THE CHARLIE HORSE TO HOLD “BOWLING FOR BREAST CANCER”

The “Bowling for Breast Cancer” event is next Tuesday, October,23rd at The Charlie Horse! 50% of the bowling proceeds go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.  It is a Komen Passionately Pink sponsored event, there will be information, pins, etc. to hand out. Even if bowling isn’t your thing, come stop by and have a drink and donate a few bucks! The  goal is to raise at least $300, every little bit helps!

The Charlie Horse in West Bridgewater, MA (www.TheCharlieHorse.com) Anyone who comes in that night to bowl from 6:00 to 10:00 pm will pay the regular rack rate of $5 per person per string, + $3.50 for shoe rental. 50% of the sales will be donated to Susan G. Komen.

People who want to donate but cannot attend can go to our webpage and make a donation: http://www.info-komen.org/goto/CharlieHorsePinkTeam

Megan Hunt is sponsering this event at The Charlie Horse…….

KEVIN HARRIMAN

PUBLISHER

THE COMISH MARY WALDRON OFFERS HER THOUGHTS PRIOR TO GAME 1

SIMPSON WINS DEUTSCHE BANK

WEEI FLASH: W.Simpson(USA) wins the Deutsche Bank Ch. over C.Reavie in playoff.

U.S KNOCKS OFF JAPAN IN WC SOFTBALL

World Cup of Softball VI

Japan at United States

Jul 25, 2011 at Oklahoma City, Okla. (Hall of Fame Stadium)

Score by Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

Japan                             0 0 0 0 1 1 2 4 4 1

United States              2 0 1 0 1 2 X 6 6 4

Japan starters: 11/cf Yamada; 10/1b Okubo; 8/dp Furuta; 25/3b

Yamamoto; 4/2b Suzuki; 12/rf Nagayoshi; 27/ss Kageyama; 23/c

Watanabe; 7/lf Iwabuchi; 19/p Fujiwara;

United States starters: 15/lf Moultrie; 3/cf Taylor, R; 5/ss

May-Johnson; 9/rf Cochran; 20/1b Arioto; 45/dp Schutte; 31/3b

Leles; 23/c Holcombe; 36/2b Hoagland; 7/p Taylor, J;

Japan 1st – Yamada grounded out to 2b (3-1). Okubo struck out

swinging (2-2). Furuta grounded out to 2b (2-1). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0

errors, 0 LOB.

United States 1st – Moultrie fouled out to c (1-0). Taylor, R walked

(3-2). Taylor, R stole second. May-Johnson walked (3-1). Cochran

walked (3-2); May-Johnson advanced to second; Taylor, R advanced to

third. Arioto walked, RBI (3-2); Cochran advanced to second;

May-Johnson advanced to third; Taylor, R scored. Schutte flied out

to lf, SF, RBI (2-2); Arioto advanced to second; Cochran advanced

to third; May-Johnson scored. Leles struck out swinging (3-2). 2

runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.

Japan 2nd – Schutte to dp. Yamamoto grounded out to ss (1-0). Suzuki

flied out to cf (1-2). Nagayoshi grounded out to 3b (0-1). 0 runs,

0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

United States 2nd – Holcombe popped up to ss (0-1). Hoagland walked

(3-2). Hoagland out at second c to ss, caught stealing. Moultrie

out at first c to 2b, bunt (1-0). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Japan 3rd – Kageyama grounded out to 1b unassisted (1-1). Watanabe

struck out swinging (1-2). Iwabuchi reached on a throwing error by

3b (0-0). Iwabuchi out at second c to ss, caught stealing. 0 runs,

0 hits, 1 error, 0 LOB.

United States 3rd – Taylor, R grounded out to 3b (1-1). May-Johnson

grounded out to p (0-2). Cochran tripled to right center (1-1).

