The Toy Department

No medal, but a nice pair of handcuffs

2009-11-20T17:48:46Z

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. // I didn't medal last weekend at Skate America. I did get drunk on Sunday night. I did not steal a car for a joy ride.

If Andrei Lutai had followed my lead, he would still be known as the lousy Russian figure skater who wore pink gloves during his performance and finished 10th out of 12 contestants.

But, noooo. He staggered out of a party and down Main Street to the lot of Central Garage, previously known as the establishment that left customers' car keys in their unlocked vehicles.

Even in his inebriated state, Lutai found the keys and went for a ride shortened by the appearance of flashing lights in the rearview mirror.

He blew a .18, more than double the legal limit. Busted.

AP Photo

]]> Late Thursday afternoon, with four Russian news outlets watching, Lutai stood shackled in a striped government-issue jumpsuit before a local judge who said she could not drop the felony charges against him.

Instead of walking out a free man with a new idea for costumes next season, Lutai was treated to a future that might include a stay at a federal detention center, where presumably the inmates will quickly learn of the man with the pink gloves.

His lawyer, Brian Barrett, warned Village Justice Margaret Doran that conditions at the federal facility are "very draconious."

The prosecutor, who was busy packing up her office having lost a re-election bid, didn't attend the court hearing. She told a local reporter that she's still studying the charges, but won't treat Lutai any differently than any other defendant.

Now, nearly 30 years after the U.S. kicked Soviet butt in the "Miracle on Ice" hockey game, Russians are still finding there's no easy way out of Lake Placid.

Prediction Friday: Ravens-Colts

2009-11-20T01:00:00Z

Back to football for a weekend. It’s Prediction Friday, so dust off your crystal balls. Or just go with the opposite of what I say. Although, like just about everyone else, I did correctly predict Monday’s Ravens’ win in Cleveland. This one, though, is going to be a little tougher for the Ravens (Who says I am not a football expert? How about that for inside analysis?). Honestly, I don’t see the Colts blowing out the Ravens as some prognosticators have hinted. I think the Ravens will be down early, make a solid comeback, maybe make it 20-17, and then, ultimately, lose on a fourth-quarter drive by Peyton Manning. I just don’t see the Ravens’ D hanging with Manning for four quarters. My call: Colts 27, Ravens 17. Manning is the game’s hero, throwing three TDs, two to Reggie Wayne. Sorry, doesn’t make me feel good either. I’m a native Baltimoron, remember. Predicting the Indianapolis team, whatever they are called, to win in Charm City will always be painful. But it’s happened before, and I assume it will happen again. Daily Think Special: Predict the score and hero of Sunday’s Ravens-Colts game.

Catching Up With ... former Colt David Lee

2009-11-19T21:30:00Z

Each week in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's going on in his/her life in a segment called, "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

He had one of the shortest names of anyone to play for the Baltimore Colts – and one of the longest careers here.

For 13 years, David Lee punted for the Colts, sending spirals airborne and often pinning opponents near their goal line. Twice, he won the NFL punting crown (1966 and 1969) while helping Baltimore to six division titles and a Super Bowl victory.

Lee retired in 1978, having punted 838 times for more than 34,000 yards, or nearly 20 miles. But it was one lousy kick, early in his career, that the All Pro remembers most.

"I shanked a punt, stormed off the field, tore off my helmet and started to swing at the water cooler," Lee said.

Then John Unitas tapped his 6-foot-4 teammate on the shoulder.

"You’ve got to forget about that (bleeping) kick," the Colts’ quarterback said, "because you may have to do it again in five minutes."

Lee nodded and cooled off.

"At that moment, I knew what made John tick – bad plays never affected him," he said. "I never forgot."

]]> Now 66, Lee lives in Bossier City, La., near his hometown of Shreveport, with Sandra, his wife of 45 years. After football, he worked there for General Motors as a floor supervisor in a Chevy Blazer plant until disabled at age 51 by chronic fatigue syndrome.

"It’s a flu-like tiredness, kind of hard to explain," Lee said of the debilitating illness that affects more than one million Americans. "My day starts around noon. If I walk for 30 minutes, I’m (exhausted) for two days.

