Baseball Quiz: [From Sports Illustrated] Seattle’s Felix Hernandez reached 1,000 career strikeouts the other day at age 24. Only three pitchers have whiffed 1,000 by an earlier age. Name ‘em. [Hint: All 3 are retired. One is a fringe Hall of Fame candidate.] Answer below.
Disaster in Port
I was reading in the Los Angeles Times about a new national park, all of just five acres, in Concord, Calif. It commemorates the biggest home-front disaster of World War II. July 17, 1944. Christopher Reynolds reports:
“It was a Monday. The U.S. was more than two years into World War II, and Port Chicago was where the Navy took munitions off railroad cars and loaded them onto ships bound for the Pacific.”
Two ships were on the pier at the time, the Quinault and the E.A. Bryan. Most of the loading had gone smoothly.
“But Port Chicago [eight miles down the Sacramento River from Pittsburgh] was ready to blow, in more ways than one.
“About 1,400 enlisted men did the most dangerous work….All were black, barred from most other jobs by segregationist policies that prevailed in the Navy and throughout American society. Their morale, the Navy acknowledged later, was ‘extremely low.’…
“Sleeping in barracks about a half a mile from the dock, most of these men served as stevedores, working around the clock in three shifts, filling westbound ships with bullets and bombs under the supervision of about 70 commissioned officers, all white.
“Exhorted by officers to work quickly, the enlisted troops rolled bombs down ramps and stacked ammunition on pallets or loaded it into nets. Then winches hoisted the ordnance off the pier and into the hatches.”
But the Navy offered little or no training, a review later found.
“By 10 p.m. July 17, more than 100 men were aboard the Quinault Victory, rigging the new ship and expecting to start loading bombs at midnight.
“Ninety-eight men were on and around the Bryan, which was as busy as a beehive. One crew stacked 40-millimeter shells into the No. 5 hold. Another maneuvered 1,000-pound bombs into the No. 3 hold. Another placed 2,000-pound depth bombs into the No. 2 hold. At the No. 1 hold, the men gingerly handled incendiary bombs, which weighed 650 pounds each and were called ‘hot cargo’ because their fuses were installed.
“By 10:15, the Bryan held 4,606 tons of ammunition and explosives. On the pier, nine officers stood among about 100 crewmembers, Marine guards, civilian workers and others. Sixteen railroad boxcars had rolled up, bearing another 429 tons of bombs and projectiles to be loaded.
“About five seconds later came the second, much bigger blast.”
Ranger Eric Stearns observed recently, “I think the closest survivors were two guys who were about 1,000 yards away.”
“In Nevada, seismic devices jumped. In San Francisco, hotel windows shattered. On an Army Air Force plane 9,000 feet up, the pilot reported an aerial ring of fire three miles around. Also, he said, ‘there were pieces of metal that were white and orange in color, that went quite a ways above us. They were quite large. I would say they were as big as a house or a garage.’
“The Bryan was all but vaporized. The stern of the shattered Quinault Victory landed 500 feet from where it had been moored. In the Port Chicago movie theater, which was showing a war movie called ‘China,’ the north wall gave way – just as a grenade was exploding on the screen. (The Navy later razed the town.)”
One group that measures such things believes the blast at the time was “the most powerful manmade, non-nuclear explosion in history.”
“Just 51 bodies were sufficiently intact to be identified. In all, 320 men were dead, including 202 black enlisted men; 390 more sailors and civilians were injured, including 233 black enlisted men.”
Said Irvin Lowery, now 86, when the sun came up the next day “we picked up body parts. What we found was generally gloves and shoes. The gloves and shoes held the parts together. I guess the rest disintegrated.”
A Navy inquiry found no one directly responsible, labeling it an unavoidable accident as the enlisted personnel “were unreliable, emotional, lacked capacity to understand or remember orders or instructions, were particularly susceptible to mass psychology and moods, lacked mechanical aptitude, were suspicious of strange officers, disliked receiving orders of any kind, particularly from white officers or petty officers, and were inclined to look for and make an issue of discrimination.”
Later there was a mutiny trial involving 50 of the surviving enlisted men when they refused to work at the facility they were transferred to, because as the ringleader, Seaman 1st Class Joseph R. Small (from New Jersey) said, he was afraid. And then somebody in the ranks said, “If Small don’t go, we’re not going either.” They were convicted.
In late 1944, the Navy beefed up munitions training and assigned white enlisted men to join the black enlisted men on the rebuilt Port Chicago pier. The Navy later became the first branch of the U.S. military to fully integrate.
Robert L. Allen wrote a 1989 book, “The Port Chicago Mutiny,” for which much of what we know is the primary source. Today, Allen says that as far as he can ascertain, the 50 convicted of mutiny are all dead.
College Football Review
Ah, the season is off to a decent start as we had two big upsets in week one….
Jacksonville State (Div. I-AA…I hate the Football Championship Subdivision label) defeated Mississippi 49-48 in the second overtime as the Gamecocks (didn’t know their nickname until now) went for two. They had been down 21 at the half.