Arioto singled down the rf line, RBI (1-1); Cochran scored. Schutte

grounded out to p (1-2). 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

Japan 4th – Yamada struck out swinging (0-2). Okubo flied out to ss

(0-0). Furuta struck out swinging (2-2). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors,

0 LOB.

United States 4th – Leles popped up to 2b (1-1). Holcombe popped up

to ss (1-1). Hoagland walked (3-2). Hoagland out at second c to 2b,

caught stealing. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Japan 5th – Yamamoto walked (3-1). Yamamoto stole second. Suzuki

reached on a fielding error by p (2-1); Yamamoto advanced to third.

Suzuki stole second. Nagayoshi grounded out to ss, RBI (1-0);

Suzuki advanced to third; Yamamoto scored. Kageyama singled to

third base; Suzuki out at third 3b unassisted, interference. Mine

pinch hit for Watanabe. Mine singled down the lf line (0-1);

Kageyama advanced to second. Iwabuchi struck out swinging (2-2). 1

run, 2 hits, 1 error, 2 LOB.

United States 5th – Mine to c. Moultrie singled to pitcher (2-2).

Moultrie stole second. Langenfeld pinch hit for Taylor, R.

Langenfeld singled to left field, RBI (3-2); Moultrie scored.

Taylor, R to cf for Langenfeld. May-Johnson flied out to rf (1-2).

Taylor, R stole second, advanced to third on a throwing error by c.

Cochran reached on a fielder’s choice to third base (2-2); Taylor,

R out at home 3b to c. Arioto flied out to cf (3-2). 1 run, 2 hits,

1 error, 1 LOB.

Japan 6th – Yamada singled to third base (1-2). Okubo out at first p

to 2b, SAC, bunt (0-1); Yamada advanced to second. Furuta reached

on a throwing error by 2b (2-1); Yamada scored, unearned. Thomas to

p for Taylor, J. Yamamoto lined out to 3b (1-1). Suzuki grounded

out to 2b (0-0). 1 run, 1 hit, 1 error, 1 LOB.

United States 6th – Schutte singled to right field (1-1). Leles flied

out to rf (0-1). Grieve pinch ran for Schutte. Orgeron pinch hit

for Holcombe. Orgeron flied out to cf (3-2). Hirahara to p for

Fujiwara. Grieve advanced to second on an illegal pitch. Grieve

advanced to third on an illegal pitch. Hoagland homered to left

center, 2 RBI (3-2); Grieve scored. Moultrie grounded out to ss

(1-2). 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Japan 7th – Cochran to dp. Grieve to rf. Holcombe to c for Orgeron.

Gibson to 2b for Hoagland. Nagayoshi grounded out to ss (0-0).

Hayashi pinch hit for Kageyama. Hayashi singled up the middle

(1-0). Kageyama to ss for Hayashi. Mine walked (3-0); Kageyama

advanced to second. Mizoe pinch hit for Iwabuchi. Ricketts to p for

Thomas. Mizoe struck out swinging (1-2). Yamada reached on a

dropped fly by lf, advanced to second on the error, advanced to

third on the error (3-2); Mine scored, unearned; Kageyama scored,

unearned. Okubo popped up to p, bunt (1-1). 2 runs, 1 hit, 1 error,

1 LOB.

AYALA READY TO TAKE ON ARMENTA

Ayala embraces second chance; seeks tutelage of trainer Peter Manfredo Sr.

 PROVIDENCE, R.I. (April 19, 2011) – Even with all the talent and resources in the world at his disposal, Elvin Ayala wasn’t always ready to embrace the spotlight. 

“I was afraid of the next level,” said the New Haven, Conn., super middleweight, who’s preparing to face veteran George Armenta of Silver Spring, Md., on Friday, May 6^th, 2011 at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket. “I couldn’t admit that to myself.  

“That was a major thing for me. I wasn’t prepared mentally. Now I’m willing to go all the way. I feel like a beast now. I’m no longer afraid of success.”  

To prove he’s willing to back up his words, Ayala has added another member to his team, hiring Providence-based trainer Peter Manfredo Sr., the father of current International Boxing Organization (IBO) middleweight champion and former “The Contender” finalist Peter Manfredo Jr.  

