Tour of California Returns to Solvang, But No Dopers Velkommen

They will return, but will people care enough to watch?

By Mike Takeuchi

While it will be fun to once again see the time trial stage of the Tour of California in Solvang (See press release below) on May 20, I am wondering how many fans will make the trek to any of the stages for two reasons that may be interrelated-Lance Armstrong's retirement, and the continuing doping saga, the latest being the lifetime ban of former U.S. Postal team rider Kirk O'Bee, which followed Alberto Contador's second failed test that revealed clenbuterol( a substance the New York Times said that a specific type of chemical called a plasticizer was found in plastic IV bags. It was reported that he had eight times the minimum amount, which signifies doping.). Contador claimed the culprit was tainted meat. (Which makes me wonder if Lance sent him some Texas brisket. Okay, it was just a fleeting thought.)

It will be interesting to learn how much interest the sport can garnish after what it has been through, especially with the continuing investigation of the seven-time Tour de France Champion Armstrong by super Fed Jeff Novitzky, the über federal agent that broke the BALCO scandal. That remains to be discovered.

Solvang, California (October 7, 2010) – Following weeks of speculation and anticipation, the Host Cities for the record-setting Amgen Tour of California professional cycling road race were announced this morning by race presenter AEG. Consistently considered cycling’s most important and successful road race held in the United States , the sixth annual event will cover more than 800 miles over the epic eight days.

The 2011 Amgen Tour of California will travel to and through 15 Host Cities throughout the state over the course of eight days from May 15-22, 2011. Last year’s date change from February to May allowed the Tour de France-style road race to visit locations that would not have been possible previously, including a visit to Big Bear Lake . Due to the incredible success, the race will remain in May to provide fans with the most action-packed, exciting race possible.

Solvang was selected again for the fourth time to host the prestigious Individual Time Trial—scheduled as Stage 6 on Friday, May 20, 2011; repeating its pivotal roles in the 2007, 2008 and 2009 Amgen Tour of California. Solvang and the surrounding Santa Ynez Valley wine country will be showcased during this thrilling race, which drew more than 15, 000 spectators and created even more significant positive economic impact each year.

Solvang Mayor Jim Richardson stated, "Velkommen! A hearty welcome back on behalf of the city council and our citizens. I would like to express our great pride that the Amgen Tour of California has chosen our fine city for the fourth time to host the prestigious time trial stage—most especially during our Centennial—this is a real honor!"

Solvang Conference & Visitors Bureau Executive Director Tracy Farhad remarked, “We are thrilled to roll out the red carpet again—Solvang-style—for the Tour. This will be one of the highlights of our year-long Centennial Celebration! Mange tak!”

The race will wind through miles of beautiful California terrain, beginning with the first-ever visit to Lake Tahoe, a well known cycling destination and home of “America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride.” The eight-day race will travel through some of the state’s most scenic landmarks, with the overall finish taking place in title-sponsor Amgen’s hometown community of Thousand Oaks .

The 15 official stage start and finish communities that have been selected for the 2011 race include: South Lake Tahoe (new for 2011), North Lake Tahoe-Northstar at Tahoe Resort (new for 2011), North Lake Tahoe-Squaw Valley USA (new for 2011), Sacramento, Auburn (new for 2011), Modesto, Livermore (new for 2011), San Jose, Seaside, Paso Robles, Solvang, Claremont (new for 2011), Mt. Baldy (new for 2011), Santa Clarita and Thousand Oaks.

“Last year we witnessed the benefits of moving the Amgen Tour of California to May – better weather, a new, challenging route and more intense competition,” said Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports. “In 2011 we plan to continue to showcase the beautiful features the state of California has to offer, while also continuing to raise the bar for what it means to be the largest, most important cycling race in America .”

Highlights of the 2011 route include the race’s first visit to Lake Tahoe, with the first day of racing featuring a more than a lap and a half around the lake. The riders also will summit famous Donner Pass on the way to Sacramento . On the way to San Jose , America ’s largest cycling event will venture into the Diablo Mountains for the first of two challenging mountain stages for the world-class cyclists. The riders will once again take the beautiful Pacific Coast Highway down the coast through Big Sur. Another exciting addition to the 2011 race is the final climb up to the Mt. Baldy ski area, whose steepness and switchbacks are legendary in the Southern California cycling community.

“The 2011 Amgen Tour of California route is going to result in an exciting and compelling race,” said Lance Armstrong of Team Radioshack. “All of us at Team Radioshack are looking forward to it.”

Beginning with the inaugural year in 2006, the Amgen Tour of California quickly became the most successful race in the United States with regards to economic benefits to the state, global recognition and the level of competition. The race also continues to set records in attendance for a single sporting event in the state of California , as well as any cycling event ever held on U.S. soil, with more than 2 million spectators in previous years.

