"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." -- Philosopher George Santayana.

Mark Cuban must have skipped class that day.

Yesterday, Cuban wrote on his blog why he believes a rival professional football league to the NFL could succeed. He and a few others are apparently hatching a challenge to the oligarchy known as the NFL, ignoring the obvious fact that the sports landscape is absolutely littered with the  remains of similar enterprises. Not since the AFL, 40 years ago when the NFL was infinitely more vulnerable, has any rival even come close to succeeding.

OK, Cuban is a real smart guy who runs a classy if somewhat flawed basketball franchise, the Dallas Mavericks. And unlike many pro sports owners, he is open with his thoughts and even accessible to the press and the public. But this notion of a professional football league to compete with the NFL is quixotic at best.

All you need to know is this line from Cuban's blog: "The NFL wants and needs competition."

Right, like Alexander the Great and Napoleon wanted and needed competition.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
                    

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has been quite the high-profile bachelor, having dated (in order): actress Tara Reid, actress Bridget Moynahan, and uber-supermodel Gisele Bundchen.

As the sports world knows by know, the middle of those three love interests -- Moynahan -- is expecting Brady's child, news that came out awkwardly after Brady jetted off with Bundchen.

In an interview in the forthcoming issue of Details magazine, Brady had this to say about the prospects of fatherhood.

"I want to prepare for it the way I do everything else in my life. I make lists. I make plans," Brady said.

He might have added, "and listen to the advice of my coach and mentor, Bill Belichick," but Coach Double-B has his own relationship situation at the moment.

There had been rumors that Brady and Bundchen were also expecting but that does not seem to be the case. The Moynahan pregnancy is very much a fact, though. Considering the, uh, complications of Brady's off-field situation(s), it reminds us of ... well, one of those amusing extended family sitcoms.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

The investigation into Michael Vick's possible involvement with dogfighting is not going away and, in fact, seems to be picking up steam. Investigators in Virginia are checking the stories of informants who may link Vick to the animal cruelty that might have occurred at a property he used to own.

It is possible that prosecutors will have enough evidence to put before a specially convened grand jury in July, which, as the NFL calendar tells us, is training camp time, and that has to make the Falcons uncomfortable about their QB situation. There's a lot yet to be sorted out, not the least of which is whether Vick actually did anything wrong. And legal proceedings could also be delayed until after the season (which we all know is the most important thing -- we wouldn't want anything as petty as a criminal case to interfere with the season).

Until a few months ago, the Falcons had arguably the best quarterback security blanket in the league in backup Matt Schaub. Of course, he was traded in March to Houston.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

I thought I knew a little something about the NFL, but this one caught me by surprise.

Did you realize that if a player wants to change his uniform number, he may have to reimburse the team and the sporting goods company for the old jerseys they get stuck with at Dick's and Modell's?

Well, Raiders wide receiver Jerry Porter (he of one catch in 2006) now knows. Porter wanted to switch from No. 84 to No. 81. He said the new number is "slimming." No, I'm not making that up.  But the change would cost him $210,000. So it appears that he's going to stick with No. 84 and give up sweets.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Yankee Alex Rodriguez is just one of those guys made for the limelight.

But forget those 19 homers and 45 RBIs. What we want to know is what did Rodriguez really say to Toronto third baseman Howie Clark and WHO is that blonde he's with on the cover the New York Post.

Let's start with the game. The Blue Jays (who cushioned New York's free fall yesterday by losing to the Bombers, 10-5) are accusing A-Rod of unsportsmanlike play when he distracted Clark on an infield pop-up in the ninth inning. The Yanks led, 7-5 at the time, Rodriguez was on base, there were two out and Jorge Posada hit a pop-up that should have been the third out. But as A-Rod darts past Clark, he yells something. Clark backs off and the ball falls in. The Yanks score three more runs.

So, what did Alex say? Clark said, he yelled "Mine," which would be dirty pool, actually, because Clark thought it was shortstop John McDonald calling for the ball. A-Rod says he yelled, "Hah!" 

"Hah?"

The Yanks and Jays argued about all this and now there are hard feelings and everything. New York's Johnny Damon, whose Billy Budd-like, wide-eyed innocence never fails to amaze me, said: "I wasn't sure that was allowed. If it is, maybe we'll keep doing it."

Now for the blonde. The tabloid wrote a story implying that A-Rod has been seen hanging out with a blonde woman, who is NOT his wife, and their travels included strip clubs in Toronto and Dallas. It also said he was with a blonde in Las Vegas. While descriptions of the woman are vaguely consistent, it's not clear that it is the same woman. But if it isn't, that might be an even better story. A-Rod wasn't commenting on personal matters yesterday but this story -- as we say in the business -- has, ahem, legs.

Photo credit: Newsday / Paul J. Bereswill

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Boy, that Stanley Cup final is sure under the radar, isn't it.  That six-day layoff between the NHL conference finals and the championship sure didn't do anything for the momentum of that series.

Last night, Anaheim took a 2-0 series edge over Ottawa with a 1-0 victory.  After the opening two games in Anaheim, the series moves to Ottawa, where the Senators obviously have to sweep.  Since Ottawa may not be with us much longer, we thought we'd offer this little inspirational clip from the Senators' season as they prepare to make their last stand.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:51 AM | Permalink
                    

If only the Orioles could stay in Kansas City forever, or at least play the Royals 20 or 30 more times.

The O's and Erik Bedard hung a 3-0 loss on the sad-sack Royals for a series sweep and Baltimore's fifth straight win. The Orioles are now 6-and-oh on the season against K.C. After hammering opposing pitching for the last several games, the O's played small ball in the eighth for a single run and then got a two-run homer from Nick Markakis, who was in off the bench, to put the game away in the ninth. Bedard pitched eight innings and was relieved by Chris Ray, who ended the game 1-2-3.  As The Sun's Orioles' beat writer, Jeff Zrebiec, noted in his story today, Bedard has now had a quality start in his last six games (going at least seven innings in the last five) and lowered his ERA from 6.09 to 3.67.

The Orioles head to the West Coast to play the Angels as we wistfully bid farewell to Kansas City.  Sigh.

* How about that Randy Johnson? I just love those old(er) guys. Coming back from a bout of tendinitis, Arizona's Johnson threw six innings of one-hit, six-strikeout ball to get the D-backs on their way to a 4-3 win over the Phillies. This was actually a historic day, gerontology-wise. The matchup of Johnson and the Phils' Jamie Moyer was a major league record for oldest opposing left-handers. Johnson is 43 and Moyer is 44. And now that the Orioles' Sam Perlozzo is out of the frying pan and Joe Torre is probably safe until we all see what Roger Clemens can do for the Yanks, my money is on the Phils' Charlie Manuel as the first manager canned. After climbing above .500, the Phils were swept in Phoenix.

* And in the NBA playoffs, the San Antonio Spurs did exactly what everyone expected them to do.  Playing Game 5 of the Western Conference finals at home, the Spurs rolled over the Utah Jazz, 109-84. San Antonio dashed out to a 21-point, first-quarter lead and it was switch to Law & Order time. Tim Duncan and Tony Parker each had 21 points for the victors, who await the survivor of Cleveland-Detroit, tied at 2-2. Actually, this spells a lot of trouble for the Eastern Conference winner. Whoever takes that series (and survivor is the right word) is going to be exhausted by the time they get to a well-rested and arguably more talented San Antonio.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 7:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

This has not been a good year for Jerry Buss.

Where should we start? Well, why not with the most recent developments. The latest trauma in La-La Land is over Kobe Bryant declaring that contrary to popular sports lore, he did not insist that Shaquille O'Neal be dispatched from the Lakers because the two superstars had irreconcilable creative differences.  Rather, Bryant says now, it was Buss who wanted Shaq out of town because he was just too darn expensive. All this time, Kobe contends, he has been suffering in stoic silence.  And, on top of that, if Buss can't get the team fixed, Kobe said he would just as soon be someplace else.

This is just the latest in a string of Buss headaches in 2007 that include:

* The Lakers exiting in the first round of the NBA playoffs for the second straight year.

* His daughter, Jeanie (a Lakers VP), criticizing his son, Jim (another Lakers VP), for criticizing the coach (her boyfriend), Phil Jackson.

* Bryant suggesting that Jerry West be repatriated to fix the broken kingdom.

* Buss being arrested this week on a suspected DUI.

* And, finally, failing to be included in this year's National Heads-up Poker Championship after busting out in the first round in the two previous years (in line with the performance of his basketball franchise). 

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:10 PM | Permalink
                    

Tiger Woods was in the house yesterday.  Well, the house being the Baltimore-Washington region as he promoted the first PGA event where he will serve as host.

The tournament, the AT&T National, will be played at Congressional Country Club the first week in July and Woods said that its place and moment was meant to honor the men and women in the military. Thousands of tickets will be given away to active duty personnel.

"I wanted to make a very ardent outreach to the men and women who serve our country," he said.  "I grew up in that household. I know what it's like, my father being in the military, and I know the commitment that it takes."

Woods has become one of those transcendental figures in sport, residing on a sports Olympus, and it's with that in mind that we offer this remembrance of his shot on the 16th hole of the final day at the 2005 Masters, where he won his fourth green jacket.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:01 PM | Permalink
                    

You have to give Broncos coach Mike Shanahan credit for being an NFL innovator.

This might be the first time in league history that a roster spot was determined by a lie detector test.

David Kircus, a backup receiver and punt returner for Denver, faces assault charges for fracturing  a man's face during a fight after a party in suburban Denver on May 20. Kircus told Shanahan that he was defending himself and offered to take a lie detector test to prove it. The coach took him up on it and, sure enough, Kircus' version held up when he took the polygraph or whatever it was.

Kircus still faces the law, though.

But this whole lie detector thing in the NFL intrigues me. What do you say we hook up these head coaches during their press conferences?

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:44 AM | Permalink
                    

"We were all sleeping. That's the only thing I can say." -- Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte.

And when they woke up, they were 14 1/2 games behind the Boston Red Sox. Don't you hate it when that happens.

Actually, Pettitte was talking about the steal of home by Toronto's Aaron Hill last night that helped the Blue Jays edge the Yanks, 3-2. But certainly he could have been speaking of the entire season. Now seven games under .500, the Yankees have more wins (21) than just two other teams in the American League, Kansas City and Texas (both 19).

Roger Clemens is scheduled to join the big club in time to start Monday against the Chicago White Sox.  But the way things have gone since he announced several weeks ago he was joining New York for a pro-rated $28 million -- and how futile it all appears right now -- you have to wonder if George Steinbrenner is having buyer's remorse.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:18 AM | Permalink
                    

Among all the big car races, baseball games, NBA playoffs and cheese rolling (missed that one, huh) over the Memorial Day weekend, lost in the shuffle may have been that Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight title-holder Chuck Liddell lost his crown.

The popular Liddell was beaten by Quinton "Rampage" Jackson Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, yielding the championship that Liddell had held for 3 1/2 years in a first-round TKO (pictured below, AP Photo). But the bigger story was Liddell's reported penchant for partying before his loss to Jackson.

According to Las Vegas Review-Journal man-about-town columnist Norm Clarke, who is wired into the Vegas nightlife scene, Liddell was busy frequenting (second item)  some of Vegas' famous clubs during the week leading up to the fight. The association between the mixed martial arts community and Las Vegas' trendy dance clubs has actually been going on for some time. The operator of one of Vegas' most exclusive clubs told me several months ago that UFC fight nights were among the biggest at his own nightspot and that the fighters are among the most popular draws among a celebrity crowd that pulls from the entertainment and sports industries.

