NEW YORK (AP) -- Derrick Rose is going home, and a record crowd of freshmen are following him to the NBA.
The Chicago Bulls selected Rose, who grew up on the city's South Side, with the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft Thursday night, choosing the Memphis guard over Kansas State forward Michael Beasley.
With Beasley going second to Miami and Minnesota picking O.J. Mayo at No. 3, college freshmen made up the first three picks for the first time in draft history.
"We actually talked about this earlier," Beasley said. "We all grew up together and we all grew up playing against each other and we all made a pact together that we would all be here. Just to see it all fall into place and see it all happen is kind of crazy."
The Timberwolves dealt Mayo's rights to Memphis for the rights to Kevin Love, the No. 5 pick, in an eight-player deal after the draft ended. Minnesota also gets Mike Miller, Jason Collins and Brian Cardinal, and sent Antoine Walker, Marko Jaric and Greg Buckner to Memphis.
A person with knowledge of the deal confirmed it to The Associated Press, speaking on the condition on anonymity because the trade had yet to be officially announced.
Five of the first seven players selected and 10 in the first round were freshmen, both NBA records. It was also a big night for the Pac-10 Conference, which had five of the first 11 picks.
Rose led the Tigers to the national championship game in his lone college season. The Bulls opted for the point guard's playmaking ability over the scoring and rebounding of Beasley, who ranked in the top three in the nation in both categories.
"We talked so much about it. We really did," Bulls general manager John Paxson said. "Very honestly, at the end when we made our decision, it was unanimous with my scouts and coaches and myself. This was the direction we wanted to go in the end, and it has nothing to do with the talent of Michael Beasley. This had everything to do with the direction we felt was right for us."
Rose is the Bulls' first No. 1 overall selection since they grabbed Elton Brand in 1999. He's the second straight freshman taken with the top pick, following Portland's Greg Oden last year.
The 6-foot-3 guard put on a red Bulls cap, hugged some supporters, including Memphis coach John Calipari, and shook hands with Beasley, seated at a nearby table, before walking onto the stage to meet NBA commissioner David Stern.
"I was a little nervous when they came back out, but I always had that in mind that I want to be No. 1," Rose said. "So it was great hearing my name and being the No. 1 pick."
Rose should be an upgrade over Kirk Hinrich, who now could be traded, and gives the Bulls another option if they don't re-sign guard Ben Gordon.
Expected to contend for a division title, the Bulls instead stumbled to a 33-49 record and eventually replaced two coaches. But with just a 1.7 percent chance, they won last month's draft lottery, giving them a chance to quickly return to the playoffs.
"It feels great to go in and compete," Rose said. "I'm just blessed to be in that position right now, because a lot of people aren't. And just knowing that we are a few pieces away from really contending as a team, it just makes me happy."
Miami settled for Beasley at No. 2, even though he wasn't sure if the Heat would go for Mayo instead. Beasley averaged 26.2 points, third in the nation, and topped Division I with 12.4 rebounds per game. But with questions about his size -- he may be 2 inches shorter than the 6-foot-10 he's listed at -- the Bulls may not have believed he could play the 4 spot in the NBA.
After Mayo's selection, UCLA guard Russell Westbrook was the first non-freshmen taken, going fourth to the Seattle SuperSonics -- with new teammate and reigning Rookie of the Year Kevin Durant standing and applauding the pick from the back.
Love gave UCLA consecutive picks and the New York Knicks followed at No. 6 with Italian forward Danilo Gallinari, whose father played with new coach Mike D'Antoni overseas. Fans in Madison Square Garden weren't impressed, booing loudly.
"It's part of the game, all the players have got to hear this," Gallinari said. "Not every time can you hear good things. It's normal."
Indiana guard Eric Gordon became the fifth freshman taken, going to the Los Angeles Clippers at No. 7. West Virginia's Joe Alexander, whose stock began to rise after a strong run at Madison Square Garden in the Big East tournament, went to Milwaukee with the next pick.
Charlotte gave new coach Larry Brown a point guard, taking D.J. Augustin of Texas with the ninth pick. New Jersey took Stanford center Brook Lopez at No. 10, and Arizona's Jerryd Bayless joined fellow Pac-10 guards Mayo and Westbrook by going 11th to Indiana.
Bayless' rights were later traded to Portland along with Ike Diogu for the rights to Brandon Rush, the No. 13 pick from national champion Kansas, Jarrett Jack and Josh McRoberts. Rush's agent, Mark Bartelstein, told The Associated Press about the deal shortly after Rush was taken.
The Pacers also had a proposed trade with the Toronto Raptors. Indiana would send six-time All-Star forward Jermaine O'Neal to Toronto for T.J. Ford, center Rasho Nesterovic, the 17th pick in the draft and a player to be determined.
Sacramento pulled a surprise at No. 12 with Rider forward Jason Thompson, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference player of the year and the first senior taken. Golden State grabbed LSU forward Anthony Randolph -- yet another freshman -- with the 14th and final lottery pick.
Robin Lopez joined twin brother Brook in the NBA when Phoenix chose him at No. 15. That started a run of big men in which Philadelphia took Florida's Marreese Speights, Toronto picked Roy Hibbert of Georgetown at No. 17, and Washington drafted Nevada 7-footer JaVale McGee with the 18th pick.
After taking guards earlier, Seattle and Charlotte both went big with their second first-round picks. The Bobcats selected French center Alexis Aninca at No. 20 and the Sonics took Congo's Serge Ibaka four picks later.
Darrell Arthur of Kansas was the final player in the green room, lasting until the 27th spot, where New Orleans grabbed him -- and dealt his rights to Portland for cash in a previously arranged deal. The Trail Blazers then traded his rights to the Houston Rockets, who shipped them to Memphis in another transaction.
NBA champion Boston chose J.R. Giddens of New Mexico with the 30th and final pick of the first round.
Mario Chalmers, Darnell Jackson (No. 52, Miami) and Sasha Kaun (No. 56, Seattle) were taken in the second round, giving the Jayhawks five players in the draft -- and all had their rights traded. Chalmers was picked by Minnesota but his rights were later dealt to Miami. Cleveland later acquired the rights to both Jackson and Kaun.
Joey Dorsey (Portland, No. 33, rights traded to Houston) and Chris Douglas-Roberts (New Jersey, No. 40) of runner-up Memphis also were picked. Texas A&M center DeAndre Jordan, considered a possible lottery pick, tumbled to the Clippers at No. 35.
Other well-known names going late in the draft included: UCLA's Luc Mbah a Moute (No. 37, Milwaukee); Georgetown's Patrick Ewing Jr. (No. 43, Sacramento); Kansas State's Bill Walker (No. 47, Washington, rights traded to Boston); and Kentucky's Joe Crawford (No. 58, Lakers).
* * *
2008 NBA DRAFT TRADES
Note: Proposed and pending league approval
1. Indiana traded F Jermaine O'Neal to Toronto for G T.J. Ford, C Rasho Nesterovic, the rights to C Roy Hibbert and a player to be determined.
2. Indiana traded F Ike Diogu and the rights to G Jerryd Bayless to Portland for G Jarrett Jack, F Josh McRoberts and the rights to G Brandon Rush.
3. New Orleans traded the rights to F Darrell Arthur to Portland for cash considerations.
4. Detroit traded the rights F D.J. White to Seattle for the rights to F Walter Sharpe and the rights to Trent Plaisted f, BYU.
5. Minnesota traded the rights to G Mario Chalmers to Miami for two future second-round pick and cash considerations.
6. Washington traded the rights to F Bill Walker to Boston for cash considerations.
7. Portland traded the rights to G Mike Taylor to the L.A. Clippers for a 2009 second-round pick.
8. San Antonio traded the rights to F Goran Dragic to Phoenix for the rights to F Malik Hairston, a future second-round pick and cash considerations.
9.Houston traded the rights to G Nicolas Batum to Portland for the rights to F Darrell Arthur and F Joey Dorsey.
10. Houston traded the rights to F Darrell Arthur to Memphis for the rights to F Donte Greene and a future second-round pick.
11. Chicago traded the rights to G-F Sonny Weems to Denver for its 2009 second-round pick.
12. Chicago acquired the rights to F Omer Asik from Portland for its 2010 second-round pick, Denver's 2009 second-round draft pick and New York's 2009 second-round pick.
13. Miami traded the rights to F Darnell Jackson to Cleveland for a future second-round pick.
14. Seattle traded the rights to C Sasha Kaun to Cleveland for cash considerations.
Non-Draft Trade
New Jersey traded F Richard Jefferson to Milwaukee for F Yi Jianlian and F Bobby Simmons.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Celtics light up
By Dan Shaughnessy, Globe Columnist / June 18, 2008
They are not your old man's Celtics. No black canvas high-tops. No cigar smoke wafting toward the Garden rafters from the Boston bench. No behind-the-back passes from Cooz, and no Larry Legend smashing his face on the parquet floor.
But the 2007-08 Boston Celtics are champions of the world, worthy successors to the men your dad always told you about.
The Celtics returned to glory last night, winning their 17th NBA title - their first banner since 1986 - with a 131-92 Game 6 dismemberment of the soft-shell Lakers at the Causeway Street Gym.
No smoking laws were waived in the New Garden when NBA commissioner David Stern presented the Larry O'Brien Trophy to Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck at 12:03 this morning.
"Someplace, Red is lighting up a cigar," said Stern.
They are not your old man's Celtics. No black canvas high-tops. No cigar smoke wafting toward the Garden rafters from the Boston bench. No behind-the-back passes from Cooz, and no Larry Legend smashing his face on the parquet floor.
But the 2007-08 Boston Celtics are champions of the world, worthy successors to the men your dad always told you about.
The Celtics returned to glory last night, winning their 17th NBA title - their first banner since 1986 - with a 131-92 Game 6 dismemberment of the soft-shell Lakers at the Causeway Street Gym.
No smoking laws were waived in the New Garden when NBA commissioner David Stern presented the Larry O'Brien Trophy to Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck at 12:03 this morning.
"Someplace, Red is lighting up a cigar," said Stern.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Big Brown finishes last
Big Brown arrived at Belmont Park undefeated in five starts, winning all of them by a combined 39 lengths. His path to history seemed even more certain when unbeaten Casino Drive was scratched in the morning because of a bruised left hind hoof.
But he ran third most of the way until Desormeaux asked him for one of his explosive runs on the far turn of Belmont's 1 1/2 miles, the longest and toughest of the three classics.
When Big Brown turned for home, something wasn't right. Jockey Kent Desormeaux knew the big bay colt was finished. Trainer Rick Dutrow Jr., who guaranteed racing's first Triple Crown in 30 years, knew it, too.
Big Brown straggled home last Saturday, losing the Belmont Stakes to 38-1 long shot Da' Tara, who led wire-to-wire. Eased up in the homestretch, the 1-4 favorite was so far behind at the end that his margin of defeat wasn't even charted.
"He was empty. He didn't have anything left," Desormeaux said. "There's no popped tires. He's just out of gas."
But he ran third most of the way until Desormeaux asked him for one of his explosive runs on the far turn of Belmont's 1 1/2 miles, the longest and toughest of the three classics.
When Big Brown turned for home, something wasn't right. Jockey Kent Desormeaux knew the big bay colt was finished. Trainer Rick Dutrow Jr., who guaranteed racing's first Triple Crown in 30 years, knew it, too.
Big Brown straggled home last Saturday, losing the Belmont Stakes to 38-1 long shot Da' Tara, who led wire-to-wire. Eased up in the homestretch, the 1-4 favorite was so far behind at the end that his margin of defeat wasn't even charted.
"He was empty. He didn't have anything left," Desormeaux said. "There's no popped tires. He's just out of gas."
Saturday, June 07, 2008
MMA goes primetime
After coming on strong among young men in the last several years, the sport of mixed martial arts is headed for a clinch with mainstream pop culture.
This Saturday (5/31), CBS will become the first legacy network to show full matches in prime time. In the wee hours after "Saturday Night Live," NBC is airing a series with fighter profiles and bout footage. Two movies set in the MMA world hit theaters in recent months, including one by acclaimed writer David Mamet, and more are on the way.
But can the brutal sport of chokeholds and sharp elbows truly cross over?
[results]
This Saturday (5/31), CBS will become the first legacy network to show full matches in prime time. In the wee hours after "Saturday Night Live," NBC is airing a series with fighter profiles and bout footage. Two movies set in the MMA world hit theaters in recent months, including one by acclaimed writer David Mamet, and more are on the way.
But can the brutal sport of chokeholds and sharp elbows truly cross over?
[results]
Jim McKay
NEW YORK (AP) — Jim McKay, the venerable and eloquent sportscaster thrust into the role of telling Americans about the tragedy at the 1972 Munich Olympics, has died. He was 87.
McKay died Saturday of natural causes at his farm in Monkton, Md. The broadcaster who considered horse racing his favorite sport died only hours before Big Brown attempted to win a Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes.
He was host of ABC's influential "Wide World of Sports" for more than 40 years, starting in 1961. The weekend series introduced viewers to all manner of strange, compelling and far-flung sports events. The show provided an international reach long before exotic backdrops became a staple of sports television.
McKay — understated, dignified and with a clear eye for detail — also covered 12 Olympics, but none more memorably than the Summer Games in Munich, Germany. He was the anchor when events turned grim with the news that Palestinian terrorists kidnapped 11 Israeli athletes. It was left to McKay to tell Americans when a commando raid to rescue the athletes ended in tragedy.
"They're all gone," McKay said.
The terse, haunting comment was replayed many times through the years when the events of Munich were chronicled.
He won both a news and sports Emmy Award for his coverage of the Munich Olympics in addition to the prestigious George Polk award.
"In the long run, that's the most memorable single moment of my career," said McKay, an Emmy Award winning broadcaster who was also in the studio for the United States' "Miracle on Ice" victory over Russia. "I don't know what else would match that."
McKay died Saturday of natural causes at his farm in Monkton, Md. The broadcaster who considered horse racing his favorite sport died only hours before Big Brown attempted to win a Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes.
He was host of ABC's influential "Wide World of Sports" for more than 40 years, starting in 1961. The weekend series introduced viewers to all manner of strange, compelling and far-flung sports events. The show provided an international reach long before exotic backdrops became a staple of sports television.
McKay — understated, dignified and with a clear eye for detail — also covered 12 Olympics, but none more memorably than the Summer Games in Munich, Germany. He was the anchor when events turned grim with the news that Palestinian terrorists kidnapped 11 Israeli athletes. It was left to McKay to tell Americans when a commando raid to rescue the athletes ended in tragedy.
"They're all gone," McKay said.
The terse, haunting comment was replayed many times through the years when the events of Munich were chronicled.
He won both a news and sports Emmy Award for his coverage of the Munich Olympics in addition to the prestigious George Polk award.
"In the long run, that's the most memorable single moment of my career," said McKay, an Emmy Award winning broadcaster who was also in the studio for the United States' "Miracle on Ice" victory over Russia. "I don't know what else would match that."
