5 p.m., Versus:

Bow down to Sean Bergenheim, who had 14 goals in the regular season, but now has a league-best eight in the Stanley Cup playoffs after igniting the Lightning's Game 1 victory and stealing home ice. Tampa is the site for Game 3 (Thursday, 5 p.m., Versus) and Game 4 (Saturday, 10:30 a.m., Channel 4).

WEDNESDAY

MLB: Angels at Seattle, 7 p.m., FSW:

Just a quick in-and-out series against the Mariners, and the Angels, with Jered Washburn and Dan Haren, look to miss Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez and hard-throwing rookie Michael Pineda. The second game is Thursday (12:40 p.m., FSW). The Mariners had their games Saturday and Sunday rained out. Not unusual for Seattle? Both games were in Cleveland.

NBA playoffs: Eastern Conference finals, Game 2: Miami at Chicago, 5:30 p.m., TNT:

So what if the NBA had to work these two Bulls' home games at the United Center awkwardly around the taping of the final two episodes of the "Oprah Winfrey Show." We all know who runs the Windy City. The NBA should also realize that the United Center is already locked into a month-long creepy Cirque Du Soleil show starting June 30. By taking the opener of the series, the Bulls are in charge. Game 3 in Miami doesn't come until Sunday (5:30 p.m., TNT). Did you hear what TNT's Marv Albert had to say about LeBron James' comments, where he said he picked Miami for the weather and schools: "LeBron had done a lot of intensive study and he liked the arts and crafts program."

NHL playoffs: Western Conference finals, Game 2: San Jose at Vancouver, 6 p.m., Versus:

The Canucks don't sell green body suits in their team store. Thankfully. Sully and Force, sit down and keep your pelvic gyrations to yourselves. We'll change venues to San Jose for Game 3 (Friday, 6 p.m., Versus) and Game 4 (Sunday, noon, Channel 4).

THURSDAY

Golf: PGA's Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, Fort Worth, Tex., first round, noon, Golf Channel:

Zack Johnson won the plaid jacket last year at Hogan's Alley with a tournament record 21-under 259, the seventh career tour win for the former Masters champ. Golf Channel has round two Friday (noon), with CBS on the weekend (noon on Saturday and Sunday).

FRIDAY

MLB: Dodgers at Chicago White Sox, 5 p.m., Prime:

At last, the interleague portion of the schedule. Because we can't relive that '59 World Series enough. This set on the South Side continues Saturday (11 a.m., Channel 9) and Sunday (11 a.m., Prime).

MLB: Angels vs. Atlanta, Angel Stadium, 7 p.m., FSW:

First baseman Freddie Freeman was taken by Atlanta in the 2007 draft out of El Modena High in the O.C. Save his family some seats. This continues with games Saturday (7 p.m., FSW) and Sunday (12:35 p.m., FSW).

SATURDAY

Horse racing: The 136th Preakness, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., Channel 4 (post time: 3:05 p.m.):

As poet Ogden Nash wrote: "The Derby is a race of aristocratic sleekness, for horses of birth to prove their worth to run in the Preakness." Animal Kingdom outslicked 18 others to win the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago, but no one gives him much of a chance for Triple Crown honors. Robby Albarado, who was taken off Animal Kingdom the day before the Derby and replaced by John Velazquez, returns to ride King Congie in this one. Mucho Macho Man, who finished third at the Derby, should be back in this one again and could be a betting favorite. The other events during the wek include the Preakness Classic (Friday, 1 p.m., Versus), the Black Eyed Susan Stakes (Friday, 2 p.m., Versus), and Saturday's pre-race show (10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Versus) and wrapup show (3:30 to 4 p.m., Versus).

Boxing: Bernard Hopkins vs. Jean Pascal, 7 p.m., HBO:

The 46-year-old Hopkins, attemptiing to become the oldest to ever win a major boxing title, had to accept a controversial draw against last December against Pascal, 18 years his junior. Pascal knocked Hopkins down in two of the first three rounds, but in the last eight rounds, Hopkins roared back. "If we glean one lesson (from that match) it's that Hopkins still has something left in the tank," wrote Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix. "Hopkins outclassed a young lion. He took Pascal into deep waters and exposed him as a fraud, a five-round fighter whose chiseled physique pretties up magazine pages but doesn't yet have the stamina to be a true champion." The draw necessitates this WBC-mandated rematch -- which will be Hopkins' 59th career pro bout. Hopkins has two more fights on his HBO contract after this one, a light-heavyweight bout taking place in Montreal. Hopkins could eventually meet up with Andre Ward, who outlasted Arthur Abraham at Home Depot Center last Saturday to keep his WBA middleweight title belt.

MLS: Galaxy vs. Chivas USA, Home Depot Center, 7 p.m., ESPN2:

The Galaxy (5-2-5), four points ahead of Real Salt Lake in the West, has taken the last four meetings in the so-called SuperClasico (or El Clasico Angelino, or L.A. Derby). David Beckham was limping around after the Galaxy's win over Kansas City, but said he should be ready for this one. "It's only a dead leg," he said, "but sometimes those are the most painful ones."

Red Bull Soapbox Race, Grand Ave. and 5th Street in downtown L.A., 1 p.m.:

A follow-up to the 2009 event that captured the energized hearts and minds of Angelenos, they say gravity and imagination are the only two requirements for this non-motorized race, according to the official website (linked here). Some 40 cars are already entered, with five-people teams usually involved (as the pit crew). Among the sports-related entries are "Lakers FanWagon" from East L.A., the "Southern California Bobsled Team" from the Theta Xi fraternity at USC, and "Chivas!" from San Bernardino -- in honor of the soccer team, spurred on by drums and vuvuzelas. The winners get (and this is real) a NASCAR experience, touring the pits, meeting the Red Bull Racing drivers and a chance to "enjoy the race up close and personal in true Red Bull fashion."

SUNDAY

Cycling: Amgen Tour of California, Stage 8 7: Santa Clarita to Thousand Oaks, 3:30 to 6 p.m., Versus:

Latest look at the Doppler shows no snow expected for this last leg for Levi Leipheimer (left) and his friends, but it wouldn't be out of the norm. The race, now cut from 763.8 miles to 645.1 after the Stage 1 storm, concludes after what could be a treacherous trip to Mt. Baldy on Saturday (4-to-6 p.m.). On this final 80-mile stage starting out on Highway 126, there's a steep climb up Balcolm Canyon, through Moorpark and up the Norwegian Grade before a downhill sprint and a four-mile circle through Thousand Oaks. Training wheels optional. The network coverage is live Monday through Friday from 2 to 4 p.m.

It would be a weak-knee, jerky response to start speculating what's major-wrong with Tiger Woods.

== With the plethora of TV talking heads now labeled as an "insider," who among us is honestly left on the outside anymore?

The Toronto Suns reports (linked here):

WINNIPEG - How out of hand has the NHL-to-Winnipeg hysteria gotten in this town?

Well, it's so bad a 17-year-old girl in Edmonton was able to sucker the Twitterverse into believing a news conference announcing the Atlanta Thrashers' move to Winnipeg had been slated for Friday afternoon at MTS Centre.

Parminder Sahota made the faux announcement to the 2,000-plus people who follow her Twitter feed -- @EpicPuckBunny -- about 1 p.m. Thursday:

TSN reporting that Thrashers to Winnipeg will be announced tomorrow at 1pm at the MTS centre.

