Farther Off the Wall

Play It Forward: Feb. 13-19 on your sports calendar

2012-02-12T23:00:49Z

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

THIS WEEK'S BEST BET

Golf: PGA Northern Trust Open, Riviera Country Club, Thursday through Sunday, Golf Channel and Channel 2:

So, who do you trust these days?

Fred Couples (top) has earned our trust. The two-time champ at Riviera (1990, 1992) and three-time runner-up ('93, '94 and '96) led this annual L.A. PGA Tour stop in Pacific Palisades a year ago after three rounds at 8-under, then fired three birdies to start the final round. Then things broke badly. Toward Aaron Baddeley, more specifically.

Couples' double bogey at No. 7 left the door open for Baddeley (left), who, on that same hole made a 20-foot birdie. He finished with a 69 to win the tournament over Vijay Singh.The 52-year-old Couples, trying to be the oldest PGA Tour winner in the last 35 years, dropped into a tie for seventh, willing his way through the course with his recurring back problems. We're not surprised he'll be back for his 30th appearance in this event, tying him with Gene Littler, with a shot at joining Ben Hogan (3), Arnold Palmer (3), Lloyd Mangrum (4) and MacDonald Smith (4) as the only players to win this three or more times.

You've got to trust the abilities of world No. 1-ranked Luke Donald. The 2011 PGA Tour player of the year has three top-10 finishes in his last 10 starts at Riviera, and was runner-up in 2010. He's back in the field.

So is two-time event winner Phil Mickelson. We trust he's cleared a runway or two at Santa Monica Airport to make this thing work again in his favor. Although after his performance this weekend at Pebble Beach, he may be flying without the aid of a private plane.

On the other end of the age spectrum, we've come to trust Patrick Cantlay, the junior at UCLA and top-ranked amateur in the world who got a sponsor's exemption to be here. This will be his Northern Trust Open debut.

Keegan Bradley missed the cut last year at Riviera. Then he went on to win the PGA Championship and was the first rookie to win twice on the PGA Tour since 2004. We trust he'll make it to the final weekend this time.

Surely, we trust Jason Gore (right), another sponsor's exemption after a Twitter campaign got him in. We trust his former Pepperdine teammate, Andy Walker, a 36-year-old who got in by writing a letter about how hard he's been trying to promote diversity in golf, and now he'll get to make his first PGA field.

Tiger Woods? We've got some trust issues with him now. Because he doesn't trust himself here anymore. He decided to pass again on what used to be his backyard event -- but then, he's done that every year now since 2006. Probably because he's failed to win this thing in eight tries as a pro (after getting two exemptions to play when he was 16 and 17 back in the early '90s). "I'm shocked that he doesn't play here, but I guess he doesn't play well here," Couples said during last year's event about Woods. "If I can play well here, any human being in the world can play well here." Trust us, if Tiger keeps turning down Jerry West's invites, they'll eventually stop coming.

MONDAY

NBA: Clippers at Dallas, 5:30 p.m., Prime:

With a chance to win five of six on their Grammy road trip, the Clippers (17-8) have kept their cushion ahead of the rest in the Pacific Division with their best start since 1974. Dallas (17-10) has won three in a row, but lost to the Clippers, 91-89, back on Jan. 18 when Chauncey Billips hit a 3-pointer with one second left. The storyline in Dallas is how Dirk Nowitzki was picked for his 11th straight All-Star game, as the coaches picking the reserves overlooked the fact that last year's NBA Finals MVP is averaging just 17.6 points a game, his worst production since his second season in the league.

TUESDAY

NBA: Lakers vs. Atlanta, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., FSW:

Kiss-Cam alert: On Valentine's Day, it's important you're seated next to someone you don't want your better half to see you with somewhere else in the building. Or on TV. Or on YouTube. The Lakers hope that home is where the heart is after a break-even roadie. The Hawks have been making noise behind Joe Johnson (18.4 points a game) and Josh Smith (15.9), plus a bench that includes Tracy McGrady and former Laker Vlad Radmanovic and Jannero Pargo.

WEDNESDAY

College basketball: USC vs. UCLA, L.A. Sports Arena, 7:30 p.m., Prime:

No one on the current Trojans' roster remembers the bad old days of when they played at the musty old Sports Arena - it's just that Trojan boosters thought they'd never have to go back to the place once the Galen Center opened in 2006. When UCLA has the place as its temporary home court, they're 7-4. Back on Jan. 15, the Bruins had no trouble collecting a 66-47 win at Galen Center, having raced out to an 18-point halftime lead. The Bruins' 19-point win marked the program's largest margin of victory at USC's home arena since an 82-52 win in 1974. At the Sports Arena, of course.

NBA: Clippers vs. Washington, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., FSW:

Gee, Wiz. Welcome home.

THURSDAY

NBA: Clippers at Portland, 7:30 p.m., TNT:

Gerald Wallace scored 20 points, making a key 3-pointer with two minutes left, in the Blazers' 105-97 win at Portland over the Clippers in on Jan. 10. Compare that to the fact he went scoreless in their previous meeting on New Year's Day. Wallace may be averaging 13.5 a game this season, but he rarely hits that number -- often going off for 23 one night and four the next.

NHL: Kings vs. Phoenix, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., FSW:

If it turns out that the Kings aren't adept at catching San Jose for the top spot in the Pacific Division, then it's clear that they'll be fighting it out with the Coyotes (and Stars) for the seventh and/or eight spot in the conference standings. And going into this week, they're about as even as you can get. The Kings have had three days off at home since their six-game Grammy trip ended. Jonathan Quick registered his league-leading sixth shutout last time the Coyotes were in L.A., a 1-0 overtime win on Drew Doughty's goal. But that shouldn't be a surprise. The Kings lead the NHL in one-goal games, and 10 of their last 12 losses have been by a single goal (going into Sunday's game in Dallas).
The Kings' 9-3-4 record against Pacific Division foes is by far the best record any team in the division has against each other.

FRIDAY

NBA: Lakers vs. Phoenix, Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., FSW, ESPN:

Steve Nash was named to the Western Conference All-Star team? Over Ricky Rubio?
Well, the 38-year-old, two-time league MVP and now eight-time All-Star is the only one in the league averaging double-digit assists.

College basketball: Loyola Marymount vs. Valpariaso, Gersten Pavilion, 6 p.m., ESPNU:

Here's one of the ESPN BracketBuster games, giving teams on the bubble as the NCAA tournament nears another shot at improving things like their RPI rating. Valpo (18-9), coached by former star player Bryce Drew, is No. 86 and shooting up according to RealTimeRPI.com. The Lions (16-10) are at 107.

SATURDAY

College basketball: UCLA at St. John's, 10 a.m., Channel 2:

What about the rumor floating around that Steve Lavin would leave St. John's at the end of this season, move back to L.A. and apply for the USC job if it opened up? Lavin said the other day he'll be back on the bench -- somewhere -- next season, even if the 47-year-old hasn't been able to guide the Red Storm since November when he had a setback in his prostate cancer recovery. The former UCLA coach was with St. John's when they came to play at Pauley Pavilion against the Bruins a year ago, winning 66-59. Mike Dunlop, the former guard from Loyola Marymount, has guided St. John's to a 10-15 record this season in Lavin's absence.

College basketball: Long Beach State at Creighton, 7 p.m., ESPN2:

Another BracketBuster: The Big West's 49ers (19-6), on a 12-game win streak, haven't faced a Top 25 team since a win over Xavier in late December. The 15th-ranked Bluejays (21-5) lost their last home game to Wichita State by 21 points. RealTimeRPI.com has Long Beach State at No. 34 and moving up, with Creighton at No. 25 but dropping.

