random facts, tidbits, articles and most importantly my thoughts about things that i find while aimlessly surfing the web...
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Architecture, College Football, Baseball, Hockey, March Madness, The Economy, Corporate Corruption, Incomptent Leadership, Tulane, Atlanta, Florida, etc.
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travacado's thoughts
or at least "others'" thoughts that I find interesting...
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Monday, October 28, 2002
Touched by Angels, All of Southland Is Part of Halo Nation
The City of Angels, indeed.
We are precisely that today, a city of pastels painted red, a city of many sports religions united under one halo.
Los Angeles has a new hometown baseball team today, a new reason to crack a peanut and spill a beer and shout to the sky.
Their faces are fresh, their pants are dirty, and their chests are heaving as they sprint through 42 years of shadows into the blinding light of a World Series championship.
Dodgers, pack your stuff and climb to the top bunk.
The Angels are moving in. (By Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times) View the entire article
Call 'em what you want, but these are Autry's Angels
The word just slipped out, and it couldn't have been more appropriate. There stood Jackie Autry, discussing the first World Series championship in the history of the baseball franchise she and her late husband loved for so long, and right in the middle of a sentence she blurted out the phrase: "California Angels."
And there you go, Cowboy. Just never entirely forgotten.
It's the Anaheim Angels now, but in the moments following their historic breakthrough anyone could have been forgiven for falling back on the old name. California Angels -- it had a ring, if not the one Gene Autry spent a quarter century of his life pursuing.
The "Singing Cowboy" didn't make it to the moment of the big party Sunday. He sold the franchise in 1996 and passed away two years later, having never enjoyed the moment his widow, now the honorary president of the American League team, soaked up late Sunday evening. (By Mark Friedler, ESPN.com) View the entire article
Losing still unfamiliar for FSU
Florida State hasn't had much practice at bouncing back from losses. With the exception of regular-season finales and bowl appearances, the Seminoles lost just three games in the six seasons prior to 2000.
Now for the third time this season, FSU must rebound. The process didn't begin well following Saturday's 34-24 loss to No.4 Notre Dame. Some players pointed fingers, and not just at one position. One had to be calmed by teammates. (By Steve Ellis, Tallahassee Democrat) View the entire article
Chris Rix will be replaced as Florida State's starting quarterback by Adrian McPherson when the No. 18 Seminoles play at Wake Forest this weekend. (From ESPN.com)
TIDAL 11:30 PM
Sunday, October 27, 2002
Losman scuttles Navy
Tulane steps outside for home game, wins
Tulane knew that success against Navy was going to depend on its ability to be patient early and later put the Midshipmen in a position where they couldn't uses their lethal running game to catch up.
The Green Wave, with a five-touchdown performance by quarterback J.P. Losman, accomplished its goals and won its fourth in a row with a 51-30 homecoming victory at Tad Gormley Stadium.
The win moved Tulane to 6-3, making it eligible for a postseason bowl invitation with three games remaining. (By Fred Robinson, The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune) View the entire article
Playing outside generates excitement
As Tulane athletic director Rick Dickson watched his son play in a Friday night high school football game, a worst-case scenario was developing for a football game Saturday afternoon.
Rain. Lots of it.
"It started coming down pretty good," Dickson said. "When I got out to City Park, there must have been 2 ½ feet of water in the tailgating area."
It was midnight, with the countdown on the way to a 2:30 p.m. kickoff for the Green Wave's homecoming game against Navy at Tad Gormley Stadium.
For the next five hours, Dickson joined an emergency workforce to try to repair what nature had done. (By Peter Finney, The Times-Picayune) View the entire article
Thrill of first victory
So this clearly must have been the plan all along.
Why bother capturing the first victory of the season in front of one of those paltry October weeknight crowds when you can wait for a packed house on the weekend?
Why waste the big victory over Phoenix or San Jose, when you can knock off the defending Stanley Cup champions?
Maybe that wasn't the way the Predators planned things, but that's the way things worked out last night when Nashville downed powerhouse Detroit 3-1 in front of a capacity crowd in the Gaylord Entertainment Center. (By John Glennon, The (Nashville) Tennessean) View the entire article
Seminoles are now playing the blame game
Wide right? Wide left? In hindsight, perhaps losing at the end by a missed field goal isn't such a bad thing.
It has to top the great divide that now appears to separate this Florida State football team from a significant victory, and perhaps itself.
Two weeks after blowing a big lead to top-ranked Miami, then squandering a final chance at redemption, these Seminoles found another way to deliver victory to a top-10 opponent.
Three turnovers led to 17 Notre Dame points in the third quarter - and in a span of only 2:21 - as the sixth-ranked Fighting Irish devastated No.11 FSU 34-24 in front of a record crowd of 84,106 at Doak Campbell Stadium. (By Randy Beard, Tallahassee Democrat) View the entire article
'Noles are in a 'bumfuzzled' mess of trouble
TALLAHASSEE -- You kept hearing that fight song, note after note, time after time, all day long.
Cheer, cheer for old Notre Dame. Wake up the echoes cheering her name.
Meanwhile, on the other sideline, it had come to this:
Beer, beer for old Florida State. Drowning the sorrows for another Gator Bowl date.
This is what has become of the once-dynastic Florida State Seminoles after Saturday's worse-than-it-sounds 34-24 loss to Notre Dame: Seminoles Coach Bobby Bowden actually used the Seussian word "bumfuzzled" to describe the confused state of his program. (By Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel) View the entire article
Is it time for sideline reporters to go away?
It's halftime. The coach -- head down, silently reciting his locker room speech -- canters toward the end zone when Sideline Reporter tackles him. His pained expression matches a motorist's pulled over by a traffic cop.
"Coach, what can your team do to put more points on the board?" says Sideline Reporter, who had nearly 1 1/2 hours to come up with this compelling question.
The impatient coach clicks onto automatic response and mutters something about turnovers, field position and squandered opportunities -- all obvious to any informed viewer who has not dozed off in the cheese dip.
"Thanks, coach, and best of luck the rest of the game," says Sideline Reporter, who feels obligated to convey wishes of good fortune, lest the coach duck out on the same worthless ritual to start the second half.
The flap over Andy Rooney's recent perforation of females in the role -- "a woman has no business being down there trying to make some comment about a football game" -- obscures a larger question that TV producers should pose to themselves: Is the Sideline Reporter necessary? (By Mike Tierney, Atlanta Journal-Consitution) View the entire article
And in honor of the NBA's Opening Night this week...
THE BEST DAMN NBA DANCER PERIOD!
Jennifer S., Dallas Mavs Dancers
BEST DAMN DATE with Jennifer (Fox Sports Net) BDSSP's 'Who Wants to Date a Pro Cheerleader' contest
TIDAL 8:39 AM
Saturday, October 26, 2002
Plenty of questions after this one
As players and coaches left the field at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, there were thousands of FSU fans that cheered.
Never mind the scoreboard, which showed Notre Dame claiming a 34-24 victory. The cheers, apparently, were for an offense that put two scoring drives together in the final minutes behind backup quarterback Adrian McPherson.
Now, the questions and answers get a little more difficult for an FSU coaching staff that has a 5-3 record to deal with, not to mention a quarterback situation that is far from settled. (By Jim Lamar, The Osceola) View the entire article
Since it has been obvious since the Louisville game that the coaches do not have any confidence in Chris Rix, I say that it is time to give the reins to Adrian McPherson. Not because his performance on Saturday but because this team has given up on Chris Rix. Bobby Bowden isn't retiring. Jeff Bowden isn't going to be fired. So, the blame goes to Chris Rix. Why? Because you can't get any satisification as a fan for blaming a piss-poor offensive gameplan!
FSU-Notre Dame Post-game Notebook (from Warchant.com)
TIDAL 8:01 PM
Friday, October 25, 2002
ND's Old Rival - FSU?
Once upon a time, FSU used ND to prove itself
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- So much was different then. Florida State-Notre Dame truly resembled David and Goliath, and the little man with the slingshot was Bobby Bowden, taking his one crack at the big guy and nailing him right between the eyes.