"I told my girlfriend I could get my (Twitter) followers all riled up," Sahota told the Winnipeg Sun, explaining the motive behind her decision to tweet out the misinformation between classes at W.P. Wagner School. "A lot of my followers are Jet fans, so I knew they'd respond."

She was right. But Sahota couldn't have possibly envisioned the frenzy she created with one single tweet.

Within minutes, the Grade 12 student's statement had been retweeted a number of times by Winnipeg puck fans, the Thrashers became one of Twitter's top trending topics in Canada, and hockey reporters throughout North America -- including those at TSN -- were forced into publicly denouncing the tweet as inaccurate.

On Thursday night, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman even waded into the story, refuting Sahota's tweet.

Not bad work for a mischievous kid killing time during her lunch break.

"I think it's pretty funny," said Sahota. "I can't believe anybody would take a joke from a 17-year-old girl from Edmonton so seriously."

Sahota, who grew up in North Kildonan and has lots of family still living here, said she's grown tired of everyone taking the NHL's possible return to Winnipeg so seriously. She said she wants the NHL to return to her hometown as much as anyone, but thinks everyone should stop stressing over it and lighten up.

Some followers took her tweet and the subsequent frenzy with good humour, congratulating her on a prank well done. Others were less appreciative and chided her for floating misinformation.

Still, Sahota said she had no regrets about putting one over on gullible puck fans.

"Would I do it all over again? Oh, hell yeah," she said. "This was hilarious."

xxxx

The postscript:

Pierre LeBrun of ESPN (@Real_ESPNLeBrun), who writes for ESPN.com as an NHL columnist and CBC 'Hot Stove' regular, posted a followup Twitter:

Thrashers to Winnipeg not a done deal at this point. But it remains a strong possibility.

He followed it up three hours later with this story (linked here).

"So people just make this stuff up, right?" said Bettman, who was attending Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals between the Detroit Red Wings and San Jose Sharks. "Where's the accountability from all the people who a month ago were saying that Phoenix was definitely going? Whatever is being written [about Atlanta] is being made up."

The Los Angeles office of Lamar Advertising Co. (linked here), has donated some 200 billboards around the Dodger Stadium area to publicize the $100,000 reward and help police find the two men who attacked San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow on Opening Day back on March 31.

NBC4.com reported that after Lamar employees declined to go on a company-wide day at the ballpark, the company's VP and General Manager donated the ad space throughout L.A. and Orange Counties.

"I think it's a great thing that this company's doing this," L.A. police detective P.J. Morris told the Santa Cruz Sentinel. "I think it will certainly generate more people calling. Anything out there that can generate interest in the public, the better."

Detectives said Thursday they had received 500 clues on the case since the attack about six weeks ago on Stow, 42, who suffered a severe skull fracture and has been in and out of a medically induced coma at L.A. County-USC Medical Center.

The attackers wore Dodgers apparel and were 18 to 25 years old, police said.

The paper reports that his family is considering moving him to UC San Francisco Medical Center as early as this weekend.

In a statement released today, LAC-USC officials said: "The medical team for Mr. Bryan Stow has deemed Mr. Stow's condition stable to be able to be transferred to San Francisco General and Trauma Center in San Francisco as early as Monday morning. Please note that his overall condition remains critical and he continues to be in a coma."

His youngest sister, Bonnie Stow, says her brother is more responsive now and the situation is a little more upbeat.

Los Angeles police asked anyone with information to call the anonymous tip line at 800-222-8477 or detectives at 213-847-4261.

During a conference call with media writers on Wednesday -- the day before the Players' Championship began -- Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee had this observation about Tiger Woods, who pulled out of last year's event in the last round because of injury:

"I think there's a really good chance that he'll be gone here before he was last year, even though he said yesterday that his knee was fine and his ankle felt fine. It's very likely that he's going to reinjure himself playing this course and maybe just hobble out here.

"It's really sad to see somebody of that talent going through what he's going through."
After his worst nine holes ever at the tournament, Woods withdrew on Thursday.

In response to a plea to friends on Facebook.com to help him find work because he and his wife were "well behind on bills and are about to be evicted" from their apartment, USC football radio play-by-play man Pete Arbogast has told Don Barrett at LARadio.com that he is thankful for the help provided by a local non-profit organization that helps media members in need.

The 8-Ball Welfare Foundation (linked here), which since 1954 has supplied financial aid, was able to assist Arbogast after he said in April that his only income has been from doing the 12 Trojan football games a year for KSPN-AM (710) as a free-lancer and "they are not enough on which to make a living," nor do they provide health or dental insurance.

"This is a drastic step to take, but I'm not sure where else to turn," Arbogast said in his Facebook post. "While there are certainly people who would (and will) chide me for doing this sort of thing, I can't think of a group of people I would rather put my trust in to help see me through than longtime friends and colleagues."

After the 8-Ball Wellfare assistance, Arbogast told Barrett: "These guys really came through in a very tight spot, and I will repay it either monetarily or through service as I can."

Bob Tarlau, a board member and treasurer for the organization, told Barrett that the group came into being when the original downtown Los Angeles Daily News closed nearly 60 years ago. While some of the reporters got jobs with the L.A. Times or other papers, many wer eout of work and turned to the L.A. Press Club for help.

(The current L.A. Daily News took the name in the early 1980s, changing over from the Valley News and Green Sheet).

The creation of the 8-Ball Welfare Foundation is to help media members in Southern California receive grants to pay for necessities such as rent, medical care or food when they are in trouble.

"So many from the journalism world have been consistent donors over the years but we would like to do more to reach out to the radio community," Tarlau said.

Mike Parker, the radio voice of Oregon State sports for the last 12 years and a five-time state broadcaster of the year winner, offered a tearful apology this week to the school and his broadcast employers for a YouTube video that has circulated showing him so intoxicated at a West Hollywood Denny's restaurant back in February that he eats a napkin before nearly passing out.

The video, posted in two parts lasting more than five minutes by a group of diners who are laughing at Parker the entire time, appeared in February when OSU was in L.A. to face UCLA and USC in basketball.

"I'm deeply ashamed for putting myself in a position," the 52-year-old said. "To be in that kind of state, and so obviously terribly impaired from the alcohol that I could not be aware of what I was doing, is very frightening. It's embarrassing, it's shameful, it's humiliating."

The school said it would keep Parker employed while he seeks treatment.

The video was shot without his knowledge, and Parker told KGW-TV, the NBC affiliate in Portland, Ore., that bears no ill will to the people who posted the video.

Photo courtesy of LSU

By Jordan Blum
The (Baton Rouge, La.) Advocate

Louisiana State University will soon have a permanent fixture of Shaquille O'Neal executing one of his rim-rocking dunks.

The university plans to unveil a bronze, life-size statue of a young Shaq dunking in his LSU basketball uniform outside of the Pete Maravich Assembly Center's new practice facility, said Herb Vincent, LSU associate vice chancellor for communications.

The 900-pound statue would represent the first on campus of a former LSU student athlete.

O'Neal attended LSU from 1989-92, leaving after his junior season. He eventually got his degree in 2000.

"We're just waiting for him to come down so he can be a big part of it," Vincent said.

The tentative plan is to unveil the statue during the NBA off-season, Vincent said. It would have to be prior to October. O'Neal's Boston Celtics are currently one game from being eliminated in their playoff matchup against the Miami Heat.