"I get tired just standing on my feet. So far this year, I’ve had three days where I’ve actually felt good."

Lee is also hobbled by a bum knee, a bad back and a hip that has been replaced – all due to football, he said.

"I’d been punting since sixth grade, sometimes as often as 200 times a day," said Lee, a graduate of Louisiana Tech. "It’s hard to stop (practicing) when you’re going good. Kick it right and, when you lift your head, you see the ball at its pinnacle. It’s like hitting a great golf drive."

In Lee’s home, there’s a cherished keepsake on a shelf beside his recliner – a game ball from a Colts’ victory over New York in 1975. That day, Lee rocked the Jets with punts of 62 and 55 yards. Neither was returned.

"The longest one I ever kicked was 76 yards, in Yankee Stadium," he said. Another time, Lee was summoned to punt amid swirling winds and rain, in the open end of Memorial Stadium, from the other team’s 25-yard line. The result?

"I dropped it on the one-yard line," he said. "And you know what? I was as proud of that one as I was of the 76-yarder."

Which free agent/trade chip is most likely to become an Oriole in 2010?

2009-11-19T02:56:24Z

Friday is the start of free agency in Major League Baseball. It’s also NFL Prediction Friday at the bar, and I can’t break tradition, unless, of course, I am off and am too lazy to file a blog entry. And that’s not the case this week. So we’ll do our Ravens predictions – as usual – on Friday. Today, we are talking baseball. The Orioles need more talent, we all understand that. And they have some money to spend; besides a couple option buyouts, they are not on the hook in 2010 to pay anyone who has already been cut or traded. That, in itself, is refreshing. But just because they have money to spend, that doesn’t mean the most coveted free agents – guys such as Matt Holliday and John Lackey – are coming here. In fact, they are not. Those guys will get beaucoup bucks from current contenders. And the Orioles won’t – and probably can’t – outspend the biggest boys on the block. They will, however, be in the mix for a lot of second-tier (and third-tier) free agents. And, given the economy, they may be able to have their pick of that litter. My guess is this winter they end up with a first baseman and third baseman through free agency as well as at least one starting pitcher and possibly a late-inning reliever. And here’s betting none gets more than a two-year deal with an option. I don’t know exactly whom the Orioles will land, but I have my guesses. And I am sure you do, too. Beat writer Jeff Zrebiec and I have played an offseason game for years in which we go three to five rounds deep and draft the most likely players to become Orioles for the upcoming season. Last year Jeff’s first pick was Cesar Izturis. I had Mark Hendrickson and Ty Wigginton in my stable. So we are pretty good at this. I want you in this year. If you had to bet the house on one Major League player – a free agent or a trade chip -- that will end up on the Orioles for 2010, who would it be? This isn’t who you want – we’ll have plenty of time for that – but who you expect to be running down that orange carpet in April. The free agent or trade target you look at and say, “Yep, he’s an Oriole in 2010.” Here’s my first-round draft pick: Third baseman Pedro Feliz. Now it is your turn. Daily Think Special: Which free agent/trade chip is most likely to become an Oriole in 2010?

What to make of Michael Phelps' struggles in Europe

2009-11-18T11:00:36Z

If you follow swimming much in a non-Olympic year -- which, understandably, you probably don't -- then you've likely heard something about what a miserable time Michael Phelps has had in Sweden and Germany the past two weeks. But in case you don't follow it at all -- which, again, is most of you -- here is a quick recap: Michael Phelps hasn't looked anything like Michael Phelps used to look. He's failed to qualify for the finals in several events, and been trounced by swimmers that most of the world couldn't ID even if their names were tattooed across their broad shoulders.

Minor alarms have been sounding, and you can pick up the gist of what's being said just by reading some of the headlines. "Phelps Fails Again." "World records tumble around hapless Phelps." "Phelps a Flop in Berlin" And my personal favorite: "Phelps Looks Like an Imposter."