However, Liddell's training regimen may indicate that while the association between the burgeoning sport and the pop culture scene of the young, hip demographic it appeals to may be an overall marketing plus, it could also work against an athlete where it counts.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:41 AM | Permalink
                    

Ah, you have to love the friendly confines of Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium. Sure, the place is so empty you can hear the infielder's voices echo as they chatter encouragement to their pitchers, but who cares?

The Orioles beat the Royals, 6-2, last night in front of approximately 27,000 empty seats (13,556 announced or about Arena Football numbers). Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie, the bargain pick-up from Cleveland, went seven innings and upped his record to 3-1, and we all know it could be better with a little bullpen support. His ERA is just a smidge over 3.00, and he managed to hold Kansas City in check despite battling location problems. This is four victories in a row for the Orioles, who cling to second place in the AL East, albeit 11 1/2 games behind the Boston Red Sox.

* Speaking of the Red Sox, someone test the water in the Charles River. Bosox starter Josh Beckett, coming off the disabled list, raised his record to 8-and-oh with seven strong innings last night. The Red Sox, on a five-game winning streak and on pace to win 114,  beat a pretty good Cleveland team for the second straight game, this time, 4-2. Beckett had been on the DL since he tore some skin on his hand, you may recall, as the starting pitcher in what became known as the Orioles' Mother's Day Meltdown. 

* It's early, but the Dodgers' Brad Penny makes a strong argument as an NL Cy Young candidate.  Penny was part of a Los Angeles three-man combo that shut out Washington, 10-0, last night and raised his record to 7-1 with a 2.06 ERA. He hasn't given up a homer all season, actually 70 innings.

* You have to remind yourself that Cleveland Cavalier star LeBron James is just 22 years old. He has almost single-handedly brought the Cavs back from the brink of elimination in the NBA playoffs to knot the Eastern Conference finals 2-all with Detroit. Last night, he scored 25 points (13 in the fourth period) as Cleveland upended the Pistons, 91-87. The series now heads back to Detroit. I think the Pistons still take this thing because of their deeper lineup, but James gets high marks for taking on this load.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 7:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

The Internet, whose impact and consequences were unforeseen a decade ago, keeps creating all kinds of situations many of us are wholly unprepared for.

Such is the case of a high school athlete in California, pole vaulter Allison Stokke. Stokke is a pretty good athlete. Who knows, maybe someday she'll be international caliber. I have no idea.

But she has become an Internet celebrity -- and victim.

You are reading a sports blog that is part of the Baltimore Sun's online publishing efforts. There are many other sports blogs on the Internet without such affiliation and a lot of them provide interesting and informative reading, viewing and listening to an ever-evolving audience.

But at least part of the appeal of some sports blogs is the frequent posting of photos of attractive women, often wearing very little. To be absolutely fair to the sports blogging community, it didn't invent the idea. Exhibit A -- Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue. However, some blogs ratchet up the concept quite a few notches, which brings us back to Allison Stokke, the accomplished and coincidentally attractive California track star.

Some of Stokke's photos have leaked onto the Internet (we're intentionally not linking to them, although in this day, it doesn't really matter) and subsequently, onto some popular sports blogs.  That wide distribution has, in turn, incited a voyeuristic attention that feels entirely unhealthy, considering the 18-year-old Stokke is in high school. But the Stokke phenomena has become so overwhelming that even The Washington Post had a reporter attend one of her recent meets to write about the situation. Stokke's father, a lawyer, keeps tabs on the Internet, vigilant for potential stalkers.

Ten, even five years ago, Allison Stokke is a local sports story, and that's it. But these new Internet meeting places, the blogs, have created circumstances that were unimaginable in that recent past. And as is the case with much involving the Internet, there seems to be no hard and fast rules to deal with any of it.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:10 PM | Permalink
                    

The Stanley Cup finals started yesterday with the Anaheim Ducks posting a 3-2 come-from-behind win over the Ottawa Senators.

That the NHL championship series is finally under way (they hadn't played for nearly a week) is good news in two camps.

Hockey fans are enjoying the exciting climax of their season. And non-hockey fans are comforted by the notion that soon they can watch SportsCenter without any stupid, irrelevant hockey scores interrupting the latest news of Barry Bonds' inevitable march toward baseball immortality (which at the current pace may last until 2012).

But back to the ice. Hockey has precious few songs that lyrically memorialize its place in the sports pantheon. Apparently, that was something that also occurred to famous Canadian troubadour Stompin' Tom Connors, the guy in the red shirt in today's video who strums this tribute to the greatest game on blades.

The chorus goes like this:

The good ol' hockey game is the best game you can name.
And the best game you can name is the good ol' hockey game.

See, that's what too much Molson too early in the day will do to you. Oh, and catch the old L.A. Kings uniforms. They all look like they fell into a giant jar of mustard. And below the video window, catch the link to the singing moose. Enjoy.

Now, if you'd like a singing moose version of this ditty (as Dave Barry would say, we're not making this up), lookee here.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:01 PM | Permalink
                    

The Asheville Tourists, who have one of the greatest nicknames in all of organized sports, will hold a promotion day next weekend when dogs will be allowed into the ballpark. Giveaways include frisbees, water bowls and pooper scoopers.

We expect game stories to include accounts of base runners who sprint like greyhounds and determined competitors who play with bulldog tenacity. Thanks to Fark for pointing it out.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

The Times of London reports (which is almost as good as "the BBC reports") that certain types of sports bets may be problematic and, as a result, could be banned. First, you have to understand that sports wagering in the UK is much more prevalent than in the United States. Sports book shops are everywhere and gambling on a soccer match over there is as easy as buying a lottery ticket here.

But among the wide range of bets British bookmakers can offer are events that are much easier to manipulate than the actual outcome of a game. Say, who gets the first yellow card in a soccer game. Such wagers open the door for cheating, something not unheard of in the soccer world (for instance, recent Champions League winner, AC Milan, was involved in a match-rigging scandal in Italy last year).

While game-fixing is always a possibility, the opportunity to make wagers on something as innocuous as yellow cards is a Pandora's box that British authorities are trying to keep closed. 

In Las Vegas, wagers are limited to outcomes of events, whether team or individual. That's why legal bets cannot be taken in Vegas on events where there is the possibility of foreknowledge, such as the Academy Awards.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:20 AM | Permalink
                    

With the nearest NBA franchise down in Washington (once Baltimore's own Bullets), it's tough to gauge what the interest may be around here when playoff time rolls around, so I thought I'd give you a little sidebar on last night's San Antonio-Utah game you're unlikely to see anywhere else.

The Spurs won the game, 91-79, finally pulling away from the overmatched Jazz in the fourth quarter. The win gives San Antonio a 3-1 edge in the Western Conference finals and pretty much punches its ticket to the championship against the winner of Detroit-Cleveland, where the Pistons lead, 2-1, and the series resumes tonight.

But back to a little sidelight of last night's Spurs-Jazz game. San Antonio went to the foul line 25 times in the fourth quarter (four on technicals against the Jazz) and scored 19 of its 28 final-period points on free throws. Utah coach Jerry Sloan and guard Derek Fisher were tossed in the fourth quarter on technicals.

Blowing the whistle and tossing some of those Ts was referee Steve Javie, hence our sidebar.  Years ago, I covered a trial in which Javie was a defendant in federal court. He was facing some pretty serious tax charges. It seems a whole bunch of NBA refs were in the federal stew on accusations that they were downgrading their first-class airline tickets and pocketing the difference in cash and ... not telling anyone, like, say, the IRS. A bunch of those fellows admitted what they did and took their medicine, but Javie decided to slug it out in court. I have to tell you, I covered federal courts in Philadelphia for a year and I can't recall very many people going to trial and winning. When the feds have you lined up in their cross-hairs, you're usually a goner.

But Javie elected to go to trial and his defense was -- frequent flyer miles. I kid you not. 

He argued that while he occasionally exchanged first-class tickets for coach, he used his miles to upgrade into first class. So even though he had the extra cash, he figured that the miles he used (which were not taxable) made the deal a wash.

Now, that didn't mean he didn't owe the taxes, but the issue in court was whether there was a  criminal intent to evade taxes. Javie needed to convince the jury that his mindset wasn't to deliberately cheat the government.

The frequent flyer miles defense worked. Javie was acquitted.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:16 AM | Permalink
                    

Actually, about the Memorial Day weekend, Baltimore fans have a right to be feeling pretty chipper today.

The Orioles won three in a row and discovered that there is some life in their bats, even if the revival includes the Kansas City Royals. More importantly, Johns Hopkins University took home its ninth national lacrosse title at M&T Bank Stadium in dramatic style, 12-11, over Duke.

The Hopkins victory was especially impressive and was truly a Baltimore event. Not only was the lacrosse final four held here but the tournament's Most Outstanding Player was goalie Jesse Schwartzman, who hails from Pikesville High. Schwartzman survived a furious Duke comeback in the second half to make a decisive kick save with just seconds left and Blue Jays midfielder Paul Rabil had six points, including five assists.

Even non-sports fans are aware of the  trauma surrounding the Duke lacrosse program over the last year but as much as the Blue Devils may deserve credit for enduring that crucible, Hopkins also should to be recognized for weathering that emotional tidal wave this weekend and prevailing. The crowd was distinctly pro-Duke and the Blue Devils had overcome a six-goal halftime deficit to tie the game 11-all before the Jays' Kevin Huntley scored the game-winner after taking a pass from Rabil.

* OK, it was just the Royals, but as the cliche goes, you have to beat the teams you're better than. Orioles starter Steve Trachsel pitched a complete game for his third straight win, lowering his ERA to 3.39, and catcher Ramon Hernandez reminded O's fans of last year by going  2-for-4 with a grand slam.

* And that black smoke billowing to the north is the smoldering wreckage of the Yankees' season. Forget Roger Clemens,  George Steinbrenner could hold a seance and try to channel the spirits of Cy Young and Walter Johnson through his sorry pitching staff and not be able to resurrect this season. The Yanks have dropped four in a row (they're now tied with Tampa Bay for last place in AL East), are seven games under .500 and 13 1/2 games behind first-place Boston.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 7:27 AM | Permalink
                    

As expected, former NHL player Rick Tocchet pleaded guilty today to gambling-related charges.  However, he may escape jail time since first-time offenders for the crimes he has admitted to usually don't go to prison.

Tocchet, 43, had played for six teams over a 22-year career and was an assistant coach with the Phoenix Coyotes when he was charged in the gambling operation. The scandal splashed onto Phoenix head coach and hockey icon Wayne Gretzky because Gretzky's wife, Janet Jones, was named as a client of the Tocchet gambling business. However, there has been no evidence so far that The Great One ever placed an illegal bet with Tocchet. Tocchet also said that he did not bet on pro hockey.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:59 PM | Permalink
                    

Right after the Memorial Day weekend, the Ravens will be back at Owings Mills for more workouts.  If it seems like the Ravens, as well as every other football team, are perpetually in camp that's because ... well, that's exactly how it is. And if it seems like the players are always at work, it's even worse for the coaches.

When I first started covering pro football, the first head coach I dealt with regularly was Dick Vermeil in Philadelphia ... the first of the sleep-in-the-office guys.