“From the world-class riders and challenging competition, to the tremendous amount of support from the fans and Host Cities, the Amgen Tour of California has grown to become one of the most anticipated events within the international cycling community,” continued Messick. “Making the final selection of Host Cities for the race becomes an increasingly challenging task each year.”

With the 2011 Amgen Tour of California once again taking place in May, the cyclists will have more time to train, and the competition promises to be even tougher. In previous years, the race has drawn some of the world's most renowned and respected riders, such as top Tour de France competitors, World Champions and Olympic medalists that include Lance Armstrong, Tom Boonen, Oscar Freire, Paolo Bettini, Fabian Cancellara, Carlos Sastre, Ivan Basso, George Hincapie, Mark Cavendish and Andy Schleck.

“I was in as good of shape the past three years [when I won the Amgen Tour of California ] as I am now,” said Levi Leipheimer, race winner from 2007-2009, after the 2010 race. “The difference this year is that you see a couple of riders on the same level. The competition has definitely risen.”

“For our team, there’s only one race more important to us than the Amgen Tour of California, and that’s the Tour de France. This is a huge result for us. We can really walk away from the 2010 Amgen Tour of California with big smiles on our faces,” said Australian Michael Rogers of Team HTC-Columbia after winning the 2010 race.

Returning as the title sponsor for the sixth consecutive year, Amgen will continue to leverage the race to raise awareness and support for people affected by cancer through its Breakaway from Cancer^® initiative. A leading global biotechnology company with headquarters in Thousand Oaks , Calif. , one of the 2011 race Host Cities, Amgen's invaluable support has helped to ensure the continued success of the race and impact beyond the sporting arena.

“The 2011 Amgen Tour of California route will deliver new challenges for the professional cyclists and also give Amgen an opportunity to introduce our company and our Breakaway from Cancer initiative to California communities that are getting involved in the race for the first time,” said Stuart Arbuckle, vice president and general manager, Amgen Oncology. “We look forward to collaborating with all of this year’s Host Cities to spread awareness about Amgen, our mission to serve patients through using biotechnology to create medicines for people with grievous illness, and the incredible support services that are available free of charge to people affected by cancer through Amgen’s non-profit Breakaway from Cancer partner organizations.”

The only American race listed on the international professional cycling calendar with a 2. HC ranking, the Amgen Tour of California has drawn the attention of both cycling enthusiasts and first-time spectators, solidifying its position as one of the most anticipated cycling events of the year.

The 2011 Amgen Tour of California will visit 15 Host Cities for official stage starts and finishes, while other cities along the route also will have the opportunity to witness the excitement of elite professional cycling. Stages for the 2011 Amgen Tour of California include:

• Stage 1: Sunday, May 15 – South Lake Tahoe to North Lake Tahoe-Northstar at Tahoe Resort
• Stage 2: Monday, May 16 – North Lake Tahoe-Squaw Valley USA to Sacramento
• Stage 3: Tuesday, May 17 – Auburn to Modesto
• Stage 4: Wednesday, May 18 – Livermore to San Jose
• Stage 5: Thursday, May 19 – Seaside to Paso Robles
• Stage 6: Friday, May 20 – Solvang Individual Time Trial
• Stage 7: Saturday, May 21 – Claremont to Mt. Baldy
• Stage 8: Sunday, May 22 – Santa Clarita to Thousand Oaks

Appreciating After Underappreciating Joe Torre

Story and Photo by Mike Takeuchi

*Note Although an entirely separate article by the author appeared in the Santa Barbara News-Press on October 6-the same quotations were used.

For the longest time, while respecting his accomplishments, I was not a huge fan of Joe Torre. Perhaps it was because I am a recovering Yankees hater (Recovering because I really can’t hate an organization that has been almost as good as the Dodgers and Angels have been to me.) or perhaps that I always thought that there were other managers like Mike Scioscia and Joe Maddon, who I thought were more skilled and got less attention. I did always believe however that Torre’s ability to manage players is nonpareil.

I have also learned that over the last five years, the 70-year-old’s communication with the media was as good or better than any leader of a sports team-even us small potatoes in the french fryer. Torre is different in that he knows how to work with us, and actually seems to sometimes enjoy doing it-often employing a dry, sarcastic wit-especially when we sometimes emotionally needy scribes wonder if we are loved. When asked Sunday if his interactions with media will be missed, he responded as such.

"That will hit me one night either three or four in the morning and I'll think my God, where are they?" Torre laughed. "But you'll find me."

He’s also good for a story or two. One day in May last year, shortly after the Kentucky Derby, Torre regaled those present by talking about his thoughts about horse racing. When the manager, who has a stake in a racehorse himself, was asked his thoughts on the Derby winning Mine That Bird, the image-conscious Torre instructed everyone within earshot to turn their recorders off before telling a story about why geldings often do well in racing.