NBA: Clippers vs. San Antonio, Staples Center, 12:30 p.m., Prime:

Blake Griffin had 28 points, but Chris Paul was just 3-of-10 shooting in the Clippers' 115-90 loss at San Antonio in their previous meeting on Dec. 28.

NHL: Kings vs. Calgary, Staples Center, 7 p.m., FSW:

Since the Flames got Miikka Kiprusoff in a trade with San Jose in 2003, he's played more games than any other NHL goaltender, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He recently passed Mike Vernon as the franchise leader in games played by a goalie as well. Kiprusoff was in the nets to endure a 4-1 loss to the Kings on Jan. 14, but he beat them five days later, 2-1, in a shootout at Staples Center. That's nothing to spit at.

SUNDAY

NBA: Lakers at Phoenix, 5 p.m., Channel 9:

Two days after their last encounter, they meet again.

Women's college basketball: UCLA at USC, Galen Center, noon, FSW:

Ashley Corral, who passed up Cheryl Miller in career assists for the Trojans, had eight of them (with 10 points and eight rebounds) in a 47-43 win at Westwood in the previous matchup on Jan. 14.

Series: "Eastbound & Down," season three premiere, 10 p.m., HBO:

Baseball's top relief pitcher of 2002 hasn't given up on his comeback 10 years later. Back from Mexico, Kenny Powers is now with the Myrtle Beach Mermen. At least, for the moment. This is supposed to be the final season of the series, so you better freakin' enjoy it for what it's worth. That's eight episodes, with Jason Sudeikis, Will Ferrell and Matthew McConaughey joining the cast. You can prep yourself for this year's episodes by buying a Mermen powder-blue T-shirt (linked here). With Powers' No. 55 on the back, of course. The Mermen also have their own Facebook page (linked here).

Exhibition: Harlem Globetrotters, Staples Center, noon and 5 p.m.:

They're based in Phoenix. They're owned by Burbank-based Shamrock Capital Grown Fund, which is the Roy Disney family fund that is run by Stanley Gold -- one of the groups bidding on ownership of the Dodgers. They've actually got a couple of squads, one of which is on the East Coast right now. And their current 29-person roster includes 7-foot-4, 270-pound rookie center Jermaine "Stretch" Middleton (left), who calls L.A. his home, and 6-foot-5 forward Wun "The Shot" Versher, a Compton native out of Dominguez High who played at Arizona State nine years ago. They're also playing at the Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday (1 and 7 p.m.) at in Ontario on Monday (2 p.m.).

Running: Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon, Rose Bowl, 7:30 a.m.:

Miles 2 and 3 hit the Rose Parade route on Orange Grove and Colorado Blvd. Miles 11, 12 and 13 are a tour around the north end of the Brookside Golf Course. Otherwise, you're on your own.

Too legit to quit: Why Josh Macciello insists he'll be the next Dodgers owner, and why he's still in the game

2012-02-12T02:00:55Z

Staff photo by Michael Owen Baker

The next owner of the Dodgers slid some of the caprese salad appetizer next to the spicy fried calamari, careful not to interfere with the integrity of Sisley Italian Kitchen's famous Italian quesadilla that was already in front him.

It might seem as Josh Macciello has a lot on his plate at the moment in the Sherman Oaks restaurant. But don't doubt that he'll have plenty of appetite left for the main course.

"I want everyone to know that I want the whole enchilada," said Macciello, not afraid to mix his culinary metaphors.

Specifically, that would be the Dodgers' franchise, the stadium, and the land that surrounds it.

He's willing to pay $2.2 billion for it. An all-cash deal. And all of it to make Frank McCourt disappear.

"Why would I overbid?" Macciello continued, grabbing a fork. "We need closure to start the healing process. No fan wants to hand over $20 to park and think they're giving him any more of their money.

"So I want to give him an offer he can't refuse."

Don't worry. The Brooklyn native and Studio City resident with the pointed black beard and elaborately tattooed right shoulder just getting warmed up.

Media reports change almost daily in an attempt to nail down who has met certain "deadlines" and "qualified" to move "to the next round" in this unique process. Magic Johnson, Peter O'Malley, Stan Kroenke and Michael Heisley apparently are in.

Few, if any one, bother to include the 36-year-old Macciello.

When he made his intentions known with an introductory mini-media blitz last month, some polarizing reaction was predictable. While one started up a fansite, JoshForDodgers.com, to monitor his progress, others stayed skeptical of his net worth, labeling him a publicity seeker.

Add to that the jilted supporters of one of the most storied franchises in sports history who are simply too skittish that he could be McCourt version 2.0 -- someone who appears paper-rich but ends up disappointing everyone.

Macciello understands the doubters, but he has no doubt he can win them over.

If needed, he can produce proof that he's made his millions in TV and movie development projects. Lately, a discovery that some property he owns in Arizona turned out to be gold-rich, yet-to-be-mined land has been verified to be worth billions more.

Yet, Macciello was so agitated by the failure of acknowledgement from representatives from the New York-based Blackstone Group, hired by McCourt to handle the bankruptcy sale, that he took his case to the sports talk radio airwaves last week. On 710-AM's Steve Mason and John Ireland show, Macciello answered questions from callers and defended himself as a viable option amidst more apprehension.

One caller told him he sounded like some fast-talking used-car salesman. Macciello reminded them that was the first career choice by current baseball commissioner Bud Selig.

Sources close to Macciello's group who did not want to be identified because of nondisclosure agreements produced documents that show Macciello put into escrow a $2.2 billion bid on Jan. 18 with the intent to buy the Dodgers and all its holdings through his company, Armital Sports, Inc.

Macciello would own 51 percent. The other 49 percent would be owned by Eagle Crest LLC, headed up by two of Macciello's financial partners. One of them is South Korean-born business man Myung-Ho Lee, who has, according to more confidential documentation given to the Blackstone Group, $10 billion deposited in the Hong Kong branch of the world's largest bank, HSBC. Lee is in the process of having it transferred to a U.S. branch, and Macciello says he's got access to $3 billion of that, with additional money going toward stadium repairs and roster salary.

The three-man group will combine to pay a $75,000 vetting fee that Major League Baseball has requested for this process.

"You think I'd pay that much just for media attention?" Macciello asked. "That's stupid. I'm not looking to be a Karsashian."

Representatives for McCourt or the Blackstone Group did not return requests to comment on Macciello's bid.

As it all turns out, Macciello's window of opportunity to get into the bidding has not closed. He has recently been informed that he'll have until March 1 to secure his offer.

The only real set deadline in this whole process it that McCourt picks the new owner by April 1. After the transaction is completed, he has until the end of April to pay off his debtors.

However, if Macciello isn't satisfied with how he's treated, he's prepared to stall the entire sale proceedings by taking whatever legal action is necessary - an ironic twist to how the litigious McCourt has put the Dodgers ownership into this awkward holding pattern in the first place.

"I don't want to sue anybody," Macciello said. "But what other choice might I have?

"Everyone's putting deadlines on everything, but that's all make-believe by the media. The reality is, my attorneys feel I have plenty proof of funding here, and all I'm fighting for is a fair chance.

"Once we get past this hurdle, I will win this team. I will stop at nothing."

Call him the wildcard in this whole drama, and you won't be far off. He says that on a scale of 1-to-10, his chances of owning the Dodgers: "I live every day on a scale of hitting a 10. Realistically, you might think I'm psychotic, but I think I'm going to own the Los Angeles Dodgers and I'm going to bring a World Series by the end of this year. That's what's in my head. And there's no doubt in my mind."

