tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87722885756686058412011-06-09T07:16:17.942-07:00Just like Alexander's World, only more wordy ...Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.comBlogger4151100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-30195048510212451522008-02-11T10:06:00.000-08:002008-02-11T10:15:09.899-08:00

After giving it a good amount of thought, I've decided I need to focus my blogging efforts on contributing to the Press-Enterprise site. So, as of now, this will be my last post here for a while.You'll be able to catch me on the P-E pro sports blog, and on its college sports counterpart. Hopefully at some point we'll be able to get it expanded to include a full columnist's blog, but until then

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-26244400947132803842008-01-20T10:09:00.000-08:002008-01-20T10:28:41.306-08:00

When is it counterproductive to win? When you have a shot at the No. 1 draft pick ... maybe.When we looked in on the Kings last week, they were still 30th in the NHL but starting to make a move, with two straight victories. Since then, they've gone on the road and won two out of three, victories in Edmonton and Vancouver sandwiched around a 6-1 loss in Calgary.What does it mean? Not much in the

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-63004741860525583642008-01-20T09:42:00.000-08:002008-01-20T10:10:42.134-08:00

From Foxborough, Mass.:Or is it Foxboro? There seems to be no consensus on the proper spelling for the home of the New England Patriots, even on the road signs along Rte. 1 -- jam-packed Rte. 1, may we add -- leading to Gillette Stadium.The AP style seems to be Foxborough. But it's spelled both ways on the road signs. And when I go on the weather.com website to get forecasts for today's

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-13985664536016421782008-01-17T08:48:00.000-08:002008-01-17T09:10:27.410-08:00

It's too bad newspapers aren't already running the NBA standings according to conference rankings rather than by division, because Laker fans really would want to clip and save today's standings.Here, then, courtesy of NBA.com, is something you can print and save for posterity, while dreaming of a Lakers-Celtics NBA Final. (Right now, that's still all it is -- a dream.)The presumption, of course,

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-79241705129957286732008-01-16T08:35:00.001-08:002008-01-16T08:49:37.323-08:00

The last time the Padres made it to the World Series, the civic euphoria in San Diego seduced enough voters that an initiative for a new ballpark (which we now know as Petco Park) passed just weeks later.It's happening again. According to this story -- printed, incidentally, by a newspaper whose building is currently adorned with a huge banner that says: "Go Chargers! We're Proud Of You!" -- a

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-60442402872888473222008-01-16T08:23:00.000-08:002008-01-16T08:29:36.848-08:00

Leonard Pitts, who is an op-ed columnist for the Miami Herald (and whose work appears frequently in the Press-Enterprise) is one of This Space's favorites, mainliy because of his ability to cut through the hysteria of a given situation and deliver the rational point of view.He did it again here.The whole flap over Golf Channel commentator Kelly Tilghman's flip comment about Tiger Woods is yet

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-54226171749584413822008-01-16T08:09:00.000-08:002008-01-16T08:17:33.570-08:00

According to Boston Herald columnist Gerry Callahan, there's no reason for any of us to show up in Foxborough on Sunday, and the Patriots should just stamp their pass for the Super Bowl right now and save the Chargers the risk of frostbite.That is the majority opinion, and there is some logic to it. Still, as over-the-top as this column was, I wonder if maybe Callahan had tongue firmly planted in

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-50692044406320897212008-01-14T12:32:00.000-08:002008-01-14T12:49:07.424-08:00

I'm guessing if anyone tried to pitch this script, they'd get laughed out of the room. (Then again, nobody's writing any scripts these days. Right?)Let's see, this football team flamed out in the postseason, replaced its coach, then started the next season 1-3. The public screamed, demanding accountability or at least a scalp or two. Yet this team fought back to 5-5, then reeled off a winning

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-57445878185258044802008-01-13T10:58:00.000-08:002008-01-13T11:02:32.122-08:00

If you're looking for blog items on the Chargers and Colts, please go here.And if you couldn't resist clicking this link, a weather report: 70 and clear in the RCA Dome. Outside, snow early in the day followed by rain.Main page

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-36260503067541966642008-01-13T06:02:00.000-08:002008-01-13T06:28:09.073-08:00

The Kings’ play-by-play man has been with the organization for 35 seasons, long enough to see the best and the worst – and long enough to realize the utter, unflinching loyalty of the people we wrote about this morning, those who continue to support the team, year after year. (You’ve been through a lot with this franchise. Is this the worst point?)“It’s been disappointing, because after last year

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-41803759073242638312008-01-13T05:58:00.000-08:002008-01-13T06:44:08.781-08:00

The Kings’ President and General Manager talks about some of the issues addressed in today’s column – including more specifics on why he’s inclined to be more patient with the younger prospects coming up through the system, what exactly was done to address the organization’s infrastructure needs, and how studying baseball’s player development system helped influence what he’s tried to do in

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-55015177162962319612008-01-10T20:24:00.000-08:002008-01-11T09:51:10.276-08:00

The readers have their views, and we have the bandwidth. (Lots of it, fortunately … )Two responses from Wednesday’s column on the Riverside Sport Hall of Fame:From Brian, aka bribear51@aol.com: “I visited it for the first time a couple months ago. My question is: Where is Bob Rule?”And from Dolph Mason: “The Riverside Sports Hall of Fame will be hollow rather than hallowed until itincludes Bob

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-1720748767375357462008-01-09T10:58:00.000-08:002008-01-09T11:12:03.051-08:00

