SoCal Sports Weekly Radio Show

It's been almost a year since the funding ran out on Moncrief in the Morning, and I know many of you have wondered when I was going to be back on the air again.  Well, the news is thus:

No Antenna Needed Radio, the number 1 rated Internet Radio Station in the San Fernando Valley, will be rolling out a brand new set of shows beginning on July 6th.  And one of those shows will be called SoCal Sports Weekly and will be hosted by me.

It'll be a two hour sports radio show that focuses on sports in the greater Los Angeles area.  Each week on "SCSW", we will not just focus on the Lakers, Dodgers, USC Football, and/or UCLA Basketball, as many other media outlets seem intent on saturating the market out here with.  We will certainly cover those teams, but they will not enjoy the same monply of air time on SCSW as they do on other programming.

We'll be talking Kings and Ducks hockey, Angels baseball (as well as the minor leagues), Clippers hoops (yes, we will actually be talking about them), and all kinds of collegiate and amateur sports.  There are so many sporting events happening over the course of 12 months in this area, and they all deserve equal billing - we will be the ones leading the way in providing that coverage that you can't find anywhere else.

On our first episode, which will be live on the site on Tuesday the 6th, our main guest will be Los Angeles Kings TV analyst Jim Fox.  The Kings figure to be a big player in free agency on Thursday as they seek to acquire Ilya Kovalchuk and/or others.  Jim will join me to break down all the moves, and the ones that weren't made, as well as talk about the just concluded NHL Draft.

SCSW will also be reviving a feature we started on the old show, repackaged as our "SoCal Sports Correspondents".  Each week, they'll provide timely and topical information and insight about what is happening with the teams and players in their specific sport.  Then one of them will join me in a 'break out' segment to elaborate on a major story.  In our first episode, soccer correspondent Mario Melara, Chivas USA beat writer for 90:00 Magazine, will talk MLS and World Cup soccer with us.

I am very excited to be joining the growing roster of talent at No Antenna Needed Radio, and obviously thrilled to be back 'on the air' with some great sports content.  As the show evolves, I'll let you know how you can interact directly with our show.  And if you don't live in this area... well, that sucks for you, but seriously, you'll get the chance to hear my voice talking sports, which is why most of you are reading this anyway - and I thank all of you for your support.

There are two other major projects in the works right now that still aren't ready to come out of the oven, but that I can tease a little: they are both video podcast shows that I'm pitching to advertisers right now, and hopeful to get going immediately.  I'm confident that this will happen in the next few weeks, and when they are ready to launch, you will know about them.

I'm also still plugging away doing sports pages for Mahalo, contributing featured blogs for BowlGamer.com on college football, covering the Dodgers for Examiner.com, and of course the Kings coverage on Examiner as well.  I thank you for continuing to read my works and for the kind words spoken and written about them.  Oh, and recently I had the chance to serve as color analyst for the two Santa Monica Little League city championship games earlier this month at the AAA and Majors levels.  I have the DVD copy, and following a screening here at Mahalo that Jason "LeBron must be Knick" Calacanis has requested (which features fellow Mahaloan Jeff Ammons singing the national anthem), I will upload them to Blip TV and post the link on my Facebook page so you can watch it at your lesiure.

I'll be at the Kings Development Camp Thursday covering the action on the ice (the young guys trying to make a name for themselves) and off the ice (the organization making roster moves) from the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo.  Meanwhile, here are my two media credentials from the past week's NHL events.

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15 years ago, the Stanley Cup arrived at Exit 16W

It was June 24, 1995 - that's 15 years ago today as I post this.  It's important to underline why this day means so much to people like myself.

I was an Islanders fan (for details how that came about, click here) and watched them win four Stanley Cup titles in the early 1980's.  But to be honest and fair about it, I was just someone who jumped on the bandwagon at the right time.  I grew up a Mets fan, so 1986 is in a classification by itself.  I grew up a Giants fan, and actually quit playing soccer so I could spend Sunday afternoons with my Dad watching the Giants. So their winning that first Super Bowl seemed so improbable for so long that is very satisfying.