“You’d be pissed too if someone cut your balls off,” Torre’s punch line went.

While having a reputation for only giving journalists from the larger publications like the New York Times the time of day, I have never experienced such-finding him to be very accessible. Years ago while he was with the Yankees, I wanted to know his thoughts about his role in an exhibit at the Museum of Tolerance (which I highly recommend), titled “Finding Our Families, Finding Ourselves”. The special wing had the likes of Billy Crystal, Carlos Santana, and Maya Angelou, joining Torre in separate video stories being played in sets that were built up much like scenes from each participant’s upbringing.

Torre’s experience was far from ideal, as he openly revealed on the screen placed in a set that resembled his childhood dining room about his unhappy childhood due to an abusive father. The year the exhibition came out, before a game against the Angels, he was more than happy to discuss the exhibition and the past for several minutes.

“It was rough, but I tell you, my mom and my sister got the worst of it,” Torre said something to the effect. “By opening up, I think it still helps me and I hope it will help others.”

While admiring his depth, I wondered at the time, if many of the other writers tried to get beyond the game strategies and superficial talk with someone that was a valuable and wealthy source of information. I was also slightly jealous that they had more opportunities because while doing their job, I don’t think they fully appreciated what he had to offer them.

This spring, when he was finishing up with the beat writers in the dugout, I grabbed him for one more question. Sighing slightly, he assented but said that it had to be quick because batting practice had started. When I asked him if he knew of any short-term players who ended up being baseball lifers, he stopped and wracked his brain trying to think of a few before offering a few suggestions. He then spent another several minutes telling a story until he excused himself after being reminded by his coaches that he needed to be out on the field at the cage. After all, there was a game that day.

On Sunday in the dugout for what was perhaps his last time as a manager, he waxed nostalgic with the media on a variety of topics, most notably his upcoming retirement.

"It's scary isn't it?" Torre asked rhetorically. "I am retiring from this phase. But I don't think I will ever shut down (from baseball). Too many people who have done that in certain companies think it's going to be great but don't seem to be very happy."

"There are so many things you get excited about (when managing), but there are other things like the tough decisions in the seventh, eighth, and ninth that I am happy somebody else is going to make," Torre said. "I don't anticipate anything that will make me want to manage again, but maybe there is something out there that may blindside me. I certainly am not looking for it and don't anticipate it."

Recalling his days as a player, Torre never envisioned himself as a manager at the time.

"When I played in St. Louis I was named a captain," Torre said. "Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be modest here, but I didn't have a great deal of self esteem (to value) in my own self worth. So when they named me captain, it really got my attention. During those six years in St. Louis (I felt I learned a lot) when Red Schoendienst was the manager, a Hall of Famer who gave the players a lot of leeway because he felt that the players knew what to do to win."

"I never thought the number of clubs I would (manage). After the Braves, the Mets, and the Cardinals, I said that's it. That was my playing career so I assumed that was my managing career. Then the Yankee thing came along."

While he didn’t bring a World Series championship to Los Angeles, he made the Dodgers very relevant in 2008 and ’09. And at the end of the 4,329 games he managed, 10 league championships, six World Series appearances with four wins in those, his passage to Cooperstown is all but guaranteed. While brushing off this subject, he diverted the topic onto being a fortunate part of baseball history.

"Growing up in New York, they were the two storied franchises and to have been the manager and gone to the postseason with both of them is quite a memory that I will cherish," Torre said.

On Sunday, in front of what remained of an announced crowd of 38,007 of the 56,000 seat Dodger Stadium, he was honored by the Dodgers. Looking in the stands I was disappointed because I thought that a career such as Torre’s deserved better-especially when the fans slightly spoiled the moment temporarily booed owner Frank McCourt. The Dodgers did their best to make it a nice ceremony, although they probably should have utilized Vin Scully in some way and maybe not have introduced McCourt. Presented with a wonderful painting and then giving a nice, heartfelt speech, Torre went out the way he has always appeared to me, with class.

In his office, speaking to the media for the last time, he looked like a man ready for retirement.

"It was a pretty satisfyingly special day for me," Torre said. "People have been so nice everywhere I have gone in the city. And the players, although they may not have understood what I was trying to say, they provided warmth and respect and all that good stuff. Just from all that I have had in my good life with the fans not only how respectful and warm and passionate how they were."

As his interview session was wrapping up, I shook his hand and thanked him. But as I walked out the clubhouse door, I wished I had said more-something like baseball players, owners, fans, and sportswriters owe him a debt of gratitude for not only what Torre has done, but for what he is. Because when you look at his career, from not only the games managed and played, but what he has meant to so many, especially after the terrible tragedy in New York in 2001, we discover that we really do.

Coach John Ward: A Great Teacher and Coach Who Kept His Sense of Humor Through it All

By Mike Takeuchi

(*Note a slightly different article appeared in another publication. Photo taking from Caring Bridge site.)

