Wide World of Sports Venues-February 27

General Motors Place

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Was named Canada Hockey Place during the Olympics because corporate sponsor names are not allowed.

Opened: September 21, 1995
Construction Cost: $160 Million (Canadian Currency)
Capacity: Ice Hockey-18,810 Basketball-19,700 Concert-19,000
Home Teams: Vancouver Canucks (NHL) 1995-Present, Vancouver Grizzlies, now Memphis Grizzlies, (NBA) 1995-2001, Vancouver Ravens (NLL) 2001-2004, Vancouver Voodoo (RHI) 1996, 2010 Winter Olympics (Ice Hockey Venue)
Events Attended: None

Photo courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and Buchanan-Hermit under CC-BY 2.0 License

Small Ball Report-February 27

SCIAC Conference

Men's Basketball:

SCIAC Tournament Semifinal-Friday's Scores

Occidental 62, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 65
Cal Lutheran 71, Pomona Pitzer 74 (2OT)

Women's Basketball:

SCIAC Tournament Semifinal-Thursday's Scores

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 69, Occidental 72
Cal Lutheran 61, Redlands 63

GSAC Conference

Men's Basketball:

Junior Guard Justin Johnson of Concordia was named GSAC Men's Basketball Player of the Week last Monday.  Johnson scored 37 points (18.5 points per game) to go along with 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals as No. 3-ranked Concordia won both of its conference games and increased its lead in the GSAC standings.  For the week, Johnson was 12-for-22 from the field, including 2 made 3-pointers, and was 11-for-14 at the line.  In the win at Point Loma Nazarene, he had 16 points and 3 assists.  In Cocordia's homecoming win over No. 4 Biola, Johnson had 21 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.  Johnson is third in the conference averaging 17.2 points per game this season. 

Thursday's Scores

Azusa 103 (13-6 GSAC, 20-9 overall), San Diego Christian 70 (4-14 GSAC, 6-22 overall)

Women's Basketball:

Senior Guard Liah Ector of Point Loma Nazarene was named GSAC Women's Basketball Player of the Week last Monday.  Ector tallied 42 points (21.0 points per game), 25 rebounds (12.5 rebounds per game), 11 assists (5.5 assists per game), 3 steals and 3 blocks as No. 8 Point Loma Nazarene won both of its GSAC games last week.  For the week, she shot 12-for-21 from the field, and 18-for-25 at the free throw line.  Against Concordia Ector scored 17 points with 9 rebounds and 4 assists.  At Westmont she scored 26 points, 11 coming from the stripe, and grabbed 16 boards while dishing out 7 assists, blocking 3 shots and grabbing a pair of steals.  Ector was also named the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Player of the Week.

Thursday's Scores

Azusa Pacific 80 (17-2 GSAC, 24-5 overall), San Diego Christian 62 (1-17 GSAC, 4-23 overall)

ECHL Hockey

Ontario Reign 7, Utah Grizzlies 3

Small Ball Report-February 25

SCIAC Conference

Senior Forward Kyle Knudsen of the Cal Lutheran basketball team was named SCIAC Male Athlete of the Week yesterday.  With the Kingsmen basketball team in a must win situation, Knudsen stepped up with 26 points in each game leading CLU to victories over Redlands and Whittier to keep hopes for the SCIAC Tournament alive.  Against Redlands, he played all 40 minutes, went 8-for-11 from the field, 3-for-3 from three and 7-for-7 at the free throw line.  His 26 points led all scorers and his three blocks and three steals were game highs as well.  In another crucial game at Whittier, he poured in 26 points again.  Knudsen was 7-for-10 from the field, 4-for-5 from three and 8-for-8 at the free throw line.  He added four assists while playing 37 minutes.  For the week, Knudsen shot 15-for-21, 7-for-8 from three and 15-for-15 at the charity stripe with six assists and six steals.

Senior Center Cameron Hanson of the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps basketball team was named SCIAC Female Athlete of the Week yesterday.  Hanson averaged a double-double as CMS went 2-0 to secure a spot in the SCIAC Tournament after being three games down with four to play.  In Thursday's must win at Whittier, she had 12 points, nine rebounds, six steals and three blocks as CMS won 80 to 61.  In Saturday's home finale against Pomona-Pitzer, she scored 10 points and added 13 rebounds, three blocks and three steals as CMS won 65 to 51.  She shot 61% (7/13) from the field in the two games.  In SCIAC play, she averages 8.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

I will post GSAC Athletes of the Week tomorrow.  

Wide World of Sports Venues-February 24

BankAtlantic Center

Sunrise, FL

Opened: October 3, 1998
Construction Cost: $185 Million
Capacity: Basketball-20,737 Ice Hockey-19,250 Concerts-15,207-21,371 for End-Stage Concerts, 22,457 for Center-Stage Concerts
Home Teams: Florida Panthers (NHL) 1998-Present, Florida Pit Bulls (ABA) 2005-2006, Florida Bobcats (AFL) 1999-2001, Florida ThunderCats (NPSL) 1998-1999, Miami Caliente (LFL) 2009-Present
Events Attended: None

Photo courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and Douglas Whitaker under CC-BY 2.5 License

Small Ball Report-February 24

GSAC Conference

Men's Basketball:

Westmont 67, Fresno Pacific 63
Concordia 80, Vanguard 52
California Baptist 62, Point Loma Nazarene 57
Azusa Pacific 89, Hope International 51
Biola 65, The Masters 51

Standings:

Concordia 16-2 GSAC, 26-2 overall
Biola 14-4 GSAC, 24-4 overall
Fresno Pacific 12-6 GSAC, 22-6 overall
Westmont 12-6 GSAC, 20-7 overall
Azusa Pacific 12-6 GSAC, 19-9 overall
California Baptist 10-8 GSAC, 17-11 overall
The Masters 10-8 GSAC, 17-11 overall
Point Loma Nazarene 5-14 GSAC, 8-19 overall
San Diego Christian 4-13 GSAC, 6-21 overall
Vanguard 4-14 GSAC, 5-19 overall
Hope International 0-18 GSAC, 4-24 overall

Women's Basketball:

Vanguard 97, Concordia 70
Westmont 73, Fresno Pacific 59
Point Loma Nazarene 80, California Baptist 70 (OT)
Azusa Pacific 74, Hope International 72
Biola 73, The Masters 63

Standings:

Vanguard 16-2 GSAC, 20-2 overall
Azusa Pacific 16-2 GSAC, 23-5 overall
Point Loma Nazarene 16-3 GSAC, 25-3 overall
Biola 12-6 GSAC, 17-10 overall
The Masters 10-8 GSAC, 15-11 overall
Westmont 9-9 GSAC, 16-10 overall
Hope International 6-12 GSAC, 11-17 overall
California Baptist 5-13 GSAC, 12-16 overall
Concordia 4-14 GSAC, 11-15 overall
Frsno Pacific 4-14 GSAC, 7-21 overall
San Diego Christian 1-16 GSAC, 4-22 overall

Update:

SCIAC Conference

Men's Basketball:

Occidental 54, Pomona-Pitzer 55
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 67, Cal Lutheran 74
Upset Alert-Redlands 76, La Verne 88.  Didn't see that one coming.
Whittier 93, Caltech 61

Standings:

Claemont-Mudd-Scripps 11-3 SCIAC, 19-6 overall
Occidental 9-5 SCIAC, 17-8 overall
Cal Lutheran 9-5 SCIAC, 15-10 overall
Pomona-Pitzer 9-5 SCIAC, 13-12 overall
Redlands 8-6 SCIAC, 12-13 overall
Whittier 5-9 SCIAC, 11-13 overall
La Verne 5-9 SCIAC, 9-16 overall
Caltech 0-14 SCIAC, 0-25 overall

Women's Basketball:

Pomona-Pitzer 54 (1-13 SCIAC, 5-19 overall), Chapman 83

Tim's Two Cents-February 23

Vin must be hurting inside!

Dodgers Divorce Soap Opera Continues Toward Downward Spiral.  Many Dodger fans are waking up this morning to find out that Dodger ownership, (ahem Frank McCourt) is planning to increase ticket prices over the next eight years while spending less on players according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. 

I'm not surprised one bit that this is happening.  Face reality Dodger fans, Frank McCourt's main objective is to run the Dodgers as cheaply as possible, divorce or not.  Give it time and the Dodgers could be a team where you may not know who the players are because there will be no household names on the team.  By the way, enjoy Manny Roidmirez while it lasts because he won't be there next year.  Even he knows it.  Just to remind you, it wasn't a pretty sight the last time Manny played under an expiring contract. 

It is becoming clear, if it isn't already, that Frank McCourt is running the Dodgers more like a businessman who wants to turn a profit rather than improve the quality of the product.  That is not the way to run a storied franchise like the Dodgers.  I'm not shy in my dislike for the Dodgers, but I know this is the wrong way to run the team.  Frank McCourt will soon find out that if you continue to raise ticket prices without improving the product, fans will become frustrated and find entertainment elsewhere.  What would definitely be the last straw for many fans would be if McCourt decided to get rid of Vin Scully to cheapen the product even more.  There would be a major rebellion if that were to happen. 