Vincent said the four-time NBA champion -- three of them with the Lakers -- was a natural selection to be LSU's first statue of an athlete because he is an "iconic figure" worldwide. O'Neal also is the only LSU student athlete in any major sport to win a national player of the year award in college and an MVP award in the pros.

"We're honoring him for his accomplishments . and it's a good recruiting tool," Vincent said.

The $70,000 project is privately funded, he said.

"It's already been done," Vincent said. "It's in storage."

Vincent said an online blog report by SportsByBrooks.com (linked here) that O'Neal is resisting having the statue installed is inaccurate.

"He's never been resistant about it," Vincent said.

He also denied information in the report that LSU has plans to erect statues of former basketball greats Maravich, Bob Petit and current WNBA star Seimone Augustus.

"It's designed for one statue right in the middle," Vincent said, referring to the entrance outside of the PMAC practice facility. "We have no plans for other statues at this time."

The only other athletic statue at LSU is of former women's basketball coach Sue Gunter, who died in 2005. The statue is in the concourse area of the PMAC.

However, the Tiger Manor apartment complex near LSU has statues of former football greats Billy Cannon, Warren Rabb and former LSU football coach Paul Dietzel.

Vincent said it is just a "coincidence" that LSU will unveil its O'Neal statue at a time when other universities like Auburn, Alabama and Florida are all erecting statues of athletes or coaches.

Alabama recently completed a statue of football coach -- and former LSU coach -- Nick Saban. Auburn is building statues of its three Heisman Trophy winners, including 2011 winner Cam Newton. And Florida now has statues of its Heisman winners, including 2007 winner Tim Tebow.

The Associated Press

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has not responded to an invitation to a television debate with presidential challenger Mohamed bin Hammam.

In March, London-based Sky News invited the men to participate in a debate ahead of the June 1 election. Sky said Bin Hammam accepted the invitation.

With the election three weeks away, the network says on its website Wednesday that "Blatter has avoided answering an official Sky invitation to go head to head with his rival."

Blatter campaign spokesman Brian Alexander declined to comment.

Blatter has been president since 1998 and is up for re-election for a fourth four-year term

The official announcement of Gus Johnson raising and firing his career detour to a full-time job with Fox to call college football and basketball doesn't necessarily preclude him from working again at CBS during March Madness.

During a conference call with reporters today, Fox Sports president Eric Shanks noted that CBS' coverage, now merged with Turner for the NCAA men's basketball tournament, has always seemed to find a place for broadcasters from other networks (although ESPN analyst Jay Bilas was not included this year).

"As a fan, I think Gus' voice belongs on March Madness," Shanks told USA Today.

Said Johnson about moving from CBS to Fox: "I don't know if it's necessarily a better fit. It's a new opportunity and a bigger stage for me -- getting to be a lead play-by-play guy for a network like Fox. ...

"I lost a lot of sleep over (this decision). (The NCAA tournament) is an event that gave me so many great chances and memories and it's something I walk away from, not with regret, but I will miss a chance to do the tournament."

Johnson will team with analyst Charles Davis on Pac-12 football starting this fall, as well as join Fox's NFL stable of play-by-play men (after the college football season ends). The two will also do Fox's Cotton Bowl and games on the Big Ten Network (co-owned with Fox).

On basketball, Johnson will do nearly 30 Big Ten Network games as well as others on FX.

Johnson, who called last Saturday's Manny Pacquaio-Shane Mosley bout for Showtime, had been doing play-by-play at CBS Sports since 1995. He also did games for the New York Knicks on radio and TV.

Johnson will also reportedly stay with Showtime to call fights, both boxing and MMA.

The Associated Press
Phil Jackson's children watch the final minutes of Sunday's Lakers-Mavericks' Game 4 in dallas.

Charles Barkley was wrong again.

On the Lakers' future: "I don't think they should disband the team. Think about it, Kobe, Gasol, Bynum and Odom. Clearly, they've got to get some split speed because of those guys, Kobe's the oldest one. They've got no quickness. And they need to address their bench. Their bench is no good. They've got to get some perimeter speed and they've got to finish their bench a little bit, but other than that, I think they'll be right back there next year as one of the better teams in the NBA."

Highlights of the week ahead in sports, both here and afar:

THIS WEEK'S BEST BET:

Golf: The Players Championship, first round: Thursday, 10 a.m., Golf Channel:

The TPC Sawgrass track at Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., hasn't been one of Tiger Woods' favorites. Fear of water on every hole? The 2001 winner has never missed the cut there (in 13 starts), but he withdrew from the final round last year with a neck tweak, and he's only made the top 10 once there in the last eight trips. Still, he says he'll be there after resting up an injured knee that kept him from last week's event in North Carolina. Golf Channel has the second round Friday (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), with NBC on the weekend (11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Channel 4).

MONDAY

MLB: Dodgers at Pittsburgh, 4 p.m., Prime:

Speaking of the Pirates . . . seen the new trailers for "Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides"? Why wasn't San Francisco Giants pitcher Brian Wilson cast as Jack Sparrow's new protagonist, Blackbeard? Think of the MLB cross-promotion possibilities. As Andre Ethier tries to extend his hitting streak to two games, this otherwise shipwrecked four-game series pushes forward to Tuesday (Channel 9), Wednesday (Prime) and Thursday (Channel 9), all at 4 p.m., before the Dodgers sail home.

MLB: Angels vs. Chicago White Sox, 7 p.m., Channel 13:

Here's what White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen tweeted before his team took on the Seattle Mariners on Sunday: "Happy mother (sic) day." Gotta love a guy who's so controversial with social media. He'll have plenty of more opportunities to review the restaurants around Anaheim after games Tuesday and Wednesday (both at 7 p.m. on FSW).

NBA playoffs, Western Conference semifinals Game 4: Oklahoma City at Memphis, 6:30 p.m., TNT:

The Pau Marc Gasol-led Grizzlies are two wins from getting to a place the Lakers probably thought they'd be -- in the Western Conference finals. And they'd be the first No. 8 seed to make it that far. "Nobody thought we'd be in this position up 2-1 in the second round, so I think we're just enjoying it," Shane Battier said. "Enjoy the ride, enjoying competing and we just want to play as long as we can." Despite the flooding in the area, this game appears to still be on. Looking ahead, Game 5 will be Wednesday at Oklahoma City. A need for a Game 6 in Memphis (Friday) or a Game 7 in Oklahoma City (Sunday) is to be determined. If this thing ends earlier, Sunday will be Game 1 of the Western Conference final between either the Grizzlies or Thunder at the Dallas Mavericks.

NBA playoffs: Eastern Conference semifinals Game 4: Miami at Boston, 4 p.m., TNT:

The Heat's 97-81 loss in Game 3, cutting their lead to 2-1, means it has stumbled 11 times in a row at Boston, including three this season. "We understand now fully how difficult it is to take down a champion," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. Champions of what again? We're not even sure of Shaq will be back for a Game 5 on Wednesday at Miami, but Game 6 goes back to Boston on Friday. If we need a seventh, it's pushed back to Monday, May 16, back in Miami.