Saturday, Macciello continued to make friends and influence people. He suited up and participated in a charity softball tournament in West Covina sponsored by Dodgers online bloggers, raising money for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. Macciello made a $5,000 donation to the cause on top of it.

Here's what could definitely play into Macciello's favor - once the MLB approves the final pool of buyers, McCourt has the final say in who he sells it to. If he takes Macciello's offer, McCourt, who some predicted would be lucky to break even, stands to clear some $700 million, according to Macciello's calculations.

Likewise, McCourt could also see this as his last opportunity to give Selig and the other MLB owners the equivalent of some neighborhood kids lighting a paper bag on fire and setting it on their porch.

"I'm counting on that as the winning factor," admitted Macciello. "But if he's counting on me to do a worse job (than him), I'm counting on doing the best job.

"Everyone now realizes that McCourt is going to make the most amount of money on a bankruptcy in the history of the world. We just want to get back in that race, meet with him, have him give me a number on a napkin, and I'll pay it.

"You know, the one thing that really scares me - what if you're all so scared of getting another Frank McCourt that you're losing the greatest owner you could ever have? That's a possibility. What if I could win six championships like the O'Malley family, but everyone is so scared of me, because of what McCourt did, that you pass on me?

"I feel that my ownership of the Dodgers will be more than just a guy fulfilling his dreams. It'll impact this country, which has no guidance right now. People feel lost in this horrible time in America right now, that there's no hope with big business and government and everyone else screwing them over. And then here comes this guy, who's not part of all that, who wins this organization, the underdog."

Macciello, decked out in a flat-billed blue L.A. cap with a Dodgers' No. 23 home jersey that has his name on the back, picked up another piece of calamari and started talking more about his immediate plans.

He's keeping Don Mattingly as the Dodgers manager, and Ned Colletti as the general manager. He'll invest millions into an onside security to make everyone feel safer. If fans aren't crazy about "Don't Stop Believin'" played after the seventh-inning stretch, he'll let them pick the song.

He's confounded why 50 cents worth of beer can be sold for $9. He can imagine when trolley cars bring fans in and out of the stadium as part of a public transportation service.

And, when all's said and done, he'll be just fine moving from the third-base season seats that he's shared with some friends since 1999 over to the row of seats that McCourt set aside for himself next to the Dodgers' dugout.

"The way I see it, I'm like Gibson at bat right now," he said. "I'm in that same hole, facing one of the best closers in the game. And it doesn't look like I have a chance. So I'm hoping to perform like he did. That's my inspiration."

Staff photo by Michael Owen Baker
The Macciello family (from left): 6-year-old twins Anthony and Joseph, Anna, Josh and 11-year-old daughter Nichole, at their Studio City home.

WHO IS JOSH MACCIELLO?

Age: 36
Resident: Studio City
Family: Married to wife Anna for 13 years. "She doesn't get $1,000 haircuts," Josh confirmed. The couple has twin 6-year-old boys and an 11-year-old daughter.
Business background: He is the CEO of Reno-based Armital Entertainment LLC and co-chairman of Armital LLC.
His Dodger ownership plan: Macciello's new company, Armital Sports, Inc., would own 51 percent of the team. The other 49 percent would go to Eagle Crest LLC, comprised of two key investors. One is Myung-Ho Lee, is a South Korean-born former manager of Michael Jackson's estate and current CEO of Union Finance & Investment, whose clients include Hyundai, Samsung and Daewoo. He once sat on the board of Sony/ ATV Music and is on the board of the Korean Stock Exchange. The other, who requested his name not be publicized, is a Fresno-based businessman who owns a major renewable fuel company.

Weekly media column version 02.10.12

2012-02-10T16:00:05Z

What's included in today's weekly media column (linked here): A condensed version of the piece we did last week week on the blog about why a newspaper might even have a sports media column in the first place (the original rambling version is linked here), as well as other notes and quotes.

What's not included:
== The second round of the MLB Network's "Baseball IQ" game show started Thursday, and the Dodgers' representative, Director of Ticket Operations Seth Bluman, was knocked out of the field of 16. The Angels' assistant equipment manager Shane Demmitt goes against the Mariners special assistant to the GM Tony Blengio at 6 p.m. on Wednesday. Anyone who's watched the first round knows -- this is one tough test of knowledge. It's not even easier sitting at home.

== ESPN announced this morning that a documentary about Magic Johnson's declaration to the world 20 years ago that he had HIV will premiere March 11. ESPN Films and NBA Entertainment got together to make "The Announcement," directed by Nelson George, and narrated by Johnson, who currently works as an ESPN NBA studio analyst. Here's a trailer for the film -- as if any of us want to relive that moment again:

Don't waffle on the Pancakes with Penner promo

2012-02-09T19:12:50Z

The deadline is 3 p.m. today for fans to purchase a chance to be one of about 150 who will be part of Monday's fundraiser for the Kings' Dustin Penner at the Westchester IHOP.

Those who go to www.lakings.com/pancakes can spend $10, $25 or $50 for packages that include chances to win the breakfast with Penner. All proceeds go to the Kings Care Foundation.

The 75 winners (who can bring a guest) will be notified by 5 p.m. today.

The background on this (linked here): Penner missed a Kings game last month when he threw out his back while at home eating pancakes.

Really, a pancake-related injury?

Once word got out what happened, he decided to get ahead of it by hosting a pancake breakfast to raise money for the team's non-profit foundation.

The breakfast is Monday from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Westchester IHOP (8600 S. Sepulveda Blvd.)

A small plug for my eBay charity auction item: An autographed Clayton Kershaw book

2012-02-09T00:21:41Z

My sincerest thanks to Robert Baly at VinScullyIsMyHomeboy.com (linked here), Howard Cole at the Orange County Registers' Dodger blog (linked here) and Jon Weisman at DodgerThoughts.com (linked here) for helping me get the word out about a piece of Dodger literature I hope will provide a boost to an innercity literacy program that's close to my heart.

A new autographed copy of Clayton and Ellen Kershaw's book, "Arise," about their charity efforts in Africa that came out last month, is up for auction at eBay.com through Feb. 17 (linked here), with 100 percent of the proceeds going toward the Friends of St. Lawrence-Watts' literacy program that helps elementary school kids in the Watts area improve their reading skills to make their lives, and those of their families, much better as they are able to move on to better high schools and colleges.

You can read about some of the success stories on the non-profits' website: www.friendsofwatts.org as we move toward an annual fundraiser on Thursday, March 1 at the Hermosa Comedy and Magic Club -- everyone's invited. Or if you wanted to make a donation at the site, that's welcome as well.

Thanks to the book's publishers, Regal Books (www.regalbooks.com) for making the donation.

Update: Thanks, too, to Steve Dilbeck at the L.A. Times for linking up our auction (linked here)

Scully not involved in Dodgers' spring broadcasts until they return from Arizona

2012-02-07T22:24:23Z

The Dodgers' 2012 spring training broadcast schedule from Glendale, Arizl., includes 18 games televised back on Prime Ticket (13 dates) or KCAL-Channel 9 (two dates) with Eric Collins and Steve Lyons, with Charley Steiner and Rick Monday calling each nine games on the new flagship radio station, KLAC-AM (570).

The only exhibition game that Vin Scully will be apart of is the Dodgers-Angels contest at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, April 3 on KCAL.

Most radio games will also stream live on dodgers.com and ProAngle Media will produce all 15 high definition telecasts.

