Turf Toe

Playing Ball.

With so many distractions in my everyday life, namely the NBA and catching up on what’s what with the upcoming baseball season, not to mention some of the worst coverage I have ever seen, I am not surprised that American Idol trounced the Olympics in ratings gold (you knew a medal cliché was coming, didn’t you?)

Note to NBC, just because the USA doesn’t score gold, doesn’t make the sport un-freaking-watchable and watch I tired. The ‘I should have never been in Torino in the first place’ Kwan show — bust, the Bode DQ show — bigger bust.  The only highlight of the Olympics for me so far was women’s speed skating.  To paraphrase Gordon Gano, I dig them Dutch girls.  Too bad it was relegated to off-time.

That said, USA, USA. 

On a lighter note:  Pitchers and catchers should be at training camp now, all snuggled up in bunk beds, talking about signs and off-speed fastballs and sliders and blocking the plate.  I will say it once; Los Dodgers look in all right shape.  Will they win the World Series like Gagne said, no, no they won’t.  Will they win the West?  Maybe.  I don’t think they will, but it's a safe bet.  But the other LA team, the Angels, really didn’t do too much in the off-season, except sign the other Weaver fruitcake pitcher, ex-Dodger Jeff, to an 8.5 million dollar contract. Great rotation, but, um, where’s the big bat we need, Arty?

Play Ball!

Mission Creep.

While the rest of the world was, sort-of, watching, "Il Pomodoro Volante" win a gold in Snowboarding for the US of A, the Toe watched last night as the Clippers, my beloved Clippers, gave one away to the Chicago Bulls at Staples. 

Now, I know that there is a mid-season mission creep in the NBA this time of year, what with the All-Star game break coming this weekend, but in a game that should-of, could-of been a W, the Clip Show lost their focus on the court.  When you have the Chicago Bulls’ Kirk Hinrich score 17 off of you, there is no chance to win.  None at all.  Even though it’s only mid-season time, these are important games to win.

This is how I picture the rest of the season:  It comes down to overtaking the Suns if these boys have any chance of not going one and done in the playoffs.  But that’s just me.  But what about the The Lakers, look for another season of rebuilding.

Your thoughts?

What the Frick?

In a case of ‘What the Frick?’, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are still, get this, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  I say it’s a good thing, c’mon, I was just in OC last weekend for a Supercross race and aside from the amazingly large amount of bad ‘Punk” tee-shirts, a preponderance of Corona Light and Del Tacos, Angels Stadium, whilst not technically in Los Angeles, is close enough.  The region deserves another World Series and no matter what Gagne said yesterday, it isn’t going to happen with the Dodgers.

Who’s up for a road trip with the Toe?

The 12th Man.

Back from a long hiatus, folks.  I know you all missed the Toe.  But, the Toe travels, but the Toe is still here, the 12th man in a world of fakers.  Speaking of the 12th man, I think there was some sort of footie ball game this past weekend, though I couldn’t really tell, there weren’t any promos on ESPN.

That said, even though the officiating was beyond reproach, like the worst game ever, the Seahawks — my West Coast pick — played a really terrible game.  Like they say in clichéd sports movies, “You can’t win if you don’t score points” and the 7-3 score at halftime made me wish I would have bought some beer before the game and started drinking when the wrankely Stones took the stage.  The second half was less than delightful, false calls, bad plays on both teams and the most underwhelming MVP ever in Hines Ward.  One last thing:  If W wants to do something about activist judges, why can’t he do something that will affect us just as much, this time, in a positive manner, do something about activist officiating, won’t you.  Jeesh!

But, alas, it all means nothing, or close to nothing, when we, the collective ‘We” of Los Angeles doesn’t have out own team to root for.  Where are the Los Angeles Stars, or the Hollywood Diamonds, or the Beverly Hills Lawyers — our own team?  I will be the first one in line asking my friends for free tickets.  Keep that in mind NFL.

Again, that said, no football team, but we do have two basketball teams, or one and a half, in my opinion.  I won’t go on about the Lakers; they already take up too much of Jim Hill’s sportscast on the 11 O’clock news and too much focus of the LA media. 

Even when they lose, the still get double the airtime as the Clippers.  Like last night, if you didn’t watch the Clippers game, you won’t believe the hype on the team.  Against an undermanned Knicks, the Clippers played a bad game, I mean, long road trip, we are tired as fuck, bad game.  Turnover city, bad passes, Kaman’s hair.  All of it, bad.  But Sam Cassell, in what looks like the trade of the century for the Clipps, came up with two timely treys with time winding down, then some stifling D, an odd Five Second violation on the Knicks Jalen Rose and the Clipps won another, to pull within one of the Suns.  I think they could win the Pacific, but that’s just me.  And the Lakers:  I can sum them up in one simple sentence:  They won’t make the playoffs, even if Kobe goes for 101 a game.