SportZone

Whitecaps to make MLS Announcement!

clearskies — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:45:24

Here is the Whitecaps media call distributed today (Thursday afternoon)...

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC TO ANNOUNCE FUTURE PLANS
VANCOUVER, BC - Vancouver Whitecaps FC will be making a major announcement about the future of soccer in Vancouver and British Columbia.
What: Whitecaps announcement about the future of soccer in Vancouver and British Columbia.
When: Friday, July 25, 2008
Time: 11:00 a.m.

And Steve Nash is part of the mix!

drum roll please...

KIRO 710 Officially Re-Acquires the Mariners

mikedup — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:08:35

Mariners return to KIRO radio in 2009
By JOHN HICKEY
SEATTLE P-I REPORTER
July 22

The Seattle Mariners will be moving back down the radio dial to KIRO-AM/710 for the 2009 season.

The two sides announced the signing of a three-year deal today at noon, a deal that will bring the Mariners about $5.5 million per season from Bonneville International, the company that owns KIRO.

For the past six seasons the Mariners have been heard on KOMO-AM/1000, part of a deal that brought the Mariners about $10 million per season. For 18 years before the switch in 2003, the Mariners had called KIRO home.

All of the game announcers, including lead broadcaster Dave Niehaus, who goes into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., on Sunday and who has been the Mariner announcer since the franchise's first game in 1977, are expected to make the move to KIRO.

Those announcers are employees of the Mariners. Their contracts all are up at the end of the 2008 season, but that is, sources say, just coincidental with the end of the KOMO deal and Niehaus, Rick Rizzs, Dave Sims and Mike Blowers all are expected back for 2009.

The current pre- and post-game broadcasters -- including Shannon Drayer, KOMO's lead Mariner reporter and the station's Mariner blogger -- are employed by KOMO, so they could be looking for work if KIRO doesn't hire them.

Seattle's fortunes on the baseball field have taken a tumble since Fisher Communications, which owns KOMO, agreed to that deal, which was one of the most lucrative radio contracts in baseball when it was signed.

As a result, Fisher and KOMO suffered losses throughout the length of the contract. The onset of Internet broadcasts and the changes to the radio industry itself made the deal unworkable at the price Fisher was paying.

As part of the new radio landscape, radio stations don't have the exclusivity they once had over the audio of the game, which is available through satellite radio and through Major League Baseball on the Internet. Local radio stations are not allowed to stream the broadcasts they carry on the Internet.

Fisher dropped out of the running for a new contract last month, the previous contract having both helped the station define itself in the marketplace and prove very costly over the six-year run. The Mariners, however, have had three losing seasons in the last four years and have the worst record in the American League this year.

The Mariners had been on KIRO through two mostly lean decades before things turned around for the franchise in 1995, starting an almost decade-long upswing in the team's fortunes just as Fisher and KOMO swept in to stake its claim.

The deal with Fisher/KOMO set records for local radio and reportedly was, at the time, worth more than the local radio deals for the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, teams located in much larger markets.

Although the Mariners will be getting just about 55 percent of what they had been used to, sources say there is language in the deal that will bring the club more depending on how things shake out over the course of the next three seasons.

Mike Milbury, HNIC's 'Most Significant' Addition

mikedup — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:46:17

Milbury joins Hockey Night team

by WILLIAM HOUSTON
Globe & Mail
whouston@globeandmail.com
July 22, 2008

Signing analyst Mike Milbury to a multiyear contract rates as Hockey Night in Canada's most important acquisition in years.

The deal - two years plus an option - was announced yesterday after Milbury failed to reach a contract extension with TSN.

In just one NHL season with TSN (and also NBC), Milbury has developed into a top studio analyst, largely by mixing humour with hard-hitting commentary.

"I think it's a huge acquisition," Scott Moore, the head of CBC Sports, said. "If he's not the best, he's one of the top two or three [studio analysts] in the business."

When the 2008-09 NHL season gets under way, Milbury will appear on the Hockey Night pregame show and in the second intermission as part of the Hotstove panel. As well, he will write a weekly column for CBCSports.ca and do spots on the Hockey Night satellite radio show.

Sherali Najak, executive producer of Hockey Night, described Milbury - a former NHL player, head coach and general manager - as a star.