I asked Vermeil about it, and I've never forgotten his answer. "I'm not smart enough to get done what I have to do unless I work that hard," he said. But there was a lot more to it than that. Vermeil, like many (maybe most) overachievers wasn't so much driven by success -- he was driven by fear. Fear of failing. It was an even greater motivator than the drive for success. Dick Vermeil admitted as much. And over the years, I've discovered that that's not so unusual. It usually is fear of failure that makes people work so hard; they'll sacrifice everything else that should be important in life.

The NFL's workaholic club, of course, has gotten much bigger -- in fact, it's part of the league's culture these days -- and the syndrome received some attention in the current offseason when another Eagles coach, Andy Reid, saw both of his adult sons get in legal hot water. The conclusion was that some coaches are so busy keeping track of what's happening with their teams that they don't have nearly enough time to keep track of their families.

In an article earlier this week,  Ravens coach Brian Billick discussed the issue and while many within the NFL recognize the problem, it doesn't appear to me that anything is likely to change.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:55 PM | Permalink
                    

As we mentioned earlier, former NHL player Rick Tocchet is expected to plead guilty today to some charges related to a sports betting ring in New Jersey, according to some reports.

Among the clients who allegedly placed bets with Tocchet's gambling enterprise were Wayne Gretzky's wife, Janet Jones, and Jeremy Roenick, a veteran player with the Phoenix Coyotes (the team that happens to be coached by Gretzky and for which Tocchet had been working as an assistant).

Investigators have said that those who placed bets would not be prosecuted but if there's truth to the Roenick story, he may have to do some fancy footwork when it comes to answering to the NHL. But Jeremy has some talent in that department. Here's your next Dancing with the Stars candidate, Disco King Jeremy Roenick.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:01 PM | Permalink
                    

The nexus of sports and real world issues can be an uncomfortable interruption to our pursuit of escapism but, at times, is both inspirational and world-changing. Exhibit A ... Jackie Robinson.

Now comes a story out of Cleveland about the playoff Cavaliers and a gesture by one player to help stop the atrocities occurring in Darfur. Cavalier Ira Newble drafted an open letter to the Chinese government condemning its role as an international enabler to the violence in Darfur.

But Cleveland star LeBron James (right) is one of two Cavaliers who have refused to sign the letter. Here are two stories on the subject.  First, a column out of Cleveland that focuses on Newble's activism and then a column critical of James, pointing out his business interests that go back to China.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:04 AM | Permalink
                    

Out of Cincinnati, Bengals coach and former Ravens defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis said he did not mean to slander local police when he implied on radio that Cincinnati constabulary were profiling his players. Marvin's comments were, in part, provoked by one of wide receiver Chris Henry's run-ins, where he was stopped in March for making a turn without signaling.

However, although Henry was ticketed that time (including driving on a suspended license), none of his four arrests on more serious assorted charges have even occurred in Cincinnati. Lewis and the Cincinnati police chief have ironed things out.

And in Pittsburgh, fans attending games at Heinz Field will pass near a new statue of ... who?  Mean Joe Greene, Chuck Noll, even Myron Cope? 

Nope, Fred Rogers. Yeah, Mr. Rogers. Now, we think Fred Rogers, a native of Latrobe, Pa., did wonderful work in over three decades as the host of the much-honored children's TV show.  And we are not disparaging Mr. Rogers here. But, let's face it ... it's not exactly like having the stony visage of Mean Joe glowering as fans file in for another Sunday afternoon of blood and guts. 

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:47 AM | Permalink
                    

Former NHL player Rick Tocchet has an appearance in court later this morning in New Jersey related to the gambling investigation that was announced with great flourish over a year ago,

Tocchet and two other men, one a former Jersey state trooper, were named in something authorities called Operation Slapshot. Investigators said athletes and Hollywood types were implicated in the betting operation as clients but none are expected to face charges. The two other men have already pleaded guilty but have not been sentenced.

The former player, who is on leave from his job as an assistant coach with the Phoenix Coyotes, was alleged to have been involved in the financing of the ring and also to have acted as a conduit for customers. The story got real traction with the revelation that one of the bettors may have been hockey icon Wayne Gretzky's wife, Janet Jones. Gretzky coaches the Coyotes.

Tocchet was originally charged with promoting gambling, money laundering and conspiracy. There's at least one report that Tocchet will plead guilty to lesser charges.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:22 AM | Permalink
                    

While many fans are dreading the approach of a baseball landmark -- namely Barry Bonds' ecliping Hank Aaron's career home run mark (even though Bonds has been homerless for weeks) -- anyone who enjoys the game should be able to join in in congratulating Braves pitcher John Smoltz for accomplishing a major league first.

Last night, Smoltz became the first pitcher ever to record 200 wins and 150 saves as he beat former teammate Tom Glavine and the Mets, 2-1.  Smoltz, who recently turned 40, had made a late career switch to the bullpen, where he excelled, before returning as a starter a few seasons ago. Starring in both roles likely punches his ticket to Cooperstown.

In his 19th big league season, Smoltz can hardly be accused of simply hanging on. Now 7-2, he leads the NL in wins, is fourth in strikeouts and sixth in ERA (2.69). His victory over Glavine yesterday was the third time he has faced his former teammate this season, and the Braves have won all three. He doesn't draw easy opponents, either. Earlier this month, Smoltz outdueled another ex-Brave, Greg Maddux, now with the San Diego Padres, 3-2.

* Now we enter the Twilight Zone with the Orioles. If you're following the misadvertures of our heroes, you may recall the Mother's Day Meltdown, when starter Jeremy Guthrie was pitching a gem against Boston until the bullpen and Danys Baez, in particular, blew a five-run lead in the ninth. Well, last night's 5-4 come-from-ahead loss to Tornoto wasn't quite as dramatic, but it counts just as much.

This time, Guthrie left after seven solid innings ahead, 4-3. Reliever John Parrish gave up an infield single and a double in the eighth that led to the tying run. And Baez, the fifth Orioles reliever, gave up the deciding run in the top of the 10th as the fans voiced their frustration.

* In the NBA Eastern Conference finals, Detroit went up 2-nil against Cleveland, replicating the first game almost exactly. The final score was the same, 79-76, and for the second straight time, Cleveland star LeBron James found himself with the ball and the final seconds ticking down. In the first game, he drove toward the basket and then passed to teammate Donyell Marshall, who missed a go-ahead three-pointer. Last night, he took the ball into the lane on a spin move, was or was not fouled (no whistle) by Rip Hamilton, and missed a short shot that was rebounded by teammate Larry Hughes, who then missed a wide-open, medium-range jumper.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 7:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

Because we don't want to be accused of being unfair to AFC North opponents, we want to get it on the record that Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry did not fail a court-ordered drug test. Results from a Kentucky state lab showed that prosecutors were wrong when they suggested Henry may have, indeed, failed such a test -- which would have exposed him to possibly having to serve suspended sentences in three states and the wrath of Roger Goodell.

Henry's lawyer said the player is owed an apology. We think the much-arrested Henry should just say, "Whew," mop his brow and keep his head down.

And Keyshawn Johnson is calling it a career (and a pretty productive one at that) and moving on to ESPN, where he will once again be joined at the hip with Bill Parcells.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Here at O, by the Way, fitness is considered an important part of the greater sports universe.

And so while today's musical interlude, a cult classic by the way, is more of an homage (pronounced with a French accent) to fitness than to sports per se (pronounced with a Latin accent), we still think it's highly appropriate. Enjoy.

And now the sequel.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:01 PM | Permalink
                    

That's what you could call just about every important soccer game overseas, right?

Well, as anyone who cares already knows, Milan AC beat Liverpool, 2-1, yesterday in the Champions League final played in Athens.

And not unexpectedly, there were problems with the Liverpool fans, although this time, fault doesn't fall entirely on Reds followers. Some people with authentic tickets apparently couldn't get into the game because the stadium was already filled, and some who did get through the checkpoints had fake tickets.

The BBC reports (our favorite phrase) that this is an issue of such grave concern that the British EMBASSY will be taking up the matter with Greek authorities. UK officials are also chatting up soccer's governing body on the continent about the snafu.

While Greek police and Liverpool fans were jostling a bit outside the stadium, this was relatively quiet stuff by soccer standards -- at least there were no overturned and smoldering Fiats and Renaults.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:09 AM | Permalink
                    

The other night I was watching the Monday night Arena Football League game between the New Orleans VooDoo and the Philadelphia Soul. (Yeah, I know and I've never seen an episode of American Idol.)

Well, I actually don't watch a whole lot of Arena Football, either, but I was struck by a couple of things. 

The endorsement placements in that league are outta control. They have advertising patches slapped all over those guys, one on each shoulder.

Here's Philadelphia Soul quarterback Tony Graziani -- fresh back from injury, I might add -- with the Target symbol (yeah, the retail store) on his shoulder. Don't you think putting a bull's-eye on your quarterback is bad karma or something? And the VooDoo, they had pizza patches. Well, I have to admit, nothing quite says intimidation like Papa John's, does it?

Anyway, the field was littered with corporate logos squeezed in between the hash marks. And even the game itself had a presenting sponsor, in this case Russell Athletic. 

Look, we're all in the advertising business. If I'm lucky, there's an ad on this blog. But this NASCAR influence is getting way out of hand.

Oh, and I noticed one other thing. The announced attendance for that arena game, which the Soul won by 44 points, was over 15,000. That's not too far off what they're getting down at Camden Yards for Orioles games.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:47 AM | Permalink
                    

So exactly what do you think the teammates of Phillie Shane Victorino will have to say about THIS. It's a dashboard figurine of Victorino, nicknamed the Flyin' Hawaiian, that's being given away at a June 3 game between the Phils and Giants at Citizens Bank Park. You can actually see this if you click through the promotional schedule on the Phillies' Web site, but we ackowledge Deadspin and other blogs for sending us there. The advance bidding on eBay is going wild I hear.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:36 AM | Permalink
                    

If you're free for lunch and are in the vicinity of downtown, Oriole Kevin Millar is going to be at the Inner Harbor ESPN Zone, fielding questions from fans from noon to 1 p.m. There also will be prizes for answering trivia questions about Millar's career, so you may want to brush up if you plan on heading there. 

Apparently, this is part of an ongoing series of Orioles' Q&A fan events at the restaurant, and six more are planned: June 14, June 28, July 24, Aug. 22, Sept. 12 and Sept. 27.

Sun photo by Gene Sweeney Jr.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:20 AM | Permalink
                    

So there was Brian Roberts scurrying around in no man's land between first and second base during the fifth inning of the O's game against Toronto and you could almost hear the Benny Hill theme music playing in the background, you know, Yakety Sax. And there was Corey Patterson edging off third base, taking nervous little steps toward the plate. This is baseball's great comedy moment -- the rundown with multiple runners on base. And for a change, it was the Orioles who had the last laugh as base runner extraordinaire Roberts kept the Blue Jays busy long enough for Patterson to score on a bad throw to the plate. 

So ended a play on which Roberts had broken for second too soon but eventually allowed the  Orioles to manufacture the go-ahead run and an insurance run when he came home (it gave them a two-run lead at the time) and helped Baltimore win, 5-2. Roberts reached base on all five plate appearances last night -- three singles and two walks. And he provided a much-needed spark, even if he didn't realize it when he first took off for second in the fifth.  

* Stange but true. Mets pitcher Oliver Perez won his third game of the season yesterday against NL East rival Atlanta and it was only New York's third win against the Braves. Perez went seven scoreless in a 3-0 win and teammate David Wright hit his fourth home run in as many games.