And who quarterbacked Ole Miss for a spell? Jeremiah Masoli, the Oregon castoff who was cleared by the NCAA on appeal after it had said he was ineligible earlier in the week.
But I didn’t realize the Jacksonville State coach is Jack Crowe. The same Jack Crowe who was fired as coach at Arkansas in 1992 after his team lost to Citadel. I remember that game. I can’t believe that was 18 years ago! Yikes.
So no wonder Crowe had tears in his eyes at his postgame press conference. “If you stay in this long enough, it goes both ways,” he said.
And North Dakota State (the Bison) of the Missouri Valley Conference (Southern Illinois, Indiana State and the like…hardly football powers), defeated Kansas, 6-3, thus spoiling the coaching debut of Turner Gill, a highly controversial hire for the Jayhawks, seeing as how Gill had just one decent year at Buffalo. I imagine the students/alumni are up in arms over this one.
Meanwhile, the big game (until Monday night’s Boise State-Virginia Tech contest…which is absolutely huge in terms of the national title chase) was No. 6 TCU vs. No. 24 Oregon State, with TCU emerging victorious, 30-21, in a very entertaining opener. While I own a lot of Oregon Duckwear, I do have some OSU Beaverwear in reserve and I can flip flop ‘em, you understand, depending on who’s playing better.
Speaking of the Ducks, all they did was destroy New Mexico, 72-0, and without running back LaMichael James, serving a suspension for off-the-field crap. The Ducks outgained the Sheriff Lobos 721 -105! 721 yards to 105 yards. My word.
Elsewhere, Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson was the star of college football this weekend, rushing for a school record 199 yards while completing 19-22 for another 187 as the Wolverines beat UConn, 30-10, though it was much closer than the final score indicates. In fact, UConn really blew this one. Big turnovers in key situations. Jeff B., you can do better. [Some of us are really hoping Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez, 8-16 in his first two seasons, falls flat on his face again. Then Michigan can have all the success supporters desire, as far as I’m concerned.]
Notre Dame beat Purdue in Brian Kelly’s coaching debut, 23-12. No one cares. Really. Unless you’re a ND alum. [But I did see ratings were up…so I guess NBC had all its staffers watch from home to stuff the ballot box, so to speak, because I sure as hell didn’t give the contest a thought.]
On Thursday, Utah beat No. 15 Pitt, 27-24 in OT. I didn’t catch the end of this one, but to say the least, from what I saw, Pitt QB Tino Sunseri isn’t ready for prime time and you can kiss Panther back Dion Lewis’ Heisman hopes goodbye because he had just 75 yards on 25 carries. Utah is very good, underrated, but to me it doesn’t matter what Lewis does the rest of the way.
By the way, I heard this on one of the Game Day shows…Virginia Tech is 1-25 against teams ranked in the top five.
Rutgers fans were already booing in the Scarlet Knights’ unimpressive 31-0 win over Norfolk State.
As for my Wake Forest Demon Deacons, if it’s possible, I was unimpressed by our 53-13 win over Presbyterian. In fact I know one Wake fan who said he boycotted the game because we shouldn’t be playing the “Blue Hose” (yes, that’s Presby’s nickname) in the first place.
The thing about Wake is they showed they have some guys with speed, but we were talking Presbyterian, not Miami’s defense, for crying out loud, and our own defensive line has an average weight of like 140, so we’re going to absolutely get manhandled. I’m looking at an average ACC score of 40-14 this year. Except next up we have Duke, the second of our three wins for all of 2010.
And No. 21 North Carolina fell short in losing to No. 18 LSU, 30-24, as their receiver dropped two last second passes in the end zone that could have led to a Tar Heel victory on a day when UNC played without 13 players, suspended for possible violations of NCAA rules in relationships with agents, as well as academic fraud. In a nutshell, Carolina’s program is a mess.
“In 1962, University of North Carolina basketball coach Frank McGuire left for the NBA after investigations into a point-shaving scandal and other possible transgressions in the program. Feeling strongly that the colorful McGuire, who had won an NCAA championship in 1957, had compromised the integrity of the institution, Chancellor William Aycock hired 30-year-old Dean Smith as the Tar Heels’ head coach.
“Aycock gave Smith only one order: Do not embarrass this university.
“And Smith never did, winning 879 games and graduating over 96% of his players in 36 seasons as head coach. In fact, for the past 50 years North Carolina has avoided a major academic or legal scandal that today seems to be an inevitable part of doing business at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics.
Alumni, to say the least, are furious. And now it’s about restoring Chapel Hill’s reputation, though no one knows where this story is really going.
Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State 5:1
Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama 8:1
Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas 10:1
Jake Locker, QB, Washington 12:1
Case Keenum, QB, Houston 12:1
Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia 12:1
Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State 12:1
I guess I have to go with Pryor. But while Locker is going to be the number one overall pick in next spring’s draft, assuming he doesn’t opt for baseball, no way he wins the Heisman, simply because the Cougars won’t win enough games. [And they lost their opener to BYU, 23-17.]