"He made a big impact in just one year," Najak said.

Asked if TSN should be upset over losing Milbury, Najak said: "We gave them something during the summer as well."

He was referring to CTV-TSN grabbing the rights to the Hockey Night theme song after talks between CBC and the song's writer failed. Moore denied the CBC's signing Milbury was payback.

Milbury, who lives in Boston, said he opted for Hockey Night because his TV workload will be limited to one night a week (Saturday). The money offered by each network was about the same, upward of $300,000 a year, but at TSN, he would have been required to work three or four nights a week.

"If I were living in Toronto it would be one thing," Milbury said. "But to be up there for 55 to 60 games, it would be a lot to be away from my family."

TSN president Phil King said there were no hard feelings.

"We enjoyed Mike's seven months with us and wish him all the best," he said.

Milbury is the second big hockey name to leave TSN in a little more than a month. In mid-June, analyst Glenn Healy left the network to take a job with the National Hockey League Players' Association.

Still, the network's studio talent includes Bob McKenzie, Darren Dreger and Pierre McGuire, when he isn't in the broadcast booth. It's rumoured that Ray Ferraro, formerly with NBC and Rogers Sportsnet, will sign with TSN.

Najak was the impetus behind the Milbury signing, but it didn't hurt that Hockey Night's star commentator, Don Cherry, is a close friend of Milbury. Milbury played for the Boston Bruins when Cherry was coaching the team in the 1970s.

Milbury said he's excited about joining the show.

"There's nothing bigger than Hockey Night when it comes to doing hockey games," he said. "It's been around forever, it's been a caretaker for the hockey and part of its history. So it is a good place to be."

Milbury probably has an escape clause that would allow him to accept an NHL job if it becomes available.

In May, he applied for the vacant head coaching position with the San Jose Sharks. The job went to Detroit Red Wings assistant Todd McLellan.

Milbury will continue to work for NBC. When there's a conflict, he will appear on Hockey Night by remote.

Beijing ad sales

NBC reports it has sold 90 per cent of its 2008 Beijing Olympics advertising and is on target to set a Games-revenue record of more than $1-billion (U.S.).

The CBC has not sold 90 per cent of its ad inventory, but Moore says the Canadian network is close to reaching its sales target.

"We're actually in a better position than many world broadcasters, mainly because [the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games] sponsors want to start their Olympic campaigns with us," he said. "As a percentage of target, we're well above 90 per cent."

Will the 2008 Games make money for the network? "I wouldn't comment on that," Moore said.

Shark attack

Paul Azinger's commentary on Greg Norman's horrible final round of the British Open last weekend was entirely appropriate. The ABC golf analyst attacked Norman's decision to play aggressively, calling his use of a driver in the windy conditions "really mind-boggling."

It was assumed Norman would save ABC from a ratings decline, given the absence of major U.S. stars in contention, but it didn't happen. ABC's overnight rating (percentage of potential U.S. households tuned in) was 3.5, down 14.6 per cent from 2007.

ABC's British Open Golf Coverage

johnnytindale — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:58:54

I'm wondering if anyone has comments or an opinion on ABC's coverage of the British Open golf tournament this past weekend at Royal Birkdale. Overall, I found the coverage to be noticeably weaker than that of the other majors broadcasted by CBS & NBC. Probably the main reason is that ABC no longer covers golf (except for its annual treck to the British Open). Pretty hard to be on top of the game for two days a year. The announcers/commentator team was rather thin. Although Mike Tirico does a decent enough job as lead announcer, the tandom of Paul Azinger and Tom Watson did not add very much to the broadcast. I found Azinger to be too negative and Watson's lack of broadcasting experience showed. Normally when I'm watching golf coverage on the other networks, I find that the analysts are able to provide good insight, while passing on information to the viewers that might otherwise go unnoticed. In terms of the on course coverage, I think the coverage/information was adequate, led by Judy Rankin. In summary, I think if ABC can't step up its coverage for future years, it should give up the Open to one of the other networks who have an established golf team and can give it the coverage it deserves.