* Joe Torre's job would appear to be safe for the moment after the Yankees emerged from the crucible of a three-game series against the Red Sox last night with an 8-3 victory that gave them two of three. Andy Pettite beat Curt Schilling. Meanwhile, Roger Clemens, after his second minor league start yesterday for Trenton, should join the Yanks right after the weekend.

* AC Milan beat Liverpool, 2-1, to capture its seventh Champions League final as Filippo Inzaghi scored twice for the Italian side. Real Madrid is the all-time leader with nine such titles and Liverpool is No. 3 with five.

* And I hear that last night "Jordan" won American Idol. Although everyone on the planet apparently watches that show, I confess that I have never seen one episode. But if I knew that Michael was going to be on, I would have tuned in.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 7:15 AM | Permalink
                    

OK, so Yankee Jason Giambi last week said that he was sorry he took "stuff" and that the larger world of baseball owes an apology for the steroids era.

To which the greater world of baseball said, "Speak for yourself, Stuff Boy." And then it says it might investigate Giambi's comments (whatever that means).

And then Giambi hits a home run in the opening game of a series against arch-rival Boston.

And now comes word that Giambi failed an amphetamines test within the last year. (Is there anything Jason Giambi won't ingest?)

So what do you think the chances are that someone in the MLB/Yankees front office leaked that tidbit about Jason as payback?

Well, this is my observation. Considering he has just six home runs and is batting .268 so far this year, I 'd have to say he's definitely not on 'roids. But as far as speed is concerned ... well,  there is word that Jason's locker is really, really clean.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:59 PM | Permalink
                    

In all the excitement of another Orioles defeat, the NBA draft lottery and the outrage over Clinton Portis' views on the historical relationship between man and domestic creatures, we forgot to note that the Anaheim Ducks beat the Detroit Red Wings last night, 4-3, to win their NHL Western Conference finals, 4 games to 2.

This sets up a Stanley Cup showdown between Anaheim and Ottawa, where the Senators will try to become the first Canadian team to capture the Cup since the 1992-93 Montreal Canadiens. If Anaheim wins, it will be the third championship in a row for a team from a distinctly non-hockey area (Carolina and Tampa Bay won the last two).

Hard to imagine that outside of Southern California many sports fans in the U.S. will pay much attention, but at least folks north of the border will have some rooting interest.

What is a little goofy about all this is that there is a six-day layoff before the Stanley Cup finals begin on May 28.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:42 PM | Permalink
                    

Earlier today, we mentiond that Dallas got the nod for Super Bowl XLV, that's in 2011.

The decisive factor was the Cowboys' new $1 billion stadium being built in Arlington, Texas. Well, here's a little peek at that stadium, complete with Star Wars-type theme music. In fact, the place does appear to be a little on the George Lucas side. The stadium scenes are obviously computer-generated and, you know, I found myself wondering if the same was true of Jerry Jones when he makes his little speech at the end. Enjoy.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:01 PM | Permalink
                    

At least Indianapolis didn't get the Super Bowl for 2011.

But neither did Glendale/Phoenix, Ariz.

The game went to Dallas, it would appear, because Cowboys owner Jerry Jones convinced his fellow NFL moguls that they'll be able to cram as many as 120,000 people into the new $1 billion stadium being built in Texas. The Dallas bid included a concept in which spectators could watch the big game on TVs in plazas in each end zone. It's not exactly clear to me how that would work, but it sounds just a step up from watching the game at a tailgate party in the parking lot. But perhaps I rush to judgment.

So which location offered the most for the fans? Or, look at it this way, if the Ravens are in the game, where would you prefer it be held?

Jones reminded his fellow owners that the new Cowboys stadium has about 27,000 more seats than the competing stadiums (that doesn't include the spectating area in the end zone/plaza arrangement). And those are all paying cutomers, I might add. But apart from my cynicism, it does mean more fans can actually get inside the gates -- and that's a good thing, I suppose.

On the weather side, the average highs in Dallas for February are high-50s and the lows are in the mid-30s. That's about 10 degrees lower than Phoenix.

And as far as visitor amenities are concerned ... well, I've been to both places a few times, and I know it's a matter of taste -- but I'll take Phoenix anytime.

However, as I said at the start, at least it's not Indianapolis.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:46 AM | Permalink
                    

Speaking of college basketball, former Villanova star Howard Porter -- an example of how often even a star athlete's days on campus are as good as it's ever going to get, at least in sports -- was found beaten in a Minneapolis alley.

Porter, now 58 and a probation officer, led the Wildcats to the 1971 NCAA championship game, where they lost to UCLA. Although he was honored as the tournament MVP, his name was soon tarnished when it was found he had dealings with an agent and Villanova's second-place finish was vacated.

Porter had a mediocre pro career with Chicago, New York and Detroit, and he fell into drug use. But in middle-age, he had turned his life around. Police have made no arrests and it is unknown whether the assault is connected to Porter's job.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:34 AM | Permalink
                    

The Portland Trail Blazers, with just over a 5 percent chance of winning the NBA draft lottery, did exactly that last night and now have the No. 1 pick on June 28 when the draft is actually held.  Seattle lucked out for the second pick and Atlanta got the third. That means the league's worst team, Memphis, has the fourth selection.

Here's the order of the first round.

Ohio State's Greg Oden is the consensus first choice followed by Texas' Kevin Durant, but what I found interesting about the experts' forecasts in mock drafts is that a college senior isn't predicted to be selected until the 13th pick. It's amazing the resilience that college basketball displays year in and year out despite consistently losing its best players to the pros prematurely.

So quick, who was the top pick in last year's NBA draft?

That would be Andrea Bargnani, taken by Toronto, which went on to win the Eastern Conference Atlantic Division and qualified for the playoffs, where the Raptors were bounced in the first round by the Nets. The 7-foot Bargnani averaged 11.6 points and nearly four rebounds.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

That banging you hear is the figurative building of the gallows in the town square for Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo.

When they start taking polls about whether you should keep your job, unripe fruit is a risky purchase as the old baseball bromide goes.

The O's lost last night, 6-4, to Toronto in the type of game that's typical for Daniel Cabrera when he's not getting location on more than one pitch. He walked only two batters but, then again, he hit a guy during the Blue Jays' four-run fifth inning and struck out just two. He never got out of the fifth. And on offense, the Orioles were as tepid as they've been most of the year -- especially with people in scoring position (Melvin Mora's fourth-inning DP with the bases loaded, Miguel Tejada's strikeout with one out and a runner on third in the fifth). It all added up to five games under .500 and fourth place.

Sun reporter Jeff Zrebiec's story today did a good job in summing up the manager's position but as is often the case in such situations, it's less what is said than what is left unsaid, and the silence from front office guys Mike Flanagan and Jim Duquette sends an ominous message.

* The Red Sox-Yankee series goes to a rubber game tonight, with Boston winning yesterday, 7-3, as Manny Ramirez rocked Mike Mussina for a first-inning three-run homer.

* The San Antonio-Utah NBA Western Conference finals continued down a predictable track as the Spurs cruised to a 2-0 series lead, winning, 105-96. The Jazz was out of it by halftime, down by 17 to a superior opponent on the road. The Spurs, who have been terrific in distributing the ball, shot well over 50 percent; the Jazz well under 50 percent.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 7:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

Tradition or poor sportsmanship?

Tradition or cruelty?

Those are the questions we pose, gentle readers.

At Alabama there is a tradition of a cheer called the Rammer Jammer, a spirited chant that razzes the opposition. As such cheers go, this one's pretty tame (take in an ACC basketball game at Duke for some 180-proof student vitriol).

When the Tide beats someone, the students chant:

Hey (Tigers, Vols, Chipmunks, whoever)! Hey (whoever)! Hey (whoever)

We just beat the he(double toothpicks) out of you!

Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer

Give 'em he(double toothpicks), Alabama.

Well, some school committee thinks this is unseemly behavior and may recommend that the chant not be performed. Yeah, good luck!

And regarding LSU's mascot, PETA, the animal rights group, is saying that the Tigers should not replace the real tiger, Mike, who died recently of kidney failure. But it appears that the university will indeed have a new tiger by the fall. Advocates of keeping the tradition would point out that tigers in captivity are not vulnerable to poachers and that Mike lived in a $3 million, 15,000-square-foot habitat with bathing pool and waterfall.

And thanks to the blog, SB Nation, for pointing out the 'Bama situation.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:05 PM | Permalink
                    

The NFL owners will decide today where to play the Super Bowl in 2011 (XLV if you're keeping score). I know, that's a little down the road, but it's never too early to consider the consequences of such things.

The contenders are:

Glendale (Phoenix), Arizona ... that's certainly a good choice.

Dallas ... ehhh, sorta OK, but not great.

And Indianapolis ... ptooey, ptooey, yuck.

Look, I think the choice of the Super Bowl site should always be about the fans (silly me). And for the true fans who make the trek -- meaning the fans of the two Super Bowl participants -- the location should be one that incorporates as much of a vacation feel as possible.

When working people pay lots of money to get there, pretty much on short notice, and have to take time off from their jobs, they should have a shot at some decent weather and some fun activities to do in the few days they're there. Miami (South Florida has the Supe in 2010), Tampa (2009), San Diego, New Orleans (when it's ready), and a few other places, including Phoenix (2008), qualify.

I've been to Indianapolis -- in February. The downtown mall is OK, but you've been to the GAP, right? The weather can be downright frigid. And how would you feel about paying two weeks' salary to watch the Ravens in a Super Bowl where an Irsay is your host?

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Yesterday, the Orioles played an exhibition game in Cooperstown, where baseball is still the idyllic pursuit of our youth.  And so for today's musical offering, we bring you young people ... making music with, well, you'll see.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:01 PM | Permalink
                    

Speaking of second-tier sports, everything you need to know about the difference between the NFL and the NBA is summed up in how the sports world reacts to their respective drafts of amateur talent.

With the NFL draft, we have a drumroll that begins in February with the Scouting Combine and continues through April. We have experts such as Mel Kiper and Mike Mayock giving us daily updates. We have a cottage industry of purveyors of draft information. There is a crazed cult called draftniks who go ga-ga because their favorite team just took an offensive guard from Auburn in the second round ("Can you BELIEVE we stole him that low?"). There are TWO networks (three if you count a second ESPN channel) offering gavel-to-gavel coverage.

Meanwhile, for the NBA draft we have ... (sound of crickets chirping, cough, more crickets).

Nonetheless, we're having the NBA draft on June 28, but most of the excitement will be tonight.  That's because the real drama is in this evening's NBA lottery, where three of 14 teams will have their draft order decided by some sort of weighted drawing that is waaay too complicated to explain here. Suffice to say that whoever wins probably will take Ohio State's Greg Oden and the second team probably will pick Texas' Kevin Durant and the third team has a shot at China's 7-foot Ji Yianlian (supposedly better than Yao Ming).  After that, you can go about your life unless you're David Stern and then you're in for the whole deal.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:35 AM | Permalink
                    

In the days before NASCAR evolved into the motorized version of the NFL  -- you know, a sports-culture dictatorship with designs on ruling the world -- the Indianapolis 500 was about all the American public knew or cared about in auto racing. 

But we have Memorial Day on the horizon, and the Indy 500 sprouts as a persistent perennial bravely soldiering on even though those meanies at NASCAR still try to steal the Brickyard's thunder with its own big race this weekend, the Coca-Cola 600 right in NASCAR's lair, the Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C.

