NEW YORK -- Blake Griffin was the consensus No. 1 pick. Shaq to the Cavs was the consensus blockbuster.
On a day of head-turning trades around the NBA, the Los Angeles Clippers started Thursday night's draft with the obvious choice: Griffin, the only player considered a sure thing in a class full of question marks.
Griffin was the consensus college player of the year after leading the nation with 14.4 rebounds per game while averaging 22.7 points last season for Oklahoma. The Clippers said they would take the forward with the top pick just hours after they won the draft lottery last month, and never considered changing their minds.
"The fact is we're getting an incredible player, incredible person, an impeccable work ethic and a guy that we plan on having in L.A. for many years to come," Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said. "He's going to be a great, exciting fit for our ballclub."
The draft followed a day of big trades in the NBA.
The deal that sent Shaquille O'Neal to play alongside LeBron James in Cleveland was completed earlier Thursday, and Eastern Conference champion Orlando acquired Vince Carter from the Nets in a swap completed shortly before the first pick was made.
San Antonio landed Richard Jefferson from Milwaukee on Tuesday, and more big names could be available this summer as teams are forced to slash payroll. The best way to improve quickly this year was through trades, because the draft was considered weaker than in recent years.
It lacked the star power of 2007, when Greg Oden and Kevin Durant battled it out for top pick honors, or when Derrick Rose beat out Michael Beasley last year.
There was no debate this time. Dunleavy announced the Clippers' intentions shortly after his team's surprising lottery win, and they began a marketing campaign featuring the forward the next day.
The Clippers are hoping Griffin turns out better than their last No. 1 overall pick. They opened the 1998 draft by taking center Michael Olowokandi, a bust who is out of the league.
"Hopefully I can bring something they don't have," Griffin said. "I know they have a lot of great players but at the same time I'm excited about the opportunity and hopefully I can bring something to the table that they don't have or maybe they need."
The Memphis Grizzlies then grabbed Connecticut center Hasheem Thabeet, a dominant rebounder and shot blocker who doesn't have strong offensive skills.
After the two big men, the rest of the first round was dominated by guards, with at least 10 players selected who could play the point. Seven guards went in the first 10 selections.
The Minnesota Timberwolves took two of them with the fifth and sixth picks. They snapped up Spanish teenager Ricky Rubio at No. 5, a pick they acquired from Washington earlier this week, before going for Syracuse's Jonny Flynn with the next pick.
It was thought Rubio might go as high as No. 2, but that never worked out for Memphis. Instead the Grizzlies went with Thabeet, the 7-foot-3 native of Tanzania who switched from soccer to basketball just a few years ago. He has rapidly developed his defensive skills, but still has work to go on the other end.
"The whole season I spent working on my offense and working with so many different people, and to me this is a great opportunity to come out here and go play," Thabeet said.
Rubio has to pay a multimillion dollar buyout to his Spanish club team to get out of his contract, and he said Wednesday his mother doesn't like cold weather. So he sounded lukewarm about heading to Minneapolis.
"I have to think about that, because I'm just three minutes from a Timberwolves player," he said. "So I'm going to talk with my agent about that and we are going to see."
Oklahoma City took high-scoring Arizona State guard James Harden with the No. 3 pick and Sacramento followed by drafting Memphis freshman Tyreke Evans -- who like Griffin was wearing a purple tie. So was Stephen Curry, the NCAA scoring leader from Davidson who went at No. 7 to Golden State.
Jordan Hill (New York), Demar DeRozan (Toronto) and Brandon Jennings (Milwaukee) rounded out the top 10, but Jennings didn't come out to don his Bucks hat and shake hands with commissioner David Stern. His agent, Bill Duffy, released a statement earlier Thursday saying he had advised Jennings and his family not to attend the draft and wait in the green room because he was unsure of his client's draft position.
However, Jennings -- the point guard who skipped college to spend a year playing in Europe -- came out from behind the stage, wearing the Milwaukee cap, to greet Stern and wave to the fans after the 14th pick was announced.
A run of forwards followed before Philadelphia grabbed another point guard, UCLA's Jrue Holiday, who was considered a top 10 pick but tumbled to No. 17. Minnesota followed with its third point guard of the draft, Ty Lawson of national champion North Carolina -- though he appeared headed to the Denver Nuggets in yet another deal. Atlanta grabbed still another playmaker, Wake Forest's Jeff Teague, at No. 19. Utah kept up the run by selecting Eric Maynor from Virginia Commonwealth.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Shaq to join LeBron
In their latest effort to keep LeBron James in the fold, the Cavaliers have landed Shaquille O'Neal from the Suns in the revival of a deal they tried to make back in February.
According to various reports, O'Neal is going to Cleveland in exchange for the same package proposed at last season's trading deadline. The Cavs are sending Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic and a second-round pick in tonight's draft to the Suns. The deal was reached in principle late last night and is expected to be finalized today.
According to various reports, O'Neal is going to Cleveland in exchange for the same package proposed at last season's trading deadline. The Cavs are sending Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic and a second-round pick in tonight's draft to the Suns. The deal was reached in principle late last night and is expected to be finalized today.
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Strasburg top pick
The Washington Nationals have selected pitcher Stephen Strasburg with the first pick in baseball's amateur draft.
Considered one of the most talented prospects in the event's 45-year history, Strasburg went 13-1 with a 1.32 ERA this season for San Diego State, leading the Aztecs to their first postseason berth since 1991.
Featuring a fastball that has been clocked at 102 mph, Strasburg led Division I pitchers with 195 strikeouts in 109 innings. He was the only amateur on the U.S. Olympic baseball team that won a bronze medal last summer.
Signing the right-hander could be a challenge for the Nationals, however, because agent Scott Boras is sure to seek a record contract.
* * *
[8/18/09] WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Nationals knew they needed to sign No. 1 overall draft pick Stephen Strasburg, and they did.
They needed him because of his pitching talent, his 100 mph fastballs and knee-buckling breaking balls. They needed him to ramp up the remaking of a last-place team on pace for a second consecutive 100-loss season. And they needed him to create a good vibe around a team that's suffered sagging attendance at a new stadium and all manner of bad publicity.
The easy part was drafting Strasburg in June. The hard part was getting him to agree to a contract by the deadline of midnight as Monday turned to Tuesday.
Washington got it done, agreeing with Strasburg on a record-breaking contract worth $15.1 million over four years. The struggling team and the hard-throwing right-hander resolved everything at "11:58 and 43 seconds," Nationals president Stan Kasten said.
"People thought it would take to the last minute," Kasten said, smiling. "We didn't even need that last minute."
Considered one of the most talented prospects in the event's 45-year history, Strasburg went 13-1 with a 1.32 ERA this season for San Diego State, leading the Aztecs to their first postseason berth since 1991.
Featuring a fastball that has been clocked at 102 mph, Strasburg led Division I pitchers with 195 strikeouts in 109 innings. He was the only amateur on the U.S. Olympic baseball team that won a bronze medal last summer.
Signing the right-hander could be a challenge for the Nationals, however, because agent Scott Boras is sure to seek a record contract.
* * *
[8/18/09] WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Nationals knew they needed to sign No. 1 overall draft pick Stephen Strasburg, and they did.
They needed him because of his pitching talent, his 100 mph fastballs and knee-buckling breaking balls. They needed him to ramp up the remaking of a last-place team on pace for a second consecutive 100-loss season. And they needed him to create a good vibe around a team that's suffered sagging attendance at a new stadium and all manner of bad publicity.
The easy part was drafting Strasburg in June. The hard part was getting him to agree to a contract by the deadline of midnight as Monday turned to Tuesday.
Washington got it done, agreeing with Strasburg on a record-breaking contract worth $15.1 million over four years. The struggling team and the hard-throwing right-hander resolved everything at "11:58 and 43 seconds," Nationals president Stan Kasten said.
"People thought it would take to the last minute," Kasten said, smiling. "We didn't even need that last minute."
Friday, June 05, 2009
Randy Johnson wins 300th
The emotions finally flowed for Randy Johnson when the final out was made.
A hug for his son, who was serving as batboy. Hugs for every teammate, plus a really big one for his manager. The game ball presented to his wife as his three daughters beamed with pride. A news conference that lasted a half-hour from a player who usually doesn't have much to say. Someone even spotted a smile.
The Big Unit admits he can come across as surly, and he did his best over the past few weeks to downplay his pursuit of 300 wins. Once he got there -- with a steady, six-inning performance in the San Francisco Giants' 5-1 victory over the Washington Nationals in the opener of a doubleheader Thursday -- he was free to express that, yes, it really is a big deal.
"I think it kind of hit me when I walked on the field," Johnson said. "It's a long-range achievement. It's not a one-game or a one-year achievement, it's a career achievement. Who knows how many teammates I've had over my 21 years, but they had a great deal to do with my success. I'm going to think about this for a long time."
A hug for his son, who was serving as batboy. Hugs for every teammate, plus a really big one for his manager. The game ball presented to his wife as his three daughters beamed with pride. A news conference that lasted a half-hour from a player who usually doesn't have much to say. Someone even spotted a smile.
The Big Unit admits he can come across as surly, and he did his best over the past few weeks to downplay his pursuit of 300 wins. Once he got there -- with a steady, six-inning performance in the San Francisco Giants' 5-1 victory over the Washington Nationals in the opener of a doubleheader Thursday -- he was free to express that, yes, it really is a big deal.
"I think it kind of hit me when I walked on the field," Johnson said. "It's a long-range achievement. It's not a one-game or a one-year achievement, it's a career achievement. Who knows how many teammates I've had over my 21 years, but they had a great deal to do with my success. I'm going to think about this for a long time."
Monday, June 01, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
New Wahine Basketball Coach
Former University of Hawai‘i women’s basketball player and assistant Dana Takahara-Dias has been selected as the school’s new head women’s basketball coach, athletics director Jim Donovan announced Thursday at a press conference in the Ed Wong Hospitality Room.
Takahara-Dias, a four-year UH letterwinner from 1984-88, is the program’s seventh head coach since becoming a varsity sport in 1974 and first woman head coach since Patsy Dung (1974-79).
“It is with great pleasure that I announce former Rainbow Wahine Dana Takahara-Dias as our new women’s basketball coach,” Donovan said. “She is a Rainbow Wahine at heart. She began as a walk-on in 1984, earned a scholarship, graduated from UH, and came back as an administrative assistant on former coach Vince Goo’s staff. She later went on to a successful high school coaching career at Moanalua and with Team Aloha and has honed her leadership skills with the City & County of Honolulu. She’s come back to the UH ‘ohana and will be a true role model for the young women of Hawai‘i.”
* * *
The days are like a whirlwind this summer for Dana Takahara-Dias. Often up before dawn and working until late into the night, she says it’s a balancing act, and she’s running on adrenaline.
“What is sleep?” she laughs.
* * *
New University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Wahine basketball head coach Dana Takahara-Dias knows you know her weaknesses.
She openly talks about her lack of college coaching experience. She concedes that she’s never been on the recruiting trail, trying to sell UH to 18-year-old high school basketball stars looking for the name recognition of a powerhouse program. She acknowledges she hasn’t been a full-time coach at any level in five years, most recently heading the Moanalua and Aloha All-Star high school teams.
But what Takahara-Dias lacks in experience, she makes up for in her unique familiarity with the Wahine basketball program and its history, her understanding of the complexities of the local community and her limitless energy and boundless enthusiasm for the promise and potential of UH hoops.
Takahara-Dias, a four-year UH letterwinner from 1984-88, is the program’s seventh head coach since becoming a varsity sport in 1974 and first woman head coach since Patsy Dung (1974-79).
“It is with great pleasure that I announce former Rainbow Wahine Dana Takahara-Dias as our new women’s basketball coach,” Donovan said. “She is a Rainbow Wahine at heart. She began as a walk-on in 1984, earned a scholarship, graduated from UH, and came back as an administrative assistant on former coach Vince Goo’s staff. She later went on to a successful high school coaching career at Moanalua and with Team Aloha and has honed her leadership skills with the City & County of Honolulu. She’s come back to the UH ‘ohana and will be a true role model for the young women of Hawai‘i.”
* * *
The days are like a whirlwind this summer for Dana Takahara-Dias. Often up before dawn and working until late into the night, she says it’s a balancing act, and she’s running on adrenaline.
“What is sleep?” she laughs.
* * *
New University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Wahine basketball head coach Dana Takahara-Dias knows you know her weaknesses.
She openly talks about her lack of college coaching experience. She concedes that she’s never been on the recruiting trail, trying to sell UH to 18-year-old high school basketball stars looking for the name recognition of a powerhouse program. She acknowledges she hasn’t been a full-time coach at any level in five years, most recently heading the Moanalua and Aloha All-Star high school teams.
But what Takahara-Dias lacks in experience, she makes up for in her unique familiarity with the Wahine basketball program and its history, her understanding of the complexities of the local community and her limitless energy and boundless enthusiasm for the promise and potential of UH hoops.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Machida defeats Evans to win title
Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida stopped Rashad Evans at 3:57 of the second round to win the light heavyweight title at UFC 98 on Saturday night.
Machida landed a barrage of punches that sent Evans reeling up against the cage and finished him off with a left hand that folded Evans backwards onto the canvas.
"I've tried all my life to become a champion and I am very, very happy," a jubilant Machida said. "Now I'm going to keep this belt for a long time."
The light heavyweight title has now changed hands four times in the last five title bouts.
In the co-main event earlier, Matt Hughes won a unanimous decision against Matt Serra in a matchup of former welterweight champions.
Serra took the advantage early on, flooring Hughes with strikes in the first round. Hughes was able to fight back utilizing his superior wrestling ability and controlled the final two rounds with all three judges scoring the fight 29-28.
The two embraced after the fight and seemed to put the bad blood behind them.
The fighters developed a heated rivalry while coaching opposing teams on "The Ultimate Fighter" reality show and were scheduled to meet at UFC 79 in December 2007 when Serra pulled out of the bout due to injury.
When asked what his plans for the future were, Hughes said," I'm still motivated to compete so we'll see what happens. I'd like to fight in my home area."
Machida landed a barrage of punches that sent Evans reeling up against the cage and finished him off with a left hand that folded Evans backwards onto the canvas.
"I've tried all my life to become a champion and I am very, very happy," a jubilant Machida said. "Now I'm going to keep this belt for a long time."
The light heavyweight title has now changed hands four times in the last five title bouts.
In the co-main event earlier, Matt Hughes won a unanimous decision against Matt Serra in a matchup of former welterweight champions.
Serra took the advantage early on, flooring Hughes with strikes in the first round. Hughes was able to fight back utilizing his superior wrestling ability and controlled the final two rounds with all three judges scoring the fight 29-28.
The two embraced after the fight and seemed to put the bad blood behind them.
The fighters developed a heated rivalry while coaching opposing teams on "The Ultimate Fighter" reality show and were scheduled to meet at UFC 79 in December 2007 when Serra pulled out of the bout due to injury.
When asked what his plans for the future were, Hughes said," I'm still motivated to compete so we'll see what happens. I'd like to fight in my home area."
Thursday, April 16, 2009
John Madden retires
NEW YORK (AP) — John Madden is retiring from football announcing, where his enthusiastic, down-to-earth style made him one of sports' most popular broadcasters for three decades. The Hall of Fame coach spent the last three seasons on NBC's "Sunday Night Football." His final telecast was the Super Bowl in February.
"You know at some point you have to do this — I got to that point," Madden said on his Bay Area radio show Thursday. "The thing that made it hard is not because I'm second guessing, 'is it the right decision?' But I enjoyed it so damn much.
"I enjoyed the game and the players and the coaches and the film and the travel and everything."
Cris Collinsworth will replace Madden, moving over from the network's studio show, NBC Sports chief Dick Ebersol said. Collinsworth filled in when Madden took a game off last October.
Ebersol called Madden "absolutely the best sports broadcaster who ever lived."
Madden said his health is fine, but at the age of 73, he wanted to spend more time with his family. His 50th wedding anniversary is this fall, and his five grandchildren are old enough to notice when he's gone.
"You know at some point you have to do this — I got to that point," Madden said on his Bay Area radio show Thursday. "The thing that made it hard is not because I'm second guessing, 'is it the right decision?' But I enjoyed it so damn much.
"I enjoyed the game and the players and the coaches and the film and the travel and everything."
Cris Collinsworth will replace Madden, moving over from the network's studio show, NBC Sports chief Dick Ebersol said. Collinsworth filled in when Madden took a game off last October.