Toronto Writer Critiques CBC Baseball Crew

mikedup — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:53:50

Torrents of useless chatter from broadcast trio

Jul 14, 2008 04:30 AM
by Chris Zelkovich
Toronto Star

The horrors of the three-man broadcasting booth have been well documented, with the spotlight shining mainly on the torrents of useless verbiage they produce.

Though not everything that emanates from three-man booths is to be condemned, the fact is they are inherently evil.

CBC's baseball crew proved that on the weekend, producing much that was to be lauded and much that was to be condemned.

On the good side of the ledger, the trio of Jim Hughson, Jesse Barfield and Rance Mulliniks often raise the level of the broadcast.

The two former Jays are at their best when discussing the finer points of the game and telling stories. When Hughson asked them yesterday to talk about things they've done during the all-star break, Barfield told a great story about spending hours in a batting cage near his home.

It cost him about $10 in quarters, he said, but it got him out of his slump.

Mulliniks isn't afraid to question players, knocking Adam Lind for a baserunning error and wondering aloud what Brad Wilkerson was thinking about when he took a fastball down the middle on a 3-2 count.

They also produced some laughs, most notably when slumping Jays infielder Scott Rolen got a hit. "That will get the monkey off his back," Barfield said. "In his case, it was an ape."

But the crimes were many.

The most blatant was Mulliniks' continuing abuse of the English language.

How abusive? Let us count the ways:

"They had gave up on him."

"It could have went either way."

"A.J. Burnett has came up big for the Blue Jays today."

"He has pretty good sinkage (sic)."

Nobody expects Oscar Wilde out of these guys, but somebody needs to send Mulliniks back to Grade 6.

Grammatical sins are only part of the problem. Then there are the inanities produced by the perceived need to fill airtime.

With runners at the corners, none out and Marco Scutaro facing a 3-1 count, Mulliniks told viewers that Scutaro, "wants to stay patient and not go after a bad pitch." Can you think of the last time a batter was in a situation where he should not be patient and want to go after a bad pitch?

That type of mind-numbing commentary affects everybody in a three-man booth. As the trio prattled on about nicknames for the curveball, Yankee Jorge Posada was hit by a pitch.

Hughson, one of the best in the business, told viewers it was a wild pitch before he realized what had really happened.

If a guy like Hughson can be distracted by all this nattering, what hope is there for the rest of us?

czelkov@thestar.ca

CBC details BEIJING 2008 Olympic Games Slate

Grand Slam — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:43:38

CBC announces key details
for BEIJING 2008: THE OLYMPIC GAMES
    <<
           CBC to provide an unprecedented 2,400 hours of coverage;
     Canadians to see entire Games in High-Definition for first time ever
    >>

    TORONTO, July 15 /CNW/ - In its 52nd year of Olympic broadcasting
excellence, CBC, Canada's Olympic Network, will serve viewers better than
ever, providing more than 2,400 hours of unprecedented coverage of BEIJING
2008: THE OLYMPIC GAMES - marking the most hours of exclusive Olympic coverage
ever available to Canadians. In addition, for the first time ever, Canadians
will experience the entire Games in High-Definition (HD).

    CBC's broadcast of Beijing 2008, which is being regarded as one of the
most anticipated and historically significant Olympic Games, begins on
Wednesday, August 6 at 4:45 a.m. ET on CBC Television and CBCSports.ca with
live coverage of a preliminary women's soccer match featuring Canada taking on
Argentina. On Thursday, August 7 at 9 p.m. local, CBC preps Canadians for the
Games with Beijing 2008 Preview (also on CBCSports.ca at 8 p.m. ET), followed
by live coverage of the Opening Ceremony on Friday, August 8 at 7 a.m. ET,
which will include all of the pageantry from the Parade of Nations (simulcast
on CBC Newsworld).

    CBC Television will maintain the network's golden tradition of airing
most events live, and, together with CBCSports.ca, CBC's digital channel bold,
CBC Newsworld, CBC Radio, Radio-Canada, RDS and TSN, will bring the Beijing
Games home to Canadians. CBC will broadcast more than 2,000 hours of
English-language coverage of BEIJING 2008: THE OLYMPIC GAMES, with CBC
Television providing 282 hours, CBC Newsworld airing 145 hours, bold
broadcasting 250 hours, TSN offering 150 hours and CBCSports.ca presenting
more than1,500 hours of event coverage. For French viewers, Radio-Canada will
offer 263 hours of content while RDS will provide 206 hours of coverage of
BEIJING 2008: THE OLYMPIC GAMES.