Despite all that I knew, the news hit me like a ton of bricks. When I first heard about longtime Bishop Diego and Carpinteria coach, teacher, and athletic director John Ward's passing, I was shocked at the suddenness of it all. After all, he was diagnosed only less than two weeks ago.

But the reality hit home when the coaches came to the podium.

Monday's Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table press luncheon had been filled with thoughts on the 55-year-old coach and athletic director. His colleagues intimated that he had a serious illness, and a conversation with Carpinteria football coach Ben Hallock soon confirmed this.

But it was still hard to fathom the loss of one of the best and funniest high school teachers I ever had.

Back in the 1980's, Coach Ward arrived at Bishop Diego High School to teach and coach basketball. He replaced a no-nonsense, old-school guy - Jim Hargrove - that I had known and been fond of since I was a child. Until Monday, I always thought his first name was Mister.

The two were a study of contrasts, much like the Dodgers' stoic Walter Alston and his replacement, the effervescent Tommy Lasorda.

While Mr. Hargrove's underrated, dry humor was often overshadowed by his intensity, Coach Ward could be described as - well, a goofy guy who never met a pun he didn't like. Perhaps harboring a dream of one day being a stand-up comedian, he used the classroom as his stage and his students as his sometimes groan-filled audience.

But the funny thing is, through his unusual technique, even the most reluctant students like me learned much math and computer science from him. Perhaps it was because he was unafraid to show that he loved what he was doing.

Before moving on to another great teacher, UCSB's Paul Lee, Coach Ward taught me what recreation and the sporting lifestyle meant. He was an avid surfer then, possibly making him the coolest teacher we knew. And as was his style, Ward deflected a compliment with humor.

"I have to have some release after dealing with you yahoos five days a week," Ward quipped somewhat to the effect.

Despite claiming to need a break from us, his actions often spoke otherwise when he held open gym in the spring for anyone who wanted to play. Along with a few of us wannabes, there were future Bishop teacher and coach Ray Vasquez, current athletic director Dan Peeters, as well as City firefighters Junior Valdez and Jim McCoy from the basketball team, all having a good time with the guy who ran the activity with a constant commentary not unlike that of Harlem Globetrotters legend Meadowlark Lemon.

But beneath that humorous exterior lurked the passion of the coach. The moment that stands out the most came during a game between Bishop and then Tri-Valley League rival Fillmore. During an intense contest that would decide the league title, one of the Flashes' stars fouled out, prompting the fun-loving McCoy, who we called "Happy Boy," to respond with the old thumb-to-the-nose, fingers waving "Nyah! Nyah" taunt.

The referee was apparently unamused and assessed a technical foul, turning Coach Ward temporarily into Mr. Hargrove. But it didn't last very long. After giving Happy a temporary benching and an earful, he gave him encouragement and a slap on the butt before sending him back into the game.

That passion has endured over the years - first at Bishop, then at Carpinteria.

While the puns moved aside to more low-key asides, the humor remained as he attended virtually every Warriors' sporting event to make sure all his coaches, athletes and parents knew that they were loved.

Often running the front door, he would sometimes fill in as an announcer, utilizing his good nature to entertain an entire stadium filled with CIF track athletes and their families while pushing Carp's famous tri-tip sandwiches virtually every five minutes in cleverly worded sentences. Madison Avenue had nothing on Coach, because danged if I didn't buy two of them myself.

While always appreciative of this reporter's presence, he would also call on me if he read something he didn't think was right. One particular story had one of his coaches commenting liberally after a controversial loss. The next day, Coach Ward approached me during a Carpinteria volleyball match and sternly voiced his displeasure on what was written.

Ten minutes later, he sidled next to me and in a voice that reminded me of that teacher 25 years ago, apologizing without having to say sorry.

"You know Mike, I have to teach some of my coaches how to say 'No comment,' " he said with a smile.

As someone who has seen death first hand, professionally and personally, I can say that it is never easy for not only the person going through it, but their surrounding loved ones. I recall sitting with my mom on a weekly basis as she slowly deteriorated while losing her mental capabilities after two and a half years in bed.

With Coach Ward, the end came quickly and I am sure, painfully. Through it all, I am sure he did his best to keep those who loved him from being in too much pain. Ever the unselfish teacher and coach.

My final lasting memory of him occurred during a Bishop-Carpinteria baseball game last spring. On a miserable, rainy day during which nobody seemed happy to be there, the Cardinals overcame a nine-run, first-inning deficit to rally for a 10-9 win in extras.

Coach Ward approached myself and Peeters afterward.

"Well, I guess there could be worse days," he said with his ever-present grin.

Without you John, this is one of those days.

(For more on John, visit CaringBridge.org and type in "Johnward".