So to those Dodger fans who wonder about the team's future, enjoy what you have while it lasts because it could ugly very soon.      

Poto courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and Craig Y. Fujii under CC-BY-SA 3.0 License

Wide World of Sports Venues-February 23

St. Pete Times Forum

Tampa, FL

Opened: October 20, 1996
Construction Cost: $139 Million
Capacity: Ice Hockey-19,758 Basketball-20,500 Concert-21,500 Arena Football-19,500
Home Teams: Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL) 1996-Present, Tampa Breeze (LFL) 2009-Present, Tampa Bay Storm (AFL) 1997-Present, NHL All Star Game (NHL) 1999, ACC Men's Basketball Tournament (NCAA) 2007, NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four (NCAA) 2008, NCAA Women's Volleyball Final Four (NCAA) 2009, NCAA Men's Frozen Four (NCAA) 2012
Events Attended: None

Tim's Two Cents-February 22

Goalie Ryan Miller as Member of the Buffalo Sabres

Canada Versus U.S. Lives Up to the Hype.  It was one heck of a game as the U.S. beat Canada 5 to 3 yesterday.  It seemed a lot more physical than any women's hockey game. 

Goalie Ryan Miller was outstanding in front of the net making spectacular save after spectacular save.  As far as Canada's situation, they were the more aggressive team but they didn't seem to get many breaks.  The star power of the game was like watching an NHL game because every player is on an NHL team.  Call me crazy, but I thought it was more exciting than a regular season NHL game.  It was surprising that Martin Brodeur allowed as he did for Canada, given the career he has had up to this point.

So Canada continues to have an underwheming games in their home.  Good luck to USA in the next round against either Switzerland or Belarus. 

Photo courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and kicksave2930 under CC-BY 2.0 License

Wide World of Sports Venues-February 22

Amway Arena

Orlando, FL

It was known as TD Waterhouse Centre from 1999-2006

Opened: January 29, 1989
Construction Cost: $98 Million
Capacity: Basketball-17,519 Arena Football-15,924 Ice Hockey-15,948 Circus-15,788 Ice Skating-16,882 Concerts-17,740 End Stage, 18,039 Center Stage
Home Teams: Orlando Magic (NBA) 1989-2010, Orlando Titans (NLL) 2010, Orlando Predators (AFL/AF1) 1991-2008, 2010, Orlando Sharks (MISL) 2007-2008, Orlando Miracle (WNBA) 1999-2002, Orlando Solar Bears (IHL) 1995-2001, Orlando Seals (ACHL/WHA2) 2002-2004
Events Attended: None

Photo courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and Flcelloguy under CC-SA 3.0 License

Small Ball Report-February 22

SCIAC Conference

Men's Basketball:

Saturday's Scores

Pomona-Pitzer 70, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 56
Cal Lutheran 78, Whittier 71
Redlands 65, Occidental 74
Caltech 46, La Verne 95

Standings:

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 11-2 SCIAC, 19-5 overall
Occidental 9-4 SCIAC, 17-7 overall
Cal Lutheran 8-5 SCIAC, 14-10 overall
Pomona-Pitzer 8-5 SCIAC, 12-12 overall
Redlands 8-5 SCIAC, 12-12 overall
Whittier 4-9 SCIAC, 10-13 overall
La Verne 4-9 SCIAC, 8-16 overall
Caltech 0-13 SCIAC, 0-24 overall

Women's Basketball:

Saturday's Scores

Pomona-Pitzer 51, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 65
Cal Lutheran 69, Whittier 64
Redlands 66, Occidental 54
Caltech 37, La Verne 73

Standings:

Occidental 12-2 SCIAC, 20-5 overall
Redlands 12-2 SCIAC, 20-5 overall
Cal Lutheran 11-3 SCIAC, 19-6 overall
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 7-7 SCIAC, 16-9 overall
Whittier 6-8 SCIAC, 13-12 overall
La Verne 5-9 SCIAC, 12-13 overall
Caltech 2-12 SCIAC, 6-19 overall
Pomona-Pitzer 1-13 SCIAC, 5-18 overall

GSAC Conference

Men's Basketball:

Saturday's Scores

Fresno Pacific 67, San Diego Christian 60
Concordia 70, Biola 61
Westmont 62, Point Loma Nazarene 46
The Masters 60, Hope International 42
Azusa Pacific 83, Vanguard 59

Standings:

Concordia 15-2 GSAC, 25-2 overall
Biola 13-4 GSAC, 23-4 overall
Fresno Pacific 12-5 GSAC, 22-5 overall
Westmont 11-6 GSAC, 19-7 overall
Azusa Pacific 11-6 GSAC, 18-9 overall
The Masters 10-7 GSAC, 17-10 overall
California Baptist 9-8 GSAC, 16-11 overall
Point Loma Nazarene 5-13 GSAC, 8-18 overall
San Diego Christian 4-13 GSAC, 6-21 overall
Vanguard 4-13 GSAC, 5-18 overall
Hope International 0-17 GSAC, 4-23 overall

Women's Basketball:

Saturday's Scores

Fresno Pacific 70, San Diego Christian 66
Concordia 67, Biola 66 (OT)
Point Loma Nazarene 88, Westmont 76
Hope International 63, The Masters 59
Upset Alert-Vanguard 88, Azusa Pacific 63

Standings:

Vanguard 15-2 GSAC, 19-2 overall
Azusa Pacific 15-2 GSAC, 22-5 overall
Point Loma Nazarene 15-3 GSAC, 24-3 overall
Biola 11-6 GSAC, 16-10 overall
The Masters 10-7 GSAC, 15-10 overall
Westmont 8-9 GSAC, 15-10 overall
Hope International 6-11 GSAC, 11-16 overall
California Baptist 5-12 GSAC, 12-15 overall
Concordia 4-13 GSAC, 11-14 overall
Fresno Pacific 4-13 GSAC, 7-20 overall
San Diego Christian 1-16 GSAC, 4-22 overall

Citrus College Athletics

Men's Basketball:

Saturday's Score

Citrus College 73 (12-0 CCAA, 26-2 overall) Canyons 66

Women's Basketball:

Saturday's Score

Canyons 78, Citrus College 61 (7-5 CCAA, 15-13 overall)

ECHL Hockey

The Ontario Reign are on a winning streak as they beat the Idaho Steelheads 5 to 4 in overtime on Saturday and the Bakersfield Condors 6-4 yesterday.  Their next game is Friday against the Utah Grizzlies at 7:30 in Ontario.

Tim's Two Cents-February 20

Tiger Woods Dominates Newscasts.  Unless you live under a rock, it was pretty hard to not see or hear about Tiger Woods.  Coverage of his first public statement since Thanksgiving was everywhere. 

Like most people, I thought he was a bit robotic, but from what I've heard that's how he is anyway.   Woods deserves credit for owning up to what he did and admitting it was wrong.  It was refreshing to see an athlete admit their mistakes for a change a la Alex Rodriguez and Andy Pettitte.  Are you listening Roger Clemens? 

In terms of wanting to hear more about the situation, I say leave the man alone.  He did enough yesterday in his statement.  I'm sure he's already been through a lot.

Photo courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and Keith Allison under CC-SA 2.0 License

Wide World of Sports Venues-February 20

American Airlines Arena

Miami, FL

Opened: December 31, 1999
Construction Cost: $213 Million
Capacity-19,600 with upper levels, 16,000 without upper levels, can be configured in five ways with a minimum of 5,000 and a maximum of 20,000
Home Teams: Miami Heat (NBA) 2000-Present, Miami Sol (WNBA) 2000-2002
Events Attended: None

Small Ball Report-February 20

SCIAC Conference

Freshman Andrew Fevery of the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps diving team was named SCIAC Male Athlete of the Week on Wednesday.  Fevery won both boards at the SCIAC Diving Preliminaries.  He dominated one meter on Saturday with a score of 427.65 which is an NCAA qualifying score.  He won by 58.65.  He also won the 3 meter on Sunday with a score of 437.65, just shy of another NCAA qualifying score.

Junior Sarah Sharpe of the Occidental diving team was named SCIAC Female Athlete of the Week on Wednesday.  Sharpe was victorious at the 2010 diving preliminaries, winning both the 3-meter and 1-meter events.  On day one, she scored a 385.05 in the 3-meter, more than 40 points better than second place, which went to teammate Marisa Pulcrano.  Sharpe's highest score of the day came on her inward one and a half somersault, pike, as she received 7.0's across the board.  Another solid dive for the Junior transfer was her reverse one and a half somersault, tuck, which she received a pair of 7.0's and a 6.5 on.  Sharpe also scored 7.0's from at least one judge on her back dive.  On day two, she also came away with the top spot.  The biggest dive of the dive came on her second to last dive, an inward dive, pike, which she received scores of 8.0's or above from five of the seven judges.  Sharpe also earned scores of 8.0 on her front one and a half somersault, pike, and her inward one and a half somersault, pike.  She was just a few points away from an NCAA provisional qualifying score in both events.

Women's Basketball:

Thursday's Scores

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 80, Whittier 61
Redlands 69, Cal Lutheran 40
Upset Alert-Pomona-Pitzer 54, Caltech 61
La Verne 41, Occidental 76.  Ouch, the losses just keep piling up.