ESPN.com is reporting that Pete Carroll has expressed interest in the Atlanta Falcons vacant head coaching job. They cite "sources at the American Football Coaches Convention in Anaheim," following up on an original report by their NFL reporter, Len Pasquarelli. The one difference between this one and the usual speculation about Carroll -- the Falcons could make full control of the football

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-81010306103226098102008-01-08T17:33:00.000-08:002008-01-08T17:50:17.103-08:00

Goose Gossage got his long overdue ticket to Cooperstown today, but he's the only one elected off of the regular ballot.Meanwhile, it was another unhappy ending for those who campaigned for, among others, Jim Rice and Bert Blyleven -- both of whom I considered for a good long time before not voting for them.Do I feel guilty, especially since Rice missed by 16 votes?No. As I said a few weeks ago,

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-9829823837134233922008-01-08T07:51:00.001-08:002008-01-08T08:06:08.946-08:00

Roger Clemens has certainly taken the offensive. He's now doing the things that many have suggested were necessary if he truly were innocent of the performance-enhancer allegations.I'm still skeptical. It's still a "he said, he said" situation. But Clemens has succeeded in casting some doubt on Brian McNamee's version of events. That would be effective in a court of law; I'm not sure how

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-81749150839487643522008-01-08T07:38:00.000-08:002008-01-08T17:32:34.408-08:00

So, how much of Monday night's BCS championship game did you watch? A lot? A little? Any at all?It figured to be a blowout -- as anyone who took a clear-eyed look at Big Ten football would acknowledge -- and it was. Mostly, though, from here it just seemed like ending the season with a whimper, and some of that may be as much about the timing as about the result.Remember when the center of

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-66376024256749577782008-01-04T08:19:00.000-08:002008-01-04T08:29:05.462-08:00

Jerry Crasnick on ESPN.com writes about Luis Gonzalez, and more specifically his chances of getting work this season.Interestingly, revisiting Gonzo's role in the Dodgers' generation gap of last season, he mentions that: "One Southern California columnist wrote that he and Nomar Garciaparra 'sniped' quietly behind the scenes about their lack of at-bats." Gee, I don't know who he could possibly

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-63366308449023618972008-01-04T07:43:00.000-08:002008-01-04T08:02:04.355-08:00

For those who don't have enough to do in their cubicles during the day (and if that's you, I sure wouldn't advertise it), now you can come up with a Brazilian soccer name for yourself, for your friends, for whoever you can think of.(The link came from KC Star columnist Joe Posnanski's blog. Thanks, Joe. Good stuff on there, by the way, even though I can pretty much tell he absolutely wouldn't

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-54789209900402243612008-01-03T12:05:00.000-08:002008-01-03T12:20:15.904-08:00

It has become a regular January feature (i.e., easy column), the annual State of SoCal Sports rankings, which appeared in today's paper (with additional material at the end of the web version).The original inspiration for doing those rankings, in 2005? Well, I had space to fill. Everybody loves lists and rankings. And it was, if I recall, while listening to Gov. Schwarzenegger's State of the

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-52269787423718505592008-01-02T12:20:00.000-08:002008-01-02T12:27:47.147-08:00

The thrust of Wednesday's column on the Rose Bowl was the performance of Joe McKnight, and how this game might have served as the jumping off point for the USC freshman's 2008 season. But, as we noted, there will be competition at plenty of other spots. And one of the more intriguing is at quarterback, where Mark Sanchez and Mitch Mustain are the front-runners in the derby for John David Booty's

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-20395458544283497222008-01-02T12:01:00.000-08:002008-01-02T12:11:23.901-08:00

The NHL's latest outdoor extravaganza, the New Year's Day battle in the snow between the Penguins and Sabres, wasn't classic hockey. But it was a classic scene. And it reinforces the idea that, if the world's most badly-marketed sports league really wants to put its mind to it, it can create a classic show.The SI.com coverage is here and here.The Buffalo News coverage is here. The Pittsburgh

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-67412951974342774012008-01-01T11:39:00.000-08:002008-01-01T11:44:08.131-08:00

The question that will bug me until I get an answer:What was Brad May doing accompanying the Stanley Cup on the city of Anaheim float in the Rose Parade?What, was everyone named Niedermayer sleeping in? (Interesting, also, that the parade announcers noted that the Cup got a waiver from the restriction that every part of every float must have flowers or something organic on it. I thought they

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-29489625351053265522007-12-31T13:44:00.001-08:002007-12-31T13:53:32.211-08:00

Say what you want about the Raiders, poke fun at "Commitment to Excellence" and Al Davis' acumen in his advancing years. But you can't say Raider fans aren't loyal. And you certainly can't discount the economic impact that this franchise's unique fan base has had on the Oakland area.I have no idea what the figures are; that would be interesting research for another time. But I know what I saw off

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-8616671209697739942007-12-30T10:58:00.000-08:002007-12-30T11:04:49.399-08:00

... if you read the column online, rather than in print.Anyway, here it is:JIM’S FINISHING FIVEWAS UCLA’S DELAY in announcing Rick Neuheisel’s hiring a matter of indecision? Or double-checking Neuheisel’s bona fides, and making sure he wouldn’t embarrass the university? Or was it to avoid being a distraction to Neuheisel’s current employer, the Baltimore Ravens?(WHO, IN TRUTH, passed the point of

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-89545188223302459182007-12-30T10:39:00.000-08:002007-12-30T10:58:50.433-08:00

There's no sense glossing over it. Here's the way This Space saw the Great UCLA Coach Search 26 days ago:"In one sense, Rick Neuheisel would be the perfect guy for the UCLA football coaching job . . . But he’ll never get a call from Dan Guerrero, because he’s exactly the type of guy who would make UCLA administrators nervous."I stand corrected. I wrote in today's Finishing Five (which, again,