Like other sports that have fallen to the second or third tier, the Indianapolis 500 has relied on personalities rather than the essence of the event to promote itself. Hence, the phenomena of Danica Patrick, who admirably plays down the gender angle. This year, there will be three women among the 33 starters.

Also sort of interesting is that there will be THREE Andrettis in this weekend's race -- Michael (son of the legendary Mario), Marco (son of Michael) and John (cousin of Michael and Marco). If any of them takes the checkered flag, it would be the first time an Andretti wins the Indy 500 in 37 years.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

For the most part, I think Redskins running back Clinton Portis has been kind of refreshing. Dressing up in the funny outfits, speaking his mind, not taking himself too seriously and being an extraordinarily productive runner until he got banged up last year.

But yesterday, Portis showed his mouth can hit the hole while his brain is still in his ... backfield. In an an interview in Virgina, Portis came to the defense of Falcons QB Michael Vick, whose role in an alleged dog-fighting operation at a Virginia property Vick used to own is being investigated. Portis said that if Vick were punished by authorities for such involvement they would be "putting him behind bars for no reason." Washington offensive lineman Chris Samuels laughed at some of Portis' comments and later said Vick is being pilloried before being found guilty.

Here's the original interview.  Video is choppy but audio fine.

Later in the day, obviously after the Redskins got a hold of him, Portis issued a statement backing off the earlier comments.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (45)
                    

For the Orioles, it was a return to a kinder, gentler, more simple baseball time as they journeyed to Cooperstown for the annual Hall of Fame exhibition game yesterday. They won, 13-7, against Toronto. That didn't matter. An O's pitching prospect, Brandon Erbe, of Owings Mills, struck out six. And that mattered a little, especially to Erbe and family members who went there to watch. And a kid catcher in the O's system, Brian Bock, hit two homers, and any offensive production from someone in a Baltimore uniform deserves attention these days.

But what really mattered is that there were no squandered leads, no teammates bickering and no talk of the manager getting canned. And maybe that's what this team needed as it starts a home stand tonight against the Blue Jays.

* In the Bronx, where the tension over Joe Torre's job is palpable and his tenure appears to be a series-to-series thing, the Yankees' manager got a reprieve as New York bounced the Red Sox, 6-2, and trimmed Boston's lead in the AL East to under double digits, 9 1/2 games.

A-Rod drilled his third home run in as many games, raising his total to 18, a season's worth of production for a lot of players. Jason Giambi, who dared to speak an obvious truth in saying that plenty of folks in baseball were aware of steroid use and should apologize (and is being investigated by MLB for doing so), also homered.

* Just to show that the Orioles don't have the corner on blown leads, the Washington Nationals fell, 8-7, to Cincinnati after being ahead, 6-0. But it took eight innings to unfold and, frankly, for the Nats, it's not to be unexpected. They're not the team with the $42-million bullpen.

* And the Cleveland Cavaliers had a chance to grab the NBA Eastern Conference finals lead on the road but, in a typical Eastern Conference-type game, came up a three-point-shot attempt shy, losing, 79-76, to Detroit.

The interesting moment came at this point: The Pistons were up by two, the clock was ticking down to six seconds and the Cavs' LeBron James was driving toward the basket with the Detroit defense collapsing on him.

James didn't challenge but instead passed the ball to the right corner, where Donyell Marshall, the author of six 3s against the Nets in the previous game, waited all alone. Marshall missed, just barely. Pistons rebound. Game over.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 7:25 AM | Permalink
                    

You may recall that last week a member of the camp associated with beleaguered Tour de France winner Floyd Landis took the reprehensible step of calling former Tour winner Greg LeMond and threatened to out an event in LeMond's own childhood when was sexually abused. 

Landis is in the midst of an arbitration trial at Pepperdine University in Southern California where testimony is being heard on whether the positive doping test results that cloud Landis' Tour win should stand. If that happens, Landis loses the yellow shirt. LeMond was to testify last week on behalf of the prosecution, and the telephone call was apparently meant to intimidate him and thwart that testimony. It didn't work, and it was the intimidator who was outed.

Now, that person, Will Geoghegan, is entering rehab  today "to address his problems," the Landis side announced.

The trial continues through Wednesday. A three-man panel will decide the case.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 3:14 PM | Permalink
                    

Wait, it was a mistake ... a misunderstanding ... a miscommunication and not a misdemeanor or even a misstep.

Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry did not fail a drug test, his agent said today. A prosecutor had said earlier that Henry had failed a court-ordered drug test but that a final result was still needed from a Kentucky state lab. If Henry did fail the drug test, he could face jail time on three outstanding suspended sentences.

And Cincinnati linebacker A.J. Nicholson did not strike a woman in the face -- that same woman is now insisting. Victoria Johnson said she pulled a cell phone from Nicholson's hand and hit herself in the face and then exaggerated the events to police. Nicholson was in court today and pleaded not guilty to the fourth-degre assault charge.

All right, we've had enough about these Bengals for one day.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 2:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

These Bengals are incredible, or maybe just incorrigible.

After being suspended for eight games of the 2007 season by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for bad acts off the field, Cincinnati receiver Chris Henry has reportedly failed a court-ordered drug test. 

The failed test could trigger jail time in not one, but THREE suspended sentences, in Florida, Ohio and Kentucky. And obviously, it could have him back in Goodell's office for more discipline.

And if you missed an earlier post, Bengals backup linebacker A.J. Nicholson was arrested on Friday in a domestic abuse case.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:11 PM | Permalink
                    

Not only are the Orioles and Yankees in a tie for distant second place in the AL East but they also appear to be in a head-to-head race to see whose manager gets fired first -- a question that may be answered by the outcome of the Boston-New York series starting tonight at Yankee Stadium.

The criticism of the Orioles' Sam Perlozzo has been constant since Mother's Day when the O's coughed up a five-run lead in the ninth and Perlozzo was stung for lifting starter Jeremey Guthrie.  Another bullpen move yesterday in the eighth, when the Nationals overtook Baltimore, 4-3, added fuel to the fire.

Meanwhile, Yankees manager Joe Torre -- with a much more talented and expensive lineup -- has a record no better than Perlozzo's (four games under .500) -- and the archrival Red Sox are disappearing into the distance of first place. Of course, with the signing of Roger Clemens and the belief that the Red Sox can't possibly keep up their clutch hitting (nearly .300 with runners in scoring position),  the Yanks hope to begin gaining ground. But if New York doesn't make a stand beginning now, Clemens' return in a week or two might be academic.

And so, here we have it. Just as Torre's job seemed to hinge on the outcome of a series against the Texas Rangers a couple of weeks ago when New York swept, he appears to be in another must-win situation in this series against the Red Sox. If Boston sweeps, it's hard to imagine Torre surviving despite the "support" he received from George Steinbrenner over the weekend.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

Let's face it, there are some things that are just not meant to go together.

Stripes and plaids. Ice cream and sauerkraut. And after seeing today's video, let's face it, golf and hip-hop.

This is apparently a promotional music video, advertising a line of golf-related products called Juggo. Maybe you've heard of them. I confess, I have not. I tried the phone number on the Web site, but the folks who answered said they were not Juggo, so who knows. But the video survives, and here's a snippet of the lyrics

Let me introduce you to a brand named Juggo.

J-U ... G-G-O

Everybody knows where you will go

Juggo from the tee all the way to the hole

I know the way to keep the scores low.

And here's the whole thing.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:05 PM | Permalink
                    

We have these two sports items from abroad.

The BBC reports (you knew that was coming, didn't you) that a newly hired soccer coach had his job all of about 10 minutes when he learned that the team had been sold and that he was likely to be replaced. The previous record for shortest tenure by an English soccer coach was four days (we're not kidding).

And in Tasmania, an Aussie rules football player -- a Tasmanian Devil, no less -- took on a goal post, flattened it and didn't even rub the bruise. There's a sequence of three photos you have to click through to appreciate this thing.

"It didn't hurt at all, I'm pretty happy with that," half-forward Matthew Westfield said. "To see it actually snap, I can't believe it, it didn't feel that hard."

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:30 AM | Permalink
                    

In the excitement of the Preakness and the Orioles-Nationals series over the weekend, you may have missed the item about Cincinnati Bengals backup linebacker A.J. Nicholson being arrested on a domestic violence charge.

Nicholson's arrest ended both a four-month streak when no Bengals had been arrested and nearly a two-week quiet period on the NFL's unofficial police blotter watch.

Not to be outdone, New York Jets cornerback and Pro Bowl kick returner Justin Miller was arrested over the weekend for allegedly punching a woman in a nightclub. In Miller's case he supposedly meant to hit a guy, but the man ducked and Miller mistakenly hit the woman in the face.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:32 AM | Permalink
                    

The Anaheim Ducks took a 3 games to 2 lead over Detroit in the NHL Western Conference finals with a 2-1 overtime win  yesterday. Red Wings goalie Dominik Hasek was on his way to a shutout when the Senators scored with 47 seconds left in regulation on a power play with a shot that Hasek said deflected off the stick of his own defenseman. The Ducks can end the series at home in Game 6 tomorrow.

This sets up a potential Anaheim-Ottawa Stanley Cup finals, a matchup that's sure to send the TV ratings through the roof. About the only thing interesting about a Ducks-Senators pairing is that if Ottawa were to prevail, the Senators would be the first Canadian team to win Lord Stanley's silver mug since the 1992-93 Montreal Canadiens.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:01 AM | Permalink
                    

When it comes to performance-enhancing drugs, Major League Baseball's attitiude is that the very worst thing you can do is speak the truth.

In a sport in which the depth of steroid use is deemed so pervasive that Congress and grand juries have hearings about the subject, Yankee Jason Giambi stands nearly alone in admitting his culpability regarding whatever he took to become a slugger. And late last week, he said what has been obvious to fans for years. That during the time when steroids allegedly were being used in a number of clubhouses that the people who knew, or should have known, ignored the problem. And an apology is owed by all parties, Giambi suggested.

For that, Giambi is being investigated by MLB, and the Yanks may be trying to figure out how to tear up his contract.

Chief apologist for Major League Baseball is Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, who had this to say, "There's an implication that there was a lot of people that were involved that would know that, what was going on, and I can tell you that's false.''

Mr. Cashman, if they didn't know, they were darn stupid. These teams pay trainers and doctors to watch these high-priced investments like hawks. Players receive physicals regularly. They are under the constant scrutiny of the training staffs. And no one became suspicious? 

Who believes such nonsense?

But, of course, as is often the case with inconvenient messages, it's the messenger who is seen as the problem.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:20 AM | Permalink
                    

Another loss, another day of wondering whether Sam Perlozzo will be fired.

The long knives certainly will be out again after the Orioles' blew a two-run lead against the lowly Washington Nationals, 4-3, yesterday when Perlozzo brought in reliever Danys Baez during the eighth and Baez gave up three hits and two earned runs. Up to that point, starter Erik Bedard -- who hasn't won a game since temperatures went about 50 degreees, had thrown seven innings of one-run ball and struck at 12. But he asked out because he knew he was tiring. 

The good news here (yes, there is a wee bit of good news) is that the O's are tied for second place in the AL East with the New York Yankees. The bad news, of course, is that the Boston Red Sox are so far out in front of the pack (10 1/2 games), the rest of the division can barely read the numbers on the backs of their jerseys.