His Dues Paid Off-Michael Young Makes the Playoffs for the First Time in His Career

By Mike Takeuchi

(AP Photo-Texas Ranger Third Baseman Michael Young stands below Division Champions banner.)

*Note A slightly different article appeared in another publication.

Just as they have done all season, the Claw and Antlers are set to strike next week-albeit in a larger arena. In the process, a rare display of team loyalty and leadership will be rewarded when former UCSB and current Texas Rangers infielder Michael Young takes the field to play in the first postseason of his 10-year Major League career.

“Because we are playing meaningful games this late in the season, this has been without a doubt, the most enjoyable season, especially in the last month,” Young said while sitting in the visitor’s dugout at Angel Stadium on September 20. “The job isn’t over yet, so we’re not going to slow down until we accomplish our goals-which aren’t planned for any time in September.”

Playing his entire career with Texas, Young is part of a shrinking membership that includes Albert Pujols, Chipper Jones, Ichiro Suzuki, and the Yankees trio of Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera-those who have spent their entire career wearing only one uniform. Yet despite solid career stats (.300 batting average, 808 RBI, 346 doubles, and 158 home runs as of Monday) that includes a Gold Glove (2008), a batting title (2005), and six All-Star game appearances, he is relatively unknown outside of his team and peer group. But, according to Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington, that doesn’t diminish his importance to the club.

“Michael Young IS the organization,” Washington said. “He’s been here ten years now, and he’s been the same guy showing up every day and giving everything he has while trying to make his teammates better. Now he’s paid his dues and gotten to the point where he’s close to what every manager, every player, and every coach would like to attain. And I couldn’t be happier for him.”

The fourth-year manager acknowledged that the team’s losing record during Young’s career could have been the main reason for his relative anonymity. In this span, not only have the Rangers not made the playoffs, they have finished on an average of 20 games behind in the standings, from merely three games back in a 2004 third-place finish, to a whopping 43.5 games behind in his rookie year of 2001. The 33-year-old, whose first sport love was boxing thanks to his parents and cousins, likened the struggles to a fighter backed into a corner.

“Sometimes you have to take it on the chin and fight your way out of it, even if it lasts awhile,” Young said. “There’s no point in dwelling on it. You make adjustments, keep swinging, and move on.”

That attitude was appreciated by his coach at UCSB Bob Brontsema. After moving from the outfield to shortstop, Young helped the Gauchos reach the NCAA Regionals during his sophomore year in 1996.

“At UCSB, the one thing the separated Mike from others was his work ethic and the fighter’s aggressive mentality,” Brontsema said. “He’s tough, strong, and nobody was going to beat him mentally. I think that’s what got him through the tough years at Texas. Because not only did he have to deal with losing seasons, he had to move to second base when he came up because they already had a pretty good shortstop (Alex Rodriguez) set in there. And despite winning a Gold Glove when another shortstop (Elvis Andrus) came up the next year, he wasn’t happy about moving to third at first, but you really didn’t hear about it too much from him.”

Brontsema added that another thing never publicly mentioned was complaints about the make-up of the team that last played in the postseason two years before Young’s first season. Until the Rangers play their first Division Series game, Young continues to be the player with the second most games played (1503 through September 27) behind St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Randy Winn (1713), without a playoff appearance. His statistics and playoff path is similar to that of his boyhood idol the former Yankees first baseman and Dodgers manager-to-be Don Mattingly (.307 avg., 1099 RBI 22 home runs 402 doubles over 13 full seasons) whose team qualified in his final year.

“I don’t look at his career in terms of who hasn’t played in the playoffs,” Brontsema said. “I see a loyal guy who decided to stay with (his team) by re-signing (six-year $80 million contract in 2007) despite getting other offers from teams with richer playoff histories.”

And it is paying off so far this year because of one thing.

“Plain and simple we got better players,” Young said. “We’ve always had good offense, but getting a monster like (Vladimir Guerrero) in the middle of our line-up made us more versatile in the line-up with power and speed throughout. Our pitching has been great since the start of this year, but since we got Cliff (Lee), we’re in another category. The whole team is the biggest bunch of blue collar gamers.”

The one thing that the team didn’t have was controversy- despite a March Sports Illustrated story breaking the news of Washington’s July 2009 positive cocaine test. Perhaps remembering an August 6, 2007 game when his manager was ejected for the first time in his career defending him, Young stood up for Washington in an emotional team meeting and later, publicly when the story broke on March 17.

“I’m a loyal guy,” Young explained. “I don’t let many people in, but when I do, you’re in. And Ron is one of those. I felt that he deserved the opportunity to show people who he really is. That’s why I was so outspoken about it. We got called into a meeting we had no idea why. Wash spoke to us
and the second he was done I wanted everyone to know that this is our guy. This is our manager. This wasn’t his issue it was ours. We were going to go through this as a team. Two days later, it was a nonstory.”