NHL playoffs: Western Conference semifinals Game 6: Vancouver at Nashville, 5 p.m., Versus:

It's déjà vu for Le Canucks. The best in the West had a 3-0 lead over Chicago before having to go to a seventh game and win that series in overtime. Their 3-0 lead over the Predators, complete with a 3-1 lead in Game 4, is looking shaky again as Nashville has won the last two to force this sixth game. The Canucks are 1-4 when trying to finish off an opponent in a series. If we need a seventh game, it's back to Vancouver on Wednesday.

TUESDAY

NBA playoffs: Eastern Conference semifinals Game 5: Atlanta at Chicago, 5 p.m., TNT:

Where does the Bulls' Joakim Noah find his mojo? "My mom is probably the most inspiring person in my life," he said of Cecilia Rodhe, the 1978 Miss Sweden who married his dad, former French tennis star Yannick Noah. But he also calls former Bulls forward Dennis Rodman "my hero when I was growing up. I liked the way he played with passion, got into his opponents' heads and entertained the crowd. I draw a lot of inspiration from him." That explains everything. Noah's six-points (and a minus-16 in the plus/minus category) during a Game 4 loss to the Hawks means the Bulls have a Game 6 set for Thursday in Atlanta, with Game 7 on Sunday back in Chicago if needed.

NHL playoffs: Western Conference semifinals Game 6: San Jose at Detroit, TBA, Versus:

The Sharks had a 3-1 lead in Sunday's close-out game, but didn't come close. Meaning, their 3-0 series lead is now down to 3-2, going back to the Hockeytown. A Game 7 would be Thursday in San Jose, which isn't called Hockeytown.

WEDNESDAY

MLS: Galaxy at Philadelphia, 4:30 p.m., FSW:

The Union has managed four wins and a tie this year by scoring a total of five goals. They've only given up three in seven games. That could tie the Galaxy's offense up in knots. The Galaxy follows this one with a match against Kansas City at Home Depot Center on Saturday (7:30 p.m., FSW).

THURSDAY

It could have been Game 6 of the Lakers-Mavericks series .... Time to catch up on the "Khloe &-Lamar" reality show that's been sitting on the DVR?

FRIDAY

MLB: Dodgers vs. Arizona, Dodger Stadium, 7 p.m., Prime:

Believe it or not, there are two teams in the NL West playing more poorly than the Dodgers. Kirk Gibson's D'backs are one of them. Clayton Kershaw is scheduled to face Joe Saunders in this opener. Fox takes Saturday's game (4 p.m., Channel 11), leading into Sunday's series finale (1 p.m., Prime).

MLB: Angels at Texas, 5 p.m., FSW:

Jered Weaver, now trying to end a two-game losing streak, stifled the Rangers with a complete-game, 4-1 win back in Arlington, Tex., on April 20. Two more day games in Arlington end this one: Saturday at 1 p.m. on FSW and Sunday at noon on FSW.

SATURDAY

Soccer: FA Cup final: Manchester City vs. Stoke City, 7 a.m., Fox Soccer Channel:

Get stoked for this one. The annual David vs. Goliath matchup -- without David Beckham -- goes back to 1872, giving a chance for their "minnows" from the lower divisions to become "giant-killers" at Wembley Stadium.

Boxing: Andre Ward vs. Arthur Abraham, Home Depot Center, 7 p.m., Showtime (delayed at 10 p.m.):

The Super Six World Boxing Classic semifinals pit Ward (23-0, 13 KOs) and his WBA super middleweight title against the German star Abraham (32-2, 26 KOs) in this made-for-Showtime tournament. "(Ward) reminds me of Sugar Ray Leonard -- tough as nails, classy, charismatic with matinee idol looks," said promoter Dan Goossen. On the undercard, heavyweight contender Cristobal Arreola faces Nagy Aguilera of the Dominican Republic.

SUNDAY

MLS: Chivas USA at New York, 4 p.m., Prime:

L.A.'s other kickball team has been impressing some, despite a 2-3-3 mark so far. Win in New York, and someone should notice.

Cycling: Amgen Tour of California: Stage One: 2 p.m., Versus:

It starts with a circle around Lake Tahoe. By the time it winds through Sacramento, Modesto, Livermore, San Jose, Paso Robles, Solvang and Mt. Baldy, climaxing in the Santa Clarita-to-Thousand Oaks final stage, there's limited time to buy up the much-necessary T-shirts, caps and racing shirts on the official tour website (linked here). Could we interest you in the Moen Large Bell (#33841, just $30)? It'll make a lot of noise, and call attention to yourself quite nicely. Although we'd suspect you could go to the Schwinn store and find one of those handlebar ringers for quite less. But it wouldn't be official.
There's also a silver-etched travel mug (#8081, $26), which, for that price, must be real silver. The alluring product description includes: "Easy to close and open travel mug opening." And if the $6 rubber magnent or $5 lanyard isn't appealing enough, try the Plush T-Shirt Bear ($8). Although it says the version in yellow and brown are out of stock. You can only get black. We'll have to get Lance Armstrong on that.

That Kia Optimia that Blake Griffin leaped over on his way to winning the NBA slam dunk championship during the 2011 All-Star Weekend at Staples Center can be yours.

Would it be classified as a game-used car? Does that hurt the Kelly Blue Book value if there are sneaker marks on the hood (it could have happened during practice)? Did Baron Davis leave any headbands between the seats?

And how does Griffin's autograph on it increase the $18,995 stripped-down sticker price?

The Clippers' newly-proclaimed NBA Rookie of the Year has donated this unusual piece of memorabilia for a public charity auction on AutoTrader.com to benefit the Stand Up To Cancer charity, on behalf of Griffin's friend and former high-school teammate, Wilson Holloway, who died on Feb. 16 after a battle with Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Act fast: The auction started and runs through to 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 15. Griffin announced the auction during an apperance on Conan O'Brien's TBS show on Thursday night.

More info: www.autotrader.com/BlakeDunk

To further support Griffin's commitment to raise funds for cancer research in honor of Holloway, Stand Up To Cancer has created a fundraising team called Team Blake: In Honor of My Friend, Wilson Holloway, through which the public can donate any amount of money at www.su2c.org/BlakeDunk.

Trust us, it takes us longer to learn more new things as we move ahead in the sports media world. We have no issue with that.

In addition to the stuff we shoveled into today's newspaper and online editions (linked here), we trust you'll consider these notes of some promimence:

== The conversation late Thursday night between TNT's Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith on what the Lakers' Andrew Bynum said in the post-game locker room chat about a lack of trust among his teammates after the Game 2 loss to Dallas:

Barkley: "Well, it's human nature to blame other people when things don't go well. That's just human nature."

Smith: "That's not my human nature. That's not the human nature of championship teams. That's not human nature of teams that won back-to-back. That's not human nature of a franchise that has won that many championships. That shouldn't have been said, first of all. If he has 13 other guys that he has a problem with, they stand right next to you in the locker room. Go talk to them before you talk to the (media). I don't appreciate that."

Barkley: "He shouldn't have said that. He was 100 percent wrong. It's just like players passing the buck. It was 100 percent wrong for him to say that in that situation because he could say that in a team meeting tomorrow or on a plane, but (not) now."

== Perhaps only Vin Scully could figure out an elegant way of incorporating the news about the death of Osama Bin Laden during a Dodger broadcast.

On Monday's Dodgers-Cubs game, Scully talked about how ESPN's coverage of the Phillies-Mets game Sunday night in Philadelphia had suddenly gotten sidetracked by fans chanting "U-S-A! U-S-A!" in the stands. "And you know where they were in the game at that point? The ninth inning," Scully said. "The score tied 1 to 1. Nine-one-one. Nine-11. How about that?"