Phelps does look a little like an imposter, although it has less do with times and more to do with physical appearance. He's clearly not in shape -- and pointed this out repeatedly before competing -- and wasn't even motivated enough to shave a massive beard, or the rest of his body, including his arm pits, prior to the races. It's also short-course events, where the pool is just 25 meters long as opposed to 50 meters. It's not exactly like comparing miniature golf to Augusta National, but no one takes short course events as seriously as events contested in an Olympic-length pool.

]]> On top of all that, what is most important yet also the most difficult thing for the layman to grasp, Phelps is the only swimmer with enough guts to show up in Europe wearing a swimsuit that will still be legal come January. After seeing a slew of world records get erased in less than a year thanks to new suit technologies, FINA finally declared this summer that, come 2010, swimsuits made out of anything other than textiles would be illegal. Men can't wear suits that go below the knee or above the belly button. Since the rule doesn't take effect until January, most swimmers are still wearing their soon-to-be outlawed suits. Phelps, instead, has decided to make a statement, and is essentially wearing a suit from 2004, the Speedo Fastskin FS-PRO. It would be like Roger Federer entering Wimbledon with a wooden racket.

So those who wonder if Phelps has lost his magic or his motivation seem to be making much ado about nothing.

My friend Karen Crouse of The New York Times put it best, I think.

"Michael Phelps' presence on a United States team competing this week at a World Cup meet in Stockholm is akin to Meryl Streep's gracing a traveling production of “Mamma Mia"

Really, how much has Matt Stover's absence hurt the Ravens?

2009-11-17T22:47:11Z

I was a little late getting going this week, sort of like the Ravens in Cleveland on Monday night. As we know, a win is a win. But that one was not particularly inspiring. At least the Ravens don’t have to face an undefeated team on a short week this Sunday. As for our free tab of the week based on the prediction for Sunday’s game, you’re all paying. Because the house won. Or at least I came the closest on both sides to predicting the 16-0 win. I had 24-6, and so did Frederick McMurray (a drink chip your way). We all assumed a Ravens’ beating for the Browns, but most of us overestimated the Raven’s offense. There were three customers who predicted shutouts; the closest was 27-0. So, yeah, the Ravens won, but there were plenty of red flags from that game. Most alarming was the continuing number of yellow flags. There’s a fine line between aggressive and stupid. Monday also marked the end of Steve Hauschka’s Ravens career. Missing a 36-yarder and having an extra point blocked was not the way he needed to rebound. Now the Ravens are kicker shopping with a more than a week to go before Black Friday. Not a good sign for a team that still has playoff hopes. Forget Monday-morning quarterbacking, the Hauschka decision should create some Wednesday-morning placekicking. It’s pretty obvious the Ravens should have stuck with fan favorite Matt Stover this season. His accuracy is definitely missed. But how much? What I mean is how much different would this Ravens’ team be with Stover, who is now with Sunday’s opponent, the Indianapolis Colts? Would it still be in “long playoff run, Super Bowl talk” discussion? One school of thought is that Stover would have given them a win against Minnesota and possibly one against Cincinnati. The other way of thinking: Stover is a kicker. If your team is lamenting the loss of its kicker, it’s got bigger problems than missed field goals. My opinion: Stover would help, for sure. But unless he can cover 6-foot-4 receivers, provide a pass rush and get to the line of scrimmage without a false start, I am not convinced Matt Stover is the difference between a playoff Ravens’ team and an also-ran. Then again, I am a baseball guy by trade. School me, people. Learn me, football gurus. Daily Think Special: How much has Matt Stover’s absence hurt the Ravens?

Good luck, Steve Hauschka

2009-11-17T21:46:58Z

Three strikes and you're out -- that's baseball. But it's life in the NFL, too, especially for a place-kicker on a contending team. And Steve Hauschka's three missed field goals -- he gagged on a 36-yarder last night against the Cleveland Browns and also had a PAT-attempt blocked --finally cost him his job. The Ravens waived him this afternoon.

Too bad it didn't work out for Hauschka in Baltimore. He's a good kid and a stand-up guy who never tried to alibi for his misses.

In training camp, he was bombarded with questions on a daily basis about what it was like to replace Mr. Automatic, Matt Stover. And Hauchka said all the right things. He praised Stover over and over, talked about how much he'd learned at the foot of the Kick-Master last season when they were teammates, talked about how grateful he was that the Ravens were confident enough in him to make him their kicker.