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Usain Bolt: WFH
Like lightning out of nowhere, Usain Bolt is now the world's fastest man.
The Jamaican sprinter, who doesn't even consider the 100 meters his best race, set the world record last night with a time of 9.72 seconds at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York, .02 seconds faster than the old record held by his countryman, Asafa Powell.
Bolt was using the 100 for "speed work" and to avoid having to run the more grueling 400, when, suddenly, he ran the world's second-fastest time a few weeks ago at 9.76. Even then, he said he wasn't sure if he would give up the 400 meters for the 100 for the Beijing Olympics.
Hard to imagine he has any choice now.
Springing from the starting block and unfurling his lanky frame — listed at 6 feet 4, but probably more like 6-5 and, either way, considered too tall for this kind of speed work — he created a big-time gap between himself and Tyson Gay at about the halfway point, then routed him to the finish line.
"I wasn't really looking for a world record, but it was there for the taking," Bolt said.
The Jamaican sprinter, who doesn't even consider the 100 meters his best race, set the world record last night with a time of 9.72 seconds at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York, .02 seconds faster than the old record held by his countryman, Asafa Powell.
Bolt was using the 100 for "speed work" and to avoid having to run the more grueling 400, when, suddenly, he ran the world's second-fastest time a few weeks ago at 9.76. Even then, he said he wasn't sure if he would give up the 400 meters for the 100 for the Beijing Olympics.
Hard to imagine he has any choice now.
Springing from the starting block and unfurling his lanky frame — listed at 6 feet 4, but probably more like 6-5 and, either way, considered too tall for this kind of speed work — he created a big-time gap between himself and Tyson Gay at about the halfway point, then routed him to the finish line.
"I wasn't really looking for a world record, but it was there for the taking," Bolt said.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Parade's All-America High School Basketball Team
2011 - Austin Rivers, Bradley Beal, Anthony Davis, Chase Fischer, Adonis Thomas, Rodney Cooper, Dantley Walker, DJ Gardner, Trevor Lacey, Wayne Blackshear
2010 - Jared Sullinger, Harrison Barnes, Brandon Knight, Kyrie Irving, Deshaun Thomas, Tobias Harris, Cory Joseph, Terrence Jones, Reggie Bullock, Joe Jackson
2009 - Derrick Favors, Xavier Henry, John Henson, DeMarcus Cousins, Renardo Sidney, Lance Stephenson, Kenny Boynton, Ryan Kelly, Avery Bradley, Dexter Strickland
2008 - Brandon Jennings, Samardo Samuels, Tyreke Evans, Jrue Holiday, Tyler Zeller, Al-Farouq Aminu, B.J. Mullens, Demar Derozan, William Buford, Greg Monroe
2007 - Kevin Love, O.J. Mayo, Kyle Singler, Eric Gordon, Derrick Rose, Austin Freeman, Donte Greene, Nolan Smith, Nick Calathes, Jarryd Bayless
2006 - Greg Oden, Kevin Durant, Brandan Wright, O.J. Mayo, Spencer Hawes, Tywon Lawson, Wayne Ellington, Kevin Love, Jonathan Scheyer, Chase Budinger
2005 - Monta Ellis, Greg Oden, Louis Williams, Josh McRoberts, Tyler Hansbrough, Martell Webster, Tasmin Mitchell, Richard Hendrix, Calvin Miles, Jr., Brandan Wright
2004 - Sebastian Telfair, Shaun Livingston, Al Jefferson, Dwight Howard, Joshua Smith, Glen Davis, Rudy Gay, Darius Washington, Marvin Williams, Malik Hairston
2003 - LeBron James, Luol Deng, Ndudi Ebi, Kendrick Perkins, Kris Humphries, Shannon Brown, Leon Powe, Davis Padgett, Chris Paul, Brian Butch
I couldn't find the teams before 2002, but statsheet.com has a section on past McDonald's All-Americans
2010 - Jared Sullinger, Harrison Barnes, Brandon Knight, Kyrie Irving, Deshaun Thomas, Tobias Harris, Cory Joseph, Terrence Jones, Reggie Bullock, Joe Jackson
2009 - Derrick Favors, Xavier Henry, John Henson, DeMarcus Cousins, Renardo Sidney, Lance Stephenson, Kenny Boynton, Ryan Kelly, Avery Bradley, Dexter Strickland
2008 - Brandon Jennings, Samardo Samuels, Tyreke Evans, Jrue Holiday, Tyler Zeller, Al-Farouq Aminu, B.J. Mullens, Demar Derozan, William Buford, Greg Monroe
2007 - Kevin Love, O.J. Mayo, Kyle Singler, Eric Gordon, Derrick Rose, Austin Freeman, Donte Greene, Nolan Smith, Nick Calathes, Jarryd Bayless
2006 - Greg Oden, Kevin Durant, Brandan Wright, O.J. Mayo, Spencer Hawes, Tywon Lawson, Wayne Ellington, Kevin Love, Jonathan Scheyer, Chase Budinger
2005 - Monta Ellis, Greg Oden, Louis Williams, Josh McRoberts, Tyler Hansbrough, Martell Webster, Tasmin Mitchell, Richard Hendrix, Calvin Miles, Jr., Brandan Wright
2004 - Sebastian Telfair, Shaun Livingston, Al Jefferson, Dwight Howard, Joshua Smith, Glen Davis, Rudy Gay, Darius Washington, Marvin Williams, Malik Hairston
2003 - LeBron James, Luol Deng, Ndudi Ebi, Kendrick Perkins, Kris Humphries, Shannon Brown, Leon Powe, Davis Padgett, Chris Paul, Brian Butch
I couldn't find the teams before 2002, but statsheet.com has a section on past McDonald's All-Americans
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
Patriots perfect season spoiled by Giants in Super Bowl
With the Super Bowl on the line, look who had the perfection thing down Pat: Eli Manning and the road-conquering New York Giants.
And what a beauty their 11th straight road victory was, a 17-14 Super Bowl win Sunday that shattered the New England Patriots’ unblemished season.
In one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history, Manning, New York’s unlikely Mr. Cool, hit Plaxico Burress on a 13-yard fade with 35 seconds left. It was the Giants’ fourth consecutive postseason away win and the first time the Patriots tasted defeat in more than a year.
And what a beauty their 11th straight road victory was, a 17-14 Super Bowl win Sunday that shattered the New England Patriots’ unblemished season.
In one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history, Manning, New York’s unlikely Mr. Cool, hit Plaxico Burress on a 13-yard fade with 35 seconds left. It was the Giants’ fourth consecutive postseason away win and the first time the Patriots tasted defeat in more than a year.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Lesnar 0-1
Former heavyweight champion Frank Mir spoiled former NCAA wrestling champion and pro wrestler Brock Lesnar's UCF debut, grabbing Lesnar's leg and securing a kneebar that forced him to submit at 1:30 of the first round.
"I wasn't worried about the fight being stopped," Mir said. "I had Brock Lesnar dropping elbows on the top of my head, but I still came through with the submission."
Lesnar looked impressive early but was unable to overcome the more experienced ground game of the former champion.
"I came out trying to pressure Frank but he's a world class jui-jitsu guy," Lesnar said. "You win some, you lose some."
"I wasn't worried about the fight being stopped," Mir said. "I had Brock Lesnar dropping elbows on the top of my head, but I still came through with the submission."
Lesnar looked impressive early but was unable to overcome the more experienced ground game of the former champion.
"I came out trying to pressure Frank but he's a world class jui-jitsu guy," Lesnar said. "You win some, you lose some."
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Bobby Fischer 1943-2008
REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP) — Bobby Fischer, the reclusive chess genius who became a Cold War hero by dethroning the Soviet world champion in 1972 and later renounced his American citizenship, has died. He was 64.
Fisher died in a Reykjavik hospital on Thursday, his spokesman, Gardar Sverrisson, said Friday. Icelandic media reported that he died of kidney failure after a long illness.
Born in Chicago and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Fischer was wanted in the United States for playing a 1992 rematch against Boris Spassky in Yugoslavia in defiance of international sanctions. In 2005, he moved to Iceland, a chess-mad nation and site of his greatest triumph.
Garry Kasparov, the former Russian chess champion, said Fischer's ascent in the chess world in the 1960s and his promotion of chess worldwide was "a revolutionary breakthrough" for the game. But Fischer's reputation as a genius of chess was eclipsed, in the eyes of many, by his idiosyncrasies.
Fisher died in a Reykjavik hospital on Thursday, his spokesman, Gardar Sverrisson, said Friday. Icelandic media reported that he died of kidney failure after a long illness.
Born in Chicago and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Fischer was wanted in the United States for playing a 1992 rematch against Boris Spassky in Yugoslavia in defiance of international sanctions. In 2005, he moved to Iceland, a chess-mad nation and site of his greatest triumph.
Garry Kasparov, the former Russian chess champion, said Fischer's ascent in the chess world in the 1960s and his promotion of chess worldwide was "a revolutionary breakthrough" for the game. But Fischer's reputation as a genius of chess was eclipsed, in the eyes of many, by his idiosyncrasies.
Monday, January 07, 2008
June Jones leaves Hawaii
Saying he is looking forward to the "next challenge," June Jones today accepted an offer to become new head football coach at Southern Methodist University.
Jones said it was an opportunity he could not refuse.
"I'll always love Hawai'i," Jones said. "Hawai'i will always be a part of me. But it's time to move on."
Jones said he was overwhelmed by the outpouring of e-mails and calls from UH supporters the past few days. He said he broke down and cried at least six times.
He said he turned off his cell phone last night at his Dallas hotel, and prayed for a decision.
"I woke up with such a peace," he said, realizing he would accept the SMU job.
Jones will receive a five-year contract worth $2 million annually.
* * *
out goes Frazier
* * *
McMakin accepts the job
Jones said it was an opportunity he could not refuse.
"I'll always love Hawai'i," Jones said. "Hawai'i will always be a part of me. But it's time to move on."
Jones said he was overwhelmed by the outpouring of e-mails and calls from UH supporters the past few days. He said he broke down and cried at least six times.
He said he turned off his cell phone last night at his Dallas hotel, and prayed for a decision.
"I woke up with such a peace," he said, realizing he would accept the SMU job.
Jones will receive a five-year contract worth $2 million annually.
* * *
out goes Frazier
* * *
McMakin accepts the job
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Patriots go 16-0
EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Reuters) - The New England Patriots became the first NFL team to finish with a 16-0 record in the regular season after their 38-35 victory over the New York Giants on Saturday.
The following are NFL records set by the Patriots, the first team to go unbeaten since the 1972 Miami Dolphins (14-0).
MOST VICTORIES IN A SEASON - New England became the first team in NFL history to win 16 games in a regular season, which expanded its schedule by two games in 1978. The 2004 Steelers, 1998 Vikings, 1985 Bears, and 1984 49ers all posted 15 wins.
MOST TOUCHDOWN PASSES IN A SEASON - Tom Brady threw two TD passes to finish the season with 50, breaking the mark of 49 set by Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning in 2004.
MOST TOUCHDOWN CATCHES IN A SEASON - Randy Moss caught two TD passes to finish the season with 23, eclipsing the mark of 22 by San Francisco 49ers receiver Jerry Rice in 1987.
MOST POINTS IN A SEASON -- The Patriots improved their season total to 589 this season to top the record of 556 set in 1998 by the Minnesota Vikings.
MOST TOUCHDOWNS BY A TEAM IN A SEASON - The Patriots, who scored four touchdowns in the season finale, established a record of 75 touchdowns to beat the mark of 70 set by the 1984 Miami Dolphins.
CONSECUTIVE REGULAR SEASON WINS BY A TEAM - Patriots won their 19th consecutive regular season game dating back to last season, breaking their own NFL record of 18 in a row set over the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
* * *
The games was simulcast on the NFL Network, CBS, and NBC.
The following are NFL records set by the Patriots, the first team to go unbeaten since the 1972 Miami Dolphins (14-0).
MOST VICTORIES IN A SEASON - New England became the first team in NFL history to win 16 games in a regular season, which expanded its schedule by two games in 1978. The 2004 Steelers, 1998 Vikings, 1985 Bears, and 1984 49ers all posted 15 wins.
MOST TOUCHDOWN PASSES IN A SEASON - Tom Brady threw two TD passes to finish the season with 50, breaking the mark of 49 set by Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning in 2004.
MOST TOUCHDOWN CATCHES IN A SEASON - Randy Moss caught two TD passes to finish the season with 23, eclipsing the mark of 22 by San Francisco 49ers receiver Jerry Rice in 1987.
MOST POINTS IN A SEASON -- The Patriots improved their season total to 589 this season to top the record of 556 set in 1998 by the Minnesota Vikings.
MOST TOUCHDOWNS BY A TEAM IN A SEASON - The Patriots, who scored four touchdowns in the season finale, established a record of 75 touchdowns to beat the mark of 70 set by the 1984 Miami Dolphins.
CONSECUTIVE REGULAR SEASON WINS BY A TEAM - Patriots won their 19th consecutive regular season game dating back to last season, breaking their own NFL record of 18 in a row set over the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
* * *
The games was simulcast on the NFL Network, CBS, and NBC.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Mitchell Report
Roger Clemens, Miguel Tejada and Andy Pettitte were named in the long-awaited Mitchell Report on Thursday, an All-Star roster linked to steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs that put a question mark, if not an asterisk, next to some of baseball's biggest moments.
Barry Bonds, already under indictment on charges of lying to a federal grand jury about steroids, and Gary Sheffield also showed up in baseball's most infamous lineup since the Black Sox scandal.
The report culminated a 20-month investigation by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, hired by commissioner Bud Selig to examine the Steroids Era.
"Everyone involved in baseball over the past two decades - commissioners, club officials, the players' association and players - shares to some extent the responsibility for the steroids era," Mitchell said. "There was a collective failure to recognize the problem as it emerged and to deal with it early on."
Barry Bonds, already under indictment on charges of lying to a federal grand jury about steroids, and Gary Sheffield also showed up in baseball's most infamous lineup since the Black Sox scandal.
The report culminated a 20-month investigation by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, hired by commissioner Bud Selig to examine the Steroids Era.
"Everyone involved in baseball over the past two decades - commissioners, club officials, the players' association and players - shares to some extent the responsibility for the steroids era," Mitchell said. "There was a collective failure to recognize the problem as it emerged and to deal with it early on."
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Tebow wins Heisman
NEW YORK (AP) -- Tim Tebow needed only two years of college to graduate to Heisman Trophy winner, putting the sophomore in a class by himself.
Florida's folk-hero quarterback with the rugged running style and magnetic personality won the Heisman on Saturday night to become the first sophomore or freshman to take college football's most prestigious award.
