West Coast Bias

Jazz Owner Chooses Sunday Silence, and I Applaud Him

    Around these parts, Sandy Koufax is famous for missing game 1 of the 1965 World Series to observe Yom Kippur. Shawn Green did a similar thing more than 40-years later in the heat of a pennant race, and took similar heat for it.  The Dodgers won the division, and Koufax won games 5 and 7 against the Twins.  Green's wasn't a World Series, and this Sunday if far from the holy level of Yom Kippur.  But I applaud Jazz owner Larry Miller, (my brother's namesake,) for saying he won't attend Sunday's game between his team and the Lakers, in deference to his Mormon faith.  He's gone so far as to say he won't even watch it on TV, which will be especially tough if the Jazz are either facing elimination, or looking to even the series.  Fortunately for Miller, and the predominantly Mormon population in the Jazz host city, this will be the first playoff game on a Sunday there in seven years.  It's a shame more professional schedulers and TV programmers don't take this into account, especially when placing Sunday NFL games at noon eastern, and cramming Christmas and Thanksgiving with marquee sports matchups.  The Lakers have become almost as synonymous with Christmas Day, as the Cowboys and Packers are with Thanksgiving.  I know preachers have a lot of material to come up with with 52 sermons a year or more, but giving them fodder to reference "the game," or "getting you out of here early," or even "counter-programming" services to maximize attendance is not a spiritual deficit we need to be deepening.

What's There to be Biased About in the East, Especially in the NBA?

     I call this thing West Coast Bias for a reason, same reason the radio show I did here had the same name, until a Stepford from Bristol talked us into changing it.  By the way, the record ratings we had less than two years ago, are barely half that now, where decisions like that are made, but that's a different column. 
    I've got a west coast bias for a reason, even though I grew up in suburban Chicago, spent 12-years in the south, and eight in Bristol.  It's those 8-years in Bristol that cemented my anti-east coast bias, in direct proportion to the hideous, histrionic, heresy that continues to this day, that everything in the world, especially in sports, starts and ends with New York, sometimes through Boston, and then, whomever they happen to be playing against.  I endured four more years of it doing major league baseball games, in which seemingly every other broadcast was the Yankees, the Mets, or the Red Sox, and the world stopped spinning when they happened to be playing each other.  But enough of that, you're well aware of it out here, where life is better, brighter, freer, and three hours earlier.  There are lots of ways to illustrate this, but I give you the NBA's Western Conference.  Have you been able to get through even one complete Eastern Conference telecast?  Even if you were immobilized and hospitalized, there's no way you could endure that torture.  Their finals are 3rd quarter scores from the Rio Grande west, and an eastern field goal percentage is a typical 3-point shooting night in the west.The best thing about the Eastern Conference games out here, is that they're over by the time you get home.  Actually, even better than that, is that TNT's incomparable studio crew is so punchy by the time the west coast games end in Atlanta, they're edgier and funnier than usual. If everyone's rooting for a Celtics/Lakers final, out here it's only to lay waste to the eastern basketball way of life.  The Hornets/Lakers conference final will be far more entertaining than that letdown, and I'd rather see Kobe get retribution for having Detroit take 2004 from him. Tony Parker and the Spurs used to be too fast for the Lakers.  Now they're finding out what it's like courtesy of New Orleans.

Lakers in Five, In Case You Didn't See Me Say It On TV Before the Jazz Hit Town

     Just so I can get this posted before they tip game 2, and because I didn't get it on here before Sunday, Lakers in five.  Never thought Deron Williams would have a game that bad, and firmly believe he'll have one difference making performance, but probably not in Los Angeles, unless it were to come in game 5.  I said going into the Nuggets series, and was chastised vehemently by our own Lakers expert John Ireland for ever suggesting it, let alone on live TV. that the Lakers would have nothing to worry about until the conference finals.   I'll post about that when it gets here, but I wanted this on record in writing here on the blog, even though you hopefully heard it on Sports Central.  If the Jazz should spoil Kobe's MVP night tonight, I'll be here to be accountable as always, but had to get this out before tip.  And in case it's dead wrong, (and it won't be,) I DID have a sweep of the Nuggets.

