Not A Shanghai Surprise: Though Anna Kournikova managed to make it to the finals of the Shanghai Open, she couldn't win the title, losing in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3 to Anna Smashnova of Israel. I could write something about it, by why not just enjoy the latest Tony Pierce photo essay on Anna instead.
Archive for 36. week of 2002
September 15th, 2002
Every Titans Fan Is Taking
Every Titans Fan Is Taking A Deep Breath. . . Now that quarterback Steve McNair has run shoulder first into a steamer trunk perched on top of the Dallas Cowboys bench. Looking to pick up a few yards along the Cowboys sideline, McNair ran out of bounds at full speed to avoid being tackled. He went down in a heap, and was only able to walk back to the Titans bench just a few moments ago. Neil O'Donnell is now at quarterback for the Titans.
UPDATE: CBS said McNair suffered a minor concussion. But then, in a sideline interview with Beasley Reese, Titans coach Jeff Fisher said that McNair was merely shaken up, and he anticipates he'll be back for the second half. Hmmm.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Turns out it was a concussion after all.
September 15th, 2002
The Fastest Man On Earth
The Fastest Man On Earth
Tim Montgomery revels in his 100 Meter victory in Paris.
September 14th, 2002
As Someone Whose Clasroom Experience.
As Someone Whose Clasroom Experience. . . Ended during the early days of the first Bush Administration, I couldn't help but be facsinated by Jeff Cooper's latest post on laptops in the classroom, and how they might be hurting the educational experience. The one passage that really drew my attention was this one:
Finally, students
September 14th, 2002
A Few Days Ago. .
A Few Days Ago. . . I wrote a quick post rounding up the criminal troubles of various athletes, including Pittsburgh Steelers runningback Jerome Bettis, who was being investigated on charges that he sexually assaulted a 22-year old women who had been seeking an autograph. As it turns out, the whole story seems to have been fabricated by the woman in an attempt to snare Bettis in an extortion scheme.
It was this news that led fellow sports blogger Dan Lewis to apologize for thinking that Bettis might be guilty:
For this, I apologize. And not only because you're probably innocent.
You see, I spent a good deal of time this summer writing up football rumors every day, and every day it seemed that another NFLer was being charged with, well, something. Heck, one of my first columns focused on Mark Chmura. Mark Chmura!
But I digress. When you see all these guys, the words "National Felons League" begins to ring true. So you'll understand my error.
Still, that doesn't make it acceptable. I -- and anyone else who thought you were going up the river -- should know to presume innocence and to avoid assigning guilt by association. Sure, it is often times safe to ignore these tenets, but one error like this is one too many.
Which left me puzzled: just what did Dan have to apologize for? From where I sit, absolutely nothing at all. All he did was draw a perfectly logical conclusion from the facts as he saw them at the time. In fact, Dan didn't even write about the charges in his own blog -- making me wonder if he's subtly pointing a finger at folks like me who reported them in the first place.
It's not an easy call to make. When I first heard of the charges against Bettis earlier this week, I hesitated to post them. Then, the ghost of the Washington Post's Sally Jenkins whispered in my ear, and asked why I was letting Bettis off lightly. After all, if he had been charged with another crime that wasn't of a sexual nature, I probably would have written about it. And, as Jenkins said in her book, Men Will Be Boys, the folks who cover football usually gloss over any athletes trouble with the law. (Though in this case Al Michaels and John Madden did discuss the investigation during Monday night's Steelers-Patriots game.)
In the end, the best you can do is this. Report the charges as they come in, and report them as they get thrown out, or as the athletes get convicted. It's the only fair solution.
September 14th, 2002
A Senseless Decision: Indianapolis Colts
A Senseless Decision: Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, a player who has steadily developed a reputation for being a decent guy as well as a fantastic football player, had an idea. Why not wear a pair of black hightop cleats during Sunday's game as a way to honor the memory of Johnny Unitas, the former Baltimore Colts great that passed away this week at the age of 69?
But the powers that be at NFL headquarters in New York had other ideas. They said no:
Both Manning, who already ordered four pairs of the black hightops, and team president Bill Polian said they understand the league's decision. But that didn't change their feelings.
"Somebody's passed away. I don't want to create a controversy over it,'' Manning said. "I did talk to one of (Unitas') sons, Joe, last night. He said he thought that it would be great, he'd love it.