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-39171670354329046782007-12-27T11:10:00.001-08:002007-12-27T11:15:43.415-08:00

No, it's not a lightbulb joke. It's the NFL's way of doing the right thing, with its announcement Wednesday that CBS and NBC will simulcast the NFL Network's telecast of Saturday night's Patriots-Giants game. But don't go thinking this is an exercise in altruism, no matter what the spin doctors at the NFL might have you believe.They won't admit it, but the juxtaposition of the words "Congress"

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-32347749877488960802007-12-26T09:41:00.001-08:002007-12-26T09:48:34.917-08:00

As a former columnist for that faltering newspaper in downtown LA -- and, in fact, as a columnist specifically assigned to the Lakers for the entire 2003-04 season -- ESPN's J.A. Adande does have some credibility.But I can't help feeling it's a little soon to jump on the bandwagon.A lot will be determined by whether Andrew Bynum is indeed the real deal (and if he is, I will be right out in front

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-72812714810072657622007-12-24T15:18:00.001-08:002007-12-24T15:22:54.945-08:00

I'd like to say this column had something to do with it, but I know better. In any event, Roger Clemens broke his silence Sunday, with the prospect of more to come:But, as I pointed out in the Sunday column, when you've been lied to and spun by so many athletes in this situation over the years, who and what do you believe? Sad to say, but it will take more than Clemens' word on YouTube (or even "

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-81486759108000671692007-12-20T15:48:00.000-08:002007-12-20T16:22:03.360-08:00

I realize it's easy to start a blog, but sometimes people need to be reminded that simply cutting and pasting someone else's material to fill your space is ... well, stealing.This Space has had it happen twice in the past month.An item I posted on the Press-Enterprise football blog on the rivalry between Antonio Gates and Kansas City's Tony Gonzalez magically appeared, word for word, without any

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-53141336540885190842007-12-20T08:16:00.001-08:002007-12-20T08:20:59.819-08:00

Our guide to the bowls. Picks, as always, are for entertainment purposes only, and the official (and often corporate) bowl name has been replaced by something we deem more appropriate:(If New Orleans Can Have Two Bowls, So Can We) Bowl, San Diego, tonight: Navy (8-4) over Utah (8-4)(Guess What, San Diego, We Have Three) Bowl, New Orleans, Friday: Memphis (6-5) over Florida Atlantic (7-5)(Really

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-62272857195875562642007-12-19T09:52:00.000-08:002007-12-19T10:19:15.909-08:00

Tennessee’s legendary women’s basketball coach, the subject of today’s column, spent a few minutes discussing her career and her coaching philosophy after practice Tuesday at Pauley Pavilion. (Do you think back much on what this program was like when you got here?) “The Tennessee program? I think, as the years come and go, you think more about the beginning. At least I do, because of where we

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-21416768578070094342007-12-18T09:37:00.000-08:002007-12-18T09:51:13.432-08:00

Two days after they clinched the AFC West, I'm still not sure what to make of the Chargers.They're 9-5, and very well could win out (Denver at home, Oakland at Oakland) and finish 11-5 and the third seed in the AFC playoffs.But are they for real? Have they beaten a bunch of bad teams? Or have they just made those teams look bad? You judge.These are the victims in their current four-game winning

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-48394650579518167042007-12-16T13:29:00.000-08:002007-12-16T13:35:39.302-08:00

And now we are getting the heartfelt admissions from guys who were named in the report and acknowledge that they were users. One question: Do you really buy, for example, Andy Pettitte's explanation that he only used HGH once, for a couple of days, and then gave it up?To me, it sounds like more spin, a way to get in front of the posse while making yourself look as good as possible. It doesn't

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-55488961540187599242007-12-16T13:12:00.000-08:002007-12-16T13:29:35.148-08:00

Read the Mitchell Report again. Then notice that Paul Lo Duca and Eric Gagne, two of the more prominent names mentioned, recently signed free agent contracts with Washington and Milwaukee, respectively.There's a message here, and it's not a particularly heartening one for those who would like to rid the game of performance enhancing substances. Especially since, as was evident in the report,

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-35219275502339561612007-12-16T13:00:00.001-08:002007-12-16T13:09:14.893-08:00

Frank and Jamie McCourt keep going through media relations people as if there were an endless supply.The latest to go was Camille Johnston, former handler for Tipper Gore, who announced her resignation -- but who, according to all accounts, stepped down involuntarily.This makes at least four PR types that have left the organization (or, in some cases, come and gone) since the McCourts took over

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-78963794700807250822007-12-14T10:44:00.001-08:002007-12-14T11:01:37.885-08:00

Through all the reaction and the uproar surrounding yesterday's release of the Mitchell Report, one thing needs to be made perfectly clear.This. Is. Just. The. Tip. Of. The. Iceberg!Remember, George Mitchell and his investigators didn't have full subpoena power. They couldn't compel people to talk to them -- and many players refused to cooperate. Much of what is in that report involves a handful

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-91634602870372482232007-12-13T18:29:00.000-08:002007-12-13T18:40:15.650-08:00

Leave it to Kobe Bryant to, again, make news just when somebody or something else is getting all kinds of attention.Bryant now says he's glad the Lakers didn't trade him, according to ESPN The Magazine. (Of course, he didn't go so far as to rescind his trade request, answering that with a no comment.)Still, I'm just surprised he didn't tell it to his regular spokesman from the Worldwide Leader in