The first televised game is the second game of spring training on Tuesday, March 6 at 1 p.m. on Prime Ticket as the Dodgers face the Giants.

UPDATE: The Dodgers announced that Scully will now add the Dodgers' spring games on March 17 and 18 to his plans, doing both for TV.

What Shaq had to say about Kobe lapping him on the NBA's all-time scoring list

2012-02-07T18:31:18Z

Shaquille O'Neal called in to NBA TV's "GameTime" Tuesday night to talk about how former Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant passed him for No. 5 on the league's all-time scoring list (linked here):

"First of all, I'd like to congratulate Kobe and his family; he's always been a great player. I can remember when me, him and Derek Fisher walked into the first day of practice. Kobe was practicing and shooting the ball by himself and he told everyone that he wanted to be the greatest Laker ever. I will be the first to say that he is the greatest Laker ever. He has a lot of great accomplishments, a lot of championships, passed up the great Jerry West, passed up Magic, shot the ball more than Kareem and he passed me up, so congratulations to Kobe Bryant and his family."

NBA TV co-host Dennis Scott asked O'Neal about his relationship with Kobe:

Shaq: "When I first came to Orlando, I can remember when you (Scott) picked me up and said, "Well big man, even though you are a rookie you are our leader so we go as far as you go." In Orlando, we had a lot of trials and tribulations but you know in Orlando I jumped on you, you jumped on me. I jumped on Nick (Anderson), we jumped on (Scott) Skiles... That's what great leaders do.

"The great John Wooden said, "The true definition of a great player is a player that makes his other players better." I knew that Kobe is a fierce guy, a fierce competitor and, at times, I knew that if I made him mad he was going to play out of this world, and he knew that if he made me mad that I was going to play out of this world. So that's why I tweeted earlier that we are the greatest Laker one-two punch ever created. There will never be a one-two punch more controversial, more entertaining and more dominant than Kobe and myself. So again, congratulations to Kobe Bryant and his family and keep shooting."

FullCourtPest.com

NBA TV co-host Brent Barry asked if Shaq thought Kobe would ever reach Michael Jordan's all-time record, now that he's some 3,700 points short:

O'Neal: "He probably has four or five years left and I don't have my Shaq-alator in front of me, but he is probably going to average 25 or more points per season so he may pass Michael Jordan. He may pass Wilt Chamberlain.

"I am jealous of Kobe in the sense that his injury bug is a much bigger bug than mine. If you look at his career, he never really had a season where he had to miss six to eight weeks because of an injury. I think the most he missed because of injury was two weeks. I missed 250 games averaging 25 points a game. I did the math earlier and that's another 5,000 points. If I would have done that, and if your father would have taught me how to shoot free throws the correct way, I wouldn't have missed 5,000 (points).

"I may have only missed 3,000. I'm kind of upset that in my career I missed all those games due to injury and I missed a lot free throws. If I didn't have that, I would have passed my idol - Wilt Chamberlain. It's neither here nor there, and like I said earlier, congratulations to Kobe Bryant. As long as I passed up all my other idols - Hakeem [Olajuwon], Patrick Ewing and all those other guys, I think I did a great job.

"Like I said, he's [Kobe] the greatest Laker ever. He told me that when he was 18-years-old and I believed him. I pushed his buttons and upset him at times but it made us play to the point where we were able to win three out of four championships and that's all I was trying to do. That's what all great leaders do."

Super Bowl XLVI NBC review: Prayers answered

2012-02-06T04:30:49Z

(AP Photo/David Duprey)
New York Giants wide receiver Mario Manningham (82) makes a catch at the sideline as New England Patriots free safety Patrick Chung defends during the fourth quarter of Sunday's Super Bowl.

For a Super Bowl that began with Gisele Bundchen requesting prayers for her husband, was interrupted by Madonna trying to relive her glory days with "Like A Prayer" and concluded with Tom Brady's Hail Mary bouncing away in the end zone, NBC had to feel as if its prayers were answered Sunday.

So much so, that "Saturday Night Live" head writer Seth Meyers tweeted out after New York's 21-17 verdict: "If I were NBC I would pick up Pats/Giants for full season."

A confession here: Without the fourth-quarter performance by Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, keeping us up to speed on clock management, the time-out situation, and why it was counter-intuitive for the Giants' Ahmad Bradshaw to score a go-ahead touchdown with less than a minute left, we'd have been feeling as stupid and vulnerable as Danica Patrick trying to pull off another GoDaddy.com commercial appearance.

The live and replay camerawork - or the NBC-EE-IT, as it wants to be called -- captured the moment of the game from all angles as Giants receiver Mario Manningham pulled in the 38-yard reception from Eli Manning along the sideline to start New York's eventual game-winning scoring drive with 3:39 left.

"Simply remarkable," Collinsworth, the former NFL All-Pro receiver, described Manningham's play. He could have just as easily been complimenting the technical staff at the time as well. Collinsworth would later, after the game ended, call is "one of the greatest catches in Super Bowl history."

But for the rest of the way, Michaels and Collinsworth were the ones we trusted up in the front seat, mapping out the rest of the journey. All we had to do was enjoy the ride.

It was all the simple, yet mandatory things, that broadcasters need to do in that situation, no matter how well versed the audience is that's watching - remind us how the Giants had to figure out not just a way to go ahead, but do it not too soon as to give Brady time to work with.

With 1:37 left and the Giants inside the 20, Collinsworth foreshadowed something that many Madden video gamers already knew: "This is one of those weird situations that if your running back breaks out, you may actually tell him: Fall down on the 1 yard line so you can run out the entirety of the clock (and) kick a field goal. Tough decision, tough to say, but it is a strategy."

And it is what almost happened, as Bradshaw tried to hold up, but fell into the end zone to put the Giants ahead.

"He wanted to stop!" said Michaels. "That's exactly what New England was doing. They wanted him to get into the end zone. . . . I don't think he expected to see the Red Sea part to that level."

Added Collinsworth: "I guarantee you, Bradshaw was told to get down, and he just didn't do it. . . . It's a big mistake, Al."

Neither Michaels nor Collinsworth, nor the rest of the NBC production and talent involved in the broadcast, will have to second-guess any perceived mistakes in post-game meetings.

Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers, left, walks on the field before Super Bowl XLVI on Sunday. He worked on NBC's pregame show.
(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

In fact, one of the fortuitous hirings turned out to be Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who joined NBC for much of its pre-game analysis right up to the opening kickoff.

Had anyone figured out how to incorporate him into the booth, it could have been a Hall of Fame threesome.

Rodgers offered up insightful information, was very personable, and didn't try to upstage anyone. One of his pertinent observations was of Brady, who said that the two things he picked up from the Patriots quarterback was his ability to "manipulate defenders with his eyes" and "make subtle moves in the pocket to create a throwing lane."

Rodgers also pointed out how the Giants defense is known to fake injuries when faced against a hurry-up offense, a strategy the Packers employed in a game this season.

As for Rodgers' prediction for the game's outcome: "There's something special about the Giants. They've won a lot of tough games on the road. I think you'll see Victor Cruz doing a salsa dance up on the podium at the end."

Twitter reviews of his performance came from all over the place, including James Andrew Miller, author of the recent ESPN oral history book, who tweeted out: "How much money will ESPN try to throw Aaron Rodgers way one day to have him as an analyst -- and keep him off NBC, CBS and Fox? A lot."

More ups, downs and sideways glances at the coverage:

== If you could navigate through NBC's six-hour-plus pregame show - especially around anything that remotely included something touched by Nick Cannon - the most inspiring few minutes came from Peter King's interview with former New Orleans Saints safety Steve Gleason as he and his wife, Michel, talked about his battle with ALS.