"But the league called Bill this morning and said absolutely not. It would result in a horrendous fine, so Bill just said that he would recommend that I don't do it.''
Polian agreed with Manning, although he was disappointed in the league's decision.
"It was Peyton's intention to do the right thing for a man who's done magnificent things for the NFL,'' Polian said. "How that squares with not being allowed to do it is beyond me, but I don't make those decisions.''
Apparently, only the Baltimore Ravens will be allowed to wear anything on their uniforms to honor Unitas. This isn't the first time this issue has surfaced, as the league denied every team other than the Chicago Bears from honoring Walter Payton after he died a few seasons ago.
Perhaps one could make the case that the league is simply trying to be consistent with the decision it passed down on honoring Payton. Perhaps it's just a short-sighted policy on the part of the league's marketing department. And, given the league's decisions in other areas (excessive celebration, banning the sack dance, penalizing for tossing a helmet), and it's determination to keep things as clean as possible for the television audience at home, we can hardly be surprised.
I have just one thought, and it's aimed at the next player who would like to do something decent and honest to honor a former player who just passed away. It's always easier to beg forgiveness than to ask permission. To borrow a slogan from someone's marketing department, next time, just do it.
September 13th, 2002
The NFL Sells Out: The
The NFL Sells Out: The league announced today that for the first time since 1998, all of its home games have been sold out 72 hours prior to kickoff. As a result, local television blackout restrictions will be lifted.
Funny, but although I would never seriously trade radio coverage of a game for television, it was these very same blackout rules that introduced me to one of the classiest men in sports: Marty Glickman. Back in the 1970s, when I first became a New York Jets fan, it wasn't uncommon for the team to fail to sell out games at Shea Stadium in time to cancel the blackout rules. Hence, I would turn to coverage on 880 AM WCBS Radio. Glickman handled the play-by-play with Spencer Ross and Sam Deluca. Though Glickman spent many years broadcasting both the Giants and the Knicks, I'll always remember him descibing the Jets, "marching left to right across your radio dial."
But it was as I got older that I began to appreciate just what sort of man Glickman really was. At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Glickman, along with University of Michigan student Sam stollar, had won places on the U.S. 400 meter relay team. But when it came time to run the race, Avery Brundage, the head of the U.S. Olympic Committee, removed the two in favor of Jesse Owens and Ralph Metcalfe, two African-American runners. Till the end of his life, Glickman contended that it was Brundage's bigotry that kept him off the track in Berlin:
As I walked into the stadium, I began to get so angry. I began to get so mad. It shocked the hell out of me that this thing of forty-nine years ago could still evoke this anger
September 13th, 2002
With A 6-5 Win In
With A 6-5 Win In Anaheim Last Night. . . It looks like the race for the American League West division title between the A's and the Angels is going to go down to the wire. And at the end, once the two teams have given it their all, and battled down to the final day of the season. . . they'll both make the playoffs anyway.
So much for drama, huh? At the end of the day, the only thing these two teams are playing for is the right to avoid the Yankees in the first round of the American League playoffs. And don't tell me that the drama of the old division races wasn't inherently superior to the drama of a close Wild Card race. 50 years from now, is anybody going to recall how the 1999 New York Mets kept winning down the stretch to force a one-game playoff with the Cincinnati Reds for the Wild Card playoff spot? Then again, 50 years from now, who doubts that baseball historians will lovingly recall the 1951 chase between the Dodgers and the Giants?
Then again, we live in a world where sports and television are permanently joined at the hip. Televising 162 games of drama is a lot less profitable than broadcasting nearly three weeks of playoff baseball in October.
September 13th, 2002
Heart Surgery For Augusta’s Johnson:
Heart Surgery For Augusta's Johnson: Hootie Johnson, the 71-year old chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, underwent heart surgery today. A spokesman for the club says Johnson is expected to make a full recovery.
September 13th, 2002
Postrel On Fourth Down: Last
Postrel On Fourth Down: Last week, I wrote a little bit about a study completed by an economist at Berkeley that reccommended that football coaches need to go for it on fourth down more often.
Today, one of the darlings of the blogosphere, Virginia Postrel, dives a little deeper into the methodology and mathematics behind the study in her monthly New York Times column on economics. Also, be sure to take a look at Bob Tedeschi's piece concerning how the same principles are being applied to good use in the retailing business.