The team went on to have one of their most successful seasons, and raised their hopes in possibly making the organization’s first World Series appearance-although that has been clouded with the indefinite loss of MVP candidate Josh Hamilton to rib injuries while crashing into the on September 4 . Young still believes thanks to the power of Claw and Antlers.

The craze that has origins stemming from a few years back and continues presently thanks a ten-point buck set of antlers hanging over Hamilton’s locker and a double-following gesture by Nelson Cruz during an exciting midseason game. The “claw”, an extended arm with curled fingers represents a good play, the “antlers”, a spread of both hands and held on each side of the head, mark a display of speed (“run like a deer”) that are used each time a Rangers player does such. T-shirts depicting both are now a full-fledged Texas rage.

“This thing has taken on a life of its own,” Young chuckled. “We’ve done it for a while, but for some reason it has become a rallying cry for the guys on the team and our fans. This is a group of guys who like to have fun yet know how to walk the line between having fun and getting down to business.”

Despite the intensity of the postseason, Young admitted that he will allow himself a look around and think about the one thing more important to him than baseball, his wife Christina and their sons Mateo and Emilio.

“Since it’s been a long time coming, I am definitely going to take it in,” Young said. “I have been waiting for this opportunity since I got here. Once that first pitch comes, it’s time to be the one to deliver that coup de grace.”

My View on Who is at Fault

By Mike Takeuchi

I don’t have any idea who is at fault here, because in theory, both philosophies have sound arguments on which way this country should go. But in reality both have deeply flawed ways of going about it.

In the extreme, while one side acts on their own self interests and damn everyone else, the other unrealistically expects this great savior Jesus Obama (who I voted for btw) to come take them to the Promised Land.

In a country of over 300-million people, I think it is impossible for us to successfully govern ourselves due to a dated kluge that is our political system. At varying points on the spectrum, people would like some form of guidance while being able to make their own choices. But where is the most optimum point? Fuck if I know.

People on Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Charlie LeDuff's Facebook page made valid points in an erudite manner to open up a sorely missed dialogue-something that elected officials, who act on the fear of not being re-elected and/or labeled a pariah within their own party, are not willing to venture into.

Perhaps it is with false hope that someone can change this. I just hope that everyone realizes that unless both sides find some common ground, no matter who wins what battle, eventually we will be equally responsible for our own demise.

*With apologies to Ben Franklin

"We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately."

Dave Zirin: A Writer Every Sports Fan Should Read

By Mike Takeuchi

As someone whose natural curiosity often goes to the depths of ridiculousness, I here are few sportswriters/columnists that really focus on stories with depth-often writing more for the subject or worse yet, for themselves as opposed to their readership. While George Vescey and Bill Rhoden, two true gentlemen from the New York Times still capture my fancy, very few contemporary scribes (Jeff Pearlman and Jeff Passan of Yahoo! are the only two I can think of off the top of my head), elicit contemplation.

However, the one writer that brings out the passion towards sports in me more than any other is Dave Zirin. Not at him mind you. Dave’s a good guy. But like the HBO show “Real Sports”, his work often inspires ire towards the subjects he writes about.

I first met Dave a few years ago for an interview in a coffee shop near the independent IMIX bookstore in Eagle Rock. As a typical avid viewer of ESPN (a network I loathe now btw), I thought I knew the inside of sports pretty well until I spent an hour with Dave. He literally opened my eyes to look critically at the entities that surround the games we love. And since then, when given the space and finding the subject, have tried to emulate myself.

Below is a previously published book review on his latest book-"Bad Sports: How Owners Are Ruining the Games We Love".

BAD SPORTS: HOW OWNERS ARE RUINING THE GAMES WE LOVE

Nonfiction

By Dave Zirin

Scribner, $25

Having been called everything from dangerous to a thorn in the sports establishment's side (by those who like him, no less), sportswriter Dave Zirin has ventured where most imbedded sportswriters refuse to go to become the definitive expert on the inseparability of sports and politics. In his latest offering, "Bad Sports: How Owners Are Ruining the Games We Love," he takes on the subject of the individuals who offer us the games we love at a cost that is high in more ways than one.

Often appearing on television whenever a political issue in sports comes up, this Tom Joad in the press box has been called "the conscience of American sports writing" by The Washington Post. The author has published four other books, including 2008's "A People's History of Sports in the United States: From Bull-Baiting to Barry Bonds," and is now the only sportswriter in the 145-year history of The Nation, the longest continually run magazine in the country.

In "Bad Sports," Mr. Zirin's voice resonates to anybody who has spent hundreds of dollars a pop to attend sporting events with family and worried about it during the game. He critically looks at sports czars who manipulate the system through political and civic connections, the entities their teams belong to, and, yes, even the media in getting new publicly funded stadiums, uprooting teams to new towns over the protestations of local residents, and, ultimately, making even more money than the public record states.