At least that wasn't done by NBC news anchor Brian Williams wearing a Giants jersey.

== On the NFL Network's pregame show, Green Bay Packers cornerback and guest analyst Charles Woodson said it about Eli Manning: "If he wins this game, that 'E' in his name will stand for 'elite.'"

Hey, CW, if you really think about it, you can't really spell "elite" without "Eli," right?

== Favorite tweet of the day came from the Sklar Brothers, paying homage to the usual way NBC telecasts a major sporting event: "Please don't tell us who wins the #superbowl today. We're watching it on the west coast feed."

Most poignant tweet, from Eric Stangel, one of the head writers for CBS' "Late Show with David Letterman": "Fun to watch all these commercials for things no one can afford anymore."

== How obscene was NBC's halftime show? M.I.A. seemed to sum it up quite well, with the "We're No. 1" salute.

Play It Forward: Feb. 6-12 on your sports calendar

2012-02-05T20:00:17Z

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

THIS WEEK'S BEST BET

NHRA: Winternationals at Pomona, beginning Thursday, ESPN2 has the Sunday final, 4:30 p.m.

In physics, a force is any influence that causes an object to undergo a change in speed, a change in direction or a change in shape. On a drag strip, a Force is anything that gets behind a steering wheel and hits the gas pedal, changing the direction of any race. And any offspring of John Force is bound to force change. This time, it's 23-year-old Courtney, joining her father's Funny Car team after two years racing alcohol fuel dragsters. With sister Ashley Force Hood taking her through the last test drives, Courtney,who now has her communications degree from Cal State Fullerton, will debut at Auto Club Speedway with teammates Robert "Top Gun" Hight, 2011 regular-season champ Mike Neff and her pops. "I'm excited to finally be getting ready for my first professional race," she said. "This is what I've always wanted to do and to have had my sister Ashley, my dad, brother-in-law (Hight, married to oldest sister Adria) and Mike Neff teach me, makes it that much better. I have had the best teachers." Boy oh boy, we remember Courtney back when she was just 17, back on the A&E reality show "Driving Force" with her dad, mom and sisters, making the Kardashians look almost normal. If they ever wanted to revive the program -- and there's talk of that happening again -- Courtney could be the star of the bunch.

MONDAY

NBA: Lakers at Philadelphia, 4 p.m., Channel 9:

True enough, Jrue Holiday has been a focal point of the 76ers' resurgence lately -- the Atlantic Division leaders are 12-3 at home, including a 16-point victory over Chicago, but also coming off a 20-point loss to Miami. The former UCLA and Campbell Hall standout had a career-best 24 points to go with five assists and five steals in a recent win over Milwaukee. "I thought it was his best game," 76ers head coach Doug Collins said. "I thought it was his liveliest game on both ends of the floor." Holiday says his comfort level has come from the fact he has "slowed down and let the game come to me. ... I'm reading the game better. I'm reading the teams we play against. We have good scouting reports. It really carries over in the games." The Sixers are defeating teams by a league-best 10.3 points a game -- no other squad is in double digits. And they are No. 1 in allowing just 86.5 points game. Meanwhile, in his home town, Kobe Bryant should pass Shaquille O'Neal as the No. 4 all-time leading scorer, needing 23 points (and lapping his former teammate in 79 fewer games)

NBA: Clippers at Orlando, 4 p.m., FSW:

Seriously, how many lob-points in the paint will Dwight Howard allow? DeAndre Jordan may be tied for the league lead with 3.0 swats a game, but Howard, the league's three-time defending defensive player of the year, won't be screened out of the competition. He had eight against Cleveland last Friday night -- two more would have given him a triple-double night.

TUESDAY

NHL: Kings at Tampa Bay, 4:30 p.m., NBC Sports Channel:

Back-to-back losses in regulation a first under Darryl Sutter's watch, so the first two games of the Grammy trip are already stressful -- despite giving up a total of three goals. The Kings have scored only one 5-on-5 goal in nine periods since they returned from the All-Star break, while three of their four goals in the last three games have been scored on the power play. Rich Hammond at KingsInsider.com wrote recently that the Kings seem to have "the scoring ability of a Scrabble player with four 'Z'' tiles sitting in front of him."

WEDNESDAY

NBA: Clippers at Cleveland, 4 p.m., FSW:

The Cavs first have to play a game Tuesday in Miami before meeting up with the Clippers. Good luck with that. The Clippers should have Kenyon Martin on the roster activated by this one.

THURSDAY

NBA: Lakers at Boston, 5 p.m., TNT:

Paul Pierce, the 34 year old wearing No. 34, started the week needing nine points to pass Larry Bird for the No. 2 spot on the Celtics' all-time scoring list, and it should be a done deal before this game (the Celtics face Charlotte on Tuesday before this). Sure, he needed almost 100 more games to get to Bird's 21,791. And the former Inglewood High star likely won't catch No. 1 John Havlicek. But the Celtics, winning eight of their last nine at the end of last week, more focused on pulling their old guys together. That includes point guard Rajon Rondo, finally back after missing a few games with a bad wrist and giving away 14 assists in their last win over Memphis. Last season, in the middle of their Grammy road trip, the Lakers wore their retro home unis, got Ray Allen in foul trouble, pounded it inside and won at Boston, 92-86.

College basketball: UCLA vs. Stanford, L.A. Sports Arena, 8 p.m., FSW; USC vs. Cal, Galen Center, 7:30 p.m.:

Lazeric Jones scored a career-high 26 points, but had a potential go-ahead jumper with three seconds remaining blocked by Josh Huestis when UCLA lost to Stanford, 60-59, in the Pac-12 opener back in late December. Bruins center Josh Smith, who seems to be rounding into form lately, had just 10 points in 20 minutes before fouling out of that one. Meanwhile, Cal pulled out a 53-49 win over the Trojans in their first meeting.

NHL: Kings at Florida, 4:30 p.m., FSW:

The Kings escaped with a 2-1 win against the Panthers when they met at Staples Center on Dec. 1, thanks to six penalty kills and Jonathan Quick's 41 saves. Florida is 0-7 against the Kings since Nov. 27, 2002. The Kings lead the Western Conference with 10 overtime losses; Florida lead all of the NHL with 11.

The Associated Press
Bill Murray, center, jokes with CBS' Ian Baker-Finch on the 18th green about his shoes as D.A. Points, left, looks on during the trophy presentation last year.

Golf: PGA AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, first round, Golf Channel, noon:

The "Cinderella Story" came true last year. Bill Murray and pro partner D.A. Points captured the team title, as Points got his first PGA Tour title with a two-shot victory. "To win at Pebble Beach ... and with Bill Murray? My gosh, I don't think I could ever have dream it up that well," said Points, who came from two shots down in the final round, capped by a 110-yard eagle chip to take the lead on the par-5 14th. Murray and Points finished at 35-under 251. Murray returns to the amateur field this year with George Lopez, Ray Romano, Chris O'Donnell, Josh Duhamel, Don Cheadle, Andy Garcia, Bill Belichick, Tony Romo, Bob Stoops and Jim Harbaugh. CBS has the final two rounds Saturday and Sunday.