The elder Manfredo has worked with a handful of world-class fighters through the years, including undefeated Worcester, Mass., super middleweight Edwin Rodriguez, former “Contender” star Jesse Brinkley, and 2010 national Golden Gloves champion and 2012 Olympic hopeful Toka Kahn-Clary of Providence.  

Manfredo’s wisdom could pay dividends immediately; Manfredo trained Rodriguez when Rodriguez knocked out Armenta (13-6, 11 KOs) in the opening round of their bout in Oklahoma this past March. Ayala will face Armenta in the eight-round co-feature of Jimmy Burchfield’s “Champion Breed” event, presented by Classic Entertainment & Sports at the Fox Theater. Undefeated super middleweight Vladine Biosse (11-0, 6 KOs) of Providence, R.I., will star in the main event.  

“I’m not the type to get comfortable with anyone,” Ayala said. “The first step was surrounding myself with the right kind of people. I’ve got the hardest-working promoter, Jimmy Burchfield, on my team now. He knows how to get fighters to where they need to be. Once I established that, I needed a world-class trainer. Not that who I was with wasn’t good, but I just felt like it was time for a change. I had always seen [Manfredo] in the past and I thought considering the type of person he is, the type of trainer he is, and who he’s worked with, I’d be comfortable. So far, I’ve been right.  

“We have everything we need now. There are no excuses. This is the team that will get us to the top.”

At 30, Ayala knows this might be his last shot at chasing a world title, so he’s taking every necessary precaution to make sure nothing derails this current run. After suffering a brutal loss to prospect David Lemieux on ESPN in June of 2010, Ayala linked up with a new management team and signed a promotional agreement with CES.

 Following back-to-back wins, including an impressive, fourth-round knockout win over Woonsocket’s Joe Gardner on ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights” on April 1^st, Ayala is now looking to go one step further with Manfredo in his corner.  

“[The loss to Lemieux] was like an awakening,” Ayala said. “I felt that if I was going to put everything I have on the table, then I needed to bring in the people who could help me get whatever I didn’t have. Peter has the skills to tighten me up. I’m not changing my style; we’re just making it better. I want to be able to get away from punches and still be in a position where I can throw combinations.

 “The key is being able to attack right away. Sometimes I put punches in and then I wait … and wait … and then snap a jab. I want to be able to throw a jab knowing what he’s going to do next – almost like playing chess. I want to know his next four moves ahead of time. Right now, I know two. With Peter, now I feel I can execute three or four moves in advance.”  

Ayala entered the professional ranks in 2003 with a limited amateur background (only 14 bouts), so working with him is still somewhat of a reclamation project for Manfredo despite the fact Ayala has 28 fights under his belt.  

“He’s a quick learner,” Manfredo said. “He knows if he puts in the time and the work and the knowledge and experience I can give him, we can go to another level.  

“He’s a great human being – a great person, a lot of [guts]. He’s got a lot of heart and he’s got the will. He wants it. He wants to win. He sparred eight rounds with three different guys and he looked spectacular. I closed it off with four rounds with Vladine and he did well. No matter what I tell him to do, he does. He works.”

 The win over Gardner showcased two sides of Ayala. Since that was a nationally-televised swing bout, Ayala had no idea when he was fighting until Biosse disposed of his opponent five rounds into the co-feature bout against Tim Connors. Asked to step in immediately after Biosse’s fight ended, Ayala made quick work of Gardner, giving the national boxing audience a chance to see a different fighter than the one it saw 10 months earlier against Lemieux. At the same time, Ayala felt he could’ve ended the fight a lot sooner, pointing to his aforementioned lack of counterpunching as the reason it lasted four rounds.

The goal of working with Manfredo is to eliminate the holes in his game so Ayala can box more efficiently. The first test will come May 6^th against Armenta, a tough veteran who could push Ayala much further than Gardner did in April. As Manfredo puts it, these are the fighters Ayala needs to “stop” in order to move up to the next level.