Today, 21 years later, the longtime Florida State coach relishes that 19-13 victory in South Bend., Ind., perhaps as much as any of his 320 wins as a head coach.
Never mind that Notre Dame was in the first year of a disastrous reign under Gerry Faust, or that the Seminoles eventually would pay for their murderous October road schedule in 1981 by losing their last three games to finish 6-5 and without a bowl bid.
"I remember it's a place in your career you hope that some day you'll get to go there and play,'' Bowden said this week, as Notre Dame prepared to make it's first-ever visit to Tallahassee's Doak Campbell Stadium. "It's nearly too good to be true and then to go up there and win, that's doubly good.
"To dress in the locker rooms that you know Rockne was in at one time and Leahy and all those great coaches and players they've had down through the years. . . the All-Americans, the Heisman Trophy winners. It's nearly hallowed.''
The roles are not exactly reversed this time, but it is interesting that Notre Dame, ranked sixth in the country and undefeated, visits two-loss and 13th-ranked Florida State as a 10½-point underdog.
It says something about where Florida State and Notre Dame have gone since that day 21 years ago, when the Seminoles hardly had the reputation of today. (By Bob Harig, ESPN.com) View the entire article
Irish fans putting on game faces
Fans hyped up about clash of gridiron titans
They're coming from Cleveland, Chicago and New York. They're coming from Miami, Sarasota and Winter Haven. Heck, the school band is on the bus right now, driving 946 miles from South Bend - about the farthest the band has ever traveled for a game.
The sainted program of college football - Notre Dame - is coming to Tallahassee. All the parishioners want to be here. Especially those who are already here.
"I spent a year getting these tickets," said physician and 1962 Notre Dame grad Sean Fitzgerald. "This is as big as anything in my 24 years in Tallahassee."
Indeed, Saturday's football game between No. 6 Notre Dame and No. 11 Florida State is huge. It's not simply the on-field match that has fans hyped up. Rather, it's the Notre Dame mystique.
Notre Dame, which began playing in 1887, is the royalty of college football. This is the school that gave the nation the forward pass, Knute Rockne, The Four Horsemen and "Win One for the Gipper."
Notre Dame is also the nation's most famous Catholic university and traditionally owns the allegiance of every Catholic from California to Cape Cod who never attended the school.
FSU has played Notre Dame four times in history. But never in Tallahassee - which even in a down year for Seminoles is something of a storied football haunt as well.
So everyone who's ever clutched a rosary bead or done the tomahawk chop wants to attend. FSU athletics ticket manager Patrick Martin is even predicting the Campbell Stadium record attendance of 83,042 spectators (Florida in 2000) will fall. (By Gerald Ensley, Tallahassee Democrat) View the entire article
This is the most important game in Doak Campbell Stadium's history. Sure, it has seen Miami and Florida. And Pittsburgh, Michigan State, Southern Cal and LSU. But this, THIS IS NOTRE DAME!
TIDAL 11:03 PM
For Barnes, Arc isn't a done deal
In his four years as governor, says Roy Barnes, no issue has caused him "more welts on my back" than the Northern Arc, the 59-mile, $2.2 billion highway proposed to run from I-75 near Cartersville east to I-85 in Gwinnett County.
The issue is controversial because the Arc is such a defining issue for the metro region. If built, it will consume billions of public dollars badly needed for traffic-relief projects. More ominously, it would push the region's growth in precisely the direction it has been trying to reverse.
But in an interview this week, Barnes seemed to distance himself from the project that he once backed strongly.
"You know, I didn't wake up one morning and decide, 'Wouldn't it be nice to build a road from 75 to 85?' " Barnes said. "It's been in the law for over 20 years. It's been in the transportation plan for 30 years. If it's wrong, then change the transportation plan. If it's right, we ought to try to find the least intrusive way of doing it, and do it."
Barnes is right about the road's origins, but that's just the point. A quarter century ago, Georgia was still planning highways that would generate sprawling growth. Today, sprawl, traffic and air pollution have become the region's biggest problems. So why build a road designed for conditions that no longer exist?
The answer, of course, is that major road projects take on a life of their own. Once a constituency develops that sees the project as a cash cow, killing the project is all but impossible. That's especially true in Georgia, where the state Department of Transportation is as open to new ideas as the Soviet Kremlin during the Cold War.
Barnes, in fact, makes much the same point. (By Jay Bookman, Atlanta Journal-Constitution) View the entire article
For more information on the "Northern Arc" visit pro and con websites.
And NOW it's time for MY OPINION!
The Northern Arc is evil. Everything about it's conception is tied to the GDOT machine. It's about $$$ for the contractors and developers. It will not allevate traffic problems in the Ga 400 corridor. Take the money for this boondoggle and give it to expanding MARTA, providing the Northwest "light-rail" line to Cobb County and building the proposed HOV lanes on 285 and 400 sooner rather than later! MARTA should extend it's north line to Windward Parkway in the next five years not by 2025. By then we will all need a bullet train from Atlanta to Chattanooga!
The northern arc will be a limited access "toll" road that will only have exits at the freeway interchanges and relieve truck traffic from 285. Those two statements are false! As soon as the arc is built, developers will be lining politicians pockets getting interchanges built for their "lifestyle center" or office park laden mixed-use development. Truck traffic will not migrate to this road. They will avoid paying the toll. An example that supports this is Florida 417 in Orlando (aka the Greeneway). First of all, I find it completely ironic that this 4 lane pollution producing loop road has anything "green" about it! (except for the trees which will be gone in 20 years after the "Greeneway" is an 8 lane mess...) Look at Interstate 4 and its 20 year construction program and the traffic on that road reminds me of Atlanta's Downtown Connector in the early 1980's.
The Northern Arc can be stopped. Remember it was orginally dubbed the Outer Perimeter that would've created a second loop around the ATL. I guess instead on living OTP you would have been able to say that you lived in the donut! Residents in Southwestern Williamson County Tennessee are still fighting TDOT from completing the 840 loop around Nashville. Imagined that $$$ being spent on a light-rail line connecting The Coliseum, Second Avenue, the GEC, Broadway, Music Row and West End/Vanderbilt! Oh wait that makes too much sense.
Due to the constant barrage of negative attack ads aganist Bill McBride by PAC's, Republicans, and Jeb I find this next story totally hilarious!
Bush praises McBride in ad
Bush's words, videotaped for McBride's former law firm in 1999, begin airing today. (By Mark Silva, Orlando Sentinel) View the entire article
Oh yeah, and it looks like my statement Wednesday night might have jinxed the Angels...
TIDAL 8:07 PM
Wednesday, October 23, 2002
Those Coors Light "twins" ads during the World Series
In the eighth inning, just after Tim Salmon hit the dramatic two-run homer that would win the game for the Angels, the Giants made a pitching change, and Fox got a chance to hit us with a few more ads. One of the spots was part of a series that had been running throughout the night, those dark ads for John Hancock financial services. It showed a middle-aged couple in a restaurant having a very anxious exchange about the husband's bungling of the family's finances. The wife nags him about what would she do if "something happened" to him. He has no answer, there is just uncomfortable silence; the screen goes dark and we see the scripted logo of John Hancock.
My girlfriend, who up until this point had been entirely unenchanted by one of the most exciting World Series games in quite some time, was suddenly outraged. "How depressing," she said. "What are they trying to sell, a way to kill yourself?"
A few minutes earlier my friend William had phoned up, and he too was incensed about an ad, one of those raucous Coors Light spots in which drinking their beer is equated with "parties that never end ... burritos at 4 a.m. ... and ... TWINS!" What put William over the edge was the spot that juxtaposed a guy painting his face in team colors for the game with a couple of the hot girls flashing their best "come-hithers," as though Coors Light was the bridge between these two distant realms.
