GREETINGS FROM THE EAST COAST by ST

I tried to check in yesterday from the Frisco airport but was unable to get my wireless connection. I thought, "no way I'm spending $7.99 just to post a blog". Then later I thought, "yeah, like that 8 bucks was going to matter". Anyway, my 1st observation upon landing and sitting at the San Francisco Soup company was the odd array of team hats and gear being worn by passengers getting on and off planes. I was flying my Duck colors. You had a fair share of Cal & Stanford(duh), but then a flight landed from what must have been Raleigh/Durham because off came the UNC, Wake Forrest and even a NC State Wolfpack hat. Also represented was Cincinnati, Texas, and a Harvard sighting. In keeping with my theory that they're like weeds, the Red Sox "B" was prominent along with a few NY's and of course Niners, Giants and a couple of A's headgear. Obviously I'd be the worst Homeland Security employee ever. Others would be noticing suspicious characters, I'm keeping an eye out for Husky purple.
Very important series with East Tenn State this weekend at PK Park. No, that's not my Jersey sarcasm, it's real. After this set wraps, only 8 regular season games left. This is enormous for the Bucs as they've never ventured this far west and can make a big national splash with success versus a ranked Pac 10 opponent at their place. Oregon's assault on San Diego Tuesday was a key first step in getting past the heartbreaking sweep at Corvallis and get back on track for the post season. With 31 wins already, they take 2 of 3 this weekend and play even .500 ball the rest of the way home, they qualify for the regionals and easy. Nice to lean on a horse like Tyler Anderson to get the ball rolling tonight.
Didn't get a chance to see the Celtics send Cleveland packing for the summer as we were somewhere over Canada for most of the game, but a few thoughts. I don't believe it's a done deal LeBron is leaving Cleveland. I do think it's the end of the line for coach Mike Brown. With the season on the line your team scores 18 points in both the 3rd & 4th quarters? Not acceptable. I also think GM Danny Ferry might be out the door. No way he did enough to provide James adequate help. Having a wrecking crew like that with some decent talent in a pretty weak conference will make for a strong regular season. When the bell sounds for the playoffs, you best not be so top heavy with one guy. The better defensive teams you face this time of year have easily exposed their limitations the past 3 years. Since making their lone NBA Final in 2007, they've been bounced in round 2 twice and run in the East Finals last year. And let's face it, they nearly got swept by Orlando so it wasn't close. Someone is going to pay for another Mistake By the Lake disappointment. Enjoy your weekend! Speak with you Monday live from that big ballyard in the South Bronx.

SPIN CITY by ST

This whole deal with the Mariner players lashing out at a reporter from a Tacoma newspaper is a joke. The guy did his job, quoting players, that Ken Griffey Jr was asleep in the clubhouse and unavailable to pinch hit. Griffey never flat out denied he was napping though his manager Don Wakamatsu now claims Junior wasn't catching some Z's and he simply decided against using him. This team sucks guava jelly and rather than man up and accept their shortcomings, they turn their venom on a reporter. Not that some in the media don't deserve to get ripped, but not in this case.
Lot being made of LeBron James tanking last night in the Cavs devastating blowout loss at home to Boston. I don't think that was the case. Certainly his body language was not good, but sometimes the opposition just has it and you don't. If a running back has no room to operate and has one of those 16 carry, 33 yard games, is he dogging it? Not necessarily. No question the effort and result was a disgrace but LeBron James throwing in the towel? I don't think so. FYI...I could care less, it's freaking Cleveland, but I think many in the national media are getting a tad melodramatic. The fact is this team is overrated because of their regular season performance. We've learned over time that things change in the playoffs. One thing that's obviously not changed, the Cavs are not a championship caliber team.
We get a pair of biggies in the NHL Eastern tonight. The Cup champion Penguins are home for Montreal in a game 7 while the Flyers hope to force a game 7 against Boston at Philly after dropping the first 3. To quote Flounder in Animal House, "Oh boy is this great"!