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-90799475428447783702007-12-13T11:36:00.001-08:002007-12-20T09:04:01.662-08:00

And here are the names specifically singled out, many of them either involved in the BALCO investigation or mentioned by Kirk Radomski, the former Mets clubhouse guy and steroids seller who cooperated significantly with the Mitchell investigation.Some of these are obscure, guys who were minor leaguers or bit players. Some are huge. And more than a few are familiar to SoCal fans.These players were

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-48762009242242411952007-12-13T11:03:00.000-08:002007-12-13T11:05:55.593-08:00

Here, from baseball's own website, is the full text of the Mitchell Report.It's amazing, in these days of spin and PR consciousness, that baseball itself would be so frank and forthcoming with something that can only damage its image, once all of the names are released. But maybe this is Bud Selig's way of atoning for the heads-in-sand attitude that led to this problem.Main page

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-90361536798015436802007-12-13T08:18:00.001-08:002007-12-13T08:30:41.419-08:00

This Space has occupied this space for a full year as of today. And I'd like to extend a big thank you to everyone who has stopped by, either as a regular reader or a one-time visitor drawn by a specific item (mentioning David Beckham, or conversing with A.J. Smith, seemed to draw a large number of those.)And how about this for a birthday present -- the Mitchell Report, which is scheduled to be

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-32892749468760163572007-12-12T21:17:00.001-08:002007-12-12T21:21:38.499-08:00

It's not going to happen -- Ducks general manager Brian Burke as much as said Chris Pronger would keep the captain's "C" on his sweater even when Scott Niedermayer returns. What if, however? What if Pronger followed the example of the Galaxy's Landon Donovan, who gave up his team captaincy to David Beckham earlier this summer?You'd have to say Niedermayer certainly has more claim to it than

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-69542929522125913472007-12-12T20:16:00.000-08:002007-12-12T20:21:41.535-08:00

The Ducks’ defenseman discusses his return with reporters following the morning skate. (How did it feel to be back with the team?)“Good. I’m on the short end of a lot of jokes, but I guess that’s to be expected. It was fun. It’s good to see everybody again and to be back on the ice with them, that’s for sure.“I feel pretty good right now. Obviously I haven’t played a game, so that’s going to be

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-36765132775673819932007-12-12T19:51:00.000-08:002007-12-12T20:22:17.162-08:00

The first of two Ducks interviews from this morning's media session. The head coach talked about the return of Scott Niedermayer and his team’s struggle to regain its consistency.(On Niedermayer)“It’s the second day he actually skated with our group, but he looks like Scott Niedermayer. All the things you remember about him were evident again in just the morning skate with our group: the skating

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-84457117277447161212007-12-12T08:00:00.000-08:002007-12-12T08:14:08.088-08:00

You may have missed this item: Georgia Frontiere (who got the Madame Ram nickname from the late Jim Healy all those years ago) has been hospitalized with an undisclosed illness.And just where did Frontiere, 80, go for her medical care?That's right. Los Angeles. Here's the St. Louis Post-Dispatch story. Sure hope there aren't any disgruntled ex-Ram fans supervising her treatment. Like this

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-63928336267518788122007-12-10T08:09:00.001-08:002007-12-12T08:21:01.800-08:00

The Chargers now seem to be the classic case of a team lying in the weeds, waiting for its moment to strike.We left them for dead when they started 1-3, with Norv Turner officially anointed the worst head coach in the NFL, maybe in pro football history. Which is yet another example of the way snap judgments and overreaction are so prevalent among NFL fans and observers -- and why they can come

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-7938748859502387852007-12-10T07:53:00.000-08:002007-12-10T07:55:57.093-08:00

Interesting New York Times piece this morning on Wayne Gretzky the coach.Then again, ask the Kings what they think of Gretzky's Phoenix Coyotes? They are now 0-4 against Gretzky's team after yet another loss Saturday night.Main page

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-89496122303941121712007-12-10T07:48:00.000-08:002007-12-10T08:08:08.915-08:00

Something disturbing came out of Saturday’s CIF championship victory by Corona Centennial over Corona Santiago, the basis for Sunday’s column on the victors.Students post signs on the railings as a way of supporting their team. And one of the signs on the Santiago side said: “Let’s Go Michael Vick On ‘Em.”Centennial, of course, is the Huskies.Now, consider that Vick received a 23-month prison

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-820543054710453652007-12-07T09:29:00.000-08:002007-12-07T09:37:30.193-08:00

Among the things Mr. Personality took heat for this season — and there have been many — a number of fans took him to task for what they considered a defeatist attitude after some things he said in a late-September interview with This Space, which appeared in the paper and on this blog.He said, specifically, that the goal should be to make the playoffs by any means necessary on an annual basis,

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-65558000181365905292007-12-06T09:56:00.001-08:002007-12-06T10:05:39.043-08:00

The legal action against Ducks' forward Todd Bertuzzi by Steve Moore, the guy whose career Bertuzzi ended in 2004, is taking some new twists and turns, and there could be a lot of collateral damage before it's over.A CBC news report said that Kings coach Marc Crawford, then the Canucks coach, ordered Bertuzzi to go after Moore in March of 2004. Moore is suing Bertuzzi, the Canucks and their

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-89380021950529839132007-12-06T09:42:00.001-08:002007-12-06T09:52:52.131-08:00

Maybe Dodger general manager Ned Colletti was just trying to lower expectations when he suggested a week ago that his team might be willing to stay the course with its young players and not make any more moves.(Not that anyone in Frank McCourt's organization has ever performed the art of the spin, mind you.)But the apparent signing of Andruw Jones (pending a physical) was a little bit of a