Now he's gone. After just nine games.

It shows you how demanding the job of an NFL kicker is. And how pressurized it is, too.

Three strikes -- three misses -- and you're out.

I hope Steve Hauschka catches on with another NFL team. But if he doesn't, it also shows you how fleeting an NFL career can be.

Bud Adams fined for obscene gesture to Bills fans

2009-11-17T17:39:38Z

Is there anything more entertaining than a nut-job owner of a sports franchise?

We had one here in Baltimore years ago. His name was Robert Irsay. He owned the Baltimore Colts. And before he called in the Mayflower vans and moved the team to Indianapolis in the early 80's, his bizarre antics -- often fueled by a healthy appetite for alcohol -- alternately amused and horrified sports fans in this town.

Now here is 86-year-old Bud Adams, owner of the Tennessee Titans, who appears to be a worthy successor to Irsay.

During the Titans 41-17 pasting of the Buffalo Bills in Nashville last Sunday, Adams was captured on camera giving the finger to Bills fans from his luxury suite.

Apparently concerned that they didn't get the full meaning of the gesture, he repeated it on the sidelines moments later.

Just having a little fun with the out-of-town fans, was probably Adams thinking at the time.

But that's not the kind of fun the suits at NFL corporate headquarters can handle -- especially when it's captured on film and played on every newscast in the country, not to mention Internet web sites all over the world.

So the league fined Adams $250,000. And he issued a statement of apology, adding: "I got caught up in the excitement of a great day, but I do realize that those types of things shouldn't happen."

Again, the man is 86 years old.

All of Nashville is still buzzing over the incidents.

Sigh. I remember when we used to have that kind of buzz around here.

Ravens-Browns: Ugly Football 101

2009-11-17T12:52:08Z

Hey, Ravens fans, feeling better about your team this morning? No, I didn't think so.

Sure, a win is a win in the NFL. But this ugly 16-0 victory over the Browns on "Monday Night Football" didn't exactly allay any fears that the Ravens are nothing more than a .500 football team right now.

The team got off to another slow start. The offense continued to look listless. Kicker Steve Hauschka looked very shaky, hooking a 36-yard field goal attempt and having an extra-point try blocked.

He's a basket case right now. Don't be surprised if the Ravens give him his walking papers and sign another kicker, pronto, especially with the undefeated Indy Colts coming into town this weekend.

The Ravens also suffered a couple of key injuries to Terrell Suggs (knee sprain) and Haruki Nakamura (broken ankle.)

Hoo, boy.

But for all the Ravens' problems right now, the one good thing you can say is: at least they're not the Browns.

Is that team a mess or what? The offense is a joke. Poor Brady Quinn was terrible at quarterback all night. He seemed WAY too amped up, throwing fastballs at his receivers from 10 yards away -- and inaccurate fastballs at that. If he's listed as the starter again next week, the Browns might as well not even show up for the game.

No wonder Cleveland Browns Stadium was emptying by the middle of the third quarter and practically deserted by the time the game ended.

How much ugly football can Browns fans take?

No wonder there's so much heavy-drinking in the Dawg Pound. You'd HAVE to be loaded to watch that team.

Jimmy Football: Make Him Go Away

2009-11-16T17:29:45Z

I used to think Flo, the weird-looking babe in those Progressive car insurance commercials with the crazy hair and spray-painted make-up, was the most annoying TV pitch-person in history.

Then Bud Light trotted out Jimmy Football.

Is it me or does this guy get on your last nerve in these "Tailgate-tested, Tailgate-approved" spots? I want to close a tailgate on his head.

I whimpered through the Bud Light Grooler spot. I cried softly through the Bud Light Foozie spot. I wept through the Bud Light Tailgate Companion spot.

"Make it stop!" I said to my wife, because she had the remote.

But the spot for the Bud Light 3-in-1 condiment gun sent me over the edge.

Watching Jimmy Football pretend to spray ketchup, mustard and relish in rapid-fire, machine-gun fashion from what looks like a caulking gun, a look of pure rapture on his face, over-loaded my central nervous system.