Former Dodgers NL MVP Maury Wills, one-armed outfielder Pete Gray and original San Diego Chicken Ted Giannoulas were the top three vote-getters in the annual election of the Shrine of the Eternals induction for 2011, the Baseball Reliquary's board of directors have announced.

The three will be formally inducted on Sunday, July 17 at the Pasadena Central Library.

Wills received the greatest percentage of votes (37) followed by Gray (35) and Giannoulas (34) from the 50 eligible candidates. Dizzy Dean (33 percent) just missed, as did Jim "Mudcat" Grant and Luis Tiant (30 percent).

A quick look at this year's honorees:

== Wills, in his second year on the ballot, received 29 percent of the votes a year ago. He spent nearly 10 years in the minor leagues before coming up to the Dodgers in 1959, then stole 50 bases the next season -- the most by an NL player since Max Carey in 1923. Wills lead the league for six straight years in stolen bases, including a single-season record of 104 in 1962, winning the NL MVP award. Retiring in 1972 with 586 steals (and a .281 lifetime average), Wills never made it to the Baseball Hall of Fame despite being credited for changing the way the game was played at the big-league level in the 1960s.

== Gray (1915-2002) lost his right arm in a childhood accident but played semi-pro baseball and finally made it to the minor leagues, hitting .333 for the Memphis Chicks in 1944, and stealing 68 bases. During World War II, he was signed to play with the St. Louis Browns in 1945 -- he hit just .218 without a homer in 77 games. But he was inspiring to watch catch balls and throw the back to the infield. Washington Post sports columnist Shirley Povich once said of him: "What Gray might have accomplished in the big leagues if blessed with two arms is something for the imagination to play with. Surely he would have been one of the greatest big leaguers of all time." A 1986 made-for-TV movie on his life staring Keith Carradine was called "A Winner Never Quits." Gray had been on the Shrine of the Eternals ballot since the first one 13 years ago in 1999.

== Giannoulas, on the Shrine ballot for the ninth time, created the most famous baseball mascot of the modern era. In 1974, as a student at San Diego State, he took a $2-an-hour job during spring break, wearing a rented chicken suit for local radio station KGB-FM and passing out promotional eggs at the San Diego Zoo. Eventually, the San Diego Padres let him do his routine during their games. In his book, "Big Hair and Plastic Grass: A Funky Ride Through Baseball and America in the Swinging '70s," Dan Epstein wrote: "It was love at first cluck between the KGB Chicken and Padres fans, who loudly cheered the Chicken's every pratfall and prank - especially when the latter came at the expense of the umpires and visiting players." The Famous Chicken became known as the "Sir Laurence Olivier of mascots," priding himself on not missing an engagement in over three decades as he tours the country all summer long.

Wills, Gray and Giannoulas will increase the Shrine's total number to 39. Previous honorees are (in alphabetical order): Jim Abbott, Dick Allen, Roger Angell, Emmett Ashford, Moe Berg, Yogi Berra, Ila Borders, Jim Bouton, Jim Brosnan, Bill Buckner, Roberto Clemente, Steve Dalkowski, Rod Dedeaux, Jim Eisenreich, Dock Ellis, Mark Fidrych, Curt Flood, Josh Gibson, William "Dummy" Hoy, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Bill James, Bill "Spaceman" Lee, Roger Maris, Marvin Miller, Minnie Minoso, Buck O'Neil, Satchel Paige, Jimmy Piersall, Pam Postema, Jackie Robinson, Lester Rodney, Pete Rose, Casey Stengel, Fernando Valenzuela, Bill Veeck, Jr., and Kenichi Zenimura.

The Associated Press

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon thinks Major League Baseball should examine controversial calls this season to see whether expanded instant replay would have an impact on those situations.

Maddon was tossed Wednesday night after the umpires got together and reversed Joe West's safe call on a tag play by Blue Jays first baseman Adam Lind on Tampa Bay's Sam Fuld. The call completed an inning-ending double play, and Maddon was ejected when he tried to argue.

West said he had the worst angle on the play, and consulted with the other crew members, including second base umpire Angel Hernandez. After the game, West said the umpires appeared to have gotten the call wrong.

"If you really want to be intelligent about it, technology is a part of our game," Maddon said before today's game against Toronto. "The fact that replay is already utilized, those are moments that you can review at the end of the season. Log them all and then see if there is any kind of common thread and say, 'Now this should be reviewable.'"

MLB is leaning toward expanding replay for the 2012 season to include trapped balls and fair-or-foul rulings down the lines. Only home run calls are currently reviewable -- fair or foul, whether the ball left the playing field or fan interference.

Maddon said distance calls could fall into the replay area.

"If you want to incorporate technology, it's just like the ball at the wall in a home run. It's hard to tell," Maddon said. "To change calls from a distance when you have technology, I think should be considered."

Check swings is another area Maddon would like addressed.

"If there's any way technology can tell us whether there was a swing or not a swing, that would wise, too," Maddon said. "Check swings is probably the one call that gets you kicked out quicker than any other moment in the game."

No idea is good enough to keep to yourself. Or claim your own. Once it's out there, ownership in a concept is secondary to who acts on it sifrst.

As for a group called Own The Dodgers, they have a name, a website, and the ability to send out press releases.

A group of Dodger fans who are bent on buying the team and running it in the same way the NFL's Green bay Packers do things launched a website -- www.ownthedodgers.com -- and are releasing information on how to buy stock in the team.

If, of course, it was for sale.

"This would constitute a bid that was 100 percent owned by the fans of the team," said Stanley Stalford, chairman of the organizing group to buy the Dodgers, in the groups' first public statement. "We understand that the MLB would need to change its rules, but the Dodgers have a history of doing things their own way and our message to the Commissioner would be to give the fans a chance."

Last October, after the Daily News wrote a story about how the Dodgers fans should file for divorce from Frank and Jamie McCourt and, as part of the agreement, take custody of the team, L.A. City Councilwoman Janice Hahn issued her own press release and wanted to champion the cause.

Here, apparently, is the first evidence that someone's interested in organizing, with 13 people "put in place to help steer this effort on the web, in the media, on the legal landscape and the financing involved beginning to put this unique bid in place," according to their statement.

Stalford, who owns Stalford Homes, is joined by attorney Richard Mendelson (DLA Piper Los Angeles Office), CPA Barry I. Goldstein (Kellog & Anderson, CPA), Albert Kam (of the Hawaii Collegiate Baseball League), Nelson Silver (chairman of Avon/Rent-A-Truck),
Charles Frank (The Box Media), attorney Lesa Slaughter (the former Chief of Staff of former L.A. mayor Richard Riordan), Stephen White (the former president of New World Features), attorney Robert Burke (Bob Burke and Assoc.), Christopher Colella (the chief operations officer of Wedbush Bank of Los Angeles), H. Eric Shockman (California League of Conservation Voters) and Carmen Rosenzweig (a former producer for ABC News).

Their mission statement: "Here is our opportunity, as Dodger Fans, to take TRUE ownership of the team. We propose public ownership of The Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Club. The Club would be run as a Non Profit -- much like the Green Bay Packers. We are in the process of building our Organizing Committee, and drafting the details of the Public Offering. Please Join Us! THIS IS THE FIRST PHASE -- We have to show thousands of names in support of the Bid! To show your support today, please register below ! We need YOU! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH -- This is OUR TEAM, and this is our TIME TO SHOW IT!"

