StaplesDunleavy

Ready for a Fight?

2006-08-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

Here on Google Video you'll find a fast-paced, heart-pounding 10 minute preview of the Ultimate Fighting Championship 60 taking place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Get a taste of the Hughes verses Royce Gracie action now. Watch the full fight on PPV Saturday, May 27th.

Click here to watch "Preview of UFC 60: Matt Hughes vs. Royce Gracie"

UFC llc
9 min 59 sec
60.ufc.com

Share your own videos instantly with the new web-based Google Uploader! Click here to upload your videos.

Obligatory World Cup Post

2006-07-31T22:50:00.000-07:00

Before I head down to Pacific Palisades for the big Malibu-Pali baseball game--Coach Dave Buss and his Malibu team are undefeated through four games in the American Legion season, but Pali is a tough opponent--I thought I'd post my obligatory observations about the World Cup. Apparently, all bloggers are required to comment on the World Cup regardless of whether or not they know anything about soccer. Believing that baseball is life (and life is baseball), all I can do is offer are a few random comments about the World Cup:

Switzerland defeated Togo, 2-0, today. Togo is now 0-2, which is too bad because some of us were hoping the 2006 World Cup would include at least one Togo Party.

Ejections in soccer, as anyone who watched the U.S.-Italy match on Saturday knows, are much less interesting than ejections in baseball. In the former, a guy wearing shorts with black socks blows a whistle and pulls a red card out of his shirt pocket to eject the offending player. In the latter, the ejection occurs when a guy who looks like a Marine Corps drill instructor yells "Yer outta here!" while throwing his fist in the general direction of the stands. And in soccer, the ejected player must confine his emotional display to a sad look combining understated hand gestures and facial contortions. Baseball ejections tend to be more verbal.

The absence of a clock (witness the Cal-State Fullerton comeback against Georgia Tech on Saturday in the College World Series and, on the same day, Oakland's 17-inning win over the Dodgers) makes baseball superior to soccer--or basketball or hockey for that matter. [UPDATE: The Cal State-Fullerton-Georgia Tech game was yesterday (Sunday), not Saturday. The baseball, soccer, and basketball--I didn't watch any hockey--all started running together on me.]

It's worth noting that 20,000 fans, almost all of them Korean-Americans, watched Saturday's match between South Korea and France at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Globalization, no? (France and South Korea tied, 1-1.)

Have I mentioned that there are no ties in baseball?

Soccer fans sing better than baseball fans. I've got to concede that point.

Anyway, I hope those of you who care about such things are enjoying the World Cup. Forza Azzurri!

[ANOTHER UPDATE: Malibu defeated Pacific Palisades, 12-1.]

And the Winner Is...

2006-07-24T14:00:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Toronto you have the #1 pick that nobody wanted

This was supposed to go up a week ago but I haven't had time to finish it up. Am I the only one that remembers the ping pong balls actually being televised on TV? I could have sworn growing up that is how I saw the draft lottery but the NBA says they never broadcast that portion of the lottery, maybe I was just dreaming of things when I was younger. It was a weird draft lottery as the perennial hosts of the lottery the Los Angeles Clippers were not in attendance. The Toronto Raptors get the #1 pick in one of the weakest drafts in recent memory. There are so many potential names as to who may be drafted #1 so we shall see how this shakes out in the next month until the draft.

Once again some Euro that most have never heard of is at the top of the list and Toronto has already gone to do some research on him. Ever since Dirk came in and blew up a lot of teams are taking gambles on these European players, most of which have not panned out. Only Pau Gasol has contributed, all the others haven't produced much, although I may be missing one or two.

If I had the #1 pick in this draft there would be a number of players I would be looking at but Bargnani would not be one of them. At the top of my list would be two players from the Pacific Northwest, Gonzaga's Adam Morrison and Washington's Brandon Roy. In addition to them I would take looks at LaMarcus Aldridge from Texas and Tyrus Thomas from LSU.

Dependent upon the team's needs I would make the choice from this list of 4. For the teams in the lottery though I would probably move Thomas out of consideration first. His claim to fame is the couple of games he played great in during the NCAA Tournament. I don't think he has shown on a consistent basis like the others that he is deserving of the #1 pick. He also is still very small to play the 4, much like most kids coming out into the draft now, and it isn't known how adding bulk to him will affect his game which is his agility and leaping ability.