 “I know he has a durable chin and he’s ready to go every round. He’s coming to fight,” Ayala said of Armenta. “He’s been out for a year, but I remember I was out for a year and I came back and knocked my opponent out, so that doesn’t mean anything. Edwin beat him with a body shot, so I know his body isn’t that strong. I respect every fighter who steps into that ring, but I’m looking for a knockout.”

 The undercard of “Champion Breed” stars New Haven lightweight Christian Lao (1-0, 1 KO) facing Barrington Douse of Springfield, Mass., in Douse’s professional debut; unbeaten middleweight Thomas Falowo (2-0, 2 KOs) of Pawtucket, R.I., taking on Tampa’s Marvin Jones (2-0, 2 KOs); and welterweight Johnathan Vazquez (3-0, 3 KOs) of New Bedford, Mass., facing Robert Hunt (0-0) of nearby Hyannis in four-round bouts.

 Former NFL defensive lineman Jevon Langford (6-0, 6 KOs), who played six seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, will make his long-awaited return to the heavyweight division in a four-round bout against veteran Tobias Rice (2-3, 2 KOs) of Macon, Ga.

 Light heavyweight Keith Kozlin (6-2, 4 KOs) of Warwick, R.I., and New Haven middleweight Rick Dawson (3-0, 1 KO) are also on the card in separate four-round bouts. Kozlin will face Grover Young (5-1, 2 KOs) of Memphis, Tenn.

 Tickets for “Champion Breed”, priced at $40, $65 and $105, can be purchased by calling the Foxwoods box office at 800.200.2882, or online at www.foxwoods.com. For more information, visit www.cesboxing.com or www.foxwoods.com. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the first bout scheduled for 7:30.

 SHANNAN McNAIR

BOXING TONIGHT @ FOXWOODS

Boston Sports Desk will be covering tonight’s Boxing Card at Foxwoods Resort Casino. The feature match of the night will be the NABA Lightweight Championship 12-round event featuring Hank Lundy and Patrick Lopez.

 

FRIDAY, APRIL 1ST ■ 2011, FOXWOODS RESORT CASINO ■ FOX THEATER

PRESENTED BY JIMMY BURCHFIELD’S CLASSIC ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS

BLUE CORNER RED CORNER

6 ROUNDS – SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS

ELVIN AYALA VS. JOE GARDNER

New Haven, Conn. Woonsocket, R.I.

21-5-1, 9 KOs 7-1-1, 1 KO

_________________________________________________________________________________

4 ROUNDS – MIDDLEWEIGHTS

THOMAS FALOWO VS. JOHN WATSON

Pawtucket, R.I. Irvington, N.J.

2-0, 2 KOs 1-0

_________________________________________________________________________________

NABF LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

12-ROUND MAIN EVENT

“HAMMERIN’” HANK LUNDY VS. PATRICK LOPEZ

Philadelphia, Pa. Londonderry, N.H.

19-1-1, 10 KOs 20-3, 12 KOs

_________________________________________________________________________________

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT CO-FEATURE

10-ROUND CO-FEATURE

VLADINE BIOSSE VS. TIM CONNORS

Providence, R.I. Saint Louis, Mo.

10-0, 5 KOs 10-2, 7 KOs

_________________________________________________________________________________

4 ROUNDS – WELTERWEIGHTS

DOMINIC DESANTO VS. BRYAN ABRAHAM

New Haven, Conn. Schenectady, N.Y.

5-0-1, 5 KOs 2-5-2, 2KOs

_________________________________________________________________________________

4 ROUNDS – SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS

GREG MCCOY VS. TAFARI LAWTON

New Haven, Conn. Orlando, Fla.

2-2-1, 1 KO 1-1-1

_________________________________________________________________________________

4 ROUNDS – MIDDLEWEIGHTS

RICK DAWSON VS. J.C. PETERSON

New Haven, Conn. Fort Myers, Fla.

2-0, 1 KO 1-9

_________________________________________________________________________________

4 ROUNDS – LIGHTWEIGHTS

CHRISTIAN LAO VS. JOAL ALARCON

New Haven, Conn. New Bedford, Mass.

Pro debut 0-1

(All fights and fighters subject to change.)