Finally, just a follow-up on the conference realignments. BYU has decided to go independent in football, thanks to a new 8-year contract with ESPN to broadcast home games. And the Cougars announced a six-year series with Notre Dame. During a transitional period, BYU will play several games against WAC teams. But for most other sports, BYU is joining the West Coast Conference (Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s, San Diego, Pepperdine…) beginning with the 2011-2012 academic year as they vacate the Mountain West Conference. A big reason for the move to the WCC is BYU says 60% of its alumni reside in states that have WCC schools. Confused all over again? I am.
Meanwhile, the Big Ten announced its new division realignment reflecting the addition of Nebraska, starting next year.
One division has Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin.
The other…Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska and Northwestern.
The two winners then face off in a lucrative Big Ten Football Championship Game on Dec. 3, 2011.
NFL Outlook
—Sports Illustrated published their usual fabulous NFL preview (buy it…support your magazines and newspapers!), including a great pullout of every game to be played this season. And in it we learn some of the following.
The other day I wrote of the shelf life of an NFL running back and how teams no longer mind seeing a ‘star’ leave because there are so many good backs around these days. The key is the quarterback…period.
But…SI points out that in today’s game, the wide receiver is the other star, along with cornerbacks and defensive ends, as receivers can maintain their peak performance usually much longer than running backs.
Here is the position rank in terms of salary, based on 2009. [Average of top five salaries at each position]
1. QB – $14.65 million
2. CB – $9.96
3. WR – $9.88
4. DE – $8.99
5. OL – $8.45
6. LB – $8.30
7. RB – $6.62
8. S – $6.34
9. DT – $6.06
Back in 2001, defensive ends and defensive tackles were 2 and 3 behind QBs. Wide receivers were 8. [RBs were 6. SI didn’t have a separate category for tight ends]
–FOX host Terry Bradshaw has been on fire these days. Addressing the topic of Jets coach Rex Ryan’s bragging nature, Terry said once the regular season starts Ryan will “shut up real quick.”
“He doesn’t play, easy for him to shoot his mouth off. He doesn’t make a tackle, he doesn’t run the ball, he doesn’t make a catch or throw a ball. He just sits over there…unfortunately, I don’t think his players are quite as strong minded as he is, and he’s putting a lot of pressure on his young quarterback, so if they can’t run the football, they’re going to have to throw it, and they can’t pass protect…He’ll shut up real quick. Y’know what, I don’t like guys like that, OK.”
And then you have the case of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, suspended by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for six games for his off-the-field behavior, which has been disgusting…Big Ben being accused twice of sex crimes against women. But Goodell decided to cut Ben some slack this week and reduced the suspension to four games because Roethlisberger is supposed to be a changed man. You see, Ben has found God, just in time for Week Five. But as the Daily News’ Mike Lupica observes:
“Remember: Roethlisberger is alleged to have had sex with a young woman in a men’s room – and apparently with the help of ‘bodyguards’ who ought to be ashamed of themselves….The idea that he is suddenly a changed man because he says he is, well, Lindsay Lohan says in the current Vanity Fair that she’s a changed young woman, too.”
Roethlisberger told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Scott Brown, “I know who I am and God knows who I am, and that’s all that really matters.”
You can imagine what Stephen Hawking would say to this…but I digress.
Earlier, Terry Bradshaw had said of Goodell that he hoped he didn’t reduce the suspension.
“Going to bars – treating women like that; oh my God. I pray they don’t cut (his suspension) to four games. I hope they leave it at six. There is no excuse for that. The egos get out of hand.”
Bradshaw is ticked that Roethlisberger had spurned his advice on multiple occasions. And then speaking generally, the Hall of Famer said:
“(Today’s athletes) put a little more value in who they are because they are special athletes. Really what they are is a human being.”
“Once they start becoming stars – Favre, Manning – it’s hard to get to them. Before that you can get to them, but then they are protected and you lose your contacts. You’ll never see them (with community groups) giving speeches.”
[One other Roethlisberger tale. The excellent Washington Post sportswriter Mike Wise was suspended by the paper for a month after he Tweeted that the quarterback’s suspension would be reduced to five games, Wise telling readers he had it on “good authority.” The thing is, Wise told his radio audience that he was going to plant the story on Twitter as an experiment to show how unverified information is often picked up and spread online. Sure enough, Wise’s Tweet was indeed picked up by several Web sites. His bosses at the Post were none too pleased. Ombudsman Andrew Alexander said some in the newsroom wanted Wise fired. But others thought the suspension was excessive. Wise himself understands he made a bad mistake. In a radio apology he said, “Integrity, being right before being first, is the only thing genuine journalists have left in this world.” He then added his own “stupid, irresponsible experiment” had “cost me a chunk of my own credibility.” Personally, in my very small way, it’s why I have my “24-hour” policy, especially when it comes to that other, far more serious column that I write.]