The book pulls the reader in immediately when it addresses the plight of the communities of three tax-subsidized stadiums — the Louisiana Superdome, Target Field in Minnesota and Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. All three were built at the expense of needed metropolitan infrastructure and were later hit with man-made disasters — the New Orleans levees breaking after Hurricane Katrina (2005), the I-35W Mississippi River Bridge collapse (2007), and two D.C. Metro trains colliding in 2009 that killed nine people, respectively.

While attacking a serious subject, Mr. Zirin keeps the reader enthralled by writing in a style without the effect of the corner zealot on a soapbox and often with an intelligent humor ("It would be like putting Jon and Kate in charge of a day-care center.") that elicits knowing chuckles.

Because Mr. Zirin's reputation precedes him, the one thing missing is commentary from the owners themselves. Only Ed Snider, CEO of Comcast, parent company of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and NHL's Flyers, is willing to go on record. It would have been interesting to hear the thoughts of colorful owners like basketball's Dallas Mavericks Mark Cuban or the Raiders' Al Davis.

Then again, getting the sports bosses to talk may only reveal sound bites or double talk that fans hear in press conferences or reported by defacto shills for the respective teams (read ESPN). It is more definitive in the actions of ideological opposites such as the decidedly politically liberal NBA commissioner David Stern and staunch Reaganite Clay Bennett who conspire to move the Seattle Supersonics to Mr. Bennett's much smaller hometown or Oklahoma City, despite protestations from an entire city of Sonics fans.

At first glance, the average sports fan who lives for the insipid sound-bite coverage may not want to read "Bad Sports," because even if they agree with it and complain about it, quite frankly, they need to go to games. But upon closer inspection, the reader will find that Mr. Zirin's book is for anyone who has complained about high ticket prices or even paid $15 for parking at Dodger Stadium. Heck, it may encourage them to park outside the stadium and walk in with food from home in tow.

Avery Brundage: The Enigmatic Man Behind the Modern Day Olympic Movement

Reprinted article by MIKE TAKEUCHI

Made a minor change on this in August 2012. Thank you for reading! 