Ebersol called Madden "absolutely the best sports broadcaster who ever lived."
Madden said his health is fine, but at the age of 73, he wanted to spend more time with his family. His 50th wedding anniversary is this fall, and his five grandchildren are old enough to notice when he's gone.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Les Keiter
Les Keiter, who served as the voice of Hawai'i and national sporting events for more than a half century, died today. He was 89.
Keiter achieved national and local prominence for his booming play-by-play accompanied by folksy catchphrases.
KHON2 news anchor Joe Moore nicknamed Keiter the "General" after a character he played in a "Hawai'i Five-0" episode.
It was a fitting description for an announcer who commanded widespread respect.
"Everybody looked up to Les," said Riley Wallace, a former University of Hawai'i basketball coach. He was old school. He reported only the facts of the game. He always was a friend — to coaches, players, and the fans. He'll be missed."
Long-time Hawai'i sportscaster Jim Leahey said: "He was a terrific guy. He always called you 'Kid.' Even though he was getting aged, his voice was still strong. And his mind was sharp as a tack."
Keiter started his broadcasting career in Hawai'i after World War II, then went on to a successful career in Philadelphia and New York.
He was the voice of Philaelphia's Big-Five college basketball. He also covered major boxing matches, including championship bouts featuring Muhammad Ali, Floyd Patterson and Sonny Liston.
After the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants relocated to California in the late 1950s, Keiter was hired to do recreated broadcasts of their games for New York baseball fans.
His broadcasts were peppered with pet phrases:
"In-again, out-again, Finnigan."
"Ring-tail howitzer."
"Tickle the twine."
"Back, back, back ... Boom! Off the wall."
"They're wearing their batting clothes tonight."
Leahey said: "We could be here a long time remembering his sayings he used to enliven his broadcasts. When you had the drudgery of recreation, you had to create a whole new world and invite people in."
Keiter returned to Hawai'i in the early 1970s, where he served as voice of the Hawai'i Islanders and UH sports.
He teammed with Moore to launch KHON atop the local news ratings.
Keiter's autobiography, "50 Years Behind the Microphone," is in the baseball Hall of Fame.
Keiter's death comes a day after Harry Kalas died. Both began their broadcast careers in Hawai'i and both became popular sportscasters in Philadelphia.
In 1982, both were hired to announce the first Aloha Bowl.
Lenny Klompus, the senior communcations advisor to Gov. Linda Lingle, was the executive director of the Aloha Bowl.
The deaths of Keiter and Kalas, Klompus said, "remind me of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both passing away on July 4 of the same year. Maybe they're calling a game upstairs. I feel like I lost brothers today."
By Stephen Tsai
We’ll miss The General -- by Dave Reardon
Les Keiter remembered
Bill Kwon remembers The General
Ron Mizutani remembers his mentor
***
[6/10/18] Recreating Keiter
Keiter achieved national and local prominence for his booming play-by-play accompanied by folksy catchphrases.
KHON2 news anchor Joe Moore nicknamed Keiter the "General" after a character he played in a "Hawai'i Five-0" episode.
It was a fitting description for an announcer who commanded widespread respect.
"Everybody looked up to Les," said Riley Wallace, a former University of Hawai'i basketball coach. He was old school. He reported only the facts of the game. He always was a friend — to coaches, players, and the fans. He'll be missed."
Long-time Hawai'i sportscaster Jim Leahey said: "He was a terrific guy. He always called you 'Kid.' Even though he was getting aged, his voice was still strong. And his mind was sharp as a tack."
Keiter started his broadcasting career in Hawai'i after World War II, then went on to a successful career in Philadelphia and New York.
He was the voice of Philaelphia's Big-Five college basketball. He also covered major boxing matches, including championship bouts featuring Muhammad Ali, Floyd Patterson and Sonny Liston.
After the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants relocated to California in the late 1950s, Keiter was hired to do recreated broadcasts of their games for New York baseball fans.
His broadcasts were peppered with pet phrases:
"In-again, out-again, Finnigan."
"Ring-tail howitzer."
"Tickle the twine."
"Back, back, back ... Boom! Off the wall."
"They're wearing their batting clothes tonight."
Leahey said: "We could be here a long time remembering his sayings he used to enliven his broadcasts. When you had the drudgery of recreation, you had to create a whole new world and invite people in."
Keiter returned to Hawai'i in the early 1970s, where he served as voice of the Hawai'i Islanders and UH sports.
He teammed with Moore to launch KHON atop the local news ratings.
Keiter's autobiography, "50 Years Behind the Microphone," is in the baseball Hall of Fame.
Keiter's death comes a day after Harry Kalas died. Both began their broadcast careers in Hawai'i and both became popular sportscasters in Philadelphia.
In 1982, both were hired to announce the first Aloha Bowl.
Lenny Klompus, the senior communcations advisor to Gov. Linda Lingle, was the executive director of the Aloha Bowl.
The deaths of Keiter and Kalas, Klompus said, "remind me of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both passing away on July 4 of the same year. Maybe they're calling a game upstairs. I feel like I lost brothers today."
By Stephen Tsai
We’ll miss The General -- by Dave Reardon
Les Keiter remembered
Bill Kwon remembers The General
Ron Mizutani remembers his mentor
***
[6/10/18] Recreating Keiter
Aloha Harry Kalas
Harry Kalas died today.
You’ve heard his voice.
If you’re a youngster, you know it from NFL Films and the Chunky Soup commercials.
If you’re from Philadelphia, you know it because he was the longtime voice of the 2008 World Champs.
If you work at the Star-Bulletin, you’ve heard Jerry Campany’s impersonation of Kalas’ staccato baritone “Outta .. Here … Home Run … ” anytime one of his fantasy players knocked one out of the park.
But if you’re a Hawaii sports fan in your late 50s or older, you and Harry Kalas go way back, to the early 1960s when Kalas was the Islanders’ first play-by-pay guy. Before Al Michaels, before Hank Greenwald, before Les Keiter even. His success also helped pave the way for guys of the next generation, like Larry Biel and Neal Everett. Hawaii became a cradle for sportscasting greatness, with Kalas among the pioneers.
Kalas also did high school and UH games while here, and always got the local names right.
I’m a little too young to remember Kalas (I was born the same year as the Islanders, 1961), but everyone I know who knew him said he was a great guy … and they said it before he died, and no one talked stink about him, as often happens in the sports media business that is often cursed with over-inflated egos and petty professional jealousy.
His death today (on the job, by the way) is clearly a huge loss to baseball and football. And he will be missed by many sports fans in Hawaii.
-– By Dave Reardon
You’ve heard his voice.
If you’re a youngster, you know it from NFL Films and the Chunky Soup commercials.
If you’re from Philadelphia, you know it because he was the longtime voice of the 2008 World Champs.
If you work at the Star-Bulletin, you’ve heard Jerry Campany’s impersonation of Kalas’ staccato baritone “Outta .. Here … Home Run … ” anytime one of his fantasy players knocked one out of the park.
But if you’re a Hawaii sports fan in your late 50s or older, you and Harry Kalas go way back, to the early 1960s when Kalas was the Islanders’ first play-by-pay guy. Before Al Michaels, before Hank Greenwald, before Les Keiter even. His success also helped pave the way for guys of the next generation, like Larry Biel and Neal Everett. Hawaii became a cradle for sportscasting greatness, with Kalas among the pioneers.
Kalas also did high school and UH games while here, and always got the local names right.
I’m a little too young to remember Kalas (I was born the same year as the Islanders, 1961), but everyone I know who knew him said he was a great guy … and they said it before he died, and no one talked stink about him, as often happens in the sports media business that is often cursed with over-inflated egos and petty professional jealousy.
His death today (on the job, by the way) is clearly a huge loss to baseball and football. And he will be missed by many sports fans in Hawaii.
-– By Dave Reardon
Monday, April 13, 2009
Mark Fidrych
BOSTON (AP) — Whether he was dominating hitters or hauling asphalt, Mark Fidrych had fun.
The colorful pitcher talked to baseballs, smoothed the mound with his hands and high-fived teammates in the middle of the diamond. He had one terrific season in 1976, and after injuries curtailed his career — just five years in the majors with the Detroit Tigers — he lived on his farm in Northborough, Mass., where he enjoyed driving his truck and using it for building projects.
On Monday, Fidrych was found dead beneath a 10-wheel dump truck by Joseph Amorello, a friend and owner of a road construction company who sometimes hired Fidrych. He was 54.
"Everybody wanted him on their crew," Amorello said in a telephone interview. "He was a hard worker, but, at the same time, he always had a smile on his face."
The colorful pitcher talked to baseballs, smoothed the mound with his hands and high-fived teammates in the middle of the diamond. He had one terrific season in 1976, and after injuries curtailed his career — just five years in the majors with the Detroit Tigers — he lived on his farm in Northborough, Mass., where he enjoyed driving his truck and using it for building projects.
On Monday, Fidrych was found dead beneath a 10-wheel dump truck by Joseph Amorello, a friend and owner of a road construction company who sometimes hired Fidrych. He was 54.
"Everybody wanted him on their crew," Amorello said in a telephone interview. "He was a hard worker, but, at the same time, he always had a smile on his face."
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Bolla out
Jim Bolla is no longer the coach of the University of Hawaii women’s basketball team, according to a three-paragraph news release issued by athletics director Jim Donovan today.
Bolla, 57, head coach of the Rainbow Wahine the last five years, was on paid leave since Feb. 13 and missed the final nine games of the 2008-09 season after allegations surfaced that he kicked a player during a fall practice.
A university source said a negotiated settlement was in the works for his removal. But Bolla said last night he would file a grievance through his union on any UH decision and declined further comment.
Donovan’s release said a search committee would be formed immediately and UH hopes to have a new coach soon.
Bolla, hired for the 2004-05 season to replace Vince Goo, had two years remaining on his contract at roughly $120,000 per year. Then-athletic director Herman Frazier gave Bolla a four-year extension on his original three-year contract during the summer of 2007.
[4/8/09, posted 4/23/09]
Bolla, 57, head coach of the Rainbow Wahine the last five years, was on paid leave since Feb. 13 and missed the final nine games of the 2008-09 season after allegations surfaced that he kicked a player during a fall practice.
A university source said a negotiated settlement was in the works for his removal. But Bolla said last night he would file a grievance through his union on any UH decision and declined further comment.
Donovan’s release said a search committee would be formed immediately and UH hopes to have a new coach soon.
Bolla, hired for the 2004-05 season to replace Vince Goo, had two years remaining on his contract at roughly $120,000 per year. Then-athletic director Herman Frazier gave Bolla a four-year extension on his original three-year contract during the summer of 2007.
[4/8/09, posted 4/23/09]
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Mugiishi retires
'Iolani boys basketball coach Dr. Mark Mugiishi announced his retirement last night after 20 years of leading the Raiders.
Mugiishi won a record seven state championships (1994, '98, '02, '03, '04, '05 and '06) and compiled an overall record of 463-125.
He also led the team to 10 Interscholastic League of Honolulu titles and 16 state tournament appearances.
"The championships and the wins under Coach Mugiishi are terrific and mean a lot to our school community," 'Iolani headmaster Dr. Val Iwashita said in a news release. "But the lives he has impacted and changed in positive, meaningful ways are his most priceless contribution."
The release stated that Mugiishi, a practicing surgeon at Central Medical Clinic and member of the 'Iolani Board of Governors, stepped down because of increased demands on his time.
"It's been a great run," Mugiishi said. "But at this point, something had to give."
Under Mugiishi, an 'Iolani graduate, the 'Iolani Prep Classic grew into one of the top prep tournaments in the country.
Two of Mugiishi's most notable players were Derrick Low, who went on to play at Washington State, and Bobby Nash, who played at Hawaii.
Mugiishi won a record seven state championships (1994, '98, '02, '03, '04, '05 and '06) and compiled an overall record of 463-125.
He also led the team to 10 Interscholastic League of Honolulu titles and 16 state tournament appearances.
"The championships and the wins under Coach Mugiishi are terrific and mean a lot to our school community," 'Iolani headmaster Dr. Val Iwashita said in a news release. "But the lives he has impacted and changed in positive, meaningful ways are his most priceless contribution."
The release stated that Mugiishi, a practicing surgeon at Central Medical Clinic and member of the 'Iolani Board of Governors, stepped down because of increased demands on his time.
"It's been a great run," Mugiishi said. "But at this point, something had to give."
Under Mugiishi, an 'Iolani graduate, the 'Iolani Prep Classic grew into one of the top prep tournaments in the country.
Two of Mugiishi's most notable players were Derrick Low, who went on to play at Washington State, and Bobby Nash, who played at Hawaii.
Monday, April 06, 2009
Jordan, Stockton, Robinson, Sloan in Hall of Fame
It was only a matter of time, and now Michael Jordan is in the Hall of Fame.
Jordan was elected to the class of 2009 Monday with David Robinson, John Stockton, Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan and Rutgers women's coach C. Vivian Stringer.
The announcement was made in Detroit, site of the men's Final Four. Induction is Sept. 10-12 in Springfield, Mass., home of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Jordan's Hall of Fame selection was a slam dunk after he retired as perhaps the greatest player in history. And he gave much of the credit Monday to his college coach.
"There's no way you guys would have got a chance to see Michael Jordan play without Dean Smith," he said.
His soaring dunks, Nike commercials and "Air Jordan" nickname helped stamp him as one the most recognizable athletes around the world. He finished a 15-year career with the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards with 32,292 points -- the third-highest total in league history, behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone. His final career average of 30.12 goes down as the best, just ahead of Wilt Chamberlain's 30.07.
The five-time NBA MVP won six championships with the Bulls and another in college with North Carolina. The Tar Heels play Michigan State in the national championship game Monday night.
Tar Heels coach Roy Williams was an assistant with Carolina on that 1982 national championship team and was at Monday's induction, where Ty Lawson won the Bob Cousy award, given to the nation's top point guard.
Jordan retired twice during his career. He first came back to the Bulls in 1994 and won three more championships before retiring again in 1998. He then had an ill-fated two-year stint with the Washington Wizards before calling it quits for good in 2003.
Monday, he joked that when he saw Stockton and Robinson he was ready to put his shorts on again.
Jordan won two of his titles in the 1990s against Sloan, Stockton and the Utah Jazz. Stockton spent his entire career with the Jazz and finished with 19,711 points, 15,806 assists and 3,265 steals. He also holds NBA records for most assists in a season (1,164 in 1990-91) and highest assist average in a season (14.5 in 1989-90).
"Growing up I never thought about the Hall of Fame," he said. "All I wanted was a chance to go to college."
Utah took Stockton in the first round of the 1984 draft, using the No. 16 pick on a relatively unknown player from Gonzaga who became one of the top point guards.
"I haven't given this much thought over the course of a lifetime," he said. "I'm not sure it quite strikes home until you're standing here."
Robinson, who earned the nickname "The Admiral" from his college career at Navy, joined Stockton and Jordan as members of the NBA's 50th anniversary team.
He had a stellar 14-year career with the San Antonio Spurs that included two NBA championships, an MVP season, a rookie of the year award, 10 All-Star selections, a scoring title and two Olympic gold medals.
Robinson, too, credited his coaches over the years who "kicked me when I need to be kicked and hugged me when I needed to be hugged."
Sloan, who did not attend the ceremony, is the longest tenured head coach in major league sports with a single franchise. A two-time All-Star during his playing days with the Bulls, Sloan is the only NBA coach to win more than 1,000 games with a single team. He has the Jazz in seventh place in the Western Conference standings going into Monday night's games.
Stringer has led three separate teams to the Final Four in her 38-year career and has an 825-280 mark spanning four decades. She trails only Pat Summitt and Jody Conradt on the victories list. Stringer guided Rutgers to its fifth straight regional semifinals trip this season.
"My knees are weak, and to think I would be standing here with these great, great, men of basketball," Stringer said. "It's not ever about me. It's about the players who all make it happen."
Jordan was elected to the class of 2009 Monday with David Robinson, John Stockton, Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan and Rutgers women's coach C. Vivian Stringer.
The announcement was made in Detroit, site of the men's Final Four. Induction is Sept. 10-12 in Springfield, Mass., home of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Jordan's Hall of Fame selection was a slam dunk after he retired as perhaps the greatest player in history. And he gave much of the credit Monday to his college coach.