“Raiders Still Blow”
“Every year a traditionally dogshitty, dysfunctional doormat team becomes a sexy preseason pick to make a big leap to 8-8 or 9-7, then lurches out of the gate 0-4 and spends the second half of the season playing for draft status. This year’s obvious candidate is the Raiders, picked by both Mikes in ESPN’s Mike and Mike jabberfest to be at least a .500 team. It’s a testament to how monumentally awful JaMarcus Russell was that analysts think his team will automatically win eight games now that he’s home in Alabama sipping purple drank. But new guy Jason Campbell isn’t good, and Al Davis looks closer to death than ever – there’s still at least one bad draft left in his cryogenically preserved corpse.”
“Fat Rex Goes Hungry”
“New Yorkers are already buying tickets for the Super Bowl; the rest of the country is rooting for Rex Ryan and his team of c–k-waving, front-running braggarts to fall backward Raiders of the Lost Ark-style into an airplane propeller. The only outcome that will completely disappoint both sides is the one that will actually happen: The Jets will fail early in the playoffs, but they’ll jell as a team and settle into a years-long run of prolonged excellence. The why: Any team is a long shot to win it all, and the odds like teams with 20-interception QBs even less. No trophy for fat Rex, but he’s not going away either – sorry, everybody.”
AFC – Jets, Pats*, Steelers, Ravens*, Colts, Chargers
NFC – Giants, Cowboys*, Packers, Saints, Panthers*, 49ers
King says Eagles and Vikings fans won’t be happy because the teams will finish 10-6 but fail to move on.
In the AFC championship game, King has the Steelers defeating the Colts.
In the Super Bowl, Steelers 33…Packers 27
But your EXCLUSIVE Bar Chat Pick to Click, as compiled by our crack staff over mega cans of domestic (the economy still sucking wind, you understand).
Packers over the Colts!!!
Kids, you can bet the ranch, or rather your piggy bank (and trust fund) on this one. And tell your parents to sell the house, go to Vegas, bet on the Packers and, err, rent.
Yes, I’m a Jets fan, but I am not in the least bit optimistic about their prospects. I hope I’m wrong…it’s been depressing enough around here following the Mets. I just see the Jets having a disappointing 9-7 season, with no wild-card in their future either. [I’d feel much better if you told me Kris Jenkins is going to be healthy the entire season.]
As for the Giants, Peter King has them going 11-5. Is he nuts?! I’m here to tell you Eli Manning will have a solid season, but it won’t matter one bit. The Giants are going to finish 6-10. They have nothing, except Eli and a good receiver corps. The defense, on the other hand, will get shredded.
One other item back to King. He has four teams winning no more than four games. So if you’re a fan of the Bills (projected 2-14), Rams (3-13), Bucs (2-14), and Lions (4-12), it’s time to look forward to the true meaning of Christmas, because otherwise you’ll be like Charlie Brown until Linus set him straight.
Lastly, the NFL Network is going to be unveiling “The Top 100: NFL’s Greatest Players”, ten at a time. Joe Namath was No. 100. Junkies may want to check it out. But if Jim Brown isn’t top 3, it’s a joke and I’ll have to riot…somewhere.
Ball Bits
—Nyjer Morgan is a little imp outfielder for the Washington Nationals who received an 8-game suspension for three different on-field acts last week, including for his actions in the fight between the Nats and Florida Marlins that many of you saw on TV, which admittedly was a helluva brawl, especially seeing Morgan clocked the way he was by the Marlins’ Gabby Sanchez. [“Down Goes Nyjer! Down Goes Nyjer! Down Goes Nyjer!”]
Morgan is solidly ensconced in the December file for “A-hole of the Year” because he also “unnecessarily ran” into Cardinals catcher Bryan Anderson, and then on Tuesday, ran into Marlins catcher Brett Hayes unnecessarily, dislocating Hayes’ shoulder and he’s out for the season. Then on Wednesday, the Marlins retaliated by hitting Morgan, whereupon he stole 2nd and 3rd with his team down 11 runs, so the next time he came up, Florida’s pitcher threw behind him, at which point Morgan charged the mound, precipitating the fight.
But Morgan was already appealing a separate 7-game suspension (so a total of 15 games) because on Aug. 21, he threw a ball at a fan and hit him!
Little Nyjer Morgan…a true a-hole, dirtball, and jerk…the trifecta.
–Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated reports that in the 14-year full history of the six-division, wild card format, when it comes to September comebacks, they’re rare.
“Only 19 of the 112 playoff teams (17%) did not hold at least a share of a playoff spot on Sept. 1.”
In fact, “only one of 112 playoff teams was more than 3 games out of a playoff spot on Sept. 1: the 2007 Rockies, who were five out. And all they had to do to get in was finish 14-1, including a tight win in a one-game playoff.”
[And just as I questioned Verducci’s facts, he had this disclaimer: “You might recall the 2007 Phillies trailed the Mets by seven games with 17 to play and won their division. True enough. But this is only a Sept. 1 snapshot to help you understand what defines a big last-month comeback. The 2007 Phillies were two games back on Sept. 1.”]