As we all know, the more capital letters and exclamation points you can use, the louder it sounds to the prospective stock buyer, causing them to act impulsively and sign in without considering any ramifications.

We aren't going to throw water on the idea. We just like some credit where it might be due (or a free stock certificate, like the one we've already created) linked here).

Imagine playing pro football in Vegas.

Now, snap out of it. There's a waiver to be signed, and a $60 cash donation to make sure you're serious.

The entire coaching staff of the United Football League's Las Vegas Locomotives, inlcuding head coach Jim Fassell, have announced an open tryout Saturday at Cerritos College (11110 Alonda Blvd., Norwalk) to find players for this fall's season.

The tryout runs from 8:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., in order of positions -- punters, place kickers, long snappers, kick returners and punt returners register from 8:30 to 9 a.m. with workouts from 9 to 11 a.m.; offensive linemen, defensive linemen and tight ends register from from 10 to 11 a.m. with workouts from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; skill position players register from 11 a.m. to noon with workouts from noon to 2:15 p.m.

The workout includes individual position drills and timing in the 40-yard dash.

So, if there's no NFL season -- highly unlikely -- the UFL could be the only option for those looking for some pay-check football.

Fassel, a former USC and Long Beach quarterback who took the New York Giants to the XXXV Super Bowl in 2001, has won both UFL titles in Las Vegas. In 2009, the Locos beat the Florida Tuskers on a 33-yard field goal 1:43 into overtime.. Last year, the Locos lost their last two regular-season games but still qualified for the championship and upset the Tuskers 23-20 by blocking a potentially game-tying field goal in the closing seconds.

The 2011 UFL is scheduled to have five teams, playing an eight-game schedule. In addition to Las Vegas, there are teams in Sacramento (with Dennis Green), Virginia (with Marty Schottenheimer), Hartford (with Jerry Glanville) and Omaha. Florida has folded.

More info and registration to be Loco-crazy: www.ufl-football.com/tryouts/locos

From The Associated Press, The New York Times, The San Jose Mercury News and the Sports Business Daily:

A $3 billion, 12-year television contract with Fox and ESPN that will push the to-be-renamed Pac-12 up with the big boys will be officially announced in Phoenix on Wednesday.

The deal will not only give the Pac-12 its on TV spot, but it will completelyl own it as well starting in 2012, according to various reports. The Big Ten Network is 49 percent owned by Fox.

Each Pac-12 school will be guaranteed about $21 million from the contract, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the
contract has not been announced. This deal means full revenue sharing will kick in as soon as this contract begins, and as part of an agreement to give up their historically larger share of television revenues, USC and UCLA were each to receive a $2 million premium any year that the media rights did not reach $170 million.

The Pac-10, which changes to the Pac-12 in July by adding Utah and Colorado, made less than $60 million in media rights this past season but became the latest conference to take advantage of the escalating market for college sports on television.

This deal will bring the Pac-12 some $250 million a year -- more than the Big Ten ($220 million), SEC ($205 million), ACC ($155) and Big 12 ($130) in their current or recent renewals.

Reports are also that rights to some football and men's basketball games were not sold to Fox and ESPN, preserving some premium property the conference can use for a Pac-12 network to go along with Olympic and other non-revenue sports.

AP/Alex Gallardo
Andre Ethier follows an RBI single toward the hole at shortstop with Chicago Cubs catcher Geovany Soto looking on during the fifth inning Monday night at Dodger Stadium. The infield single extended Ethier's hitting streak to 28 games.

Kostya Kennedy, whose book, "56: Joe DiMaggio and the Last Magic Number in Sports" was one of the "30 Baseball Books in the 30 Days of April" reviews that we were pleased to include, is as any credible expert in today's world about hitting streaks.

Like the one that the Dodgers' Andre Ethier has going -- 28, halfway to 56.

In a column posted today on SI.com (linked here), Kennedy hits many of the same notes that he included in the book about why 56 has become so unreachable, even when there seems no logical explanation for why it can't happen again.

AP/Mark J. Terrill
Andre Ethier grounds toward San Diego first baseman Brad Hawpe on Sunday as catcher Nick Hundley, right, looks on along with home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt and starting pitcher Dustin Moseley, below. That made the streak reach 27.

But there are many other angles to Ethier's run. Kennedy writes:

Halfway to what Joe DiMaggio did in 1941, and already there is talk of the hallowed record that shimmers far in the distance. "Even the Great DiMag would say that you have to have a little luck," the Dodgers television announcer Vin Scully was drawling shortly after Ethier made it 27 straight on Sunday.

That won't be possible anymore for Hartack, or for whomever is scoring a Dodgers game. From now on close attention will be paid to every ball that Ethier hits with his streak on the line. He ran the streak to 28 with another infield hit, this time against the Cubs, on Monday night, and now he has the third-longest hitting streak in the 128-year history of the Dodgers. This streak is starting to mean something. The easy part is over.

Highlights of the week ahead in sports, both here and afar:

MONDAY

NBA playoffs: Western Conference semifinals Game 1: Lakers vs. Dallas, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., TNT:

Whatever Matt Barnes T-shirt doesn't kill you will only make his wallet stronger. There's a $30 T-shirt out there that takes up to four weeks for shipping even if you order now, but this "Matt Barnes Will Kill You ... If Ron Harper Doesn't First" silkscreen by Elusion Clothing, a company that Barnes is co-owner, is a keeper. It came out just a day after Barnes was suspended for his ejection in the Lakers' 28-point win over the Dallas Mavericks in late March. Barnes stuck himself into a heated confrontation between teammate Steve Blake and the Mavs' Jason Terry at Staples Center. The next day, Terry went on ESPN Radio and called Barnes "as soft as Charmin toilet paper." The former UCLA standout responded via Twitter: "NO ONES worried bout wat Jason Terry is talkn bout everyone remembers the 07 season . . . PUNK'EM" Aint (expletive) changed homey.. So enough w/the small talk." Barnes' 2007 reference was to how he, and Golden State, eliminated the Mavericks from the playoffs. Any new retorts on Barnes' part will likely come out sometime soon. But he's got all week to figure it out. These two franchises used to meet quite frequently in the 1980s, but not since '88 when the Lakers won a seven-game Western Conference final over Dallas, have they had this much on the line. Marv Albert and Steve Kerr call Game 1 and Game 2 on Wednesday at Staples Center (7:30 p.m., TNT), with Games 3 and 4 in Dallas on Friday (6:30 p.m., ESPN) and Sunday (12:30 p.m., Channel 7).

MLB: Dodgers vs. Chicago, Dodger Stadium, 7 p.m., Prime:

Clayton Kershaw's see-saw season springs back into action as he faces the Cubs for the first time this season, having missed the recent series in Wrigley Field when the Dodgers took two out of three from Chicago. Since his 2-1 Opening Day victory over San Francisco, Kershaw has followed each victory with a loss, leading up to his 4-2 defeat at Florida when he lasted just 5 1/3 innings. He's first in the NL in innings pitched and strikeouts, but also sixth in walks given up. As Andre Ethier shoots to continue his 27-game hitting streak, the series continues Tuesday night (7 p.m., Channel 9, Chad Billingsley vs. Ryan Dempster) and throwback Wednesday afternoon (12:10 p.m., Prime, Ted Lilly vs. Carlos Zambrano).