Actually, both ads made perfect sense to me. One company wants to show that by using its product, you can decrease your odds of becoming a particular type of person (a hard-luck stock-market loser who gets hectored by his wife), while the other wants to show that by using its product, you can increase your odds of becoming a particular type of person (a sports-loving party animal who scores with supermodels).
Thinking about this disjuncture made me feel a little sad about the Lonely American Baseball Fan just trying to make it through the game at home, buffeted by images designed alternately to entice him and to scare him. But it also made me aware of why it's been so strange watching these first couple of games on television. Fox covers baseball in a way that the images of attraction and repulsion are actually combined. (By Hugo Lindgren, Slate.com) View the entire article
I find it extremely difficult to watch a World Series game on FOX. I always thought that it had to do with my dislike of Tim McCarver. But, what I really can't stand is those ads for "girls club", "Boston Public", MasterCard's Greatest Moments, etc. If FOX is going to bombard us with advertising behind home plate, why couldn't it be pictures of Jennifer and Amber from this summer's "Who Wants to Date a Cheerleader" contest on FOX Sports Net's BDSSP? Yet another reason to call Time Warner Cable and request FOX Sports Net Florida...
And back to the twins. They are everywhere on Sunday thanks to Coors Light's role as "Official Beer Sponsor" of the NFL. Now they show up with a two-page spread in the November 2002 issue of Maxim which also includes not one but yes two Coors Light twins ads!
So, outside of Barry Bonds at bats, I find myself not watching the World Series. But last night I did venture to MLB.com and listened to the "home" team radio broadcasts on KLAC in Los Angeles and KNBR in San Francisco. This is how baseball should be enjoyed. Especially, Anaheim's braodcasts because it is about the only way to get through these four-hour 10-run 16-hit slugfests.
Meanwhile, rumors have it that Cal Ripken is making his way to Pac Bell Park in San Francisco because his 2,131st straight game is going to be named MasterCard's Greatest Moment. Hello? While that evening in 1995 was special and helped with baseball's recovery from the 1994 strike it is nowhere near being Baseball's Greatest Moment! What about Bobby Thomson's "Shot Heard Round the World" (The Giants win the pennant!). Bill Maskeroski's Game 7 ending home run aganist the New York Yankees in the World Series at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. Milo's Hamilton's call, "It's a Home Run! It's 715! There's a new Home Run Champion and it's Henry Aaron!" Carlton Fisk waving his home run ball fair over the Green Monster extending the Red Sox' World Series versus the Reds. Jack Buck's call of Kirk Gibson's limping home run leading the Dodgers to a Game 1 World Series victory over the Athletics (I don't believe what I just saw!). And, the great "father-son" moment that Mark McGwire shared with his son at home plate after hitting his 62nd home run. Isn't that what Baseball is supposed to be about - Fathers sharing moments with Sons?
Even when Baseball tries to market itself it screws up! How can we pin the blame on this debacle on "poor old" Bud?
Barry Bonds loafs his way through Game 3 of the World Series
I set up at the corner of the bar, next to two guys from Atlanta who wished to God that a football game would be shown instead. It was good I got there on time because the Angels won the game in the first inning, and they did it without scoring a run. After the Angels went quietly in the top half of the inning, Ramon Ortiz took the mound for Anaheim, and you could just tell he had Barry on the Brain. In baseball, one player, no matter how great, can't carry a team, but Bonds almost can, because of his ability to intimidate pitchers—you can see them worrying about facing him even when he's several hitters away.
Indeed, Ortiz looked shaky right from the outset. He walked Kenny Lofton, the Giants leadoff hitter, who in this series seems to be looking to avoid first base at all costs. Rich Aurilia then did his best to calm Ortiz by swinging like a maniac and striking out, but Lofton stole second (he was actually out, but nevermind), and Jeff Kent got an infield hit, nicely setting the table for Bonds.
Ortiz walked Bonds intentionally, but he became a different pitcher after that. Benito Santiago, who is developing a specialty of making bad outs, grounded out meekly to second. A run scored, but now Ortiz had confidence, and you could see it in the first pitch to J.T. Snow, a hard-riding fastball in for a called strike. Ortiz retired Snow, and after seeming ready to deliver a knockout blow, the Giants had a measly 1-0 lead.
The Angels started their assault immediately. In the next inning, a slicing pop fly was hit out toward Bonds in left field, and though he got near the ball, it fell in for a ground-rule double. The Atlanta guys I was sitting with went into apoplexy.
"He should've dove!"
"All he had to do was lay out!"
In that instance you could see how easy it is to develop a hatred for professional baseball players. Bonds could have caught the ball, and five years ago, perhaps he would have. But he is 38 years old, and in every thing he does, he weighs the risks against the rewards—how important is this out? Important enough to risk a busted collarbone?
Bonds plays the game with such intense regard for his own self-preservation that he can often seem lazy and arrogant. But this is precisely how he manages to be a better player at 38 than he was at 28, an almost unprecedented accomplishment. We saw an example of it in Game 1, too, when he hit a sharp grounder to first, which Scott Spiezio momentarily bobbled. If Bonds had been tearing out of the box, the play at first might have been close or Spiezio, forced to hurry, might have made another mistake. Bonds, however, had barely moved out of the box, and he was an easy out. (By Hugo Lindgren, Slate.com) View the entire article
I still say that Barry Bonds' offensive performance this postseason is the best since the glory days of "Mr. October" Reggie Jackson. BTW, The Angels have lost Game 1 in the Division Series, the League Championship Series and now the World Series. They won Games 2-3-4 to defeat the Yankees and Games 2-3-4-5 aganist the Twins. Giants look out now because with how hot the Angels bats are I do not see the Fall Classic heading back to Anaheim!
While Pac Bell Park is by far the most beautiful of the new "retro" parks (RE: No better World Series spot than McCovey Cove), there is some positive news out of the Hub regarding Fenway Park. (C'mon, you knew with all of this baseball talk that I had to mention Save Fenway Park! and the world-renowned "Fenway 7"...)
Red Sox submit plan for Fenway expansion
300 seats envisioned atop Green Monster (where in the world did they get that idea? hmm... ;-))
The Boston Red Sox are moving forward with plans to put more than 300 seats on top of Fenway Park's legendary Green Monster, build nearly 250 more seats on the right-field roof, and add restrooms and a picnic area to the cramped concourse near right field.
In an application submitted to the Boston Redevelopment Authority late yesterday, the team also asked for permission to make permanent improvements to Yawkey Way, which it began closing during home games at the end of last season to create more space for concession stands. Plans for the street include a video board and a replica of the Green Monster scoreboard.
Though the team has discussed many of the improvements contained in yesterday's filing, it is the first official step toward making them a reality. And they are evidence that the team's owners, who took over at the beginning of this year, are serious about making Fenway more comfortable for fans - and about wringing more revenue out of it. (By Scott S. Greenberger, The Boston Globe) View the entire article Special thanks to Erika Tarlin at SFP! for providing me with the link!
TIDAL 6:48 PM
Tuesday, October 22, 2002
Poll: McBride Chips Away At Bush Lead
Unfavorable Name Recognition Increases
WINTER PARK, Fla. -- A new WESH NewsChannel 2-Orlando Sentinel poll showed Bill McBride slowly chipping away at Jeb Bush's lead for governor.
The poll indicated the governor's lead is down to five percent, 49 percent to 44 percent, with six percent of voters still undecided, WESH NewsChannel 2 reported.
That's a one-point gain for McBride since the last poll.
"If you believe in public education then get a governor who really cares about it," McBride said.
"We've had the courage to change things in Tallahassee," Bush said.
But the only real change since Bush and McBride last debated nearly three weeks ago is found in unfavorable name recognition. Bush was considered unfavorable by 27 percent of voters in September. Now it's 32 percent. McBride has climbed from 17 percent to 25 percent in the past month.
The barrage of negative ads from both campaigns may be the reason.
"Under Jeb Bush, our schools declined in nearly every category," a McBride advertisement stated.
"Big spending Bill McBride: Every day he promises more spending," a Bush advertisement stated.