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-35794046078305197132007-12-06T09:13:00.000-08:002007-12-06T09:30:31.956-08:00

In today's column, we examine why America should be rooting for Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl against Georgia. Great story, Cinderella team, a chance to embarrass the big-money, big-influence schools of the BCS, etc.There's a couple of points we really didn't have an opportunity to get into.First, it is absolutely true that Hawaii played one of the nation's softest schedules, ranked 117th out of a

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-45420280262861198202007-12-05T19:13:00.000-08:002007-12-05T19:23:09.921-08:00

Tonight's announcement that Scott Niedermayer is returning to the Ducks is no surprise. The only suspense was the timing.General manager Brian Burke said Niedermayer would probably be ready for game action in the next "seven to 10 days," according to the Ducks' press release. That would put his return at next Wednesday night, at home, against Vancouver.If there was any sort of arrangement in

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-33823353904420394242007-12-04T12:51:00.000-08:002007-12-04T12:52:31.638-08:00

In one sense, Rick Neuheisel would be the perfect guy for the UCLA football coaching job. He’s regarded as a brilliant offensive mind (although you wouldn’t know it by the Baltimore Ravens’ performance – but the Ravens never have had a working offense). He has had success as a Division I-A head coach, at Colorado and Washington. And he not only is a former Bruin, he’s the epitome of the Gutty Lil

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-9274547693918779882007-12-04T12:48:00.000-08:002007-12-04T12:51:12.547-08:00

I still think “Hoosiers” is the best sports movie ever made. But “Slap Shot” is a very, very close No. 2, and even though the game and society have changed, it still holds up, 30 years after it was made.Here’s an ode to it from ESPN’s Terry Frei. And if you don’t have the DVD, you really should. (But avoid the sequel at all costs. It's horrible.)Incidentally, here is the official home of the

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-38438329380627738652007-12-01T13:41:00.000-08:002007-12-01T13:46:48.752-08:00

According to this AP story, six Canadian universities have discussed the possibility of membership in the NCAA. Two of them, the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University are on track to become members of the association as early as 2009.I'm not sure what's in it for them, but whatever.Main page

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-50620742832551697702007-12-01T13:05:00.000-08:002007-12-12T08:15:39.737-08:00

“Journalist Bill” (thank you, Jim Healy) writes in that faltering downtown LA newspaper today about the hash that USC’s relationship with the Coliseum has turned into. Meanwhile, to the naked eye, this seems like an utterly pointless dispute. Someone is offering you $100 million to renovate your building, with the caveat that you give them a certain amount of control in a facility that you really

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-74396553601679645072007-11-30T12:06:00.000-08:002007-11-30T12:48:38.110-08:00

No, it's not Missouri. No, it's not West Virginia. No, it's not tomorrow's USC-UCLA game, possibly the final college football game in the Coliseum. (Yeah, right. More on that tomorrow.)The best story in the "Bowl Subdivision," as the suits at the NCAA call it, has been taking place in the middle of the Pacific for those who haven't been paying attention. Hawaii could nail down its spot in a BCS

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-54641859275715713082007-11-29T18:36:00.000-08:002007-11-29T18:39:33.161-08:00

According to AP, Phil Jackson has agreed to a two-year, $24 million contract extension that will keep him with the Lakers through the 2009-2010 season.Which will, barring a change of heart from his best player, mean that Jackson will have one post-Kobe Bryant season presuming that Bryant opts out of his contract after next season. Is Phil ready for this?Main page

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-20262446608221535912007-11-29T09:01:00.000-08:002007-11-29T09:24:42.902-08:00

Yes, I liked that "going Mack Brown on us" line so much I used it twice.But the point of the column: USC's people, with the players dutifully following the lead of the coaching staff, say last season's result won't impact their motivation for Saturday. Bottom line is, I don't believe it. I'd be shocked if it didn't come up in the Trojans' locker room just before game time, with someone -- either

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-29018761612834109642007-11-29T08:58:00.000-08:002007-11-29T09:00:23.768-08:00

Interesting juxtaposition of two NFL-related stories this morning.First, the continuing spat between the league and Big Cable, over the cable companies refusal to put the NFL Network on a basic tier — and, in the case of Time Warner and Charter, refusal to put it on at all — moves to another level tonight when the big game between the Cowboys and Packers is aired on the NFL Network, and

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-44616754623132462612007-11-29T08:46:00.000-08:002007-11-29T08:55:32.066-08:00

Officially, the Angels’ signing of Torii Hunter was an opportunity to get a big-time middle-of-the-order hitter and a superb defensive player, and the only impact on incumbent center fielder Gary Matthews Jr. is that he’s now going to be the left fielder.However, Angels manager Arte Moreno told reporters after Wednesday’s introductory news conference of Matthews and Jon Garland that he expects

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-54278693130480537532007-11-28T08:39:00.000-08:002007-11-28T08:43:09.553-08:00

Pete Carroll seems to be caught between lobbying the BCS voters on behalf of his team and stumping for a true playoff system -- and as colleague Gregg Patton writes this morning, Carroll going Mack Brown on us is borderline unseemly and very un-Trojan-like.But Carroll made a pretty good argument for a playoff, from the competitor’s standpoint, when I asked him at Tuesday’s press conference if his

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-24269379707504422432007-11-28T08:11:00.000-08:002007-11-29T10:54:02.233-08:00

I’ll say one thing up front: I’ll never again scoff about someone’s back problems. It’s not something you see on an X-ray or an MRI, necessarily, but you can’t understand how debilitating a bad back can be unless you’ve been there. I’ve been there.***I wrote a couple of weeks ago that Torii Hunter would be a perfect fit in the Dodgers lineup, but instead the Angels got him. And now we know why.