MLB: Angels at Boston, 4:10 p.m., FSW:

The Angels lost almost every possible way to the Red Sox while being swept in four games last week in Anaheim -- once in extra innings, once by one run, a shutout where they only got two hits, and a shutout where they left eight runners on base. Each time, they looked handcuffed by Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka and John Lackey. In these four games, those same four Red Sox starters are lined up against them again, continuing on to Tuesday and Wednesday (4:10 p.m., FSW) and Thursday (10:35 a.m., FSW). Jered Weaver, held out of Sunday's scheduled start because of a stomach virus, may start for the Angels tonight instead.

NHL playoffs: Eastern Conference semifinals Game 2: Boston at Philadelphia, 4:30 p.m., Versus:

Bruins goalie Tim Thomas, missing from the playoffs a year ago, had 31 saves in in a 7-3 win over the Flyers in Game 1. "He was very comfortable from the start," Boston coach Claude Julien said. "But that is just Tim getting better and better as these playoffs move forward." The series moves to Boston for Game 3 (Wednesday, 4 p.m., Versus) and Game 4 (Friday, 5 p.m., Versus) and then to Philadelphia for Game 5 (Sunday, noon, Channel 4).

TUESDAY

NBA playoffs: Eastern Conference semifinals Game 2: Boston at Miami, 4 p.m., TNT:

King James Jones? His 25 off the bench in the Heat's Game 1 win over the Celtics had to wake some people up in Boston. And nice to see Paul Pierce doing all he can to break up the monotony of the playoffs by getting tossed. Sweet veteran move. After a healthy break to build up more off-court chatter, the scene shifts to Boston for Game 3 (Saturday, 5 p.m., Channel 7).

NBA playoffs: Western Conference semifinals Game 2: Memphis at Oklahoma City, 6:30 p.m., TNT:

Here's an interesting take: What if the tipping point for how these Grizzlies became a playoff-bound organization was a couple of years ago when they got rid of Pau Gasol and replaced him in the middle with his brother, Marc, after that supposed one-sided late-season trade with the Lakers? San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said at the time that the trade should have been investigated because of how much the Lakers benefitted. Pair that up with how the Clippers threw away Zach Randolph, and he landed in Memphis in 2009. After a 13-point win in Game 1, the Grizzlies continued to be a bear to deal with, behind Gasol and Randolph. After this one, Memphis will be hosting Game 3 when it shifts to that improbable site on Saturday (ESPN, 2 p.m.)

NHL playoffs: Western Conference semifinals Game 3: Vancouver at Nashville, 6 p.m., Versus:

Nearly as crazy as the NBA having a playoff game during May in Tennessee is an NHL playoff game taking place in the state right now, too. Carrie Underwood plans to get carried away after the Predators snatched away an OT win in Game 2. The Duck-killerrs have tied a series that continues with Game 4 Thursday at Nashville (5:30 p.m., Versus) and Game 5 on Saturday back in Vancouver (5 p.m., Versus).

NHL playoffs: Eastern Conference semifinals, Game 3: Washington at Tampa Bay, 3:30 p.m., Versus:

The Caps' power play has been a lightning rod for criticism -- zero-for-11 so far in this series against the Lightning. And after an OT loss Sunday night, they're down, zero games to two. Moving it all to Florida could be worse. We're back at it after this one with Game 4 at Tampa Bay on Wednesday (4 p.m.), then, if needed, Game 5 is Saturday at Washington (9:30 a.m., Channel 4).

WEDNESDAY

NHL playoffs: Western Conference semifinals, Game 3: San Jose at Detroit, 5 p.m., Versus:

The Red Wings have lost six of their last seven series when falling behind 2-0, with the only win coming in the first round against Vancouver in 2002. The Sharks could find a way to let them back in. This series stays in Detroit for Game 4 (Friday, 4 p.m., Versus) and goes back to San Jose for Game 5 (Sunday, 5 p.m., Versus).

THURSDAY

Golf: PGA's Wells Fargo Championship at Charlotte, N.C., first round, Golf Channel, noon:

Tiger Woods sends his regrets. This was scheduled to be his next appearance, but a "Grade 1 mild medial collateral ligament sprain to his left knee, and a mild strain to his left Achilles tendon while hitting a difficult and awkward second shot from the pine straw under the Eisenhower tree left of the fairway at No. 17 during the third round of the Masters" has him incapacitated. That, and the fact maybe Rory McIlroy returns to defend his title - an event where he shot a 62 in the final round to win over Phil Mickelson. The tournament continues Thursday on Golf Channel and the weekend on CBS.

FRIDAY

MLB: Dodgers at New York Mets, 4 p.m., Prime:

Mets reliever Frankie Rodriguez has managed to save about a half-dozen games for a team struggling to stay out of last place in the NL East. That's how it goes when the staff ERA is north of 4.50. The series goes to Saturday (4:10 p.m., Channel 9) and Sunday (10 a.m., Channel 9).

MLB: Angels vs. Cleveland, Angel Stadium, 7 p.m., FSW:

A recent "power ranking" posted on the MLB Network had these Indians atop the heap -- ahead of Colorado, Florida, the New York Yankees and Texas -- not just because of their number of wins at the time, but also factoring in things like run differential and strength of schedule. Powerful stuff, but it must say something for the Angels to have taken two out of three from Cleveland just last April 11-13, including a 2-0 shutout by Dan Haren. Why would the Indians come back to Anaheim so soon? The series continues Saturday (6 p.m., FSW) and Sunday (12:35 p.m., FSW).

SATURDAY

MLS: Galaxy vs. N.Y. Red Bulls, 8 p.m., ESPN2:

The Galaxy can lose well enough with a wedding-weary David Beckham. He coulda used a Red Bull in Sunday's loss to Dallas.

MLS: Chivas USA at Real Salt Lake, 1 p.m.:

Back to back wins over San Jose and New England put the Goats (2-2-3) back on the radar.

Horse racing: Kentucky Derby, 1-to-4 p.m., Channel 4:

As dialed in as we try to be on who's generating the most buzz heading into the marquee thoroughbred event of the year, we'd have never stopped to assume that Dialed In, one of the few colts who has some momentum and hasn't been injured, could be the favorite based on the process of elimination. Dialed In beat Shackleford by a head in the Florida Derby on April 3 and trainer Nick Zito says he's been on target.
"This horse is very rippled," said Zito, who has two Kentucky Derby winners, las week. "This horse is very ready. I can guarantee this horse is not going to be short. I can't guarantee anything else, but I'll tell you he won't be short." You mean there's a chance that at this age, they could actually stop growing and start shrinking? Breeder's Cup Juvenile champ Uncle Mo is another one to keep an eye on, as is Mucho Macho Man, Master of Hounds and Nehro. So say others who are far more dialed in. Coverage during the week includes the Derby Draw (Wednesday, 2 p.m., Versus) and the Kentucky Oaks (Friday, 2 p.m., Versus).