"There's no way you guys would have got a chance to see Michael Jordan play without Dean Smith," he said.
His soaring dunks, Nike commercials and "Air Jordan" nickname helped stamp him as one the most recognizable athletes around the world. He finished a 15-year career with the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards with 32,292 points -- the third-highest total in league history, behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone. His final career average of 30.12 goes down as the best, just ahead of Wilt Chamberlain's 30.07.
The five-time NBA MVP won six championships with the Bulls and another in college with North Carolina. The Tar Heels play Michigan State in the national championship game Monday night.
Tar Heels coach Roy Williams was an assistant with Carolina on that 1982 national championship team and was at Monday's induction, where Ty Lawson won the Bob Cousy award, given to the nation's top point guard.
Jordan retired twice during his career. He first came back to the Bulls in 1994 and won three more championships before retiring again in 1998. He then had an ill-fated two-year stint with the Washington Wizards before calling it quits for good in 2003.
Monday, he joked that when he saw Stockton and Robinson he was ready to put his shorts on again.
Jordan won two of his titles in the 1990s against Sloan, Stockton and the Utah Jazz. Stockton spent his entire career with the Jazz and finished with 19,711 points, 15,806 assists and 3,265 steals. He also holds NBA records for most assists in a season (1,164 in 1990-91) and highest assist average in a season (14.5 in 1989-90).
"Growing up I never thought about the Hall of Fame," he said. "All I wanted was a chance to go to college."
Utah took Stockton in the first round of the 1984 draft, using the No. 16 pick on a relatively unknown player from Gonzaga who became one of the top point guards.
"I haven't given this much thought over the course of a lifetime," he said. "I'm not sure it quite strikes home until you're standing here."
Robinson, who earned the nickname "The Admiral" from his college career at Navy, joined Stockton and Jordan as members of the NBA's 50th anniversary team.
He had a stellar 14-year career with the San Antonio Spurs that included two NBA championships, an MVP season, a rookie of the year award, 10 All-Star selections, a scoring title and two Olympic gold medals.
Robinson, too, credited his coaches over the years who "kicked me when I need to be kicked and hugged me when I needed to be hugged."
Sloan, who did not attend the ceremony, is the longest tenured head coach in major league sports with a single franchise. A two-time All-Star during his playing days with the Bulls, Sloan is the only NBA coach to win more than 1,000 games with a single team. He has the Jazz in seventh place in the Western Conference standings going into Monday night's games.
Stringer has led three separate teams to the Final Four in her 38-year career and has an 825-280 mark spanning four decades. She trails only Pat Summitt and Jody Conradt on the victories list. Stringer guided Rutgers to its fifth straight regional semifinals trip this season.
"My knees are weak, and to think I would be standing here with these great, great, men of basketball," Stringer said. "It's not ever about me. It's about the players who all make it happen."
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Brandon Knight named Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., March 31, 2009 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ ----In its third decade of honoring the nation's best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in partnership with ESPN RISE, today announced junior point guard Brandon Knight of Pine Crest School (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) as its 2008-09 Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Knight is the first student-athlete from the state of Florida to win Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year honors.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes Knight as the nation's best high school boys basketball player. A national advisory board comprised of sportswriters and sport-specific experts from around the country helped select Knight from more than 552,000 high school boys basketball players nationwide. Knight is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year Award, to be presented at a special afternoon ceremony prior to The ESPY Awards in July.
The 6-foot-3, 175-pound junior point guard led the Panthers to their second consecutive Class 3A state title, averaging 31.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists and three steals per game this season. Knight scored 27 points, pulled down nine rebounds and dished four assists in a 60-44 win over Jones High in the state final. A two-time First Team All-State selection and the Panhandle Sports Broadcasting 2009 Class 3A Tournament MVP, Knight shattered his own school single-season record by more than 200 points, finishing with 968 points this winter. He also set a school record by sinking 127 three-pointers, shooting 41 percent from beyond the arc. Knight committed only 63 turnovers in 864 minutes-played this past season.
Ranked as the No. 5 recruit in the class of 2010 on the ESPNU Super 60 and the No. 2 recruit in his class as rated by Rivals.com, Knight holds the following school records: points in a game (55); career points (2,589); career assists (594); single-season points (968); career 3-pointers (259); single-season 3-pointers (127); single-game assists (16) and single-season free throw percentage (81). A varsity player since eighth grade, he has pulled down more than 900 career rebounds.
Knight will begin his senior year of high school this fall. He becomes just the 11th high school junior (of 204 honorees) to win Gatorade National Player of the Year honors in any sport, joining LeBron James (2001-02 & 2002-03/Boys Basketball/Akron, OH), Greg Oden (2004-05 & 2005-06/Boys Basketball/Indianapolis, IN), Candace Parker (2002-03 & 2003-04/Girls Basketball/Naperville, IL), Matt Barkley (2007-08/Football/Santa Ana, CA), Kenzie Fowler (2007-08/Softball/Tucson, AZ), Ashley Brasovan (2007-08/Girls Cross Country/Wellington, FL), Melissa Henderson (2006-07/Girls Soccer/Richardson, TX), Marion Jones (1990-91, 1991-92 & 1992-93/Girls Track & Field/Thousand Oaks, CA), Bianca Knight (2005-06/Girls Track & Field/Ridgeland, MS) and Cynthia Barboza (2003-04 & 2004-05/Volleyball/Long Beach, CA).
For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information and lists of past winners and future announcement dates, visit gatorade.com/playeroftheyear.
ALL-TIME GATORADE NATIONAL BOYS PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
SOURCE Gatorade
Copyright (C: 2.65, 0.13, 5.16%) 2009 PR Newswire. All rights reserved
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes Knight as the nation's best high school boys basketball player. A national advisory board comprised of sportswriters and sport-specific experts from around the country helped select Knight from more than 552,000 high school boys basketball players nationwide. Knight is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year Award, to be presented at a special afternoon ceremony prior to The ESPY Awards in July.
The 6-foot-3, 175-pound junior point guard led the Panthers to their second consecutive Class 3A state title, averaging 31.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists and three steals per game this season. Knight scored 27 points, pulled down nine rebounds and dished four assists in a 60-44 win over Jones High in the state final. A two-time First Team All-State selection and the Panhandle Sports Broadcasting 2009 Class 3A Tournament MVP, Knight shattered his own school single-season record by more than 200 points, finishing with 968 points this winter. He also set a school record by sinking 127 three-pointers, shooting 41 percent from beyond the arc. Knight committed only 63 turnovers in 864 minutes-played this past season.
Ranked as the No. 5 recruit in the class of 2010 on the ESPNU Super 60 and the No. 2 recruit in his class as rated by Rivals.com, Knight holds the following school records: points in a game (55); career points (2,589); career assists (594); single-season points (968); career 3-pointers (259); single-season 3-pointers (127); single-game assists (16) and single-season free throw percentage (81). A varsity player since eighth grade, he has pulled down more than 900 career rebounds.
Knight will begin his senior year of high school this fall. He becomes just the 11th high school junior (of 204 honorees) to win Gatorade National Player of the Year honors in any sport, joining LeBron James (2001-02 & 2002-03/Boys Basketball/Akron, OH), Greg Oden (2004-05 & 2005-06/Boys Basketball/Indianapolis, IN), Candace Parker (2002-03 & 2003-04/Girls Basketball/Naperville, IL), Matt Barkley (2007-08/Football/Santa Ana, CA), Kenzie Fowler (2007-08/Softball/Tucson, AZ), Ashley Brasovan (2007-08/Girls Cross Country/Wellington, FL), Melissa Henderson (2006-07/Girls Soccer/Richardson, TX), Marion Jones (1990-91, 1991-92 & 1992-93/Girls Track & Field/Thousand Oaks, CA), Bianca Knight (2005-06/Girls Track & Field/Ridgeland, MS) and Cynthia Barboza (2003-04 & 2004-05/Volleyball/Long Beach, CA).
For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information and lists of past winners and future announcement dates, visit gatorade.com/playeroftheyear.
ALL-TIME GATORADE NATIONAL BOYS PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Year Name High School Status
2008-09 Brandon Knight Pine Crest School/ High School
Fort Lauderdale, FL Senior
2007-08 Jrue Holiday Campbell Hall/ UCLA
North Hollywood, CA
2006-07 Kevin Love Lake Oswego/ Minnesota
Lake Oswego, OR Timberwolves
2005-06 Greg Oden Lawrence North/ Portland
Indianapolis, IN Trail Blazers
2004-05 Greg Oden Lawrence North/ Portland
Indianapolis, IN Trail Blazers
2003-04 Dwight Howard SW Atlanta Christian Orlando Magic
Academy/Atlanta, GA
2002-03 LeBron James St. Vincent-St. Mary Cleveland
Akron, OH Cavaliers
2001-02 LeBron James St. Vincent-St. Mary Cleveland
Akron, OH Cavaliers
2000-01 Kelvin Torbert Northwestern Edison Michigan St.
Flint, MI Univ. Grad.
1999-00 Jared Jeffries North New York
Bloomington, IN Knicks
1998-99 LaVell Blanchard Pioneer Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI Grad.
1997-98 Al Harrington St. Patrick/ New York
Elizabeth, NJ Knicks
1996-97 Baron Davis Crossroads/ Los Angeles
Santa Monica, CA Clippers
1995-96 Kobe Bryant Lower Merion/ Los Angeles
Ardmore, PA Lakers
1994-95 Stephon Marbury Abraham Lincoln/ Boston
Brooklyn, NY Celtics
1993-94 Felipe Lopez Rice/New York, NY Gaiteros del
Zulia
1992-93 Randy Livingston Isidore Newman/ Retired from
New Orleans, LA NBA
1991-92 Corliss Russellville/ Retired from
Williamson Russellville, AR NBA
1990-91 Chris Webber Detroit County Day/ Retired from
Birmingham, MI NBA
1989-90 Damon Bailey Bedford No. Lawrence Retired from
Bedford, IN NBA
1988-89 Kenny Anderson Archbishop Molloy/ Retired from
Jamaica, NY NBA
1987-88 Alonzo Mourning Indian River/ Retired from
Chesapeake, VA NBA
1986-87 LaBradford Smith Bay City/ Retired from
Bay City, TX NBA
1985-86 J.R. Reid Kempsville/ Retired from
Virginia Beach, VA NBA
SOURCE Gatorade
Copyright (C: 2.65, 0.13, 5.16%) 2009 PR Newswire. All rights reserved
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Griffin, Hansbrough top All-American team
Blake Griffin and Tyler Hansbrough spent a lot of time together on the court last weekend and were back together Monday as the top vote-getters on The Associated Press' All-America team.
Griffin, the sophomore forward from Oklahoma who led the nation in rebounding, was the only unanimous selection for the team. Hansbrough, the consensus player of the year last season as a junior, repeated as a first-teamer the day after his Tar Heels beat the Sooners 72-60 to advance to the Final Four.
Joining them on the team were players from schools with little All-America history, sophomores DeJuan Blair of Pittsburgh, James Harden of Arizona State and junior Stephen Curry of Davidson.
Griffin, who averaged 21 points and 14.3 rebounds while shooting 63.5 percent from the field, became college basketball's image for toughness when he returned from a concussion only to drive headlong onto the scorer's table.
He received 71 first-team votes and 335 points from the same national media panel that selects the weekly Top 25. Balloting was done before the NCAA tournament.
Hansbrough, a unanimous pick last season along with Kansas State's Michael Beasley, got 50 first-team votes and 304 points. This is the fourth straight season the 6-foot-9 forward received All-America recognition. He was a third-team pick as a freshman and was on the second team after his sophomore season.
Blair is Pittsburgh's second first-teamer, joining Don Hennon in 1958. Curry, who led the nation in scoring, is Davidson's second as well. Fred Hetzel was Davidson's first first-teamer in 1965.
Harden is Arizona State's first AP All-America.
Griffin, the Big 12 player of the year, is the third Oklahoma player to be selected and the first since Stacey King in 1989. Wayman Tisdale of the Sooners was a three-time All-America from 1983-85.
"When Coach [Jeff] Capel started recruiting me, he talked to me a lot about changing the culture of this program and getting it back to a place where guys like Wayman Tisdale and Stacey King and those guys came to play," said Griffin, a native of Oklahoma City. "It's definitely an honor."
Hansbrough, who is in his second straight Final Four with the Tar Heels, is the third North Carolina player to repeat. He joins Phil Ford (1977-78) and Michael Jordan (1983-84).
"Those are some of my favorite Carolina players. To be up there with them -- that's special," Hansbrough said. "I never dreamed of that when I came here."
Blair, who was third in the voting with 294 points, averaged 15.6 points and 12.2 rebounds, was the only postseason All-America player not to be on the preseason team. One of the best offensive rebounders in recent years, Blair became a fan favorite when he was often caught smiling during games.
"That's pretty big. That's total," the 6-7, 265-pound sophomore said when told he made the team. "I worked hard, and the hard work paid off. It's pretty cool just to be up there with those guys and to be talked about."
Harden, who received 290 points, was the Pac-10 player of the year after a sophomore season that saw him average 20.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 35.8 minutes. He led the Sun Devils to their first NCAA bid since 2003 as they posted consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time in 28 years.
"There have been a lot of great players in this program and to be the first to get this is quite an accomplishment," Harden said, adding it's all part of making the Sun Devils a national program. "That's the reason I came here, to help get the respect and hopefully we can keep it up."
Curry became an overnight star in Davidson's run to the round of eight last season, and he backed it up with a junior season that saw him lead the country in scoring while making the transition to point guard.
He averaged 28.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists as the Wildcats won the Southern Conference regular season title but lost in the tournament and didn't make the NCAA field.
"It was difficult to go from being a scoring threat to someone who creates for others, but my teammates helped me in my transition and made my job easier," said Curry, who received 288 points. "It was a tough challenge, but I met it head on and worked hard to be the best point guard I could be."
Connecticut center Hasheem Thabeet led the second team with 238 points and was joined by three other juniors, Ty Lawson of North Carolina, Luke Harangody of Notre Dame and Jodie Meeks of Kentucky, along with senior Jerel McNeal of Marquette.
The third team had seniors Terrence Williams of Louisville, Toney Douglas of Florida State and Sam Young of Pittsburgh, along with juniors Sherron Collins of Kansas and Gerald Henderson of Duke.
[posted 5/30/10]
Griffin, the sophomore forward from Oklahoma who led the nation in rebounding, was the only unanimous selection for the team. Hansbrough, the consensus player of the year last season as a junior, repeated as a first-teamer the day after his Tar Heels beat the Sooners 72-60 to advance to the Final Four.
Joining them on the team were players from schools with little All-America history, sophomores DeJuan Blair of Pittsburgh, James Harden of Arizona State and junior Stephen Curry of Davidson.
Griffin, who averaged 21 points and 14.3 rebounds while shooting 63.5 percent from the field, became college basketball's image for toughness when he returned from a concussion only to drive headlong onto the scorer's table.
He received 71 first-team votes and 335 points from the same national media panel that selects the weekly Top 25. Balloting was done before the NCAA tournament.
Hansbrough, a unanimous pick last season along with Kansas State's Michael Beasley, got 50 first-team votes and 304 points. This is the fourth straight season the 6-foot-9 forward received All-America recognition. He was a third-team pick as a freshman and was on the second team after his sophomore season.
Blair is Pittsburgh's second first-teamer, joining Don Hennon in 1958. Curry, who led the nation in scoring, is Davidson's second as well. Fred Hetzel was Davidson's first first-teamer in 1965.
Harden is Arizona State's first AP All-America.
Griffin, the Big 12 player of the year, is the third Oklahoma player to be selected and the first since Stacey King in 1989. Wayman Tisdale of the Sooners was a three-time All-America from 1983-85.
"When Coach [Jeff] Capel started recruiting me, he talked to me a lot about changing the culture of this program and getting it back to a place where guys like Wayman Tisdale and Stacey King and those guys came to play," said Griffin, a native of Oklahoma City. "It's definitely an honor."
Hansbrough, who is in his second straight Final Four with the Tar Heels, is the third North Carolina player to repeat. He joins Phil Ford (1977-78) and Michael Jordan (1983-84).
"Those are some of my favorite Carolina players. To be up there with them -- that's special," Hansbrough said. "I never dreamed of that when I came here."
Blair, who was third in the voting with 294 points, averaged 15.6 points and 12.2 rebounds, was the only postseason All-America player not to be on the preseason team. One of the best offensive rebounders in recent years, Blair became a fan favorite when he was often caught smiling during games.