Standings:

Occidental 12-1 SCIAC, 20-4 overall
Redlands 11-2 SCIAC, 19-5 overall
Cal Lutheran 10-3 SCIAC, 18-6 overall
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 6-7 SCIAC, 15-9 overall
Whittier 6-7 SCIAC, 13-11 overall
La Verne 4-9 SCIAC, 11-13 overall
Caltech 2-11 SCIAC, 6-18 overall
Pomona-Pitzer 1-12 SCIAC, 5-17 overall

Caltech is out of the cellar!  I don't know if I should be excited for them or feel sorry for Pomona-Pitzer.  Then again, why should I feel sorry for any team in sports?

GSAC Conference

Men's Basketball:

Thursday's Scores

California Baptist 69 (9-8 GSAC, 16-11 overall), The Masters 62 (9-7 GSAC, 16-10 overall)

Women's Basketball:

Thursday's Scores

The Masters 82 (10-6 GSAC, 15-9 overall), California Baptist 71 (5-12 GSAC, 12-15 overall)

Mt. SAC Athletics

Men's Basketball:

Friday's Score

Mt. SAC 89 (8-0 SCC, 24-4 overall), East L.A. 60

Women's Basketball:

Friday's Score

Mt. SAC 91 (7-1 SCC, 22-6 overall), East L.A. 64

ECHL Hockey

Idaho Steelheads 1, Ontario Reign 4.  It's about time they got a win!  The two teams play each other again tonight in Ontario at 6.

Tim's Two Cents-February 18

Guess Who's Coming Out of Hiding?  I guess the time has come for Tiger Woods to dust himself off and make his first public appearance since his "accident" last November.  The press conference will be at 11 AM ET tomorrow.  It is going to be one of those days where ESPN will have wall-to-wall coverage throughout the day on its networks. 

As for addressing the media, Woods will probably make a statement "apologizing" for his actions over the last few months as well as discuss his future plans.  He supposedly won't take any questions, so it shouldn't really be considered a press conference to begin with.  For those of you looking for Tiger to give a heartfelt apology, it ain't gonna happen. 

Here's another thought.  You may say that you're never going to watch Tiger on the golf course ever again no matter what, but let's be honest, you will!  Anyone who says otherwise is lying through their teeth.  I know that whatever golf event Tiger chooses to make his comeback at, I'll watch.  That's saying something because I don't follow golf, Tiger or no Tiger.  Depending on what he has to say, we know one thing for certain.  When Tiger returns, the ratings for golf will see a huge increase whether we like Tiger or not.

Wide World of Sports Venues-February 18

Philips Arena

Atlanta, GA

Opened: September 1999
Construction Cost: $213.5 Million
Capacity: Basketball-19,445 Ice Hockey-18,545 Concerts-21,000+
Home Teams: Atlanta Hawks (NBA) 1999-Present, Atlanta Thrashers (NHL) 1999-Present, Atlanta Dream (WNBA) 2008-Present, Georgia Force (AFL) 2002, 2005-2007
Events Attended: None

Small Ball Report-February 18

SCIAC Conference

Men's Basketball:

Redlands 72, Cal Lutheran 84
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 67, Whittier 54
Pomona-Pitzer 88, Caltech 41
La Verne 62, Occidental 79

Standings:

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 11-1 SCIAC, 19-4 overall
Occidental 8-4 SCIAC, 16-7 overall
Redlands 8-4 SCIAC, 12-11 overall
Cal Lutheran 7-5 SCIAC, 13-10 overall
Pomona-Pitzer 7-5 SCIAC, 11-12 overall
Whittier 4-8 SCIAC 10-12 overall
La Verne 3-9 SCIAC, 7-16 overall
Caltech 0-12 SCIAC, 0-23 overall

Citrus College Athletics

Men's Basketball:

Citrus College 88 (11-0 CCAA, 25-2 overall), West L.A. 39

Women's Basketball:

Citrus College 76 (7-4 CCAA, 15-12 overall), West L.A. 49

Pasadena City College/Mt. SAC Athletics

Men's Basketball:

Mt. SAC 94, PCC 82

Women's Basketball:

PCC 64, Mt. SAC 62

Wide World of Sports Venues-February 17

RBC Center

Raleigh, NC

Opened: October 29, 1999
Construction Cost: $158 Million
Capacity: Basketball 19,722 Ice Hockey-18,680
Home Teams: Carolina Hurricanes (NHL) 1999-Present, NC State Wolfpack Men's Basketball (NCAA)
Events Attended: None

Small Ball Report-February 17

GSAC Conference

Men's Basketball:

Fresno Pacific 85, Azusa Pacific 75
Concordia 77, Point Loma Nazarene 68
California Baptist 73, Hope International 55
Upset Alert-Westmont 75, Biola 70
San Diego Christian 76, Vanguard 64

Standings:

Concordia 14-2 GSAC, 24-2 overall
Biola 13-3 GSAC, 23-3 overall
Fresno Pacific 11-5 GSAC, 21-5 overall
Westmont 10-6 GSAC, 18-7 overall
Azusa Pacific 10-6 GSAC, 17-9 overall
The Masters 9-6 GSAC, 16-9 overall
California Baptist 8-8 GSAC, 15-11 overall
Point Loma Nazarene 5-12 GSAC, 8-17 overall
San Diego Christian 4-12 GSAC, 6-20 overall
Vanguard 4-12 GSAC, 5-17 overall
Hope International 0-16 GSAC, 4-22 overall

Women's Basketball:

Biola 73, Westmont 62
Vanguard 93, San Diego Christian 62
Azusa Pacific 75, Fresno Pacific 65
Hope International 100, California Baptist 96 (3 OT)
Point Loma Nazarene 68, Concordia 41

Standings:

Azusa Pacific 15-1 GSAC, 22-4 overall
Vanguard 14-2 GSAC, 18-2 overall
Point Loma Nazarene 14-3 GSAC, 23-3 overall
Biola 11-5 GSAC, 16-9 overall
The Masters 9-6 GSAC, 14-9 overall
Westmont 8-8 GSAC, 15-9 overall
California Baptist 5-11 GSAC, 12-14 overall
Hope International 5-11 GSAC, 10-16 overall
Concordia 3-13 GSAC, 10-14 overall
Fresno Pacific 3-13 GSAC, 6-20 overall
San Diego Christian 1-15 GSAC, 4-21 overall

Tim's Two Cents-February 17

Amare Stoudemire Headed to Cleveland?  This may seem like a good move on the surface as the NBA Trade Deadline nears.  I am not a fan of this possible move.  This has all the signs of a desperation move on Cleveland's part.  It's getting to the point where I wish LeBron would leave the Cavs no matter what happens. 

It's also not a good move to make organizational decisions just to appease one player.  Last time I checked, one player doesn't make a team good.  Remember this Cavs, there's no "I" in "Team."

Meanwhile, the Lakers keep rolling without Kobe as they won their fourth straight without the Black Mamba against the Golden State Warriors 104 to 94 last night.  Keep it up Purple and Gold!

Photo courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and Keith Allison from Baltimore, USA, under CC-SA 2.0 License

Wide World of Sports Venues-February 16

Time Warner Cable Arena

Charlotte, NC

Opened: October 21, 2005
Construction Cost: $260 Million (estimated)
Capacity: Basketball-19,026 (expandable to 20,200), ECHL Hockey-14,100 Pro-wrestling-20,200 (maximum), Cocerts-End stage 180 degrees-13,376 End stage 270 degrees-15,236 End stage 360 degrees-18,249 Center stage-18,504 Theatre-4,000-7,000
Home Teams: Charlotte Bobcats (NBA) 2005-Present, Charlotte Checkers (AHL) 2010-Future, Charlotte Checkers (ECHL) 2005-2010, Charlotte Sting (WNBA) 2005-2007, Charlotte 49ers (NCAA) occasional, Davidson Wildcats (NCAA) occasional, 2008 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
Events Attended: None

Photo courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and Blueboy96 under CC-SA 3.0 License

Small Ball Report-February 16

SCIAC Conference

Men's Basketball:

Saturday's Scores

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 76, La Verne 67
Whittier 88, Redlands 77
Cal Lutheran 65, Pomona-Pitzer 62
Occidental 72, Caltech 41

Standings:

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 10-1 SCIAC, 18-4 overall
Redlands 8-3 SCIAC, 12-10 overall
Occidental 7-4 SCIAC, 15-7 overall
Cal Lutheran 6-5 SCIAC, 12-10 overall
Pomona-Pitzer 6-5 SCIAC, 10-12 overall
Whittier 4-7 SCIAC, 10-11 overall
La Verne 3-8 SCIAC, 7-15 overall
Caltech 0-11 SCIAC, 0-22 overall

Women's Basketball:

Saturday's Scores

Cal Lutheran 66 Pomona-Pitzer 51
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 61, La Verne 50
Whittier 55, Redlands 74
Occidental 71, Caltech 62

Standings:

Occidental 11-1 SCIAC, 19-4 overall
Cal Lutheran 10-2 SCIAC, 18-5 overall
Redlands 10-2 SCIAC, 18-5 overall
Whittier 6-6 SCIAC, 13-10 overall
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 5-7 SCIAC, 14-9 overall
La Verne 4-8 SCIAC, 11-12 overall
Pomona-Pitzer 1-11 SCIAC, 5-16 overall
Caltech 1-11 SCIAC, 5-18 overall

GSAC Conference

Men's Basketball:

Senior Gregg Scott of Vanguard was named Men's Basketball Player of the Week yesterday.  Scott recorded 63 points (31.5 points per game), 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals as Vanguard split its conference games last week.  For the week the guard shot 22-for-31 from the field, including 7-for-10 from 3-point range, and 12-for-13 at the free throw line.  In the win against Hope International, Scott had 28 points on 9-for-12 shooting, 4 assists and 2 steals.  In the loss at Fresno Pacific, he had 35 points on 13-for-19 shooting including 5 made 3-pointers, 6 rebounds and 3 assists.