I started shaking all over. And I haven't stopped since.

I read somewhere that Jimmy Football is a spoof of recently-deceased, ulta-loud TV pitchman Billy Mays.

The man must be rolling over in his grave.

Belichick's Bodacious Brain-Cramp

2009-11-16T12:50:32Z

Oh, what a game last night between the Patriots and Colts! Oh, what an amazing finish, the 1-yard dart Peyton Manning threw to glue-handed Reggie Wayne with 13 seconds left that pushed Indianapolis to a 35-34 win!

Oh, what a mental meltdown by Bill Belichick!

What in the world was New England's resident sideline genius thinking?

With the Pats leading 34-28 and 2:08 remaining, the Hoodie Master went for a first down instead of punting the ball on a fourth-and-two situation from New England's 28-yard line.

Yes, his own 28-yard line!

Who did Belichick think was quarterbacking the Colts: Kyle Boller?

You can't give Peyton Manning, maybe the best quarterback of all time, the ball on your 28-yard line with the game on the line.

"PUNT IT AWAY! PUNT IT AWAY!" -- that's what every Patriots fan with half a brain was screaming. "AT LEAST MAKE MANNING GO THE LENGTH OF THE FIELD!"

But the Hoodie Master had other ideas.

Or maybe no ideas.

The Pats went for it, Kevin Faulk was stopped inches short of a first down, and Manning took over a whole 28 yards from paydirt.

Cue the theme from "Jaws." The Patriots were chum in the water.

Which is what Coach Hoodie is this morning to the Boston media. They're killing him. And with good reason.

His arrogance -- or his brain-cramp -- cost the Patriots a win and the conference title.

Unbelievable.

Kim Yu-Na still rules the kingdom

2009-11-15T21:14:38Z

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. // How about that? Kim Yu-Na puts her skates on one foot at a time.

Banners around the rink at Skate America Sunday afternoon hearalded the much-anticipated coronation of the "Queen," who set a world record in the short program the previous day. Members of the Korean community, some of them arriving by charter bus from New York City, filled the seats and waved Korean flags.

But Kim's long program performance was anything but regal. She fell once and lurched from one element to another, showing none of the grace and style that marked her as the woman to beat at the Vancouver Olympics in February. Only three of her planned six triple jumps were clean.

However, on the strength of the short program, she carried the day with a final score of 187.98.

American Rachael Flatt took the long program by five points, landing seven clean triple jumps and faltering only in the final seconds when she botched a combination spin. Her final score was 174.91, good for the silver medal.

Hungary's Julia Sebestyen finished third, with a score of 159.03.

Returning to competition for the first time in more than a year, U.S. skater Emily Hughes finished 52 points behind the winner for seventh place. Teammate Alexe Gilles took 10th place.

]]> "It's pretty cool," said Flatt of beating Kim in the long program. "It shows everyone makes mistakes."

Kim, the reigning world champion who trains in Canada, admitted the pressure of expectations for another world-record performance rattled her. After a flawed triple jump combination and a fall on the next element, a triple flip, she could not regain her focus.

"I think I learned a lot today," said Kim of her error-filled performance. "It could happen at any time."

Flatt's showing was one of the few bright spots for the immediate future of the U.S. women's program and for Vancouver. The other is Ashley Wagner, who medaled at both of her Grand Prix assignments to secure a spot at the Grand Prix Final in Tokyo next month.

The U.S. championship has changed hands five times in the past five years: Michelle Kwan, Sasha Cohen, Bel Air's Kimmie Meissner, Mirai Nagasu and Alissa Czisny.

The fact that U.S. Figure Skating had to rush Hughes in as a last-munte replacement for the hobbled Cohen at Skate America only reinforces the cupboard-is-bare image. Hughes, who left competitive skating to attend Harvard University, had been in the process of trying to qualify for Nationals through regional and sectional competitions.

Cohen, the 2006 Olympic silver medalist who hasn't competed in three years, is hurt, Meissner is out for the year with an injury. Nagasu seems to lack the discipline of a champion. Czisny, the reigning title holder, has a history of imploding in the spotlight.