"That's pretty big. That's total," the 6-7, 265-pound sophomore said when told he made the team. "I worked hard, and the hard work paid off. It's pretty cool just to be up there with those guys and to be talked about."
Harden, who received 290 points, was the Pac-10 player of the year after a sophomore season that saw him average 20.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 35.8 minutes. He led the Sun Devils to their first NCAA bid since 2003 as they posted consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time in 28 years.
"There have been a lot of great players in this program and to be the first to get this is quite an accomplishment," Harden said, adding it's all part of making the Sun Devils a national program. "That's the reason I came here, to help get the respect and hopefully we can keep it up."
Curry became an overnight star in Davidson's run to the round of eight last season, and he backed it up with a junior season that saw him lead the country in scoring while making the transition to point guard.
He averaged 28.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists as the Wildcats won the Southern Conference regular season title but lost in the tournament and didn't make the NCAA field.
"It was difficult to go from being a scoring threat to someone who creates for others, but my teammates helped me in my transition and made my job easier," said Curry, who received 288 points. "It was a tough challenge, but I met it head on and worked hard to be the best point guard I could be."
Connecticut center Hasheem Thabeet led the second team with 238 points and was joined by three other juniors, Ty Lawson of North Carolina, Luke Harangody of Notre Dame and Jodie Meeks of Kentucky, along with senior Jerel McNeal of Marquette.
The third team had seniors Terrence Williams of Louisville, Toney Douglas of Florida State and Sam Young of Pittsburgh, along with juniors Sherron Collins of Kansas and Gerald Henderson of Duke.
[posted 5/30/10]
Friday, March 20, 2009
A Farrington Coaching Champion
Twenty years ago, in 1989, Caroline Tatupu finished a brilliant playing career with the Iolani girls basketball team. In her four years there, the cousin of former NFL star Mosi Tatupu helped her team claim four straight ILH championships and two state titles.
“I played center; Melanie Azama was our point guard,” she recalls of those outstanding teams.
Fast forward two decades later and Tatupu is now coaching the Farrington Governors’ girls basketball team. In just her second year at the helm, she has the Governors playing at the same championship level she realized herself in the late 1980s at Iolani.
***
Brydgette Tatupu-Leopoldo is no stranger to pressure.
“I played center; Melanie Azama was our point guard,” she recalls of those outstanding teams.
Fast forward two decades later and Tatupu is now coaching the Farrington Governors’ girls basketball team. In just her second year at the helm, she has the Governors playing at the same championship level she realized herself in the late 1980s at Iolani.
***
Brydgette Tatupu-Leopoldo is no stranger to pressure.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
this girl can dunk
Brittney Griner can dunk.
Not one of those just-above-the-rim throw-downs that have long been accepted as the best a woman can do in games of the past. When the 6-foot-8 high school senior dunks, it can be a rim-rattling, backboard shaking, two-handed slam.
Simply put, she dunks like a guy.
"It was overwhelming, obviously, the first time I did it and I just wanted to do it more and more," she said.
Add this athleticism to her speed, blocking and rebounding prowess and it's easy to see how Griner has become more than simply a top recruit, but someone who might be able to transform the women's game.
Griner, who signed with Baylor, is the top player in the country according to Rivals.com and ESPN's HoopGurlz.
"I've been doing this a long time ... but I've never seen anything like Brittney Griner," Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said.
Not one of those just-above-the-rim throw-downs that have long been accepted as the best a woman can do in games of the past. When the 6-foot-8 high school senior dunks, it can be a rim-rattling, backboard shaking, two-handed slam.
Simply put, she dunks like a guy.
"It was overwhelming, obviously, the first time I did it and I just wanted to do it more and more," she said.
Add this athleticism to her speed, blocking and rebounding prowess and it's easy to see how Griner has become more than simply a top recruit, but someone who might be able to transform the women's game.
Griner, who signed with Baylor, is the top player in the country according to Rivals.com and ESPN's HoopGurlz.
"I've been doing this a long time ... but I've never seen anything like Brittney Griner," Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
A-Rod took banned substance
Already the highest-paid player, Alex Rodriguez wanted to prove himself one of the greatest. Instead, he wound up atop another list: the highest-profile player to confess to cheating in baseball's steroids era.
The All-Star third baseman, responding to a weekend Sports Illustrated report that he flunked a drug test, told ESPN yesterday he used banned substances while playing with the Texas Rangers from 2001-03 to justify his 10-year, $252 million contract.
The admission came two days after Sports Illustrated reported on its Web site that Rodriguez was among 104 names on a list of players who tested positive for steroids in 2003, when testing was intended to determine the extent of steroid use in baseball. The results weren't subject to discipline and were supposed to remain anonymous, but were seized by the government in 2004 and remain under seal.
"When I arrived in Texas in 2001, I felt an enormous amount of pressure. I felt like I had all the weight of the world on top of me and I needed to perform, and perform at a high level every day," Rodriguez said.
"And I did take a banned substance and, you know, for that I'm very sorry and deeply regretful. And although it was the culture back then and Major League Baseball overall was very — I just feel that — you know, I'm just sorry. I'm sorry for that time. I'm sorry to fans. I'm sorry for my fans in Texas. It wasn't until then that I ever thought about substance of any kind."
The All-Star third baseman, responding to a weekend Sports Illustrated report that he flunked a drug test, told ESPN yesterday he used banned substances while playing with the Texas Rangers from 2001-03 to justify his 10-year, $252 million contract.
The admission came two days after Sports Illustrated reported on its Web site that Rodriguez was among 104 names on a list of players who tested positive for steroids in 2003, when testing was intended to determine the extent of steroid use in baseball. The results weren't subject to discipline and were supposed to remain anonymous, but were seized by the government in 2004 and remain under seal.
"When I arrived in Texas in 2001, I felt an enormous amount of pressure. I felt like I had all the weight of the world on top of me and I needed to perform, and perform at a high level every day," Rodriguez said.
"And I did take a banned substance and, you know, for that I'm very sorry and deeply regretful. And although it was the culture back then and Major League Baseball overall was very — I just feel that — you know, I'm just sorry. I'm sorry for that time. I'm sorry to fans. I'm sorry for my fans in Texas. It wasn't until then that I ever thought about substance of any kind."
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Teo chooses Notre Dame
Manti Te’o took a deep breath before a crowded room, TV cameras pointing at him, three hats resting on his table.
The two-time Star-Bulletin defensive player of the year then did the unexpected. He put on a green-and-black hat. Problem is, for diehard Hawaii fans, the letters on the hat weren’t ‘UH.’ Instead, they were ‘ND’ with a bold ‘IRISH’ right below.
The Punahou linebacker’s decision to pick the Irish over USC and UCLA was a stunner at this morning’s press conference, hosted by Pacific Islands Athletic Alliance and Mayor Mufi Hannemann.
The two-time Star-Bulletin defensive player of the year then did the unexpected. He put on a green-and-black hat. Problem is, for diehard Hawaii fans, the letters on the hat weren’t ‘UH.’ Instead, they were ‘ND’ with a bold ‘IRISH’ right below.
The Punahou linebacker’s decision to pick the Irish over USC and UCLA was a stunner at this morning’s press conference, hosted by Pacific Islands Athletic Alliance and Mayor Mufi Hannemann.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
St. Pierre dominates Penn
BJ Penn's two-belt dream disappeared beneath four rounds of non-stop pressure from welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.
St-Pierre, of Montreal, thoroughly dominated Penn with a grinding, unrelenting ground-and-pound barrage over the last three rounds of their fight on Saturday at UFC 94, in Las Vegas. Although scheduled for five rounds, the fight was stopped after the fourth round on the advice of the ringside doctor.
St-Pierre, of Montreal, thoroughly dominated Penn with a grinding, unrelenting ground-and-pound barrage over the last three rounds of their fight on Saturday at UFC 94, in Las Vegas. Although scheduled for five rounds, the fight was stopped after the fourth round on the advice of the ringside doctor.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Helio Gracie
Helio Gracie, the Gracie family patriarch and instrumental figure in the rise of early mixed martial arts, has passed away at the age of 95.
With his older brother Carlos, Helio, who died early Thursday is Rio de Janiero, helped create what we know today as Brazilian jiu jitsu.
With a slight build and weighing no more than 150 pounds, Gracie adapted traditional Japanese jiu-jitsu principles so that leverage and position could make up size differences between opponents.
Called Gracie jiu jitsu, which son Rorion used to help launch the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993, the fighting style would soon prove dominant. Another one of Helio's nine sons, UFC hall-of-famer Royce, successfully implemented the strategies in early UFC events despite facing significantly larger opponents.
Royce's and the fighting style's success sparked the explosion of modern jiu jitsu among the martial-arts world.
The discipline, now better known as Brazilian jiu jitsu, remains a key foundation in any MMA education.
With his older brother Carlos, Helio, who died early Thursday is Rio de Janiero, helped create what we know today as Brazilian jiu jitsu.
With a slight build and weighing no more than 150 pounds, Gracie adapted traditional Japanese jiu-jitsu principles so that leverage and position could make up size differences between opponents.
Called Gracie jiu jitsu, which son Rorion used to help launch the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993, the fighting style would soon prove dominant. Another one of Helio's nine sons, UFC hall-of-famer Royce, successfully implemented the strategies in early UFC events despite facing significantly larger opponents.
Royce's and the fighting style's success sparked the explosion of modern jiu jitsu among the martial-arts world.
The discipline, now better known as Brazilian jiu jitsu, remains a key foundation in any MMA education.
B.J. Penn and Hawaii athletics
The past year or so has been a hallmark time for Hawaii athletics. Just over a year ago, the University of Hawaii’s football team completed an undefeated regular season, making it to a BCS bowl, where although they did not fare well, still made Hawaii proud given their recruiting budget is literally a small fraction of even below average NCAA Division 1 teams. The isolated state with only 1.2 million residents produced six Olympic medalists who were born and/or raised in Hawaii – Bryan Clay (gold in the decathlon), Natasha Kanani Kai (gold in soccer), Clay Iona Stanley (gold in indoor volleyball), Robyn Mokihana Ah Mow and Lindsey Napela Berg (silver in indoor volleyball), and Brandon Scott Brooks (silver in water polo). And this coming Sunday, two former high school teammates will face off in the Super Bowl, as Steelers left guard Chris Kemoeatu and Cardinals safety Aaron Francisco, strap it up for one of the world’s most grand sporting events.
But what concerns us is the mega-match, three nights from now, when “The Prodigy” Baby Jay (B.J.) Penn will square off with the man who many consider to be the best pure athlete in MMA – Georges “Rush” St-Pierre. What differentiates Penn from the previously mentioned athletes is that they had to leave Hawaii to further their athletic greatness. In all fairness, they didn’t have a choice. The best training facilities, their teams, and potential training partners simply are not in Hawaii. But B.J. Penn and his family made a distinct effort to root their athletic foundation in Hawaii and cement Penn’s iconic status across the modern Hawaiian archipelago.
But what concerns us is the mega-match, three nights from now, when “The Prodigy” Baby Jay (B.J.) Penn will square off with the man who many consider to be the best pure athlete in MMA – Georges “Rush” St-Pierre. What differentiates Penn from the previously mentioned athletes is that they had to leave Hawaii to further their athletic greatness. In all fairness, they didn’t have a choice. The best training facilities, their teams, and potential training partners simply are not in Hawaii. But B.J. Penn and his family made a distinct effort to root their athletic foundation in Hawaii and cement Penn’s iconic status across the modern Hawaiian archipelago.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Henderson and Rice voted into Hall of Fame
NEW YORK (AP) -- Rickey Henderson sped his way into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot Monday, and Jim Rice made it in on his 15th and final try. Henderson, baseball's career leader in runs scored and stolen bases, received 94.8 percent of the vote from the Baseball Writers' Association of America, well above the 75 percent needed.
Rice, among baseball's most feared hitters in the late 1970s and early 1980s, got 76.4 percent of the vote after falling just shy with 72.2 percent last year.
Henderson became the 44th player elected in his first year of eligibility. Rice was only the third elected by the BBWAA in his final year, joining Red Ruffing (1967) and Ralph Kiner (1975).
The pair will be inducted into the Hall during ceremonies on July 26 in Cooperstown, N.Y. They will be joined by former Yankees and Indians second baseman Joe Gordon, elected posthumously last month by the Veterans Committee.
Henderson was picked on 511 of 539 ballots and Rice was selected on 412, just more than the 405 needed.
Andre Dawson fell 44 votes short with 67 percent. He was followed by Bert Blyleven (62.7 percent), Lee Smith (44.5), Jack Morris (44.0), Tommy John (31.7) and Tim Raines (22.6). John appeared on the ballot for the final time.
Mark McGwire, stigmatized by accusations he used performance-enhancing drugs, received 118 votes (21.9 percent) in his third year of eligibility, down from the 128 votes he got in each of his first two tries.
Rice, among baseball's most feared hitters in the late 1970s and early 1980s, got 76.4 percent of the vote after falling just shy with 72.2 percent last year.
Henderson became the 44th player elected in his first year of eligibility. Rice was only the third elected by the BBWAA in his final year, joining Red Ruffing (1967) and Ralph Kiner (1975).
The pair will be inducted into the Hall during ceremonies on July 26 in Cooperstown, N.Y. They will be joined by former Yankees and Indians second baseman Joe Gordon, elected posthumously last month by the Veterans Committee.
Henderson was picked on 511 of 539 ballots and Rice was selected on 412, just more than the 405 needed.
Andre Dawson fell 44 votes short with 67 percent. He was followed by Bert Blyleven (62.7 percent), Lee Smith (44.5), Jack Morris (44.0), Tommy John (31.7) and Tim Raines (22.6). John appeared on the ballot for the final time.
Mark McGwire, stigmatized by accusations he used performance-enhancing drugs, received 118 votes (21.9 percent) in his third year of eligibility, down from the 128 votes he got in each of his first two tries.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Detroit Lions 0-16
The silence in the Detroit Lions' locker room was so deafening it drowned out all but the most mundane of sounds.
No laughter, no post-game jokes, certainly no congratulations for a job well done. Just the occasional sound of luggage being zipped up at the close of a hideous season historic for all the wrong reasons.
And really, with derisive chants of "Oh-and-16! Oh-and-16!" still ringing in their ears, was there anything left to say?
"It's over now. We're 0-16," rookie running back Kevin Smith said. "I wish it was just a dream. I wish I could wake up and it'd be over. But it's not."
The Lions didn't even bother trying to put a brave face on this one. With a 31-21 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Detroit solidified its claim as the worst team in NFL history. Sixteen games, 16 losses.
"0-16," one sign read, "The Perfect Season."
[posted 2/1/09]
No laughter, no post-game jokes, certainly no congratulations for a job well done. Just the occasional sound of luggage being zipped up at the close of a hideous season historic for all the wrong reasons.
And really, with derisive chants of "Oh-and-16! Oh-and-16!" still ringing in their ears, was there anything left to say?
"It's over now. We're 0-16," rookie running back Kevin Smith said. "I wish it was just a dream. I wish I could wake up and it'd be over. But it's not."
The Lions didn't even bother trying to put a brave face on this one. With a 31-21 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Detroit solidified its claim as the worst team in NFL history. Sixteen games, 16 losses.
"0-16," one sign read, "The Perfect Season."
[posted 2/1/09]
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Manti Te'o named Sporting News High School Athlete of the Year
Punahou senior Manti Te'o has been named Sporting News magazine’s national High School Athlete of the Year.
The announcement comes in the new issue of Sporting News, which features an interview with Te'o and Sporting News’ pro and college athletes of the year.
An award of this level for a Hawaii high school athlete is believed to be unprecedented.
"I've been thinking about it, and I can't recall anything like it," said Hawaii High School Athletic Association director Keith Amemiya.
Te'o played linebacker and running back for the Buffanblu, which won the state football championship Dec. 5. He also played on the Punahou basketball team last season.
He has not decided where to attend college next year, telling the Sporting News, “ I have gone on two official visits, to UCLA and Notre Dame. I had great experiences at both universities, but I have a few more visits to go on — Stanford, USC and BYU — so I’m not really ready because of my lack of knowledge of the other three.”
Te'o also won the inaugural Butkus Award for being judged the best high school linebacker in the nation. He is also the Hawaii Gatorade Player of the Year in football, and is a candidate for Gatorade's national award.