There are rumors that the Lakers may want to move up, rumors that occur every season, but if they actually come true this year I would love to see Brandon Roy in a Lakers uniform. Many people don't realize that Brandon Roy was one of the first players to take advantage of the league allowing HS players to declare for the draft and then withdraw. Roy declared out of HS, which was a surprise to me considering he was on the Rivals 100 list at around #50. When he didn't get the feedback he liked he went to college and developed into the player that he is today.

Realistically with the Lakers at 26 there's a number of players that I would like to see, just depends on who falls. This list includes Rajon Rondo, nbadraft.net has him projected to the Lakers at this spot, but I highly doubt he'll still be on the board at that point. In addition to Rondo, Maurice Ager, Quincy Douby and possibly Leon Powe are players I would want to see suit up at Staples Center next year. Sure Ager is a Sparty but he is a player and would be a great addition to the Lakers as would Douby, who I've seen light it up for Rutgers the past few years. Powe is a big body that could be a very good NBA player but there are injury concerns as he has missed a lot of time due to his knees and who knows if the next one could end his career?
Miami ended up advancing last night to the NBA Finals so Shaq and D Wade has taken South Beach to the promised land, can they now bring it home? I love D Wade, he is one of my favorite players, but I cannot root for Miami as long as Shaq is there because it would make the Lakers trade of him worse than it already was and after all that trash he talked on LA I do not want him to win another championship.

The Mavericks have a chance to end the series tonight in Phoenix and I hope they do. Phoenix is the new version of the Sacramento Queens. I haven't seen a team complain and whine about calls since Vlade and co were up in Cow Town. Doesn't help that their owner acts like a douchebag as well. I really want the Mavs to win the championship since I don't want Miami or Phoenix to win. I hope Dallas can get it done tonight, I am a Nowitzness.

This is when I know I've been watching too much television

2006-07-18T13:36:00.000-07:00

Now, I know that the television networks are supposed to be in competition with each other -- but for ratings, not over which one sucks the most. If ABC is going to run a bunch of Wednesday night re-runs, then I wanna see a fresh episode of Veronica Mars. I know I'm a bad, bad American consumer-- I don't have TiVo. And I'm not a very good gay, either-- I don't care at all for America's Next Top Model. Now, some of my best friends and family members do like ANTM, but that won't stop me from being exiled from the Abbey. If I'm going to vegetate in front of the television as is my right as a God-fearin' 'merican, I want at the very least some fresh, sharply written and entertaining Veronica Mars that I haven't been able to see because it now airs at the same time as Lost. At least they repeated the episode with "La Mer." And every time they repeat an episode of Lost, you have to wonder if they're jiggling some newly pertinent clue in front of you for a future plot twist, or if they're just screwing with you.

There was, at least, a fresh episode of Invasion. And what an episode! Eddie Cibrian didn't take off his shirt once and yet still I was at the edge of my seat! Hey! Network suits! This is good television! Of course, so was The Book of Daniel, and is/was Love Monkey, which appears to have fallen into the Bermuda Triangle. Does anybody remember Jay Mohr's short-lived series that had all of Hollywood obsessed and roaring with laughter at their incredibly inside jokes? I could understand if most of the humor on that show made no sense to anyone outside the industry, but it was damn good.

Is there some f-ing rule against intelligent television?

The recent death of former LA Times publisher Otis Chandler brought up his pointed criticism of the Times' faux pas regarding the Staples Center. Who does ABC think they're fooling when they keep running features on Disneyland like they were events of Earth-shattering importance on Eyewitness News?

The Cuban-Americans on Miami talk radio might declare a fatwah on me for saying so, but there's the unvarnished truth: Eyewitness News is no different than the evening news in La Habana. I've watched them both, and while there are a lot of advantages to living in a free United States, believe me, as opposed to a repressive dictatorship, a corporate controlled media with their eye on the bottom line keeps us from unfettered and independent news. Like I'm saying something you don't already know. There, now, I'll let you back to your nice, comfortable denial. After all, denial was created by nature for a purpose. We need our denial. But I do want intelligent fare on the idiot box (like that isn't the contradiction in terms that should tell me I might as well be buying lottery tickets).