And with two weeks left in the campaign, count on both candidates to hammer each other on education.
"What he specifically said is everything is just fine. I don't think the people of Florida believe that," McBride said.
"My opponent? He's a nice guy, but he didn't talk about any specifics about anything, other than that I was a bad guy, I think," Bush said.
But some said McBride needs to do more.
"It's within striking distance, but Bush will really have to make a major mistake or Bill McBride will have to run a perfect campaign to make up the difference," Orlando Sentinel reporter Mike Griffin said. (Courtesy of WESH TV-2 Daytona Beach-Orlando-Melbourne)
Your Vote and Your Help Count
WJXT Editorial by Ann Sutton, Aired October 10, 2002
The vote is in…and Jacksonville businesses are stepping up to help out on Election Day. Supervisor John Stafford has asked private companies to help run polling places on November 5th. About 50 companies and groups are going to be involved. WJXT has supported this notion since the September primary debacle and we believe it’s a noble commitment. If you’re considering helping out, it’s easy – just contact the Supervisor of Elections Office to find out what’s involved. As for naysayers, we suggest they focus their energies toward a smooth election experience – clearly a common goal of our community.
I’m Ann Sutton. That’s our opinion. We welcome yours. (Courtesy of WJXT TV-4 Jacksonville)
TIDAL 11:14 PM
Monday, October 21, 2002
The Anaheim Angels
The worst team you've never heard of.
The Anaheim Angels aren't the worst franchise in baseball history, but they are the most pathetic. If you're a Boston Red Sox or Chicago Cubs fan, you can take pride in your team's futility, or you can be tortured by it. You can brag about it, or you can bemoan it. But you don't have to go around explaining it to everyone.
That's the fate to which Angels fans are doomed. Historically, the Angels have been doubly cursed: Since the franchise's birth in 1961, it's been the most frustrating, most agonizing, most heartbreaking team to watch in baseball. And it's not even famous for it. (By Chris Suellentrop, Slate.com) View the entire article
Game 2 had something for almost everyone
ANAHEIM — Because this was far from a being a classic, Sunday's Game 2 between the Giants and Angels had nothing to do with what we affectionately call the Fall Classic.
This was a game where the rally monkey took backseat to the werewolf and the full moon hung ominously over the right field upper deck.
You know that Halloween is approaching, because Russ Ortiz and Kevin Appier came dressed as starting pitchers until they were exposed over two-plus innings and 12 runs.
In all, this 11-10 victory by the Angel featured 21 runs, 28 hits, two errors, a passed ball, the first steal of home since 1964, two runners thrown out on bases to squash rallies -- and four hours of downright dripping drama.
How do you describe a game like this? (By Dave Van Dyck, FOXSports.com) View the entire article
TIDAL 10:06 PM
Buckhead residents feel loss of safety
Buckhead, the so-called jewel of Atlanta, with its upscale shops, million-dollar homes and hip-funky bars, is on edge.
The area has been plagued with a series of robberies and at least one shooting over the last two months.
"There is an overall feeling of the area not being safe," said David Hartman, who lives in a condo in Buckhead. "It has gone from a wonderful neighborhood to a place where people don't feel safe. Residents are afraid to leave the house."
But is it crime or simply the perception of a crime wave that has people gathering at community meetings, hiring private security officers and staying inside on weekend nights?
Police say it's perception, perhaps fueled by a flurry of e-mails throughout the community. (By Ernie Suggs, Atlanta Journal-Constitution) View the entire article
I thought that "general perception" started with the Ray Lewis incident after the Super Bowl.
Time to play rating game
We're close to the NFL's midseason (whenever that is when you factor in the bye weeks for all teams) and we still can debate whether many of the top teams are overrated, while a few others still may be underrated.
Don't you just love it?
Well, maybe you don't. Maybe you would prefer a little consistency. Maybe you yearn for a couple of solid dynasty teams instead of all this confusion. Maybe you're out of luck.
Each Sunday, however, makes the picture a little clearer, especially when it comes to identifying the diamonds and the cubic zirconias.
Let's take a look: (By Jerry Greene, Orlando Sentinel) View the entire article
In governor's race, school numbers add up differently
In the race for governor, incumbent Jeb Bush and challenger Bill McBride are bombarding voters -- and one another -- with statistics about Florida's struggling school system with each using numbers to support opposite views.
Bush: Florida schools are making steady improvement with higher test scores and more money pouring into classrooms. The governor argues the best way to measure improvement is to compare Florida's schools today with schools four years ago, when he was elected.
McBride: Florida schools are spiraling in decline, with crowded classes and school districts scratching to pay teachers a decent wage. The Tampa attorney contends the best way to measure Florida's success is by comparing its schools with other states'.
Each has numbers to back up his claim. And each stretches those numbers to make his case.
Lance de Haven Smith, an author and professor at Florida State University's school of public policy and administration, said voters "can be very much persuaded by numbers that they themselves can understand.
"That's the real question," de Haven Smith said. "Which candidate's numbers are the most convincing?" (By Dave Weber and Lori Horvitz, Orlando Sentinel) View the entire article
Lighting Up Edison
Tim Salmon's eighth-inning homer electrifies crowd and gives Angels 11-10 Series-tying victory. (By Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times) View the entire article
TIDAL 7:41 AM
Sunday, October 20, 2002
Boredom in lap of luxury
There are few things I enjoy more than a stadium, ballpark or arena, complete with beauty, history and mystique. So this has been an ugly stretch for a guy who just saw the inferior replacement to the Big A in southern California.
The new place is called the Big Ed, as in Edison Field, or as in boring.
The old place was vibrant. It was opened in 1966 as Anaheim Stadium. It acquired its charm from a skyscraper-sized "A" for a scoreboard, with blinking lights in a halo surrounding the top. All of the wonderful things involved with that "A" rose high and grand behind left-center field.
Then came the end to the old place's charm during the early 1980s. That's when it was enclosed without that "A" to satisfy the Los Angeles Rams. It became just another field with 70,000 seats. They can relate in Oakland, where its coliseum was famous for its view of rolling hills beyond its outfield walls. Al Davis took care of that. When he moved the Raiders from Los Angeles back to Oakland during the mid-1990s, he demanded more luxury boxes. Soon after that, the coliseum lost its scenery and its soul. (By Terence Moore, Atlanta Journal-Constitution) View the entire article
Hence the reason that it is so important to treasure "palaces" like Wrigley Field and Fenway Park. Visit Save Fenway Park! website
Skyway costs mount, but riders still won't
The multimillion-dollar annual cost of operating the Jacksonville Skyway has risen at an even faster rate, draining money the Jacksonville Transportation Authority could otherwise spend on enhancing bus service. (By David Bauerlein, The (Jacksonville) Florida Times-Union) View the entire article
Florida officials brace for November election
Nobody claims to know quite what to do if voting goes kaput once again. (By David DeCamp, The (Jacksonville) Florida Times-Union) View the entire article
TIDAL 8:53 AM
CHEERLEADER OF THE WEEK
Amber, Seattle Sea-Gals
A KISS from Amber KISS 106.1 FM welcomes Amber as an in-studio guest.
BEST DAMN DATE with Amber (Fox Sports Net) BDSSP's Who Wants to Date a Pro Cheerleader Contest
TIDAL 12:04 AM
Saturday, October 19, 2002
If any of "you" (out there) know me and most of ya'll do, you knew that if I found an article about Larry Munson that I'd feature it...
Munson fans listen for drama, dawgma
On the fourth-down play that put Tennessee away, tailback Tony Milton swept right behind a phalanx of blockers. And radio listeners were swept into the moment with a voiceprint call by Larry Munson, who emoted, "We put the whole school out in front of him."
Though it didn't measure up to crushing the Vols' face with a hobnail boot, the description was pure Munson: hyperbolic and histrionic, punctuated by a gale-force sigh of relief from the all-time, uncontested football worry wart.