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-80528692361340111822007-11-15T14:59:00.000-08:002007-11-15T15:07:27.787-08:00

Which means the last domino in the case against BALCO has finally fallen.Here's the indictment, courtesy of the San Francisco Chronicle. And somewhere -- thankfully, not behind bars -- Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada can know that their investigation in the Chronicle did what great journalism is supposed to do: Lay the truth on the table. Meanwhile, I don't think we'll be hearing much

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-82296051140269950102007-11-12T09:48:00.001-08:002007-11-12T09:48:40.453-08:00

For those of you who may have noticed no Sunday column and no bylined story on last night’s Chargers-Colts classic—I’d be surprised, but grateful, if anybody did—it’s because This Space is on the injured list. It’s an inflammation of the sacroiliac (lower back), according to the doctor. (Which, according to certain family members, means one thing: “You’re getting old.” Thanks for the reminder,

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-17713383860145058682007-11-08T13:26:00.000-08:002007-11-08T13:40:52.113-08:00

You might have missed this if you read the column online, since this week's list appeared in the print edition but wasn't posted on PE.com.Here, then, is This Space's top 10 SoCal championship seasons, with explanations. Arguments cheerfully accepted:10. - 2007 Ducks. It didn't draw the best TV ratings or the most attention in the market, having to share space the day of Game 5 with Kobe's

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-55603959467279987212007-11-08T13:12:00.000-08:002007-11-08T13:26:10.328-08:00

Today's column discussed the peculiar sports dynamic in the greater Los Angeles area, although it's one that probably has its counterpart in other multi-team cities.Simply put, the Lakers and Dodgers are on one tier, and everyone else in the market is jockeying for attention below them.It's not unusual, and it has a lot to do with tradition and longevity. In New York, for example, I'm sure the

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-51418775143918305462007-11-07T18:42:00.000-08:002007-11-07T18:51:50.459-08:00

Two non-sports stories of note in today's P-E: Chuck Machado and his wife, Jennie, are big-time chile sauce entrepreneurs. (Chuck is also a former high school classmate of This Space, meaning any attention he gets is richly deserved.Also, another Riversider of note, country artist Heather Myles, makes a rare hometown appearance tonight at the Lake Alice Trading Co. No, she's not an ex-classmate.

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-33203164800310076352007-11-07T18:24:00.000-08:002007-11-07T18:40:22.862-08:00

The rumor that hit the airwaves today -- or else it's just one of Hacksaw's Hot Headlines (i.e., throw it against the wall and see if it sticks, as AM 570's Lee Hamilton has been known to do from time to time) -- is that Dodger GM Ned Colletti is talking to Minnesota counterpart Bill Smith at the general managers' meetings in Orlando this week, and the topic of discussion is Twins ace Johan

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-50436277883748028222007-11-04T12:56:00.000-08:002007-11-04T13:16:27.614-08:00

Here's today's final edition column on last night's game, focusing on the job done by KC goalie Kevin Hartman (and I resisted making too much of the idea of a former Galaxy goalie eliminating Chivas from the playoffs).And following, for those who didn't see the early editions, is the first version (including the "Finishing Five," which weren't included in the online version).I must acknowledge

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-32641366610731508412007-11-02T11:17:00.001-07:002007-11-02T11:26:24.532-07:00

Barry Bonds has been accused of a lot of things, but I don't recall anyone calling him stupid. And what seemed at first glance to be arrogance or obstinancy in an interview with Jim Gray for MSNBC actually may turn out to be a stroke of genius.Bonds said that, if the Hall of Fame insists on displaying his record-setting home run ball with an asterisk stamped on it -- as fashion designer Marc Ecko

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-13995008784031380732007-11-01T08:48:00.000-07:002008-11-13T10:13:42.065-08:00

Sometimes I feel I've been reassigned to this beat:Today's column, on the gathering of Riverside Notre Dame High's 1977 CIF champions, is the third such reunion column in a six-month span.There was the column on the UCR football reunion.And there was the one on Cal Baptist's 1976 NAIA tournament team, before it was honored by the school's Hall of Fame. It's great to write about The Way Things

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-55381765126338845242007-11-01T08:34:00.000-07:002007-11-01T08:48:10.523-07:00

Two slightly different views of the Dodgers' courtship of Joe Torre:Gregg Patton, in the P-E, figures Torre will bring name recognition but isn't as important as guys who actually hit, throw and catch the ball.And Hall of Famer Helene Elliott (she hates when I call her that, but it's true) writes in the Times that Torre not only would return credibility to the franchise but would have a better

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-20897957891713603992007-10-31T08:47:00.000-07:002007-11-01T08:32:44.614-07:00

When Kobe Bryant gets booed by large segments of a normally adoring Staples Center crowd, is that the beginning of the end?That seems to be the consensus of most people observing the strange direction that the Bryant-Laker relationship has taken. To most people -- who may have inside information but probably don't -- it's not a question of whether Bryant will be traded, it's a question of when,

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-12443151968164300832007-10-30T19:42:00.000-07:002007-10-31T09:03:15.165-07:00

The Dodgers basically embarrassed themselves with the managerial charade of the last few days that ended today, when Grady Little announced he was stepping down.We'll get into this a little deeper when time permits. But the bottom line is this: Whether you like or dislike the job Little did this year (and I thought he lost the clubhouse), the Frank McCourt administration has once again