    "CBC's coverage of the Beijing Games will allow Canadians to have more
access to the Olympics than ever before," said Trevor Pilling, Executive
Producer, BEIJING 2008: THE OLYMPIC GAMES. "Our broadcast package is
unprecedented, especially in terms of the total hours of coverage produced,
the multiple platforms available and our excellent cast of commentators and
analysts. The 2008 Games are a coming out party for China and feature some of
the best athletes the world has ever seen - and CBC will present it all in HD
- from inside the stadiums to the crowded streets, our viewers will see
everything."

    In order to accommodate the 12-hour time difference in Beijing, CBC
Television will begin each day with Olympic Morning, hosted by Scott Russell
and Diana Swain from 6 a.m. to 12 noon ET. Olympic Prime, with host Ron
MacLean, kicks off at 6 p.m. ET while Ian Hanomansing takes over the reigns at
12 midnight ET to host Olympic Pacific Prime. The 12-hour time difference is a
plus for Canadian viewers, as they will be able to see big-ticket events such
as Swimming and Gymnastics gold medal events live during Olympic Prime.

    In addition to a daily simulcast of coverage from CBC Television and bold
(CBC's digital channel), CBCSports.ca will offer up to nine live,
uninterrupted streamed events daily throughout the games.
CBCSports.ca/Olympics will provide more than 1,500 hours of live Olympic
coverage in addition to extensive on-demand video, interviews, highlights,
cultural features, CBC News regional reports and CBC Radio clips
.
    CBC's digital channel bold is home to exclusive, live daily coverage of
Equestrian and Sailing events for BEIJING 2008: THE OLYMPIC GAMES. Starting
Friday, August 8 bold will telecast more than 250 total hours from Beijing,
including more than 150 hours of combined live coverage.

    CBC Newsworld will work in conjunction with CBC Television, providing 145
hours of coverage of BEIJING 2008: THE OLYMPIC GAMES. In addition to providing
Canadians with up-to-the-minute information regarding athletic performances
and achievements, CBC Newsworld will report on stories beyond the field of
competition, including special interviews and features during BEIJING TODAY,
airing every hour on the half-hour, starting at 6:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. ET,
beginning August 9th. Veteran sports journalist Brian Dunstan, who has covered
six Olympic Games, will host the daily program. CBC NEWS: MORNING host Heather
Hiscox with Colleen Jones will also be in Beijing to tell the big stories of
the day from the sidelines and behind-the-scenes.

    Chief News Correspondent Peter Mansbridge will be in Beijing hosting CBC
NEWS: THE NATIONAL live from Monday, August 4 to Thursday, August 7 at  9 and
11 p.m. ET/PT on CBC Newsworld and 10 p.m. (10:30 p.m. NT) on CBC Television.
For the duration of the Games, THE NATIONAL will be seen in its entirety on
CBC Newsworld at 9 p.m. ET/PT, 10 p.m. ET and 11 p.m. ET/PT. A  10-minute
version of the program will air nightly during Olympic Prime on CBC
Television.

    Beginning Saturday, August 9 through to Saturday, August 23, CBC Radio
One will provide listeners with all the scores and results from Beijing, along
with an insider's perspective on the events and drama as it unfolds.

    Each day during the Games, Canadians can tune into OLYMPIC REPORT
beginning at 5:53 a.m. ET (1/2 hour delay in NT) where hosts Matt Galloway,
Dwight Smith, Jill Dempsey and Scott Regehr will provide in-depth analysis and
results. Additionally, CBC Radio's CBC NEWS: WORLD REPORT, THE INSIDE TRACK,
CBC NEWS: THE WORLD THIS HOUR, CBC NEWS: THE WORLD AT SIX and a special
edition of CROSS COUNTRY CHECKUP on August 3 will provide further support with
Olympic stories that follow the issues and athletes.