This unfolding masterpiece of a Georgia season ultimately will have Munson's signature all over it. He does more than narrate for citizens of the Bulldog Nation; he channels their pain and suffering, then releases it when victory is finally at hand.
"A hot, brutal sun is baking the stadium." Those were Munson's first words on the air last Saturday, a standard intro that suggests Georgia must overcome the elements as well as the opposition. (At the South Carolina game, he kept agonizing, "The skies are getting darker and darker, and lower and lower.") (By Mike Tierney, Atlanta Journal-Constitution) View the entire article
Munson and John Ward (former Tennessee play-by-play man) are the South. While some in the newer generation like FSU/Tampa Bay Buc announcer Gene Deckerhoff follow this lineage most radio play-by-play announcers follow the boring "unbiased" TV point of view. It's too bad because I know that it's UGA vs. "they" when I hear Munson's old worn-out voice. This is most definitely how fall in the South should be enjoyed. So next time you are watching a college football game on TV, turn down the volume and turn up the radio (or internet) and listen to the great Larry Munson before "the clock turns aganist us..."
For some of Larry Munson's Greatest Calls click here
And now an Editorial from the Los Angeles Times:
Let's Just Enjoy
Yes, we're delighted the Angels are flying high right into the World Series right here in Southern California today. Of course, we're cheering. But before fans start yelling, before thunder sticks start thundering, before beers and scoreboard animations start affecting crowd behavior, let's appreciate what's really happening.
We're a nation at war confronting trials, legal and otherwise. Terrorists attack oil tankers, buses, nightclubs. Election-year politics are over-combative and unproductive. Stocks tumble. One of the losers running for governor will win. Corporate officers lie. Even Martha Stewart may have cheated, though her kitchen looked great all the while. Nobel Prizes for biology inspire, but only eight people understand "suicide cells." Americans are lethally overweight, gang murders mount and the Washington-area sniper and Osama bin Laden elude captors.
Now comes an amazing feel-good series. You needn't be a baseball fan -- and most of us aren't -- to enjoy underdog, jinxed angels facing earnest, overachieving giants, the first World Series of wildcards. We've got teams named for socks, sailors, birds, evil fish and poisonous snakes.
Only Californians who prize rainy Sundays can cheer against angels. Nothing against San Franciscans; they're like neighbors down the street -- you wave and smile but don't really care.
TV presents sports as winning and losing, plus gobs of fame and money. Real fans, especially Angels fans, know that sports, like life, are more about enduring, getting by, getting back up, trying again, hanging in, hoping.
None of us will be here when the Cubs reach the World Series. So let's celebrate Angels who've endured bad luck, bad plays, bad management, bad calls, bad trades and poor crowds. It may be just in California, but this series seems more like an old-fashioned Sunday dinner when familiar family faces gathered to share memories and mark the start of yet another week together.
Sports are supposed to be something to care about in passing, to avoid thinking about other things or listening to a spouse who's no fan. Sports are businesses for owners, lucrative games for players and distractions for the rest of us.
The games are fun to watch. They happen right now before our eyes -- no editing, no laugh or applause tracks, none of the careful, calculated choreography that characterizes so much of our lives, in watching sitcoms, attending meetings and observing politics.
Now, we'll witness two come-from-behind teams battling for a transient symbolic supremacy, two groups of disparate athletes, some young, some old, who've endured losses and weak expectations but got up again, now in the biggest games of their lives. These are games, meant to be played and enjoyed. So let's do it.
And may the most heavenly team win.
In case you didn't know, The Los Angeles Times is a Tribune Company newspaper. The Chicago based Tribune Company is the parent of the Chicago Tribune and owns the Chicago Cubs.
TIDAL 5:41 PM
Thursday, October 17, 2002
Why do they hate Carter?
I'm beating my brain, but I'm still whipped
Many things confuse me.
For example, I do not for the life of me understand why some people look at Jimmy Carter and see the AntiChrist. You mention his name and they froth at the mouth and start muttering words such as "traitor" and "disgrace," in between words I can't print here. It's weird.
I can certainly understand not voting for Carter. In 1976, the first year I could cast a ballot, I myself voted for Gerald Ford. I can also see why people might think Carter was an unsuccessful president. And if you think that somebody else might have been a better choice for the Nobel Peace Prize, hey, everybody's got a right to an opinion.
But hatred? Of Jimmy Carter? (By Jay Bookman, Atlanta Journal-Constitution) View the entire article
But then again, why are we surprised? Republicans are currently running commericals in Georgia comparing incumbent Senator Max Cleland to Osama bin Laden. Sen. Cleland fought in Vietnam and lost both of his legs and his patriotism is being questioned? It is not like this man is an "extremeist" along the lines of Cynthia McKinney! Meanwhile, here in Florida, Jeb Bush said he had a way to deal with the class size amendment (which he is aganist) if it passed (even though polls say 80% of Florida voters support it). Gov. Bush said to Panhandle lawmakers at a meeting in his office: "So I’ve got a couple of devious plans if this thing passes … we might want to have another look at it.” Bush’s proposal: a second voter initiative that would offer class-size limits, along with a specific funding plan that would stand to kill it.
And yet another issue that make no sense to me...
Study: Atlanta is nation's 4th most sprawling metro area
In yet another national survey, Atlanta ranks high as a sprawling area.
Washington, D.C-based Smart Growth America issued a study Thursday, called "Measuring Sprawl and its Impact," that ranks metro Atlanta the fourth most sprawling area in the nation.
Riverside, Calif., took the top spot, followed by Greensboro and Raleigh in North Carolina. The area with the least amount of sprawl is New York City.
The advocacy group rated 83 metropolitan areas by residential density; the mix of homes, jobs, and services; the strength of activity centers and downtowns; and accessibility of the street network. (By Janet Frankston, Atlanta Journal-Constitution) View the entire article
Southerners from the mid-sized "Atlanta" want-a-be's crap on the ATL at every chance they get. Meanwhile, have they learned from any of Atlanta's lessons - NO! In fact, not only are they following the same path but they will face much greter issues than the ATL is currently facing. While Atlanta is the hyper-example, the same growth pattern occurs elsewhere in the Southeastern United States. Here is a list of Southern cities that earned "below-average" Sprawl scores (i.e. - they were in the top half of sprawl cities): Greensboro-Winston Salem-Hight Point NC, Raleigh-Durham NC, Atlanta, Greenville-Spartanburg SC, West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Delray Beach Fl, Knoxville TN, Little Rock-North Little Rock AR, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater FL, Birmingham AL, Baton Rouge LA, Jacksonville FL, Memphis TN-AR-MS, Columbia SC, Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News VA, and Orlando FL.
Meanwhile, the following cities had above-average sprawl scores (i.e. - bottom half [lack] sprawl): Seattle WA, Los Angeles-Long Beach CA, Las Vegas NV, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood-Pompano Beach FL, Phoenix AZ, Chicago IL, Denver CO, New Orleans LA, Miami-Hialeah FL, and New York NY.
For example, let's compare Birmingham and Atlanta. Birmingham is 23rd out of 83 MSAs in sprawl. It is 6th worst in Residential Density, has an average Daily Vehicle Mile Total of 34.8 and an average daily commute of 26.58 minutes. Atlanta is 4th in sprawl because it is the "hyper-example". It is 15th worst in Residential Density, has an average Daily Vehicle Mile Total of 33.8 and an average daily commute of 31.31 minutes. There really isn't that much of a difference - is there?
So where does the cynicism other Southerners show to Atlanta come from. It is plain jealousy! They hate the fact that they have to change planes at Hartsfield. They hate the fact that the SEC Championship Game is in the Georgia Dome. They hate the fact that Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza are the South's premier shopping mecca.
Atlanta has problems but do to "massive" self-boosterism, they took advantage of the opportunities. New Orleans, for example, built a train/bus station while Atlanta built an airport. When it is all said and done, the ATL will come to grips with these issues while the mid-size Southern cities are building beltway ring roads leading to - more sprawl!