Meanwhile, I managed some delayed gratification with Tom Corcoran's latest mystery, Air Dance Iguana. I timed when I came to the last page just as I finished my espresso at the King's Road Cafe. It wasn't a cortadito from Five Brothers, but it was good. I was surrounded by people talking some serious show business talk as I came to a very satisfying end of the book.

How lucky you people are who haven't yet started reading Tom Corcoran's mysteries. Now you have five books you can read in rapid succession: Gumbo Limbo, The Mango Opera, Bone Island Mambo, Octopus Alibi and Air Dance Iguana, that will drop you into the heart and the heat of the Florida Keys. Ah, to devour them one after the other without waiting a year for the next one!

If you're contemplating a trip to the Keys, or merely dreaming vicariously from your armchair, Corcoran can create mise-en-scene that doesn't just put you there, but let's you experience the change that happens on a daily basis to a place as a resident (or in this case, a virtual Conch) feels it. Like they say, it's not the heat, it's the humidity.

To further get you drawn into the mood of the Keys, which as you might have guessed is one of the most unique and atmospheric places in these United States, here's a few of the books Corcoran himself has mentioned in his books:

The Young Wrecker and the Florida Reef --Richard Meade Bache (first published in 1869 and republished in 1999)
A Key West Companion --Christopher Cox
The Florida Keys and The Coral Reef --Oliver Griswold
Ninety-Two in the Shade --Thomas McGuane
The Sibley Guide to Birds
Reap the Wild Wind --Thelma Stradel

Other authors he's mentioned include Ian Rankin's Black and Blue, the great John D. MacDonald's Cinnamon Skin (although my personal favorite MacDonald novel that explains Florida in one nice easy package--as well as gives you an appreciation for his style-- is Condominium), Alan Furst, S.J. Rozan and Tim Gautreaux.

Some titles that I would add to the ultimate Key West booklist (if you want to truly immerse yourself in the place) include:

Conch Cooking --A.J. Artman, Jr.
Houses of Key West --Alex Caemmeker
Memories of Key West --Lee Dodez
Key West Tales ---John Hersey
Key West Writers and Their Houses --Lynn Mitsouko Kaufelt
Cruising Guide to the Florida Keys --Capt. Frank Papy
Key West Collection --Dorothy Raymer
Mile Zero --Thomas Sanchez
The Walking and Biking Guide to Historic Key West --Sharon White
The Florida Keys: A History and Guide --Joy Williams

...and of course, when I sit down to read about the Keys, I always have a Dolph's map of the Florida Keys beside me along with Capt. Papy's Cruising Guide.

If you are so fortunate as to win the lottery so that you can afford a house in the Keys*, these are required reading. If you want to have any chance in Hell of being accepted as a freshwater Conch, you better study them (but you'll never truly become a native). If you're even going to write about the Keys, you'd best devour them. If you're going down there on a visit, this is merely the short list, mind you. There are some great bookstores there to fill out your knowledge.

Some haunts that Corcoran mentions (of which I've been to most, but not all, since I'm not a bar drinker) include Captain Tony's, the Hog's Breath Saloon, Fast Buck Freddies, Rick's Bar, Mangrove Mama's, The No Name Bar (on No Name Key, of course, with no address), Pepe's, Louie's Back Yard, Cafe Med, Ambrosia, the Turtle Kraals, and of course, the Five Brothers Market for a cortadito and pan cubano or a cuban sandwich. And if you're really lucky and pure of heart, you'll get a chance to see the Key Deer as you make your way down the Overseas Highway. This is a journey words only partly do justice; you do it and you'll know what I mean.

But if you don't have time for all this, just do yourself a favor and read Tom Corcoran's mysteries.

*Don't furnish it with your family heirlooms. The humidity will warp the wood and if you have to evacuate in a hurry ahead of a hurricane, and you will, it'll all end up in the ocean.