Czisny, Nagasu and Caroline Zhang will compete next weekend at Skate Canada, the last Grand Prix before the Final and then U.S. Nationals, where the two spots on the Olympic squad will be filled.

"A lot can happen in two months," said Hughes.

But probably not another "poor" showing by Kim.

***

2009 Skate America

* Skate America TV schedule (bottom of article)

* Baltimore Sun story on the first Skate America

* Sun slideshow from 2006 Skate America

* Sun coverage of Kimmie Meissner: Stories | Photos

Hamilton and Meissner on Ice

2009-11-14T23:43:27Z

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. // Kimmie Meissner will return to the ice for the first time since her August knee injury and 1984 Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton will go head over heels on a pair of skates -- his signature trick -- in a live music ice show on Dec. 29.

For Hamilton, the Holiday Concert on Ice presented an opportunity to get back in skating shape since his retirement five years ago and return to the spotlight and audiences he missed.

For Meissner, the former national and world champion from Bel Air, the show was a way to work with one of her sports heroes.

"Any chance I get to be with Scott and work with Scott, I'm there," she said. "He has spent his life helping and inspiring others. Who wouldn't want to be skating with him?"

]]> Others in the show include Steven Cousins, Ekaterina Gordeeva and the ice dancing team of Patrice Lauzon and Marie-France Dubreuil.

A band based in Nashville, Hamilton's home, will back American Idol contestants Phil Stacey and Melissa Doolittle.

Hamilton skated the first show of his comeback last weekend at his charity event in Cleveland, with Meissner in the front row. Physically, his body held up and his spirits soared with the sound of applause.

Hamilton hopes to do more than just the Lake Placid show, which he labeled "a prototype." He'd like to produce and perform live music shows to give skaters a way to extend their careers once their competitive days are over.

He relearned his back flip first at a gym with an instructor and then in a harness at a rink. Saturday afternoon, he performed two on a side rink at the Olympic Center while Skate America competition went on next door.

His last back flip in 2004 ended in disaster. Weakened after treatment for a benign brain tumor, he landed "on my forehead, shoulder and knee, in that order."

Hamilton said he knew that if he returned, fans would want to see the trick jump.

"I got over my fear in about 3 or 4 days. Doing it in Cleveland was scary," said Hamilton, adding that he continues to challenge his 51-year-old body.

"I'm a work in progress. I have a long way to go, but I'm getting there," Hamilton said with a grin.

***

2009 Skate America

* Skate America TV schedule (bottom of article)

* Baltimore Sun story on the first Skate America

* Sun slideshow from 2006 Skate America

* Sun coverage of Kimmie Meissner: Stories | Photos

High anxiety and other thoughts

2009-11-14T15:19:58Z

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. // This two-time Olympic town gets its picture-postcard good looks from the looming Adirondack Mountains that rise in the distance.

Forty-six peaks stand at more than 3,800 feet, from Mount Marcy, at 5,344, the state's tallest, to

3,820-foot Couchsachraga.

It's enough to give a figure skater nose bleeds. Or play tricks with body and mind.

People's Exhibit A: World champion and two-time U.S. champion Evan Lysacek, who stood sweaty and somewhat breathless Friday evening after his short program at Skate America.

]]>

His programs, he explained, are still works in progress, with U.S. Nationals in January the competition where everything must come together to make the Olympic team.

A foot injury played havoc with his training schedule for eight weeks earlier this year and Lysacek said is still trying to regain his strength.

And then there's the challenge of the difference in elevation between his training town of El Segundo, Calif., and Lake Placid, he continued.

Lysacek apparently failed diner placemat geography. While El Segundo is at 100 feet above sea level, Lake Placid is a mere 1,700 feet higher.

That's hardly Mexico City or Colorado Springs or Park City, Utah -- mile-high cities all, where thin air can cause training issues.

And if Lysacek is bothered by Lake Placid, just imagine how he'll struggle at Nationals in Spokane, elevation 1,879 feet. Oh wait, he won the U.S. title there in 2007.

Nevermind.

Cancer outreach organization 'a natural fit'

Lance Armstrong set the tone, an athlete taking on the "C" word when sports and cancer were seldom mentioned in the same breath.