    In addition to television, online and radio, Canadians can also access
Olympic Games content on their cell phones. Bell Mobility subscribers can keep
abreast of all the action in Beijing with a 2-3 minute highlight package of
CBC's Olympic Games coverage delivered throughout the day to their cell phone,
available via Bell Mobility's Beijing 2008 video bundle. Subscribers can check
Canada's medal standings; view exclusive interviews with athletes and text
votes for top Bell Olympic Moments on CBC every day throughout the Games. Bell
ExpressVu subscribers will be able to access a range of Olympic Games coverage
at the touch of a button with Olympic Mosaic. Viewers will not miss a moment
of the action as Olympic Mosaic provides access to five different channels at
once - CBC, CBC HD, CBC Newsworld, bold, and TSN, along with the Bell Moment
of the Day. Olympic Interactive, also available to Bell ExpressVu subscribers,
provides viewers with interactive CBC coverage including up to the minute
news; in-depth event information; athlete biographies; history; sports
essentials and broadcast schedules.

    CBC/Radio-Canada is the broadcast home to Beijing 2008 in Canada. CBC,
Canada's Olympic Network, will provide comprehensive, daily live Olympic Games
coverage on CBC Television, CBC's digital channel bold, CBC Radio, CBC
Newsworld and CBCSports.ca, ensuring that Canadians can experience the
excitement of the Olympic Games when and where they want.
    Olympic fans can visit CBCSports.ca/Olympics 24 hours a day, seven days a
week leading up to and during the 2008 Olympic Games for comprehensive
coverage, including breaking news, athlete blogs, in-depth reports, live and
on-demand streaming, special features, and more.

    CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada's national public broadcaster and one of its
largest cultural institutions. With 28 services offered on Radio, Television,
the Internet, satellite radio, digital audio, as well as through its record
and music distribution service and wireless WAP and SMS messaging services,
CBC/Radio-Canada is available how, where, and when Canadians want it.

For further information: For detailed broadcast schedule and further
information, contact: James Lamont, (Office) (416) 342-1818, (Mobile) (416)
859-5870, james.lamont@MediaProfile.com; Jess Rutledge, (Office) (416)
342-1820, (Mobile) (416) 303-0699, jessica@MediaProfile.com

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2008/15/c4744.html

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New West's Justin Morneau Wins Home Run Derby!

boredop — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 23:15:08

Josh Hamilton of Texas hit 28 home runs in the elimination round to set a new record, but Minnesota's Justin Morneau of New Westminster BC beat him 5-3 in the finals of the Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium, part of Baseball`s All Star Game festivities.

Seems he's the first Canadian ever to win the elite slugging title at baseball's mid-summer showcase.

Joey Kenward & Team 1040 Rick Ball��

Gotobreak — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:02:22

John Shorthouse calls 45 television games on Sportsnet Pacific. Non TV games, Shorthouse will continue to call the games on 1040. Joey Kenward Giants play-by-play broadcaster will do (away games)Team 1040 Rick Ball (home games) Tommy Larschied not retiring will continue to work with the new duo.

Former Yankee Bobby Murcer R.I.P.

BARKS BITES — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 00:09:35

In this May 1, 2007 file photo, New York Yankees broadcaster Bobby Murcer
poses before a baseball game between the Yankees and the Texas Rangers in Arlington.
(AP Photo/Matt)

Bobby Murcer passed away from brain cancer Saturday at the age of 62

He was a great player and a great broadcaster for the Yankees.

He will be missed.

.

Two-QB system tossed?

hockeypuck — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 03:19:40

With under 24-hours to go before kick-off between the Argos and the Eskies at Commonwealth Stadium, Toronto just tossed Michael Bishop on WAIVERS! Does this mean farewell to Rich Stubler's two quarterback system?

All we've been hearing this season out of Toronto is both pivots talking about how they don't really like not being the number one guy.

When a team goes out and picks up the league MVP in a position where they've already got a #1, you sort of assume that he'll be the one to go...but usually that's taken care of before the season, not three games in. What the heck is going on here?

TSN says this is probably just to see if there's any interest in Bishop from around the league, and I guess they can pluck him back off of waivers if someone shows interest...weird. What's everyones thoughts?