Saturday's Scores

Westmont 78, The Masters 73 (OT)
Azusa Pacific 78, Point Loma Nazarene 69
Fresno Pacific 74, Hope International 52
Biola 78, San Diego Christian 53
Concordia 68, California Baptist 65

Standings:

Biola 13-2 GSAC, 23-2 overall
Concordia 13-2 GSAC, 23-2 overall
Fresno Pacific 10-5 GSAC, 20-5 overall
Azusa Pacific 10-5 GSAC, 17-8 overall
Westmont 9-6 GSAC, 17-7 overall
The Masters 9-6 GSAC, 16-9 overall
California Baptist 7-8 GSAC, 14-11 overall
Point Loma Nazarene 5-11 GSAC, 8-16 overall
Vanguard 4-11 GSAC, 5-16 overall
San Diego Christian 3-12 GSAC, 5-20 overall
Hope International 0-15 GSAC, 4-21 overall

Women's Basketball:

Junior Forward Alex Moore-Porter of Azusa Pacific was named GSAC Women's Basketball Player of the Week yesterday.  Moore-Porter tallied 43 points (21.5 points per game), 17 rebounds (8.5 rebounds per game), 5 assists and 2 steals as Azusa Pacific won both of its conference games against NAIA Top-20 teams and retained sole possession of first place in the GSAC.  In the at No. 18-ranked Biola, she had 22 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.  Moore-Porter then topped 1,000 career points with 21 in the 81 to 80 overtime win over No. 5 Point Loma Nazarene.  The milestone basket tied the game at 70 with less than 2 minutes remaining to help force overtime, where she drilled the game-winning 3-pointer with 8 seconds left.

Saturday's Scores

Hope International 69, Fresno Pacific 65 (OT)
The Masters 76, Westmont 54
California Baptist 90, Concordia 80
Biola 87, San Diego Christian 68
Azusa Pacific 81, Point Loma Nazarene 80 (OT)

Standings:

Azusa Pacific 14-1 GSAC, 21-4 overall
Vanguard 13-2 GSAC, 17-2 overall
Point Loma Nazarene 13-3 GSAC, 22-3 overall
Biola 10-5 GSAC, 15-9 overall
The Masters 9-6 GSAC, 14-9 overall
Westmont 8-7 GSAC, 15-8 overall
California Baptist 5-10 GSAC, 12-13 overall
Hope International 4-11 GSAC, 9-16 overall
Concordia 3-12 GSAC, 10-13 overall
Fresno Pacific 3-12 GSAC, 6-19 overall
San Diego Christian 1-14 GSAC, 4-20 overall

Pasadena City College Athletics

Men's Basketball:

Friday's Score

PCC 88, East L.A. 63

Women's Basketball:

Friday's Score

PCC 79, East L.A. 56

Mt. SAC Athletics

Men's Basketball:

Friday's Score

Mt. SAC 79 (6-0 SCC, 22-4 overall), Compton 74

Women's Basketball:

Friday's Score

Mt. SAC 75 (6-0 SCC, 21-5 overall), Compton 44

ECHL Hockey

The Ontario Reign continue to sputter as they lost 2 more games over the weekend.  They lost 3 to 2 to the Stockton Thunder on Saturday and were blanked 7 nothing by the Bakersfield Condors on Valentines Day.  Their next game is this Friday against the Idaho Steelheads at 7:30 in Ontario.

Wide World of Sports Venues-February 13

Verizon Center

Washington D.C.

Opened: December 2, 1997
Construction Cost: $260 Million
Capacity: Basketball-20,173 Ice Hockey-18,277
Home Teams: Washington Capitals (NHL) 1997-Present, Washington Wizards (NBA) 1997-Present, Washington Mystics (WNBA) 1998-Present, Georgetown Hoyas (NCAA) 1997-Present, Washington Power (NLL) 2001-2002
Events Attended: None

Photo courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and Cliff from Arlington, VA (Outside Washington D.C.), under CC-BY 2.0 License

Small Ball Report-February 13

Today's edition is short and sweet. 

ECHL Hockey

Stockton Thunder 5, Ontario Reign 0.  A shutout is not good!  The Reign continue to occupy last place in the Pacific Division of the National Conference at 18-23-3.  They will play the Thunder once again tonight at 7 in Stockton.

Tim's Two Cents-February 12

The Torch is Lit on Vancouver Olympics.  The time has come for the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. 

I know I should probably be excited about it, but I'm not.  Many of the events are not that appealing to me.  There is the skiing and snowboarding to go along with hockey.  Other than that, there's not much else I'm dying to see.

Over the next two weeks, I'll be more focused on NBA action after the All Star break as we get closer to the playoffs. 

The Olympics also have the setback of being taped delayed for primetime viewing the last few years.  Even these Olympics will be tape delayed here on the West Coast.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but the last time I checked Vancouver is located on the West Coast in the Pacific Time Zone.  Way to go NBC!  If you want to know the results as they happen, you're better off tuning into the ESPN family of networks.

Wide World of Sports Venues-February 12

Air Canada Centre

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Opened: February 19, 1999
Construction Cost: $265 Million (Canadian currency)
Capacity: Basketball-19,800 Ice Hockey-18,800 Lacrosse-18,800 Concerts-19,800 Theatre-5,200 Wrestling-16,105
Home Teams: Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL) 1999-Present, Toronto Raptors (NBA) 1999-Present, Toronto Rock (NLL) 2001-Present, Toronto Phantoms (AFL) 2001-2002
Events Attended: We passed by it on those Canadian freeways with no exits while on vacation around 2001. 

Small Ball Report-February 12

SCIAC Conference

Women's Basketball:

Redlands 80, Pomona-Pitzer 34
Caltech 30, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 81
Cal Lutheran 55, Occidental 60
Whittier 53, La Verne 76

Standings:

Occidental 10-1 SCIAC, 18-4 overall
Cal Lutheran 9-2 SCIAC, 17-5 overall
Redlands 9-2 SCIAC, 17-5 overall
Whittier 6-5 SCIAC, 13-9 overall
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 4-7 SCIAC, 13-9 overall
La Verne 4-7 SCIAC, 11-11 overall
Pomona-Pitzer 1-10 SCIAC, 5-15 overall
Caltech 1-10 SCIAC, 5-17 overall

GSAC Conference

Men's Basketball:

Chapman 72, Hope International 35 (4-20 overall)
Fresno Pacific 97 (9-5 GSAC, 19-5 overall), Vanguard 84 (4-11 GSAC, 5-16 overall)

Women's Basketball:

Vanguard 92 (13-2 GSAC, 17-2 overall), Fresno Pacific 60 (3-11 GSAC, 6-18 overall)
Biola 74 (14-9 overall), Chapman 47

Wide World of Sports Venues-February 11

Mellon Arena

Pittsburgh, PA

It looks like a UFO!

Opened: September 19, 1961
Construction Cost: $22 Million.  That's a cheap price!
Capacity: Ice Hockey-16,940 and 17,132 with standing room, Basketball-17,537 Concerts-12,800 for End Stage, 18,039 for Center Stage
Home Teams: Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL) 1967-Present, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera 1961-1988, Pittsburgh Rens (ABL) 1961-1963, Pittsburgh Hornets (AHL) 1961-1967, Pittsburgh Pipers/Condors (ABA) 1967-1973, Pittsburgh Triangles (World TeamTennis) 1974-1976, Eastern Eight Basketball Championship 1978-1982, Pittsburgh Spirit (MISL) 1978-1980, 1981-1986, Pittsburgh Gladiators (AFL) 1987-1990, Pittsburgh Bulls (MILL) 1990-1993, Pittsburgh Phantoms (RHI) 1994, Pittsburgh Stingers (CISL) 1994-1995, Pittsburgh Piranhas (CBA) 1994-1995, NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament first and second rounds 1997, 2001-2002, Pittsburgh CrosseFire (NLL) 2000, Pittsburgh Xplosion (CBA) 2005-2008
Events Attended: None

Small Ball Report-February 11

SCIAC Conference

Sophomore Tyler Harp of the University of Redlands swim team was named SCIAC Male Athlete of the Week yesterday.  Harp won two individual events and swam the anchor leg on the meet-winning 400 freestyle relay team as the Bulldog men edged Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 124 to 119, on Saturday in Claremont to remain undefeated in SCIAC competition.  Harp clocked a 1:41.76 in the 200 freestyle, which cleared the NCAA "B" qualifying time, and registered a time of 1:57.80 in the 200 butterfly.  His split of 45.65 in the 400 freestyle relay allowed the Maroon and Gray to take first with a 3:08.54 standard.  According to CollegeSwimming.com, Harp's 200 freestyle unofficially stands as the 11th-fastest performance in NCAA Division III this season.