FRIDAY

NBA: Lakers at New York, 5 p.m., Channel 9, ESPN:

Knicks center Tyson Chandler (far left, with Mike Bibby and Carmelo Anthony) won a title last year in Dallas. So that makes him an expert in these things. He recently said that despite New York's sub-.500 performance, "in all honestly, I still feel like this is a team that can win a championship. I feel like we definitely have the pieces. I feel like we haven't come together yet. It's a process ... I feel like guys are going to have to step up and play roles that they are not necessarily used to. We get everybody back healthy, we get everybody on the floor at one time, then we'll see what we got." They've got a big, expensive mess to this point, 9-15 through the end of last week. If Spike Lee's in the building, it's to see how Kobe Bryant performs. The Lakers won, 113-96, at MSG last year, with Kobe hitting 33 in just three quarters.

NBA: Clippers at Philadelphia, 4 p.m., FSW:

Whatever happened to Elton Brand? He's still playing, averaging a mere 10 points and six rebounds a contest. A far cry from his Clipper hey days.

SATURDAY

NBA: Clippers at Charlotte, 4 p.m., Prime:

The Bobcats came into this week on an 11-game losing streak, a meager 2-8 at home, and they've got to face Boston and Chicago before this one.

College basketball: UCLA vs. Cal, L.A. Sports Arena, 1 p.m., Prime:

The Bruins' 85-69 loss at Cal on New Year's Eve was their most lopsided defeat in the series since a 92-63 loss on Feb. 1, 2001. Tyler Lamb managed to score 26 points against Cal last time.

NHL: Kings at N.Y. Islanders, 10 a.m., FSW:

The Isles announced last week that they're going to take on the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 2, 2012 for a preseason game to help open the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn -- the first NHL game to ever be played in the borough of the former Dodgers. That's nice and all. But for this one, the Kings are going to have to sail over to Long Island.

SUNDAY

NBA: Lakers at Toronto, 10 a.m., Channel 9:

Why aren't the Raptors extinct yet? See what kind of trouble Metta World Peace has with his passport getting back and forth across the Canadian border.

College basketball: USC vs. Stanford, Galen Center, 4:30 p.m., FSW:

Aaron Bright scored seven of his game-high 16 points in the final 4:43 of play to help Stanford win 51-43 in their first meeting against the Trojans.

NHL: Kings at Dallas, 3 p.m., FSW:

It's the last time they'll face each other this year -- the Stars have captured the last three meetings after the Kings took the first two.

Series: "Full Metal Jousting," 10 p.m., History Channel:

The next step toward real gladiator fights is this historic reality series that takes place in Mississippi. Maybe because the state athletic commission didn't need to approve it. This 16-rider, $100,000 tournament might look like something out of a Renaissance Festival/Medieval Times, except, as one rider says: "It ain't no dinner show."

Q-and-A: Al Michaels, and why Mr. Prime Time would never be hosting a Super Bowl viewing party

2012-02-04T20:00:09Z

Getty Images
Quaterback Brett Favre talks with Al Michaels during warms up before a Vikings-Saints game in New Orleans in September, 2010.

As much as Al Michaels loves to slip in a wagering reference or two into an NFL telecast, he won't predict a victory for either the New England Patriots or New York Giants on Sunday.

The only thing he says he's rooting for: A triple overtime game.

Bet on it happening someday on his watch. Even if that means the NBC Emmy-Award winning play-by-play man loses his voice by the time it's all over.

The man who by some measure has logged more hours in prime-time than anyone else in TV history - it's eclipsed 2,400 easily by now, whether Ripley's believes it or not - has an eighth Super Bowl to add to his resume.

"I think of the old Mary Levy line, 'Where would you rather be than right here, right now?" Michaels said this week. "This is it. There's no event like a Super Bowl."

The 67-year-old longtime resident of Brentwood took some time off from his prep work to discuss how he fits into the grand scheme of Super Bowl XLVI:

Q: Can you put some context into this "more primetime hours" stat that now follows you around - and you're adding at least four more of them to the total with this game? Doesn't Guinness have to verify this somehow?

A: It's more than 100 complete days if you look at it one way. But if you consider I've done 500 games on "Monday Night" and "Sunday Night" football, there's 1,600 hours. Then 14 years of "Monday Night Baseball," another 600. That's already 2,200 and we haven't got to anything from the Olympics. When we started adding this up back at ABC, we thought Frank Gifford had to have been on the most hours with all his years at "Monday Night" and all that other stuff. It's really amazing. That's 3 ½ months straight of my career. I'm glad I didn't have to do it all in a row.

Q: To do a triple overtime game . . . are you sure the new OT rules even allow that? We've heard Bob Costas saying that the old overtime rule may have been flawed, but the new version of it is "awful." Where do you side on it?

A: I'm not in favor of it, but I'm not totally opposed to it like Bob is. He's very passionate about it. There was a time when maybe a coin toss and a cheap field goal could win it, so be it. That's not a big deal to me. The way it worked out in the Denver-Pittsburgh (overtime playoff) game was pretty interesting (a touchdown on the first play for the Broncos). You saw it again in the San Francisco game (the NFC championship against the New York Giants) were it still might be going on if not for a botched punt. All things considered, in a way, this new way makes things more interesting. It adds to the strategy of the game. But I'd prefer to go back to the old rule. So you lose a coin toss. You understand that a 52-yard field goal can beat you. But that also means if they miss, you get the ball at the 42 going the other way. I think the rule is as equitable as it can be. I'm not the guy who'll be beating the drum about how bad it is.

Q: There's also the replay rule that has been part of more than 10 years now in Super Bowls, and TV is embedded in the process. Are you any more comfortable now having a network obligated to have an effect in the outcome of a Super Bowl?

A: We've been doing it this way, and there's no way around it now, so you live with it and accept it. The guys in the production truck are the ones on the spot. Twenty years ago, you probably don't get a replay of that kick glancing off Kyle Williams' knee. That's all cable cam and high-definition and zoom lenses, watching the rotation of the ball every so slightly. But with technology, you either accept it, or you don't and be accused of being a dinosaur. I hate to say "it is what it is," but that's just the deal.

Q: Speaking of technology, what's your perspective of having the Super Bowl streaming free on the Internet for the first time?

A: I don't follow that really closely. What does it mean, you can be out of the stadium and watch it on your phone? Look, we live in an amazing world. I was on a trip last year to Israel, and I'm at the Golan Heights and over there is Syria and the other way, there's Jordan. And I'm doing day trading on my phone. That's insane. But when it comes to technology, that's about all I know.

Q: So that means there probably won't be a time when you're sending out tweets from the booth during a game?

A: I would doubt that. I'm very certain. All that could happen is I'd be trying it and I'd get something from the director on the ISB and something would go wrong. Ain't gonna happen.

Q: Where would you be watching the Super Bowl if you weren't covering it? Do you have any favorite hangout over the years?

A: I want to just watch the game, so I'm in my family room, with just me and my wife. I don't want to be at a party where there's 100 people in the room, and 86 of them are experts. You always get in a situation where there's one guy who knows more than everyone else. I want to watch the game. I've already got Cris Collinsworth as my expert.

Q: You always seem to have your antenna up as far as the NFL returning to L.A. Is your goal someday to call that first game in whatever venue it occurs?

A: God willing, I'm still alive. We all know it comes down to getting a stadium built. Until we get that done, we're dead. No team is coming here until they put that shovel in the ground. But will that ever happen? We live in a state where, if you separate us from everyone else, we'd have the sixth largest economy in the world. And we have three of the worst football stadiums in the world. Other municipalities have figured out a way to get a stadium built. God willing, I'll be able to do one of the first NFL games back in L.A., or hopefully they'll have a moment of silence in the press box for me.

Q: Well, you are the stage of your career where you seem to keep getting all these lifetime achievement awards (like this one here by the Sports Emmys a year ago). Does it worry you that others seem to know something that you don't?