September 13th, 2002
Write-Ricky-Write: Ever since the Internet
Write-Ricky-Write: Ever since the Internet became big business, there's been a lot of blather about how it's advent was going to change the way fans watched sports and interacted with athletes. And, while there's no denying that's been true to a large extent (who could imagine life without ESPN.com?), for the most part business is business. If someone can figure out a way to make a dollar off of it, then it's going to get done.
Well, thanks to regular reader, Ilway, I've found something that is blessedly commercial free, though I'm not sure for just how much longer. What I'm talking about is Miami Dolphins runningback Ricky Williams Web site, Run Ricky Run. While it isn't a world beater design-wise, Williams delivers what he promises: an inside look into his life and how he sees the world.
There are photo galleries (Williams is an avid photographer), as well as some biographical information, but the center of the site is his online diary.
While some entries -- like realizing that some real estate in South Beach is beyond his budget -- is a little hard to relate to, on the whole Williams is refreshingly unfiltered. And truth be told, his writing isn't half bad either.
In some of his latest entries (I can't link to them directly, as Williams has yet to discover permalinks), Williams discusses fans seeking autographs, treatment of his depression, and his frustration at not being closer to his infant daughter, Marley. And lately, Williams has been talking about something we should all watch closely -- namely, his budding friendship with Hall of Fame runningback, Jim Brown. Here's a portion of Ricky's diary entry from September 9:
Ok, back to last night.
September 13th, 2002
Nancy Lopez Heads Toward Retirement:
Nancy Lopez Heads Toward Retirement: One item I had missed over the past few weeks, is the impending retirement of LPGA legend Nancy Lopez. As more should remember, Lopez burst onto the golf scene in 1978, and became the youngest member of the LPGA tour to win ten titles. Over the course of her great career, she's won 44 in total. But for me, I'll always remember spying Lopez after game 1 of the 1986 World Series between the Mets and the Red Sox. She was pushing a stroller with an infant inside, having just watched her husband, Ray Knight, play that evening for the Mets. Here's hoping she enjoys her retirement.
September 13th, 2002
The Three Stooges — In
The Three Stooges -- In Cleveland: Putting a "salt into the wounds," coda on Sunday's Browns-Chiefs game, the NFL has fined LB Dwayne Rudd, K Phil Dawson, and P Chris Gardocki $5,000 each for unsportmanlike conduct. As you may recall, Rudd flung his helmet in joy, not realizing the game wasn't over. The resulting penalty put the Chiefs in position for the game winning field goal. As for Gardocki, he was penalized for taunting after Dawson kicked what looked like the game winning field goal for the Browns as time ran out. Later review of the videotape showed that Dawson had pointed a finger at some Chiefs players, so the NFL fined him too.
September 13th, 2002
Where Is Bison Dele? Two
Where Is Bison Dele? Two months ago, former NBA player Bison Dele (once known as Brian Williams) and his girlfriend, Serena Karlan, set sail from Tahiti bound for Hawaii. On board along with them were two crewman. That was on July 8th. They haven't been heard from since. The Coast Guard has been searching for their boat since August 27th, and now, as the strange details begin to pile up, the FBI is investigating.
To get the whole story, including links to all the press items on the case, go to whereisbison.com. Over at ESPN, NBA columnist Stan Smith has his own rememberance of a player he refers to by his former name of Brian Williams. After reading it, you get the idea that Dele was just a gentle soul locked inside the body of a man who could play the inside game. Unfortunately, until more details become available, Smith's piece reads like an obit.
UPDATE: This morning's LA Times is reporting that Dele's catamaran has been found in Tahiti, where it has been since July 8. The focus of the investigation is now shifting to Dele's brother, Miles Dabord, who was found trying to buy $152,000 in gold while masquerading as his brother.
ANOTHER UPDATE: The FBI is searching for Dabord now.
ONE LAST UPDATE: The FBI is about to open a murder investigation along with French Police. A number of witnesses have also reported that Dabord returned to Tahiti on July 20 on Dele's boat, and that he was alone. Finally, Dabord and Dele's mother has reportedly been in contact with Dabord, who said he wasn't capable of murdering his brother.