Ah yes…2007 (and ‘08). Us Mets fans often wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. Something from those two collapses will trigger it.
–Speaking of the Mets…how bad do we suck? Check this out…as Johnny Mac, Phil W. and I constantly review.
From the 7th-inning on…the Mets are hitting .230 (thru Saturday’s play…Sunday’s 18-5 win over the Cubs won’t impact the following much)…29th in the game.
With runners in scoring position…the Mets are hitting .247, tied for 27th.
With runners in scoring position and two outs…the Mets are hitting .197, 30th out of 30.
With the bases loaded…the Mets are hitting .200, 30th.
[The Yankees, on the other hand, were hitting .397 with the bases loaded thru Saturday. .397! And they had a .433 on-base percentage with the bases full, vs. a .219 OBP for the Metropolitans. The Yankees also have 10 grand salamis this year.]
–And then you have the Colorado Rockies, who are first in all of baseball in hitting at home, .301, but last in hitting on the road, .227 (again, thru Saturday). That’s really all you need to know when talking of the history of those, such as Todd Helton, who have had spectacular seasons here but when it comes to Hall of Fame credentials, it’s another thing. Sorry, Rockies fans…you’ve got a fake ballpark. Fresh Coors, mind you, but fake numbers.
[Need further evidence? Triple Crown candidate Carlos Gonzalez is hitting .391 with 24 HR and 61 RBI at home this season; .282 with 7 and 34 on the road. Remarkable.]
—Back to the Mets, it’s September…and no meaningful games for us fans yet again. We will never, ever recover from the collapses of 2007 and 2008. We will die in our rocking chairs, filled with despair. Our last days nothing but drugs and booze. Counselors will be brought in, clergy and such, to remind us that we otherwise led good lives and shouldn’t let this sickening franchise outweigh the positive memories and images of our lives outside the Mets (and 1969 and 1986). But it will. And that’s a memo….
—The Mets have now gone at least 13 months without hitting a grand slam. The opposition has 10 this season. You just can’t make this stuff up. Where’s my heroin stash?!
—Frank McCourt acquired the Dodgers for $430 million six years ago, but as of last year had $433 million in debt. As the Los Angeles Times reports, now he’s having a hard go of it finding additional financing, having been turned down at least three times, including by Citibank and a Chinese investment group. And then came the divorce with wife Jamie…which is how we know some of the figures through all the depositions. What it comes down to is every dollar McCourt earns in revenues from the operation goes to pay down debt service. Some question whether he can make payroll…now said to be $95 million or so, which is actually low for such a big-market team as the Dodgers.
For example, documents show “The Dodgers generated $72 million in operating revenue last year but had a net profit of $8.4 million, largely because of $28 million in debt service and $34 million in revenue-sharing payments.”
And the Dodgers’ business plan is based on selling 3.8 million tickets, a figure they’ve hit just once in six years.
Plus Bank of America is restricting the amount the team can spend on deferred compensation.
So how did things get so bad (and I’m telling but half of it)? Well, try the fact the McCourts took “$108 million in personal distributions from the Dodgers from 2004 to 2009, primarily from the borrowed funds, court records show.” [Classic private-equity maneuver, too.]
I mean when McCourt bought the club, he was borrowing $millions from friends!
–Speaking of the Dodgers…and back to the Mets…the Mets traded catcher Rod Barajas to L.A. before the trade deadline. Barajas had the great power start…9 home runs by May 7, but then didn’t hit No. 11 until July 21. My Rod Barajas jersey was rotting in the closet, as Johnny Mac reminded me every third day. But what does Barajas do in his first 24 plate appearances with the Dodgers? He hit 4 homers and drove in 8. I need to go to Afghanistan to negotiate a lifetime supply of drugs or I’ll never be able to cope.
—Manny Ramirez is such a jerk, he gave his first press conference in a White Sox uniform in Spanish, forgetting he is quite fluent in English. Just like fellow ‘roider Sammy Sosa.
—Alex Rodriguez pulled a surprise. He fired agent Scott Boras, the same man who made A-Rod the highest-paid player in Major League Baseball history. As an insider told the Daily News, it doesn’t make a lot of sense. A-Rod, when asked to comment said, “Scott and I had a good run, nothing drastic happened.”
–The San Diego Padres, the feel good story of 2010, have suddenly lost 10 straight and now lead the Giants by just 1 ½ games (prior to San Francisco’s Sunday night affair), with Colorado only 4 ½ back.
Golf Balls
The Deutsche Bank Classic, round two of the FedEx Cup playoffs, ends on Monday so nothing earth-shattering from me, though Tiger needs to have a solid 4th round to make Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin’s job easier; Pavin announcing his four captain’s picks on Tuesday morning.
The New York Post reports that Tiger is not moving into an apartment in downtown Manhattan. Said one observer, “He hates it in New York. Why would he come here when he needs his privacy more than ever?” The Post also notes that the building Tiger had supposedly targeted is a leaky dump and it’s possible this was a stunt by the owner to generate interest in the place.