TIME TO MOVE ON by ST

Remember a few weeks back there was a bit of a hullabaloo when after popping up, Alex Rodriguez committed a baseball faux pas by running across the mound on his way back to the dugout. Oakland A's pitcher Dallas Braden went nuts, cussing out Aroid. Most felt it wasn't earth shattering, just another case of Rodriguez being clueless. That was more than 2 weeks ago yet a story today reads Braden still in a huff. Dude, might be time to move on especially since you've lost your last 2 times out. I guess some guys just refuse to let go of the spotlight, regardless of how little they actually did to have it shine their way.
Had 3 great talks on the KUGN show today. Chad Barlow of Oregon Track and Field who will run the 200 at tomorrow's twilight at 5pm @ Hayward Field. What a great young guy. Then we spoke with UO baseball coach Mike Kirby who offered up a wise word of caution regarding game one of this Civil War series at Oregon State. Forget the won/loss record, OSU's starter Greg Peavey is all that. Kid has big league stuff. Then it was time to chat with Lacrosse coach Jen Larsen. She was a 2 sport star(Lax & Field Hockey) at the University of Virginia. Obviously she has a heavy heart over the recent tragedy where a men's lacrosse player is accused of murdering a women's player. Jen is a total class act and a pleasure to hear her speak about this program she's building, the 1st D-1 for the sport in the Pacific Northwest.
Another thought on the Lawrence Taylor arrest. A court report says the 16 year old child actually told LT she was 19. AND??? He's married and 51 years old. She's a freaking kid. What a disgrace. Makes me sick.

SAY IT AIN'T SO by ST

The phone rang this morning a few minutes before I usually get up. It was my dad from Jersey. He informed me Lawrence Taylor had been arrested for raping a 16 year old. I'm far from naive and via knuckleheads like Tiger and Ben Roethlisberger we've learned we don't know these people beyond how they play. That said, it's sad my reaction didn't include the emotion of surprise. LT's history is pathetic. He's a spoiled lowlife who might be the best football player ever. I've said many times, watching Taylor day in and day out, maybe 30-35 times in person was as much fun as I've ever had as a sports fan. Turns out, if he played in the information age and wasn't afforded special treatment our opinion of him would have been altered. He'd have made Big Ben, Tiger, Pacman and the like appear to be choir boy like people. He's a disgrace. What the heck is he doing in the company of a 16 year old CHILD?
I saw the NBA fined former North Eugene high, BYU and Celtic stud Danny Ainge 25 large for his towel tossing incident against the Cavaliers the other night. He was the ultimate pest when he played. The kind of guy you loved on your team but wanted to smack as an opponent. The problem is he hasn't suited up since 1995. He's a 51 yaer old executive for the Boston Celtics. He's sitting courtside and to distract a Cavalier free throw shooter he throws a towel up in the air? When they're up 23 points? Some people just never grow up. Nice example D.A! Looking forward to today's show. Gotta a lot of baseball, hoops, hockey and digressions to get to.

THE BIG LIE by ST

We've witnessed some great fibs in our lifetime. Here's one you get every day. You're speaking with someone or perhaps listening to sports radio and the voice says "I hate to say I told you so". WRONG! I love to say I told you so! Mariner fans, what the heck was your front office thinking bringing in a P.O.S like Milton Bradley. At what point to you apply the "shame on me" theory? Did they really think this was the stop where he man's up? Was Ken Griffey Junior and his .200 batting average going to erase the complete lack of character as a ballplayer and human being. Last night he looked at a called 3rd strike right down the middle. Manager Don Wakamatsu pulled him from the game, and Bradley left. Not the field. Not the dugout. But completely. Bolted from Safeco Field. The hysterical part is as of this morning, no one quite knew where he was. Here's an interesting question. Who Cares? On yesterday's show I said I'd be stunned if Bradley were still on this team when the leaves turn brown. Check that, I meant when we were having our Memorial Day cookouts. For different reasons, Griffey has to go. He can't hit. He's an easy out. It's over. Time to retire, and I don't mean after this season ends, I'm talking about at the end of the month. What a car wreck. Sad because the starting pitching, defense and parts of the bullpen are as good as any in the American League West.
Speaking of nice efforts, how about Atlanta mailing in their effort to the Magic Kingdom in game one of the NBA's East semi finals. My protest is personal. I love to get home just before 6:30, do some stretching, then begin my workout with the end of the early games on the tube. By the time I clicked on the TV it was a massacre. The first score I saw posted on TNT was 83-44 Orlando. It was like one of those Kidsports games where it's so lopsided they flip the scorecard over to avoid embarrassing the losing team.
Lot of baseball, Oregon hoops, your calls and obviously the hockey and hoop playoffs.