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-67360690587329219772007-10-28T14:02:00.000-07:002007-11-29T09:34:05.658-08:00

SAN DIEGO--I'm not sure what I was expecting here today. Some amazing outpouring of emotion, I suppose, in response to the trauma this community and all of Southern California has faced over the past week.But I didn't really sense that the fans who showed up at Qualcomm Stadium treated this as any sort of cathartic moment or healing process. They were here for a football game, and they treated it

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-15071158889750400592007-10-27T22:35:00.000-07:002007-10-28T14:30:04.538-07:00

Sunday's column is about Edmonton's Dustin Penner and his return to Anaheim Sunday night to face his former team (and the bad feelings resulting from his signing by the Oilers).But the Oilers learned tonight that, at this point, the front end of this SoCal back-to-back is no picnic, either. Fact is, the Kings, after a 4-1 victory over Edmonton that was their fourth straight and fifth in their

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-80723786705108163442007-10-27T16:48:00.000-07:002007-10-27T16:51:21.477-07:00

Hunter is the new president of Chivas USA, hired primarily to get people in the seats and make a good but unknown soccer club relevant in North America’s most competitive sports market. Hunter formerly was with AEG, where he was involved in marketing both the Kings and Galaxy, and also has had successful stints with the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and Phoenix Coyotes.I talked to him at

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-43184989816616587322007-10-26T15:56:00.000-07:002007-10-26T16:06:36.257-07:00

Not to publish advertisements for myself, but Thursday's column on the situation in which the Lakers find themselves got some nice responses, and nobody telling me I was full of it.Which is, as you might imagine, something of a surprise, considering the strong emotions the Lakers -- and particularly Kobe Bryant -- stir among Southern California fans.(Not to mention Kia dealers.)I've heard so much

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-44442130507093377872007-10-26T15:43:00.000-07:002007-10-26T15:55:44.617-07:00

Well, we're not going to get an NFL team in the Coliseum, after the NFL's latest missive to Los Angeles city officials that the proposed remake of the Exposition Park saucer is not viable.Yet it appears major league baseball is going to return to the Coliseum, albeit for a day or maybe a series. The Dodgers are trying to set up a return to the place they called home for their first four seasons

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-36086528684006759992007-10-26T15:15:00.000-07:002007-10-26T15:23:19.410-07:00

You know how you go through your things and run across something you forgot you had? Sort of like a bonus, an unexpected surprise. Well, I just found one -- an interview with tennis commentator and former pro Pam Shriver, conducted in July when the women's tour was at the Home Depot Center. It was transcribed and forgotten, until now. Consider it a bonus blog item ... Shriver won 21 singles

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-33192542410429574072007-10-24T12:37:00.001-07:002007-10-24T12:44:58.505-07:00

The World Series starts tonight, and I for one am pulling hard for the Colorado Rockies.I'm guessing I'm not alone, and there are a lot of other people out there who are suffering from Red Sox Fatigue.Before they ended their World Series drought in 2004, the Red Sox were almost lovable, although their back-and-forth with the Yankees and the lengths to which they stretched their payroll to match

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-40183344895991491912007-10-24T12:28:00.000-07:002007-11-01T08:33:52.058-07:00

Sunday’s column on the conundrum of Chivas USA – success on the field, far less so at the gate – got some responses from readers, and at least a couple of them noted something that hasn’t really been discussed much but probably is a factor in the club’s difficulty in the LA market.Simply put, when Chivas joined MLS in 2005, with its slogan “Adios Soccer, El Futbol Esta Aqui” and its initial

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-56437990612543052542007-10-20T21:10:00.000-07:002007-10-24T12:36:42.554-07:00

Tomorrow's column is on Chivas USA, and the paradox of having a winning, entertaining team and not being able to fill their building. It's a combination of factors, and club officials -- including new president Shawn Hunter -- hope that additional marketing initiatives and community relations activities, including extensive contact with youth soccer in SoCal -- will enable them to catch up.But

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-5974598146939832022007-10-18T21:07:00.001-07:002007-10-18T21:10:13.755-07:00

And somehow, I just have the feeling that the Indians are in trouble.Yes, they still have a 3-2 lead in the series. Yes, they still have a pitching edge in Game 6. But letting the Red Sox off the mat is not good idea, as I'm sure the 2004 Yankees will attest.(Then again, Dave Roberts isn't a member of the '07 Sox, so maybe the Indians do have a chance.)Main page

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-58194722416000913702007-10-18T20:55:00.000-07:002007-10-18T21:22:08.424-07:00

Earlier this week, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell -- perhaps kissing up to the folks in London, where he's trying to spur ticket sales for an upcoming Giants-Dolphins game -- suggested that the British city might someday be in line for a Super Bowl.Now comes word that the Buffalo Bills are contemplating staging not only an exhibition game in 2008 but eventually a regular season game as well in

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-6104972323096334482007-10-18T20:36:00.000-07:002007-10-18T20:39:16.500-07:00

And another pretender to the BCS throne goes down.And could you ever imagine fans rushing the field after a victory over South Florida?Main page

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-52667592663729259932007-10-18T20:27:00.001-07:002007-10-18T20:36:33.420-07:00

The Clippers, of course, once had a player bring two left shoes to a game, that being the incomparable Benoit Benjamin.Now they have a player who needs two different shoe sizes. Seriously.Dan Dickau, the guard from Gonzaga that they signed shortly after training camp began, wears a size 10 1/2 left shoe, and a size 9 1/2 right shoe. From the time he was a high school player, through his college