Rachel Uchitel, said to have collected $10 million in hush money from Mr. Woods, has reportedly shelled out $2 million for a Park Ave. pad. I liked Rachel the most of all of Tiger’s bimbos.
Uh oh…Hall of Fame golfer Carol Mann brought some controversy onto herself when she posted an Islamic rant on her Facebook page, since removed. It had to do with Mann’s opposition to the Ground Zero mosque, with Mann saying the United States is “a Christian country” and that Muslims should “Go away – soon!” Ah, Carol? That wasn’t too bright, know what I’m sayin’?
Another crappy year for Wake Forest golf coming up it would seem. The Golf World Top 25 for 2010-2011 once again excludes the Deacs. Totally embarrassing. And no Deacs among a zillion (50) ‘players to watch.’ C’mon…make a change in the program! We need a new coach. At least the Lady Deacs are No. 8, with Cheyenne Woods (Tiger’s niece) among those to watch. [Oklahoma State and USC are preseason No. 1 for men and women, respectively. Wartburg is No. 14 for Women’s D-III, for you Wartburgers out there.]
–Big deal in the cricket world involving at least 3 players on Pakistan’s national team. Huge bundles of cash were found in the hotel rooms of four of them, according to the London Times. Three have been questioned by Scotland Yard following their suspension by the International Cricket Council amid what the ICC says is its biggest corruption scandal ever. It’s about a big fix, you see. The businessman behind the action has boasted he had up to seven members of the Pakistan team in his pocket on behalf of illegal betting syndicates in Asia.
–And there seems to be a bit of controversy involving the upcoming Manny Pacquiao – Antonio Margarito fight at Cowboys Stadium. As the New York Post’s George Willis writes, “a fight that nobody wants to see, except those who will profit on the promotion. It’s akin to being forced to eat broccoli when you don’t like broccoli because broccoli is the only thing being offered on the menu.”
“At a time when boxing is struggling for mainstream credibility (as if anyone in the sport really cares about that), it offers a high-profile fight that exposes everything that’s wrong with the sport.”
It seems that Margarito hasn’t been able to get a license in Nevada and California “because he was caught with an illegal substance in his hand wraps before his January 2009 bout with Shane Mosley. A remorseless Margarito still contends he had no idea his then trainer Javier Capetillo had included a substance that would harden as Margarito sweated in his wraps thus turning his gloves into bricks. I don’t buy it, and neither does just about every professional boxer I have talked to.”
Geez, sounds like Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, if you ask me. “You knocked his block off?” “Yes, but you can put it back on!”
–Boxing promoter Bob Arum’s son was found dead on Storm King Mountain, Washington state. John Arum, a 49-year-old Seattle attorney and accomplished climber, failed to return from a solo weekend trip to scale the 8,500-foot peak and his body, extremely difficult to recover, is at 7,700 feet and rescuers said they can’t rappel down to it. They just know it’s him and he’s not alive. It’s believed he fell, as his pack was found at 7,400 feet, meaning Arum could have just taken a lighter load for the final attempt at the summit.
—Another teenager died in a motorcycle race, a 19-year-old Japanese kid, Shoya Tomizawa, at the Moto2 race at the San Marino Grand Prix. He lost control of his bike and hit his head on the track as his bike flipped over. Then, similar to last week’s accident that killed 13-year-old Peter Lenz at Indy, Tomizawa “was hit at full speed” by two other riders. I apologize if I’m being insensitive, but as for the guys who hit Lenz and Tomizawa…what are they doing? Texting?
–Johnny Mac and I missed Rachel Alexandra’s last race at Saratoga, Aug. 29, and it’s just as well as Rachel lost her third, and possibly final race of the year in the Personal Ensign Stakes. Calvin Borel couldn’t get it done as Rachel lost by a length to a 4-year-old filly, Persistently.
So now it’s time for Rachel to focus on boys and get on with her life. It was a nice run.
[Actually, I don’t know what her owners have planned, but I’m assuming Craigslist hasn’t taken down its “Filly Services” link after “censoring” the adult version this weekend.]
–Comedian Robert Schimmel died from injuries suffered in an auto accident. He was 60. Schimmel had a 30-year career touring the nation’s top comedy clubs and establishing himself in the mold of his idols Lenny Bruce and George Carlin. He used his own life as the source of his raunchy humor, including such uncharted “territory as oral sex, masturbation and other adult fare complete with explicit anatomical references,” as noted in his obituary by Carla Rivera of the L.A. Times. Schimmel was a regular on Howard Stern’s radio show and a frequent guest on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.”
Animal Tales
–AP / Colorado Springs… “For the second time in a week, state wildlife officers have killed a mother bear and cubs in Colorado Springs, Colo., that broke into a home.
“The Gazette in Colorado Springs reports that the mother bear and two cubs were euthanized Thursday after entering the home. A woman cleaning the kitchen says she was surprised by a cub and then saw the mother bear outside. The woman escaped through a window.”