View the entire report at smartgrowthamerica.com
TIDAL 9:19 PM
Wednesday, October 16, 2002
Looking for love in all the close places
Some call it lazy or shallow, but many traffic-weary Atlanta singles won't date anyone who lives more than 10 miles away
Mona Kenton of Snellville was eyeing a co-worker but suddenly lost interest.
It wasn't that the colleague, who lives in Alpharetta, was unattractive. He had a quality far more unacceptable. He was geographically undesirable.
Traffic has long played a role in determining where Atlantans work and buy houses, and the metro area is stuck with one of the worst daily commuting times in the country. Now traffic is affecting our love lives, too. (By Helena Oliviero, Atlanta Journal-Constitution) View the entire article
Foley faces irate critics
A booster club questioned Florida Athletic Director Jeremy Foley (left) about the struggling Gators and first-year coach Ron Zook. (By Joe Schad, Orlando Sentinel) View the entire article
FireRonZook.com
TIDAL 9:52 PM
Sunday, October 13, 2002
A voice for peace
Carter honored for 'untiring effort' on behalf of mankind
PLAINS -- Jimmy Carter, America's most active ex-president and a global champion of human rights, has received laurels the world over. But until Friday, the most prestigious award had eluded him.
After years of speculation that he was on the short list for the honor, Carter was the surprise choice for the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize. (By Moni Basu, Atlanta Journal-Constitution) View the entire article
Mike Luckovich politicial cartoon (ajc.com, October 13, 2002)
I find it extremely ironic that in this time extremely (uneccessary) war-hawkishness, that former President Carter is finally bestowed this award. While the current adminstration is pursuing world domination and higher gas prices by bringing utter chaos to the middle east, the world recognizes someone who may have "failed" as President but learned from his mistakes to redefine the role of former presidents. The current leadership might want to step back and learn from his father's mistakes as well as the new "noble" Nobel Peace Prize winner.
I-4 plan brings pain, then payoff
Orange County's chairman wants wider roads and a rail system, but the work may clog Interstate 4 for a decade. (By Jim Stratton, Orlando Sentinel) View the entire article
FSU-Miami: It ain't right
The day ended for Xavier Beitia with a long walk down the 40-yard tunnel that led to Florida State's buses. The sophomore kicker, arm-in-arm with his mother, couldn't hide eyes red from a flood of tears. Defensive-line coach Odell Haggins gave the 19-year old kicker a hug. Xavier's father, rubbing his eyes, said of his son's 43-yard miss, "It's part of the game." (By Steve Ellis, Tallahassee Democrat) View the entire article
All they'll remember is the kicker
MIAMI -- Go ahead and blame the kicker.
Hang it on him.
It's the easy thing to do.
If you're looking for him, he's the 19-year-old kid over there, slump-shouldered, trudging off the field, shaking his head, sobbing his eyes out.
He's the one who is being accosted by the drunken Miami fan who has run out onto the field at the Orange Bowl and is hoarsely screaming, "You stink, man! You're terrible!"
"Nobody should have to hear that," his holder, Chance Gwaltney, says after chasing the heckler away.
His name is Xavier Beitia, but in another day and another time, it would have been Gerry Thomas or Dan Mowrey or Matt Munyon. They are the other FSU kickers who have been indicted, er, inducted into the Seminole Hall of Blame. They all missed wide right. But after this fateful kick, the Orange Bowl scoreboard flashed something entirely different over and over again:
"Wide Left I. Wide Left I. Wide Left I."
"I've counseled all of our kickers over the years," FSU team chaplain Clint Purvis explained after Beitia's 43-yard field-goal attempt veered just left of Janet Reno to allow top-ranked Miami to hold on for an incredible, unforgettable 28-27 victory Saturday. "I've never seen any of them take it as hard as Xavier. He's broken. He's crushed." (By Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel) View the entire article
Unfortunately, 10 years from now, Mr. Bianchi is right. We will just remember that the kick went left. Over time we will forget that the defense fell apart in the 4th quarter. We will forget that the offensive play-calling in the 4th quarter was way too conservative. We will forget that bad coaching on the game's next to last play almost led to no field goal attempt at all. But we all will remember that kick. Because ABC will show it on TV the next time we need a kick with all of the wide right's. Which sucks. And no one will remember that FSU was 13 point underdogs and that they played their hearts out. But, we should always remember how classless UM fans really are. At least LSU came through and destroyed Florida...
CHEERLEADER OF THE WEEK
Carrie Riley, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders
Do YOU believe in the power of the Rally Monkey? You should now...
TIDAL 7:21 PM
Thursday, October 10, 2002
Happy 100th anniversary, Moon Pie
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- Chattanooga Bakery is trying to stir up some sweet memories of its only product, the MoonPie.
As part of its 100th anniversary Friday, the bakery is sponsoring a contest asking people to share memories, stories or photographs about the more than 8 billion MoonPies that have been sold. The winner gets a family trip to Chattanooga and a tour of the bakery.
The MoonPie -- a confection of marshmallow-stuffed graham cookies, coated with chocolate, banana or vanilla -- was created to appeal to the Southern sweet tooth but has been sold nationally since the 1950s. (By Bill Poovey, Associated Press) View the entire article
You've never had a MoonPie unless they're fresh from the assembly line. Having lived in Chattanooga, I am fortunate enough to have had that experience.
FSU's Samuels finds his motivation
Use the bad to motivate while searching for the good. The advice came from Stanford Samuels' favorite defensive back coach - his dad. (By Steve Ellis, Tallahassee Democrat) View the entire article
All Dorsey does is keep Miami winning
It's all uphill from here for Ken Dorsey's sputtering Heisman campaign, and that could be to his advantage.
If Miami's senior quarterback can beat No. 9 Florida State (5-1) on Saturday and then steer the top-ranked Hurricanes (5-0) through a treacherous stretch of mountainous roads from West Virginia to Tennessee in the next month, momentum finally should be on his side, even if the critics aren't.
Whatever happens, Dorsey's not going to fret over it.
He's too busy trying to help the Hurricanes pursue another perfect season and national championship. (By Randy Beard, Tallahassee Democrat) View the entire article
Game-breakers
Roscoe Parrish, a 5-9, 165-pound artful dodger, wanted the first play of his University of Miami career to be lethal. Quarterback Ken Dorsey faked a handoff to tailback Willis McGahee, then tucked the ball into the arms of the little guy. (By Susan Miller Degnan, The Miami Herald) View the entire article
Bowden knows UM's secret: talent means wins
It was a promise, a warning, a threat and, as it turns out, the God's honest truth. Bobby Bowden, master story-teller, tells this one through a laugh that is not ha-ha as much as it is uh-oh.
Seems former University of Miami Coach Butch Davis, shackled by probation in 1997, ran across the field for the postgame handshake after losing to Bowden's Florida State team 47-0.
''I think,'' Davis told Bowden, ``we'll be able to give you a better game soon.'' (By Dan Le Batard, The Miami Herald) View the entire article
Big plays Bowden's only hope
Florida State coach Bobby Bowden deserves points for honesty.
"I see several teams up here," he said, lifting his hand above his head.
Then he lifts his hand a little higher.
"And there are some teams, like Texas and Oklahoma, up here."
Then he pauses and lifts his hand one more time.
"And then there is Miami."
Bowden knows that for the second consecutive year Florida State will be significantly outmanned on Saturday when it faces the No. 1 Hurricanes.
That's why, if this game is as ugly as expected, Bowden is going to have to take a long, sober look at his dynasty, which could be slipping away. Some tweaking is in order. (By Tony Barnhart, Atlanta Journal-Consitutiton) View the entire article
There are no guarantees in baseball
The most accomplished baseball men of the era sat behind a raised table Thursday, and the news conference had the feel of an inquisition. Weren't these men sorry for what they've done to their poor fans? Were they prepared to admit that every choice they've made has been wrong? And what measures will be taken to ensure that next season will end with the guaranteed championship Braves fans have every right to expect?