"No Monarch has ever held sway over such a vast expanse of territory." International Olympic Committee President and onetime Montecito resident Avery Brundage in 1960.
Among the myriad descriptions of Avery Brundage -- champion of the amateur, dictator, shrewd businessman, womanizer, art collector, anti-Semite, generous donor, Nazi sympathizer -- one thing is certain: The controversial man was the most powerful sporting figure in the 20th century, and during his reign, he lived much of his time in the Santa Barbara area.
From 1946 to 1973, the president of the International Olympic Committee became a local fixture by owning several properties, including the Montecito Country Club, collecting rare Asian art, picking up civic awards, and enjoying high society. While simultaneously, as president of the International Olympic Committee, he was given unflattering nicknames like "Slavery Avery" for his iron-fisted rule when he lorded over his minions -- the athletes themselves.
Local resident and 1960 Olympian Jeff Farrell looked back on Mr. Brundage's life with mixed emotions. When Mr. Farrell won two gold medals for swimming in the 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay and the 4 x 100 medley relay, he alternately expressed pride in having Mr. Brundage award him with the medals, while expressing some rancor at the same man for preventing him from earning any money while training.
"He was the last caretaker of the thought that ... athletics should be for the wealthy," Mr. Farrell said.
In his recent book "Rome 1960: The Olympics That Changed the World" author David Maraniss wrote that Mr. Brundage believed "that the Olympic movement in its reach and meaning, far surpassed any government, religion, or philosophy." And Mr. Brundage, in his roles first as leader of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and then later the IOC, was the one who wielded the iron fist to obsessively ensure that the Olympics were free from professionalism. He also later tried to bar women from competing and cancel the Winter Olympics. Both attempts were unsuccessful.
Born in Detroit on Sept. 28, 1887, Mr. Brundage was a fine athlete in his own right; he competed in the decathlon in the 1912 Olympics -- dropping out after eight events en route to a 16th-place finish.
The gold medal winner that year was none other than Jim Thorpe. After it was found that he played professional baseball, Thorpe was subsequently stripped of his medals. As an Olympic official, Mr. Brundage would later uphold the Native American athlete's ban.
While living in Chicago, Mr. Brundage's success as a construction and real-estate magnate paralleled his rise in world sport. The foundation for his rise in power occurred prior to the 1936 Berlin Olympics where Adolph Hitler wanted to prove his country's and the Aryan race's superiority. A young African American sprinter named Jesse Owens would resoundingly dispel the German dictator's theory.
Less known was Hitler's desire to exclude Jewish athletes and officials from the Games -- causing cries for a boycott from the United States. While stating publicly that this couldn't happen and that athletes of all races would get equal treatment, Mr. Brundage, who at the time was the U.S. Olympic Committee president, took a fact-finding mission to Germany where he was wined and dined by Hitler while being "convinced" that Jewish athletes wouldn't be excluded. Mr. Brundage later stated that he found no wrongdoing in Berlin -- an act that still rankles the Mr. Maraniss, a Pulitzer Prize winning writer.
"He was most reprehensible in his anti-Semitism," Mr. Maraniss wrote in an e-mail. "Opposing the boycott is certainly defensible, but his actions were not. When I found letters he wrote to German officials beforehand bemoaning the 'Jewish cabal' and urging them to find positive articles about Hitler and the Nazis to overcome the negative stories that U.S. journalists were sending out of Germany -- that was too much."
Two years later, his company was awarded the building contract for the German Embassy in the United States because of "sympathy toward the Nazi cause."
A decade after Berlin and two Olympics cancelled because of World War II later, Mr. Brundage and his wife Elizabeth purchased the "Escondrijo" (Hiding Place) estate on Ashley Road in Montecito and renamed it La Pineta or The Pines. In a 1980 Sports Illustrated story by William Oscar Johnson, the home included zebra skin rugs, Olympic flags, priceless Asian art, and jade dishes. The home would later be destroyed in the 1964 Coyote Fire. The couple later moved to the Brunninghausen Estate on Hot Springs Road.
In 1946 he purchased the Montecito Country Club, followed in later years by the El Paseo and the Presidio areas in downtown Santa Barbara, as well as the Montecito Inn. While he enjoyed moderate success in his local businesses (he sold the Country Club in 1973 for over $4 million), much of his money was made from construction around the country.
Along the way he amassed Asian art from the Neolithic Period to the Ch'ing Dynasty -- most of which he donated to the City of San Francisco starting in 1959. The 7,700 piece collection, (which museum spokesperson Michele Dilworth declined to value) is housed in that city's Asian Art Museum.
During his residence here, he was showered with adulation, positive press and numerous awards. In 1949, Mr. Brundage was given the now discontinued Chamber of Commerce Excelentisimo Senor de Santa Barbara Award by Semana Nautica president, R.F. MacFarland. In accepting the award, Mr. Brundage lauded the summer sports festival for maintaining its dedication to amateur sports -- an irony not lost on an athlete like Mr. Farrell, who later served as the summer sports festival's president for several years.
"Mr. Brundage had banned an athlete (miler Wes Santee in 1956) for only taking expense money," Mr. Farrell said. "I remembered being worried that I was going to get in trouble for making five dollars and hour to teach swimming. Apparently it was OK to make money life guarding, but it wasn't okay to make money on swimming."
A 1968 article stated that "Mr. Amateur Sport" and the rest of the IOC board never charged the Olympic Committee a dime in expense money. At that time, he was worth more than $20 million.
"The executive committee members came from the ruling class -- millionaire, dukes, princes, and such," Mr. Maraniss said. "It was easy for them to talk about the purity of amateurism and how no one should be paid for sport -- because they didn't need the money."
Although he ruled with a strong hand, Mr. Brundage had his weaknesses. Among them were women. Many of his local deeds, including La Pineta, were put in the name of his lover and business partner Frances Blakely. While his wife stayed at home, he had many trysts, including fathering two children in 1951 and 1952 with a woman in Redwood City. Two years after Elizabeth Brundage died in 1971, he married Princess Mariann Charlotte Katharina Stefanie Reuss, a daughter of a prince of a German principality, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
Thirty six at the time, Princess Mariann was as vibrant as Mr. Brundage was sickly (exacerbated by the stress from the 1972 Olympics massacre) and lived a lavish life in Montecito and Germany.
"She was as nice as he wasn't," said an acquaintance who did not want to be named.
Mr. Brundage spent the remaining years of his life in poor health. He died in Germany on May 8, 1975, with considerably less money than he had prior to his second marriage. According to a Sports Illustrated story, Princess Mariann, at this time living with local insurance millionaire Donald Pate, successfully defended a Superior Court suit (presided by Judge Patrick McMahon) brought on by his longtime friend and chief financial adviser, Frederick J. Ruegsegger on expenditures made after Mr. Brundage's death. It was a fitting end to what Mr. Maraniss describes as a complicated man.
"I found Avery Brundage to be one of the most contradictory characters I've ever written about," Mr. Maraniss said. "He was not especially likeable, yet the fact that at some points in his career nearly every faction hated him for some (reason) or other seemed to me like a bit of a saving grace. There is something to be said for a person like that."
"His devotion to the Olympic Movement was greater than his belief in anything else. He truly believed that the Olympic Movement was greater than any ideology or religion. Perhaps this was a form of egomania, but at times it served him -- and the Olympics -- well. If nothing else, he kept the Olympics alive during the very difficult middle decades of the 20th century."