A: Should I be getting a bunch of stuff from AARP? Here's the deal. I have a good mathematical brain, but when I wake up each morning, in my brain, I'm still about 19. That's how I look at things. I try to keep in shape. I can still walk a golf course. I can do a 10-mile hike. I don't want to think about any of those other numbers.

One review of the Super Bowl video streaming option: Find a TV set with a big screen

2012-02-04T16:00:26Z

By Anick Jesdanun
Associated Press Technology Writer

The television set won't be the only place to watch the New York Giants face the New England Patriots on Sunday. For the first time, U.S. football fans will be able to watch the Super Bowl live on a computer or on a phone.

You may be wondering whether anyone without super-strength eyesight would be able to follow the football on a tiny phone screen. And what about the ads? After all, many people tune in more for the commercials than for the game.

I got a chance to test the offering with a pair of playoff games and last weekend's Pro Bowl. Although it's impossible to say what will happen Sunday, I have found the experience decent so far, but no substitute for the big screen.

]]> The phone offering is made possible through a collaboration involving the NFL, Comcast's NBC and Verizon Wireless. The nation's largest wireless carrier had rights to carry NBC's Sunday night broadcasts live during the regular season, as well as some
games from the NFL Network and ESPN. The post-season games broadcast by NBC are an extension of that package.

That means you'll need service through Verizon Wireless to watch on an iPhone or an Android phone. Unless you have the higher-speed 4G service through Verizon, you'll also need its V Cast video service, which costs $3 a day or $10 a month on top of your regular phone bill. A generous data plan or a Wi-Fi connection will help you avoid additional charges.

If you don't have the right phone or wireless carrier, or if you have a super-cheap data plan with low caps, you can watch for free on a computer instead at NBCSports.com.

You can interact with the game more that way, but you won't get the same commercials.

To get started on the phone, you need to install the NFL Mobile software. The app is free; it's the software's live video that requires V Cast. You can get the app on the phone through the Android Market or Apple's app store. Or you can go to http://www.verizonwireless.com/nfl and enter your cellphone number. A text message will be sent with a link to get your app. You can also call the NFL by hitting the star key twice and dialing 635. That will also get you a link via text.

The video is easy to find once you open the app. You get the full NBC broadcast, including replays, announcers and on-screen graphics. You also get the halftime show and national commercials. NBC's peacock logo came up when my local NBC station
was showing ads for local merchants such as car dealers and banks.

As for the football, I was surprised how well I was able to follow it. I wasn't able to track the ball for some of the passes and field goal kicks, but I was able to follow it on runs. Sure, the ball is small, but your eyes are much closer to the screen. So proportionally, it's somewhat comparable to what you'd get standing several feet away from the TV.

The video quality was adequate over a cellular connection. Some of the players looked more like video game characters than real people, reminding me of the early days of Internet video. Quality improved with a Wi-Fi connection because more data can be sent without worrying about congestion or data charges.

Video on the phone lagged the TV broadcast by about 30 seconds, so don't fall for any instant bets your TV-watching friends try to make with you. If others are watching in the next room, be prepared for cheers and jeers before you see the action.

Also, for the first half-hour, the app will ask you a few times whether you are really there. The video stops if you don't confirm your presence. I found it disruptive, though Verizon says it's to ensure that people don't inadvertently run up data charges.

And if you were able to snag tickets to the Super Bowl, don't expect to watch the game on the phone. Verizon will block the video in and around the stadium to avoid overrunning its network. Besides, if you made all that effort to be there in person, you should be watching the field, not your phone.

The experience on the computer is different. Online video lagged the TV broadcast by a full minute -- enough for an interception and touchdown.

As was the case with the playoffs and the Pro Bowl, online video ads will replace the ones shown on TV. However, NBC says it will make the television ads available on demand soon after they run, so you won't have to miss out on all the chatter about the best and worst Super Bowl commercials. It's also a place to go if you missed one on TV. The phone won't have commercials on demand.

Other extras on NBC's video player include multiple viewing angles. Besides the main television feed, you can watch from the end zone or the sideline or a camera that locks in on the "star" -- typically whoever has the ball. You can watch two feeds at once -- one in a smaller window within the larger one. You can also get Twitter updates, players' stats and more.

The Web player also lets you pause, rewind or start from the beginning, just like a digital video recorder. With the mobile app, you're stuck with the live feed.

And with a good broadband connection, you don't have to worry about data charges.

One of the games I tested over a cellular connection used up 425 megabytes of data, including the halftime show. Fortunately, I was able to keep an unlimited plan I had before Verizon started capping usage for new subscribers. If you're on the basic, $30-a-month plan, one game will eat up a quarter of your monthly 2 gigabyte allocation. There's not much left for email, YouTube, Facebook and other mobile time sinks.

Tne other thing to note: Verizon's live video won't be available on iPads. Owners of Apple's tablet computer will have to visit NBC Sports' website on a browser.

There's no replacing the experience on a thousand-inch flat screen, with a bowl of chips and other artery-cloggers within reach. But I can think of a few scenarios where it could be useful. If you're en route to a Super Bowl party, you can have the game on in the car or bus (not if you're driving, please). You can follow along on your device as you walk to the door for your pizza delivery.

Or if you're with friends who couldn't care less about the game, you can have it on and still be with them -- physically, at least.

Anick Jesdanun, deputy technology editor for The Associated Press, can be reached at
njesdanun@ap.org.

It's out of the question: No buzz for Bizub, Temptation Nation?

2012-02-03T23:00:29Z

Los Angeles quarterback Ashley Salerno, above right, tries to avoid an, uh, sack attempt in the 2011 Lingerie Bowl championship game.

Right: Head coach David Bizub of the Los Angeles Temptation lifts player Melissa Margulies after they defeated the Philadelphia Passion 26-25 in the Lingerie Football League's Lingerie Bowl VIII at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas in 2011.
(Photos by Ethan Miller/Getty Images North America)

Where's the buzz for David Bizub?

The head coach of the only professional football team in Los Angeles can win his third consecutive championship this weekend in Las Vegas.

We're tempted to watch, although it's unlikely there will be many camera shots of him on the sidelines.

Bizub's business revolves around the Lingerie Football League's Temptation, who have a rematch against the Philadelphia Passion in Sunday's game at the Orleans Arena (1 p.m., MTV2) in Lingerie Bowl IX.

And nobody beats the "Biz" - he's 6-0 in the postseason, with three straight Western Conference titles.

"Like anything else, you're only as good as the players you have," said Bizub. "Phil Jackson didn't win anything without Michael Jordan or Kobe or Shaq."

And Bizub probably won't be in this position without 21-year-old quarterback Ashley Salerno, who actually played for the Ayala High School freshman football team in Chino Hills.

"She throws as well as any guy does out there, and that does make a huge difference," said Bizub. "We've got all kinds of good athletes on this team. Not like it was at the beginning."

That would be back at the first Lingerie Football League title game - a pay-per-view Super Bowl XXXVII halftime show at the Coliseum staged opposite of Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction.

"We just had a lot of models, girls who looked good and tried really hard, but no real talent," said Bizub. "Now it's all girls who've played Division I sports. They just never grew up playing football, so it's all about teaching them the game, giving them repetitions.

"Luckily, we've had a lot of the same players the last three years, not a lot of turnover."

Maybe with a little luck - and Andrew Luck's pending arrival in Indianapolis - Peyton Manning's doctors might clear him to take his talents to the LFL?

== Will Bob Costas' sit-down with Madonna that airs on NBC's pregame show make us fall in love with her all over again?