September 13th, 2002
Athletic Police Blotter: Just in
Athletic Police Blotter: Just in case you missed any of these items, here's your chance to catch up on your favorite athlete's troubles with the law. First, Pittsburgh Steelers RB Jerome Bettis has been accused of sexual assault and police are investigating. Everywhere else, though, the news is a bit better, depending on your point of view.
In Oakland, Raiders DT Darrell Russell has escaped being charged with drugging a 28-year old women, and then videotaping his friends as they raped her. And yes, his pals got off too. Police are also declining to press charges against Anaheim Angels pitcher Jarrod Washburn, who earlier this week had been accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year old girl. Denver Broncos TE, Dwayne Carswell, will not be tried for a third time on charges he pushed his girlfriend out of his truck after an argument. As part of a plea agreement, Carswell will pay some expenses for his ex, as well as perform community service.
Finally, after dominating sports headlines earlier this Summer, charges involving Philadelphia 76ers G Allen Iverson have been dropped by prosecutors as well.
Remember, according to our adverserial system of justice, everyone is innocent until proven guilty.
UPDATE: Luke Cyphers has his own take on Russell, a man who looks like his life is completely out of control.
September 12th, 2002
Officer Shaq? I couldn’t believe
Officer Shaq? I couldn't believe my eyes when I read this story out of the bayou:
The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's office says it has cleared basketball megastar Shaquille O'Neal of any wrong doing when he rode along with deputies during a September 3rd drug raid on Old Hammond Highway in Baton Rouge.
"There is no indication that O'Neal or any of the other officers there did anything that would have violated our office policy or the law," said Colonel Mike Barnett.
O'Neal was the subject of an internal affairs investigation after a complaint was filed by a drug suspect following the raid.
"He pushed me in the toilet once, he punched me in the stomach twice and he choked me about 15 times, " claims Philip Mueler.
The 24-year-old's roommate, Joshua Brock, filed the complaint against O'Neal. Both men claim Shaq manhandled them during a heated question session for names of alleged drug dealers.
"And, they kept on questioning and questioning," said Mueler. "I guess he got mad. He brought me to the toilet and put my head down." 19-year-old Brock and his girlfriend, 21-year-old Rikki Bewley, were issued summons for possession of marijuana.
Hmm. Sounds like someone was practicing a little, "Shaq-Fu." As it turns out, O'Neal is also a "commissioned officer in the Los Angeles area," and often goes on ride alongs there as well. Just what the heck does, "commissioned officer" mean? Anybody out in LA know?
September 12th, 2002
Farewell, Johnny U. With a
Farewell, Johnny U.
With a crew cut and a jut jaw, Johnny
Unitas was a poster boy for 1950s
America. But the way he passed
the ball served as a bridge between
the NFL's early days, and the way
the game is played today.
Johnny Unitas Dead At 69: Of an apparent heart attack he suffered while working out in a gym in Timonium, Md. His death, though a body blow to the city of Baltimore, can hardly be a surprise, considering Unitas underwent bypass surgery in 1993.
Unitas' hometown Baltimore Sun is all over the story, using a team of people to cover Johnny U's passing. In addition, metro columnist Michael Olesker and sportswriter John Eisenberg also weigh in.
The next time anyone tells you that Washington-Baltimore aren't in the same media market, don't believe them. The Washington Post assigned their own set of reporters to chronicle Unitas's life and times, while Baltimore native Bill Gildea also recalls those bygone days on 33rd Street in Memorial Stadium when Unitas revived a moribund Baltimore Colts franchise.
Over at ESPN, Len Pasquarelli and Sean Salisbury have both penned tributes, and and is also featuring the HTML version of their Sportscentury profile of the quarterback. But when it comes to the definitive documentary on Johnny U., it has to be HBO's Sports of the 20th Century. Back in 1999, they won an Emmy for the simply titled warts and all treatment called Unitas
For me, my memories of Unitas are tied up in four events. First of course is Super Bowl III in Miami -- a game that while I can't recall seeing live, I feel as if I did because of NFL Films. In that highlight reel, Unitas was the face of the establishment, while the Jets Joe Namath was the fresh faced representative of the upstart AFL as well as American counterculture. Though an injured Unitas didn't start the game, he led the favored Colts to their only touchdown in a 16-7 loss. But to this day, as a Jets fan, I still feel fear when the Super Bowl III highlights focus on Johnny U.'s fourth quarter charge to get the Colts on the board again. I actually thought he was powerful enough to change history.