OK, those weren't the exact questions put to John Schuerholz and Stan Kasten, but that was the tone. People are angry, according to some self-appointed advocates. People demand answers. People want to know why Gary Sheffield struck out. Did that order come down from Schuerholz/Kasten? It must have, because everyone knows the Braves would rather lose than win. (By Mark Bradley, Atlanta Journal-Consitutition) View the entire article
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TIDAL 9:16 PM
Tuesday, October 08, 2002
Could've, should've...didn't
This one hurts. This one hurts more than the average October fizzle. This one hurts almost as much as the Jim Leyritz World Series in 1996, which was the mother of all flops.
"This is right up there," Chipper Jones said. "It's right up there with '96 for me. We had a team we were all confident in, and we found ways to win this sort of game all year."
This one hurts because the Braves were utterly certain they had the bullpen and because, if they could have somehow won Game 5, no club left standing appeared overly daunting.
But they didn't. They lost Game 5 after losing Game 4. They let the division series go long enough for Barry Bonds to get a hit of substance. They let the wild-card Giants stick around when one good shove would have sent them into San Francisco Bay. The team with the best bullpen in the bigs lost because it couldn't close out a series.
As it turned out, those vaunted relievers availed the Braves little. They lost Games 1 and 4 because Tom Glavine failed to hold up his end. They lost Game 5 because Kevin Millwood was slightly less good on three days' rest than Russ Ortiz was on four. Apart from Mike Remlinger's wobble, the bullpen actually kept Monday's game close enough to inspire late-inning hope, but the Braves couldn't muster enough hits to undo the Giants, who were grasping for relief but found just enough.
No discussion of this series can proceed without props to Bonds. For the first time, the great hitter had a great postseason game. He singled and scored the first run of Game 5. He launched a massive homer off Millwood in the fourth to make it 2-0, and from there on this was the sort of frantic night of which Octobers should be made.
Ortiz worked around David Bell's error and two walks to escape the fifth inning. He left in the sixth, Andruw Jones and Vinny Castilla having singled. Aaron Fultz entered and yielded an RBI single to Mark DeRosa, pinch-hitting for Keith Lockhart. Now the tying run was in scoring position and the Turner Field crowd -- announced at 45,203, still nearly 5,000 below capacity -- was in a froth.
But Matt Franco, hitting for the second time in the postseason, hacked at Felix Rodriguez's first pitch and lifted a fly to center. Rank impatience on the part of a little-used batsman? Then Rafael Furcal scalded a drive into center field, but he hit it too hard. The ball carried into Kenny Lofton's glove. Inning over, the Giants still ahead.
Millwood left after five innings. Chris Hammond authored a tidy sixth. Then Remlinger entered and, with his team in full rally mode, promptly curbed the local enthusiasm. He was touched for a leadoff double by J.T. Snow, who's supposed to be a lousy hitter but was fairly potent in this series. Then Remlinger walked Reggie Sanders and Bell, and now one hit would have put it away. Darren Holmes prevented the hit -- he struck out Tom Goodwin and Rich Aurilia -- but couldn't keep Lofton from hoisting a sacrifice fly. A two-run game again.
The Braves roused themselves in the seventh but fizzled when Javy Lopez struck out with two aboard. Down to his last roll, Bobby Cox summoned John Smoltz to begin the eighth, and Smoltz kept it close. (Henry Blanco, in for Lopez, helped his pitcher by throwing out Bonds at second and Benito Santiago at first.)
And then it was the ninth. Bonds stalked out to left field, and surely he had to flash back to the ninth inning of a decisive game played across the street 10 years ago, a ninth that likewise began with his team leading by two. Sure enough, this ninth featured an error by the second baseman. In 1992 Jose Lind muffed a grounder. This time Jeff Kent threw wide.
But this time Bonds left the field smiling. Gary Sheffield struck out. Chipper Jones grounded into a double play. Season over.
"That ninth inning was set up perfectly," Jones said. "We had the guys you need up there. I'm sick about it."
It hurts now, and it will hurt worse the longer this October goes, the October that will proceed without the Yankees and the Diamondbacks, the October that no longer includes the Braves, either. (By Mark Bradley, Atlanta Journal-Consitution)
SPORTS VENT (ajc.com, October 8, 2002)
I'd marry Jill Arrington even if she did want to talk sports to me!
That "Swish, Swish, Swish," sound you are hearing is George Steinbrenner warming up in the bullpen. He is getting ready to throw more money at his team.
Saturday was a perfect sports day: Losers: Florida, Georgia Tech and the NY Yankees. Winners: UGA and Braves.
According to the AJC, both the Dookies and the NY Yankees lost their "mystique" in 2002. This has been a great year!
I wish someone would invent a remote control with a mute button for chatty wives.
The chairman of CITIGROUP needs to be in jail for corporate corruption, not telling Hootie what to do!
ROLL over TIDE
I'd marry Jill Arrington if she promised she wouldn't try to talk sports with me.
Game over! American League Division Series over! Season over! Yankees lose! Yankees lose!
Can't wait to hear Steinbrenner's whiny excuses after his overpaid losers got put out of the playoffs.
Now I'm really confused. What exactly is a "War Eagle"?
Some of these new football helmets look like they were made from whiffle balls.
Hey Pat, are you man enough to say something stupid again this week?
Are there any women "man enough" to actually join Augusta National?
Can somebody next year at this time contact either Vince Dooley or Chan Gailey and get them to state publicly that Alabama isn't man enough to beat Georgia in Athens?
The Thrashers are the rest of the league. Atlanta has the Thrashees.
BRAVES VENT (ajc.com, October 8, 2002)
Where's Albie Lopez when you need him?
Can we just clone Kevin Millwood?
Give Glavine a break.
And tell me once again, why exactly did we trade Dave Justice?
I hope Glavine's playoff pay reflects his ERA.
Maybe it is time for Tom Glavine to become a full-time union representative.
I thought we got lucky not having Tim McCarver calling our playoff games but now I kind of miss him after hearing Steve Lyons run his piehole during the Division Series.
I think the Braves have solved the problem of which large pitching salary to forego next year.
Glavine, please sign with the BoSox.
Tommy G. belongs in the Hall of Fame -- the AFL-CIO Hall of Fame.
How many chances will Gary Darling get?
WIN OR LOSE, I love the Braves and WILL ALWAYS be a Braves fan!
Tom Glavine, you didn't only let yourself down or your team or the people of Atlanta. You also let some people of Michigan down.
Any chance the Braves can let Bobby manage during the regular season and let someone else take over for the playoffs?
So with the money we save by not re-signing Albie and Glavine...
If Glavine is the best the Braves have, we're in big trouble.
Next time it's Tommy's turn to pitch, let's just send in the bullpen as starters.
Hey, is it not time we discuss contraction in Atlanta? GO TWINS!
I heard on Fox that Bobby Cox called Andruw Jones "the best center fielder he had ever seen, including Willie Mays." Have you been smoking with the Mets again, Bobby?
If ballplayers had to forfeit a significant portion of their salary for poor performances, Tommy would be making as much as I do.
Have fun pitching in Boston next year, Tommy.
Now Gary Darling can join Eric Gregg in the Livan Hernandez Fan Club.
FSU line has fun clearing the way
Florida State's offensive linemen aren't anonymous pass-blockers anymore. The ninth-ranked Seminoles are counting on their senior-dominated unit to lead the way in Saturday's showdown against No.1 Miami. The line, which has been itching for more responsibility and the chance to live up to considerable hype since the preseason, will be front and center at the Orange Bowl. (By Jack Corcoran, Tallahassee Democrat) View the entire article
Comment: 'Noles fans ask, 'Who's the boss?'