MAN AT WORK by ST

So Dana Altman has been on the job a whole week and already has landed a pretty nice looking recruit in Vegas point guard Jonathan Loyd. Young guy is apparently a ridiculous athlete having led his high school to back to back state titles in hoops and contributed as an elite returner for a team who made the finals. Now fans will wait to see if D.A can land another quality player. They're waiting on Dwayne Polee Jr who was the sectional player of the year at his L.A area school. The kid's dad and coach Altman have apparently known each other for about 8 years.
The baseball team has climbed to 15th in the Baseball America. They entertain Portland this evening at 7 o'clock at PK Park. The Pilots have caught fire and bring a 10 game win streak into the fray. Looks like Joey Housey will get the start for the Ducks. In many ways, he's been the most dominating arm with a dirt low .96 era, and a superb ratio of 17 strikeouts versus a mere 3 walks. Joey did not appear in the Washington State series over the weekend but versus Oregon State last week made his 1st start and tossed 3 shutout innings of 1 hit baseball. Oregon will be in Corvallis this weekend for a set with OSU.
I have a pair of tickets for tonight's game and a final pair for the Toby Keith concert on July 23rd in Clark County. Want in on the drawing? E-mail the correct answer to the following to me at stevetannen@live.com
We're all aware Oregon State won back to back baseball championships in 2006 & 2007. Who was the last Pac 10 team prior to the Beavs to win the National Title in baseball?

THE "I LOVE SPORTS" WEEKEND by ST

I'm happy I didn't drop down the 50-60 bucks for Mosely/Mayweather. I read where Sugar Shane nearly dropped the favorite in the 2nd round but it was a route from that point forward. Every judge had Floyd winning rounds 3 through 12. The Kentucky Derby nearly padded my retirement account, but I paired the top 2(Super Saver & Ice Box) with the wrong 4 or 5 others and did not include Paddy O'Prado so I tanked. Fun race, I really love that jock, Calvin Borel, nickhamed Bo-Rail because of his penchant for staying inside to win big races.
Oregon baseball has officially become an amazing story. After Tyler Anderson's outing and tough loss Friday, the guys showed their resolve by taking the final 2 lead by more dazzling pitching to win the series versus Washington State. This team started Pac 10 play by dropping 2 of 3 to the Arizona schools. Then, 2 & 6 in conference. Since? Taken 2 of 3 in all four league sets along with the 2 game sweep at Gonzaga and the demolition of Oregon State. It adds up to a nice 11 & 4 roll and they've hit the 30 win mark. Obviously George Horton is the greatest hire in the history of organized sports. He's not?
Here's my take on the Oregon Spring game. Well done by the university and the community. Record crowd, honoring those serving in the military and accumulating a bunch of food for the needy in our area. Football wise? No one got hurt. It's all I care about this time of year.
We haven't even touched on the NBA or NHL playoffs or major league baseball. What a great weekend. Hey! Country music fans? You want in on a shot at tickets for Toby Keith at the Sleep Country Ampitheater about 20 minutes north of Portland. The show includes Trace Adkins and James Otto and will roll on Friday, July 23rd.
E-mail the correct answer to the following to get into our drawing.
stevetannen@live.com
In 2005 Keith began his own record label. Name it!