The next memory concerns the first time I ever remember watching football on television. In this case, a 44-34 Jets victory over the Colts at Memorial Stadium. Both oft-injured Namath and Unitas were well past their prime at the time, but that didn't stop them from putting up an incredible offensive show that sold me on pro football for life.
Third, I'll never forget a confrontation Unitas had with a young John Elway in 1983 on Nightline not long after the Colts had drafted Elway with their first round pick in the draft. Elway, who was a minor league ballplayer in the Yankees system back then, was threatening to play baseball if the Colts didn't trade him to a West Coast team. Unitas, who was cut from the Pittsburgh Steelers in his first go-round in the NFL (something which forced him to play semi-pro ball for a season at $6 per game), was having none of it, and told Elway he should just take his medicine and show up in Baltimore for training camp. Of course, the Colts eventually traded Elway to Denver, but Unitas won some points for sticking up for his adopted home town.
Finally, as I became a Baltimore Ravens season ticket holder in the late 90s, I was happy to see up close just how much Baltimore loved Johnny Unitas. Though he wasn't a fan of the way Art Modell had left Cleveland, he still embraced the Ravens when pro football returned to the city, and would often be seen walking the sidelines during the games. And when he did, it wasn't long before his face was on the Jumbotron, something which the crowd always responded to with unrestrained joy. And when it happened, he always smiled. I'm glad he got to hear that adulation many times after his career ended before he died.
UPDATE: The Baltimore Ravens are planning a tribute to Unitas for this Sunday's home opener against Tampa Bay.
September 12th, 2002
A Black Spot On One
A Black Spot On One Man's Past: Late last night, a reader of mine who identified himself as , left the following comment after a post concerning the fitness of RFK Stadium to host major league baseball next season:
Is this the same Fred Malek who was in charge of making the US Government Judenrein for Richard Nixon? Under his leadership, would Shawn Green be prevented from playing in RFK Stadium?
For those of you unfamilar with Nazi Germany, the term "Judenrein" means Jew-free. While I had read about the particular incident that Joel refers to sometime in the past, I felt I needed to brush up on the details. Here's how the History News Network, run by George Mason University, describes the incident in a longer article discussing President Richard Nixon and his behind closed doors anti-Semitism:
At least once the anti-Semitism appears to have had hard consequences. As Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein first reported in The Final Days, and as White House memos later confirmed, Nixon feared that a "Jewish cabal" at the Bureau of Labor Statistics was skewing data to make him look bad, and he instructed his aide Fred Malek to tally up the Jewish employees at the bureau
September 12th, 2002
I Hate To Say I
I Hate To Say I Told You So, But. . . Back in July a had a lengthy back and forth with fellow sports blogger Dan Lewis on the subject of steroids in Major League Baseball. In one of my posts that concerned Barry Bonds and his claim that he used nutritional supplements to bulk up, I had this to say:
Beginning to connect the dots here? So Bonds says he uses nutritional supplements. Supplements that the experience of the IOC shows are regularly contaminated with steroids. But, like Jovanovic, Bonds, if he ever got caught, could fall back on some plausible deniability -- saying he didn't know the supplements were contaminated.
Yesterday, Ray Buchannan, a cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons, was suspended for four games for steroid use. Here's what he had to say:
The league's suspension begins with the home opener Sunday against the Chicago Bears, a rare sellout for the team. Buchanan can have no contact with the Falcons during his suspension, which will last through the Oct. 13 game against the New York Giants.
"Evidently, I took a supplement of some sort that had a steroid derivative in it,'' Buchanan said in a statement.
"Either way, it was my mistake, and I will serve my penalty. I would like to apologize to my teammates, the Falcons organization and the Atlanta Falcons fans. I will learn from this.''
Well, say this for Buchannan: he's taking his medicine (so to speak), without complaint. In any case, he's been caught, and gets to use the plausible deniability defense. Who? Little old me take steroids? Oh please.
September 12th, 2002
NHL Cracks Down, Again: NHL
NHL Cracks Down, Again: NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman wants more scoring in his league. So Tuesday in Toronto, he laid down the law:
"What we were trying to get straight today is, here's how officials are going to be calling it, not necessarily do we agree with the interpretation, but we all know what will be called," Toronto Maple Leafs coach and GM Pat Quinn said.