Florida's folk-hero quarterback with the rugged running style and magnetic personality won the Heisman on Saturday night to become the first sophomore or freshman to take college football's most prestigious award.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Evel Knievel
Evel Knievel, the red-white-and-blue-spangled motorcycle daredevil whose jumps over crazy obstacles including Greyhound buses, live sharks and Idaho's Snake River Canyon made him an international icon in the 1970s, died today. He was 69.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Bill James, the revolutionary
Thirty years ago, a 27-year-old mostly unemployed freelance writer named Bill James started self-publishing an annual book about baseball. James, who was the last resident of Kansas drafted during the Vietnam War, had recently graduated from college with an English degree, after spending a couple of years marching around military bases in South Korea.
During those marches, he thought about baseball. James was interested in a bunch of issues that the people who ran major-league teams tended to ignore, such as whether minor-league batting statistics predicted major-league success, and how important walks were relative to stolen bases.
It would be more accurate to say that traditional baseball men didn't ignore such questions, so much as they simply accepted certain pieces of traditional wisdom in regard to the answers -- wisdom largely unsupported by any evidence.
An iconoclast by nature, James wanted to write about the extent to which the conventional wisdom of the sport was actually true. But he faced several obstacles.
First, he had never played baseball on any organized level beyond high school. Second, he had no formal statistical training. Third, no one had published anything like the books he wanted to write.
As for book publishing, James was told there was no market for the kind of things he envisioned writing.
So James decided to publish his books himself. His first volume, a mimeographed text of about 80 pages, sold a few dozen copies. But he was an excellent writer as well as an original and interesting thinker, and over the next few years his work eventually came to the attention of a baseball fan - Dan Okrent - who had influence in the publishing world.
James got a contract with a large trade publisher, and his books went on to become best sellers. The more remarkable story is what happened among his readers.
James revolutionized the way a whole generation of young people thought about baseball, and much else besides. One of his readers, a kid from Boston named Theo Epstein, went on to become the youngest general manager in major-league history, when he was hired by the Boston Red Sox in 2002.
One of the first things Epstein did was to hire James, as a senior consultant to the Red Sox organization. In the four years since, the Red Sox, who hadn't won a World Series in 85 years, have reached baseball's pinnacle twice.
Some of the central themes of James' work apply particularly well to his own story. For example: An expert is someone who knows what he's talking about, whether he has any credentials or not. Powerful, wealthy institutions can be run for decades by people who don't know what they're doing. And the conventional wisdom is often wrong.
These ideas, obviously, can be applied far beyond the subject of baseball. They're the sorts of ideas that never fail to annoy and infuriate authority figures, which is why it takes a special kind of person to hurl himself into the face of the solid rock wall of stupidity that defends many a comfortable social institution.
The world needs a lot more people like Bill James.
Paul Campos is a law professor at the University of Colorado and writes for Scripps Howard News Service.
During those marches, he thought about baseball. James was interested in a bunch of issues that the people who ran major-league teams tended to ignore, such as whether minor-league batting statistics predicted major-league success, and how important walks were relative to stolen bases.
It would be more accurate to say that traditional baseball men didn't ignore such questions, so much as they simply accepted certain pieces of traditional wisdom in regard to the answers -- wisdom largely unsupported by any evidence.
An iconoclast by nature, James wanted to write about the extent to which the conventional wisdom of the sport was actually true. But he faced several obstacles.
First, he had never played baseball on any organized level beyond high school. Second, he had no formal statistical training. Third, no one had published anything like the books he wanted to write.
As for book publishing, James was told there was no market for the kind of things he envisioned writing.
So James decided to publish his books himself. His first volume, a mimeographed text of about 80 pages, sold a few dozen copies. But he was an excellent writer as well as an original and interesting thinker, and over the next few years his work eventually came to the attention of a baseball fan - Dan Okrent - who had influence in the publishing world.
James got a contract with a large trade publisher, and his books went on to become best sellers. The more remarkable story is what happened among his readers.
James revolutionized the way a whole generation of young people thought about baseball, and much else besides. One of his readers, a kid from Boston named Theo Epstein, went on to become the youngest general manager in major-league history, when he was hired by the Boston Red Sox in 2002.
One of the first things Epstein did was to hire James, as a senior consultant to the Red Sox organization. In the four years since, the Red Sox, who hadn't won a World Series in 85 years, have reached baseball's pinnacle twice.
Some of the central themes of James' work apply particularly well to his own story. For example: An expert is someone who knows what he's talking about, whether he has any credentials or not. Powerful, wealthy institutions can be run for decades by people who don't know what they're doing. And the conventional wisdom is often wrong.
These ideas, obviously, can be applied far beyond the subject of baseball. They're the sorts of ideas that never fail to annoy and infuriate authority figures, which is why it takes a special kind of person to hurl himself into the face of the solid rock wall of stupidity that defends many a comfortable social institution.
The world needs a lot more people like Bill James.
Paul Campos is a law professor at the University of Colorado and writes for Scripps Howard News Service.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Barry Bonds indicted
Bonds, perhaps the greatest hitter of his generation, was indicted Thursday on four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice. He is accused of lying under oath in December 2003 when he told the grand jury that investigated the BALCO steroid ring that he had never used banned drugs.
The 43-year-old free-agent outfielder faces arraignment Dec. 7 in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, months of legal proceedings - and a federal prison term of about 30 months if he is convicted at trial, legal experts said.
The 43-year-old free-agent outfielder faces arraignment Dec. 7 in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, months of legal proceedings - and a federal prison term of about 30 months if he is convicted at trial, legal experts said.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Adrian Peterson 296
Adrian Peterson raced to the NFL's single-game rushing record at the midpoint of his rookie season. Who knows how many more records he could have at the end of the year?
After giving up the longest play in league history on a missed field goal right before halftime, the Vikings turned to their amazing rookie and Peterson delivered - rushing for an NFL-record 296 yards in a 35-17 victory over the San Diego Chargers on Sunday.
After giving up the longest play in league history on a missed field goal right before halftime, the Vikings turned to their amazing rookie and Peterson delivered - rushing for an NFL-record 296 yards in a 35-17 victory over the San Diego Chargers on Sunday.
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Fabulous Moolah
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Lillian Ellison, professional wrestling's Fabulous Moolah, has died. She was 84. Ellison died Friday, according to Dunbar Funeral Home in Columbia.
Born Mary Lillian Ellison in 1923, she was dubbed the Fabulous Moolah after saying she wrestled "for the money ... for the moolah."
She was a longtime champion and the first woman inducted into the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame. Her autobiography, "The Fabulous Moolah: First Goddess of the Squared Circle," was published in 2003.
Born Mary Lillian Ellison in 1923, she was dubbed the Fabulous Moolah after saying she wrestled "for the money ... for the moolah."
She was a longtime champion and the first woman inducted into the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame. Her autobiography, "The Fabulous Moolah: First Goddess of the Squared Circle," was published in 2003.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Favre breaks Marino's TD record
MINNEAPOLIS -- Brett Favre is No. 1 -- with a bullet.
Favre broke Dan Marino's record for career touchdown passes Sunday, zipping No. 421 to Greg Jennings in the first quarter of Green Bay's 23-16 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
He hit Jennings on a 16-yard slant for the score with 4:56 left in the quarter, and like most of his touchdown throws through his brilliant 17-year career, this one had plenty of steam on it.
Ever the jubilant celebrator, Favre sprinted to the end zone and hoisted Jennings on his left shoulder. He joined in hugs with his teammates on the sideline, as thousands of Packers faithful who made the trip from Wisconsin cheered loudly.
Favre broke Dan Marino's record for career touchdown passes Sunday, zipping No. 421 to Greg Jennings in the first quarter of Green Bay's 23-16 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
He hit Jennings on a 16-yard slant for the score with 4:56 left in the quarter, and like most of his touchdown throws through his brilliant 17-year career, this one had plenty of steam on it.
Ever the jubilant celebrator, Favre sprinted to the end zone and hoisted Jennings on his left shoulder. He joined in hugs with his teammates on the sideline, as thousands of Packers faithful who made the trip from Wisconsin cheered loudly.
Gebrselassie Sets World Record In Berlin Marathon
Cruising alone for the final seven miles on Berlin streets lined with damp, golden leaves Sunday morning, Haile Gebrselassie shattered the world record in the marathon by 29 seconds, securing a mark he has coveted since he was a teenager in Ethiopia.
The rain and wind had stopped by 9 a.m. after a soggy three days, and, along with a flat course and five pacesetters flanking him, the conditions were ideal for Gebrselassie's record run of 2 hours 4 minutes 26 seconds for the 26.2 miles.
Paul Tergat of Kenya had set the previous world record, on this same course, in 2003. To the 34-year-old Gebrselassie, this world record, his 23rd in distances ranging from two miles to the marathon, was the most satisfying.
The rain and wind had stopped by 9 a.m. after a soggy three days, and, along with a flat course and five pacesetters flanking him, the conditions were ideal for Gebrselassie's record run of 2 hours 4 minutes 26 seconds for the 26.2 miles.
Paul Tergat of Kenya had set the previous world record, on this same course, in 2003. To the 34-year-old Gebrselassie, this world record, his 23rd in distances ranging from two miles to the marathon, was the most satisfying.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Colt Brennan's improbable road
After every home game, Colt Brennan waves to his probation officer as he leaves Aloha Stadium.
When a teammate needs a designated driver, he knows he can call Brennan, who, under the terms of his probation, is not allowed to drink.
When children in a juvenile detention center need a pep talk, Brennan always says yes. He reasons that words mean more coming from a convicted felon turned good.
Brennan, Hawaii’s star quarterback, is on the cusp of what could be a transcendent season in his senior year. He is projected to make a run at the Heisman Trophy, and his coach insists that he will be the first quarterback selected in the N.F.L. draft. His strong right arm, combined with a soft schedule, have people around college football’s most remote program believing that Hawaii’s chances of making a Boise State-like run to a Bowl Championship Series game are, well, not remote.
Those possibilities, for the player and for the team, are even more noteworthy considering the improbable, circuitous road that Brennan, 24, took to Hawaii.<! via email from donna ->
When a teammate needs a designated driver, he knows he can call Brennan, who, under the terms of his probation, is not allowed to drink.
When children in a juvenile detention center need a pep talk, Brennan always says yes. He reasons that words mean more coming from a convicted felon turned good.
Brennan, Hawaii’s star quarterback, is on the cusp of what could be a transcendent season in his senior year. He is projected to make a run at the Heisman Trophy, and his coach insists that he will be the first quarterback selected in the N.F.L. draft. His strong right arm, combined with a soft schedule, have people around college football’s most remote program believing that Hawaii’s chances of making a Boise State-like run to a Bowl Championship Series game are, well, not remote.
Those possibilities, for the player and for the team, are even more noteworthy considering the improbable, circuitous road that Brennan, 24, took to Hawaii.<! via email from donna ->
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Greg Oden to miss season
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Greg Oden's rookie season with the Portland Trail Blazers ended before it started when the 7-footer had knee surgery Thursday.
The top pick in the June draft went in for an exploratory procedure on his right knee and ended up having microfracture surgery, which means he will sit out the season.
The top pick in the June draft went in for an exploratory procedure on his right knee and ended up having microfracture surgery, which means he will sit out the season.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
WFH
[9/9/07] Jamaican Asafa Powell set a new men's world 100m record of 9.74 seconds at the IAAF Grand Prix at Rieti, Italy, on Sunday, beating his old mark of 9.77 set in Athens in June 2005.
Powell's new world record shaves three-hundredths of a second off his previous mark set in June 2005.
The 24-year-old Powell dominated the race ahead of Norway's Saidy Ndure Jaysuma (10.07) and 2003 world champion from St Kitts and Nevis, Kim Collins (10.14).
The Jamaican failed to win the 100m title at the Osaka world championships, finishing third in 9.96 seconds behind Americain Tyson Gay (9.85) and Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas (9.91).
"I was much more fluid," said Powell, who had run 9.77 three times. "Zero tension, zero pressure."
Powell set his latest record in the second of two heats, and even eased up at the end to save something for the final, which he won in 9.78.
"This means that I can do even 9.68," the Jamaican said. "I'm worth that time, I know it."
[5/16/06] Justin Gatlin's 100 metres world record has been erased after five days -- not by another sprinter, but because an official couldn't tell time.
Tissot Timing informed the International Association of Athletics Federations yesterday that there was an error in interpreting the American's winning time in the Super Grand Prix meet in Doha last Friday. Gatlin ran the 100 in 9.766 seconds. His time was announced as 9.76, eclipsing the world record of 9.77, set by Asafa Powell of Jamaica in Greece in June of 2005.
Under IAAF rules, Gatlin's result should have been rounded up to 9.77, the IAAF said yesterday as it wiped out Gatlin's mark. Gatlin and Powell are now officially deadlocked, a circumstance that adds fuel to their feud over the title of the world's fastest man.
[5/12/06] DOHA, Qatar -- Olympic champion. World champion. Now, Justin Gatlin is the world record holder, too. The American sprinter broke the 100-meter record Friday with a time of 9.76 seconds at the Qatar Grand Prix. He shaved one-hundredth of a second off the mark of 9.77 seconds set by Jamaica's Asafa Powell on June 14, 2005, in Athens, Greece.
[6/14/05] Asafe Powell runs 9.77.
Powell's new world record shaves three-hundredths of a second off his previous mark set in June 2005.
The 24-year-old Powell dominated the race ahead of Norway's Saidy Ndure Jaysuma (10.07) and 2003 world champion from St Kitts and Nevis, Kim Collins (10.14).
The Jamaican failed to win the 100m title at the Osaka world championships, finishing third in 9.96 seconds behind Americain Tyson Gay (9.85) and Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas (9.91).
"I was much more fluid," said Powell, who had run 9.77 three times. "Zero tension, zero pressure."
Powell set his latest record in the second of two heats, and even eased up at the end to save something for the final, which he won in 9.78.
"This means that I can do even 9.68," the Jamaican said. "I'm worth that time, I know it."
[5/16/06] Justin Gatlin's 100 metres world record has been erased after five days -- not by another sprinter, but because an official couldn't tell time.
Tissot Timing informed the International Association of Athletics Federations yesterday that there was an error in interpreting the American's winning time in the Super Grand Prix meet in Doha last Friday. Gatlin ran the 100 in 9.766 seconds. His time was announced as 9.76, eclipsing the world record of 9.77, set by Asafa Powell of Jamaica in Greece in June of 2005.
Under IAAF rules, Gatlin's result should have been rounded up to 9.77, the IAAF said yesterday as it wiped out Gatlin's mark. Gatlin and Powell are now officially deadlocked, a circumstance that adds fuel to their feud over the title of the world's fastest man.
[5/12/06] DOHA, Qatar -- Olympic champion. World champion. Now, Justin Gatlin is the world record holder, too. The American sprinter broke the 100-meter record Friday with a time of 9.76 seconds at the Qatar Grand Prix. He shaved one-hundredth of a second off the mark of 9.77 seconds set by Jamaica's Asafa Powell on June 14, 2005, in Athens, Greece.