The bears were then coaxed out of the house (“Get your Free Broncos tickets!”) and tranquilized before being put down. It was two days earlier that another bear and two cubs did the same thing and met the same end. Bears that break into homes have to be killed because they’ll likely enter other homes for food. Plus they are said to like Direct TV.
–From the Washington Post… “A Maryland fisherman says he caught an 8-foot shark while cruising on the Potomac River…
“Dean told NBC 4 that he put out a net Monday at Cornfield Harbor in the Potomac three miles north of Point Lookout hoping to catch cow-nosed rays for a Solomons Island marine biologist. When he checked the net Monday night everything seemed normal. But when he checked again Tuesday morning, he made a startling discovery: In the net was an 8-foot-long shark.”
Here’s the thing, sports fans. It was a bull shark…the very kind that can travel well inland, including up the Mississippi. It’s yet another reason why kids should not be allowed to swim in local watering holes, a la Tom Sawyer. They’ll likely be killed.
–Remember the other day when I talked about the shark nets in Australia? A humpback whale was just discovered in one, but thankfully a “Marine Animal Rescue” team was able to free it within an hour. Get this. At this time of year, an estimated 13,000 whales migrate along the Queensland coastline.
–So the above was a case where Man lost two more notches on the All-Species List for putting the net out in the first place (let nature take its course and if the sharks then kill 48,000 bathers, so be it), but…at the same time, Man gains two notches back for freeing Willy, or I guess it’s Bubba the Humpback.
–But what follows is why Man will never again sniff the Top 50.
“Dolphins have been herded into a cove as part of an annual hunt in the Japanese town made famous by an Oscar-winning documentary about their slaughter, although a local official said none had yet been killed. [This was Saturday.]
“The dolphin hunt at Taiji, documented in The Cove, begins every September 1. The boats returned without any dolphins on Wednesday, but on Thursday some dolphins were corralled into the inlet.”
The Sea Shepherd conservationist group is monitoring activity. Organizer Ric O’Barry took a petition signed by 1.7 million people from 155 nations to the U.S. embassy in Tokyo on Thursday.
O’Barry, 70, is the former dolphin trainer for the 1960s television show Flipper and he’s received threats from a violent nationalist group and skipped his usual trip to Taiji this year. O’Barry said he does not want confrontation.
–And a further black mark for man with the story out of the Sydney Morning Herald on mall zoos in Bangkok. Like on the seventh floor of a department store there, “ ‘King Kong’ spends his days alone. There are no trees in his 15-by-10-meter concrete enclosure, just a tire and a few ropes hanging from the low ceiling. Ten meters away, a penguin is alone in an air-conditioned pen, standing on tiles next to a pool of water smaller than a bath and nowhere near deep enough for him to swim. Just a few years ago, there were a dozen penguins. Only this one survives.”
A wildlife official said, “Basically, (the department store’s menagerie, which includes more than 200 species), is an animal prison on top of a shopping mall.”
Boy we suck. And there is obviously no animal welfare legislation in Thailand. Or I guess there is something but it is ineffective.
–But the animals are fighting back.
“A young boy has been hospitalized after being attacked by a sea lion at Taronga Zoo.
“The 11-year-old was mauled after he was invited to meet and pat the animals during a seal show at the zoo….
“After feeding an 8-year-old female Australia sea lion on Friday, he strayed into an area behind the animal and spooked her.
“She retaliated by biting him twice, with the boy suffering a number of puncture wounds to the stomach.”
Goodness gracious. I do hope the kid is OK…and for the record I can’t stand the incredibly overrated sea lion.
From the same paper…as activity in the region heats up to a fever pitch…
“A Sydney man was bitten on the head by a shark off the Solomon Islands yesterday.
“The man, 34, was swimming off a remote island resort when the attack occurred.
“A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman said the attack left the victim with lacerations to the face and neck.”
He’s in stable condition. No further details…though I can guarantee the International Shark Attack File folks in Florida will ignore this one…as they once again protect the global tourism cartel.
–Finally, the BBC reports that a “growing number of New York skyscrapers are switching off their lights to help reduce the number of birds hitting the high-rise buildings.” The program lasts until November 1, “when migratory birds are expected to have completed their autumn migrations.”
“An estimated 90,000 birds each year are killed in the city as a result of striking glass-fronted buildings.”
Supposedly the lights disorient them, or so the theory goes. I doubt it. I bet the death toll goes far higher with the lights off.
“I can’t freakin’ see! Chirp chirp….”
“Chirp…I can’t either…chirp…D’oh!!”
–Update: Paul Hogan, “Crocodile Dundee,” has been cleared to return home to the United States after he was barred from leaving Australia as his tax dispute is negotiated.
