February 6, 2010, 4:08 pm
Dodgers caravan chases away Barry Bonds from chicken, waffles
Big League Stew

Barry Bonds(notes) just cannot win right now.•Â Nobody will hire him to play baseball. •Â His 20-year-old son is going to trial for spitting in his own mother's face and other misdemeanors.•Â The dude can't even get himself some chicken and waffles without being beaten to the punch by the San Francisco Giants' greatest rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers.Thanks to Roberto Baly over at Vin Scully Is My Homeboy, we have a detailed blog-witness account of what happened when Bonds and the Dodgers winter caravan collided at Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles, a Hollywood institution and celebrity hotspot.Barry don't get no waffles — that's what happens!I like this photo, mostly because the sun shines on Roberto (he's the angelic figure at the far left) but there's a dark shadow cast over most of Bonds. Hey, hasn't Barry been associated with shadows somewhere before?Below, more details from the Roscoe's stop on the caravan. Hurry up and get inside, Barry, or else you'll miss Lady Gaga! As if the earlier presence of Gaga wasn't enough, and with such Dodgers as Matt Kemp(notes), James McDonald(notes), Ramon Troncoso(notes) and Fernando Valenzuela (above) already there, the fan's feeding frenzy got that much greater outside when word got around that Bonds was stopping by for brunch. Take it away, Roberto.From VSIMH:Looks like Mr. Bonds wanted to eat some Chicken and Waffles. He didn't know there were so many Dodger fans inside the building. Fans came out and asked for his autograph. Believe it or not, he did sign. He was in a good mood (I'm not kidding) until a fan gave him a ball and told him [to write] "In the sweet spot."Wow. I guess he's a rookie. I shook my head. Another fan by my side looked at him and whispered "Are you nuts?" I knew what was going to happen next.Bonds snapped. "You don't say that to me," he said. "I'm leaving, I got to go." Dodgers fans had chased Barry Bonds out of Roscoe's! An

 

February 8, 2010, 2:49 pm
Super Bowl XLIV was the most-watched TV show in history
Shutdown Corner

Move over Hawkeye, Super Bowl XLIV is now the most-watched television program in history. Sunday's game between the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts drew 106.5 million viewers, barely edging out the 105.97 million who watched the series finale of "M*A*S*H" in 1983. It's the first time ever that a sporting event in the United States has surpassed 100 million viewers. The soaring popularity of the NFL, Peyton Manning(notes), the hype around the Saints as an inspiration to New Orleans, the first Super Bowl between No. 1 seeds have since 1993 and the Mid-Atlantic blizzard combined to give the league its highest viewership of all-time. Just imagine if Brett Favre(notes) had been playing. A higher percentage of Americans watched the final episode of the M*A*S*H 27 years ago (approximately 45 percent of the population), but that was also in an era when cable was at its infancy and most people had just three networks from which to choose. Super Bowl XLIV had to go up against The Puppy Bowl, for pete's sake. Nielsen Co. reports that 153.4 million people watched at least part of the game, up from 151.6 million last year. In a television industry defined by declining viewership, the fact that the NFL's biggest game has done a better rating in each of the past five years is somewhat stunning. The audience is supposed to be getting more fragmented, not setting records. The presence of Peyton Manning was a huge force in the staggering numbers, but don't underestimate the role of the blizzard of 2010. Record-setting snow totals in the Mid-Atlantic kept people snowbound and likely increased the number of TVs tuned into the game. Amazingly, Super Bowl XLIV did a better rating in Washington D.C. (56.0) than it did in Indianapolis (54.2).

 

February 8, 2010, 5:20 pm
Game to pay attention to: Spurs vs. Lakers
Ball Don't Lie