KEVIN HARRIMAN

SEAN McCARTHY:A FEEL GOOD STORY

Boxer Sean McCarthy

 

BY LORI MITCHENER

Boston Sports Desk Correspondnt

Sean McCarthy opened a fight card full of aspiring junior Olympians on Saturday night at the Dorchester Armory.  Timothy Stanton of TNT Boxing organized the evening’s matches and his inclusion of Mr. McCarthy’s exhibition fight did a service to every youth fighter, every trainer, and truth be told every member of the audience.  Sean McCarthy Is not your typical boxer, no, he is much more than that.  In addition to be a two-time undefeated boxer, Sean has cerebral palsy (CP).  But let’s be clear:  Cerebral palsy does not define this fighter.

                In his early thirties Sean began boxing as a way to keep his core strong.  Though his doctors forbid MMA fighting, they conceded to Sean’s desire to be in the ring and gave him the green light for boxing.  Sean credits his mobility at age forty to his commitment to physical activity, he trains seven days a week.  “If I did not do this, I’d be dead”, Sean told me in regards to the importance of strength training for those with CP. 

Indeed Sean’s gait changed while he was in the ring, “In the ring my legs get under me, I am loose.” he said.   While emphasizing the importance of training, I must credit the entire boxing community at TNT for helping keep this guy “loose”.  As he navigated the armory prior to the fight it was evident the Sean was a crowd favorite and a regular in the boxing community.  Votes of confidence and high fives trailed behind him everywhere.

                Keith Burke, a youth boxing trainer at TNT, challenged Sean to a rematch after falling to him once before.   The trainer must have liked what he saw in Sean, as he even has the fighter help out with conditioning the kids.   Three solid rounds yielded Sean the overwhelming winner, he clearly dominated the trainer. 

 When the match was awarded to Sean and the crowd went wild.  A standing ovation erupted in the Armory with the accolades continuing for quite some time.  This fight was a celebration of a man refusing to let a disability shape him, much less limit him.  Sean’s sister even flew up from Pennsylvania to watch all her brother has become. 

 I hope the youth boxers were paying close attention to the lesson in perseverance on display Saturday night.     

As for Keith Burke, I hear another rematch is slated for this summer.  Go Sean Go.    

YOUTH IS ON BILL LEE’S SIDE

By: Mark Harriman, Editor 

BROCKTON- (September 5) Irish Nobel Laureate George Bernard Shaw once famously opined that youth is wasted on the young. But in the case of one William Francis Lee III, it isn’t wasted on the elderly set, either. He gets pretty good use out of it. 

The sixty three year old southpaw  Lee took the mound today at Campanelli Stadium for the playoff=bound Brockton Rox as his new team took on the Worcester Tornadoes in a game that had its own playoff implications for the latter. 

And the sexagenarian from Craftsbury, VT didn’t disappoint his Rox teammates, nor the 6,126 patrons who filled Campanelli to see him pitch on Fan Appreciation Day. Lee scattered five hits over five and a third innings, surrendering only two runs, and earned the victory in the Rox’ 7-3 win. 

Adding a twist to the baseball tale that would have made playwright Shaw proud, Lee’s performance on the mound effectively eliminated Worcester’s chances at making the Can-Am League playoffs, who now trail New Jersey by 1.5 games (NJ plays tonight, while both team play tomorrow). 

Tornadoes manager and former Red Sox catcher Rich Gedman had all he could do to hold his tongue in his post-game interview. “Don’t make it bigger than it is. He pitched a hellavu game.,” Worcester’s skipper said underneath the stands in front of several reporters. “And I say give him all the credit, but keep us out of it. Honest and true. To us it’s another game. “ 

And it was really just another game for Lee, who still routinely pitches 200 inning per year long after his baseball contemporaries have retired. 

“See this is rest and relaxation for me. What I do during the week is cut trees, haul ‘em out of the woods, saw ‘em up and lift ‘em three, four , five times,” the white-haired lumberjack who manufactures a successful line of baseball bats said while doing his pre-game exercises. “ So I lift tons of weight all week. And today I get to stretch out and stretch my arm out. Basically this is a tune-up for me.” 

