10 May 2009
The New Pauley Pavilion - c. 2012
05/15/09 08:58 Filed in: College
Basketball
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Well, after years of rumors, a
massive Pauley Pavalion renovation plan is
official, to the tune of $185 Million in
improvements, upgrades, and innovations. The
anticipated result is a lavish palace
befitting the NCAA's greatest basketball
dynasty, and substantial additional costs to
ticket holders.
Years of anticipation, however, will now be followed by years of construction, as completion is now projected for Fall, 2012, and will require Bruiin road games only, for at least one season. They are not, of course, calling them road games, but what else would you consider UCLA games played in the Honda Ponda of Anaheim, Staples Center, the formerly Fabulous Forum, and who knows what other Socal venue that may be called into service to house the Bruins. All of the gritty details, and lots and lots of |
What is more important, though, is the impact of the renovation, and the cost thereof, on long-time season ticket holders, such as theHoundDawg, and ticket-seekers in general. It is a fact to deal with, that big donors will be rewarded with the best seat locations, pushing the rest of us further back. And, in order to keep even those seats, not only will ticket prices rise, as they have done yearly anyway, but we will also be required to fork over substantial payments - personal seat licenses or what ever they may be called - for the right to spend thousands of dollars for the actual tickets.
Antiquated Pauley needs a renovation, but the powers that be need to realize that the average fans, primarily Bruin alumni, are the backbone of Bruin support, and if they price us out of the new Pauley, support of and interest in Bruin basketball could be irrevocably damaged.
theHoundDawg
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Angels Weather Storm, Dodgers Still in Trouble
05/15/09 07:55 Filed in: Baseball
The Angels' early-season nightmare is over.
With Earvin Santana back in the rotation, John Lackey about to be back, with Joe Saunders and Jared Weaver pitching outstanding, consistent ball, and with the emergence of Matt Palmer, the Angels' decimated rotation is now back to AL dominance. With the anticipated return of Glad, the consistent play of Kendry Morales, and the tremendous defensive improvement of Chone Figgans at third base, and with a division full of early-season pretenders, the Angels should now be on their way to another year of regular-season dominance.
Whether or not they can, for the first time since 2002, carry that over to the post season and actually win something of importance, is another matter.
Yet another matter is the Dodgers. Despite winning two-of-three on the road from the Champion Phillies, the Dodger mess is still not pretty. Andre Ethier continues to struggle, Juan Pierre is coming back to earth, and the previously dominant Jonathan Broxton "vultched" his fourth victory of the season yesterday, after blowing his second save of the season.
With Jeff Weaver entrenched in the rotation (at least for now), Eric Mitlon's recall, Jason Schmidt's beginnng rehabilitation, the demotion of John McDonald, and Clayton Kershaw's struggles, the face of the Dodger staff is seemingly in the process of a dramatic change from reliance on strong, young, healthy arms, to being composed of tired, old, questionable, injury-prone retreads.
This could, in the long run, be more of a problem then the loss of Manny.
theHoundDawg
With Earvin Santana back in the rotation, John Lackey about to be back, with Joe Saunders and Jared Weaver pitching outstanding, consistent ball, and with the emergence of Matt Palmer, the Angels' decimated rotation is now back to AL dominance. With the anticipated return of Glad, the consistent play of Kendry Morales, and the tremendous defensive improvement of Chone Figgans at third base, and with a division full of early-season pretenders, the Angels should now be on their way to another year of regular-season dominance.
Whether or not they can, for the first time since 2002, carry that over to the post season and actually win something of importance, is another matter.
Yet another matter is the Dodgers. Despite winning two-of-three on the road from the Champion Phillies, the Dodger mess is still not pretty. Andre Ethier continues to struggle, Juan Pierre is coming back to earth, and the previously dominant Jonathan Broxton "vultched" his fourth victory of the season yesterday, after blowing his second save of the season.
With Jeff Weaver entrenched in the rotation (at least for now), Eric Mitlon's recall, Jason Schmidt's beginnng rehabilitation, the demotion of John McDonald, and Clayton Kershaw's struggles, the face of the Dodger staff is seemingly in the process of a dramatic change from reliance on strong, young, healthy arms, to being composed of tired, old, questionable, injury-prone retreads.
This could, in the long run, be more of a problem then the loss of Manny.
theHoundDawg
Caught With The Goods: FBI, IRS and U.S. Attorney Have Evidence of Tim Floyd Cash Payoff
05/12/09 22:47 Filed in: College
Basketball
As reported by Yahoo Sports late this
afternoon, the sc brain surgeon's jig is about
up, with evidence that head basketball coach Tim
Floyd made a direct cash payment of $1,000 to
Rodney Guillory, the "runner" who allegedly
lavished former brain surgeon guard OJ Mayo with
all those fancy accoutrements that decorated his
dorm room.
Former Mayo confident Louis Johnson has told FBI, IRS. U.S. Attorney, and NCAA investigators, all about the payment, a small part of the $30,000 or so in illegal benefits paid to Mayo during his short trojan tenure.
Again, local media, protecting sc at all costs, has failed miserably, and it's Yahoo Sports that is reporting what scant info there has been about the now three-year-old investigations of sc basketball and football violations. Their report comes only a few days after Johnson gave his account to the NCAA, but almost a full year since he spilled his guts to the federal investigators.
One bad thought, however, permeates the "flow" of information about the sc basketball program: Are things being set up for the basketball program to take the fall, with the outrageous criminal enterprise that is the sc football program, getting off with a slap on the wrist?
And Floyd had believed that losing Renardo Sidney, whom he thought he had bought and paid for, was the low point of the off-season.
theHoundDawg
Former Mayo confident Louis Johnson has told FBI, IRS. U.S. Attorney, and NCAA investigators, all about the payment, a small part of the $30,000 or so in illegal benefits paid to Mayo during his short trojan tenure.
Again, local media, protecting sc at all costs, has failed miserably, and it's Yahoo Sports that is reporting what scant info there has been about the now three-year-old investigations of sc basketball and football violations. Their report comes only a few days after Johnson gave his account to the NCAA, but almost a full year since he spilled his guts to the federal investigators.
One bad thought, however, permeates the "flow" of information about the sc basketball program: Are things being set up for the basketball program to take the fall, with the outrageous criminal enterprise that is the sc football program, getting off with a slap on the wrist?
And Floyd had believed that losing Renardo Sidney, whom he thought he had bought and paid for, was the low point of the off-season.
theHoundDawg