The latest interpretation is expected to cut down on clutching and grabbing in the neutral zone and eliminate players from picking off forwards trying to get at the puck in the offensive zone. Basically, if a player doesn't have the puck, his progress can't be impeded.
The result should be more turnovers in the offensive zone from defensemen who feel the heat from incoming forecheckers and thus more offensive chances -- and more goals.
This isn't a new story in the NHL. Since the early 90's, roughly around the time Wayne Gretzky was traded from the Edmonton Oilers the Los Angeles Kings, scoring has been dropping league wide. There are a variety of reasons why. Players are simply bigger and faster, and in effect, have shrunk the rink. Goalies, despite some recent rule changes, wear equipment that helps them cover more of the net. That equipment is lighter too, making goalies quicker -- and that's before we even consider the fact that true athletes have begun to make the net their home.
Finally, we can't discount the effect of expansion -- especially the expansions that have taken place since the early 1990s. After the Florida Panthers made the Stanley Cup Finals in 1996, a blueprint for creating a competitive team quickly was created. Team after team began implementing a version of the neutral zone trap. Combined with clutching and grabbing techniques that even the least talented players could implement, the squeeze on scoring was on. In part, this development eventually drove Mario Lemieux into retirement (though he would return).
(While trapping teams existed before, and the New Jersey Devils won with a version of the trap in 1995, the dearth of talented players who could carry the puck in traffic made the trap the method teams could use to become competitive quickly.)
So, how can we fix this? I'm not quite sure. Every four years during the Winter Olympics someone suggest widening the ice to the same size of the international game. Unfortunately, that move would eliminate rows of the most profitable seats in every arena. And every year, the league promises to crack down on clutching and grabbing. The result: for the most part negligible.
Will any of the changes that Bettman proposes do any good this time? Probably not. But then again, perhaps we should consider something else. The greatest increase in scoring occurred roughly at the same time that the most talented offensive player in the game's history took to the ice. Perhaps a player like Gretzky, and the magic that came part and parcel with him, passes our way only once in a lifetime. I hope not, but I'm afaid it might be true.
September 11th, 2002
Note To Readers: Regularly scheduled
Note To Readers: Regularly scheduled sports blogging will resume later tonight. As both a native of New York City, and a former resident of the neighborhood around the Pentagon, the events of September 11th have never been, and will never be, far from my thoughts. Words didn't come easy today, and after I had posted the photos, it didn't seem right to follow them up with the latest on Chris Webber's legal troubles.
So, no worries. We'll be back to the mundane world of sports, and the release it gives us from the everyday, in just a few hours. Thanks for your patience.
September 11th, 2002
Tower 2, moments before
Tower 2, moments before impact. Tower 1, already ablaze.
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure.
The Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live.
Firefighter glances skyward
moments before collapse of Tower 2.
It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground.
Casket of FDNY Chaplain, Fr. Mychal Judge
The brave men, living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.
Sun sets behind Flight 93
memorial in Shanksville, Pa.
It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.
It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us. . .
"Ground Zero" flag raised above USS Teddy Roosevelt.
--that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion. . .
Members of 26th Marines chopper into Afghanistan.
--that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.
Abraham Lincoln
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
November 19, 1863
September 11th, 2002
There Are Some Pieces Of
There Are Some Pieces Of News. . . You don't want to get in the middle of your team's first real pennant race in seven years. Like having your ace pitcher charged with sexually assaulting a 16-year old girl.
September 11th, 2002
RFK Stadium: Ready For Baseball
RFK Stadium: Ready For Baseball in D.C.? That's an open question for some, but not for Bobby Goldwater, president of the D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission
The third-base dugout is gone from the field at RFK Stadium.
"It's downstairs. In the basement," said Bobby Goldwater, who oversees the ballpark as president of the D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission. "The frame for the dugout is literally sitting in what would be left field. It's part of the stands."
Coming up with the best way to reassemble the dugout and reconfigure the ballpark is one of Goldwater's pressing projects lately. Now that relocation is a viable topic within major league baseball, he has to come up with a plan to get RFK ready as quickly as possible should the Montreal Expos move to Washington on short notice for the 2003 season.
"We believe it can take about six weeks to get it all done," said Goldwater, outlining the most basic, no-frills scenario.