[12/24] USA Today has named Punahou senior linebacker Manti Te'o as its Defensive Player of the Year on its All-USA first team.
The announcement comes in the new issue of Sporting News, which features an interview with Te'o and Sporting News’ pro and college athletes of the year.
An award of this level for a Hawaii high school athlete is believed to be unprecedented.
"I've been thinking about it, and I can't recall anything like it," said Hawaii High School Athletic Association director Keith Amemiya.
Te'o played linebacker and running back for the Buffanblu, which won the state football championship Dec. 5. He also played on the Punahou basketball team last season.
He has not decided where to attend college next year, telling the Sporting News, “ I have gone on two official visits, to UCLA and Notre Dame. I had great experiences at both universities, but I have a few more visits to go on — Stanford, USC and BYU — so I’m not really ready because of my lack of knowledge of the other three.”
Te'o also won the inaugural Butkus Award for being judged the best high school linebacker in the nation. He is also the Hawaii Gatorade Player of the Year in football, and is a candidate for Gatorade's national award.
[12/24] USA Today has named Punahou senior linebacker Manti Te'o as its Defensive Player of the Year on its All-USA first team.
Sammy Baugh
People never forgot Slingin' Sammy Baugh.
Every day as many as four letters arrived at the West Texas ranch the pioneering quarterback called home.
Baugh, whose use of the forward pass took him to the Hall of Fame after a career with the Washington Redskins, died Wednesday night. He was 94.
The letters came from young and old. Some asked for an autograph from Baugh (pronounced Baw). But in the last several years of his life he couldn't oblige them.
His son David Baugh responded to each one, telling fans his father could no longer hold a pen.
Billionaire investor Warren Buffett even wrote to Baugh, and like so many others "just talked about how he was an inspiration in their lives," David Baugh told The Associated Press. "He did a lot of things pretty good, not just as an athlete. He was a good rancher, roper. He was a pretty good man."
Sammy Baugh was the last surviving member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's inaugural class of 1963.
After starring at TCU, "Slingin' Sammy" played with the Redskins from 1937 to 1952, leading them to the NFL title in his rookie season and again in 1942.
Baugh was the best all-around player in an era when versatility was essential. In 1943, he led the league in passing, punting and interceptions. In one game, he threw four touchdowns and also intercepted four passes. He threw six touchdowns passes in a game twice. His 51.4-yard punting average in 1940 remains the NFL record.
Every day as many as four letters arrived at the West Texas ranch the pioneering quarterback called home.
Baugh, whose use of the forward pass took him to the Hall of Fame after a career with the Washington Redskins, died Wednesday night. He was 94.
The letters came from young and old. Some asked for an autograph from Baugh (pronounced Baw). But in the last several years of his life he couldn't oblige them.
His son David Baugh responded to each one, telling fans his father could no longer hold a pen.
Billionaire investor Warren Buffett even wrote to Baugh, and like so many others "just talked about how he was an inspiration in their lives," David Baugh told The Associated Press. "He did a lot of things pretty good, not just as an athlete. He was a good rancher, roper. He was a pretty good man."
Sammy Baugh was the last surviving member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's inaugural class of 1963.
After starring at TCU, "Slingin' Sammy" played with the Redskins from 1937 to 1952, leading them to the NFL title in his rookie season and again in 1942.
Baugh was the best all-around player in an era when versatility was essential. In 1943, he led the league in passing, punting and interceptions. In one game, he threw four touchdowns and also intercepted four passes. He threw six touchdowns passes in a game twice. His 51.4-yard punting average in 1940 remains the NFL record.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Sam Bradford wins Heisman
Oklahoma's amazingly accurate and quick-thinking quarterback won the Heisman on Saturday night after guiding the highest-scoring team in major college football history to the national championship game.
A year after Tim Tebow became the first sophomore to win the Heisman, Bradford became the second and kept the Florida quarterback from joining Archie Griffin as the only two-time winners.
Bradford, who leads the nation in touchdown passes with 48, received 1,726 points. Texas quarterback Colt McCoy was second with 1,604 and Tebow — who received the most first-place votes — was third with 1,575 points.
"I was definitely surprised and I think it's everything I imagined," said Bradford, who raised the 25-pound bronze statue with his left hand still in a cast from a recent surgery. "I think it will take a couple weeks to set in."
It was the closest vote between the top two since Nebraska's Eric Crouch edged Florida's Rex Grossman by 62 points in 2001. The only other time the margin between first and third was smaller was also '01, when Miami's Ken Dorsey was 142 points behind Crouch.
Bradford and the No. 2 Sooners (12-1) will face Tebow and the No. 1 Gators (12-1) on Jan. 8 in Miami, marking the second time Heisman winners will play against each other. The first was in the 2005 Orange Bowl, when '04 winner Matt Leinart and Southern California beat '03 winner Jason White and Oklahoma for the national title.
The Big 12 South was the epicenter of college football this season, with both the national championship race and Heisman chase turning weekly on games played by its three powerhouse teams.
McCoy was the early Heisman front-runner after leading the Longhorns to the No. 1 ranking with a victory against Oklahoma in October. Texas Tech's Graham Harrell, who finished a distant fourth in Heisman voting, then moved to the forefront after he tossed a last-second, game-winning touchdown pass to beat Texas a month later.
But Bradford closed strongest, leading his team to a string of blowout victories, including one against Texas Tech, and a spot — even if it was somewhat controversial — in the BCS title game.
Bradford leads the nation in passer rating (186.3) and has thrown for 4,464 yards, directing the Sooners' fast-paced, no-huddle offense.
Oklahoma has already racked up 702 points to blow past the record of 656 set by Hawaii in 2006, and last week the Sooners became the first major college team in 89 years to score at least 60 in five straight games.
A year after Tim Tebow became the first sophomore to win the Heisman, Bradford became the second and kept the Florida quarterback from joining Archie Griffin as the only two-time winners.
Bradford, who leads the nation in touchdown passes with 48, received 1,726 points. Texas quarterback Colt McCoy was second with 1,604 and Tebow — who received the most first-place votes — was third with 1,575 points.
"I was definitely surprised and I think it's everything I imagined," said Bradford, who raised the 25-pound bronze statue with his left hand still in a cast from a recent surgery. "I think it will take a couple weeks to set in."
It was the closest vote between the top two since Nebraska's Eric Crouch edged Florida's Rex Grossman by 62 points in 2001. The only other time the margin between first and third was smaller was also '01, when Miami's Ken Dorsey was 142 points behind Crouch.
Bradford and the No. 2 Sooners (12-1) will face Tebow and the No. 1 Gators (12-1) on Jan. 8 in Miami, marking the second time Heisman winners will play against each other. The first was in the 2005 Orange Bowl, when '04 winner Matt Leinart and Southern California beat '03 winner Jason White and Oklahoma for the national title.
The Big 12 South was the epicenter of college football this season, with both the national championship race and Heisman chase turning weekly on games played by its three powerhouse teams.
McCoy was the early Heisman front-runner after leading the Longhorns to the No. 1 ranking with a victory against Oklahoma in October. Texas Tech's Graham Harrell, who finished a distant fourth in Heisman voting, then moved to the forefront after he tossed a last-second, game-winning touchdown pass to beat Texas a month later.
But Bradford closed strongest, leading his team to a string of blowout victories, including one against Texas Tech, and a spot — even if it was somewhat controversial — in the BCS title game.
Bradford leads the nation in passer rating (186.3) and has thrown for 4,464 yards, directing the Sooners' fast-paced, no-huddle offense.
Oklahoma has already racked up 702 points to blow past the record of 656 set by Hawaii in 2006, and last week the Sooners became the first major college team in 89 years to score at least 60 in five straight games.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Hula Bowl dies quietly
A date was secured at the stadium for a 2009 game, but the folks there haven't heard anything from owner Nick Logan in weeks.
"We don't have a contract," said Lois Manin, the facility's deputy manager.
No news of coaches or players being picked for the game on the wire or the Internet.
The game's Web site has nada about a 2009 event. Call the 800 number, and you get a full mailbox. Send an e-mail, it bounces back, "because the domain hulabowl.net does not exist."
Call Logan, his number is no good. But I reached his brother, Bruce, who helped him stage last year's game.
"I don't know. It's my brother's game. I don't have a number for him, either," Bruce said. "I would assume if there were a game he would let me know."
Or let somebody, anybody know.
"We don't have a contract," said Lois Manin, the facility's deputy manager.
No news of coaches or players being picked for the game on the wire or the Internet.
The game's Web site has nada about a 2009 event. Call the 800 number, and you get a full mailbox. Send an e-mail, it bounces back, "because the domain hulabowl.net does not exist."
Call Logan, his number is no good. But I reached his brother, Bruce, who helped him stage last year's game.
"I don't know. It's my brother's game. I don't have a number for him, either," Bruce said. "I would assume if there were a game he would let me know."
Or let somebody, anybody know.
Monday, December 08, 2008
Michelle Wie graduates from Q-School
Michelle Wie has been playing LPGA Tour events since she was in the seventh grade, drawing the biggest galleries because of her youth and power, but earning little respect from players because of her preferential treatment.
In the 62 tournaments she has played over the last seven years, Wie received 53 exemptions or invitations.
The next time the 19-year-old from Hawaii tees it up, she finally can feel like she belongs.
Wie opened with three straight bogeys before settling down in blustery conditions yesterday for a 2-over 74, easily finishing among the top 20 players at Q-school to become a card-carrying member of the LPGA Tour.
"It's a good feeling," Wie said. "I really earned it. I legitimately went through Q-school. I took my medicine. And I got it. It feels good. It's like high school graduation."
* * *
[12/9/08] Michelle Wie now has a clean slate.
In the 62 tournaments she has played over the last seven years, Wie received 53 exemptions or invitations.
The next time the 19-year-old from Hawaii tees it up, she finally can feel like she belongs.
Wie opened with three straight bogeys before settling down in blustery conditions yesterday for a 2-over 74, easily finishing among the top 20 players at Q-school to become a card-carrying member of the LPGA Tour.
"It's a good feeling," Wie said. "I really earned it. I legitimately went through Q-school. I took my medicine. And I got it. It feels good. It's like high school graduation."
* * *
[12/9/08] Michelle Wie now has a clean slate.
Saturday, December 06, 2008
De La Hoya beaten by Pacquiao
Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines stunned 10-times world champion Oscar De La Hoya with an eighth-round TKO in their non-title fight in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Moving up two weight classes for his first fight at welterweight, WBC lightweight champion Pacquiao dominated De La Hoya from the opening bell, defying the American's longer reach and picking him off with straight left hands to the face.
Clearly ahead after the first few rounds, Pacquiao backed De La Hoya up against the ropes and opened up with combinations in the seventh and eighth. At the end of the eighth round De La Hoya's trainer signaled he had seen enough and the referee stopped the fight.
Moving up two weight classes for his first fight at welterweight, WBC lightweight champion Pacquiao dominated De La Hoya from the opening bell, defying the American's longer reach and picking him off with straight left hands to the face.
Clearly ahead after the first few rounds, Pacquiao backed De La Hoya up against the ropes and opened up with combinations in the seventh and eighth. At the end of the eighth round De La Hoya's trainer signaled he had seen enough and the referee stopped the fight.
Friday, December 05, 2008
Manti Te'o receives Butkus Award
Punahou School senior linebacker Manti Te'o became the first high school recipient of the 2008 Butkus Award today during a gathering at the Hemmeter Gym on the school's campus.
The award is named for Pro Football Hall of Fame legend Dick Butkus and has traditionally been given to the nation's top collegiate linebacker.
This year, the competition was expanded to include awards at both the high school and collegiate levels. The Butkus Award honors players who are both outstanding athletes and models of service to their community.
The award is named for Pro Football Hall of Fame legend Dick Butkus and has traditionally been given to the nation's top collegiate linebacker.
This year, the competition was expanded to include awards at both the high school and collegiate levels. The Butkus Award honors players who are both outstanding athletes and models of service to their community.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
The Big 7-0
At the end of his 2003 autobiography, "The Big O: My Life, My Times, My Game," Oscar Robertson openly wonders if he and his contemporaries will be forgotten.
"As I write this, basketball has entered a strange new century," Robertson writes. "The game has become international; it has become computerized and wireless and fiber-optic. Nobody knows what the next five years will look like, what heights players will be capable of reaching, how brightly they will shine. Whatever happens to the sport, I hope that the men who gave their blood, sweat, and tears to build the league will be remembered. I hope that people will never forget that when any man reaches for previously unattainable heights, he does so only because he stands on shoulders of those who came before."
Robertson wrote those words when he was 65 years old and 29 years removed from his final game as an NBA player and it's not difficult to understand his concern. When he called it quits after the 1973-74 season, Robertson held the NBA record for assists (9,887), was second only to Wilt Chamberlain on the all-time scoring list (26,710) and was one of the top 20 rebounders with 7,804. Now, Robertson's fourth in career assists, eighth in scoring and barely hanging in the top 60 for rebounds.
But Robertson, born 70 years ago today on a snowy Thanksgiving Day in Charlotte, Tenn., shouldn't worry about fading away.
In fact, in the five years since he penned that paragraph, Robertson's stature has only grown. Thanks to the all-around excellence of players from today's generation such as Jason Kidd, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, Robertson's Hall of Fame accomplishments have become that much more magnificent.
From his days at Indianapolis' Crispus Attucks High School to when he retired from the Milwaukee Bucks in 1974, Robertson's playing career could best be described as a great river: a steady and consistent confluence of excellence flowed from him.
Much of his on-court steel was forged in the roiling racial cauldron of its day. Rightfully angered by the injustice he encountered off the court because of the color of his skin, Robertson mixed that internal fire with a cool control of every team he ever ran. Robertson wasn't flashy like Bob Cousy and was as fundamentally sound as any player before or since. When asked how he accumulated so many assists in his career, Robertson was said to reply: "I passed it to the open man."
Therein lay Robertson's genius. He made playing the point guard position seem simple.
And at the time, there was no precedence for what Robertson was doing: leading the first all-black team to an Indiana state high school title, averaging 33.8 points per game and winning National College Player of the Year in each of his three season at the University of Cincinnati, a feat not even his future teammate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar accomplished.
"I think he revolutionized the position because he was 6-5," Abdul-Jabbar said. "Oscar was very well built, a great example of physical fitness, and strong. He wasn't a wispy kind of guy. I think of another guard of his size, Dave Bing. Dave was not the physical presence Oscar was.
"You couldn't push Oscar around. It was impossible."
He lead a veritable All-Star team to gold in Rome in 1960, and then notched a triple-double during the 1961-62 season (30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists) for the Cincinnati Royals.
Oscar Robertson's stellar career was highlighted by a championship in Milwaukee.
Walter Iooss Jr./NBAE/Getty Images
At the time, not even Robertson had known what he had done.
"There's a story attributed to baseball legend Willie Mays," Robertson wrote. "When Jose Canseco was honored in the 1980s for being the first man to hit forty home runs and steal forty bases in one season, Mays said, 'If I'd known that would be such a big deal, I would have done it a few times myself.'
"That comes close to expressing the bemusement I feel about all the attention on my triple-double season."
Imagine our bemusement, then, to know now that Robertson averaged a triple-double for the first five NBA seasons with 30.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 10.6 assists per game in 384 games. Stick that in your trophy case for a moment and gawk at it: 30, 10 and 10, every season for five years.
Could you imagine what ESPN would do with Oscar if he played today? They'd probably give him his own channel. He would own Nike ... and adidas. In this Internet world of today, how huge Robertson would be in Europe or China? And how many articles would be written about him opting out of his contract in 2010?
And there is another overlooked element of Robertson's storied legacy: free agency. If not for Robertson and the Player's Union filing a class-action suit in New York District Court in 1970 -- known as the "Oscar Robertson rule" because as the NBPA president, his name led the list -- and its settlement in 1976, we'd have no speculation regarding where Amar'e Stoudemire, Chris Bosh and LeBron James would go to chase an NBA title.
A title once eluded Robertson as well. Boston or Philadelphia always stood in Cincinnati's way and because of the reserve clause that kept a player with a team in perpetuity, Robertson was a Royal until the franchise either traded or released him. On April 20, 1970, four days after the NBPA suit was filed, the Royals traded him to Milwaukee, where he teamed with a young superstar in Abdul-Jabbar.