The Rox signed the former Red Sox hurler and noted baseball philosopher to a one day contract, with the compensation of 25 cents per ticket sold over the average Sunday game attendance. For his mound efforts today he earned about $1,225 by his estimation. The number was pegged at a quarter, because, as Lee said. “I didn’t know if I was going to give them a two bit performance.” 

Friendly with Rox pitching coach Ed Nottle, Lee offered an interesting explanation of the circumstances behind his Can-Am League debut today. 

“They invited me to throw out the first pitch on Fan Appreciation Day and I said ‘not unless I get to throw ‘em all’. Hey, I don’t throw out ceremonial first pitches. I’m a pitcher. I’m a ballplayer.” 

But he is a 63 year old ball player and he has to rely on an array of pitches -sliders, curveballs, knuckleballs and eephus lobs- thrown from different arm angles to keep hitters off balance. 

Prior to the game, Lee seemed confident in his performance to come, but he disguised any hint of nervousness with his typical mix of head-scratching logic and humor. 

“Wind’s blowing out and these guys aren’t slouches. These guys (want to) win just as bad as I want to win. If I have a good sinker, move the ball around, change speeds, hit my spots and everybody catches everything -and I don’t walk anybody- I expect to win. 

“As Cathfish Hunter said ‘The sun don’t shine on the same dog’s ass every day, but I hope it’s shining on mine‘.” 

Turns out he was right. The wind was blowing out to left and he surrendered a monstrous solo homerun over left field wall and into the Brockton bullpen in the second inning for a 1-0 deficit. But he was also correct about locating his pitches, using everything in his arsenal and relying on some tremendous glove work at first and third to keep him out of jams. 

“I can metamorphosize into anybody. The only thing I can’t become anymore is Sandy Koufax. But at 63 I’m probably the hardest throwing 63 year old in the nation.” 

It’s a very small sample size, but a pretty good one. 

Rox manager Chris Carminucci was impressed with the performance of his newest Can-Am League rookie, but he had little words of wisdom for him prior to the game. 

“He had words of wisdom for us, which is, ‘if you hit your spots, you can get people out‘,” Carminucci said. “And he got people out with his mind today. These guys played with a purpose. They were not going to let him loose that game. And it was an awesome sight to see.” 

On his side of the field, Gedman didn’t know whether to applaud Lee’s efforts or be angry at him. But he did know that only Bill Lee could pull this off. ”He’s not crazy. He understands the game of baseball. He understands the art of pitching. He knows when to add on or take off. He knows what guys are thinking. He’s a smart guy. It’s a credit to him. It’s a credit to the Rox for giving him a chance to do it.“I’m happy for him. I’m not happy for us, but I’m happy for him. He’s found a way to make baseball his life. So that’s what it should be about.”  

 The BSD Truth-o-Meter: 

During his post-game interview, Lee stated that his career winning percentage was better than that of Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, so the Boston Sports Desk put the lefty to the test. 

A quick trip to Baseball-Reference.com proved his claim to be true. Ryan’s lifetime winning percentage was .526 (324-292). Lee’s was .569 (119-90). 

The Spaceman Speaks -Often: 

Throughout his career, Bill Lee has carried the moniker of ‘The Spaceman’ based on his rather eclectic views on the counter-culture and just about any other subject you can throw at him. He is personable, obliging and very entertaining, which makes for great copy if you are a reporter. 

The Boston Sports Desk would be doing its loyal readers a tremendous disservice if a sampling of Bill Lee’s gems were not presented here in this forum. So enjoy these offerings, many of them completely unsolicited: 

On stifling Worcester’s chances to catch New Jersey for the final Can-Am League playoff spot: “New Jersey’s where all the landfills are. They always stink.” 

On how his views on a Green Economy and the game of baseball have not changed since his rookie season in 1969: “A prophet in his own time is not well respected. I am the same person I have always been. I have not changed.” 