LAKERS ARE FAR SUPERIOR TO CLIPPERS

2006-07-17T13:54:00.000-07:00

As only this franchise of failure could, the Clippers turned what should have been a weekend of celebration into sheer misery for their fans. After needing another team to lose to clinch their first playoff berth in almost a decade, the Clippers sent their faithful home unhappy not once but twice, giving away a rivalry game they had firmly in hand Friday, then not showing up for another last night. The Lakers claimed city bragging rights for the summer with a complete 100-83 domination of a Clippers squad that looked every bit the part of a Staples Center subtenant.

It seemed as though the Clippers physically shrank following their incredible loss to the Kings. Elton Brand posted another double-double, but had to work much harder for his 24 and 10 -- and shoot from farther out -- than Lamar Odom did for his 23 and 15. After witnessing E.B.'s involvement in at least half a dozen failed fast breaks last night, I split the blame equally between Elton and the teammates who kept putting him in situations where he clearly does not excel.

Chris Kaman fared far worse, picking up a foul in the first minute of play and two more by the midway point of the second quarter. Chris ended with 8 and 11, while his Laker counterpart Kwame Brown posted 9 and 8. Vis-a-vis what each was asked and expected to bring, Kwame won the battle at center. To borrow from an old PSA, this is Kaman's brain off drugs -- any questions?

Sam Cassell scored 24 points on 10-20 shooting but had no more assists (four) than Brand. Sam's looking for his shot way too much and not getting his teammates involved enough. He's also taking too many threes, going 2-8 last night. Vladimir Radmanovic went 1-5 from downtown (2-9 overall) and Cuttino Mobley 0-3. In the words of Stu Lantz, 18.8% 3FGs "will not get it done."

The Clippers signed Cat to that fat $42 million contract with visions of bingos in April and May. They traded Chris Wilcox for Vladi for the express purpose of stretching opposing defenses. But until some of these halftime heroes who can't miss in practice start translating it to game time, the Clippers will remain easy to play against in the absence of a legitimate outside threat.

Quinton Ross defended Kobe Bryant beautifully, but was limited to 27 minutes; mostly in the other 21, Bryant (who played all but 39 seconds) struck for 38 points, four below his season average against the Clippers. Odom's breakout game and another impressive performance by Luke Walton (13 and 7 on 6-10 FGs) provided all the support he needed.

The Lakers outscored the Clippers everywhere -- in the paint, at the arc, on the fastbreak, at the charity stripe where they took half again as many free throws. The Lakers were more active and aggressive, pressuring the ball upcourt, jumping into passing lanes, clogging the post, generating 17 Clipper turnovers. At times the Clippers appeared literally to hand the ball over. Shaun Livingston in particular looked like he'd mistakenly sat down at the grown folks' table for Thanksgiving dinner.

Call me Cassandra if you wish. I understand that these two losses (the Mavericks are favored to make it three tonight) aren't the end of the world. The Clippers remain .5 games ahead of Memphis and 1.5 up on Denver for home court in a prospective first-round series. But yet again in games their fans wanted desperately to win, the Clippers wilted. Like Jack Lemmon's clients the Nyborgs in Glengarry Glen Ross, they "kind of imperceptibly slumped."

Click on Clipper Talk and join the discussion. -- Jordan

2006-05-09T23:28:00.000-07:00

Pasadena City Council voted unanimously to place a measure on the ballot aimed at luring a team to the Rose Bowl.

It proposes giving the league rights to play at the stadium for 25 years in exchange for a 500-(m) million dollar stadium renovation, 500-thousand dollars a year in rent, and other considerations.

City Councilman Chris Holden says passing the measure would relieve Pasadena of paying 200-(m) million dollars for renovations he said are needed at the Rose Bowl.

But the initiative is opposed by West Pasadena residents, preservationists, and other city leaders, including Mayor Bill Bogaard.

Meanwhile, a committee of N-F-L owners heard stadium presentations last week from Los Angeles, Anaheim and Pasadena.

They could decide later this month whether to approve a Southern California franchise.

Staples Center

2006-01-18T19:23:00.000-08:00

Staples Center is a multipurpose sports arena in downtown Los Angeles, California at the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment District. It is located near the intersection of Interstate highways I-10 and I-110. It is named for the Staples office-supply company, one of the center's corporate sponsors that paid for naming rights.