[6/14/05] Asafe Powell runs 9.77.
Friday, September 07, 2007
thin letters
Jarrod Saltalamacchia's name is the longest in Major League history, and that made it a challenge for equipment manager Zack Minasian to get it on the back of the jersey.
"First, I had to learn to spell it," Minasian said. "I looked at Catalanotto and that's 11 letters. That goes from armpit to armpit so there was no way I was going to use regular thick letters for Saltalamacchia. So I went with the thin letters. I don't normally do that, but in this case, I had no choice. But it worked out fine."
"First, I had to learn to spell it," Minasian said. "I looked at Catalanotto and that's 11 letters. That goes from armpit to armpit so there was no way I was going to use regular thick letters for Saltalamacchia. So I went with the thin letters. I don't normally do that, but in this case, I had no choice. But it worked out fine."
chicken skin at Oregon State
Mike and Laurie knew she had polycystic kidney disease. It was inherited. It killed her father; an uncle and brother have had transplants and her sister may need one. It’s been a fact of life for the Cavanaughs for a long time. This past year, Laurie’s kidneys were operating at just 10 percent of capacity. Her doctor said it was time to find a donor. Family members began to be tested. None was a match. Friends began to volunteer to be tested. No match found there either. One day, OSU offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf stopped by Mike’s office."Hey Cav, I’ve been reading about this - I could do it,” he said. “I’m going to get tested.”
Incredibly, Langsdorf, 35, was a match. Langsdorf and his wife, Michelle, were an itinerant football family. Danny had left the NFL to join the Beavers staff the same time as Mike. They had worked together for two years. "You know, as coaches we’re always preaching family, togetherness,” says Cavanaugh. "But this was huge. An amazing sacrifice and commitment. It doesn’t get any more family than this.”
Incredibly, Langsdorf, 35, was a match. Langsdorf and his wife, Michelle, were an itinerant football family. Danny had left the NFL to join the Beavers staff the same time as Mike. They had worked together for two years. "You know, as coaches we’re always preaching family, togetherness,” says Cavanaugh. "But this was huge. An amazing sacrifice and commitment. It doesn’t get any more family than this.”
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
All-Time Gold Glove Team
Rawlings today announced results of worldwide fan voting for the All-Time Rawlings Gold Glove Team, which generated nearly 1 million votes and sparked great debate during the "Summer of Glove" – the golden anniversary celebration of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award®.
Fans selected pitcher Greg Maddux, catcher Johnny Bench, first baseman Wes Parker, second baseman Joe Morgan, shortstop Ozzie Smith, third baseman Brooks Robinson, and outfielders Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, and Ken Griffey, Jr., as the best nine defensive players of the past 50 years. The players have exactly 100 Rawlings Gold Glove Awards between them.
Fans selected pitcher Greg Maddux, catcher Johnny Bench, first baseman Wes Parker, second baseman Joe Morgan, shortstop Ozzie Smith, third baseman Brooks Robinson, and outfielders Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, and Ken Griffey, Jr., as the best nine defensive players of the past 50 years. The players have exactly 100 Rawlings Gold Glove Awards between them.
Texas Rangers score 30
The Texas Rangers became the first team in 110 years to score 30 runs in a game, setting an American League record Wednesday in a 30-3 rout of the Baltimore Orioles.
Trailing 3-0 in the opener of a doubleheader, the Rangers scored five runs in the fourth inning, nine in the sixth, 10 in the eighth and six in the ninth.
It was the ninth time a major league team scored 30 runs, the first since Chicago set the major league record in a 36-7 rout of Louisville in a National League game on June 28, 1897, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Trailing 3-0 in the opener of a doubleheader, the Rangers scored five runs in the fourth inning, nine in the sixth, 10 in the eighth and six in the ninth.
It was the ninth time a major league team scored 30 runs, the first since Chicago set the major league record in a 36-7 rout of Louisville in a National League game on June 28, 1897, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Bonds hits no. 756
With a mighty swing of his black maple bat, in front of a raucous and all-forgiving home crowd at AT&T Park, San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds became baseball's home run king Tuesday night, crushing career homer No. 756 deep into the stands in right field to wrest the most hallowed record in sports from Hank Aaron.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Kevin Garnett traded to Celtics
The Boston Celtics announced today that they have acquired 10-time All-Star and 2004 MVP Kevin Garnett from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Al Jefferson, Theo Ratliff, Sebastian Telfair, a 2009 first round draft pick (top three protected) and a return of Minnesota's conditional first round draft pick previously obtained in the Ricky Davis-Wally Szczerbiak trade. Minnesota also receives cash considerations in the deal.
"Kevin Garnett is a great player in our league, with a fierce and competitive spirit, who brings offensive scoring prowess and a defensive presence to our team," Executive Director of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge said. "The players we're trading to Minnesota have bright futures in the NBA and we wish them well."
"Kevin Garnett is a great player in our league, with a fierce and competitive spirit, who brings offensive scoring prowess and a defensive presence to our team," Executive Director of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge said. "The players we're trading to Minnesota have bright futures in the NBA and we wish them well."
Bill Walsh
Bill Walsh, the imaginative and charismatic coach who took over a downtrodden 49ers team and built one of the greatest franchises in NFL history, died Monday morning at his home in Woodside at the age of 75, after a three-year struggle with leukemia.
A master of using short, precisely timed passes to control the ball in what became known as the West Coast offense, he guided the team to three Super Bowl championships and six NFC West division titles in his 10 years as head coach.
A master of using short, precisely timed passes to control the ball in what became known as the West Coast offense, he guided the team to three Super Bowl championships and six NFC West division titles in his 10 years as head coach.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Kevin Love named Gatorade player of the year
Basketball players Kevin Love, who will attend UCLA, and Connecticut recruit Maya Moore were honored as national high school athletes of the year Wednesday.
They are the second consecutive basketball players to win, joining last year's honorees Greg Oden of Ohio State and Tina Charles of Connecticut. In 2004, basketball players Dwight Howard and Candace Parker won.
Love received his circular silver award from New Jersey Nets star Vince Carter and Oden, the No. 1 overall pick in the recent NBA draft by Portland.
"I know that last year Greg won and to follow in his footsteps in the next year is a tremendous honor," said Love, who closed his acceptance speech with "Go Bruins."
"You're kind of dumbfounded. You kind of have to pinch yourself and ask yourself if it's real and it is, and it feels great," he said.
Love averaged 33.6 points, 17 rebounds, four assists and three blocks last season, helping Lake Oswego High to its third consecutive state title game appearance. He was a four-year varsity starter.
He also earned four other major national player of the year awards. His father, Stan, starred at Oregon and played in the NBA.
They are the second consecutive basketball players to win, joining last year's honorees Greg Oden of Ohio State and Tina Charles of Connecticut. In 2004, basketball players Dwight Howard and Candace Parker won.
Love received his circular silver award from New Jersey Nets star Vince Carter and Oden, the No. 1 overall pick in the recent NBA draft by Portland.
"I know that last year Greg won and to follow in his footsteps in the next year is a tremendous honor," said Love, who closed his acceptance speech with "Go Bruins."
"You're kind of dumbfounded. You kind of have to pinch yourself and ask yourself if it's real and it is, and it feels great," he said.
Love averaged 33.6 points, 17 rebounds, four assists and three blocks last season, helping Lake Oswego High to its third consecutive state title game appearance. He was a four-year varsity starter.
He also earned four other major national player of the year awards. His father, Stan, starred at Oregon and played in the NBA.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Chestnut dethrones Kobayashi
In a gut-busting showdown that combined drama, daring and indigestion, Joey Chestnut emerged Wednesday as the world's hot dog eating champion, knocking off six-time winner Takeru Kobayashi in a record-setting yet repulsive triumph.
Chestnut, the great red, white and blue hope in the annual Fourth of July competition, broke his own world record by inhaling 66 hot dogs in 12 minutes -- a staggering one every 10.9 seconds before a screaming crowd in Coney Island.
"If I needed to eat another one right now, I could," the 23-year-old Californian said after receiving the mustard yellow belt emblematic of hot dog eating supremacy.
Kobayashi, the Japanese eating machine, recently had a wisdom tooth extracted and received chiropractic treatment due to a sore jaw. But the winner of every Nathan's hot dog competition from 2001 to 2006 showed no ill effects as he stayed with Chestnut frank-for-frank until the very end of the 12-minute competition.
Once the contest ended, the runner-up suffered a reversal -- competitive eating-speak for barfing -- leading to a deduction from his final total. Kobayashi finished with 63 HDBs (hot dogs and buns eaten) in his best performance ever.
Chestnut, the great red, white and blue hope in the annual Fourth of July competition, broke his own world record by inhaling 66 hot dogs in 12 minutes -- a staggering one every 10.9 seconds before a screaming crowd in Coney Island.
"If I needed to eat another one right now, I could," the 23-year-old Californian said after receiving the mustard yellow belt emblematic of hot dog eating supremacy.
Kobayashi, the Japanese eating machine, recently had a wisdom tooth extracted and received chiropractic treatment due to a sore jaw. But the winner of every Nathan's hot dog competition from 2001 to 2006 showed no ill effects as he stayed with Chestnut frank-for-frank until the very end of the 12-minute competition.
Once the contest ended, the runner-up suffered a reversal -- competitive eating-speak for barfing -- leading to a deduction from his final total. Kobayashi finished with 63 HDBs (hot dogs and buns eaten) in his best performance ever.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Oden and Durant top 2007 NBA Draft
NEW YORK (AP) -- Greg Oden is the 1.
The Portland Trail Blazers settled months of debate Thursday night when they chose Oden over fellow college freshman Kevin Durant with the No. 1 pick in a highly anticipated NBA draft.
Portland opted for the 7-footer who can dominate a game with his defense over the sensational scoring of Durant, who would have been the No. 1 pick in many other years after one of the most outstanding freshman seasons in NCAA history.
But franchise centers are hard to find, and most believe the Blazers got one.
As expected, Durant was quickly taken second by the Seattle SuperSonics, who found a replacement if they lose Rashard Lewis to free agency. The 6-9 forward, wearing an orange tie to match Texas' colors, averaged 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds, ranking fourth nationally in both categories, and is considered the most talented player in the draft.
But that wasn't enough to beat out Oden, who led Ohio State to the national championship game despite never playing at full strength after surgery on his right wrist. Still, he averaged 15.7 points and shot nearly 62 percent while drawing comparisons to Bill Russell for his rebounding and shot blocking abilities.
Looking nervous and battling a head cold since arriving in New York, Oden shared a long handshake with commissioner David Stern before heading off for interviews. He was expected to fly to Portland later Thursday night.
Oden could have been the top pick last year out of high school if not for the NBA's age requirement rule.
"I'm a better player because of that year in college," Oden said. "Coach (Thad) Matta, he taught me so much, first about being a young man growing up in Columbus."
The Pacific Northwest rivals got an immediate jump-start to their rebuilding plans by moving up in last month's lottery to grab the top two picks. Though this is considered the deepest draft in years, Oden and Durant are regarded as the only can't-miss players.
And the Sonics may be adding another top-five pick.
Big East player of the year Jeff Green of Georgetown went to the Celtics with the No. 5 pick -- though there was no guarantee he'd play for Boston. The Celtics have been mentioned in a number of trade rumors, including one with Seattle, and Green said in an interview he'd be playing for "another green" -- meaning he expected to join Durant with the Sonics.
The Atlanta Hawks used the No. 3 pick, their first of two in the lottery on Al Horford, who saluted the pro-Florida crowd with the Gator chomp. The two-time defending NCAA champions were hoping to become the first school with three players selected in the top 10 of the same draft.
The Hawks passed on Michael Conley Jr., even though they still need a point guard after passing on Chris Paul and Deron Williams two years ago. The Memphis Grizzlies then grabbed Conley, Oden's teammate since their junior high days and the third freshman in the top four picks.
The Milwaukee Bucks took a chance at No. 6 on the draft's mystery player, Chinese forward Yi Jianlian. Though Yi was getting plenty of attention -- half of the record 60 international media members were from China -- he came with plenty of question marks. He hasn't played against top competition in the Chinese leagues, and he is rumored to be older than the 19 he is listed.
"I think I'm ready. I played Olympics, I played world championship," Yi said. "I think I can play in the NBA."
The Portland Trail Blazers settled months of debate Thursday night when they chose Oden over fellow college freshman Kevin Durant with the No. 1 pick in a highly anticipated NBA draft.
Portland opted for the 7-footer who can dominate a game with his defense over the sensational scoring of Durant, who would have been the No. 1 pick in many other years after one of the most outstanding freshman seasons in NCAA history.
But franchise centers are hard to find, and most believe the Blazers got one.
As expected, Durant was quickly taken second by the Seattle SuperSonics, who found a replacement if they lose Rashard Lewis to free agency. The 6-9 forward, wearing an orange tie to match Texas' colors, averaged 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds, ranking fourth nationally in both categories, and is considered the most talented player in the draft.
But that wasn't enough to beat out Oden, who led Ohio State to the national championship game despite never playing at full strength after surgery on his right wrist. Still, he averaged 15.7 points and shot nearly 62 percent while drawing comparisons to Bill Russell for his rebounding and shot blocking abilities.
Looking nervous and battling a head cold since arriving in New York, Oden shared a long handshake with commissioner David Stern before heading off for interviews. He was expected to fly to Portland later Thursday night.
Oden could have been the top pick last year out of high school if not for the NBA's age requirement rule.
"I'm a better player because of that year in college," Oden said. "Coach (Thad) Matta, he taught me so much, first about being a young man growing up in Columbus."
The Pacific Northwest rivals got an immediate jump-start to their rebuilding plans by moving up in last month's lottery to grab the top two picks. Though this is considered the deepest draft in years, Oden and Durant are regarded as the only can't-miss players.
And the Sonics may be adding another top-five pick.
Big East player of the year Jeff Green of Georgetown went to the Celtics with the No. 5 pick -- though there was no guarantee he'd play for Boston. The Celtics have been mentioned in a number of trade rumors, including one with Seattle, and Green said in an interview he'd be playing for "another green" -- meaning he expected to join Durant with the Sonics.
The Atlanta Hawks used the No. 3 pick, their first of two in the lottery on Al Horford, who saluted the pro-Florida crowd with the Gator chomp. The two-time defending NCAA champions were hoping to become the first school with three players selected in the top 10 of the same draft.
The Hawks passed on Michael Conley Jr., even though they still need a point guard after passing on Chris Paul and Deron Williams two years ago. The Memphis Grizzlies then grabbed Conley, Oden's teammate since their junior high days and the third freshman in the top four picks.
The Milwaukee Bucks took a chance at No. 6 on the draft's mystery player, Chinese forward Yi Jianlian. Though Yi was getting plenty of attention -- half of the record 60 international media members were from China -- he came with plenty of question marks. He hasn't played against top competition in the Chinese leagues, and he is rumored to be older than the 19 he is listed.