Sophomore Emma Jones of the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps swim team was named SCIAC Female Athlete of the Week yesterday.  Jones won two individual events and anchored a winning relay as the Athenas finished the dual meet season undefeated with a 139 to 104 home win over Redlands.  She anchored the 400 medley relay which set a CMS pool record, acheived an NCAA qualifying time and was the first women's medley relay in SCIAC history to ever break 4:00 (3:56.69) in a dual meet with a strong 53.25 swim.  She also acheived an NCAA qualifying time while winning the 200 free in 1:55.54 and just missed another while winning the 100 free in 53.58.  CMS is 7-0 overall.

Men's BaSketball:

Redlands 73, Pomona-Pitzer 67 (OT)
Cal Lutheran 71, Occidental 67
Caltech 28, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 96
Whittier 71, La Verne 79.  What a surprise!

Standings:

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 9-1 SCIAC, 17-4 overall
Redlands 8-2 SCIAC, 12-9 overall
Occidental 6-4 SCIAC, 14-7 overall
Pomona-Pitzer 6-4 SCIAC, 10-11 overall
Cal Lutheran 5-5 SCIAC, 11-10 overall
Whittier 3-7 SCIAC, 9-11 overall
La Verne 3-7 SCIAC, 7-14 overall
Caltech 0-10 SCIAC, 0-21 overall

GSAC Conference

Senior Guard James Lewis of the Fresno Pacific basketball team was named GSAC Men's Basketball Player of the Week on Monday.  Lewis has 51 points (25.5 points per game), 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals as Fresno Pacific won both of its conference games last week by 20 points each.  For the week, he shot 20-for-35 from the field, including 6-for-14 from the 3-point arc, and 5-for-6 at the free throw line.  In the 81 to 61 upset of No. 3-ranked Biola, Lewis had 20 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals.  In the 83 to 63 win at Point Loma Nazarene, he had 31 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 3 steals.

Junior Champ Hood of the Hope International basketball team was named GSAC Women's Basketball Player of the Week on Monday.  Hood averaged 27.5 points and 8 rebounds as Hope International split its GSAC games last week.  For the week, the Center shot 24-for-31 from the field.  In the 60 to 59 win against Concordia, Hood had 24 points including the game-winning shot.  In the double-overtime 92 to 88 loss at Westmont, she shot the game-tying free throw to send the game into overtime and went on to record a double-double with 31 points and 10 rebounds.

Citrus College Athletics

Men's Basketball:

Citrus College 76 (10-0 CCAA, 24-2 overall), Glendale 74

Women's Basketball:

Glendale 55, Citrus College 54 (6-4 CCAA, 14-12 overall)

Pasadena City College Athletics

Men's Basketball:

L.A. Trade Tech 79, PCC 64

Women's Basketball:

L.A. Trade Tech 80, PCC 73

       

Wide World of Sports Venues-February 10

Wachovia Center

Philadelphia, PA

Opened: August 31, 1996
Construction Cost: $210 Million
Capacity: Basketball-21,600 Hockey-19,519
Home Teams: Philadelphia Flyers (NHL) 1996-Present, Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) 1996-Present, Philadelphia Wings (NLL) 1997-Present, Philadelphia Soul (AFL) 2004-2008
Events Attended: We were at the same Sports Complex where the arena is located to watch a Phillies game.  It is a pretty nice complex with all the sports facilities in one central area.

Photo courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and Wlaw422 under CC-SA 3.0 License

Small Ball Report-February 10

GSAC Conference

Men's Basketball:

Point Loma Nazarene 65, San Diego Christian 51
Vanguard 77, Hope International 66
Concordia 79, The Masters 75
Biola 90, Azusa Pacific 77
Westmont 64, California Baptist 53

Standings:

Biola 12-2 GSAC, 22-2 overall
Concordia 12-2 GSAC, 22-2 overall
Azusa Pacific 9-5 GSAC, 16-8 overall
The Masters 9-5 GSAC, 16-8 overall
Fresno Pacific 8-5 GSAC, 18-5 overall
Westmont 8-6 GSAC, 16-7 overall
California Baptist 7-7 GSAC, 14-10 overall
Point Loma Nazarene 5-10 GSAC, 8-15 overall
Vanguard 4-10 GSAC, 5-15 overall
San Diego Christian 3-11 GSAC, 5-19 overall
Hope International 0-14 GSAC, 4-19 overall

Women's Basketball:

Azusa Pacific 83, Biola 72
Westmont 95, California Baptist 91
Vanguard 94, Hope International 58
Point Loma Nazarene 77, San Diego Christian 41
The Masters 74, Concordia 68

Standings:

Azusa Pacific 13-1 GSAC, 20-4 overall
Point Loma Nazarene 13-2 GSAC, 22-2 overall
Vanguard 12-2 GSAC, 16-2 overall
Biola 9-5 GSAC, 13-9 overall
Westmont 8-6 GSAC, 15-7 overall
The Masters 8-6 GSAC, 13-9 overall
California Baptist 4-10 GSAC, 11-13 overall
Fresno Pacific 3-10 GSAC, 6-17 overall
Concordia 3-11 GSAC, 10-12 overall
Hope International 3-11 GSAC, 8-16 overall
San Diego Christian 1-13 GSAC, 4-19 overall

Tim's Two Cents-February 10

Kobe Bryant Questionable for All Star Game.  The Laker guard said yesterday that he would play in the All Star game if he's healthy.  My advice is to skip the game, healthy or not, and rest his tender left ankle.  A few days off would do some good.  To his credit, he has sat out the last two games, both of which the Lakers won and is a game time decision for tonight's game at Utah.  Let's not forget that Andrew Bynum also missed Monday's game against the Spurs with a hip injury.  I say let them sit out at this point of the season.  As long as the Lakers are winning, I see nothing wrong with it. 

It is more important to have a healthy Kobe Bryant down the stretch for the playoffs.  For the Lakers to make a deep run in the playoffs, a healthy Kobe Bryant is essential.  Anyone who says otherwise is living in a fantasy.

Photo courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and michael248 under CC-SA 2.0 License

Wide World of Sports Venues-February 9

Prudential Center

Newark, NJ

Opened: October 25, 2007
Construction Cost: $375 Million
Capacity: Ice Hockey-17,625 Basketball-18,500 Concerts-19,500
Home Teams: New Jersey Devils (NHL) 2007-Present, Seton Hall Pirates Men's Basketball (NCAA) 2007-Present, NJIT Highlanders Men's Basketball (NCAA) 2008-Present
Events Attended: None

Wide World of Sports Venues-February 8

Izod Center

East Rutherford, NJ

Opened: July 2, 1981
Construction Cost: $85 Million
Capacity: NBA Basketball-20,049 NCAA Basketball-20,029 Hockey-19,040 Concerts-20,000
Home Teams: New Jersey Nets (NBA) 1981-Present, New Jersey Devils (NHL) 1982-2007, Seton Hall Pirates (NCAA Basketball) 1985-2007
Events Attended: None

Photo courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and Roman Fuchs under CC-SA 3.0 License

Tim's Two Cents-February 8

The Saints Go Marching On.  Who dat say they gonna beat them Saints in the big game?  This year: nobody!  Not even Peyton Manning.  I know I predicted the Colts would win, but I couldn't be happier with the result.  At least my prediction that the Saints would score 31 points was spot on.  Even though my dad's prediction didn't come true, he wasn't that far off on the scoring margin of 14.  He had predicted the Colts would win by 16. 

Congratulations to the Saints and the city of New Orleans.  The Saints played like they wanted it more.  They were the more aggresive team.  I applaud them taking a chance on fourth down in the first half and doing an onside kick to begin the second half. 

On the other side, Peyton Manning started out well in the first half leading the Colts to a 10 nothing lead in the first quarter.  In the second half, it was the Saints, not the Colts, who made the adjustments and took control of the contest, outscoring Indy 25 to 7 after the first quarter.

The overall broadcast by CBS was also very good.  Jim Nantz and Phil Simms were stellar on the call.  They treated the game for what it was, just another game.  That's how it should be done.  I was happy to see that there were very little talk of Archie Manning and there were no snapshots of Kim Kardashian.  In other words, I'm glad this didn't turn into a celebrity event like the Oscars.

Another enjoyable aspect of the game was the officiating crew.  The pace of the game was excellent.  It was flying by very fast.  The officials also let the players play.  Call me crazy, but I think there were no more than 10 penalties called, 8 to be exact.  That's my kind of officiating.  If I were a referee, I wouldn't call penalties unless it is really blatant.

Once again, congratulations to Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees and the Saints.  New Orleans will definitely be partying well past Mardi Gras.