"I was very aware of Oscar's overall excellence," Abdul-Jabbar said, remembering the trade that brought Robertson to Milwaukee from Cincinnati. "I just didn't know how he'd fit in with our team. I should have known better. There was nothing to be apprehensive about. He was a great overall player and a great leader. He pushed us. He'd get on our case if we didn't do our assignments. Having that kind of leadership is a key element to any team."
The Bucks went 66-16 in the regular season, became the first team to shoot better than .500 from the field (.509), cruised through the postseason at 12-2 and capped that incredible run by sweeping the Bullets in the Finals.
"I think that was an exceptional season," Abdul-Jabbar said. "In terms of efficiency in the playoffs, that was one of the best teams that ever played. A lot of people don't remember that very accurately because of the way things happened with the Knicks and Lakers in the mix."
Robertson would make one more trip with the Bucks to The Finals in 1974 before retiring at the age of 35.
It was then one could see what the river of Robertson's career had carved: basketball's Grand Canyon. You could not help but be stunned by the depth, breadth and the sheer beauty and excellence of it all.
"I think Oscar was really special because of his ability to do so many different aspects of the game well," Abdul-Jabbar said. "There are very few people who have the ability to score, set people up to score, rebound and defend. He was a complete player."
When Kidd adds to his career triple-double total of 101 (still 80 shy of Robertson's career mark) or James finishes the season with 30 points, seven-plus rebounds and seven assists per game, they're like tourists who spend a couple days, take some photos and leave, gobsmacked by what they have seen.
And only by getting as close as they do to Robertson's excellence do Kidd and James know how much they have left to accomplish.
They, too, could look at what he's done after his player career ended -- owner of three companies and partner in a fourth or that he donated one of his kidneys to his daughter, Tia, which subsequently led to him being named a spokesperson for the National Kidney Foundation -- and see that in 35 years after he retired, Oscar remains to this day, a pioneer.
So, on this day, 70 years after that snowy Thanksgiving Day when Robertson was born, let us give thanks for Oscar Robertson.
Because of him we know what true greatness looks like.
"As I write this, basketball has entered a strange new century," Robertson writes. "The game has become international; it has become computerized and wireless and fiber-optic. Nobody knows what the next five years will look like, what heights players will be capable of reaching, how brightly they will shine. Whatever happens to the sport, I hope that the men who gave their blood, sweat, and tears to build the league will be remembered. I hope that people will never forget that when any man reaches for previously unattainable heights, he does so only because he stands on shoulders of those who came before."
Robertson wrote those words when he was 65 years old and 29 years removed from his final game as an NBA player and it's not difficult to understand his concern. When he called it quits after the 1973-74 season, Robertson held the NBA record for assists (9,887), was second only to Wilt Chamberlain on the all-time scoring list (26,710) and was one of the top 20 rebounders with 7,804. Now, Robertson's fourth in career assists, eighth in scoring and barely hanging in the top 60 for rebounds.
But Robertson, born 70 years ago today on a snowy Thanksgiving Day in Charlotte, Tenn., shouldn't worry about fading away.
In fact, in the five years since he penned that paragraph, Robertson's stature has only grown. Thanks to the all-around excellence of players from today's generation such as Jason Kidd, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, Robertson's Hall of Fame accomplishments have become that much more magnificent.
From his days at Indianapolis' Crispus Attucks High School to when he retired from the Milwaukee Bucks in 1974, Robertson's playing career could best be described as a great river: a steady and consistent confluence of excellence flowed from him.
Much of his on-court steel was forged in the roiling racial cauldron of its day. Rightfully angered by the injustice he encountered off the court because of the color of his skin, Robertson mixed that internal fire with a cool control of every team he ever ran. Robertson wasn't flashy like Bob Cousy and was as fundamentally sound as any player before or since. When asked how he accumulated so many assists in his career, Robertson was said to reply: "I passed it to the open man."
Therein lay Robertson's genius. He made playing the point guard position seem simple.
And at the time, there was no precedence for what Robertson was doing: leading the first all-black team to an Indiana state high school title, averaging 33.8 points per game and winning National College Player of the Year in each of his three season at the University of Cincinnati, a feat not even his future teammate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar accomplished.
"I think he revolutionized the position because he was 6-5," Abdul-Jabbar said. "Oscar was very well built, a great example of physical fitness, and strong. He wasn't a wispy kind of guy. I think of another guard of his size, Dave Bing. Dave was not the physical presence Oscar was.
"You couldn't push Oscar around. It was impossible."
He lead a veritable All-Star team to gold in Rome in 1960, and then notched a triple-double during the 1961-62 season (30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists) for the Cincinnati Royals.
Oscar Robertson's stellar career was highlighted by a championship in Milwaukee.
Walter Iooss Jr./NBAE/Getty Images
At the time, not even Robertson had known what he had done.
"There's a story attributed to baseball legend Willie Mays," Robertson wrote. "When Jose Canseco was honored in the 1980s for being the first man to hit forty home runs and steal forty bases in one season, Mays said, 'If I'd known that would be such a big deal, I would have done it a few times myself.'
"That comes close to expressing the bemusement I feel about all the attention on my triple-double season."
Imagine our bemusement, then, to know now that Robertson averaged a triple-double for the first five NBA seasons with 30.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 10.6 assists per game in 384 games. Stick that in your trophy case for a moment and gawk at it: 30, 10 and 10, every season for five years.
Could you imagine what ESPN would do with Oscar if he played today? They'd probably give him his own channel. He would own Nike ... and adidas. In this Internet world of today, how huge Robertson would be in Europe or China? And how many articles would be written about him opting out of his contract in 2010?
And there is another overlooked element of Robertson's storied legacy: free agency. If not for Robertson and the Player's Union filing a class-action suit in New York District Court in 1970 -- known as the "Oscar Robertson rule" because as the NBPA president, his name led the list -- and its settlement in 1976, we'd have no speculation regarding where Amar'e Stoudemire, Chris Bosh and LeBron James would go to chase an NBA title.
A title once eluded Robertson as well. Boston or Philadelphia always stood in Cincinnati's way and because of the reserve clause that kept a player with a team in perpetuity, Robertson was a Royal until the franchise either traded or released him. On April 20, 1970, four days after the NBPA suit was filed, the Royals traded him to Milwaukee, where he teamed with a young superstar in Abdul-Jabbar.
"I was very aware of Oscar's overall excellence," Abdul-Jabbar said, remembering the trade that brought Robertson to Milwaukee from Cincinnati. "I just didn't know how he'd fit in with our team. I should have known better. There was nothing to be apprehensive about. He was a great overall player and a great leader. He pushed us. He'd get on our case if we didn't do our assignments. Having that kind of leadership is a key element to any team."
The Bucks went 66-16 in the regular season, became the first team to shoot better than .500 from the field (.509), cruised through the postseason at 12-2 and capped that incredible run by sweeping the Bullets in the Finals.
"I think that was an exceptional season," Abdul-Jabbar said. "In terms of efficiency in the playoffs, that was one of the best teams that ever played. A lot of people don't remember that very accurately because of the way things happened with the Knicks and Lakers in the mix."
Robertson would make one more trip with the Bucks to The Finals in 1974 before retiring at the age of 35.
It was then one could see what the river of Robertson's career had carved: basketball's Grand Canyon. You could not help but be stunned by the depth, breadth and the sheer beauty and excellence of it all.
"I think Oscar was really special because of his ability to do so many different aspects of the game well," Abdul-Jabbar said. "There are very few people who have the ability to score, set people up to score, rebound and defend. He was a complete player."
When Kidd adds to his career triple-double total of 101 (still 80 shy of Robertson's career mark) or James finishes the season with 30 points, seven-plus rebounds and seven assists per game, they're like tourists who spend a couple days, take some photos and leave, gobsmacked by what they have seen.
And only by getting as close as they do to Robertson's excellence do Kidd and James know how much they have left to accomplish.
They, too, could look at what he's done after his player career ended -- owner of three companies and partner in a fourth or that he donated one of his kidneys to his daughter, Tia, which subsequently led to him being named a spokesperson for the National Kidney Foundation -- and see that in 35 years after he retired, Oscar remains to this day, a pioneer.
So, on this day, 70 years after that snowy Thanksgiving Day when Robertson was born, let us give thanks for Oscar Robertson.
Because of him we know what true greatness looks like.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Sorenstam's career ends
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Standing in the center of a sun-drenched 18th green, as waves of cheers rippled from a packed gallery, Annika Sorenstam hugged caddie Terry McNamara and took the flag from his hand.
She held it high, like a conquering hero, then slammed it into the hole.
"It's over," she said.
Sorenstam's tour career presumably ended Friday afternoon, when she failed to qualify for the third round of the ADT Championship. She shot a 3-over 75, putting her at 5 over for the week - two shots away from surviving the cut from 32 down to 16 for Saturday, after which the field will be pared in half again before the final round battle for $1 million.
"All of a sudden, the time is here," Sorenstam said. "You're standing there on the 18th fairway and it's your last approach shot in an LPGA event. A lot of thoughts go through your head ... and what's been the coolest thing this week is all these people who showed up that I don't know, my fans."
She held it high, like a conquering hero, then slammed it into the hole.
"It's over," she said.
Sorenstam's tour career presumably ended Friday afternoon, when she failed to qualify for the third round of the ADT Championship. She shot a 3-over 75, putting her at 5 over for the week - two shots away from surviving the cut from 32 down to 16 for Saturday, after which the field will be pared in half again before the final round battle for $1 million.
"All of a sudden, the time is here," Sorenstam said. "You're standing there on the 18th fairway and it's your last approach shot in an LPGA event. A lot of thoughts go through your head ... and what's been the coolest thing this week is all these people who showed up that I don't know, my fans."
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Wakamatsu to manage Mariners
Don Wakamatsu is proud to be the first Asian-American manager in major league history. He's also keenly aware of what his grandparents endured, generations before he took over the Seattle Mariners.
During World War II, the United States government moved his Japanese ancestors across the country from one internment camp to another. Wakamatsu's father, an iron worker, was born in one.
"I'm proud to represent some of what they went through in their lifetime," Wakamatsu said. "If I can set a future stepping stone for Japanese-Americans and just the equality in baseball, I'm glad to bear that torch."
A fourth-generation Japanese-American, the former Oakland bench coach was introduced Wednesday as the new manager of the Mariners.
During World War II, the United States government moved his Japanese ancestors across the country from one internment camp to another. Wakamatsu's father, an iron worker, was born in one.
"I'm proud to represent some of what they went through in their lifetime," Wakamatsu said. "If I can set a future stepping stone for Japanese-Americans and just the equality in baseball, I'm glad to bear that torch."
A fourth-generation Japanese-American, the former Oakland bench coach was introduced Wednesday as the new manager of the Mariners.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
this pitcher throws like a schoolgirl
A 16-year-old schoolgirl is making a unique pitch to become the first woman to play professional baseball in Japan.
High school student Eri Yoshida was drafted by the Kobe 9 Cruise, a professional team in a new independent Japanese league that will start its first season in April.
"I always dreamed of becoming a professional," Yoshida, who is 5-feet (152-centimeters) tall and weighs 114 pounds (52 kilograms), told a news conference Monday. "I have only just been picked by the team and haven't achieved anything yet."
Yoshida throws a side-arm knuckleball and says she wants to follow in the footsteps of Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield, who has built a successful major league career throwing a knuckleball.
Yoshida took part in a tryout held earlier this month and passed with flying colors. The right-hander held male batters hitless for one inning in the tryout and her successful outing helped her become one of the 33 players picked in the draft.
***
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The fraternity of knuckleball pitchers is small, and Tim Wakefield of the Boston Red Sox is its active godfather.
Eri Yoshida hopes to expand that roster and break the gender barrier at the same time.
Yoshida, the petite 18-year-old who became the first female drafted by a Japanese professional team, Kobe 9 Cruise of the Kansai Independent Baseball League, made her pro debut on March 26, 2009, at the Osaka Dome. She learned how to throw a knuckleball as a young girl by watching video of Wakefield.
On Tuesday, at the Red Sox player development complex, Yoshida, wearing a gray Boston T-shirt with Wakefield's name and number on the back, met her idol and pitched with him.
"I'm impressed," Wakefield said. "She spun a couple, but for the most part it was very good. She was able to take the spin out of a lot of them and they had quite a lot of movement on them."
Yoshida, who stands 5-foot-1 and throws her knuckleball with a sidearm motion, is in the United States to pitch in the independent Arizona Winter League. She got her first win on Feb. 12, tossing four shutout innings for the Yuma Scorpions. But she admitted she was nervous working with the 43-year-old Wakefield.
"I think everything that he taught me is going to give me a chance to really work on what I need to work on," she said through Red Sox team translator Masa Hoshino. "But also, I got a chance to meet him and it really gave me some courage and the confidence I need to really get back to training hard."
Wakefield, who is entering his 18th major league season, made his first All-Star team last year. He was happy to share his knowledge with someone willing to try the knuckler.
"It's an honor to have somebody carry on a knuckleball tradition," he said. "And somebody that's doing it because she likes what I do. It's pretty cool to have someone come over to the States from Japan. I heard about her last year. I know she's pitching in independent leagues now. But for her to come all the way to Fort Myers and watch me throw, it was an honor for me to just talk to her and give her some tips."
***
The Golden League, dotted with former big leaguers and players with years of minor league experience, is not a good place for an 18-year-old to pitch.
Let alone an 18-year-old girl.
From Japan.
Say this about Eri Yoshida: she likes a challenge. With the spotlight of the media from both sides of the Pacific, Yoshida made her debut with the independent Chico Outlaws on Saturday night, becoming the first woman to pitch in a professional league in the U.S. since Ila Borders in 2000.
It didn't go that well, although you would never have known that by the throng of adoring fans cheering and begging for her autograph after the game.
High school student Eri Yoshida was drafted by the Kobe 9 Cruise, a professional team in a new independent Japanese league that will start its first season in April.
"I always dreamed of becoming a professional," Yoshida, who is 5-feet (152-centimeters) tall and weighs 114 pounds (52 kilograms), told a news conference Monday. "I have only just been picked by the team and haven't achieved anything yet."
Yoshida throws a side-arm knuckleball and says she wants to follow in the footsteps of Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield, who has built a successful major league career throwing a knuckleball.
Yoshida took part in a tryout held earlier this month and passed with flying colors. The right-hander held male batters hitless for one inning in the tryout and her successful outing helped her become one of the 33 players picked in the draft.
***
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The fraternity of knuckleball pitchers is small, and Tim Wakefield of the Boston Red Sox is its active godfather.
Eri Yoshida hopes to expand that roster and break the gender barrier at the same time.
Yoshida, the petite 18-year-old who became the first female drafted by a Japanese professional team, Kobe 9 Cruise of the Kansai Independent Baseball League, made her pro debut on March 26, 2009, at the Osaka Dome. She learned how to throw a knuckleball as a young girl by watching video of Wakefield.
On Tuesday, at the Red Sox player development complex, Yoshida, wearing a gray Boston T-shirt with Wakefield's name and number on the back, met her idol and pitched with him.
"I'm impressed," Wakefield said. "She spun a couple, but for the most part it was very good. She was able to take the spin out of a lot of them and they had quite a lot of movement on them."
Yoshida, who stands 5-foot-1 and throws her knuckleball with a sidearm motion, is in the United States to pitch in the independent Arizona Winter League. She got her first win on Feb. 12, tossing four shutout innings for the Yuma Scorpions. But she admitted she was nervous working with the 43-year-old Wakefield.
"I think everything that he taught me is going to give me a chance to really work on what I need to work on," she said through Red Sox team translator Masa Hoshino. "But also, I got a chance to meet him and it really gave me some courage and the confidence I need to really get back to training hard."
Wakefield, who is entering his 18th major league season, made his first All-Star team last year. He was happy to share his knowledge with someone willing to try the knuckler.
"It's an honor to have somebody carry on a knuckleball tradition," he said. "And somebody that's doing it because she likes what I do. It's pretty cool to have someone come over to the States from Japan. I heard about her last year. I know she's pitching in independent leagues now. But for her to come all the way to Fort Myers and watch me throw, it was an honor for me to just talk to her and give her some tips."
***
The Golden League, dotted with former big leaguers and players with years of minor league experience, is not a good place for an 18-year-old to pitch.
Let alone an 18-year-old girl.
From Japan.