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-74804975382315275582007-10-18T17:32:00.001-07:002007-10-18T20:26:38.116-07:00

Watching the Kings and Ducks on back-to-back nights this week, even though both teams won, I was struck at the dramatic difference in playing styles.The Kings, even in snapping their six-game losing streak against Minnesota Tuesday night, acted as if it were illegal to hit anybody. They spent way too much time in the defensive zone, and way too much of that leaning on guys or trying to poke the

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-10455659348754814922007-10-17T08:18:00.000-07:002007-10-17T08:30:41.095-07:00

The Lakers stopped being relevant competitively the moment that Shaquille O'Neal left. But this is why they're still the most popular franchise in Southern California: They're great theater.I mean, wouldn't the current Kobe Bryant saga have been great fodder for Shakespeare? The wise, wealthy elder (OK, we'll ignore the DUI), the sublimely talented but flighty and temperamental youth, and a

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-59396583425511769802007-10-17T08:04:00.000-07:002007-10-17T08:16:28.954-07:00

The recently-concluded Rockies-Diamondbacks series is now being heralded as the least watched baseball playoff series ever, and how often have we heard this story over the years?The subliminal message is always the same: If you watched it, you're out of step, because the majority of Americans didn't. (Subliminal message No 2: Only the Red Sox and/or Yankees matter, because of the ratings numbers.

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-84383980636805196172007-10-12T08:55:00.000-07:002007-10-12T09:10:24.133-07:00

The consensus following Laker owner Jerry Buss' comments of two days ago is that Kobe Bryant -- the guy Buss once likened to a son, the guy he vowed would be a Laker for life -- can now be had for the right deal. In other words, if he doesn't want to be there, the organization will try to accommodate him.Oh, really?The key words from Buss, the ones that the overheated observers keep ignoring, are

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-87012647136585640232007-10-10T18:49:00.000-07:002007-10-12T08:54:25.575-07:00

If the Ducks have Cup hangover, tonight may be the hair of the dog that gets them through to the other side. The Stanley Cup will make its final appearance on the premises before going back to the Hockey Hall of Fame, and the division title, conference championship and Stanley Cup banners will be rasied.And Teemu Selanne and Scott Niedermayer will be on the premises. Imagine that. (But there are

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-48061625830968115032007-10-09T12:04:00.000-07:002007-10-09T12:17:19.744-07:00

Things that happen in New York, of course, are magnified tenfold. But the aftermath of the Yankees' elimination Monday night, with the likelihood that Joe Torre is gone as manager and the probability that a number of prospective Yankee free agents will be departing as well, underscores a brutal fact about baseball's postseason.And it's one the Angels have been confronted with again, as well: If

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-33462765906404221832007-10-07T11:44:00.001-07:002007-10-09T12:04:39.208-07:00

From Denver: The subject of marketing slogans came to mind again, as I drove by a billboard for the Denver Nuggets. Their slogan: "Can You Feel It?"My response: What, exactly, is "It?"Some slogans are old, tired and reused. Some inexplicably work. I like the Kings' "We Play For LA" campaign. It's catchy, it's original, it emphasizes their tie to their community (and separates themselves,

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-51445070612542986092007-10-07T11:25:00.000-07:002007-10-07T11:44:14.603-07:00

From Denver:Today's column examines the rise of the Arizona Diamondbacks and particularly the Colorado Rockies, and how that relates to the Dodgers and Padres.And I will reiterate what I've said before: Dodger fans deserve more credit than they're getting. I think they're sophisticated enough to understand the need to get younger, especially if the young talent is as good as they've been told,

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-78091854161004122802007-10-06T20:24:00.000-07:002007-10-07T11:51:19.068-07:00

From Denver:So, where was the reaction over Stanford's mammoth upset over USC the loudest?The Bay Area? After all, not only Stanford alums were heartened by this one. The Cal faithful have to be anticipating a move up in the polls, as well.Baton Rouge, La? (Of course, this will make a farce out of Les Miles' anti-Pac-10 comments from the summer ... but then, I'm guessing those were meant to play

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-28722355522492343902007-10-06T15:44:00.000-07:002007-10-07T11:51:41.675-07:00

From Denver:The readers have issues, and we have the bandwidth ...From Bob Smith of Palm Springs, on the Chargers:"I have seen enough! As a long time college coach and former teammate of Don Coryell, I can no longer not react to the demise of the San Diego Chargers.A.J. Smith is directly responsible for the football tragedy of the Chargters. His ego has gotten the best of a very good professional

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-54703797964729548412007-10-02T10:42:00.000-07:002007-10-02T11:06:20.153-07:00

Think back to the days of yore, the days of Marty Schottenheimer. When was the last time you recall a Chargers team being flat? Lacking emotion? Making mistakes that smacked of, oh, distraction?Thank you.That's what people are pointing at, as the Chargers prepare to take their 1-3 selves to Denver this week. The Norv Turner Chargers have looked like a befuddled team, a team that hasn't really

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8772288575668605841.post-73542196999373467602007-10-02T10:27:00.001-07:002007-11-29T09:52:47.283-08:00

I could have gone. I was scheduled to go to Clippers media day in the afternoon, anyway, and I was tempted to go to El Segundo in the morning and join Kobe Watch.But I resisted temptation because, as I suspected, it was going to be like a Christmas shopping expedition: Lots of people, not much payoff.(Besides, we had two other people there. They didn't miss me.)From what I'm hearing, the fellas

Jim Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13665991723472416853noreply@blogger.com0