"I think I'm ready. I played Olympics, I played world championship," Yi said. "I think I can play in the NBA."
Friday, June 08, 2007
LeBron like Mike?
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., May 31 (AP) -- LeBron James grimaced, limped up to the podium and plopped into a chair behind a microphone.
It was the only time he looked human all night.
James had already used every ounce of energy to put together one of the most spectacular performances in playoff history, lifting the Cleveland Cavaliers to the verge of their greatest season.
James' career playoff-high 48 points - including his team's final 25 and 29 of its final 30 - carried Cleveland within a win of the NBA finals for the first time in franchise history with a 109-107 double-overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night.
* * *
Where does LeBron's Game 5 rank among the greatest playoff performances by an individual?
[I still rank Jordan's 63 point game vs. Boston as the best game period I've ever seen. - mike]
It was the only time he looked human all night.
James had already used every ounce of energy to put together one of the most spectacular performances in playoff history, lifting the Cleveland Cavaliers to the verge of their greatest season.
James' career playoff-high 48 points - including his team's final 25 and 29 of its final 30 - carried Cleveland within a win of the NBA finals for the first time in franchise history with a 109-107 double-overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night.
* * *
Where does LeBron's Game 5 rank among the greatest playoff performances by an individual?
[I still rank Jordan's 63 point game vs. Boston as the best game period I've ever seen. - mike]
Thursday, May 10, 2007
2007 NFL Draft
JaMarcus Russell barely had to wait before taking the stage as an Oakland Raider at Saturday's NFL draft. Brady Quinn turned out to be the forgotten quarterback, lingering long after Russell was picked, until Cleveland took him 22nd.
Russell was the top choice, by the offense-deficient Raiders. The 6-foot-6 junior QB who can throw the ball 80 yards fits the mold for Al Davis, who loves the deep ball.
Notre Dame's Quinn sat and watched 21 players get called before he went to the Browns, the team he grew up rooting for in Dublin, Ohio. Once considered the best prospect in this year's crop, he was still available when the Browns traded with Dallas to get back into the first round.
After Russell's selection, Detroit declined several trade options for the No. 2 overall pick and chose wide receiver Calvin Johnson of Georgia Tech, considered the best athlete available. It was the fourth time in five years the Lions chose a wideout high in the draft. Only one of the others, Roy Williams, has succeeded in Detroit. Johnson, an All-American junior known as "Spider-man," is 6-4 and 237 pounds and can run a 4.35 in the 40.
Russell was the top choice, by the offense-deficient Raiders. The 6-foot-6 junior QB who can throw the ball 80 yards fits the mold for Al Davis, who loves the deep ball.
Notre Dame's Quinn sat and watched 21 players get called before he went to the Browns, the team he grew up rooting for in Dublin, Ohio. Once considered the best prospect in this year's crop, he was still available when the Browns traded with Dallas to get back into the first round.
After Russell's selection, Detroit declined several trade options for the No. 2 overall pick and chose wide receiver Calvin Johnson of Georgia Tech, considered the best athlete available. It was the fourth time in five years the Lions chose a wideout high in the draft. Only one of the others, Roy Williams, has succeeded in Detroit. Johnson, an All-American junior known as "Spider-man," is 6-4 and 237 pounds and can run a 4.35 in the 40.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Muhammad Ali turns 65
At the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, organizers had tried to keep very quiet the identity of the distinguished American who would light the Olympic cauldron. The torch was carried into the stadium, and when it reappeared for the big moment the spotlight showed it in the hand of Muhammad Ali.
And all anyone could think was:
Of course.
For years, Ali had been the best-known American in the world, one of the great athletes in history, an Olympic gold medalist.
And, almost forgotten by 1996, for a time in the 1960s he was one of the most controversial figures in the United States.
Ali turned 65 this week, an impossible concept for anyone who remembers, or sees on tape, the sleek, sinuous, muscular body that danced uncatchably around the ring before landing a piledriver on the unfortunate boxer facing him. His self-described pattern of "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" seemed like an understatement on both ends.
He was also a permanent one-man parade, of poetry and put-ons and principle, from Louisville to Madison Square Garden to Manila.
These days, Ali is a physically sad figure, a sufferer from pugilistic Parkinson's syndrome, an old boxer who clearly took too many punches, one of the fastest-talking figures of sports now having trouble making his words understandable. It's hard to see the pantherlike boxer in the 65-year-old.
But it's even harder to recognize the widely hated, electrically controversial figure of the 1960s, the world's best-known war resister coming from the world's most violent sport, in the American icon that Ali has become.
If he's changed in 40 years, so has the country and the world around him.
It's one more lesson from Ali's life, a bulletin to politicians who claim that while things may not look good today, their militant insistence will be validated by history. History, even a few decades of it, makes judgments different from what establishments expect. It's not always on the side of the folks who send out the bombers and the search-and-destroy missions.
Ali, after all, wasn't even always called Ali. He won his Olympic gold medal, and his first heavyweight championship fight, as Cassius Clay. When he announced, in the company of Malcolm X — another public enemy looking better in the history books — that he was dropping Clay as his "slave name" and becoming a Muslim, he was more editorially denounced than rock and roll. Most sports reporters attacked him — Howard Cosell became a celebrity simply for treating Ali decently — and the next five years were absorbed in an effort to find a heavyweight to beat him and uphold right-thinking values.
And when Ali refused the Vietnam-era draft, going to the ceremony and not answering when his name was called, he was stripped of his title and sentenced to five years in prison. It took until 1970 for the Supreme Court to throw out his conviction, and longer for him to regain the championship, and during all that time Ali was an inviting punching bag for millions of Americans.
In the Vietnam era, it turned out that Ali's most useful boxing skill wasn't fighting, but the ability to take a punch.
Now, 40 years later, Ali is a national hero, not to say an international icon. Resisting a war doesn't seem an incomprehensibly disloyal act, and becoming a Muslim doesn't seem an act of cultural betrayal. As of this month, an African American Muslim sits in the U.S. House of Representatives, where the walls once echoed with denunciations of Muhammad Ali.
History, it seems, has dealt considerably more generously with Ali than with the people who wanted to send him to war.
Which is why it often can be a mistake for a president to set his jaw about the casualty lists and stand next to a White House portrait of Lincoln and assure himself that one day history will vindicate him.
History makes its own judgments, and sometimes the objects of popular and government abuse end up lighting fires -- sometimes on international television coverage -- that burn brighter than the politicians of the past ever expected.
-- David Sarasohn is an associate editor at the Oregonian of Portland, Ore
And all anyone could think was:
Of course.
For years, Ali had been the best-known American in the world, one of the great athletes in history, an Olympic gold medalist.
And, almost forgotten by 1996, for a time in the 1960s he was one of the most controversial figures in the United States.
Ali turned 65 this week, an impossible concept for anyone who remembers, or sees on tape, the sleek, sinuous, muscular body that danced uncatchably around the ring before landing a piledriver on the unfortunate boxer facing him. His self-described pattern of "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" seemed like an understatement on both ends.
He was also a permanent one-man parade, of poetry and put-ons and principle, from Louisville to Madison Square Garden to Manila.
These days, Ali is a physically sad figure, a sufferer from pugilistic Parkinson's syndrome, an old boxer who clearly took too many punches, one of the fastest-talking figures of sports now having trouble making his words understandable. It's hard to see the pantherlike boxer in the 65-year-old.
But it's even harder to recognize the widely hated, electrically controversial figure of the 1960s, the world's best-known war resister coming from the world's most violent sport, in the American icon that Ali has become.
If he's changed in 40 years, so has the country and the world around him.
It's one more lesson from Ali's life, a bulletin to politicians who claim that while things may not look good today, their militant insistence will be validated by history. History, even a few decades of it, makes judgments different from what establishments expect. It's not always on the side of the folks who send out the bombers and the search-and-destroy missions.
Ali, after all, wasn't even always called Ali. He won his Olympic gold medal, and his first heavyweight championship fight, as Cassius Clay. When he announced, in the company of Malcolm X — another public enemy looking better in the history books — that he was dropping Clay as his "slave name" and becoming a Muslim, he was more editorially denounced than rock and roll. Most sports reporters attacked him — Howard Cosell became a celebrity simply for treating Ali decently — and the next five years were absorbed in an effort to find a heavyweight to beat him and uphold right-thinking values.
And when Ali refused the Vietnam-era draft, going to the ceremony and not answering when his name was called, he was stripped of his title and sentenced to five years in prison. It took until 1970 for the Supreme Court to throw out his conviction, and longer for him to regain the championship, and during all that time Ali was an inviting punching bag for millions of Americans.
In the Vietnam era, it turned out that Ali's most useful boxing skill wasn't fighting, but the ability to take a punch.
Now, 40 years later, Ali is a national hero, not to say an international icon. Resisting a war doesn't seem an incomprehensibly disloyal act, and becoming a Muslim doesn't seem an act of cultural betrayal. As of this month, an African American Muslim sits in the U.S. House of Representatives, where the walls once echoed with denunciations of Muhammad Ali.
History, it seems, has dealt considerably more generously with Ali than with the people who wanted to send him to war.
Which is why it often can be a mistake for a president to set his jaw about the casualty lists and stand next to a White House portrait of Lincoln and assure himself that one day history will vindicate him.
History makes its own judgments, and sometimes the objects of popular and government abuse end up lighting fires -- sometimes on international television coverage -- that burn brighter than the politicians of the past ever expected.
-- David Sarasohn is an associate editor at the Oregonian of Portland, Ore
Friday, January 26, 2007
Fujikawa makes cut
With an electric smile and precocious shot-making skill bursting from his 5-foot-1-inch frame, Tadd Fujikawa fired a 4-under-par 66 at Waialae Country Club. Coupled with his first-round 71, it gave him a place in PGA and Hawaii golf history and the hearts of anyone who loves the underdog.
The Moanalua High School sophomore became the second-youngest player to make a PGA Tour cut and the youngest to ever advance to the weekend in this tournament.
The Moanalua High School sophomore became the second-youngest player to make a PGA Tour cut and the youngest to ever advance to the weekend in this tournament.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Red Auerbach
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Red Auerbach, the Hall of Fame coach who led the Boston Celtics to nine NBA championships in the 1950s and 1960s, died Saturday. He was 89.
Auerbach won 938 games with the Celtics and was the winningest coach in NBA history until Lenny Wilkens overtook him in the 1994-95 season. As general manager, the straight-talking Auerbach, who celebrated victories with a postgame cigar, was also the architect of Celtics teams that won seven more titles in the 1970s and 1980s.
Auerbach's death was announced by the Celtics, for whom he still served as team president. The team said the upcoming season would be dedicated in his honor.
Auerbach won 938 games with the Celtics and was the winningest coach in NBA history until Lenny Wilkens overtook him in the 1994-95 season. As general manager, the straight-talking Auerbach, who celebrated victories with a postgame cigar, was also the architect of Celtics teams that won seven more titles in the 1970s and 1980s.
Auerbach's death was announced by the Celtics, for whom he still served as team president. The team said the upcoming season would be dedicated in his honor.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Pete Smith
Pete Smith, the revered coach and architect of Kalaheo High School's boys basketball dynasty, died yesterday morning at Castle Medical Center.
He was 52.
Smith, who led the Mustangs to the state tournament in each of his 18 seasons as coach from 1983 to 1988 and 1990 to 2003, had been in poor health since suffering stroke-like effects after colon cancer surgery on Oct. 31, 2003. He was admitted to Castle last week with pneumonia and died yesterday at about 7 a.m., according to Kalaheo athletic director Lewis Fuddy.
"Pete Smith set the standard for the rest of us to follow as far as coaching and playing," said O'ahu Interscholastic Association executive secretary Dwight Toyama, a former Kaimuki football coach and athletic director. "He was a class act and very well-respected among his peers — not just other coaches, but all the athletic directors and everyone else in the athletic community."
He was 52.
Smith, who led the Mustangs to the state tournament in each of his 18 seasons as coach from 1983 to 1988 and 1990 to 2003, had been in poor health since suffering stroke-like effects after colon cancer surgery on Oct. 31, 2003. He was admitted to Castle last week with pneumonia and died yesterday at about 7 a.m., according to Kalaheo athletic director Lewis Fuddy.
"Pete Smith set the standard for the rest of us to follow as far as coaching and playing," said O'ahu Interscholastic Association executive secretary Dwight Toyama, a former Kaimuki football coach and athletic director. "He was a class act and very well-respected among his peers — not just other coaches, but all the athletic directors and everyone else in the athletic community."
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Terrell Owens reportedly attempts suicide
Dallas Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens reportedly tried to kill himself by overdosing on pain medication, even putting two more pills into his mouth after a friend intervened.
A Dallas police report released Wednesday morning said Owens told his friend "that he was depressed."
A Dallas police report released Wednesday morning said Owens told his friend "that he was depressed."
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Dodgers go back-to-back-to-back-to-back
It's a real shame the Dodgers have no more games scheduled with the Padres this year, because after finding all sorts of ways to lose to San Diego while dropping 13 of the first 17 games between the two teams, it looks like they've finally found a way to win.
The Dodgers hit seven home runs Monday night and needed every one, overcoming four-run deficits twice in a remarkable 11-10 victory in 10 innings that put them back into first place by one-half game and had to be seen to be believed.
"This will be a game," said manager Grady Little, "that people around here will remember for a long time."
The seven blasts by a team that ranked last in the league in homers included a stunning four in a row in the bottom of the ninth inning, and a shocking two-run walk-off blast by Nomar Garciaparra in the greatest performance by a disabled hitter in these parts since Kirk Gibson in the 1988 World Series.
The Dodgers hit seven home runs Monday night and needed every one, overcoming four-run deficits twice in a remarkable 11-10 victory in 10 innings that put them back into first place by one-half game and had to be seen to be believed.
"This will be a game," said manager Grady Little, "that people around here will remember for a long time."
The seven blasts by a team that ranked last in the league in homers included a stunning four in a row in the bottom of the ninth inning, and a shocking two-run walk-off blast by Nomar Garciaparra in the greatest performance by a disabled hitter in these parts since Kirk Gibson in the 1988 World Series.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
A tale of two hospitals
KINSHASA, Congo, Sept. 3 -- Two hospitals, named for two mothers. One is mired in the past; the other represents beaten-down Congo's hopes for a better future.
The 2,000-bed Mama Yemo, named after the mother of Mobutu Sese Seko, the country's late autocratic leader, was once the pride of Central Africa. Now the public facility is in such bad shape that patients must bring their own medicine and are not allowed to go home until they pay their bills.
Across town stands the new Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital, financed in part by Dikembe Mutombo, a child of Kinshasa who became a National Basketball Association star and is now with the Houston Rockets. It, too, is named for a mother -- Mutombo's. She died in 1997, as rebels were ousting Mobutu and this city, now with 6.5 million people, had erupted in violence that prevented her from getting to a hospital. Biamba Marie Mutombo was 64.