When asked by a reporter how many pitches he has thrown in his career: “All of them.” 

His reflections on the famous Red Sox-Yankees rivalry in the 1970’s, which was started by Thurman Munson in a 1973 collision at home plate with Carlton Fisk and culminated in the 1976 brawl in The Bronx (Lee was tackled by Graig Nettles and dislocated his shoulder, which affects his pitching to this day): ” Is there a statute of limitations on assault? The guy that did it is dead (Munson). And the guy that owned the team is dead (George Steinbrenner). So I have out lived both of them. So, did I win? Nettles looks like a duvet cover and I’m still playing.” 

On why he continues to play baseball at the age of 63 (he’ll turn 64 in December): “I’ve lived my life to play ball until the day I die and hopefully it ain’t today.”

ENOUGH OF THE LEBRON LOVE IN !

 

BY KEVIN HARRIMAN (PUBLISHER), July 7, 2010

I can’t say that I’m the least bit shocked, but it still made me scream late last night when I got word that King LeBron James was holding his own PRIME TIME special on ESPN Thursday night to disclose to the world where he will play basketball next season.

Thats right. I said basketball. Not that he’s found a cure for cancer. No. I’m talking basketball…not the Gulf Oil Spill….but basketball….not world peace…but basketball (sounds much better if you read this with the AI bit about PRACTICE in your head).

I’m a firm believer that LeBron is good for the NBA in many ways. But holding a LeBron Infomercial makes my head spin. The same holds true for ESPN. I fully understand that the E in ESPN is for Entertainment. This, my friends, is not ENTERTAINMENT. And I don’t care that he’s giving a portion of the proceeds from the LeBron Love In (he bought the time and is selling segments off) to the Boys and Girls Club.

 Who the hell anointed this guy President or Pope?  Heck, he’s only a King at this point in his life. I have some friends that thought it would be a great idea if they sat around last Monday night watching ESPN and doing shots every time LeBron was mentioned. From what I hear, it didn’t take long before most of them were well under the weather. ESPN has been over the top with its coverage of “The Pursuit of LeBron” but allowing this full of himself light-weight to host his own show is too much.

So much for giving the people what they want. Maybe I’m hanging around with the wrong people.

 Maybe it’s me. I don’t know a single individual who hasn’t had enough of this baloney. Enough LeBron I say to you, ESPN!

 It’s obvious that The King can’t help himself at this point. He hasn’t seen a public stage that he didn’t like yet. At this point, I need to ask myself and you as a reader, why all the LeBron-mania ?

While I have never been one to allow the facts to get in the way of a good story, the facts here are that The King has never won ANYTHING on a team level. ZIPPO, my friends.

He may be the best athlete in the NBA or any other sport for that matter, but really, he’s done nothing. Big, strong, and a great athlete, yes. A winner, no. In fact, my last vision of him is quitting on his team against the Celtics in the Eastern Conference semi-finals.

Can you imagine the likes of Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan (you get the point) quitting on their team ? I can’t. The group I just mentioned has all won multiple NBA Championships. While I don’t particularly like Bryant’s game, he’s looking a lot better than LeBron right now. I’d take Kobe on my team rather than LeBron in a heart beat. Yes I know the age difference, thanks for pointing that out.

But you tell me right now.

 If you needed someone to hit a shot in the final minute, who would you want ? Kobe or LeBron ? As the only active player in the group I mentioned, I’d love to hear what Kobe has to say about the LeBron Love In -Live In Prime Time on ESPN. Bryant has proven that he can win, many times over. LeBron, I’m not sure he can get himself to the next level.

I think David Stern and the rest of the stuffy NBA, Madison Ave slobs at league head-quarters are confused right now on just what to say. While the NBA loves publicity, I’m guessing they are having a tough time swallowing this one. You have one player putting himself out there as his own entity. I can’t think of a single instance where another team sport athlete has thrust himself upon the world in such a fashion. I haven’t even mentioned what the team he ends up on must be thinking now.

This is all about the building of the LeBron Empire going forward. It will have nothing to do with the team and it’s fans. It’s all about The King.