Boxing: Manny Pacquiao vs. Sugar Shane Mosley, 6-to-11:30 p.m., pay-per-view ($54.95):

It's a far cry from Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr., but an incredible price-hiked simulation. Pomona-native Mosley (46-6-1) lost a 12-round decision to Mayweather last May, but this is who Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs) gets in the latest defense of his World Boxing Organization welterweight title at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
What would you pay to see Pacquiao pound the face of Comedy Central's "Tosh.O" host Daniel Tosh? The comedian showed up at the Wildcard Gym in Hollywood recently and, after signing a waiver, asked Pacquiao to participate in a skit with him and Joe Rogan. Reports are that Tosh left "stunned and battered, despite Pacman's reluctance to throw his hardest punches. ... Pacquiao was playful at the outset -- but Tosh and his crew reportedly begged for more. ...A final blow left Tosh sprawled on the canvas." Said Rogan: "If Mike Tyson did that, you really would have gotten hurt. You're lucky Pacquiao's nice." The skit will air sometime later this month on Tosh's show. Meanwhile, the "Fight Camp 360" documentary leading into this event airs Saturday at 11 a.m. on Channel 2.

College volleyball: Men's NCAA championship, at Penn State: 4 p.m., ESPN2:

UC Santa Barbara (17-14) upset USC (23-3) to win the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation title, but the Trojans still make the Final Four of the NCAA championship and gain a No. 1 seed as an at-large team. USC and No. 4 UCSB meet again in the semifinals (Thursday, 4 p.m., ESPN2), with the winner going to the championship game against either Penn State (24-6) or Ohio State (24-6).

SUNDAY

NBA playoffs: Eastern Conference semifinals Game 4: Chicago at Atlanta, 5 p.m., TNT:

Let's assume these Bulls are in close-out mode, having played at home for Game 1 (Monday, 5 p.m, TNT) and Game 2 (Wednesday, 5 p.m., TNT) and then in Atlanta for Game 3 (Friday, 4 p.m., ESPN). Of the eight remaining teams in the NBA playoffs, the Hawks have been given the longest shot at winning the NBA title -- 50-1 by Bodog.com..

WrigleyWax.blogspot.com
Former Cubs catcher/infielder Carmen Fanzone shows off his trumpet skills before a game at Wrigley Field in the 1970s.

Today's column (linked here) on Major League Baseball's response after all these years to the 900-some players who fell into the black hole of no pension relief because of a rule change in eligibility draws a few more things to note:

== While neither Carmen Fanzone, nor Eli Grba, nor Rudy Meoli, nor Jim Umbarger draw a pension, the financially maxed-out Lenny Dykstra, who did put in 12 seasons and 1,278 games with the Mets and Phillies from 1985 to 1996, lists his only income these days as a $5,700 monthly pension from Major League Baseball. And no one can touch it. (Think O.J. Simpson protecting his NFL pension from being taken by Ronald Goldman).

Dykstra had to be bailed out jail by Charlie Sheen recently after his arrest last month for allegedly embezzling more than $400,000 from his bankrupt estate, which is a federal crime.

== The great Satchel Paige did not qualify for a Major League Baseball pension, but might not be a surprise given he spent almost his entire career in the Negro Leagues. But he did put in 179 games spread over six seasons for Cleveland, St. Louis and Kansas City of the American League between 1948 and '65. That was (reportedly) between the ages of 41 and 58. That should count for something, right?

Almost.

He fell short of the MLB pension. So when the Kansas City A's signed him in '65, allowing him to pitch three innings, the agree was that he'd get one more season and earn his pension. But the A's didn't do it.

Instead, the Atlanta Braves helped him out. They put Paige on their roster so he could retire with the pension.

== Remember Craig Skok (linked here)? Neither do we.

A middle-relief pitcher in the big-leagues from 1973 to '79, he posted a 4-7 record with a 4.86 ERA and five saves in 107 appearances during four seasons. But the last one, 1980, was a gift from Ted Turner.

The Texas Rangers, who got him in a trade with Boston for Ferguson Jenkins, released him in 1976. The Braves picked him up, and he appeared in more than 40 games during the '78 and '79 season. But he was still short of his pension vesting.

He talked Atlanta Braves owner Turner into adding him onto the '80 roster so he could get his pension.

It worked.

"Turner was one of those kind of guys we'd call 'Godfathers,' who could watch out for you in one of the organizations. I couldn't find one with the Cubs," said Fanzone.

== So how many fall into this black hole of pension-less players? MLB said the other day it was 904. Doug Gladstone, who did the book, "A Bitter Cup Of Coffee," (linked here), says his research from the MLB players alumni association says it's 874.

It could actually be closer to 869 -- five players have died in the time between the publishing of Gladstone's book and today. That includes Greg Goossen, the former Notre Dame High of Sherman Oaks catcher/first baseman who put in 193 games in six seasons with three franchise between 1965 and 1970.

The heartbreaking element to this, again, is that Goossen died in February, before Selig's olive branch was extended last month. As if it would have mattered, since the payouts are only for living former players, not their spouses or children -- which a true pension would cover.

== How many remember the time in 1972 -- on Father's Day -- when Fanzone played the National Anthem on his trumpet at Wrigley Field before a Cubs-Dodgers Sunday afternoon game? We do. We can still hear Vin Scully marvel about it on the Dodgers' telecast. The Cubs went onto win that game 5-4 in 11 innings. And it turns out, the date of the game, June 18, is the birthday of Fanzone's wife, Sue Raney.

== Fanzone, with more on not receiving a pension: "I'm happy I'll get something for my 12 years in pro ball, but I'm disappointed I'm not getting anything for the 3 1/2 years worth of big-league time. That just doesn't sound right. My 3 1/2 years were just as important as those who put in the same time now. But the guys of my era didn't make any kind of the money they are today.

"Guys today make so much, a pension seems like an afterthought. If it's something they get, fine. To us, it means more. Today's MLB pension is overfunded anyway, and what would it really cost baseball to give some 830 players their pension? Not a lot by their standards. They're a multi-billion dollar industry.

"My top salary was $32,500, in my last season, while the major league minimum at the time was $16,500. I even remember Richie Allen getting $150,000 to play for the White Sox across town. The eventually gave him a $200,000 contract just to make it interesting enough for him to show up for games. The team gave him his own TV show. I appeared on it -- but he didn't show up for his own show."

On possibly now finding himself eligible for a $10,000 annual stipend: "You can never have enough money, and it'll be nice if I could pass it onto my wife. I just haven't heard enough about it to be happy or disappointed. I guess it's all kind of bittersweet."

== Gladstone, with more reaction to the Selig announcement on April 21 about the retroactive payouts: "I'm happy for guys today like Ryan Howard and Matt Holliday who can command what seems to be obscene salaries.

"But they really owe it to the men like Carmen or Mike Colbern, who did go through work stoppages without paychecks just to make it better for those who came after them. We put a premium all the time on the future in general, but not enough respect for those who proceeded us in life."

== Gladstone, on how he got involved in taking up this cause: "I was brought up in the TV generation, and loved to watch 'The Fugitive.' How many remember William Conrad saying, 'The protagonist, Richard Kimble (played by David Janssen), was the victim of blind justice.' I felt it was my responsibility in some small way to help them level the playing field. The odds have been stacked so grotesquely against them too long.

"(In writing the book), I would like to believe it increased public awareness. When you talk to some baseball beat writers today who haven't heard of this situation, that's tragic. I like to believe this helped facilitate the dialogue on the subject, but whether the MLB will ever admit that's the reason why they finally came up with this money, I don't think so."