"To do something of this caliber in the name of your beloved mom, it will mean a lot -- not just to me but to the people of Congo," Mutombo recently said.
The 2,000-bed Mama Yemo, named after the mother of Mobutu Sese Seko, the country's late autocratic leader, was once the pride of Central Africa. Now the public facility is in such bad shape that patients must bring their own medicine and are not allowed to go home until they pay their bills.
Across town stands the new Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital, financed in part by Dikembe Mutombo, a child of Kinshasa who became a National Basketball Association star and is now with the Houston Rockets. It, too, is named for a mother -- Mutombo's. She died in 1997, as rebels were ousting Mobutu and this city, now with 6.5 million people, had erupted in violence that prevented her from getting to a hospital. Biamba Marie Mutombo was 64.
"To do something of this caliber in the name of your beloved mom, it will mean a lot -- not just to me but to the people of Congo," Mutombo recently said.
Friday, September 01, 2006
Agassi survives five set thriller
Buoyed by a cortisone injection, along with a raucous, sellout crowd that boosted his spirits when things looked bleak, Agassi kept his final tournament going by beating eighth-seeded Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 7-5 at the U.S. Open.
"You're not guaranteed these moments," Agassi said, "and to feel it out there is something I can keep with me forever."
They traded stinging strokes as Thursday night became Friday, and it was the 21-year-old Baghdatis who broke down physically, his body contorted by cramps in both thighs during an eight-deuce, four-break-point game that Agassi eventually held to lead 5-4 in the fifth. At one point, Baghdatis dropped to the ground. Later, he used the chair umpire's stand to stretch his aching legs.
And there was Agassi, still hustling to reach seemingly unreachable shots, responding with winners, and skipping out to the baseline to start games at his record 21st consecutive Open -- one for each year of Baghdatis' life.
"You're not guaranteed these moments," Agassi said, "and to feel it out there is something I can keep with me forever."
They traded stinging strokes as Thursday night became Friday, and it was the 21-year-old Baghdatis who broke down physically, his body contorted by cramps in both thighs during an eight-deuce, four-break-point game that Agassi eventually held to lead 5-4 in the fifth. At one point, Baghdatis dropped to the ground. Later, he used the chair umpire's stand to stretch his aching legs.
And there was Agassi, still hustling to reach seemingly unreachable shots, responding with winners, and skipping out to the baseline to start games at his record 21st consecutive Open -- one for each year of Baghdatis' life.
Greece slips past U.S. basketballers
Greece used a sizzling stretch of shooting across the middle two quarters to turn a 12-point deficit into a 14-point lead, and beat the Americans 101-95 Friday in the semifinals of the world championships.
The U.S. seemed in control after Joe Johnson's 3-pointer gave the Americans a 33-21 lead with about 61/2 minutes left in the second quarter. It was around then that James told his teammates on the bench: "They don't know what to do."
Well, they figured it out in a hurry.
Greece scored nine straight points, pulling within three on Theodoros Papaloukas' drive with 3:51 left and forcing Krzyzewski to call timeout. Dwight Howard converted a three-point play, but the Greeks answered with a 13-2 surge, featuring eight points from Schortsianitis, to open a 43-38 advantage and force Krzyzewski to call a second timeout.
Greece hit nine straight shots -- its only miss in the last 5 minutes was a heave from halfcourt as time expired -- and led 45-41 at halftime. The Greeks shot 56 percent (15-of-27) in the half.
Greece kept it up in the third quarter, hitting 14 of its 18 shots, including all four 3-pointers in the first 5 minutes. Kostas Tsartsaris' 3-pointer with 5:45 left in the period gave the Greeks a 65-51 lead -- the biggest deficit the U.S. faced in the tournament.
After shooting 4-of-12 in the first quarter, Greece was 25-of-33 (76 percent) in the second and third and led 77-65 heading to the final period.
The U.S. seemed in control after Joe Johnson's 3-pointer gave the Americans a 33-21 lead with about 61/2 minutes left in the second quarter. It was around then that James told his teammates on the bench: "They don't know what to do."
Well, they figured it out in a hurry.
Greece scored nine straight points, pulling within three on Theodoros Papaloukas' drive with 3:51 left and forcing Krzyzewski to call timeout. Dwight Howard converted a three-point play, but the Greeks answered with a 13-2 surge, featuring eight points from Schortsianitis, to open a 43-38 advantage and force Krzyzewski to call a second timeout.
Greece hit nine straight shots -- its only miss in the last 5 minutes was a heave from halfcourt as time expired -- and led 45-41 at halftime. The Greeks shot 56 percent (15-of-27) in the half.
Greece kept it up in the third quarter, hitting 14 of its 18 shots, including all four 3-pointers in the first 5 minutes. Kostas Tsartsaris' 3-pointer with 5:45 left in the period gave the Greeks a 65-51 lead -- the biggest deficit the U.S. faced in the tournament.
After shooting 4-of-12 in the first quarter, Greece was 25-of-33 (76 percent) in the second and third and led 77-65 heading to the final period.
Monday, August 14, 2006
Kimberly Kim and Dean Wilson break through
When Kimberly Kim fell behind after the first 18 holes of the 106th U.S. Women's Amateur, her caddie suggested she play "smashmouth" golf.
The 14-year-old player from Hilo took the advice and beat former bank clerk Katharina Schallenberg of Germany, 1 up, in 36 holes of match play yesterday to become the event's youngest champion.
* * *
Dean Wilson capped an arduous journey from Kane'ohe to the PGA Tour with his first victory on tour yesterday at the International.
Wilson, a 36-year-old Castle High alum, birdied the second hole of a sudden-death playoff at Castle Pines, topping Tom Lehman, who was trying to become the first Ryder Cup captain to win a PGA Tour event during his term since Jack Nicklaus won the Masters in 1986.
The 14-year-old player from Hilo took the advice and beat former bank clerk Katharina Schallenberg of Germany, 1 up, in 36 holes of match play yesterday to become the event's youngest champion.
* * *
Dean Wilson capped an arduous journey from Kane'ohe to the PGA Tour with his first victory on tour yesterday at the International.
Wilson, a 36-year-old Castle High alum, birdied the second hole of a sudden-death playoff at Castle Pines, topping Tom Lehman, who was trying to become the first Ryder Cup captain to win a PGA Tour event during his term since Jack Nicklaus won the Masters in 1986.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Bargnani taken no. 1 in NBA draft
The Toronto Raptors selected Bargnani with the No. 1 pick Wednesday night in an unpredictable NBA draft that saw four of the top seven picks switch teams by the middle of the first round.
LaMarcus Aldridge of Texas went second to the Chicago Bulls, starting a flurry of trades that would also include the fourth, sixth and seventh picks.
Aldridge's rights were later dealt to Portland for the rights to Tyrus Thomas, who had been chosen fourth, and forward Viktor Khryapa.
"Right before they said my name, they said, 'They are going to call your name in a minute, but don't worry about it, they are going to trade you,"' Aldridge said.
The Trail Blazers weren't done dealing. They acquired the rights to Randy Foye, taken seventh by the Boston Celtics, along with Raef LaFrentz, Dan Dickau and cash for Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff and a 2008 second-round pick.
The Blazers then shipped Foye's rights to Minnesota for Brandon Roy, the Washington guard taken sixth by the Timberwolves.
The 6-foot-10 Bargnani, the first European player taken first overall, has drawn the comparisons to the Dallas Mavericks' All-Star because of his outside shooting skills. Playing last season for Benetton Treviso in Italy's Lega A, Bargnani shot 37 percent from 3-point range.
He's the second straight foreign-born No. 1 pick after Milwaukee chose Andrew Bogut of Australia from the University of Utah last year. Bargnani is the first No. 1 pick to not play college or high school basketball in the United States since Houston took Yao Ming in 2002.
"I hope to help the team as soon as possible," Bargnani said. "I'm a young player, I know that I will find a lot of tough moments because it's a new league and I'm used to playing in Europe."
Aldridge then went in a pick that came from New York in a preseason trade for Eddy Curry, and the fans at the Theater at Madison Square Garden didn't have to wait for it to express their anger toward Knicks coach and team president Isiah Thomas.
Chants of "Fire Isiah!" started 15 minutes before the draft, and "Fire Thomas!" cries followed just before the pick. The fans might get their wish next year -- Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan warned Thomas on Monday that he has one year to turn around the franchise or he'll be out of a job.
Dolan wasn't spared, either: "Sell the Knicks!" chants also rang out before the draft started.
Gonzaga star Adam Morrison went to Charlotte at No. 3 with the Bobcats' first since pick Michael Jordan became a part owner of the team in charge of the basketball operations earlier this month. The mustachioed All-American led the nation in scoring as a junior with 28.1 points per game.
"It would be awesome if I could get some hands-on instruction from Mike," Morrison said. "Any time the greatest player of all-time is telling you what to do ... if he told me how to tie my shoes a certain way, I would probably listen."
The Trail Blazers then selected LSU's Tyrus Thomas, who already knew he wasn't going there. Even while wearing a Blazers hat, he spoke of playing for Chicago.
"They're young, they like to run and Coach [Scott] Skiles, I visited with him, and he's a great teacher and a motivator," Thomas said. "Just the organization as a whole, it has a bright future so I'm looking forward to doing some good things in Chicago."
The Atlanta Hawks also went for interior defense when they took Duke's Shelden Williams at No. 5. The Blue Devils' career leader in blocked shots was the ACC defensive player of the year in each of his last two seasons.
LaMarcus Aldridge of Texas went second to the Chicago Bulls, starting a flurry of trades that would also include the fourth, sixth and seventh picks.
Aldridge's rights were later dealt to Portland for the rights to Tyrus Thomas, who had been chosen fourth, and forward Viktor Khryapa.
"Right before they said my name, they said, 'They are going to call your name in a minute, but don't worry about it, they are going to trade you,"' Aldridge said.
The Trail Blazers weren't done dealing. They acquired the rights to Randy Foye, taken seventh by the Boston Celtics, along with Raef LaFrentz, Dan Dickau and cash for Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff and a 2008 second-round pick.
The Blazers then shipped Foye's rights to Minnesota for Brandon Roy, the Washington guard taken sixth by the Timberwolves.
The 6-foot-10 Bargnani, the first European player taken first overall, has drawn the comparisons to the Dallas Mavericks' All-Star because of his outside shooting skills. Playing last season for Benetton Treviso in Italy's Lega A, Bargnani shot 37 percent from 3-point range.
He's the second straight foreign-born No. 1 pick after Milwaukee chose Andrew Bogut of Australia from the University of Utah last year. Bargnani is the first No. 1 pick to not play college or high school basketball in the United States since Houston took Yao Ming in 2002.
"I hope to help the team as soon as possible," Bargnani said. "I'm a young player, I know that I will find a lot of tough moments because it's a new league and I'm used to playing in Europe."
Aldridge then went in a pick that came from New York in a preseason trade for Eddy Curry, and the fans at the Theater at Madison Square Garden didn't have to wait for it to express their anger toward Knicks coach and team president Isiah Thomas.
Chants of "Fire Isiah!" started 15 minutes before the draft, and "Fire Thomas!" cries followed just before the pick. The fans might get their wish next year -- Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan warned Thomas on Monday that he has one year to turn around the franchise or he'll be out of a job.
Dolan wasn't spared, either: "Sell the Knicks!" chants also rang out before the draft started.
Gonzaga star Adam Morrison went to Charlotte at No. 3 with the Bobcats' first since pick Michael Jordan became a part owner of the team in charge of the basketball operations earlier this month. The mustachioed All-American led the nation in scoring as a junior with 28.1 points per game.
"It would be awesome if I could get some hands-on instruction from Mike," Morrison said. "Any time the greatest player of all-time is telling you what to do ... if he told me how to tie my shoes a certain way, I would probably listen."
The Trail Blazers then selected LSU's Tyrus Thomas, who already knew he wasn't going there. Even while wearing a Blazers hat, he spoke of playing for Chicago.
"They're young, they like to run and Coach [Scott] Skiles, I visited with him, and he's a great teacher and a motivator," Thomas said. "Just the organization as a whole, it has a bright future so I'm looking forward to doing some good things in Chicago."
The Atlanta Hawks also went for interior defense when they took Duke's Shelden Williams at No. 5. The Blue Devils' career leader in blocked shots was the ACC defensive player of the year in each of his last two seasons.
Ferd Borsch
Ferd Borsch was the only beat writer The Advertiser had for the 27-year run of the Pacific Coast League Hawaii Islanders — and the only one it needed since he covered all 2,013 home games in the club's (1961-1987) existence.
Over parts of five decades and spanning several more eras, often pounding out his stories with two-fingered fury on his trusty Underwood No. 5 (vintage 1918) typewriter, Borsch chronicled many of the greatest moments in Hawai'i sports, adding perspective to the exploits of the stars for several generations of newspaper readers.
"Hawai'i lost its No. 1 baseball fan," said sportscaster Don Robbs, who knew Borsch for 43 years. "He covered baseball for more than a half century. I think he said one time that he covered something like 5,000 games. I don't know of anybody who has been as close to baseball as Ferd."
Borsch covered everybody who was anybody in baseball — from Billy Martin and Bo Belinsky to Barry Bonds and Tony Gwynn — and many who never saw their name on a trading card. He treated them all with dignity and fairness.
"He was one of the few people (in the media) that I really trusted," said Les Murakami, former University of Hawai'i baseball coach. "He was a very positive person and when you read his articles everything was positive. I think that was one of the most important characteristics that he had."
Over parts of five decades and spanning several more eras, often pounding out his stories with two-fingered fury on his trusty Underwood No. 5 (vintage 1918) typewriter, Borsch chronicled many of the greatest moments in Hawai'i sports, adding perspective to the exploits of the stars for several generations of newspaper readers.
"Hawai'i lost its No. 1 baseball fan," said sportscaster Don Robbs, who knew Borsch for 43 years. "He covered baseball for more than a half century. I think he said one time that he covered something like 5,000 games. I don't know of anybody who has been as close to baseball as Ferd."
Borsch covered everybody who was anybody in baseball — from Billy Martin and Bo Belinsky to Barry Bonds and Tony Gwynn — and many who never saw their name on a trading card. He treated them all with dignity and fairness.
"He was one of the few people (in the media) that I really trusted," said Les Murakami, former University of Hawai'i baseball coach. "He was a very positive person and when you read his articles everything was positive. I think that was one of the most important characteristics that he had."
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Larry Brown fired, Isiah will be next
NEW YORK (AP) -- The New York Knicks put Larry Brown out of his coaching misery Thursday, ending weeks of uncertainty by firing the Hall of Fame coach with four years and $40 million left on his contract. President and general manager Isiah Thomas was named to replace Brown as coach.
In Brown's one season in New York, the Knicks stumbled to a 23-59 record -- second worst in the NBA and matching the most losses in club history.
But the postseason may have been even more difficult for Brown.