That would mean that whatever ownership group purchases the Expos would need to get the word by about mid-February to have the stadium ready in time for a potential April 11 home opener against the New York Mets. Basically, it can be done, but that doesn't mean any potential owners wouldn't like to have more time:
That's where Fred Malek and Bill Collins come in. Both head groups that have worked for years to bring a team to the area, and both have visions of how to make RFK a grand baseball place. Malek has spoke of spending as much as $20 million over several months to upgrade RFK.
"Can we be ready? Yes," said Winston Bao Lord, executive director of Malek's Washington Baseball Club. "But in terms of the way we can envision RFK, we'd love to have time."
While all the parties involved would like to fix RFK up right, no one will be complaining if baseball gives them late notice. The city has waited too long to be picky.
"If they told us March 31 we were getting a team, I'd be out there lining the field from home to first base," Lord said. "I'll bring out my own rake if that's what it takes to get it ready."
September 11th, 2002
Sabres On Thin Ice: Looks
Sabres On Thin Ice: Looks like the fall of former Cable TV giant Adelphia Communications is about to pull down the NHL's Buffalo Sabres with it:
The Buffalo Sabres might be forced to declare bankruptcy to settle their $157 million debt to Adelphia Communications before being cleared for any potential sale.
"(Bankruptcy) might be inevitable," Erie County executive Joel Giambra said Tuesday. "That's how screwed up the books are."
Giambra said bankruptcy became a possibility after he had numerous discussions with various ownership groups that have expressed interest in buying the team.
After the NHL, which took over operational control of the Sabres in June, Giambra holds considerable influence in helping determine the team's next owner in part because Erie County has a large stake in the team. The Sabres signed a 25-year lease to move into HSBC Arena in 1996.
Not exactly the news that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman needs to hear right now. Four of the league's six Canadian teams are perpetually teetering on the brink of insolvency, and having the Sabres, a team that looked secure up until not very long ago, on the brink of bankruptcy must be a real headache. But someone tell me this: what the heck is a municipal government like New York State's Erie County doing with a piece of a professional sports franchise? If there is a worse way to invest taxpayer dollars, I don't know what it is.
September 10th, 2002
Can Anything Stop The Ratings
Can Anything Stop The Ratings Slide. . . At ABC's Monday Night Football? Well, at least for one night, John Madden did. Unfortunately, I don't think it was what the folks at ABC Sports were hoping for:
The New England Patriots' 30-14 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on ABC on Monday drew an average overnight rating of 14.5 and 23 share, the same as a year ago when the Denver Broncos beat the New York Giants.
ABC had the highest rating of the four networks between 9-11 p.m. EDT with a 15.6/23.
Viewership peaked Monday night just before halftime when the Patriots held a 10-7 lead. The final 30 minutes of the telecast saw the rating drop to 10.2, down from a high of 16.7 between 10-10:30 p.m.
Madden jumped to ABC from Fox in February with a four-year, $20 million deal to join play-by-play announcer Al Michaels. "Monday Night Football" dumped comedian Dennis Miller and analyst Dan Fouts after two years in which ratings fell more than 15 percent total.
The number of people watching "Monday Night Football" viewership has declined for seven straight years.
September 10th, 2002
Webber Issues Denial: Now that
Webber Issues Denial: Now that word has leaked out that Sacramento Kings forward Chris Webber has been indicted for lying to a grand jury, I've been waiting to hear what Webber has to say. This morning, we got it:
"I didn't lie," Webber told USA Today in a story published Tuesday. "The truth always comes out. What this case is about is a 70-year-old man dressed in hip-hop clothes who befriended kids and said he loved kids, and I believed him.
"I didn't know he saw my potential before I saw it. Threats were made. Those threats have come to reality. I believe this is extortion. After the trial, and I am vindicated, this case will be bigger than me lying to the grand jury, which I did not do."
Webber told the Sacramento Bee he had not spoken to former booster Ed Martin in more than 10 years.
"Why would I go into court like it's being said and lie to help a man who has been threatening me?" Webber told the Bee in a story published Tuesday. "I went to court to help the prosecution."
According to the Bee, Webber said he was speaking against the advice of his attorney, and he planned to hold a news conference Tuesday in Sacramento, although no time was announced.
This is going to be a very interesting press conference. Stay tuned.