This has been a confusing two seasons for Florida State fans. It's bad enough that their beloved Seminoles lost to three basketball schools. They aren't sure who to blame for the offensive play-calling they believe contributed to those defeats. Is it quarterbacks coach Daryl Dickey, who calls the plays from upstairs? Is it offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden, whose fingerprints are all over the strategy as it develops during the week? Could it be Bobby Bowden, who has always been at the controls when...(by Steve Ellis, Tallahassee Democrat) View the entire article
`We have a lot of talent'
The University of Miami's inexperienced defensive backs heard the talk ad nauseam. They would be the goats. They would be the Achilles' heel. They would be the ones to blame if the top-ranked Hurricanes tumbled. (By Susan Miller Degnan, The Miami Herald) View the entire article
Redemption -- or repeat?
Chris Rix had only four collegiate starts to his name before taking on the beast. It wasn't nearly enough time for the young Florida State quarterback to prepare for the freight train that was last season's University of Miami football team. (By Stephen F. Holder, The Miami Herald) View the entire article
Coker: Canes won't take Noles lightly
A day after his top-ranked Hurricanes (5-0) steamrolled over another unfortunate victim -- this time Connecticut in a painful, but efficient 48-14 dismantling -- University of Miami football coach Larry Coker seemed energized about one of ''the great rivalries in college football'' returning to a sold-out Orange Bowl at noon Saturday. (By Susan Miller Degnan, The Miami Herald) View the entire article
Seminoles' main line of defense is on offense
The marketing gurus in Florida State's athletic department knew what they were talking about. Before the 2002 football season, they printed up posters featuring the team's five returning starters on the offensive line. (By Josh Robbins, Orlando Sentinel) View the entire article
Bowden, FSU revel in role of road underdog
Beware of the Bob. He has the Miami Hurricanes right where he wants them -- incapable of being beat, impossibly superior, invincibly up on a pedestal. (By Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel) View the entire article
TIDAL 6:18 AM
Sunday, October 06, 2002
Seminoles are searching for proper I.D.
Florida State football is in the midst of an identity crisis that runs much deeper than not being the defending Atlantic Coast Conference champion for the first time in a decade. The Seminoles lost to an unranked Louisville team Sept. 25. And even in a 48-31 victory over Clemson Thursday, Doak Campbell Stadium briefly became a most unfamiliar place. (By Randy Beard, Tallahassee Democrat) View the entire article
Seminoles looking to pull off an upset
Miami flanker Ethenic Sands didn't say a thing. He didn't have to as he jumped up and down in front of former high school teammate Stanford Samuels. (By Steve Eliis, Tallahassee Democrat) View the entire article
Can Bobby Bowden return to the early 1980's where he earned the moniker "King of the Road" by beating high-profile opponents as massive underdogs in theri backyards? Well, this Saturday would be a good time! But, Bobby and FSU have always had problems at the Horseshoe in Little Havana. It is time to bring out the I-formation, the Fast Break, Puntrooski and any other Bowdenrooski he can come up with. Every play imaginable in the seventy-some-old year old head needs to come out and be executed properly for this Seminole team to have a chance aganist the top-ranked 'Canes.
Bring on the Seminoles
Maybe the Seminoles will be a challenge. The Huskies of Connecticut were like a toddler's toy to a top-ranked team of men who seem hungry for more competition than they have been getting. (By Susan Miller Degnan, The Miami Herald) View the entire article
'Canes in need of a dance partner
All the pollsters agree: The University of Miami football season is thus far a Santana guitar riff, a Rockettes leg kick, a Mona Lisa smile. It's the first act of Les Miserables, the rant of Dennis Miller, up for an Emmy, an Oscar, certainly an ESPY. (By Dave Hyde, (South Florida) Sun-Sentinel) View the entire article
TIDAL 5:58 PM
GO HOME YANKEES!!!
An Exorcise of Futility
The Angels tied the score on a ball that skipped between a second baseman's legs.
That was for Bobby Grich.
The Angels tied it again after a beach ball floated into center field, stopping play, diverting a pitcher's attention moments before allowing a bomb.
That was for Brian Downing.
The Angels scored the go-ahead run on a bloop that a charging center fielder and retreating second baseman turned into a blooper.
That was for all of them, bless their halo-ed, hallowed souls.
That was for the hundreds of Angels and millions of fans whom fate teased and tortured for 41 years of death, disillusionment and Dave Henderson.
On Saturday, the baseball gods paid them all back.
With interest.
With a four-hour roar that turned Orange County red.
With Troy Percival thrusting his fist into the air as fireworks crashed and players danced and demons fled.
With a new sentence, never before written but engraved forever at 4:57 p.m. in a strange new sports capital whose gentle residents are today pinching their Armanis and clicking their Guccis.
The Angels win a playoff series.
And they win it by beating arguably the greatest playoff team in baseball history.
Angels 9, Yankees 5, jinxes zilch. (By Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times) View the entire article
Oxford Blues
OXFORD, Miss. -- When the goalposts come down, it's bad news for Florida football. It happened at Auburn last season. It happened at Mississippi State two seasons ago. And it happened at Mississippi on Saturday.
Ole Miss stunned No. 6 Florida 17-14 before a record crowd of 61,140 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Florida's national championship dreams are over. Quarterback Rex Grossman's run at the Heisman Trophy is over.
And Coach Ron Zook's honeymoon is over. (By Joe Schad, Orlando Sentinel) View the entire article
Zook didn't have Gators ready -- again
OXFORD, Miss. -- You want to give Ron Zook the benefit of the doubt. Then you are almost decapitated by a goalpost.
Mississippi fans tore one down. The Rebel band played "Glory, Glory, Hallelujah." Grown men did cartwheels. Grown women cried rivers of mascara.
The Rebels haven't celebrated like this since they got indoor plumbing. Of course, that was only 10 years ago.
That will be the last Mississippi cheap shot, thank you. The joke was on Florida Saturday, and the sharpening question is whether it's roving the sideline wearing an orange shirt. (By David Whitley, Orlando Sentinel) View the entire article
CHEERLEADER OF THE WEEK
Jaime, Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders
TIDAL 12:06 AM
Tuesday, October 01, 2002
Plenty of tickets available for Games 1, 2
This is not a surprise since Atlanta is notorious for not flocking to Division Series games. But, with Barry Bonds you thought maybe just maybe that the Ted would be full. People always blame Atlantans for not attending playoff games. Unfortunately, due to TV, most of these Division Series games are played in the afternoon when most of us are at work. It is still no excuse though. As for my Braves being a "non-core asset", this should come as no surprise. AOL Time Warner does not put money into this franchise and then they complain about sagging attendance. Bring back Ted!!!
AOL: Sale of Braves, Hawks, Thrashers 'highly unlikely'
A passing reference by AOL Time Warner chief executive Richard Parsons has raised speculation again about whether the company would sell its Atlanta sports teams.
But the company said Monday that it is "highly unlikely" the Atlanta Braves, Hawks or Thrashers will be sold.
"There has been no analysis, nor have there been discussions, regarding the sale of our sports franchises," Turner Broadcasting System Chairman Jamie Kellner said in a prepared statement issued Monday. Turner Broadcasting is the division of AOL Time Warner that operates the sports franchises.
At a meeting with investors last week, Parsons said if the company needs to reduce debt it has several options, one of which could include the media and online company selling "non-core assets." Those assets, he said, could include the sports teams.
Company spokeswoman Tricia Primrose said Monday no discussions are under way about selling the teams, but she would not rule out the possibility. (By Matt Kempner and Tim Tucker, Atlanta Journal-Consitution) View the entire article
I'll take the Non-Core Assets over the Giants
Tom Glavine is good. Very good. But let's see him maintain that famous composure and control with a For Sale By Owner sign stuck on the back of his jersey on Wednesday.
AOL Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons stepped from his plummeting penthouse elevator long enough to suggest to analysts that he is "considering" selling off his company's "non-core assets," which include the Braves, Hawks, Thrashers and all of Sports Illustrated's tape dispensers.
So came one report, which was later spun as a mere attempt by the CEO to classify the sports holdings as tributaries in the corporate cash flow. But ones that are not likely to be trifled with at the moment.
This much is certain: At least the jocks know their place now. (By Steve Hummer, Atlanta Journal-Consitution) View the entire article
TIDAL 12:56 PM
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