Say this about Eri Yoshida: she likes a challenge. With the spotlight of the media from both sides of the Pacific, Yoshida made her debut with the independent Chico Outlaws on Saturday night, becoming the first woman to pitch in a professional league in the U.S. since Ila Borders in 2000.
It didn't go that well, although you would never have known that by the throng of adoring fans cheering and begging for her autograph after the game.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Pete Newell
Pete Newell, the Hall of Fame basketball coach who won an NCAA championship and Olympic gold medal and later tutored some of the game's greatest big men, died Monday. He was 93.
The University of California confirmed his death. Newell coached the Bears to a national title in 1959. No details were available, but Newell had a serious lung operation in 2005.
Newell coached 14 years at San Francisco, Michigan State and California before doctors advised him to give it up because of the emotional toll. His final coaching job came in the 1960 Olympics, when he took a U.S. team led by Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and Jerry Lucas to a gold medal in Rome.
Newell also ran a Big Man's Camp in Hawai'i.
The University of California confirmed his death. Newell coached the Bears to a national title in 1959. No details were available, but Newell had a serious lung operation in 2005.
Newell coached 14 years at San Francisco, Michigan State and California before doctors advised him to give it up because of the emotional toll. His final coaching job came in the 1960 Olympics, when he took a U.S. team led by Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and Jerry Lucas to a gold medal in Rome.
Newell also ran a Big Man's Camp in Hawai'i.
Brock Lesnar defeats Randy Couture
Brock Lesnar stopped "The Natural" Randy Couture in the second round of their UFC 91 fight on Saturday night to become heavyweight champion.
Lesnar earned a TKO after the referee stepped in while he kept pummeling Couture, even after he went to the ground.
Lesnar has now become the first man ever to win a fake and real championship. The WWE and the UFC Heavyweight Championships. Lesnar is also a former NCAA Wrestling Champion.
Lesnar earned a TKO after the referee stepped in while he kept pummeling Couture, even after he went to the ground.
Lesnar has now become the first man ever to win a fake and real championship. The WWE and the UFC Heavyweight Championships. Lesnar is also a former NCAA Wrestling Champion.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Obama's brother-in-law has a big rebuilding job too
With a hint of 5 o'clock shadow and small bags under his eyes, Oregon State coach Craig Robinson took the basketball court to start a campaign that is nearly as daunting as the one he just helped to complete.
Now that the campaign is over Robinson is able to concentrate on coaching.For the past 20 months, Robinson assisted his brother-in-law Barack Obama's campaign for the presidency. Robinson stumped in Iowa, gave speeches in Washington State and did interviews about his childhood on Chicago's South Side with his younger sister, Michelle, who is married to Obama.
Now that the Obamas are preparing to enter the White House and Robinson can devote all his energy to his first season at Oregon State, Robinson and the president-elect can debate about whose task is tougher.
"Before this whole economy thing, I would have said that we had a bigger rebuilding job," Robinson said of Oregon State. "But this economy thing puts him over the top, hands down. He's got the economy, and you can throw in the housing crisis and the war. He's got more on his plate than I do."
Robinson simply inherited an Oregon State program that is coming off an 0-18 season in the Pacific-10, carrying a 21-game skid and looking for its first NCAA tournament appearance since 1990.
Now that the campaign is over Robinson is able to concentrate on coaching.For the past 20 months, Robinson assisted his brother-in-law Barack Obama's campaign for the presidency. Robinson stumped in Iowa, gave speeches in Washington State and did interviews about his childhood on Chicago's South Side with his younger sister, Michelle, who is married to Obama.
Now that the Obamas are preparing to enter the White House and Robinson can devote all his energy to his first season at Oregon State, Robinson and the president-elect can debate about whose task is tougher.
"Before this whole economy thing, I would have said that we had a bigger rebuilding job," Robinson said of Oregon State. "But this economy thing puts him over the top, hands down. He's got the economy, and you can throw in the housing crisis and the war. He's got more on his plate than I do."
Robinson simply inherited an Oregon State program that is coming off an 0-18 season in the Pacific-10, carrying a 21-game skid and looking for its first NCAA tournament appearance since 1990.
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Chris Paul surpasses the Big O
Chris Paul couldn't leave New Orleans' locker room last night until he finished helping a friend with his tie.
Add another assist to the Hornets' point guard, who set an NBA record in leading New Orleans to a 100-89 win over Miami.
Paul finished with 21 points and 13 assists for his sixth straight double-double of at least 20 points and 10 assists to open the season, surpassing the mark set by Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson in 1968.
"That is very historical for him to be able to pass a name like that that's a Hall of Famer," New Orleans coach Byron Scott said. "If he stays healthy and keeps growing as a basketball player, obviously he'll be a Hall of Famer, too."
Add another assist to the Hornets' point guard, who set an NBA record in leading New Orleans to a 100-89 win over Miami.
Paul finished with 21 points and 13 assists for his sixth straight double-double of at least 20 points and 10 assists to open the season, surpassing the mark set by Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson in 1968.
"That is very historical for him to be able to pass a name like that that's a Hall of Famer," New Orleans coach Byron Scott said. "If he stays healthy and keeps growing as a basketball player, obviously he'll be a Hall of Famer, too."
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Navy runs over SMU
Down to his third-string quarterback, with a hard rain falling and winds whipping, Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo modified the game plan.
In came Ricky Dobbs, subbing for the injured Jarod Bryant, and Dobbs ran, ran and ran some more.
He ran for 224 yards and four touchdowns on 42 carries as Navy became the first major college team in 11 years to go a game without attempting a pass in its 34-7 victory against SMU yesterday.
In came Ricky Dobbs, subbing for the injured Jarod Bryant, and Dobbs ran, ran and ran some more.
He ran for 224 yards and four touchdowns on 42 carries as Navy became the first major college team in 11 years to go a game without attempting a pass in its 34-7 victory against SMU yesterday.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Kimbo Slice lasts 14 seconds
SUNRISE, Fla. — Late replacement Seth Petruzelli stopped hyped heavyweight Kimbo Slice in just 14 seconds last night, handing the former street fighter his first mixed martial arts loss.
Petruzelli, 28, had been slated to fight on the undercard against Aaron Rosa at the BankAtlantic Center. But he was bumped up to the heavyweight main event of the EliteXC "CBS Saturday Night Fights" card when the athletic commission sidelined Ken Shamrock. The UFC Hall of Famer needed six stitches over his left eye after an old cut reopened when he was bumping heads warming up earlier in the day.
Petruzelli (11-4), a graduate of Season 2 of "The Ultimate Fighter" reality TV show, had been training to fight at light-heavyweight and weighed in 205 1/2 pounds, 29 pounds lighter than Slice. He had also lost two of his last four fights before dispatching Slice.
Slice (3-1) declined to touch gloves in the cage before the fight and came forward at the bell, backing off Petruzelli.
But as Slice looked to block a front kick, he was toppled with a right. Slice fell forward and Petruzelli kept punching. Slice turned on his back and had taken almost a dozen unanswered punches before referee Troy Waugh stepped in.
* * *
SUNRISE, Fla. -- Life as a mixed martial artist will never be the same for Seth Petruzelli. What he accomplished last night at BankAtlantic Center will be remembered for many years.
Petruzelli, 28, had been slated to fight on the undercard against Aaron Rosa at the BankAtlantic Center. But he was bumped up to the heavyweight main event of the EliteXC "CBS Saturday Night Fights" card when the athletic commission sidelined Ken Shamrock. The UFC Hall of Famer needed six stitches over his left eye after an old cut reopened when he was bumping heads warming up earlier in the day.
Petruzelli (11-4), a graduate of Season 2 of "The Ultimate Fighter" reality TV show, had been training to fight at light-heavyweight and weighed in 205 1/2 pounds, 29 pounds lighter than Slice. He had also lost two of his last four fights before dispatching Slice.
Slice (3-1) declined to touch gloves in the cage before the fight and came forward at the bell, backing off Petruzelli.
But as Slice looked to block a front kick, he was toppled with a right. Slice fell forward and Petruzelli kept punching. Slice turned on his back and had taken almost a dozen unanswered punches before referee Troy Waugh stepped in.
* * *
SUNRISE, Fla. -- Life as a mixed martial artist will never be the same for Seth Petruzelli. What he accomplished last night at BankAtlantic Center will be remembered for many years.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
O.J. Guilty
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Thirteen years to the day after being acquitted of killing his wife and her friend in Los Angeles, O.J. Simpson was found guilty of robbing two sports-memorabilia dealers at gunpoint in a Las Vegas hotel room.
The 61-year-old former football star was convicted of all 12 counts late Friday after jurors deliberated for more than 13 hours. He released a heavy sigh as the charges were read and was immediately taken into custody.
Simpson, who went from American sports idol to celebrity-in-exile after his murder acquittal, could spend the rest of his life in prison.
[12/5/08] A broken O.J. Simpson was sentenced today to as much as 33 years in prison for a hotel armed robbery after a judge rejected his apology and said, "It was much more than stupidity."
The 61-year-old football Hall of Famer stood shackled and stone-faced as Judge Jackie Glass rattled off the punishment. Moments before, Simpson made a rambling, five-minute plea for leniency, simultaneously apologizing for the holdup as a foolish mistake and trying to justify his actions.
He choked back tears as he told her: "I didn't want to steal anything from anyone. ... I'm sorry, sorry."
Simpson said he was simply trying to retrieve sports memorabilia and other mementos, including his first wife's wedding ring, from two dealers when he stormed a Las Vegas hotel room on Sept. 13, 2007.
But the judge emphasized that it was a violent confrontation in which at least one gun was drawn, and she said someone could have been shot. She said the evidence was overwhelming, with the planning, the confrontation itself and the aftermath all recorded on audio or videotape.
Glass, a no-nonsense judge known for her tough sentences, imposed such a complex series of consecutive and concurrent sentences that even many attorneys watching the case were confused as to how much time Simpson got.
Simpson could serve up to 33 years but could be eligible for parole after nine years, according to Elana Roberto, the judge's clerk.
The 61-year-old former football star was convicted of all 12 counts late Friday after jurors deliberated for more than 13 hours. He released a heavy sigh as the charges were read and was immediately taken into custody.
Simpson, who went from American sports idol to celebrity-in-exile after his murder acquittal, could spend the rest of his life in prison.
[12/5/08] A broken O.J. Simpson was sentenced today to as much as 33 years in prison for a hotel armed robbery after a judge rejected his apology and said, "It was much more than stupidity."
The 61-year-old football Hall of Famer stood shackled and stone-faced as Judge Jackie Glass rattled off the punishment. Moments before, Simpson made a rambling, five-minute plea for leniency, simultaneously apologizing for the holdup as a foolish mistake and trying to justify his actions.
He choked back tears as he told her: "I didn't want to steal anything from anyone. ... I'm sorry, sorry."
Simpson said he was simply trying to retrieve sports memorabilia and other mementos, including his first wife's wedding ring, from two dealers when he stormed a Las Vegas hotel room on Sept. 13, 2007.
But the judge emphasized that it was a violent confrontation in which at least one gun was drawn, and she said someone could have been shot. She said the evidence was overwhelming, with the planning, the confrontation itself and the aftermath all recorded on audio or videotape.
Glass, a no-nonsense judge known for her tough sentences, imposed such a complex series of consecutive and concurrent sentences that even many attorneys watching the case were confused as to how much time Simpson got.
Simpson could serve up to 33 years but could be eligible for parole after nine years, according to Elana Roberto, the judge's clerk.
Friday, October 03, 2008
20 Years of UH Football
Bob Hogue looks back at moments in 20 years of University of Hawaii football
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Gebrselassie breaks marathon world record
Haile Gebrselassie broke his own marathon world record today, becoming the first runner to finish under 2 hours, 4 minutes.
The Ethiopian clocked 2:03:59 to win his third straight Berlin Marathon, beating the mark of 2:04:26 he set last year over the same flat course. He also became the first runner to win the race three times.
The Ethiopian chose to skip the Olympic marathon in Beijing because of the city's pollution. However, he finished sixth in the 10,000 meters, a race he won in Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000.
The Ethiopian clocked 2:03:59 to win his third straight Berlin Marathon, beating the mark of 2:04:26 he set last year over the same flat course. He also became the first runner to win the race three times.
The Ethiopian chose to skip the Olympic marathon in Beijing because of the city's pollution. However, he finished sixth in the 10,000 meters, a race he won in Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
why are men faster than women?
Women are slower than men in running, in swimming, in cycling. Whether it is a 100-meter race on the track or a marathon, a 200-meter butterfly swim or a 10-kilometer marathon swim, the pattern holds.
And even though some scientists once predicted that women would eventually close the gender gap in elite performances — it was proposed that all they needed was more experience, better training and stronger coaching — that idea is now largely discredited, at least for Olympic events. Researchers say there is no one physiological reason for the gap, although there is a common biological thread.
“To a large extent, it’s a matter of testosterone,” said Dr. Benjamin Levine, director of the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine at Presbyterian Hospital and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. “That’s why systematic doping of women is even more effective than systematic doping of men. That’s why the East German women were so much more successful than the East German men.”
The hormone affects everything from muscle size and strength to the size of the heart to the amount of oxygen-carrying blood cells in the body to the percentage of fat on an athlete’s body. Every one of those effects gives men a performance advantage.
Testosterone, Levine said, gives men what he calls a bigger and better-fueled engine. Their skeletal muscles, which do the work during exercise, are bigger. And their hearts, which provide fuel for the work, are bigger, too.
And even though some scientists once predicted that women would eventually close the gender gap in elite performances — it was proposed that all they needed was more experience, better training and stronger coaching — that idea is now largely discredited, at least for Olympic events. Researchers say there is no one physiological reason for the gap, although there is a common biological thread.
“To a large extent, it’s a matter of testosterone,” said Dr. Benjamin Levine, director of the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine at Presbyterian Hospital and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. “That’s why systematic doping of women is even more effective than systematic doping of men. That’s why the East German women were so much more successful than the East German men.”
The hormone affects everything from muscle size and strength to the size of the heart to the amount of oxygen-carrying blood cells in the body to the percentage of fat on an athlete’s body. Every one of those effects gives men a performance advantage.
Testosterone, Levine said, gives men what he calls a bigger and better-fueled engine. Their skeletal muscles, which do the work during exercise, are bigger. And their hearts, which provide fuel for the work, are bigger, too.
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Don Haskins
EL PASO, Texas — Hall of Fame basketball coach Don Haskins, credited with helping break color barriers in college sports in 1966 when he used five black starters to win a national championship for what was then Texas Western, died today, Texas-El Paso officials said.
UTEP spokesman Jeff Darby said Haskins, who was 78, died Sunday afternoon. He had no other details.
Haskins was an old-time coach who believed in hard work and was known for his gruff demeanor.
That attitude was portrayed in the 2006 movie "Glory Road," the Disney film that chronicled Haskins' improbable rise to national fame in the 1966 championship game against Kentucky. The movie, which was preceded by a book of the same title, also sparked renewed interest in Haskins' hall of fame career.
UTEP spokesman Jeff Darby said Haskins, who was 78, died Sunday afternoon. He had no other details.
Haskins was an old-time coach who believed in hard work and was known for his gruff demeanor.
That attitude was portrayed in the 2006 movie "Glory Road," the Disney film that chronicled Haskins' improbable rise to national fame in the 1966 championship game against Kentucky. The movie, which was preceded by a book of the same title, also sparked renewed interest in Haskins' hall of fame career.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Skip Caray
ATLANTA - Skip Caray, a voice of the Atlanta Braves for 33 years and part of a family line of baseball broadcasters that included Hall of Famer Harry Caray, died in his sleep at home on Sunday, the team said. He was 68.
The cause of death was not immediately known, but various health problems had limited Caray to calling only Braves home games this season.
"We've all lost a very good friend," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "For me, he was a good buddy -- at the park and away from the park. We always had a lot of great laughs. He will be very sorely missed."
Caray was drawn into broadcasting by his father, Harry, the longtime voice of the Chicago Cubs and a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
The family line has continued with two of Skip Caray's sons. Chip Caray is part of the Braves broadcast team and Josh Caray is working on the radio for the Class A Rome Braves.
The cause of death was not immediately known, but various health problems had limited Caray to calling only Braves home games this season.
"We've all lost a very good friend," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "For me, he was a good buddy -- at the park and away from the park. We always had a lot of great laughs. He will be very sorely missed."