(TSN story: http://tsn.ca/cfl/story/?id=242981&lid=headline&lpos=topStory_main)

Broadcasters free to go live from Beijing

AirWaves — Wed, 9 Jul 2008 12:28:05

Broadcasters free to go live
from Beijing during Games

Nick Mulvenney
Reuters
Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Chinese President Hu Jintao raises the Olympic torch
REUTERS/Claro Cortes IV

BEIJING (Reuters) - Broadcasters will be able to transmit live by satellite from around Beijing and Tiananmen Square during next month's Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Wednesday.

Broadcasters, some of which pay billions of dollars for Olympic rights, had complained that China had not been forthcoming with licenses to allow live transmissions during the August 8-24 Games and had tied up other processes with red tape.

Rights-holding broadcasters, which include NBC and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), met with Beijing organizing committee (BOCOG) officials on Wednesday to try and resolve the issues.

BOCOG said both rights-holders and non-rights-holders would be given licenses and frequencies to transmit live from around Beijing and the other five Olympic co-host cities, according to the IOC.

"We welcome the confirmations given today by BOCOG to broadcasters that they will be able to report and broadcast via satellite from around the city," said International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s communications director Giselle Davis.

Sites that are classified as cultural relics, such as the Great Wall and Forbidden City, will still require permission while live transmissions from Tiananmen Square will be restricted to rights holders and only be allowed at certain times of day.

Non-rights holders will, however, be able to pre-record programs and interviews from Tiananmen, the site of the bloody crackdown on the 1989 democracy movement.

"Particularly pleasing is the fact that all broadcasts -- both rights holders and non-rights holders -- will be able to record interviews, reports and packages unrestricted from Tiananmen Square," Davis added.

Live transmissions from positions on Tiananmen Square will be allowed from 6 to 10 a.m. and 9 to 11 p.m.

"Whilst we understand there may be frustrations on the part of some broadcasters that they cannot transmit live around the clock from Tiananmen Square, we recognize that this iconic location is much in demand ... and that consequently, some time constraints for live access were needed to be given by the Chinese hosts," Davis added.

China has promised to give media the same freedom to report as they enjoyed at previous Games since winning the right to host the Olympics in 2001.

Reporting restrictions were loosened under regulations issued at the start of last year but are due to expire after the Olympics and September's Paralympics.

Human Right Watch said in a report released on Monday that China had breached its pledge on media freedom and reporters working in China still report obstruction and harassment.

(Editing by Alex Richardson)

(For more stories visit our multimedia website "Road to Beijing" at http://www.reuters.com/news/sports/2008olympics; and see our blog at http://blogs.reuters.com/china)

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/etoday/story.html?id=9ea3edf7-b43b-4f93-900f-e8391bef0eb8

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Sonics Voice Calabro jumps off magic carpet ride

Grand Slam — Wed, 9 Jul 2008 12:04:15

Voice of the Sonics,
Calabro jumps off magic carpet ride

By JIM MOORE

SeattlePI.com
July 9, 2008

When I spoke to him Tuesday morning, Kevin Calabro was getting ready to head to Seattle from his home in Redmond to cut a pair of commercials. The day before, he played in Jamie Moyer's charity golf tournament at Suncadia after spending the Fourth of July weekend at Lake Chelan.

This is typical offseason stuff for the Sonics' longtime play-by-play man, so nothing's changed in that respect even though everything else has.

"I'm doing great, absolutely terrific," Calabro said. "It's a tremendous summer in the great Northwest."

Yet he's not doing great, and he's not terrific, and if it's a tremendous summer, he was talking about Tuesday's weather.

Sonics employees have been told to not discuss the team's move to Oklahoma City with the media, and Calabro is still under contract through the end of September. He hopes people will understand why he's speaking out.

"I suppose I should be muzzling myself and painting a rosy picture, but I can't do that," he said. "It's not honest."

Mike Urban / P-I
Kevin Calabro, autographing 8-year-old Robby Proano's shirt during a November game at KeyArena, was the voice of the Sonics since 1987.

The voice of the Sonics since 1987, Calabro sounded mad and mystified during an 85-minute interview. If someone's upset by his comments, he's not going to Oklahoma City anyway. The Sonics wanted him to, and offered him "top, top dollar," but Calabro didn't want to leave because he loves it here. He has a wife and four kids, ranging in age from 23 to 12, and he'd never see them if he tried to commute to Oklahoma City.