Photo courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and dbking under CC-BY 2.0 License    

Small Ball Report-February 7

SCIAC Conference

Men's Basketball:

Occidental 51, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 60
Pomona-Pitzer 62, Whittier 66
Caltech 73, Redlands 100
La Verne 73, Cal Lutheran 77

Standings:

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 8-1 SCIAC, 16-4 overall
Redlands 7-2 SCIAC, 11-9 overall
Occidental 6-3 SCIAC, 14-6 overall
Pomona-Pitzer 6-3 SCIAC, 10-10 overall
Cal Lutheran 4-5 SCIAC, 10-10 overall
Whittier 3-6 SCIAC, 9-10 overall
La Verne 2-7 SCIAC, 6-14 overall
Caltech 0-9 SCIAC, 0-20 overall

Women's Basketball:

Caltech 35, Redlands 82
Occidental 76, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 73 (OT)
La Verne 43, Cal Lutheran 75, ouch!
Pomona-Pitzer 57, Whittier 69

Standings:

Cal Lutheran 9-1 SCIAC, 17-4 overall
Occidental 9-1 SCIAC, 17-4 overall
Redlands 8-2 SCIAC, 16-5 overall
Whittier 6-4 SCIAC, 13-8 overall
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 3-7 SCIAC, 12-9 overall
La Verne 3-7 SCIAC, 10-11 overall
Pomona-Pitzer 1-9 SCIAC, 5-14 overall
Caltech 1-9 SCIAC, 5-16 overall

GSAC Conference

Men's Basketball:

Fresno Pacific 83, Point Loma Nazarene 63
Biola 75, Vanguard 68
Westmont 82, Hope International 61
The Masters 89, San Diego Christian 77 (2 OT)

Standings:

Biola 11-2 GSAC, 21-2 overall
Concordia 11-2 GSAC, 21-2 overall
Azusa Pacific 9-4 GSAC, 16-7 overall
The Masters 9-4 GSAC, 16-7 overall
Fresno Pacific 8-5 GSAC, 18-5 overall
Westmont 7-6 GSAC, 15-7 overall
California Baptist 7-6 GSAC, 14-9 overall
Point Loma Nazarene 4-10 GSAC, 7-15 overall
San Diego Christian 3-10 GSAC, 5-18 overall
Vanguard 3-10 GSAC, 4-15 overall
Hope International 0-13 GSAC, 4-18 overall

Women's Basketball:

Point Loma Nazarene 71, Fresno Pacific 47
The Masters 81, San Diego Christian 70
Westmont 92, Hope International 88 (2 OT)
Vanguard 89, Biola 78

Standings:

Azusa Pacific 12-1 GSAC, 19-4 overall
Point Loma Nazarene 12-2 GSAC, 21-2 overall
Vanguard 11-2 GSAC, 15-2 overall
Biola 9-4 GSAC, 13-8 overall
Westmont 7-6 GSAC, 14-7 overall
The Masters 7-6 GSAC, 12-9 overall
California Baptist 4-9 GSAC, 11-12 overall
Concordia 3-10 GSAC, 10-11 overall
Hope International 3-10 GSAC, 8-15 overall
Fresno Pacific 3-10 GSAC, 6-17 overall
San Diego Christian 1-12 GSAC, 4-18 overall

Citrus College Athletics

Men's Basketball:

Citrus College 84 (9-0 CCAA, 23-2 overall), Santa Monica 63

Women's Basketball:

Santa Monica 59, Citrus College 53 (6-3 CCAA, 14-11 overall)

ECHL Hockey

Ontario Reign 5, Stockton Thunder 3.  Next game is Friday against the Thunder once again, this time in Stockton at 7:30.

Tim's Two Cents-February 7

The Countdown to Glory Begins.  The day we've all been waiting for has finally arrived.  We are less than six hours from the big game between the Saints and the Colts. 

The opponents in this matchup make it hard to root against one team over the other.  The opposing quarterbacks are two of the best liked in the game and they are awesome competitors.  Peyton Manning has a knack for leading his team to late game winning drives.  Drew Brees has led what has been the most prolific offense in the NFL this season. 

How can you not also root for the city of New Orleans?  What has happened in that city since Hurricane Katrina is something special.  The Superdome is probably the loudest stadium in the league, but it won't be a factor today. 

As the days leading up to the game have gone by, I find myself conflicted in my heart and my head.  For the Colts to win, Peyton Manning has to be, well, Peyton Manning.  That is he has to be the general on the field leading his troops in battle.  On defense, all signs are pointing to Dwight Freeney giving the ankle a go.  How effective he'll be remains to be seen.  He definitely won't be 100%, that I'm fairly certain of.

For the Saints it's simple, they have to keep Peyton Manning on the sidelines and force some turnovers.  Drew Brees also needs to continue doing what he has done as one of the best quarterbacks in the game today.  The best quarterback is the one he's facing today.

So here we go.  After a week long wait, I'm going with my head and taking the five and a half and the Colts to win their second Vince Lombardi trophy in four years.  Colts 35, Saints 31.  Sorry Who Dat nation. 

For the record, my dad's also picking the Colts to win by 16, but he won't give a final score.  Newflash dad, that's not how this works!

Photo courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and BrokenSphere under under CC-SA 3.0 License

Wide World of Sports Venues-February 7

Sun Life Stadium

Miami, FL

Opened: August 16, 1987
Construction Cost: $115 Million
Capacity: 1993 Baseball-47,662 2001 Baseball-42,531 2003 Baseball-36,531 2006 Baseball-36,331 2008 Baseball-38,560 Soccer-74,916 Football-76,500
Home Teams: Miami Dolphins (NFL) 1987-Present, 1989, 1995, 1999, 2007 and 2010 Super Bowls (Peyton Manning Vs. Drew Brees in seven hours), University of Miami "The U" Hurricanes (NCAA) 2008-Present, Florida Marlins (MLB) 1993-2010, Florida Atlantic Owls (NCAA) 2001-2002, FedEx Orange Bowl 1996-1998, 2000-Present, Blockbuster/Carquest/MicronPC/Champs Sports Bowl 1990-2000
Events Attended: None

Small Ball Report-February 6

Pasadena City College Athletics

Men's Basketball:

ECC Compton 80, PCC 78

Women's Basketball:

PCC 77, ECC Compton 73

Mt. SAC Athletics

Men's Basketball:

Mt. SAC 71 (5-0 SCC, 21-4 overall), L.A. Trade Tech 71

Women's Basketball:

Mt. SAC 70 (5-0 SCC, 20-5 overall), L.A. Trade Tech 61

ECHL Hockey

Stockton Thunder 4, Ontario Reign 1.  They face each other again tonight in Ontario at 7.

Wide World of Sports Venues-February 6

HSBC Arena

Buffalo, NY

Opened: September 21, 1996
Construction Cost: $127.5 Million
Capacity: Ice Hockey-18,690 Concerys-18,500 Basketball-19,200
Home Teams: Buffalo Sabres (NHL) 1996-Present, Buffalo Bandits (NLL) 1996-Present, Buffalo Destroyers (AFL) 1999-2003, Buffalo Blizzard (NPSL) 1996-2001, Buffalo Wings (not joking, RHI) 1997-1999
Events Attended: None

Photo Courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and TonyTheTiger under CC-SA 3.0 License

Tim's Two Cents-February 6

The look on Baron's face says it all.

Mike Dunleavy Stepping Down as Clippers Coach Symbolizes Another Forgettable Season.  Mike Duleavy  chose to focus more on his GM responsibilities when he resigned as head coach on Thursday.  Kim Hughes is now the interim coach as the Clips get ready to face the San Antonio Spurs tonight at Staples Center as their season continues toward a downward spiral.

I'm not shocked at all that Dunleavy decided to step down.  As a matter of fact, I could care less that he did so.  I don't have anything against him, but the reality is Los Angeles is a Laker town when it comes to basketball, no question about it.

Dunleavy's tenure as head coach is just like any other who have held the position in the past.  Not very memorable.  There was only one season in which the Clippers made the playoffs.    Other than that, it has been business as usual. 

This season was supposedly going to be a breakout year for the Clippers with playoff aspirations, especially with Baron Davis entering another year with the team and the arrival of the number one overall draft pick Blake Griffin.  Instead, it has been the same old thing this season.  

The silver lining was they did make it farther than the Lakers that season when they beat the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 2006 playoffs while the Lakers lost to the Phoenix Suns.  The Clips would go on to lose to those same Suns the following round.

Photo courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and Eric Molina under CC-BY 2.0 License

      

Tim's Two Cents-February 5

You Must be Joking!  The Los Angeles Kings Have Won Eight Straight.  Well it's no joke.  The Kings continue to be one of the most surprising teams in the NHL this season. 

They tied a club record of eight straight triumphs last night with a 6 to 4 victory over their rivals to the south, the Anaheim Ducks at Staples Center.

Now I don't usually talk much about the NHL but this is turning into a big buzz worthy story.  Let's face it.  The Kings are off to best start after 57 games with a 35-19-3 record.  It is their best start since the 1980-1981 season.  That's a very long time! 