Caray was drawn into broadcasting by his father, Harry, the longtime voice of the Chicago Cubs and a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
The family line has continued with two of Skip Caray's sons. Chip Caray is part of the Braves broadcast team and Josh Caray is working on the radio for the Class A Rome Braves.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Waipio Wins World Series
Waipio not only won the Little League World Series yesterday with a 12-3 drubbing of Matamoros, Mexico; the local youngsters did it in record-setting style.
The victory was the largest margin by a U.S. team over an International opponent in the history of the championship game. Waipio is also only the second team in Little League history to score in every inning of the title match. The first team to do it was Taiwan in 1974.
It is the second time in four years a Hawaii team won the biggest title in youth sports, with teams from Georgia winning the other two in that title stretch.
The victory was the largest margin by a U.S. team over an International opponent in the history of the championship game. Waipio is also only the second team in Little League history to score in every inning of the title match. The first team to do it was Taiwan in 1974.
It is the second time in four years a Hawaii team won the biggest title in youth sports, with teams from Georgia winning the other two in that title stretch.
Waipio rallies to win U.S. Championship
Tanner Tokunaga doubled home two runs with the bases loaded with two outs to cap a dramatic six-run sixth inning that gave Waipio a come-from-behind, 7-5 win yesterday over Louisiana to advance to the Little League World Series title game.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Brian Clay captures gold
BEIJING — Hawai'i's Bryan Clay is on top of the world.
Clay, the Castle High graduate from Kane'ohe, led from start to finish to become the first American since 1996 to win the Olympic decathlon gold medal today as the "world's greatest athlete."
Clay is believed to have won the first individual gold by any athlete raised or born and raised in Hawai'i in more than 50 years. Ford Konno won an individual gold medal in swimming in 1952.
"I can't tell you how happy I am to have worked for something for so long, and finally accomplish it, and have my dreams come true," Clay said. "I'm very pleased with my score, of course I'm pleased with the medal and the title that comes with the medal."
Clay, the Castle High graduate from Kane'ohe, led from start to finish to become the first American since 1996 to win the Olympic decathlon gold medal today as the "world's greatest athlete."
Clay is believed to have won the first individual gold by any athlete raised or born and raised in Hawai'i in more than 50 years. Ford Konno won an individual gold medal in swimming in 1952.
"I can't tell you how happy I am to have worked for something for so long, and finally accomplish it, and have my dreams come true," Clay said. "I'm very pleased with my score, of course I'm pleased with the medal and the title that comes with the medal."
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Phelps makes it eight
BEIJING -- A journey that started four years ago after his six gold medals in Athens and included 17 swims over nine days here ended triumphantly for Michael Phelps on Sunday.
Phelps earned his unprecedented eighth Olympic gold medal of the 2008 Olympics as he swam the butterfly leg of the Americans' world-record win in the 4x100m medley relay to close out the swimming competition at the Water Cube.
Phelps earned his unprecedented eighth Olympic gold medal of the 2008 Olympics as he swam the butterfly leg of the Americans' world-record win in the 4x100m medley relay to close out the swimming competition at the Water Cube.
Bolt shatters world record at Olympics
BEIJING - Track and field needs a new hero.
It got one Saturday night who can fly.
In the most outrageous display of speed to ever burn across the Olympic Games, Usain Bolt of Jamaica rocketed to gold in winning the men's 100m dash in 9.69 seconds -- not only a new world record but the first time in the history of human beings a man has run the distance under 9.7 seconds without a significant tailwind.
Incredibly, Bolt, 21, could have gone faster.
With a full seven strides to go, he dropped his arms and let them fall outstretched to his sides, appearing almost to run sideways as he played to the sold-out crowd of 91,000 at the Bird's Nest. Just before the finish line, he started high-stepping and, for good measure, executed a chest-thump.
All that, and still -- 9.69 seconds. Bolt simply ran away from the rest of the best of the world.
It got one Saturday night who can fly.
In the most outrageous display of speed to ever burn across the Olympic Games, Usain Bolt of Jamaica rocketed to gold in winning the men's 100m dash in 9.69 seconds -- not only a new world record but the first time in the history of human beings a man has run the distance under 9.7 seconds without a significant tailwind.
Incredibly, Bolt, 21, could have gone faster.
With a full seven strides to go, he dropped his arms and let them fall outstretched to his sides, appearing almost to run sideways as he played to the sold-out crowd of 91,000 at the Bird's Nest. Just before the finish line, he started high-stepping and, for good measure, executed a chest-thump.
All that, and still -- 9.69 seconds. Bolt simply ran away from the rest of the best of the world.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Favre traded to Jets
The Green Bay Packers agreed last night to trade quarterback Brett Favre to the New York Jets, a final surprising twist to a football soap opera that already had been full of them.
The Jets apparently outbid the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the three-time NFL MVP, who retired in March but changed his mind in recent weeks. According to one source close to the trade talks, the Jets surrendered a fourth-round draft pick that can increase in value, potentially all the way to a first-round choice, based on the performance of Favre and his new team this season.
The Jets apparently outbid the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the three-time NFL MVP, who retired in March but changed his mind in recent weeks. According to one source close to the trade talks, the Jets surrendered a fourth-round draft pick that can increase in value, potentially all the way to a first-round choice, based on the performance of Favre and his new team this season.
Monday, August 04, 2008
Parker McLachlin gets first PGA Tour Win
Honolulu's Parker McLachlin didn't expect to even play in the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open, let alone come away with his first victory on the PGA Tour.
Now he's secured a spot in this week's PGA Championship at Oakland Hill and, perhaps more important to him, an invite to the winners-only Mercedes-Benz Championship next January in his home state of Hawai'i.
"I used to go over there and work that golf tournament picking the range, spending the week over there when I was 13, 14 years old being a standard bearer," said McLachlin, 29, who held on with a 2-over-par 74 yesterday to win the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open at 18-under 270 — seven strokes better than Brian Davis and John Rollins.
"I can vividly remember being a standard bearer for Fred Couples. I just idolized those guys and to be part of that fraternity, I just can't express it," McLachlin said. "It has been a dream of mine since I was about 12."
The Punahou School and UCLA alum, who is in his second year on tour, began the final round with a six-shot lead after tying the course record of 62 on Friday and setting a 54-hole mark of 20-under par at the 7,472-yard Montreux Golf & Country Club near Lake Tahoe.
He extended it to seven after three holes yesterday, but the nerves tightened when he saw it shrink to four with seven holes to play before escaping trouble several times down the stretch and dropping a 15-foot putt on the 18th for his lone birdie of the day.
"I was fortunate to have that big cushion because I needed it," McLachlin said. "Brian was putting the heat on and I was feeling it.
Now he's secured a spot in this week's PGA Championship at Oakland Hill and, perhaps more important to him, an invite to the winners-only Mercedes-Benz Championship next January in his home state of Hawai'i.
"I used to go over there and work that golf tournament picking the range, spending the week over there when I was 13, 14 years old being a standard bearer," said McLachlin, 29, who held on with a 2-over-par 74 yesterday to win the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open at 18-under 270 — seven strokes better than Brian Davis and John Rollins.
"I can vividly remember being a standard bearer for Fred Couples. I just idolized those guys and to be part of that fraternity, I just can't express it," McLachlin said. "It has been a dream of mine since I was about 12."
The Punahou School and UCLA alum, who is in his second year on tour, began the final round with a six-shot lead after tying the course record of 62 on Friday and setting a 54-hole mark of 20-under par at the 7,472-yard Montreux Golf & Country Club near Lake Tahoe.
He extended it to seven after three holes yesterday, but the nerves tightened when he saw it shrink to four with seven holes to play before escaping trouble several times down the stretch and dropping a 15-foot putt on the 18th for his lone birdie of the day.
"I was fortunate to have that big cushion because I needed it," McLachlin said. "Brian was putting the heat on and I was feeling it.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
baseball leans to the left
David Peters was born lefthanded. It took a few raps on the hand by his teachers, but like many in his generation, he switched to being a righty.
Maybe that's why Peters, now 61, became a scholar instead of a first baseman.
Peters is an engineering professor at Washington University in St. Louis who happens to be a baseball nut. He looked at baseball from an engineer's perspective and determined that southpaws have a decided advantage.
"Ninety percent of the human population is righthanded, but in baseball 25 percent of the players, both pitchers and batters, are lefthanded," Peters said.
"Do lefties have an advantage? They definitely do. The statistics bear that out."
Maybe that's why Peters, now 61, became a scholar instead of a first baseman.
Peters is an engineering professor at Washington University in St. Louis who happens to be a baseball nut. He looked at baseball from an engineer's perspective and determined that southpaws have a decided advantage.
"Ninety percent of the human population is righthanded, but in baseball 25 percent of the players, both pitchers and batters, are lefthanded," Peters said.
"Do lefties have an advantage? They definitely do. The statistics bear that out."
Shock signs Lieberman
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- The Detroit Shock came up with a way to distract some attention away from their skirmish earlier this week.
For one game at least.
The Shock signed 50-year-old Nancy Lieberman, a Hall of Famer and one of their former coaches, to a seven-day contract on Thursday and she expected to play only that night in Houston.
"It's really a one-game deal," Lieberman said in a telephone interview. "My motivation stems from the fact that I love this game and I never stopped playing it whether it's a pickup game with Deion Sanders and Tony Romo at a church or at a park with my son."
She became the oldest player in WNBA history at 39 while playing for the Phoenix Mercury in 1997, the league's inaugural season.
Shock coach Bill Laimbeer says Lieberman, an ESPN analyst, was impressive during drills during last year's WNBA All-Star game.
"This is not a gimmick," Laimbeer insisted. "I talked to her last year about this and again two weeks ago. This opportunity probably would've happened if we didn't have the incident the other night."
A spot opened up for Lieberman when standout forward Cheryl Ford suffered a season-ending knee injury Tuesday night when the Shock, assistant coach Rick Mahorn and the Los Angeles Sparks were involved in a skirmish.
Lieberman was the general manager and coach of the Shock from 1998-2000. During her professional playing career, she averaged 15.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.1 assists.
She played at Old Dominion University from 1976-80, helping the school win two national titles, and played for the U.S. Olympic team in 1976 and 1980.
Lieberman was the first woman to play professionally with men as part of the USBL's Springfield Fame in 1986.
She was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame three years later.
For one game at least.
The Shock signed 50-year-old Nancy Lieberman, a Hall of Famer and one of their former coaches, to a seven-day contract on Thursday and she expected to play only that night in Houston.
"It's really a one-game deal," Lieberman said in a telephone interview. "My motivation stems from the fact that I love this game and I never stopped playing it whether it's a pickup game with Deion Sanders and Tony Romo at a church or at a park with my son."
She became the oldest player in WNBA history at 39 while playing for the Phoenix Mercury in 1997, the league's inaugural season.
Shock coach Bill Laimbeer says Lieberman, an ESPN analyst, was impressive during drills during last year's WNBA All-Star game.
"This is not a gimmick," Laimbeer insisted. "I talked to her last year about this and again two weeks ago. This opportunity probably would've happened if we didn't have the incident the other night."
A spot opened up for Lieberman when standout forward Cheryl Ford suffered a season-ending knee injury Tuesday night when the Shock, assistant coach Rick Mahorn and the Los Angeles Sparks were involved in a skirmish.
Lieberman was the general manager and coach of the Shock from 1998-2000. During her professional playing career, she averaged 15.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.1 assists.
She played at Old Dominion University from 1976-80, helping the school win two national titles, and played for the U.S. Olympic team in 1976 and 1980.
Lieberman was the first woman to play professionally with men as part of the USBL's Springfield Fame in 1986.
She was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame three years later.
Greg McMakin is a friendly person
In the 30-step walk to the hotel elevator, McMackin spotted a maid. He said, "Hi," and, few minutes later, she was offering best wishes for the coming football season.
"I like people," said the first-year University of Hawai'i head football coach, who also engaged in conversations with a waiter and restaurant hostess.
These days, McMackin is a most happy fella.
It is six months since he succeeded June Jones, who orchestrated the most successful football season in school history.
McMackin's first recruiting class, constructed in a frenetic three weeks, drew raves from computer geeks.
And he is well liked. UH offensive coordinator Ron Lee mused that McMackin shakes more hands "than Obama." He has not met a speaking invitation he did not accept.
"I've always been a friendly person," McMackin said. "My wife is that way, too. And it's easier to be that way in Hawai'i because the people of Hawai'i are the same way. I'm amazed by the response we've received. I know I'm on my honeymoon. We haven't played any games, and we had a great season last year. There's a lot of enthusiasm. I feel really responsible to do a great job because of the faith of the administrators, coaches, players and fans. I take this as a very serious responsibility."
"I like people," said the first-year University of Hawai'i head football coach, who also engaged in conversations with a waiter and restaurant hostess.
These days, McMackin is a most happy fella.
It is six months since he succeeded June Jones, who orchestrated the most successful football season in school history.
McMackin's first recruiting class, constructed in a frenetic three weeks, drew raves from computer geeks.
And he is well liked. UH offensive coordinator Ron Lee mused that McMackin shakes more hands "than Obama." He has not met a speaking invitation he did not accept.
"I've always been a friendly person," McMackin said. "My wife is that way, too. And it's easier to be that way in Hawai'i because the people of Hawai'i are the same way. I'm amazed by the response we've received. I know I'm on my honeymoon. We haven't played any games, and we had a great season last year. There's a lot of enthusiasm. I feel really responsible to do a great job because of the faith of the administrators, coaches, players and fans. I take this as a very serious responsibility."
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Woe is Wie
Just when he seemed that things were getting better...
Michelle Wie finished the third round of the State Farm Classic alone in second today — that is, if she hadn't already been disqualified.
Wie failed to sign her scorecard after yesterday's second round. She showed up today and shot 5-under 67 to finish alone in second at 17 under, one stroke back of Yani Tseng. That's when Wie learned of the LPGA's ruling.
The 18-year-old Wie, who appeared to have been crying, told reporters she made a mistake.
"I don't know how it happened," she said.
Wie, who is playing a part-time schedule while attending Stanford, was having by far her best tournament of the year. She opened with a 5-under 67 and followed with rounds of 65 and 67 — though the last two won't count.
Michelle Wie finished the third round of the State Farm Classic alone in second today — that is, if she hadn't already been disqualified.
Wie failed to sign her scorecard after yesterday's second round. She showed up today and shot 5-under 67 to finish alone in second at 17 under, one stroke back of Yani Tseng. That's when Wie learned of the LPGA's ruling.
The 18-year-old Wie, who appeared to have been crying, told reporters she made a mistake.
"I don't know how it happened," she said.
Wie, who is playing a part-time schedule while attending Stanford, was having by far her best tournament of the year. She opened with a 5-under 67 and followed with rounds of 65 and 67 — though the last two won't count.
Monday, July 07, 2008
Chestnut remains top dog
In one of the most exciting finishes in hot dog eating competition history, defending champion Joey Chestnut today defeated six-time winner Takeru Kobayashi in overtime to keep the Mustard Belt, $20,000 and the world's fastest hot dog eater title.
Both eaters downed 59 hot dogs in the regular 10-minute competition at Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hotdog-Eating Contest in Coney Island, forcing a speed-eating, five-dog overtime.
Both eaters downed 59 hot dogs in the regular 10-minute competition at Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hotdog-Eating Contest in Coney Island, forcing a speed-eating, five-dog overtime.
Nadal ends Federer's reign at Wimbledon
WIMBLEDON, England — Rafael Nadal, grass stains on his white shirt and a Spanish flag tucked under his arm, scampered through the Centre Court stands to celebrate his first Wimbledon title with hugs and handshakes.
Roger Federer sat in his changeover chair, alone with his thoughts, alone with the knowledge that he had come so close to becoming the first man since the 1880s to win a sixth consecutive title at the All England Club.
Two points from victory, the No. 1-ranked Federer couldn't pull it out, instead succumbing to No. 2 Nadal, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7, yesterday in a 4-hour, 48-minute test of wills that was the longest men's final in Wimbledon history — and quite possibly the greatest.
Roger Federer sat in his changeover chair, alone with his thoughts, alone with the knowledge that he had come so close to becoming the first man since the 1880s to win a sixth consecutive title at the All England Club.
Two points from victory, the No. 1-ranked Federer couldn't pull it out, instead succumbing to No. 2 Nadal, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7, yesterday in a 4-hour, 48-minute test of wills that was the longest men's final in Wimbledon history — and quite possibly the greatest.
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