Still, all of those great teams did not wear the name New Jersey on their uniforms.  I switched to the Devils in the early 80's when hockey came to Bergen County at what was then comically known as 'Brendan Byrne Arena'.  We put up with a lot in those early years: the fact that the building was always half Ranger fans when the Broadway Blues crossed the river to the Jersey side; the Christmas Tree uniforms; winning the final game of the regular season in the 83-84 season when a loss or tie would have given us Mario Lemieux (instead we got Kirk Muller); my favorite all-time athlete Wayne Gretzky referring to the organization as a 'Mickey Mouse Organization'; the players that weren't the most talented of the bunch like David Maley, Rocky Trottier, Carol Vadnais, Hector Marini, and others; the 88 run to the conference finals that will mostly be remembered for the Jim Schonfeld-Don Koharski 'Eat a Donut' controversy; the addition of the former Soviet players past their prime like Slava Fetisov and Alexei Kasatonov; and of course, the 1993-94 Devils that established franchise records and played exciting hockey, actually taking a 3-2 series lead from the hated Rangers in the conference finals, only to see them rally behind Messier's Game Six guarantee and Fetisov's giveaway that led to Howie Rose becoming famous forever ("Matteau! Matteau! Stephane Matteau!") and led to the Rangers winning the Cup and ending the greatest chant in sports history ("1940!").  Plus, being from New Jersey has its own set of issues, which have been chronicled numerous times before.

And then there were the attacks on the Devils style of play and their fans: analysts across the board saying that the Devils using 'The Neutral Zone Trap' was the runiation of hockey, and Commissioner Gary Bettman saying during the finals that he thought it all right for the team to relocate the following year to Nashville (for which he still has not apologized to fans for and for which he still has not been forgiven).

But that night, that glorious late June night at the Meadowlands, was one for the ages for me and Devils fans everywhere.  Look, the 2000 Cup win was special because it proved to the hockey world that 95 wasn't a fluke and also because of how cool the ending was with recently reacquired Jason Arnott's overtime goal.  And the win in 2003 was equally as special because the one knock on the club and the fans was that they established in 95 and then duplicated in 2000 a record of winning 10 of the 16 playoff games on the road, meaning they didn't enjoy passionate fan support.  The 2003 won 12 playoff games at home, also establishing a record.  Plus, the 2003 win was the last for two great Devils players, Scott Stevens and Ken Daneyko.

And yet, the memories of the 1995 win are still as fresh today as they were 15 years earlier.  Shawn Chambers and Neal Broten, acquired in trades during the season, each scored two goals.  Sergei Brylin (who played on all 3 cup winners) scored as well.  The Crash Line did its thing to the Red Wings again, and then Mike Peluso cemented his place forever in Devils folklore when he couldn't get off the bench in the last few minutes because he was so overcome with emotion.  Scott Stevens, who had laid out Slava Kozlov with maybe the best open-ice body check I've ever seen in Game Two of that series, was able to validate his coming to Jersey from St. Louis by lifting the Stanley Cup, and three longtime Devil veterans of failure and frustration, Daneyko, John MacLean, and Bruce Driver, had finally seen the light through the end of the tunnel and come out the other side.

Indeed, the Stanley Cup had come through the Lincoln Tunnel and into the Garden State.  It was a special day that I will long remember forever.  And I was reminded of the pure joy that winning the most treasured and important trophy in all of sports means seeing the reaction of Chicago Blackhawks fans this year when they won it.  Especially my buddy Ron Amorese, a longtime and long-sufferng Hawks fan.  My growing number of friends and Examiner readers that love the Kings are in for a treat when it happens for them (which I'm telling you will be very soon), and I look forward to sharing that expereince with them.

Talking with Martin Brodeur last night at the NHL Awards, I asked him about the anniversary and what his first memory is of that moment.  He told me, "It was Scottie (Stevens) skating full speed as the final seconds ticked away and jumping into my arms.  The rest is a blur until they brought the Cup out, and then it was just a great sense of pride because we had endured the terrible pain from losing to the Rangers the year before and we knew we had to do everything we could not to feel that way again."

Before the awards began to be handed out last night, I had the chance to get my picture taken with Lord Stanley's Cup, which was an awesome experience.  But I didn't pick it up or touch it - that is reserved only for those that win it on the ice.  15 years ago tonight, on a warm summer's evening in swamps of Jersey, the team proud to call my home state as home became champions of the world.  And to be honest, other than the Olympic Gold Medal winning team in 1980 (national pride), no sports championship win as a fan has been more satisfying.

Click here to watch the final moments, including the sight of Peluso on the bench.

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World Cup update through end of Saturday June 19

World Cup update - get your brackets ready - So here are the scenarios for teams trying to advance out of their groups and into the elimination round of the World Cup.  I will also update my picks:

GROUP A
Through two games, Uruguay and Mexico have 4 points each, France and South Africa 1 point each.  I picked France (FAIL) and Mexico to get through. Mexico plays Uruguay and France plays South Africa on Tuesday.

If Mexico and Uruguay play to a draw, they both advance automatically.  If one team wins, that team automatically qualifies as top team from the group.  The loser then has to await the outcome of the France-South Africa game.  If that game ends in a tie, then the Mexico-Uruguay loser still advances.  If the France-South Africa game has a winner, that team must score enough goals to overcome the goal differential stat (check back on Wednesday for that info).