Entering Friday, the Kings are fourth, that's right, fourth in the Western Conference with 73 points behind Vancouver, Chicago and San Jose.  If the playoffs started today, the Kings would be facing the Phoenix Coyotes in the first round.  I think they could beat the Coyotes 

As this season has unfolded, it is becoming clear that Kings fans have a reason to be excited this year after several lackluster campaigns.  It is turning into the glory days of the '80s with Wayne Gretzky.  Keep it up Kings!   

Photo courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and Nichole under CC-BY 2.0 License

Wide World of Sports Venues-February 5

Nassau Veteran's Memorial Coliseum

Uniondale, NY

What an ugly looking building it is!  It's definitely showing its age.

Opened: 1972
Construction Cost: $31 Million
Capacity: Ice Hockey-16,234
Home Teams: New York Islanders (NHL) 1972-Present, New York Nets (ABA/NBA) 1972-1977, New York Arrows (MISL) 1978-1984, New York Express (MISL) 1986-1987, Long Island Jawz (RHI) 1986, New York Saints (NLL) 1989-2003, New York Dragons (AFL) 2001-2008, New York Titans (NLL) 2007, New York Majesty (LFL) 2009-Present.  Ooh la la.
Events Attended: None 

Small Ball Report-February 5

SCIAC Conference

Women's Basketball:

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 48, Redlands 81
Cal Lutheran 58, Caltech 35
La Verne 70, Pomona-Pitzer 57.  Finally! A win.  Maybe this will get them back on track.
Occidental 71, Whittier 53

Standings:

Cal Lutheran 8-1 SCIAC, 16-4 overall
Occidental 8-1 SCIAC, 16-4 overall
Redlands 7-2 SCIAC, 15-5 overall
Whittier 5-4 SCIAC, 12-8 overall
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 3-6 SCIAC, 12-8 overall
La Verne 3-6 SCIAC, 10-10 overall
Pomona-Pitzer 1-8 SCIAC, 5-13 overall
Caltech 1-8 SCIAC, 5-15 overall

GSAC Conference

Men's Basketball:

Concordia 84 (11-2 GSAC, 21-2 overall), Westmont 77 (6-6 GSAC, 14-7 overall)

Women's Basketball:

Westmont 72 (6-6 GSAC, 13-7 overall), Concordia 71 (3-10 GSAC, 10-11 overall) 

Tim's Two Cents-February 4

Phil Jackson Reaches Coaching Milestone.  What do you know?  Last night's Laker game played out almost according to my earlier prediction. 

I said that the Lakers would get Jackson his 534th win as a Laker coach within the next two games, passing Pat Riley with 533.  Check.  I said the Charlotte Bobcats would give the Lakers all they could handle.  The final score was 99 to 97.  Check.  The only thing I didn't see coming was Kobe Bryant scoring only 5 points and aggravating his injured ankle.  Lamar Odom deserves credit for stepping up his production last night as he led the Purple and Gold with 19 points off the bench.  Way to go L.O.! 

Next up is the Denver Nuggets on Friday.  It looks like right now, Carmelo Anthony will not play for Denver because of his ankle injury.  Let's see if the Lakers can use that to their advantage to get another win!

LaDainian Tomlinson's Future in Question.  The Chargers running back says he won't take a pay cut to play in the NFL next season.  That essentially means his days in San Diego are numbered.  It's possible his days in the NFL are numbered too. 

In his career, Tomlinson has been one of the most dynamic running backs in the league, but his production has been declining over the last few years.  Compared to his regular season production, Tomlinson has been almost nonexistent in the playoffs the last few seasons, due to various injuries and decreased playing time. 

Tomlinson needs to figure out if he's willing to accept a lesser role with another team.  If not, there just aren't very many opportunities where he can be a star running back.  I just don't see it.  He's the Vladimir Guerrero of the NFL, an aging star who is no longer the star player to build your franchise around.

Photos courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and Keith Allison from Baltimore, USA, under CC-SA 2.0 License
Wikimedia Commons and SD Dirk under CC-BY 2.0 License     

Wide World of Sports Venues-February 4

Madison Square Garden

New York City, NY

Opened: February 11, 1968
Construction Cost: $123 Million
Capacity: Basketball-19,763 Ice Hockey/Lacrosse-18,200 Concerts-20,000 WaMu Theater-5,600
Home Teams: New York Rangers (NHL) 1968-Present, New York Knicks (NBA) 1968-Present, New York Liberty (WNBA) 1997-Present, New York Titans (NLL) 2007-2009, New York Knights (AFL) 1988, New York CityHawks (AFL) 1997-1998, Democratic National Convention 1976, 1980 1992, Republican National Convention, 2004, Big East Men's Basketball Tournament (NCAA), St. John's Red Storm (NCAA) 1969-Present
Events Attended: While on vacation in 2001 (before 9/11), we went through Penn Station, which is located directly underneath MSG numerous times.  We also stayed at Hotel Pennsylvania, which is across the street from MSG.  My mom's mother and her brothers were with us.  We had the Presidential Suite, which was very nice.  We were supposed to have two separate rooms but they gave them away before we arrived.  I wasn't sad that we got upgraded! 

Photo courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and Chensiyuan under CC-SA 3.0 License

Small Ball Report-February 4

SCIAC Conference

Austin Hallett of the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Men's Swimming was named SCIAC Male Athlete of the Week yesterday. 

The Athletes of the Week that I posted yesterday were from January 27.  Don't blame me for being late.  It was the SCIAC who didn't update their website for the past few days.

Moving on, the Sophomore Hallett won three events in impressive fashion as CMS won at Cal Lutheran 151 to 65.  Once again, I have no idea how the scoring works.  Hallett won the 400 individual medley by 5.91 seconds with a time of 4:23.21.  He won the 100 back by 1.45 seconds in 54.39 and led off the winning 200 free relay with a split of 22.52.  The relay team won by 1.26 seconds in 1:28.14.  CMS is 6-0 in SCIAC.
  
Men's Basketball:

La Verne 54, Pomona-Pitzer 71
Cal Lutheran 82, Caltech 40
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 97, Redlands 89 (OT)
Occidental 70, Whittier 64

Standings:

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 7-1 SCIAC, 15-4 overall
Occidental 6-2 SCIAC, 14-5 overall
Pomona-Pitzer 6-2 SCIAC, 10-9 overall
Redlands 6-2 SCIAC, 10-9 overall
Cal Lutheran 3-5 SCIAC, 9-10 overall
Whittier 2-6 SCIAC, 8-10 overall
La Verne 2-6 SCIAC, 6-13 overall
Caltech 0-8 SCIAC, 0-19 overall

Women's Basketball:

Junior Forward Stephanie Babij of Occidental was named SCIAC Female Athlete of the Week yesterday.  This is the second time in three weeks that Babij has received the honor.

Babij scored a career-high 30 points as the Tigers earned a 64 to 63 victory over the University of Redlands in a game that saw seven ties and numerous lead changes.  She was 12-for-15 from the field while knocking down six free throws, including the final two with just one second to play to clinch the win.  She also grabbed seven rebounds and three steals.  Over the weekend, in limited action in Occidental's 72 to 44 win over Pomona-Pitzer, she was 3-for-5 from the field for six points, with an assist and four rebounds.  In SCIAC games this season, Babij is averaging 15.9 points per game and 9.5 rebounds per game.

Citrus College Athletics

Men's Basketball:

Citrus College 69 (8-0 CCAA, 22-2 overall), LA Valley 59

Women's Basketball:

LA Valley 61, Citrus College 59 (6-2 CCAA, 14-10 overall)

Pasadena City College Athletics

Women's Basketball:

PCC 83, Cerritos 72

Mt. SAC Athletics

Women's Basketball:

Mt. SAC 100 (4-0 SCC, 19-5 overall) LA Trade Tech 44




   

Tim's Two Cents-February 3

The Spectacle of Super Bowl Media Day.  As we get closer and closer to the big game in Miami, we are reminded how much of a party the Super Bowl has become.

The biggest example happened yesterday with Media Day.  This is where media from all over the world converge like locusts at the Super Bowl to interview players from the respective Super Bowl participants.

Usually, the players are asked meaningless questions that have nothing to do with football from members of the media who seem like they have never covered the game whatsoever in their career.  With that being said, it was somewhat interesting to see that the focus this year was on Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney's ankle  injury, making him questionable for Sunday's big game.  He'll probably play, but how effective he'll be, that's another question.

In a sense, Media Day has sort of turned into an Oscars Red Carpet special that nobody really cares about.  What true football fan really wants to know what kind of shoulder pads Drew Brees wears?  I certainly don't.  Questions like these must annoy those media members who are experts that have followed the game for years like Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter.  Other media members who don't cover sports, especially football, have no business going to Media Day to cover the big game.

Photo courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and BrokenSphere under CC-SA 3.0 License   

Wide World of Sports Venues-February 3

TD Garden

Boston, MA

Opened: September 30 1995
Construction Cost: $160 Million
Capacity: NHL Hockey-17,565 NBA Basketball-18,624 For any event-19,580
Home Teams: Boston Bruins (NHL) 1995-Present, Boston Celtics (NBA) 1995-Present, Boston Blazers (MILL) 1996-1997, Democratic National Convention 2004, Boston Blazers (NLL) 2009-Present
Events Attended: While on vacation, went to and from the train station located directly underneath the arena.  We also saw a group of tigers from the Ringling Bros. Circus being transported in the middle of the street to the arena.  It was quite a sight to see.  Back then, the arena was known as the FleetCenter.  This was around 1999. 