Calabro saw the mayor's news conference from his place in Chelan. He heard about the settlement and knew what he was about to watch would not be good. He paced in front of the TV, caught a few snippets and walked away.

"I was embarrassed for the city," he said. "I was enraged that our council members would sit up there and titter and laugh nervously and congratulate themselves over being part of a 41-year history being sold. I was deeply embarrassed and still am.

"I get incensed because people, particularly leadership in the town and the region, don't seem to have the same pride in the area that I do. They sold the legacy away for less monetarily than they should have for a promise down the road of an NBA team from a league run by a commissioner that disrespected them and the region.

"What you're doing now is going after a theoretical building for a hypothetical team. I find that failed logic."

Then when Mayor Greg Nickels talked about other options for KeyArena ...

"It killed me to hear Seattle U basketball," Calabro said. "Nothing against Seattle U basketball, but to stand up there and say that ... And concerts? How many aging, over-the-hill '60s reunion tour bands can we have to fill 41 dates at KeyArena? Are there that many still alive?"

Echoing Seattle P-I sports columnist Art Thiel, Calabro feels like the city needs to get out of the entertainment business, saying: "Government ought to do what it does best, mow grass at parks and occasionally pave a road."

He followed the trial but couldn't bring himself to go to the courtroom, not wanting to "get all wound up emotionally." He thinks the city settled because it wasn't confident in Judge Marsha Pechman's decision.

Calabro had been hopeful and didn't think too much of it when an ESPN commitment forced him to miss the final home game of the season. At that point, he thought there would be a resolution that would keep the Sonics here.

But now when he looks back, the failed effort to get funding from the Legislature was the major development that led to last week's news conference.

"I didn't see the will a year ago and frankly, I didn't see the will two years ago to keep (the team) in the region because the reception in Olympia was laughable," Calabro said. "Of course, the presentation to Olympia was laughable, too. It was a nebulous, vague plan for some building in Renton, which didn't excite anybody. That, to me, marked the end of the Sonics in Seattle."

Calabro thinks it might be the end for him as an NBA announcer, too. He's fine with that and says, "life's too short to keep moving down the same path." Besides, there aren't any NBA play-by-play openings, and no one has called with a job offer as yet.

"I'm just all ears," he said. "I've got the phone on."

Oddly, Calabro doesn't think he appeals to the NBA for a national gig.

"I don't think the league is terribly high on my work," he said. "If they were high on it, I'd already be doing national stuff. I don't think I'm their cup of tea."

Asked why, Calabro said he might be too opinionated and doesn't fit into the network mold. As Sonics fans know, he fit in here, evolving from an unknown to one of the most popular sports announcers in town.

The circumstances that brought him here are similar to those he is facing now. In 1984, the Indianapolis native was the play-by-play voice of the Kansas City Kings. But when the Kings moved to Sacramento, he didn't join them because it was too far away and he didn't much care for California's state capital.

That led to jobs in Kansas City as the pre- and post-game host for the Kansas City Royals and Chiefs, and as the play-by-play man for the Missouri Tigers football and basketball teams.

Ownership upheaval at his station in Kansas City resulted in Calabro losing his gigs and taking a flyer at KHIT, a Bremerton station with a studio in Seattle. Calabro was a wacky morning co-host who went on the air in January 1987.

Later that year, Sonics owner Barry Ackerley bought KJR and moved the team's broadcasts from KIRO. Ackerley wanted a different sound to go with the team's original voice, Bob Blackburn.

Calabro and Blackburn endured a strange arrangement for two seasons -- one called the first and third quarters, the other the second and fourth quarters. Calabro went solo as the play-by-play man after that, joined by color guys galore.

Among those who joined him were Rick Barry, John MacLeod, Rick Carlisle, Mychal Thompson, Jack Sikma, Wally Walker, Slick Watts, Dave Harshman, Tim McCormick, Craig Ehlo, Marques Johnson, Billy McKinney and even Bill Krueger, FSN's baseball analyst.

Calabro thought everyone brought something a little different to each broadcast, but if you were to ask Sonics fans, his rapport with Johnson was most memorable.

