Here's todays sports news
Week Around the -ists
Londonist are starting to think their city is getting just a little bit too expensive, when even Christian Slater can't afford to go out there. And there's no escaping, as local singer Lily Allen discovered when she was barred entry to the US. The British mapping agency caused further bad karma, by blocking a 3-D representation of London in Google Earth. But the smiles returned to Londonist's faces as they interviewed Baroness von Reichardt, who has completely covered her house in mosaic tiles.
It's All-Star Time
We have to admit to becoming positively stoked about all the All Star Festivities these days, especially as tonight is the big Home Run Derby. Local sports talk radio is all over it, ESPN is here, Fox has been promoting the hell out of it, and Jay Z is even throwing a party for it (and hey, Hovah, if you happen to be reading this and want to help hype it by having an on the spot reporter, just drop us a line). And we're not the only ones excited-- reports say that the All Star Game is bringing the city big bucks.
Eating For The Ages
Ladies and gentlement, we give you San Jose's Mr. Joey Chestnut, who yesterday secured his place in history by eating sixty-six Nathan's hotdogs in 12 minutes in Nathan's yearly 4th of July competition. In doing so, Chestnut earned the coveted "Yellow Mustard Belt."
Football (Real Football) Comes to Stanford
We've written before about our love of soccer but unfortunately, being here in the States, it's a little hard to get the full flavor of it. Major League Soccer isn't quite that exciting and there's no longer a franchise here. There are also plenty of places in the city to watch some Premiere League (and occasional Serie A games) but it's not quite the same as watching the games in Europe. Also, we don't like to get up early.
So we're kind of excited over the news that Stanford is going to host a game between the Premiere League's Chelsea and Mexico's Club America on July 14th.
Netroots Powers, Activate!
Now that Netroots have slowed down on the Tauscher hating, they've moved onto another subject to which their ire is drawn, KSFO. One of the diarists on Daily Kos is telling the story of poor Spocko the Blogger. Spocko had a thing about KSFO for whatever reason and decided to record bits and pieces of various shows with the hopes of capturing of something truly appallingly in bad taste and full of invective. Our guess is that he probably spent a good ten minutes or so before he had enough damning evidence. With recorded bits and pieces of the shows. Spocko the Blogger turned some of the quotes into mp3s and sent them to various sponsors of KSFO shows as well as their corporate overlords. The obvious reason, of course, is to show those holding the purse strings just what they are spending money on.
Who Reads Yesterdays Sports Papers?
First, onto baseball:
The Giants are now on a three-game roll after taking two from the Cubbies and beating the Reds in ten innings Monday. Your Black & Orange hero? Shea Hillenbrand who hit the game-winning home run in extra innings. That trade is suddenly looking less like a total disaster these days. Also of note, the heating up of Barry Bonds who hit numero 730 and has now hit five home runs in his past six starts. That gulp you're hearing is of pitchers in the NL, other teams in the Wild Card hunt, and officials at Major League Baseball now pondering the meaning of a so hot right now Barry. The Giants have now won 15 of 21 and are for the first time in a long while, .500. No, we're not going to go there as of yet but we're starting to disbelieve our disbelief.
Yeah, It's Always Sunny in San Francisco-- What Of It?
This morning while drinking our coffee and surfing the Web, we went to Deadspin and saw this little blurb about Giants' fans treatment of Phillies pitcher Brett Myers. Myers was cited for taking a few swings at his wife and in typical jock-land style, was treated by kid gloves by his employers and the rest of Major League Baseball. Yesterday was Myers first day back from his tiny, tiny suspension and we guess didn't get booed vociferously enough for some people. Thus the Deadspin post, snarking on us Giants. That's followed by the usual snide comments about hippies, overwrought political correctness, and too many lame-ass corporate fans.
Across the -ist Network
Sampaist is on the scene in São Paulo beginning this week to become the only ist south of the Equator. Editor Leandro M. Pinto leads the paulistanos down there.
Where's Barry?
is reporting that Major League Baseball is investigating Barry Bonds and looking into his various troubles. Dude has 99 problems and, yes, a, umm, "woman" is one. Let's see, there's possible income tax evasion, possible perjury, and the whole steroid thing. And then there's the latest problem- the surgeon who performed Barry's latest knee surgery, a Dr. Albert Ting, has been reprimanded twice by the California State Medical Board and is on probation for "unprofessional conduct." Among one of those things he’s been accused of is prescribing:
"dangerous drugs and controlled substances to friends and acquaintances, particularly athletes, for whom he kept no medical records or for whom the medical records were fictitious, inadequate or inaccurate."Ting denies the charges and is the team physician of the San Jose Sharks (for what that's worth these days) so he isn't that much of a quack. Still, when you have a player accused of using illegal substances using a trainer known to disperse illegal substances then going to a doctor accused of making illegal prescriptions well, oy vay. Say this for Barry, he sure knows how to pick 'em, don't he?
It's Opening Day!
Sunday night in the Bronx, the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox, 9-2. As everyone knows, that means the Yankees will win the 2005 World Series.
The Essefficist Cares. Sort of.
San Francisco's favorite but least read Q&A columnist, the Essefficist, answers a question about what you can order online if you're really missing San Francisco.
Let's Go Out To The Court-Room...
Spring is in the air -- can you smell it? It's that intoxicating mix of grass, red clay, pine tar and chaw. That's right -- pitchers and catchers report in just a few hours, and no, we're not talking about a party in Key West.
Giants Get 2007 All-Star Game
Making official something that's been talked about for months, Major League Baseball today announced that the 2007 All-Star Game will be held at the Stadium Formerly Known as Pac Bell Park. Isn't it nice to have some news about Bay Area baseball that doesn't involve injecting things in people's asses? The Giants last hosted the Midsummer Classic in 1984 and also held one in 1961, a game remembered primarily for pitcher Stu Miller getting blown off the mound by the Candlestick wind.
Oye, Futbol!
Things aren't looking good for professional sports in San Jose. It seems that because of dismal attendance and the lack of a new stadium, the Anschutz Group is looking to sell the San Jose Earthquakes to Mexico's Club America [Espanol], who would then shop them to cities in Texas - including Houston, San Antonio and Dallas.