But here's the point I want to make. Perlozzo is getting roasted mainly for pitching decisions. If/when he gets fired, the defining moment of his tenure will be pulling starter Jeremy Guthrie in the Mother's Day Meltdown in Boston. But the bottom line is that this team DOES NOT HIT.

In the three-game series against the Nationals, during which Baltimore won two, the Orioles scored a total of 11 runs. Counting the five-game losing streak before the interleague weekend, the O's have scored 25 runs in eight games. That's just over three runs a game. They're 11th in the American League and 20th in the majors in runs scored. So when Perlozzo is tossed out of the boat, remember, plenty of folks responsible for assembling this anemic crew will still be around.

* Randy Johnson, 43 years old and coming back from back surgery, won his second game within a week for Arizona, beating Pittsburgh, 5-2.  In those two games (including a 3-0 win over Colorado earlier last week), Johnson struck out 19 batters in 11.2 innings and gave up two runs. His pitch count was pretty high yesterday, 102, but his fastball was humming as fast as 96 mph at times.

* Tim Duncan will lead the San Antonio Spurs to the NBA championship. That's the prediction here.  Duncan is having a terriifc postseason and last night was more evidence -- 27 points and 10 rebounds in the Spurs' 108-100 win over Utah in the first game of the Western Conference finals.  Manu Ginobili, playing 33 minutes off the bench, had 23 points and 10 assists for San Antonio.  Robert Horry, who was scorelss in his first game back since his suspension for mugging the Suns' Steve Nash, still got an ovation from the home San Antonio cowd. Yuck.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 7:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)
                    

There will be no Triple Crown -- again.

Curlin, overcoming an early stumble, came from behind to beat Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense by a head bob in the 132nd Preakness today.

Although it was a photo finish, the jockeys knew the outcome immediately.

Robby Albarado, Curlin's rider, said that just after the two horses crossed the finish line, Street Sense's jockey, Calvin Borel, turned to him and said, "You got me."

"And he congratulated me like the true professional he is," Albarado said.

For a while, it appeared as if Street Sense was about to reprise his Derby performance when he ran down Hard Spun.

Hard Spun charged past the early leaders and briefly took control of the race. But Street Sense made a stretch run reminiscent of his Churchill Downs charge and appeared ready to add the second jewel of the Triple Crown to his collection.

That's when Curlin found another gear and touched the finish line a milli-moment before Street Sense. Curlin paid $8.80 to win. Hard Spun finished third.   

Curlin jockey Albarado had been tossed just two races earlier when his mount, Einstein, avoided Mending Fences, who broke an ankle and had to be euthanized. 

Albarado said that Curlin displayed extraordinary athleticism in recovering from his stumble out of the gate, then showed his competitive nature in the final sprint to the wire.

Curlin's trainer, Steve Asmussen, said that he'd like to have Curlin run in the Belmont Stakes but would wait to see how the horse responds after today's race.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 6:21 PM | Permalink
                    

Flashy Bull won the 11th race of the day, the William Donald Schaefer Handicap, in a head-to-head dash to the finish line with favorite Hesanoldsalt. Alan Garcia was the jockey.

In the interval between the Schaefer and the Preakness, the heavens opened and the rains came. What had been a lovely day early turned wet before the big race.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 5:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

With clouds gathering over Pimlico Race Course, Mending Fences, the leader in the far turn during the Dixie Stakes, the 10th race of the day, broke down, throwing rider Eddie Castro. Einstein, trying to avoid Mending Fences, lost his rider, Robby Albarado. 

Mending Fences suffered a condylar fracture of his right front ankle and had to be euthanized. Neither jockey was seriously hurt and Einstein escaped injury. Albarado is riding Curlin in the Preakness.

The race was won by Remarkable News, who altered course to the outside to avoid Mending Fences, with Ramon Dominguez in the irons. Cosmonaut jumped Mending Fences and finished second. Outperformance finished third.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 5:22 PM | Permalink
                    

One of the more important decisions that female Preakness-goers have to make is whether to wear a hat to Pimlico. While broad-brimmed hats are certainly the tradition, not everyone buys that.

"I wore one the first year and I swore, never again," said Stephanie Murtaugh, of Ellicott City. "They're hot and itchy, and they make you sweat.  And once you have it on, you can't take it off because you have hat head." 

But friends Lyn Gambino, of Baldwin, and Angela Vermillion, of Ocean City, said they wouldn't think of attending a Preakness without a hat. They've been going to the race for 17 years and have never worn the same hat -- although they sometimes swap.

"It's a year-long process," Gambino said of the hat decision. "You buy the hat first, and then you get the outfit to match." Today, she's in basic black with a Black-eyed Susan button. Vermillion is decked out in purple.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 4:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Jockey Edgar Prado -- the Barbaro rider who helped give his horse a fighting chance by pulling him up so quickly in last year's Preakness after Barbaro had hurt himself -- won the fifth race today aboard Heros Reward.

Rafael Bejarano won the next two races -- on Street Magician in the sixth and Precious Kitten in the seventh. Both were favorites.

And in the eighth race, the Maryland Sprint Handicap, Diabolical tied the Pimlico six-furlong track record of 1:09.16. Northern Wolf set the record of 1:09 in 1990 when races were not timed in hundredths of a second. Jockey Mario Pino was aboard and won his second race of the day.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 4:00 PM | Permalink
                    

Last year was one of elation and heartbreak for Barbaro trainer Michael Matz. This year, Matz chose to run his star, 3-year-old Chelokee, not in the Preakness but in the Barbaro Stakes, formerly the Sir Barton Stakes. 

Chelokee dashed to an easy victory, with jockey Ramon Dominguez winning his third race of the day. The heavy betting favorite, both on form and sentiment, Chelokee chased Zephyr Cat for the first two-thirds of the race but then pulled ahead, with Silver Express trying to challenge. Chelokee paid $2.60, Silver Express finished second and pace-setter Zephyr Cat was third.

This was a far different Preakness Day for Matz. This afternoon, he was able to stand beaming in the winner's circle; a year ago, he was rushing north to New Bolton Center to be with the wounded Barbaro.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 3:40 PM | Permalink
                    

You've heard of Running with the Bulls at Pamplona and certainly the Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs.

How about the toilet training run?

Yesterday at Pimlico, some yahoos in the infield crowd were doing their own version of a sprint -- running the porta-potties. Scores of portable toilets are set up in the infield side-by-side-side and some revelers managed to hoist themselves atop the potties and attempt to dash across an entire section. Adding to the degree of difficulty were spectators who were trying to knock the runners off the top by throwing beers at them. About a dozen attempted the run before security put a stop to the silliness.

No word on what effect the run had on those inside the porta-pots at the time.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 3:34 PM | Permalink
                    

Despite a brisk breeze, the Air Force exhibition parachute team, Wings of Blue, made its jump in tribute to Barbaro after the seventh race.

All five jumpers landed safely in the vicinity of the Pimlico infield and turf track, although they were buffeted by a wind that kicked up just after they "were under canpoy," said Air Force Academy Cadet 1st Class Nick Burke, who carried a flag designed after Barbaro's silks colors.

"My mother is a huge horse racing fan, so this was a real honor," Burke said.

One jumper landed among the infield crowd -- safely.  I saw a parachutist give away two cans of beer he said someone in the crowd handed him, so I figured that must have been him. Two more jumps by other parachutist teams were planned but were canceled because of the wind.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 3:18 PM | Permalink
                    

This Preakness Day will include several commemorative touches recalling Barbaro, who took that fatal misstep just after leaving the starting gate in last year's Preakness. An Air Force parachute team is supposed to perform, carrying a flag with Barbaro's colors and delivering it to Roy and Gretchen Jackson, Barbaro's owners, in the winner's circle.

Less flashy but perhaps more meaningful are four stands set up around Pimlico where fans can make a donation and get a blue rubber "Riding with Barbaro" bracelet. The money raised wiill be put toward research in equine health and safety with an emphasis on laminitis, the malady that eventually forced Barbaro to be euthanized. Some money will go toward other horse-related causes, including the New Bolton Center where Barbarao was treated.

The bracelets are also available at tracks and simulcast locations around the country today. During the Kentucky Derby, about $12,000 was raised at Churchill Downs and more than $200,000 collected around the country. The effort will be repeated at the Belmont Stakes.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:17 PM | Permalink
                    

Sunny skies, a few wispy clouds, warm but not oppressive with a slight breeze. The Preakness lucked out on the weather today. Down in the infield, the roiling masses are in full celebratory flower and from the press box, the tens of thousands crowding three-quarters of the big oval look like colored sprinkles on a big cupcake.

The other one-quarter of the infield is where the social "other half" resides, the corporate-tent crowd.  There, women in broad-brimmed straw hats and men in suits enjoy Black-eyed Susans (the traditional Preakness cocktail) and crabcakes.

We've had the first four races of the Preakness undercard and Mario Pino, Maryland's all-time leading jockey, has already won a race. Pino will be riding Hard Spun in the Preakness, today's 12th race. In the fourth race, Pino rode Suave Jazz, a favorite, to victory. 

Jockey Ramon Dominguez, who is on Xchanger in the Preakness, has two wins so far. Domiguez brought home Bond Fire in the first race and Munson Roy E. in the second.

Today's other early winner, in the third race, was Smart Pace, who was a nice pay ($23.60), with Larry Reynolds in the irons.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

It's about 11 a.m. and the first race just finished.  The one everyone is waiting for is still about seven hours or so away. But the infield, where the vast majority of spectators enjoy the day, is already teeming with revelers. Yellow "police line" tape separates one group's space from another. I figure that'll last until about the third race.

The first reveler I came across was Nicholas Dumm (pronouced just like you think it is) from Nicktown, Pa., about 30 miles from Altoona. Nicholas' Preakness hat was a parrot chapeau.

Nicholas, who was weaving a bit, was just telling me that he was attending his first Preakness and, "This is a great time so far; I'm lovin' it" -- when the parrot flew off his head, and not on his own accord.  By the time Nicholas wheeled to follow its flight, he saw two young ladies running off into the swarm of humanity that makes up of the infield and raced off after them

Interview over.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:22 AM | Permalink
                    

Each day leading to tomorrow's Preakness Stakes, we've been profiling some of the horses who will bolt from the starting gate in the 132nd running of the second jewel in the Triple Crown.  Today, we look at Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense and one of his toughest rivals, Curlin, who finished third at Churchill Downs.

Street Sense -- Street Sense arrives at the Preakness with plenty of doubters who argue that he was lucky at the Kentucky Derby, and that includes the camp of Hard Spun, who finished second two weeks ago. Street Sense held the rail and was able to come from 19th place unimpeded.  But there's no question this is a quality colt.  In eight career starts, he has never finished out of the money. As a 3-year-old, he has won twice and placed once. Neither track type nor quality of the field seems to bother him, and he just keeps improving. He is ridden by Calvin Borel, a Churchill Downs veteran who gave him that great ride. But this is Borel's first time at Pimlico.

Curlin -- Curlin was undefeated heading into the Derby, but he had run in just three races. Then again, all of his races have been as a 3-year-old. More to the point, Curlin had never been in the position he found himself in at the Derby, meaning in a tough spot caught up in traffic. His camp hopes that his Derby experience will serve Curlin well in the Preakness, where he will contend with just eight other horses as opposed to 19 others in the Derby. Considering that Street Sense and Derby runner-up Hard Spun will attract the lion's share of the betting money, some think Curlin is the smart bet. Robby Albarado is in the irons.