San Antonio at Los Angeles Lakers Part of me - a big part of me - wants to point you toward Golden State and the Mavericks. Those two teams, even before the classic 2007 playoff series, have gone at it for years. People may not have been paying attention - remember this nonsense? It happened the same night as this brilliance - but the Warriors and Mavericks are natural enemies. Dog and cat stuff, here, lovelies. The problem with that is that the Warriors have about 1.75 players on their roster that recognize this enduring reality. Why? Because they're hurt. Too many injuries. Same reason (no Chris Paul(notes)) that I'm not staring straight at the Hornets and Magic. Lakers and Spurs? This goes back a while, as well. The Lakers used to own the Spurs. Made great Spurs teams timid. And yet, the two most underachieving Lakers teams of our lifetime - those 1999 and 2003 mugs - lost to the Spurs in the playoffs in series that weren't even close. Two TNT games, tonight, amongst the three. Not sure why. Don't care why. Comment away. Los Angeles Lakers: 39-13, 93.4 possessions per game (eighth), 109.5 points per 100 possessions (ninth), 102.6 points allowed per 100 possessions (fourth). San Antonio Spurs: 29-20, 91.4 possessions per game (22nd), 110 points scored per 100 possessions (seventh), 104.8 points allowed per 100 possessions (10th). All statistics courtesy basketball-reference.com.

 

February 8, 2010, 8:38 pm
Devils' Salmela taken off on stretcher after hit
Puck Daddy

One recurring topic of discussion this NHL season has been the number of questionable hits doled out whether from knee-on-knee collisions or those to the upper body/head region of a player. Every few weeks it seems another hit happens, Colin Campbell's name is brought up and the "Wheel of Justice" is spun. Sometimes punishment is handed out and sometimes the player in question gets off with a fine or no punishment at all.One of those hits that will debated into tomorrow occurred tonight during the New Jersey Devils-Philadelphia Flyers game. Newly acquired Anssi Salmela(notes) of the Devils had just scored his first goal for his new team early in the second period when Jeff Carter(notes) completed a body check moments after the puck was shot past Michael Leighton(notes) of the Flyers. Salmela landed face first onto the ice and lay motionless for a few minutes. No penalty was called on the play and as you'll see in this clip, Salmela was taken off the ice on a stretcher.In real-time the hit looks ugly, but the more you look at it, you realize that Carter is not skating towards Salmela from the red line at full speed like we saw in the David Koci hit on Mike Green. He takes a few quick strides to separate Salmela from the puck during a scoring play and uses his shoulder (keeping his elbow down) as the hit is delivered. His elbow only comes up after the hit is completed and it makes no direct contact with Salmela's head. As Carter tries the shoulder-on-shoulder hit, Salmela's head is already a bit lowered (not down) from him driving to the net. Unfortunately, the end result of Salmela laying motionless, face first on the ice may cause some initial outrage and calls for Campbell to discipline the Flyers forward.Salmela's agent, Jay Grossman, Tweeted tonight that the Devils defenseman suffered a refractured broken nose and lose some teeth. He didn't return to the game, but is expected to be okay.This hit will bring yet another round of debate regarding headshots

 

February 8, 2010, 10:54 am
Six things to steal from the NFL
Early Doors

From the moment in the first half when the ball sailed through Marques Colston's hands and clanged off his helmet, Early Doors realised its bet on the New Orleans Saints was not going to end well.Then something odd happened. The 'Aints' started to put points on the board while the Indianapolis Colts' receivers took turns to impersonate David James attempting to catch a cross. ...

 

February 8, 2010, 5:00 pm
Rio the wrong man for the job
Paul Parker

Rio Ferdinand wouldn't have been my choice to replace John Terry as England captain - I would have gone for Steven Gerrard.Maybe Fabio Capello likes to have centre-halves wearing the armband as they can see the play in front of them, but Rio is not even an automatic pick at this point.He has just come back from injury and earned himself a long ban through a silly elbow and a ridiculous appeal. ...

 

February 5, 2010, 12:12 pm
Mrs Grant gets it right
Jim White

When it comes to a scandal, Tzofit Grant demonstrated this week that she has the right idea. No retreat behind a super-injunction for the wife of Avram, no arranging for long-lens pictures of her blubbing on a beach in Dubai, no contracting Max Clifford to sell her side of the story to the highest bidder. Instead, the moment news of her husband's visit to a Portsmouth massage parlour became public knowledge, she did what many others ought to do: she laughed it all off. ...

 

February 2, 2010, 5:31 pm
Shocked to see Smalling go
Danny Murphy

Chris Smalling's transfer to Manchester United was a bit of a shock at the club, given the limited exposure he has had to Premier League football. There is no denying he is an extremely gifted footballer who has pace to burn, and is extremely strong in defence. His talent was recognised early by both Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger and his move gives him the opportunity to cut his teeth at one of the finest clubs in the country in Manchester United. ...