Cancer has become hard to ignore in figure skating with stars such as Scott Hamilton, Dorothy Hamill and Peggy Fleming all being treated for it.

U.S. Figure Skating and the American Society of Clinical Oncology have signed a one-year sponsorship deal that gives ASCO exposure through the naming rights to Skate America, now called Cancer.Net Skate America, and gives the figure skating organization an off-ice outreach program.

Both parties call the arrangement "a natural fit," but neither side would say how much money changed hands to make the fit snug.

Hamilton said that when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1997, there were few places for patients to get "rules of engagement" -- treatment information that wasn't written in complicated medical language.

Dr. Allen Lichter, ASCO chief executive officer, said the aim of the Cancer.net Web site is "to get the best information in the hands of patients, doctors and family members."

Hamilton, the 1984 Olympic gold medalist, agreed. "Knowledge is comfort. Knowledge is power," said Hamilton, who called Cancer.net a place that provides, "a message of survivorship."

Tara being Tara

It's been more than a decade since 15-year-old pixie Tara Lipinski took Olympic gold in Nagano, Japan, then disappeared into the world of ice tours and "acting." (Who could forget her turn in the TV show, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. We laughed. We cried.)

But she still thinks she deserves the star treatment, ranging from plane ticket upgrades and tickets for her mother and another traveling companion to a better hotel than the one used by mere figure skating mortals.

And while other people patiently waited on the line to receive their credentials, Lipinski marched to the front only to be put in her place by a seen-it-all volunteer, who appeared to be of 1980 Olympics vintage.

When you've seen speedskater Eric Heiden win five Olympic gold medals at the oval in front of the high school just steps aways and the "Miracle on Ice" hockey team beat the Soviet juggernaut on the rink just around the corner, Lipinski is just another a washed-up ice princess.

***

2009 Skate America

* Skate America TV schedule (bottom of article)

* Baltimore Sun story on the first Skate America

* Sun slideshow from 2006 Skate America

* Sun coverage of Kimmie Meissner: Stories | Photos

No cobwebs on their rocking chairs

2009-11-14T01:59:58Z

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. // The pairs team of Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao picked up where they left off after a two-year retirement from figure skating, collecting 74.36 points for first place in the short program at Skate America.

Tatiana Volosozhar and Stanislav Morozov of the Ukraine are in second behind the Chinese pair with a score of 61.70 and Meagan Duhamel and Craig Buntin of Canada are in third place with a score of 59.64.

Dressed all in black and skating to Firebird, world champion and two-time U.S. champion Evan Lysacek won the men's short program with an explosive performance that earned him a score of 79.17.

"Overall, I like the program a lot," said Lysacek. It's something very different for me. It will continue to grow and improve."

France's Florent Amodio finished second with a score of 72.65. Brandon Mroz, in his second full season as a member of the U.S. senior team, is in third place with a score of 71.40. The men will conclude their competition Saturday evening with the free skate.

It's been 25 years since a U.S. man holding the world title went on to win Olympic gold. That skater, Scott Hamilton, is acting as Lysacek's mentor this season, counseling him on handling the spotlight and pressure.

"I don't think anyone is the one to beat in Vancouver," said Lysacek, brushing aside questions about being the front runner.

]]> The emotional high point of the first day of competition was the comeback of Shen and Zhao. At 36, Zhao has made a career of battling back from injuries, including a ruptured Achilles tendon the year before the 2006 Winter Games. As the pair attempted to get back into shape, he suffered knee, back and shoulder injuries.

"I'm young," he said, smiling, after a program that featured seamless side-by-side jumps and spins and effortless lifts and throws.

The two-time world champions and 2006 Olympic bronze medalists quit competitive skating and got married in 2007. They were featured players in the Stars on Ice tour until they decided last May to return to competition because, as Zhao said, "we dream" of an Olympic gold medal.

They received no deductions and piled on the points for execution. The free skate is Saturday afternoon.

***

2009 Skate America

* Skate America TV schedule (bottom of article)

* Baltimore Sun story on the first Skate America

* Sun slideshow from 2006 Skate America

* Sun coverage of Kimmie Meissner: Stories | Photos