GROUP B
I picked Argentina and Nigeria to advance; so far, I'm half right, but could still be all right.

Argentina has won two games, and barring a loss to Greece on Tuesday, is through to the next round.  In fact, they would have to lose by three goals to Greece and have South Korea defeat Nigeria by at least three goals, to be eliminated.

Right now, South Korea and Greece have 3 points each and a -1 goal differential, but South Korea would get in if things finished up as is.  Nigeria, which has lost two games, still has an outside chance of getting in.  If they defeat South Korea and if Argentina defeats Greece, then Nigeria would get second bid.

GROUP C
Like most, I picked England and the USA to come out of here, but I cautioned about the dangerous play of the other two squads.  So far, Slovenia is making Anze Kopitar proud with 4 points, while the USA and England both have 2 and Algeria has 1.  On Wednesday, the USA plays Algeria while Slovenia plays England.

Slovenia gets in with a win or a tie.  If they lose, they still get in if Algeria defeats USA.

The USA gets in with a win or if they tie they get in with a win or a tie by Slovenia.  If the USA loses, they are out.  If they tie and England wins, they are out.  But again, for those only caring about how we do: win and we're in regardless.  Tie, we need help.  Lose and we're out.

England gets in with a win or if they tie they get in with a tie by USA but only if England scores three or more goals more than the USA does on Wednesday.  If England loses, they are out.

Algeria must win to advance.  There is no other scenario that gets them through.

GROUP D
Before the tournament, I selected Germany and Serbia, but indicated that Germany was the only team I felt strongly about, and that any of the other three could easily get in.  So far, Ghana has 4 points, while Germany and Serbia have 3.  Australia has 1 point through two games.  Only the Aussies lack control of their ability to advance.

On Wednesday, Ghana plays Germany and Serbia plays Australia.  Ghana gets through with a win or if they tie or lose and Serbia wins.  If they tie and Australia wins by fewer than 5 goals, they advance.  If they lose and Australia wins, it will come down to goal differential.  If they lose and Serbia wins, they are out.

Germany gets through with a win or a tie if Australia wins by less than 5 goals.  If they  tie and Serbia wins, they are eliminated.  If they lose, they are likely out.

Serbia gets through with a win.  If they tie, they get through with a win by Ghana or if Germany wins by at least two goals.  If they tie and Germany ties Ghana, they must score at least four more goals than Germany does to advance.  If they lose, they are out.

Australia's road is simple: win and they are in if Germany also loses or ties and Australia scores 9 or more goals in their win.  If Australia ties or loses, they are out.

GROUP E
The last of the groups through Saturday night to play two games so far.  The Netherlands has 6 points and has already clinched a spot into the Round of 16, while Japan and Denmark have 3 points each.  Cameroon became the first team officially eliminated from the competition with 0 points through 2 games.  I picked the Netherlands (yeah!) and Cameroon (boo!) to get through.

Netherlands is in, and with a win or tie against Cameroon on Thursday ensures that they will win Group E and play the runner-up from Group F in the next round.

The other team to advance from this group will be determined when Japan plays Denmark on Thursday.  Because they have the same number of points so far, and Japan has an even goal differential while Denmark is -1, this means that Denmark must win the game outright to advance, otherwise Japan does with a win or a tie.

GROUP F
This is one of three groups with just one game played so far, and all four countries have 1 point each, with all four having scored just 1 goal so far.  On Sunday, Italy plays New Zealand, while Paraguay plays Slovakia.

It's too early yet to talk scenarios for this group; we'll have a clearer idea after Sunday's competition, and we'll update this on Monday.  BTW, Italy and Paraguay were my picks.

GROUP G
Through one game each, Brazil has 3 points with a win over North Korea, while Ivory Coast and Portugal played to a scoreless tie.  Portugal and Brazil (in that order) were my picks for this group.

On Sunday, Brazil plays the Ivory Coast, while Portugal plays North Korea on Monday.  If Brazil and North Korea both win these next games, Brazil will qualify for the elimination tournament regardless of their final group game result on Friday against Portugal.  North Korea is all but mathematically eliminated from contention if they lose and Ivory Coast upsets Brazil.  Check back on Tuesday for an update.

GROUP H
The last of the groups in the competition has also only had one game each contested so far.  Spain and Chile were my pre-tourney picks.  Spain was upset by Switzerland in their first game, while Chile defeated Honduras.  On Monday, Chile and Switzerland will play, and Spain takes on Honduras.

If there isn't a tie in both games, the winner of the Chile-Switzerland automatically gets in and the loser of Spain-Honduras is out.  It would then come down to the results from the third set of games; check back on Tuesday for more info.