–This is too much. Hillary Clinton and longtime aide Doug Band threw a 64th birthday party for Bill recently out in the Hamptons and now it’s come to light that there was a bit of destruction; as in a large vase in the front entrance was broken, the front lawn and sprinkler system were shredded, and a neighbor complained, as reported by the New York Post’s Page Six. The house was rented by Band and the owner was told it would be a small party, but over 100 were there. Guests included Paul McCartney, Jimmy Buffett, Pete Peterson, Matt Lauer, Lloyd Blankfein, Christie Brinkley, Katie Couric, Barbara Walters and Vera Wang.
A Clinton source insists there was no damage “and the lawn wasn’t in great shape in the first place. If a vase was broken, it will be replaced.”
I think an investigation is in order. Start by seeing if Lauer and Couric coordinate their stories.
—Kara DioGuardi is saying bye-bye to “American Idol” after two years, leaving Randy Jackson as the last one standing from the original lineup. So will J. Lo get another shot if she reduces her demands to join Steven Tyler? Heck, auditions have commenced for the next season and judges are supposed to begin filming audition segments this month. Get crackin’, Idol!
You know who’d be a good judge? Mike Love. Just popped into my head, only he wouldn’t do it because the Beach Boys tour so often. He’s appropriately obnoxious for that show. I know they’d like two girls, two guys, but Love, Tyler, Jackson (for stability) and J. Lo would be a pisser. I might actually watch it.
–After watching a lot of Weather Channel during the Hurricane Earl false alarm, count me as a big fan…Big Fan…of Jen Carfagno. [But don’t tell Mr. Carfagno.]
–“Clooney’s Loner Killer Falls for Gorgeous Italian Prostitute” [Bloomberg]
Huh. Reader Terry said the film, “The American,” was disappointing but that I would like the girl. As usual, I’ll buy the DVD and throw it in a closet, to be watched in maybe 20 years.
—Beetle Bailey turned 60 on Saturday. Creator Mort Walker turned 87 himself on Sept. 3. The strip is still a staple of Army Times, by the way, aside from most dailies.
–Looking at the latest Billboard Top 40 albums chart, can you believe Iron Maiden has been around 35 years? Turns out their current release, “The Final Frontier,” charted at No. 4 as the group had its best sales week ever.
–And great to see Brian Wilson’s “Reimagines Gershwin” chart at No. 26 in its first week. My brother gives it a very good review but I haven’t picked it up yet. Wilson has some comments in the current Rolling Stone on other topics.
[Thinking about the historic Beach Boys – Beatles rivalry] “Sgt. Pepper – what a record! People say that record was influenced by the Beach Boys, but I do not hear one single note of the Beach Boys on Sgt. Pepper. Not one single note. Inspired, maybe. Influenced, no.”
Wilson says he eats a lot of blueberries to stay healthy, and exercises six days a week. On death, he says, “I don’t know why, but my feeling is that you just come back again. And you live exactly the same life. You can’t even really fix things you did wrong the first time. You do everything exactly the same. So it’s a good idea to enjoy your life now.” I’m in trouble if he’s right.
–Hey, Shu…I see that your boy Leon Russell did a duet with Elton John as part of Elton’s new record and Rolling Stone says “Russell – one of rock’s neglected greats – nails the vocal on (the) slinky, dark lead single.”
–Wow, the Springsteen Darkness on the Edge of Town box set sounds pretty awesome. It includes 3 DVDs, with a complete performance of the album that Springsteen and the E Street Band filmed at Asbury Park Convention Hall last year, as well as 1976 and 1978 tour footage. It’s out Nov. 16.
Top 3 songs for the week of 9/7/74: #1 “(You’re) Having My Baby” (Paul Anka with Odia Coates…I wouldn’t be so sure, Paul…I mean it might not be you, know what I’m sayin’?) #2 “I Shot The Sheriff” (Eric Clapton…life in prison without parole) #3 “Tell Me Something Good” (Rufus…with Chaka Khan…Chaka Khan Chaka Khan)…and…#4 “Rock Me Gently” (Andy Kim) #5 “I’m Leaving It (All) Up To You” (Donny & Marie Osmond) #6 “Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe” (Barry White…in his top three) #7 “Nothing From Nothing” (Billy Preston…has held up very well) #8 “The Night Chicago Died” (Paper Lace) #9 “You And Me Against The World” (Helen Reddy…depressing tune…makes you want to jump off a bridge) #10 “Then Came You” (Dionne Warwicke & Spinners…as opposed to this uplifting tune, which when I take a jog shortly I’ll prefer to have in my head rather than Reddy’s suicide generator)
*Actually…during my jog I ended up channeling Tommy James and “Sweet Cherry Wine” and “Crystal Blue Persuasion.” “You drink it right down…pass it all around…so stimulating…so intoxicating…Sweet cherry wine….”
Reminder…Tommy James and the Shondells, Sept. 18, Morristown Community Theater…be there! [Todd Rundgren, Sept. 15.]
Baseball Quiz Answer: Three to reach 1,000 career strikeouts at an earlier age than Felix Hernandez…Bob Feller (22), Bert Blyleven (23) and Dwight Gooden (23).