Small Ball Report-February 3

SCIAC Conference

Men's Basketball:

Chris Blees of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps was named SCIAC Male Athlete of the Week.  The Junior Forward out of Carmichael, CA, scored 52 points to lead the Stags to home wins over La Verne and Whittier.  He added seven rebounds, four assists and five steals.  In SCIAC play, Blees is in the top five in the conference in field goal percentage (1st-63.9%), scoring (2nd-20.0), assists (t3rd-3.0) and steals (t4th-1.8).

SCIAC Women's News:

Erica Whitley of Cal Lutheran and Emma Jones of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps named Co-Female Athletes of the Week. 

Cal Lutheran moved into a tie atop the SCIAC standings thanks to a 64 to 60 comeback victory on the road against Redlands.  In the win, the Freshman Guard Whitley led the team in scoring off the bench, as she has done the past four games, with 17 points including 14 in the second half in the come-from-behind effort.  Last Thursday, she scored a career-high 22 points in only 18 minutes during a victory over Pomona-Pitzer.  Whitley currently leads the SCIAC with 44 steals and is the Regals top scorer averaging 11.4 points per game while averaging just over 21 minutes of floor time per contest.

Jones, a Sophomore swimmer, won two individual events and was on a winning relay to help lead CMS to a home win over Occidental 169 to 68.  Don't ask me how the score is calculated.  Your guess is as good as mine!  Jones won the 200 free with an NCAA "B" mark of 1:55.29.  She won the 500 free with a personal best of 5:11.15 which is sixth best in CMS history.  She anchored the winning 400 free relay with the fastest split of 54.85.

Women's Basketball Tuesday's Score:

Chapman 62, Cal Lutheran 68 (OT)

GSAC Conference

Men's Basketball:

Tyler Mutton of San Diego Christian named GSAC Men's Basketball Player of the Week.  The Junior Guard averaged 17 points and 4 rebounds as San Diego Christian split its GSAC games against top-25 teams.  For the week, Mutton made 10 field goals, including 6 from 3-point-range, and was 8-for-9 from the charity stripe.  He scored 23 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in the Hawks' upset of No. 2-ranked Concordia.  handing the Eagles their first loss of the season.  He scored 11 points and had 3 rebounds in the loss at No. 22 Westmont.

Tuesday's Scores:

Upset Alert-Fresno Pacific 81, Biola 61
California Baptist 60, San Diego Christian 39
The Masters 65, Azusa Pacific 62
Concordia 82, Hope International 53
Point Loma Nazarene 68, Vanguard 57

Standings:

Biola 10-2 GSAC, 20-2 overall
Concordia 10-2 GSAC, 20-2 overall
Azusa Pacific 8-4 GSAC, 15-7 overall
The Masters 8-4 GSAC, 15-7 overall
Fresno Pacific 7-5 GSAC, 17-5 overall
California Baptist 7-5 GSAC, 14-8 overall
Westmont 6-5 GSAC, 14-6 overall
Point Loma Nazarene 4-9 GSAC, 7-14 overall
San Diego Christian 3-9 GSAC, 5-17 overall
Vanguard 3-9 GSAC, 4-14 overall
Hope International 0-12 GSAC, 4-17 overall

Women's Basketball:
Alexa Moore-Porter of Azusa Pacific named GSAC Women's Basketball Player of the Week.  The Junior Forward scored 52 points (26.0 points per game), grabbed 16 rebounds (8.0 rebounds per game), and had 5 steals, 4 assists and a block as No. 10-ranked Azusa Pacific won both of its conference games last week.  For the week, she shot 20-for-36 from the field, including 4-for-8 from the 3-point arc, and 8-for-9 from the free throw line.  In the win against Westmont, she posted her fourth double-double of the season with 22 points and 10 rebounds.  Moore-Porter, who is the leading scorer in GSAC games, hit the game-tying 3-pointer with a minute to go, part of a 30-point effort, to lead the Cougars to a 68 to 64 road win at Concordia.

Tuesday's Scores:

Upset Alert-Vanguard 70, Point Loma Nazarene 53
Azusa Pacific 74, The Masters 73
Hope International 60, Concordia 59
California Baptist 77, San Diego Christian 58
Biola 81, Fresno Pacific 61

Standings:

Azusa Pacific 11-1 GSAC, 18-4 overall
Point Loma Nazarene 11-2 GSAC, 20-2 overall
Vanguard 10-2 GSAC, 14-2 overall
Biola 9-3 GSAC, 13-7 overall
The Masters 6-6 GSAC, 11-9 overall
Westmont 5-6 GSAC, 12-7 overall
California Baptist 4-8 GSAC, 11-11 overall
Concordia 3-9 GSAC, 10-10 overall
Hope International 3-9 GSAC, 8-14 overall
Fresno Pacific 3-9 GSAC, 6-16 overall
San Diego Christian 1-11 GSAC, 4-17 overall

ECHL Hockey

The Ontario Reign lost to the Idaho Steelheads 5 to 2 on Sunday.  They are now 17-21-3 in the Pacific Division of the National Conference of the ECHL. Their next game is Friday night in Ontario against the Stockton Thunder at 7:30. 
     

Wide World of Sports Venues-February 2

Bradley Center

Milwaukee, WI

Opened: October 1, 1988
Construction Cost: $90 Million
Capacity: Concerts-20,000 College Basketball-19,000 NBA Basketball-18,717 Ice Hockey-17,800
Home Teams: Milwaukee Bucks (NBA) 1988-Present, Milwaukee Admirals (AHL) 1988-Present, Marquette University (NCAA) 1988-Present, Milwaukee Wave (MISL) 1988-2003, Milwaukee Mustangs (AFL) 1994-2001, Milwaukee Iron (AF1) 2009-Present
Events Attended: None

Photo courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and compujeramey and Betp under CC-BY 2.0 License

Tim's Two Cents-February 2

Kobe Bryant Reaches Peak of Laker Summit.  Thanks to a 44 point performance in a 95 to 93 loss, Kobe is now all alone as the Lakers all time leading scorer surpassing Jerry West of NBA logo fame.  If the purple and gold would have come away with the win, not only would my road trip prediction have come true, but Phil Jackson would have become the Lakers all time leader in wins as a coach, surpassing Pat Riley.

Good for Kobe on acheiving another milestone in a stellar career.  I'm not surprised he is now at the top of the Lakers franchise in scoring.  It will be a longshot for him to become the leading scorer in NBA history.  I don't think it will happen even if he stays reasonably healthy, but he will get very close. 

As for the Zen Master, he should get the all time wins mark within the next few days.  The Lakers will return to Staples Center on Wednesday to face the Charlotte Bobcats.  This has the makings of a trap game as the Bobcats have given the Lakers a run for their money over the last few years.  That is followed by Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets in Los Angeles on Friday.  Let's hope they can get a win or two in these games because the Purple and Gold will head to the house of horrors that is the Rose Garden in Portland on Saturday.   

Wide World of Sports Venues-February 1

Conseco Fieldhouse

Indianapolis, IN

Opened: November 6, 1999
Construction Cost: $183 Million
Capacity: Basketball-18,345 Ice Hockey/Arena Football-14,400
Home Teams: Indiana Pacers (NBA) 1999-Present, Indiana Fever (WNBA) 2000-Present, Indiana Firebirds (AFL) 2001-2004
Events Attended: None

Photo courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and Durin under CC-SA 3.0 License

Tim's Two Cents-February 1

Lakers Stun Celitics.  Kobe does it again.  Ray Allen played about as good on defense as you could possibly play and it still didn't phase Kobe with 7.3 seconds left as the Lakers commit grand theft with a 90 to 89 triumph against their rivals from Beantown.  They were down at one point 81 to 70 in the fourth quarter.  Ron Artest set the tone before the game even started.  It was nice to see him jawing with Paul Pierce from the get go.  That's how you show your opponent that you're not going to be pushed around.

With the win, my original prediction for the road trip is still intact.  If they beat the Memphis Grizzlies tonight, which they should, the Lakers will finish having won 6 out of 8.

Roger Federer Sparkles Down Under.  New year, familiar result.  Make it 16 and counting for the Swiss gem.  The latest victim was Andy Murray as the Australian Open came to a close yesterday.  We didn't get to see the Federer-Nadal matchup due to Nadal retiring in an earlier match with a knee injury.  That definitely increased the odds in Federer's favor. 

Federer will most likely go down in history as the greatest men's tennis player ever once his story comes to an end.  For right now, his story will continue in May on the clay of Roland Garros, where he will defend last year's title.  It was special last year because it was his first title in Paris, completing the career grand slam, having won in Melbourne, Paris, Wimbledon and New York.

Photos courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and Keith Allison from Kinston, USA under CC-SA 3.0 License
Wikimedia Commons and Steve Collis from Melbourne, Australia under CC-BY 2.0 License