Bissinger gets Buzzed Deader Than W.C. Heinz

     If you haven't seen it yet, and you consider yourself in tune with sports on the internet, radio and TV., or even if you don't, either Tivo a replay of Tuesday's live version of HBO's "Costas Now," or check out the clips that are flooding the internet.  Although the corsifying of sports media in general, including radio and to a lesser degree television, (i.e. the "Foxification" of sports,)was explored,  the main, and most explosive thrust of the program was what the internet, and specifically, blogging, has done to turn the industry inside out.  You've already seen me blog on the decline of the L.A. Times staffing and quality, with many of its best contributors jumping to the web, and I've railed on what's happening to L.A's sports talk radio, but this was the first broad national discussion of the issue, carried live, and in front of a studio audience.   I come from the "school" that produced Costas, and panelists like Dan Patrick, and "Mike and the Mad Dog."  There's no question I lean more towards my generation, and that approach;  but that point of view could hardly have had a more disastrous spokesman than Buzz Bissinger.  A loud, angry, profane, Louis Black look-a-like, who turned "Deadspin" creator Will Leitch into a sympathetic figure.   And by the way, I had no idea who W.C. Heinz was, but Leitch did, completely disarming Buzz's planned blitzkrieg on editorial ignorance.

     Here's where I stand, a blogger myself, or as I prefer to be recognized, a columnist.  Blogging has done more than its share of disservice to journalism, and a lot of it is juvenile, mean and vindictive.  Much of it is also purveyed by guys who have never been in a lockeroom, or had anyone edit their copy.  But it usually doesn't take more than a read or two to sort out the qualified point of view,  from the internet graffiti.  The best thing about the L.A. Times, Daily News, and other newspapers now, is their websites, especially the blogs, either like this, done in addition to the columns in print, or like the Kamenetzky brothers at the Times, a daily outlet with the Lakers and Dodgers, including regular dugout and lockeroom visits.  I'm grateful "Awful Announcing"'s website wasn't around when I was at Sportscenter, or Up Close, but if you don't embrace them, and make room for them to sit next to you, they'll kick YOU off the bus.  Some blogs have already made other blogs obsolete.  Ben Maller's used to be my first read every morning, with stories from papers around the country on the top sports items of the day.  Most days I don't even check it anymore, and my morning order goes something like this, "Deadspin," "The Big Lead," "Awful Announcing," occasionally "Fire Joe Morgan," perhaps "Men that look like Old Lesbians," and then link, link, link to the dozens of sights listed in their margins.  I'm sure that order will change, maybe by the end of the year.  All I ask is that you take it all in, no matter your age, choose your favorites, and leave room for an experienced opinion that spans the generations, and can give some context to the instantaneous information, that will make this old news before I even post it.

Things Start to Line Up as Dodgers Figure Out Lineup

     What a difference a week makes, as the seemingly down and out Dodgers, left for dead just three weeks into the season, end up with a winning April, and go from last place to 2nd.  Their last loss was to the best team in baseball so far, Arizona, but it was also a game in which Chad Billingsley struck out 12 Diamondbacks in five innings, but still gave up five runs and lost.  Once again Wednesday in Florida, Billingsley had electric stuff; just take a look at all the bruises on Russell Martin whose body was the last line of defense before the backstop.  Once again the 5th inning was his undoing, but this time Billingsley rung up a strikeout with the bases loaded, and has now put down 38 batters on strikes in his last 27-2/3rd innings.  There's no better example of the Blue Crew turnaround than Martin.  Bounced all over the lineup, trying to find his swing while he struggled to stay over .100, during the Dodgers run of winning 7 of 9, he's reached base nearly 70% of the time, and even gotten in a pair of games at 3rd base.  I'm pretty sure Joe Torre isn't reading this blog, but ever since I wrote that you HAVE to have Matt Kemp in there everyday, the team's most fearsome power threat has not only been there everyday, he's found a home in the three hole.  Andruw Jones is still doing next to nothing, but he's batting 7th, and at least starting to drive the ball.  If Kuroda gives them another strong outing Thursday morning, L.A. can match any team in the league for throwing out four quality starters at the front of their rotation.  There's no way they'll keep scoring 8-runs a game, and won't be an offensive force, but they should score enough for the quality of the pitching staff, and may even make up some more ground on Arizona in May.  The 2nd month can't help but start better.