His coaching status had been in limbo for months, and reports surfaced in May that owner James Dolan was looking to buy out Brown's contract. It was at about that time that Brown called himself a "dead man walking" because of the uncertainty.
"No one in our organization is happy with last season and we all accept responsibility for our performance," Thomas said in a statement released by the Knicks. "This has been a difficult time for the entire organization and our fans.
"Larry Brown is a great coach, but for various reasons, bringing him to the Knicks did not turn out the way we had hoped and we wish him the best in the future."
Brown endured a miserable season with the Knicks, squabbling with star guard Stephon Marbury and other players and missing three games in April because of illness. He had only one worse season as a coach, when he went 21-61 with the San Antonio Spurs in 1988-89.
The Hall of Fame coach signed a five-year deal with the Knicks before last season worth a reported $50 million.
A message seeking comment was left Thursday morning for Brown at his home in East Hampton, N.Y.
Brown, a Brooklyn native, described his hiring last year as a "dream job," and the Knicks hoped his homecoming would lead to a long-awaited return to the playoffs. But despite a league-high payroll of more than $120 million, New York struggled throughout the season.
Thomas joined the Knicks as president and GM in December 2003. He was coach of the Indiana Pacers for three seasons through 2002-03, compiling a 131-115 record.
Brown coached the Detroit Pistons to the NBA title in the 2003-04 season. He missed 17 games the following year with the Pistons because of hip replacement surgery. That led to a bladder problem that required surgery.
"Larry has had a long and storied career. We hired him last summer with the expectation that he would be with the Knicks for a long time," Dolan said. "Sometimes decisions work and sometimes they don't."
In Brown's one season in New York, the Knicks stumbled to a 23-59 record -- second worst in the NBA and matching the most losses in club history.
But the postseason may have been even more difficult for Brown.
His coaching status had been in limbo for months, and reports surfaced in May that owner James Dolan was looking to buy out Brown's contract. It was at about that time that Brown called himself a "dead man walking" because of the uncertainty.
"No one in our organization is happy with last season and we all accept responsibility for our performance," Thomas said in a statement released by the Knicks. "This has been a difficult time for the entire organization and our fans.
"Larry Brown is a great coach, but for various reasons, bringing him to the Knicks did not turn out the way we had hoped and we wish him the best in the future."
Brown endured a miserable season with the Knicks, squabbling with star guard Stephon Marbury and other players and missing three games in April because of illness. He had only one worse season as a coach, when he went 21-61 with the San Antonio Spurs in 1988-89.
The Hall of Fame coach signed a five-year deal with the Knicks before last season worth a reported $50 million.
A message seeking comment was left Thursday morning for Brown at his home in East Hampton, N.Y.
Brown, a Brooklyn native, described his hiring last year as a "dream job," and the Knicks hoped his homecoming would lead to a long-awaited return to the playoffs. But despite a league-high payroll of more than $120 million, New York struggled throughout the season.
Thomas joined the Knicks as president and GM in December 2003. He was coach of the Indiana Pacers for three seasons through 2002-03, compiling a 131-115 record.
Brown coached the Detroit Pistons to the NBA title in the 2003-04 season. He missed 17 games the following year with the Pistons because of hip replacement surgery. That led to a bladder problem that required surgery.
"Larry has had a long and storied career. We hired him last summer with the expectation that he would be with the Knicks for a long time," Dolan said. "Sometimes decisions work and sometimes they don't."
Miami defeats Dallas for NBA Championship
DALLAS (AP) -- Pat Riley first promised it 11 years ago: a Miami Heat victory parade down Biscayne Boulevard. Shaquille O'Neal guaranteed it two summers ago, vowing to add a fourth ring to his big hand in his new city.
And with one tenacious game after another in these NBA finals, Dwyane Wade delivered both.
The Miami Heat are champions for the first time, thanks to two basketball greats who made good on their promises -- and the next great one, whose promise seems unlimited.
The man they call "Flash" had 36 points and 10 rebounds in the teeth of a hostile Dallas crowd Tuesday night, capping his magnificent playoffs and the Heat's sizzling four-game comeback by leading Miami past the Mavericks 95-92.
"It's one of the best feelings, next to my wife and my son, that I've ever had in my life," Wade said. "I'm going to live it up!"
The Heat roared back from a two-game deficit to win the NBA finals in six. Wade, the obvious finals MVP, cemented his superstardom with a dominant four-game performance capped by four pressure-packed, final-minute free throws in the same building where Miami went down two games to none.
He even missed a pair in the waning seconds, giving Dallas a final shot to tie. But Jason Terry missed an open look for 3, and Wade grabbed the rebound and flung it joyously into the stands as time expired.
Where there's a Wade, there's a will. His grace added a fifth ring to Riley's finger -- third-most among NBA coaches -- and the first jewelry in Shaq's collection with no connection to Kobe Bryant.
"The great Pat Riley told me we were going to win today," said O'Neal, who had nine points and 12 rebounds. "I didn't have the best game. But D-Wade's been doing it all year. He's the best player ever."
And with one tenacious game after another in these NBA finals, Dwyane Wade delivered both.
The Miami Heat are champions for the first time, thanks to two basketball greats who made good on their promises -- and the next great one, whose promise seems unlimited.
The man they call "Flash" had 36 points and 10 rebounds in the teeth of a hostile Dallas crowd Tuesday night, capping his magnificent playoffs and the Heat's sizzling four-game comeback by leading Miami past the Mavericks 95-92.
"It's one of the best feelings, next to my wife and my son, that I've ever had in my life," Wade said. "I'm going to live it up!"
The Heat roared back from a two-game deficit to win the NBA finals in six. Wade, the obvious finals MVP, cemented his superstardom with a dominant four-game performance capped by four pressure-packed, final-minute free throws in the same building where Miami went down two games to none.
He even missed a pair in the waning seconds, giving Dallas a final shot to tie. But Jason Terry missed an open look for 3, and Wade grabbed the rebound and flung it joyously into the stands as time expired.
Where there's a Wade, there's a will. His grace added a fifth ring to Riley's finger -- third-most among NBA coaches -- and the first jewelry in Shaq's collection with no connection to Kobe Bryant.
"The great Pat Riley told me we were going to win today," said O'Neal, who had nine points and 12 rebounds. "I didn't have the best game. But D-Wade's been doing it all year. He's the best player ever."
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Bonds passes the Babe
Now there's only Hank Aaron.
Barry Bonds hit his 715th home run Sunday to slip past Babe Ruth and pull in right behind Aaron, whose long-standing record of 755 may prove even tougher to crack.
No. 715 played out exactly the way San Francisco's slugger wanted -- he hit it at home, in front of the fans who adore him. It just took him a little longer than he had hoped. The historic home run came eight days after he tied the Babe for second place on the career chart.
"For the fans of San Francisco, it can't get any better than this -- even though I made them wait longer than I have in the past," Bonds said.
Barry Bonds hit his 715th home run Sunday to slip past Babe Ruth and pull in right behind Aaron, whose long-standing record of 755 may prove even tougher to crack.
No. 715 played out exactly the way San Francisco's slugger wanted -- he hit it at home, in front of the fans who adore him. It just took him a little longer than he had hoped. The historic home run came eight days after he tied the Babe for second place on the career chart.
"For the fans of San Francisco, it can't get any better than this -- even though I made them wait longer than I have in the past," Bonds said.
Gracie defeated by Hughes
LOS ANGELES (CP) - Welterweight champion Matt Hughes dominated UFC Hall of Famer Royce Gracie to win a non-title mixed martial arts fight in short order Saturday night. The bout was halted at 4:39 of the first round with Hughes on the back of a prone, face-down Gracie dealing more than 15 unanswered blows to the head of Gracie.
Hughes had earlier almost submitted Gracie, twisting the Brazilian's arm into a painful armbar hold. Gracie offered little offence during the bout and was on the defensive throughout.
"Of course I'm disappointed but he is the welterweight champion," Gracie said.
Hughes had earlier almost submitted Gracie, twisting the Brazilian's arm into a painful armbar hold. Gracie offered little offence during the bout and was on the defensive throughout.
"Of course I'm disappointed but he is the welterweight champion," Gracie said.
Friday, May 05, 2006
Wie makes the cut
Honolulu teenager Michelle Wie's breakthrough today came with a bonus — she remains in contention for the title in the Asian Tour's SK Telecom Open in Incheon, South Korea.
Wie made her first cut in a professional men's tournament in her eighth try, making four birdies against just one bogey for a 3-under-par 69 in the second round and was 5-under 139 overall.
Wie, a 16-year-old Punahou junior, is the second female to make a cut in a Korea men's tournament. In 2003, LPGA player Se Ri Pak finished tied for 10th at the KPGA Tour's SBS Pro-Golf Championships. Pak was 26.
Wie's first attempt at making a men's cut came as a 13-year-old in a Canadian Tour event in 2003. She has come close previously, missing the cut by a shot in the 2005 Casio Open (Japan men's tour) and 2004 Sony Open in Hawai'i (PGA Tour). Wie also missed a cut by two strokes at the 2005 John Deere Classic (PGA Tour).
The SK Telecom Open is a stop on the Asian Tour, not part of the more prestigious PGA Tour.
[5/6/06] According to Eric Adelson of ESPN The Magazine, the 14th hole at the Sky 72 Golf Club in Incheon, South Korea, created one of the strangest situations during the second round of the SK Telecom Open.
Adelson said the fairway rides along a major highway to the airport, and fans parked their cars along the shoulder to catch a glimpse of Wie. As Wie got to the green, dozens of vehicles lined up, and Adelson described it as like a scene from "Independence Day" without the aliens. As she stepped to her putt, Adelson wrote that a police car approached with sirens blaring. The officer, oblivious to the moment, kept his siren on and threw in some megaphone-enhanced admonishment for the gawkers. The noise kept on during Wie's putt, which she barely missed. Dozens of Korean fans on the course screamed obscenities at the officer.
Wie made her first cut in a professional men's tournament in her eighth try, making four birdies against just one bogey for a 3-under-par 69 in the second round and was 5-under 139 overall.
Wie, a 16-year-old Punahou junior, is the second female to make a cut in a Korea men's tournament. In 2003, LPGA player Se Ri Pak finished tied for 10th at the KPGA Tour's SBS Pro-Golf Championships. Pak was 26.
Wie's first attempt at making a men's cut came as a 13-year-old in a Canadian Tour event in 2003. She has come close previously, missing the cut by a shot in the 2005 Casio Open (Japan men's tour) and 2004 Sony Open in Hawai'i (PGA Tour). Wie also missed a cut by two strokes at the 2005 John Deere Classic (PGA Tour).
The SK Telecom Open is a stop on the Asian Tour, not part of the more prestigious PGA Tour.
[5/6/06] According to Eric Adelson of ESPN The Magazine, the 14th hole at the Sky 72 Golf Club in Incheon, South Korea, created one of the strangest situations during the second round of the SK Telecom Open.
Adelson said the fairway rides along a major highway to the airport, and fans parked their cars along the shoulder to catch a glimpse of Wie. As Wie got to the green, dozens of vehicles lined up, and Adelson described it as like a scene from "Independence Day" without the aliens. As she stepped to her putt, Adelson wrote that a police car approached with sirens blaring. The officer, oblivious to the moment, kept his siren on and threw in some megaphone-enhanced admonishment for the gawkers. The noise kept on during Wie's putt, which she barely missed. Dozens of Korean fans on the course screamed obscenities at the officer.
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Mario Williams drafted ahead of Reggie Bush
Houston decides to take Mario Williams over Reggie Bush who was taken by New Orleans in the 2006 NFL Draft. Titans grab Vince Young over Matt Leinert. Leinert was finally taken by Arizona with the tenth pick.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
March Madness live on the net
CBS Corp. hopes to draw millions with March Madness on Demand, the first-ever free Webcast of the tournament. It works like this: Fans register at NCAASports.com, run by CBS's SportsLine unit, then watch games live on the site. They'll have their choice of any game except for the one being broadcast by the local CBS affiliate. (CBS determines which game to black out based on the location of the computer being used.) Fans can also watch games after they're played or view highlights and other features. The live Webcasts will continue until the tournament is down to eight teams.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Al Michaels traded for rabbit
In exchange for allowing sportscaster Al Michaels to leave ABC early for a job at NBC Universal, The Walt Disney Co. is getting back a piece of its history - the first animated character created by Disney and the forerunner to Mickey Mouse.
His name was "Oswald the Lucky Rabbit," and the cheeky bunny was created by Disney and his chief creative partner, Ub Iwerks, in 1927.
Al Michaels is moving to NBC and will broadcast Sunday night NFL games with John Madden, his partner on ABC during the past four seasons.
His name was "Oswald the Lucky Rabbit," and the cheeky bunny was created by Disney and his chief creative partner, Ub Iwerks, in 1927.
Al Michaels is moving to NBC and will broadcast Sunday night NFL games with John Madden, his partner on ABC during the past four seasons.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
more than Kobe
Epiphanny Prince of Murry Bergtraum High School scored 113 points in a game Wednesday, breaking a girls' national prep record previously held by Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller. Prince, a five-foot-nine senior guard, led her team to a 137-32 victory over Brandeis High School. "After I scored 29 points in the first quarter, I didn't think much of it," Prince told The Associated Press by phone Wednesday night. "After I had 58 points at the half, and especially after having in the 80s after the third quarter, I just decided to go for it.
"It was efficient," she said. "It wasn't like I missed a whole bunch of shots. That's what made it even better."
Prince, one of the nation's top high school players, is headed to Rutgers next season. Her previous high this season was 51 points for the Lady Blazers, ranked No. 2 in the nation by USA Today.
"At the half, we thought she had a chance to break the record so we just let her go," coach Ed Grezinsky said.
"It was efficient," she said. "It wasn't like I missed a whole bunch of shots. That's what made it even better."
Prince, one of the nation's top high school players, is headed to Rutgers next season. Her previous high this season was 51 points for the Lady Blazers, ranked No. 2 in the nation by USA Today.
"At the half, we thought she had a chance to break the record so we just let her go," coach Ed Grezinsky said.
Steelers defeat Seahawks to win SuperBowl XL
The Steelers' 21-10 victory in the Super Bowl on Sunday was their record-tying fifth, but the first since 1980 and the first ever for Bettis and Cowher.
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Kobe second to Wilt
Kobe Bryant scored a staggering 81 points Sunday night against the Toronto Raptors in a 122-104 win. Only Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game stands ahead of him.
Saturday, January 21, 2006
USA plays ball with Cuba
The Bush administration is letting Cuba play ball.
The Cubans will be allowed to participate in the inaugural World Baseball Classic after the U.S. government reversed course Friday and issued the special license necessary for the communist nation to play in the 16-team tournament.
The Cubans will be allowed to participate in the inaugural World Baseball Classic after the U.S. government reversed course Friday and issued the special license necessary for the communist nation to play in the 16-team tournament.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Shaq makes peace
On Bill Russell's advice, Shaq shakes hands with Kobe. There is peace on MLK Day.