Looking back is all he can do now. When you ask him for his favorite moments in those 21 years, he mentions Game 7 of the 1996 Western Conference finals when the Sonics disposed of the Jazz to advance to the NBA Finals. He also talks about individual highlights that came more recently from Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, and further back from Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp. He can't believe that Payton was not given a proper tribute, saying: "To not have his number retired in Seattle is just a friggin' joke."

He speaks highly, too, of Detlef Schrempf, Nate McMillan and Xavier McDaniel. Calabro has a picture on his mantle of the X-Man trying to choke the daylights out of Lakers guard Wes Matthews, whose eyes appear to be popping out of his head.

"You talk about a guy with no pretension," Calabro said. "He'd say what was on his mind. It was fun being around him."

But what he'll miss most are those moments on the team plane, sitting next to Sam Perkins or Michael Cage and hearing their stories, or trying to step over Kemp, asleep in the aisle because there wasn't enough room to stretch out in his seat.

"I really got to know those guys," he said.

The current players, he knew them, too. How weird it will be to see the Seattle SuperSonics in their first game as the Oklahoma City Whatevers. Good golly Miss Molly, has it really come to this?

"You won't feel the full impact until opening night," Calabro said. "That's the night that'll be the tough one. That's when it will finally settle in on people that those dudes are gone, the NBA is gone."

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P-I columnist Jim Moore can be reached at 206-448-8013 or jimmoore@seattlepi.com.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/moore/370078_moore09.html

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Todd Bertuzzi becomes a Flame

Grand Slam — Mon, 7 Jul 2008 13:45:44

Just heard Todd Bertuzzi is on his way to Calgary to join the Calgary Flames

Calgary Flames sign free agent forward Todd Bertuzzi to contract

CALGARY - The Calgary Flames are adding some size and toughness to their lineup.
The Flames have signed free-agent forward Todd Bertuzzi.
He had 14 goals and 26 assists last season for the Anaheim Ducks.
The six-foot-three, 231-pound forward has 580 points in 793 career regular-season games.
The 33-year-old two-time all-star has also played for the New York Islanders, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers and Vancouver Canucks.
(The Canadian Press)

Bobby Ackles has died of a heart attack.

Spock — Sun, 6 Jul 2008 16:40:59

Bob Ackles.
September 16, 1938 � July 6, 2008
File photo by Sam Leung - The Province

The President and CEO of the BC Lions, Bobby Ackles has died of a heart attack.

CKNW has learned he passed away this morning on Bowen Island.

Ackles has been with the team for more than 50 years.

He started as the Lions waterboy, eventually becoming the clubs Director of Football Development in 1966, and then General Manager in 1971.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002.

He was 69 years old.

http://www.canada.com/topics/sports/football/cfl/story.html?id=621255e0-0422-4048-9880-c589795e142c

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Lowe bites Burkie back

hockeypuck — Sat, 5 Jul 2008 17:05:14

Did you guys all catch Kevin Lowe's long-awaited rebuttal to the full year of Brian Burke's insults and jabs in the media? Lowe pretty much kicks his butt in an interview with the team1260 here in Edmonton. TSN ran the story that night. It's a beautiful thing.

Some of the gems here include:

"Where do I begin? He's a moron, first of all. Secondly, he really believes that any news for the NHL is good news. Thirdly, he loves the limelight and I don't think anyone in hockey will dispute that. Lastly, he's in a pathetic hockey market where they can't get on any page of the newspaper let alone the front page of the sports, so any of this stuff carries on."

"He's an underachieving wanna-be in terms of success in the NHL. He won a Stanley Cup? Great. I've won six Stanley Cups, you want to count rings? Who cares, it's just a little pathetic that he carries on."

"Here's a fact - he left Dave Nonis nothing in Vancouver. Nothing. He destroyed that team. If it wasn't for Nonis' incredible deals - to con Mike Keenan to get Luongo in Vancouver - that team was taking a nose dive two years ago."

"Anaheim has decent players - Corey Perry is a hell of a player. What I really want to say about his bickering about parity and the salary cap is if you're unhappy about them, then trade him our way, we'll be glad to have him."

What do you guys think about this? I think it's good that Lowe confronted him finally, albeit through the media, and hopefully this will die down now.