Andruw Needs Time Off, Not Extra Time in the Cage

·         Talked with Andruw Friday about his choice for music when he gets introduced at Dodger Stadium, "Three Little Birds."  He told me he just loves Bob Marley, and the "don't you worry, about a thing, because every little thing, gonna' be alright," is not necessarily his approach to life or baseball.  Wouldn't't be a bad idea though, the way things are going in his first season in L.A., and especially to hum it in his head to drown out the "boos" that reign down on him when he's introduced, or makes his latest out.  What works against Andruw with the fans, is if Dodgers followers aren't familiar with him, they'll think his smirking, lackadaisical looking approach while on the diamond, means he doesn't care.  That has always been Jones' demeanor, even in his best seasons, so don't read anything into that, he's simply lost at the plate.  Hitting coach Mike Easler assures me, Andruw is not only out early before every game taking extra hitting, he actually went into the cages for an hour AFTER the game Thursday night.  Maybe it's time to take a day off from B.P., because hard as he tries, nothing's working right now.

USC Graduates to the NFL, Abandon Shipp, and Bench Andruw

Bullet points to put a cap in this final Sunday in April.

·         If USC had four first round draft picks, seven guys go on day one, and ten total players taken in two days, how'd they ever lose a game this season?  Is it possible Pete Carroll is "over"-rated?

·         If Josh Shipp hadn't lost enough confidence by missing every three he took in February, and his performance in the Pac-10 and NCAA tournaments, he's inviting another huge ego blow by declaring for the NBA draft on Sunday.  He should be worrying about getting a starting job back with the Bruins.

·         Go back to this winter's blog entries, and you'll see I never like the Andruw Jones signing from the beginning.  Not even I could have anticipated it would be THIS awful, but Joe Torre has got to start sitting him, and for godsakes, PLEASE, never bat him second again.

·         Matt Kemp may have some serious attitude and instinct issues, but he is the ONLY serious homerun threat on this roster.  If you give the 2008, (or even 2006 or '07 versions) Andruw Jones 500 at bats, and Kemp the same, what would the numbers be?  I'd say, Jones .219, 22 HR, 71 rbi, Kemp, .276, 27 HR, 74 rbi.  Don't drag the sophomore down by squandering too many of those 500 at bats on the fat contracted Jones.

Nuggets First NBA Team to Lose Best of Seven Series in 3-Games

     Are the Nuggets the most unlikeable opponent the Lakers have faced in a postseason in recent years? They are for me. I've already blogged about the excessive inking scrawled all over them, but as this series has gone along, I've liked them even less. They're no fun to watch, or really even to beat. They're so one dimensional, even the constant "wired" T.V. rantings of their coach about playing defense, any defense at all, go completely unheeded. It's actually a detriment to the Lakers, who will have to rely on practices to get ready for their next round opponent, because the Nuggets haven't given them any concept of resistance to running what ever they want, however they want to. Atleast TNT's Jeff Van Gundy called out coach Karl for exhorting players to do something they've never done, nor have any intention of doing, and thank god for Van Gundy for calling out Mark Jackson's absurd hyperbole that "Alan Iverson is the best pound for pound player in NBA history." Try most over-rated player in NBA history. He will be a Hall of Famer, and is a prolific scorer, but his shooting percentage is an atrocity, and he scores bushels of some of the most meaningless and hollow points I've ever seen. He sat most of the 4th quarter Saturday, and although Carmello Anthony wouldn't call him, or any other teammate out by name, his words about "we quit," fit Iverson more than any other Nugget. It was nice of Anthony to atleast tell the truth in the wake of this latest humiliation, but the young man whose latest "mistake" was a recent D-U-I, is now 4-18 in his professional playoff career, and most likely 4-19 by Monday night.