September 10th, 2002
Throwing Your Helmet, And The
Throwing Your Helmet, And The Game, Away: By now, most sports fans have heard about the bizzare ending of the Browns-Chiefs game in Cleveland yesterday. For those of you who didn't, here's what went down. With time running out, and Kansas City down 39-37, Chiefs quarterback Trent Green was being wrestled to the turf by the Browns' Dwayne Rudd when:
Dwayne Rudd is puzzled. What happened?
Rudd yanked off his helmet and tossed it to the ground with both hands when he saw 0:00 on the clock and Kansas City quarterback Trent Green on his back on what should have been the final play.
But Rudd turned his back to the continuation of the play and didn't see the bizarre sequence that followed.
Before Green landed, he managed to lateral the ball to right tackle John Tait, and the 325-pound lineman lumbered 28 yards to the Browns' 25. Referee Ron Blum flagged Rudd for one of the NFL's pet peeves - taking off and throwing his helmet - and moved the ball half the distance to the goal line.
With the game clock expired, Morten Andersen trotted out and kicked a 30-yard field goal to blunt the Browns' season of great expectations with a 40-39 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The video of this one should be arriving at the nearest Ripley's "Believe It or Not" museum this morning.
One important detail: as most dedicated NFL fans know, a game can never end on a defensive penalty -- which is why the Chiefs got a shot at the game winning field goal.
Lost in the uproar over the Rudd penalty was the fact that punter Chris Gardocki, who is also the Browns holder on field goals, was penalized for taunting after Phil Dawson hit what at the time looked like the game-winning field goal. As a result, the Browns had to kick off from their own 15 instead of the 30-yard line on the ensuing kickoff -- another mistake that kept the Chiefs alive and put them in position to accept a gift from above.
Meanwhile, big John Tait was rumbling downfield.
But tonight on Monday Night Football, John Madden blamed, guess who, the referee, when he said that a game shouldn't be lost on a call like that.
Far be it for me to defend the referees (and can you believe they actually have a fan site?), but Madden really has no place in putting the onus on Referee Blum. After all, as Tim Polser noted in an NFL Insider column before the start of the 2001 season:
During training camps across the country, NFL players will be shown a video explaining the new sportsmanship rules. It addresses the acceptable forms of celebration and communication with opposing players, teams, and spectators. The league is counting on its officials to enforce the new edicts.
Furthermore, we need to remember what might have happened if the referee hadn't made the calls on Rudd and Gardocki:
Pereira and Upson have saved one of the touchiest subjects for the last day of the clinic. The league
September 10th, 2002
Hicks To Sell NHL’s Dallas
Hicks To Sell NHL's Dallas Stars: As in Tom, also owner of the Texas Rangers. Hicks says he's looking to sell the Stars because he wants to concentrate his efforts on getting the Rangers to the World Series, and who can blame him:
"As much as I love hockey and the Stars, I have met and exceeded the goals I set six years ago," Hicks said in a statement Monday. "After much thought and private discussion with my family, I have decided this is an appropriate time to become a one-team owner rather than a two-team owner."
Hicks purchased the Stars in 1996 for $84 million, and the team won the Stanley Cup three years later. The Stars missed the playoffs last season for the first time under Hicks' ownership, which resulted in the firing of coach Ken Hitchcock midway through the season.
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., the company hired by Hicks, declined to specify a proposed purchase price for the Stars and the half-ownership in the Center Operating Company that operates the $420 million American Airlines Center that opened last year. A sale could take months to complete.
Stars fans should be grateful to Hicks. It was his millions that brought Brett Hull and a Stanley Cup championship to Dallas. And with the exception of last season, the Stars never missed the playoffs while Hicks was owner. Even better, he was always generous when it came to acquiring new players with high salaries, something that kept the Stars challenging for the Cup for so long.
So, what's the "net-net" as they like to say in business? First of all, Hicks probably isn't kidding when he complains about the losses he might be experiencing running the Rangers. I wouldn't doubt that Hicks might just need the money from a Stars sale to reinforce his bank account, or even set out to buy some pitching for the Rangers. On the other hand, the Stars have had one of the highest payrolls in the NHL for some time now, and that might change with a new owner.
September 10th, 2002
ISU Readies New Scoring System:
ISU Readies New Scoring System: I'll believe it when I finally see it work, but the International Skating Union says it's ready to implement a new computer scoring system that will be invulnerable to the sort of manipulation we saw at the Salt Lake City Winter Games.