RECAP: So far, I have one team through, one team out, another team (France) on the verge of being out.  Actually, I'd be okay with France being out because of the soccer karma coming back to bite them on the ass after getting in last year with handball goal against Ireland (plus my picking them, which is a double-whammy of karma).  We'll see how it goes from here...

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CBS Prime Time Bosses Need Sports Lesson

It is rare that I hop on this blog these days to rant about something bothering me.  Part of the reason for that is the depth of other avenues for my writing as an outlet.  Part of the reason for that is the lack of topics that don't fit within these outlets.  And part of the reason for that is some current life situations that provide some perspective about things.

However, I just can't let this go.  Because in the past, television network executives had made this mistake before, and have (as the proverb goes) failed to learned from their history and became doomed to repeat it.  So a quick word of advice to the empty suits at CBS who are trying to nickel-and-dime the cast of my favorite television series, NCIS.  And it comes from the sports world, something the network should be slightly familiar with:

"You don't fuck with a winning streak!"  Perhaps if it were one of 'Gibbs's Rules' they would not tempt the fates this way.

In the last several hours, fellow fans of the highest rated scripted series on television for a second consecutive season, with more than 18.7 million viewers each week, is not taking care of the actors that helped them achieve their success.  Though David McCallum has signed a new contract, three other key actors of the cast are currently without new deals: Michael Weatherly (DiNozzo), Pauley Perrette (Abby), and Sean Murray (McGee) all have had their contracts expire.

The story being circulated around the net indicates that the three are seeking new deals with a salary increase.  That's nothing new in Hollywood.  But the three all earned less than $100,000 per episode.  Compare that to the $1.2 million dollar for  prison-bound Charlie Sheen, which averages 4 million FEWER viewers a week, and it makes you scratch your head as an outsider and wonder: what are those CBS execs smoking?

I can tell you that I probably speak for most NCIS fans when I say that CBS needs to keep the team together.  It is winning on the field, so you don't screw around with that.  Some of my friends that don't watch the show think it is too pedestrian for their tastes.  These are also the same fools that tolled the bell for shows like Lost and Heroes the past few years - shows that had no staying power, no substance to back up their initial sizzle, and ultimately have left them flailing for another hot show to jump on.

Meanwhile, the ratings for NCIS are nearly up 25% in season seven from season one, something that is unheard of these days in television.  In sports, in business, in life - when you do better then you did before, you have the right to ask for a bigger share of the pie that you helped bake.

I will say this: if CBS thinks they can simply recast one or more of this trio and maintain their ratings incline, they are mistaken.  The show has found a groove in chemistry between the cast members and the crew and the fans that watch it.  If they can't get it solved, they should simply cancel the show.

Don't get me wrong, I usually abhor people making more in two weeks of 'work' then I will make in the next three years combined asking for even more money.  But it's not like the three actors in question are in the media and the public eye whining about like has happened with other shows in the past.  And the demands are that outrageous for a billion dollar corporate bully like Black Rock.

The bottom line here: CBS is doing very well, and can easily afford to end these distractions by simply getting these deals done.  To let this linger longer is tempting the fates.

If you are a fan of NCIS, and you want to send a message to CBS that you don't like what they are doing, click on this link and send them a Feedback Form.  At the very least, you'll be able to do your part.  End of rant.

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Updates on my father's condition can be found on my Facebook page.  Will try to update it as much as possible when I have more news to tell.  Meanwhile, I want to thank all of you for your kind thoughts and well wishes during his hospitalization and recovery.

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On a happier note, I'll be recording play-by-play commentary of the Santa Monica Little League city championship games this Saturday for the AAA-Minors and the Majors divisions.  The broadcast will air on local Santa Monica cable television on a tape-delayed basis: when I have the air dates and times for those in this market, I will post them.  For the rest of you, I'm told I will be receiving a DVD copy of the broadcast, and will make copies for anyone requesting them.  Here in SoCal, there's already talk of a 'delayed watch party'.  BTW, fellow Mahaloan Jeff Ammons, will be singing the national anthem before both games.  For more about the big day of events, click here.

There are also four additional events that I will be attending, and will have much more information about on my Kings Examiner site in the coming days:

• On Monday June 14 - I will be attending the 22nd Annual Dave Taylor/Jim Fox Cystic Fibrosis Golf Classic at Moorpark Country Club.  Click on this link for more details

• Then on Saturday June 19 - I will be attending another great charity fundraising event called Castle in the Clouds at the Playboy Mansion.  Click on this link for more details

• And then from June 22 through 24 - I will be attending and reporting on the 2010 NHL Awards as a member of the media officially credentialed by the NHL.  The awards take place on Wednesday June 23 and can be seen on Versus.

• Finally, on June 25 and 26 - I will be at Staples Center attending and reporting on the 2010 NHL Draft, taking place here in Los Angeles for the first time ever.

Happy June everyone.

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