Please !

A lot of words come to mind right now. Obnoxious is one but I’m not quite sure that sums it up properly. If LeBron were out of shape right now……”Fat, dumb and stupid is no way to go through life, son !” would sum it up better…but…..

I can only hope that The King make a fool of himself tomorrow night on national TV. It would give me great pleasure for this to blow up in his face. I’m getting tired of writing this and typing his name over and over.

Enough !

My bet here is that he stays in Cleveland and this whole week of A DAY IN THE LIFE OF LEBRON was just a bad Lifetime Movie.

 Hit the road LeBron…See ya…

BLAKE TO PLAY FOR LOBSTERS THIS SEASON

Middleton, Mass.–The World  Team Tennis Pro League franchise Boston Lobsters, New England’s professional tennis team,  announced today that they have  drafted renowned tennis professional, James Blake,  for their 2010 season. 

Boston Lobsters CEO,  Bahar Uttam said, “We are really enthusiastic about having James playing for us in the upcoming season.  He’s an amazing player, and one of the very top-ranked American professionals.” 

 Lobsters Coach Bud Schultz added, “He has unbelievable speed, and a powerful, flat forehand.”

 Blake has a career high-ranking of four in the world, ten singles and five doubles titles and has played for the US Davis Cup Team for many years. He was a member of the winning team in 2007.

Blake signed with IMG Models in 2002 where he had a 10-page pictorial in GQ in 2003, and was named 2005 ATP Comeback Player of Year. He won ESPN’s 2005 “ESPY” Award for Comeback Player of the Year and was named People Magazine’s 2006-2007 “Sexiest Man Alive”.

In July 2007, Balke released a book co-authored by Andrew Friedman entitled “Breaking Back: How I Lost Everything and Won Back My Life” which reached 15th on the New York Times Best Seller list. In support of the book, he appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “The Late Show with David Letterman.”

 CEO Bahar Uttam added, “We are also quite excited to host Anna Kournikova, when the St. Louis Aces visit Boston this summer.”  Kournikova has sixteen doubles titles, including the Australian Open (with Martina Hingis) and one singles title. 

She was ranked as high as No. 8 in singles and No. 1 in doubles.  In 2000, she was one of five female tennis players named to Forbes magazine’s Power 100 in Fame and Fortune list. She is the recipient of the 1999 WTA Tour Doubles Team of the Year Award with Martina Hingis and 1996 WTA Tour Most Impressive Newcomer Award.

Kournikova was selected for the 1998 People Magazine ’50 Most Beautiful People’ list, one of only two athletes to make list (the other is the Lobsters’ own Jan-Michael Gambill). 

 “With former world No. 1 Martina Hingis just drafted by a team in the Eastern Conference, it is highly likely that she will play here when the Lobsters meet them during the season,” said Uttam.

 The 2010 schedule is due to be released shortly.

LOBSTER TRAPPINGS:

Regarding her play here against the Boston Lobsters last year, top-ranked Serena Williams said, “One thing I love about TeamTennis is that we get to travel to a lot of cities that don’t have [major] tennis in those cities, so it’s really exciting to be here.

 I come here and I look at the stadium and I see how kind of warm and intimate it is, it feels good. It’s so small and your fans are really close to you and they kind of get to know a little bit more of a sense of how you play and how you are. It’s awesome. I love it, actually.’’ …..Season tickets for all of the Lobsters home matches are now  on sale…Contact Darlene@bostonlobsters.net or call (508) 435-6585  for more information….Boston Sports Desk will be providing information to our readers all season long during the Lobsters matches…… The Ferncroft Country Club in Middleton, MA, located 19 minutes north of downtown Boston, is the official home court of the Boston Lobsters.The World Team Tennis (WTT) Pro League showcases the best in professional team tennis with the innovative co-ed team format co-founded by Billie Jean King in the 1970s.  The WTT Pro League, which celebrates its 35^th season in July 2010, is a showcase for three generations of tennis standouts, including legends, current tour players and future champions.  …

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Blake to play for the Lobsters this season