== Chad Ocho-Stinko is still on the Patriots' roster?

== Which team again is Rex Ryan coaching?

== What kind of over-the-counter medicine is recommended for severe case of pre-game Gronkowski?

==Tightened security will be searching fans attending the Super Bowl for weapons, fireworks, umbrellas, poles, sticks, laser pointers, hairspray, pepper spray or noisemakers.

Then why bother showing up?

== What happened to all that talk about the Lakers' need for Gilbert "Agent Zero" Arenas? Because they turned around and realized they've already got a lock-down shooter wearing No. 0?

== Now just hang on a second there when it comes to figuring out how the Staples Center clock froze up on 1.8 seconds during the Kings' last-breath victory over Columbus the other night:

Kings general manager Dean Lombardi tried to explain that the giant overhead timer was automatically recalibrating.

Like he'd know?

Something else happened on our TV set that leads up to believe there could be another reason.

After Anze Kopitar shot from the left point, Kings' Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Miller said that Columbus goalkeeper Curtis Sanford made a save. Right at that moment, the clock on the screen froze at 1.8.

What Miller, and most everyone else watching, didn't pick up for that split second was that the puck fluttered up in the air after hitting Sanford, then landed about 10 feet in front of the net. As Jack Johnson collected it, the clock restarted. Johnson shoveled the puck to Drew Doughty, and his shot went in with 0.4 seconds showing.

What's so hard to understand that human error could be the cause of this, instead of implying the scoreboard operator was doing something devious, or there was some bizarre mechanical flaw in the system?

All's fine as long as the Kings don't win the Pacific Division by one point, right?

Weekly media column version 02.03.12

2012-02-03T08:01:04Z

Staff photo by John McCoy

What's in today's weekly media column (linked here): An update on the career of Paul Sunderland, who 10 years ago stepped in to replace Chick Hearn on the Lakers, had the job to himself after Hearn's passing in the summer of 2002, and had it taken away three years later. Along with that: The final installment of the 20th edition of the best and worst of the Southern California sports media guys, this time focusing on play-by-play talents. No. 1: Vin Scully, who says his new hero is Betty White. The bottom four .... take a good guess.

What's not in today's column:

== Word is that since Time Warner's new regional channels won't be fully up and running until the fall, in time for the start of the Lakers' 2012-13 season, the 18 Galaxy games that TWC will produce starting in March can be seen on Orange County's KDOC-Channel 56. This, after a rights fee with Fox Sports West/Prime Ticket has ended. This summer, KDOC will also carry the WNBA's Sparks, another franchise that TWC has taken from FSW/Prime.
Way to bury both sports in the L.A. market.

== A couple days after airing the first episode of "Luck," HBO says it has already renewed the deal for a second, 10-episode season, starting in January, 2013. Production starts at the end of this month. The premiere last Sunday drew 3.3 million viewers so far as it continues to repeat. Warning if you haven't seen it: Los Angeles Times columnist Bill Plaschke turns up in it, as ... what is he, some kind of TV reporter?

== Highlights (or, lowlights) for NBC's six hours of Super Bowl preview material starting at 9 a.m. on Channel 4:
Bob Costas interviews Tom Brady; Dan Patrick interviews Eli Manning; Tony Dungy sits with Tom Coughlin and Victor Cruz; Rodney Harrison interviews his former coach, Bill Belichick; Al Michaels visits with Patriots owner Robert Kraft; Costas interviews Harrison along with former New York Giants wide receiver David Tyree, the two men linked on Tyree's famous "helmet catch" in Super Bowl XLII; Costas interviews commissioner Roger Goodell; Costas interviews Madonna; Matt Lauer interviews President Barack Obama from the White House; and Nick Cannon hosts a "red carpet" entrance for Adam Sandler, Danny Devito, and stars of all other kinds of NBC prime-time programming.

== Harrison, on whether he can objective as a TV analyst on this game: "Yes, I can cover it objectively. I've been objective. I've criticized Belichick, and the defensive backs from the Patriots as well as I've been complimentary at times to that team. That's my nature. If I feel something, I'll let you know it. But I'm not going to shy away from what I feel. If it means criticizing my former team, I've never been shy about doing that."

== Fox/Channel 11 airs Chelsea against Manchester United on Sunday at 7:30 p.m., using Rob Stone, Eric Wynalda and, yes, Piers Morgan on the call -- all sitting in a studio in L.A. calling it live.

== An explanation as to why Jon Weisman's "Dodger Thoughts" enters the free-agent market again (linked here). Our thought? If we were starting our own L.A.-generated sports-content service, he'd be at the top of our list.

Reeves Nelson booted off Lithuanian team, too

2012-02-03T02:24:57Z

Reeves Nelson, the former UCLA basketball star dismissed from the Bruins' program last December, was released Tuesday by BC Zalgiris after five weeks as he was trying to improve his NBA draft stock playing with the professional team in Lithuania (Seattle Times story linked here).

Reeves reportedly played 17 minutes per game over 24 games for Zalgiris, averaging 4.8 points and 4.2 rebounds a game.

Jonathan Givony at DraftExpress.com (linked here) writes that Nelson is eligible for the 2012 NBA draft, but he isn't expected to be selected.

Nelson led UCLA in scoring (13.9) and rebounds (9.1) last season when he was first-team All-Pac 10.

On Nov. 15, he was suspended for two days and he sat out another game after he was late for a team meeting. After he was reinstated, he missed the team flight to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational. Coach Ben Howland suspended him a second time on Dec. 6 after he was seen laughing on the Bruins' bench during a 10-point loss to Texas.

Three days later, Howland kicked Nelson off the team. The team was 2-5 at the time, and won five in a row after he was let go. They are 10-4 without him on the roster going into tonight's game at Washington.

How Tom Brady called out someone else for cheating

2012-02-02T20:12:00Z

By Larry Neumeister
Associated Press

Federal authorities announced a crackdown today on websites that stream unauthorized broadcasts of sports events just hours after New England quarterback Tom Brady told reporters gathered in Indianapolis for Sunday's Super Bowl that he watched last year's game on an illegal site.

"Last year I was rehabbing my foot in Costa Rica, watching the game on an illegal Super Bowl website. And now I'm actually playing in the game. So, it's pretty cool," Brady said.

Investigators seized 16 sites and brought criminal charges against a Michigan man who controlled nine of them.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara warned sports fans in a release that piracy costs sports leagues and broadcasters millions of dollars, forcing increases in ticket prices and other costs to consumers.

Web operator Yonjo Quiroa, of Comstock Park, Mich., was charged Wednesday with copyright infringement. Prosecutors said he distributed football, basketball and hockey games and wrestling matches.

Quiroa appeared in federal court in Grand Rapids, Mich., on Wednesday. He was held without bail while his immigration status was under review. Larry Phelan, his lawyer, declined to comment.

Authorities said the prosecution was part of a continuing federal effort to target counterfeiting and piracy on the Internet.

]]> Also in Indianapolis, federal authorities said they seized nearly $5 million worth of phony Super Bowl sportswear and merchandise in a nationwide sweep that was the result of a four-month investigation.

Officials from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection said agents targeted stores, flea markets and street vendors that allegedly sold counterfeit game-related sportswear. Fake jerseys, ball caps, T-shirts, jackets and other souvenirs were among the 42,000 items confiscated in Operation Fake Sweep.

Authorities put the total take at more than $4.8 million, up from $3.7 million last year.

Also seized were counterfeit Major League Baseball, NBA and NHL items worth about $1.6 million.