(Unless you count that Andrew Bynum thing)
(Unless you count that Andrew Bynum thing)
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Rod Dedeaux
Rod Dedeaux, who coached Southern California to a record 11 NCAA baseball championships and turned out a parade of future major leaguers, died Thursday. He was 91. Nearly 60 USC players under Dedeaux went on to big league careers, including Mark McGwire, Randy Johnson, Tom Seaver, Dave Kingman, Fred Lynn and Roy Smalley.
Texas dethrones USC in Rose Bowl
With the national title down to a final play, fourth down and 5 yards to go, Vince Young scrambled untouched for an 8-yard touchdown with 19 seconds left and the No. 2 Longhorns stunned No. 1 Southern California 41-38 in the Rose Bowl on Wednesday night.
Sunday, January 01, 2006
Point for Flutie
Doug Flutie added another oddity to his football resume on Sunday when he converted a drop kick in the fourth quarter of the New England Patriots' game against the Miami Dolphins. It was the league's first drop kick since the 1941 NFL championship game, according to the Web site for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
But what happened to the ball?
But what happened to the ball?
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Sharapova tops Serena
That's right. Maria Sharapova's subway train grunt tops Serena Williams' lawn mower grunt 101 decibels to 88.
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Monday Night Football ends after 36 years
The New York Jets lost the first game of MNF 31-21 and lost the last game 36 years later by the same score.
Actually it's not really the last game of Monday Night Football. It will move from ABC to ESPN.
Actually it's not really the last game of Monday Night Football. It will move from ABC to ESPN.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Colts unbeaten streak ended by San Diego
Indianapolis' unbeaten streak ended Sunday in a 26-17 loss to a San Diego team desperate to make the playoffs.
In a game of dramatic turnarounds, the Chargers went ahead on a 49-yard field goal by Nate Kaeding with 6:42 left after the Colts erased a 16-0 deficit with a field goal and two touchdowns in a six-minute span of the third quarter. Then Michael Turner clinched it with an 83-yard touchdown run after rookie Luis Castillo sacked Peyton Manning to knock the Colts out of field-goal range.
In a game of dramatic turnarounds, the Chargers went ahead on a 49-yard field goal by Nate Kaeding with 6:42 left after the Colts erased a 16-0 deficit with a field goal and two touchdowns in a six-minute span of the third quarter. Then Michael Turner clinched it with an 83-yard touchdown run after rookie Luis Castillo sacked Peyton Manning to knock the Colts out of field-goal range.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Dan Hawkins headed for Colorado
Boise State coach Dan Hawkins has accepted the head coaching job at the University of Colorado, sources told ESPN. Hawkins will be introduced at a news conference on Friday. Hawkins had been rumored as a potential replacement since former coach Gary Barnett's dismissal last Thursday.
Reached Wednesday night, Hawkins said, "the process is not complete." "The only thing I know for sure is that I'm going to be in the theater tonight with my boys watching 'King Kong,' " he said.
Reached Wednesday night, Hawkins said, "the process is not complete." "The only thing I know for sure is that I'm going to be in the theater tonight with my boys watching 'King Kong,' " he said.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Reggie Bush wins Heisman
Bush was voted the nation's best college football player in a landslide Saturday night over Texas quarterback Vince Young and USC quarterback Matt Leinart, last year's winner.
Curiously, though Bush was the landslide winner, Vince Young earlier won the Maxwell Award and was the Cingular/ABC Sports Player of the Year which was nationally televised (hosted by Regis) earlier in the day.
Curiously, though Bush was the landslide winner, Vince Young earlier won the Maxwell Award and was the Cingular/ABC Sports Player of the Year which was nationally televised (hosted by Regis) earlier in the day.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Eddie Would Go
It’s a simple saying that most Hawaiians and surfers know by heart. It’s the ultimate proverb of motivation and determination. It is commonly used when a surfer faces a big wave or simply adversity.
“Eddie would go.”
Those three words carry more than meaning; they carry dreams and expectations. The saying was adapted in respect for one of the greatest surfing legends off all time, Eddie Aikau, whose life after his death became a myth told among those who once surfed with the fabled man.
“Eddie would go.”
Those three words carry more than meaning; they carry dreams and expectations. The saying was adapted in respect for one of the greatest surfing legends off all time, Eddie Aikau, whose life after his death became a myth told among those who once surfed with the fabled man.
Monday, November 14, 2005
Eddie Guerrero
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Eduardo Gory Guerrero was found dead in his hotel room Sunday morning in Minneapolis, where he was scheduled to appear that evening in a WWE Supershow.
A-Rod edges Ortiz, Pujols edges Jones for MVP
NEW YORK (AP) -- Alex Rodriguez won the American League Most Valuable Player award for the second time in three seasons, beating David Ortiz on Monday in a vote that rewarded a position player over a designated hitter.
Rodriguez, in his second season as the New York Yankees' third baseman, received 16 first-place votes, 11 seconds and one third for 331 points from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Ortiz, the DH for the Boston Red Sox, got 11 firsts and 17 seconds for 307 points. Los Angeles Angels outfielder Vladimir Guerrero received the other first-place vote and was third with 196 points.
[11/15] Albert Pujols started his career with four startling seasons, equal or better than those of many Hall of Famers. Only Barry Bonds always did better -- until this year. Pujols won his first National League MVP award Tuesday, beating Andruw Jones in a close vote that didn't include Bonds, who missed most of the season because of a knee injury.
Rodriguez, in his second season as the New York Yankees' third baseman, received 16 first-place votes, 11 seconds and one third for 331 points from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Ortiz, the DH for the Boston Red Sox, got 11 firsts and 17 seconds for 307 points. Los Angeles Angels outfielder Vladimir Guerrero received the other first-place vote and was third with 196 points.
[11/15] Albert Pujols started his career with four startling seasons, equal or better than those of many Hall of Famers. Only Barry Bonds always did better -- until this year. Pujols won his first National League MVP award Tuesday, beating Andruw Jones in a close vote that didn't include Bonds, who missed most of the season because of a knee injury.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Agbayani get his championship
Hawai'i's Benny Agbayani can claim a World Series title. Agbayani is an outfielder for the Chiba Lotte Marines, who completed a four-game sweep of the Hanshin Tigers with a 3-2 victory Wednesday in Osaka, Japan.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
White Sox win World Series
The White Sox defeat the Astros to win their first World Series title since 1917.
Friday, October 21, 2005
Larry Bird fan
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A man got a prison term longer than prosecutors and defense attorneys had agreed to -- all because of Larry Bird.
The lawyers reached a plea agreement Tuesday for a 30-year term for a man accused of shooting with an intent to kill and robbery. But Eric James Torpy wanted his prison term to match Bird's jersey number 33.
``He said if he was going to go down, he was going to go down in Larry Bird's jersey,'' Oklahoma County District Judge Ray Elliott said Wednesday. ``We accommodated his request and he was just as happy as he could be.
``I've never seen anything like this in 26 years in the courthouse. But, I know the DA is happy about it.''
The lawyers reached a plea agreement Tuesday for a 30-year term for a man accused of shooting with an intent to kill and robbery. But Eric James Torpy wanted his prison term to match Bird's jersey number 33.
``He said if he was going to go down, he was going to go down in Larry Bird's jersey,'' Oklahoma County District Judge Ray Elliott said Wednesday. ``We accommodated his request and he was just as happy as he could be.
``I've never seen anything like this in 26 years in the courthouse. But, I know the DA is happy about it.''
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
John Wooden
As another birthday has come and gone for the Wizard, it becomes that much more important to celebrate the man, not merely for his coaching abilities or for the number of banners he brought to Pauley Pavilion over the years. Wooden is truly an American icon, and his relevance to UCLA goes well beyond the court.
Monday, October 17, 2005
Michelle Wie to turn pro
[9/21/05] While Michelle Wie attends to 11th grade and her short game, another publication is publishing a story announcing she will turn pro and millionaire simultaneously, as soon as next week.
Wie will be on the cover of this week's Golf World magazine. The story cites anonymous sources that claim the 15-year-old will sign endorsement deals with three companies — two are thought to be Nike and Samsung — worth an estimated $8 million. With appearance fees and other endorsements, the magazine estimates she will make $10 million her first year as a pro.
That would make Wie the third-highest paid female athlete in the world, after tennis players Maria Sharapova, reportedly making nearly $17 million, and Serena Williams, at $11 million-plus. Annika Sorenstam, the No. 1 female golfer in the world, is reported to make just more than $5 million. Tiger Woods' deals are estimated at $80 million.
[9/25/05] Michelle Wie is different
[10/5/05] It's official.
[10/16/05] Wie disqualified in first pro tournament for illegal drop
[10/17/05] Rolfing calls disqualification a travesty
Wie will be on the cover of this week's Golf World magazine. The story cites anonymous sources that claim the 15-year-old will sign endorsement deals with three companies — two are thought to be Nike and Samsung — worth an estimated $8 million. With appearance fees and other endorsements, the magazine estimates she will make $10 million her first year as a pro.
That would make Wie the third-highest paid female athlete in the world, after tennis players Maria Sharapova, reportedly making nearly $17 million, and Serena Williams, at $11 million-plus. Annika Sorenstam, the No. 1 female golfer in the world, is reported to make just more than $5 million. Tiger Woods' deals are estimated at $80 million.
[9/25/05] Michelle Wie is different
[10/5/05] It's official.
[10/16/05] Wie disqualified in first pro tournament for illegal drop
[10/17/05] Rolfing calls disqualification a travesty
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Cody VonAppen is thankful
Eight-and-a-half years ago, vonAppen and his parents saw a fun, happy moment instantly turn to tragedy during a family outing on Kaua'i. And though he barely remembers the details from that day as a 6-year-old, the lesson was ingrained and has given him a perspective many teenagers have yet to appreciate.
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Bob Burke headed to the NBA
After 37 years of coaching, Bob Burke hired by his former player Nate McMillan
Brian Viloria world champion
Brian Viloria wins light flyweight title with first round knockout in Los Angeles
Viloria has a world of options
Viloria has a world of options
Monday, September 05, 2005
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Hawaii wins World Series
Michael Memea hit a homerun to right-center field in the bottom of the seventh inning to lead West O'ahu past Curacao, 7-6, to win Hawai'i's first Little League World Series Championship today at South Williamsport, Pa.
This game will never grow old.
West Oahu Story one for the ages
This game will never grow old.
West Oahu Story one for the ages
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Brian Clay wins world title
Clay, at 5-foot-11 dwarfed by his mammoth opponents, defeated Olympic champion and world record holder Roman Sebrle of the Czech Republic, 8,732 points to 8,521, to win the gold medal in the decathlon, 10 events completed in awful weather over two days at the world track and field championships
Michelle Wie with Dave
Golf phenom Michelle Wie was on top of her game as she went head to head with David Letterman on his show last night, poised, charming and more mature-looking than her 15 years, yet natural and relaxed.
(Note: The following part of the article pertaining to Good Morning America appeared in the print edition and does not appear on the internet. It was apparently written by Gree Kakesako.)
This morning Wie spent four minutes with ABC's Diane Sawyer on "Good Morning America".
Sawyer described Wie as "the great hope for every woman who dreams some day that there will be a woman right there taking on and beathing the men."
Sawyer said she had "to prove" that Wie was "just 15 years old" buy asking her who her heroes were." Presenting Wie with a white T-shirt Saywer asked if she could identify the face.
"Oh yeah," Wie said with a grin, "that's one of my favorites -- Brad Pitt.
"All right, she's 15," Sawyer proclaimed.
Wie was asked what her favorite food was.
Although the telecast's subtitles lited "sushi" along with "hot pink" as her favorite color, Wie responded: "Well, I don't know. This is my first time to New York and I had tried New York pizza. ... It was awesome. I had to get a heavy duty plate because the thing was so huge. It was so good with all that cheese and mushroom."
Noting that she was 6 feet, Sawyer asked: "Are you still growing?"
"No not growing. No more," was Wie's comeback.
Dressed in light sun dress, Wie was asked how she was going to continue balancing her golfing aspirations and her schooling. Wie said: "I have been doing this since forever. I am so used to juggling time and school and golf. When I go back to school (at Punahou) I concentrate on my school. I don't play in any tournaments. School comes first. It's not that hard."
(Note: The following part of the article pertaining to Good Morning America appeared in the print edition and does not appear on the internet. It was apparently written by Gree Kakesako.)
This morning Wie spent four minutes with ABC's Diane Sawyer on "Good Morning America".
Sawyer described Wie as "the great hope for every woman who dreams some day that there will be a woman right there taking on and beathing the men."
Sawyer said she had "to prove" that Wie was "just 15 years old" buy asking her who her heroes were." Presenting Wie with a white T-shirt Saywer asked if she could identify the face.
"Oh yeah," Wie said with a grin, "that's one of my favorites -- Brad Pitt.
"All right, she's 15," Sawyer proclaimed.
Wie was asked what her favorite food was.
Although the telecast's subtitles lited "sushi" along with "hot pink" as her favorite color, Wie responded: "Well, I don't know. This is my first time to New York and I had tried New York pizza. ... It was awesome. I had to get a heavy duty plate because the thing was so huge. It was so good with all that cheese and mushroom."
Noting that she was 6 feet, Sawyer asked: "Are you still growing?"
"No not growing. No more," was Wie's comeback.
Dressed in light sun dress, Wie was asked how she was going to continue balancing her golfing aspirations and her schooling. Wie said: "I have been doing this since forever. I am so used to juggling time and school and golf. When I go back to school (at Punahou) I concentrate on my school. I don't play in any tournaments. School comes first. It's not that hard."
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Jerry Glanville in Hawaii
Glanville to wear floral Hawaiian shirt
Jerry Glanville and June Jones one-on-one
Glanville comes out blitzing
Jerry Glanville, the University of Hawai'i football team's new defensive coordinator, is learning what's in the fine print.
Jerry Glanville settles in
June Jones and Jerry Glanville
Jerry Glanville's promise
Jerry Glanville and June Jones one-on-one
Glanville comes out blitzing
Jerry Glanville, the University of Hawai'i football team's new defensive coordinator, is learning what's in the fine print.
Jerry Glanville settles in
June Jones and Jerry Glanville
Jerry Glanville's promise
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Friday, July 15, 2005
Wie three away from the Masters
Michelle Wie defeats two guys in one day and is one of eight left (out of 156) at the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship.
Wie victims good sports
Wie victims good sports
Saturday, July 09, 2005
Wie falls short at Doral Open
Michelle Wie falls two strokes short of being the first female player in 60 years to make cut at a PGA event.
Will Wie go pro?
Will Wie go pro?
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Milwaukee takes Bogut no. 1 in NBA draft
The top three: Andrew Bogut, Marvin Williams, and Deron Williams.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Punahou no. 4
Sports Illustrated ranks Punahou as the fourth best high school athletic program in the country.
Monday, May 09, 2005
Monday, April 18, 2005
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