The Final Word -- No, that's not a surprise Preakness entry.  And before I proceed, I advise no one to take my advice. I have Sun colleagues who are much more knowledgeable than myself concerning the dark mysteries of a racing form. But for what it's worth, it's clear that Hard Spun would have won the Kentucky Derby if not for everything falling into place perfectly for Street Sense.  And I believe that these equine athletes have an appreciation of the moment, an awareness of their own ability and a sense of pride. Having said that, I think Hard Spun has something to prove and he'll do it tomorrow at Old Hilltop.

Enjoy the race and may all your tickets be ones you can cash.

And ... O, by the Way, we'll be blogging from Pimlico tomorrow.  So, if you're home, at the coffee shop or have to work, join us here.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

If you're going to the Preakness, and there's a darn good chance you are because more than 118,000 fans showed up last year, here are some things to remember about what you can and cannot bring into Pimlico, and what you can use to carry and store it. This information comes, in some cases verbatim, from the Maryland Jockey Club. Some rewording and emphasis is our own to highlight points we think are especially important.

First of all, what you can bring in depends on where you're watching the race from. Different tickets and spectator locations have different restrictions. So make sure you know what the rules are for your specific admission.

Let's start with the containers.

If you're in the cheapest seats, which really aren't seats at all -- meaning the famous Pimlico INFIELD -- you'll have the widest latitude in what you can bring. Coolers, backpacks and thermoses are permitted.  But no bulk or oversized carrying devices.  Coolers cannot be larger than 28 inches long by 15 inches wide by 17 inches high. 

GRANDSTAND and CLUBHOUSE:  Coolers, backpacks and thermoses are NOT ALLOWED. Beverages and food items must be in CLEAR pastic bags or CLEAR, SEE-THROUGH plastic containers no larger than 18 inches by 18 inches.

TURFSIDE TERRACE and CLUBHOUSE TURN RESERVED: Like the Grandstand, coolers, backpacks and thermoses are NOT ALLOWED. NO outside food or beverage items allowed.

TOP OF THE STRECTH: Coolers cannot be larger than 12 inches by 12 inches.

OK, here's what fans can bring into the Grandstand, Clubhouse and Infield.

* Beer, wine and soda in plastic containers or regular-size cans, and picnic lunches (note: NO KEGS or KEG BALLS).

* Beach blankets and suntan lotion.

* Cell phones, cameras (up to 35 mm), camcorders and binoculars.

* For INFIELD ONLY, lightweight PLASTIC lawn chairs.

This is the PROHIBITED LIST.

* No liquor, drugs or weapons.

* No tents

* No hibachis or grills.

* No ladders, scaffolding or other raised devices.

* No kegs of beer or keg balls.

* No bulk or oversized carrying devices.

* No non-folding or folding metal furniture.

* No hand carts or wheeled carts

* No glass containers of any kind.

All persons are subject to search (direct and with electronic devices) along with their containers, camera bags and purses.

While supplies last, bags of ice and soft-sided coolers are available for purchase.

Facility admission gates, and the Infield open at 8 a.m. First post is 10:30 a.m. The Clubhouse Turn Reserved, and the first crossover to Corporate Village and Turfside Terrace, open at 10 a.m.

O, by the Way sez ... Have fun, be safe.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Each day leading up to tomorrow's Preakness, we've brought you a video of a stirring Pimlico moment. Today's is our last installment.

Before Barbaro, it was Smarty Jones who was America's horse. Running out of Philadelphia Park, the undersized colt was reminiscent of Seabiscuit, who, decades before, was the country's darling, running an epic match race against Triple Crown winner War Admiral at Old Hilltop

In 2004, Smarty Jones had just won the Kentucky Derby and at the Preakness, his legend grew as he started strong and finished stronger, outracing the field by nearly 12 lengths. However, at the Belmont, his sprinter's bloodlines betrayed him as the torrid pace he set over the 1 1/2-mile course took away his kick in the stretch and he was beaten by Birdstone.

Here's the Smarty Jones Preakness.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:59 PM | Permalink
                    

We're not sure how long we can keep this streak going of coming up with tunes but as often as we can, we're going to try to brighten the lunch hour with a bit of gen-u-ine entertainment. So turn off that light jazz, or soft rock or whatever it is and listen up! 

This ditty may be a little out of season (OK, a LOT of of season) but considering the celebratory mood the Detroit Pistons must be in today after winning their second-round playoff series against Chicago, 3-2, it should communicate the Pistons' mood.  Make sure you listen all the way through to Rasheed Wallace's remix. The obviously multi-talented Wallace also had 16 points and 13 rebounds last night.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:07 PM | Permalink
                    

Four years ago, Funny Cide captured the Preakness Stakes when he broke away from the pack in the stretch and hit the finish line going away.

But in an odd twist, that dominating performance eventually became a key element of an unusual lawsuit filed by the horse's owners against a newspaper, the Miami Herald. The owners argued that a story in the paper led to the horse eventually losing his Triple Crown bid at the Belmont.

The story in question said that during Funny Cide's Kentucky Derby victory, the jockey, Jose Santos, used some kind of gadget to make the horse run faster. An investigation indicated otherwise.

Funny Cide's owners said that the jockey, in an effort to prove the paper wrong, rode Funny Cide too hard in the Preakness (see the race here) and as a result, the horse was too spent to win the Belmont. The owners blamed the story (and the newspaper) in the lawsuit.

In the initial trial, the newspaper won the case. And on Wednesday, an appeals court agreed with the first outcome. But appeals jude Gary M. Farmer departed from the dry legalese that courts normally use to communicate their thoughts

Here's an excerpt from the opinion of a judge who apparently wouldn't mind being a sports writer.

"No one is certain to win today simply because he won before. A win yesterday doesn’t promise another today or tomorrow. If it did, there would be many more Triple Crowns; more pennants for the Boston Red Sox; San Diego would be last year’s Super Bowl champ; Florida State would be the ACC football champ; and the former Soviet Union would have the gold medal in hockey from the 1980 Olympics."

Not bad -- for a judge.

Thanks to the Romenesko Web site for pointing us to the Broward-Palm Beach New Times' Daily Pulp blog.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:36 AM | Permalink
                    

You know, it's kinda creepy when guys like Keyshawn Johnson and Randy Moss start acting all mature and everything.

Johnson, who was jilted by the Carolina Panthers about 10 minutes after they drafted Southern Cal wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett in the second round, is discussing signing on with the Tennessee Titans, and here's what "Just Give Me a Damn Chance" Johnson had to say: "I want to make sure it's something everybody is committed to for the next couple of years. They're committed to me, and I'm committed to them, whoever it is I go play for."

Then he adjusted his tie, quietly closed his brief case and got up and left the room. OK, we're just kidding about that last part -- but does that sound like the Keyshawn Johnson any of us has ever known?

Now Moss, who was paroled from Al Davis' asylum in a trade to the Patriots. This guy has apparently shown up in New England EARLY to be with his new teammates.  Moss has made a habit of staying in Florida to work out during the offseason.  The Patriots' full-squad minicamp doesn't even begin until June 5.  Moss reportedly even attended a charity basketball game.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:33 AM | Permalink
                    

Yesterday, I discussed the Floyd Landis case going on at Pepperdine in Southern California. I mentioned how complex and confusing the whole thing had become with mountains of legal and scientific minutia.

Put briefly, an arbitration panel is hearing testimony about Landis' positive doping test results following his Tour de France triumph last year. If it finds those results valid, Landis essentially is stripped of his Tour de France victory. The trial is expected to last into next week.

But the case went from mind-numbing to stomach-turning yesterday.  Greg LeMond -- the first of America's modern cycling heroes and someone who was expected to offer testimony in support of the prosecution -- said he received an anonymous call recently that carried a threat.  That threat was to expose LeMond's own revelation to Landis that Lemond had been sexually abused as a child. The implication was that the caller -- who apparently turned out to be a longtime Landis associate -- was trying to intimidate LeMond and influence his testimony. 

Landis' defense team quickly moved to distance the beleagured rider from the actual caller but again, something that seemed so simple and wholesome at the time, winning a bicycle race, has morphed into something else that is as sordid as it is complicated.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Those Yankees are sure a chatty bunch.  With a payroll-to-win ratio of about a bazillion dollars-to-one, they still have plenty of stuff to talk about other than their own rotten performance, which, so far, has been just a hair better than Tampa Bay's, whose roster was bought at a rummage sale.

Jason Giambi said this week that he thinks Major League Baseball should apologize for the performance-enhancing drug era. Much of the baseball universe, he said, ignored the elephant in the room.

Meanwhile, Yanks reliever Kyle Farnsworth said a couple of times yesterday that he doesn't think any player should be allowed to leave the team on a regular basis during the season for personal reasons. Roger Clemens, are you listening?  Farnsworth said he doesn't think it'll be a problem but if you're asking him ...

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Thunk.

That sound you heard last night was not Santa's sleigh landing on your roof.  It was the Orioles falling into the basement in the AL East.

"But wait," you say, "the Orioles didn't play." True, they had a day off to reflect on their current five-game losing streak and perhaps on how to get along with each other. But Tampa Bay beat Texas, 8-6, and in the mad scramble that's the AL East for second/fifth place, the O's suffered as a result. Only one game separates sub-.500 New York, Toronto, Tampa Bay and Baltimore.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox (28-12), winners of two against Detroit yesterday, are so far out in front already, only a Rocket could catch them -- and we're not sure about that.

* Meanwhile, the Washington Nationals, last in the NL East, suddenly look like a real baseball team -- which is bad news for the Orioles. The Nats beat Atlanta, 4-3, yesterday for their fifth win in the last six games after starting the season 9-25.  

Interleague play begins this weekend and who do the Orioles get as their first opponent? The Washington Nationals. Instead of getting a break by having to play against a team that's struggling like the Orioles, the O's face the prospect of running into a hot team that's starting to believe in itself.

* The Detroit Pistons finally closed out their second-round NBA playolf series against the Chicago Bulls last night, 95-85.  The Pistons had jumped to a 3-0 series lead but had allowed the Bulls to claw their way back into contention with two straight wins. For Detroit, Richard Hamilton had 24 points and Chauncey Billups had 21 with seven assists. Tonight are two Game 6s -- Phoenix at San Antonio (Spurs lead, 3-2) in the West and Cleveland at New Jersey (Cavaliers lead, 3-2) in the East.

* In the NHL Western Conference finals, Anaheim evened its series with Detroit, 2-2. The Ducks won, 3-1, even though their best player through the playoffs, defenseman Chris Pronger (3 goals, 9 assists), was cooling his skates, sitting out a one-game suspension for plastering Red Wing Tomas Holstrom against the glass the previous game.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 7:20 AM | Permalink
                    

Each day leading to Saturday's Preakness Stakes, we'll profile some of the horses who will bolt from the starting gate in the 132nd running of the second jewel in the Triple Crown. Today, we'll take a look at two long shots, including the longest shot, at least according to some Web sites, Mint Slewep.

Mint Slewlep -- Depending on what Internet sites you consult, the futures odds on Mint Slewep are 30- or 40-to-1. The "slew" in his name comes from his bloodlines. He was sired by Slew City Slew who, in turn, was sired by Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew. This member of the family tree has two wins, both at Laurel Park, but in his other five races finished no better than third. His last outing was the Withers on April 28, where he finished fourth. Alan Garcia gets the ride.

Xchanger -- Xchanger, whose majority owner is Baltimore native Domenico Zannino,  is listed as 15-to-1 to 25-to-1 around the Internet.  Xchanger's last race was at Pimlico, where he won the Tesio Stakes on April 21. He has had just two other starts as a 3-year-old and finished out of the money in both.  As a 2-year-old, he had two wins in five starts. Xchanger has been training at Fair Hill, which had been the home of Barbaro. Ramon Dominguez is the jockey.

And ... O, by the Way, we'll be blogging from Pimlico on Saturday.  So, if you're home, at the coffee shop or have to work, join us here.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 5:11 PM | Permalink
                    

Each day leading to the Preakness, we're bringing you a video of a great race from the second jewel of the Triple Crown. 

In 1979, Spectacular Bid came to Baltimore as the Kentucky Derby winner, a highly confident trainer in Bud Delp and with a teenage jockey, Ronnie Franklin.  Facing a small field, just four other horses, Spectacular Bid came from the outside to easily win the Preakness.  But at the Belmont, a freak accident -- Spectacular Bid stepped on a pin before the race -- led to a third-place finish.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:07 PM | Permalink
                    

I was going to save this one for the dog days of summer should Orioles fans be in need of a pick-me-up. However, considering the way things are going at the moment, why wait?

This video apparently was meant as a tip of the hat to some unsung Orioles employees, but there are also some good shots of Oriole Park -- with actual fans there -- and nostalgic baseball footage.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:21 AM | Permalink
                    

Not sure if anyone has noticed, but it has been about a week since an NFL player has been arrested, charged or pleaded guilty to anything (and if you don't count Ravens QB Steve McNair's odd DUI and consider that Richard Seigler was just barely an ex-Steeler when they cuffed him for that prostitution business he was allegedly running in Las Vegas), it's more like 12 days. 

That would make this one of the longest stretches where we've had a quiet NFL police blotter since the Super Bowl, according to Web sites that track such things.

So, think NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's suspensions of Adam "Pacman" Jones and Chris Henry are having their desired effect?

As Bugs would say, "Could beeee."

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:21 AM | Permalink
                    

I look at the people I know who like to bicycle and I understand the sport's appeal. The fellows I'm familiar with who are into cycling include Sun colleagues John Fairhall and Mike Hill, both straight-shooters who seem to me to like things simple. And from my outsider's point of view, that sums up the sport: simplicity -- and wholesomeness.

Even at the highest levels, while there are sophisticated and somewhat pricey mechanics involved, bicycling is certainly not NASCAR or Formula One.  The machine in question runs on muscle and sweat, not turbochargers and gasoline.

While there are tactics and strategy, especially riding in the grueling Tour de France, it's not the jumble of Xs and Os that is football.

And while you surely have to be in great shape to be a great cyclist, you don't have to start out in the top 1 percentile of the human gene pool, such as basketball.

Anyway, that's how it looks to a guy who needs training wheels.

But the arbitration trial now going on at Pepperdine University School of Law overlooking the Malibu coast is anything but simple, and it's about topics not very wholesome.

It's about whether American bicycling hero Floyd Landis, now tarnished by the strong suggestion that he used chemical help to win the last Tour de France, should keep that yellow shirt.  The testimony, mostly scientific and about issues such as chain-of-custody of test samples, is frankly mind-numbing. It is expected to end next week. A three-man arbitration panel will decide whether to uphold the positive doping results.

What would be helpful to the public, and cycling's image, is a simple answer.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:32 AM | Permalink
                    

Dating the boss' daughter can be such tricky business.

Out in Los Angeles, Jeanie Buss, daughter of Lakers boss Jerry Buss and sister of Laker heir-in-transition Jim Buss, stands by her man, Lakers coach Phil Jackson. You following so far?

Well, last week on the radio Jim criticized Phil for publicly criticizing his players. And yesterday on the radio Jeanie criticized Jim for criticizing Phil because Jim's criticism was doing the very same thing that he criticized Phil for. 

And what did Jerry have to say?  We're having him paged at the Bellagio poker room.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:09 AM | Permalink
                    

Rockville insurance agent Rhett Butler will get another Andy Warhol 15 minutes -- and probably quite a bit longer -- on NBC's broadcast of the World Series of Golf next month.

Butler (below), who finished fifth in the Main Event of the World Series of Poker last year (good for more than $3.2 million), was the runner-up yesterday in the inaugural tournament that combined the game of golf with poker-betting strategy.  The winner, Orange County, Calif., day trader Mark Ewing, picked up $250,000 and Butler collected $60,000.

Butler was eliminated, along with the third-place finisher, Paul Schuller, an electrician from Seattle, when chip-leader Ewing (score is kept with betting chips) went all-in on an approach shot on the par-4 16th hole.  Although Ewing was long on the approach, a chip and three-foot putt was good enough to win the hole. Butler was awarded second because he had the second highest amount of chips when the hole began. The final fivesome also included a retired railroad conductor from Colorado and poker pro Phil Ivey, who finished fourth. 

The tournament, which required a $10,000 buy-in, started with 60 players, including Severn accountant Steve Dannenmann -- the 2005 World Series of Poker runner-up ($4.25 million), who was eliminated on the the 20th hole in the first round.  The event is scheduled to air as a reality TV show on NBC, June 23-24.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:17 AM | Permalink
                    

They made a movie about this recent Orioles' run, and it wasn't "Field of Dreams."

Nope, it would be "Groundhog Day" where the same unfortunate things happen over and over.  In the case of the Orioles that would be losing another close game in which they had a lead -- last night it was 2-1 to Toronto -- and leaving the field while feuding with each other.  And last nght, that would be pinch-runner Freddie Bynum and first bast base coach Same Mejias, of all people, yapping at each other.

The O's, losers of the last five, have three one-run losses and and a two-run defeat in this dispiriting stretch, and you might recall it was just two days ago that Melvin Mora and Jay Payton left the field having a tiff that nearly escalated into a punch-out.  OK, you can now officially start to wonder whether manager Sam Perlozo is losing control of the clubhouse.  Or you can wonder whether Perlozzo can motivate what appears to be an uninspired bunch.

But returning to "Groundhog Day," let's consider a potential silver lining.  By reliving the same 24 hours over and over, protagonist Bill Murray eventually learns from his mistakes.  Might we expect the same from the Orioles?

* The little morality play of an NBA playoff series between San Antonio and Phoenix was no comfort to anyone who thinks there's cosmic justice at work in the sports universe.

The Bad Guys, the Spurs, overcame a 16-point lead by the undermanned Good Guys, the Suns,  88-85, and took a very commanding 3 games to 2 lead considering Friday's game is in San Antonio.

The Suns were without star center Amare Stoudemire, who was sitting out a controversial suspension along with teammate Boris Diaw, for leaving their bench at the end of Game 4 when the Spurs' Robert Horry decked the Suns' Steve Nash. Stoudemire and Diaw never really got near the action and didn't throw any punches, but the NBA followed the letter of the law in dinging them a game.

Last night at home, the Suns appeared ready to make it all right anyway with a fast start, but San Antonio's Bruce Bowen, Public Enemy No. 1 in Phoenix, sank a three-pointer with 36 seconds left to break a tie.

* And in the closely watched Buffalo-Ottawa NHL Eastern Conference finals (at least in Fletcher's bar in Fells Point), the Sabres avoided elimination by hanging on for a 3-2 win after having led by three.  The series goes back to Buffalo Saturday with Ottawa leading 3 games to 1.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 7:33 AM | Permalink
                    

There wasn't much drama during the draw for the 132nd Preakness Stakes at the ESPN Zone at the Inner Harbor late this afternoon. Unless you count Street Sense trainer Carl Nafzger rushing to get there. Wonder if he used the inside lane on I-83.

The Kentucky Derby winner had arrived at Pimlico just about a half-hour before the draw was scheduled to start, and Nafzger made it just in time to see his horse get the No. 8 position. Nafzger was asked his reaction to watching the video of the Derby -- when jockey Calvin Borel eluded traffic along the rail to overcome Hard Spun -- and he deadpanned, "We won."

Flying First Class, trained by D. Wayne Lukas, is in the No. 6 position, and Lukas acknowledged that his horse could set the early pace. Between Street Sense and Flying First Class at No. 7 is Hard Spun, who led in the Derby stretch before being beaten by Street Sense.

Here are the post positions:
1. Mint Slewlep
2. Xchanger
3. Circular Quay
4. Curlin
5. King of the Roxy
6. Flying First Class
7. Hard Spun
8. Street Sense
9. CP West

Posted by Bill Ordine at 5:47 PM | Permalink
                    

Each day leading to Saturday's Preakness Stakes, we'll profile some of the horses who will bolt from the starting gate in the 132nd running of the second jewel in the Triple Crown. Today, we'll profile the two horses being entered by trainer Todd Pletcher, Circular Quay and King of the Roxy.  Pletcher, despite winning successive Eclipse Awards as North America's leading trainer, has never won a Triple Crown race. Both horses are training at Belmont and will van to Baltimore tomorrow. Pletcher has had an entry in the Preakness just once before, in 2000.

Circular Quay -- Son of a Kentucky Derby and Belmont winner, Thunder Gulch, this colt finished sixth in this year's Kentucky Derby. As a 3-year-old, he has three starts and won the Louisiana Derby. Last year, he had five races, winning three times and placing twice. John Velazquez will be the jockey.  Circular Quay and Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense have run against each other three times before.  Besides Street Sense's Derby win, the horses split their two battles as 2-year-olds.

King of the Roxy -- With three wins in his seven starts, King of the Roxy finished second in the Santa Anita Derby on April 7. He has one win as a 3-year-old at Gulfstream Park. Perhaps a disadvantage for King of the Roxy is that he'll have his sixth jockey in the Preakness.  The Saturday ride goes to Garrett Gomez.  At Santa Anita, King of the Roxy had the lead but was overtaken by Tiago. If you look at the race, you'll see that King of the Roxy got a wide ride before he was beaten in the stretch.

And ... O, by the Way, we'll be blogging from Pimlico on Saturday.  So, if you're home, at the coffee shop or have to work, join us here.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 3:09 PM | Permalink
                    

Last year, the Preakness Stakes was the scene of one of racing's saddest days when Barbaro took that fatal misstep soon after leaving the starting gate. The previous year, though, the Preakness escaped what could have been an even worse tragedy when Afleet Alex, near the front of the pack in the stretch, stumbled and nearly went to the ground. 

Had Afleet Alex not regained his footing, there's no telling how many horses behind him would have been caught up in a disastrous chain reaction.  When Afleet Alex pulled this off -- recovering, then finding a hole to dart through to win the 130th Preakness Stakes, I was reminded of one of the few athletes also capable of a similar move -- former Lions running back Barry Sanders.  Here's that race.

Tomorrow, we'll have another video of a great Preakness.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 2:46 PM | Permalink
                    

This one is for the crowd down at Fletcher's, the Fells Point watering hole where Buffalo ex-patriots gather to watch Sabres' hockey games.  If you haven't been following the NHL playoffs (and I realize that's a BIG club), the Sabres are trailing the Ottawa Senators, 3-games-to-none, in the Eastern Conference finals.

This ode to the Sabres is how the Buffalo crowd gets itself psyched for the games.  Even if you have no interest whatsoever in Lord Stanley's little tournament, you might find this incongruous combination of hockey action and hip-hop to be a cultural curiosity.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:15 PM | Permalink