Keeping Score

The Boston media long excused Manny Ramirez for being Manny. That ended after Ramirez used a wonky knee as an excuse for not playing in a series-opening 1-0 loss to the visiting New York Yankees. That prompted Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe to write: “The Red Sox have had it with Manny Ramírez. Manny has punched his ticket out of town. It’s over. O-VA. Adios, amigo. Good night, Irene. Turn out the lights. Last night’s 1-0 loss to the Yankees (think they could have used Manny?) was the proverbial last worthless evening.” . . . And that was the beginning of Manny’s move to L.A. . . . Mark Kriegel, over at FoxSports.com: “Just when it seemed as if there’s been real progress combating drug abuse in Los Angeles, you turn on the radio and hear guys talking about a Dodgers-Angels World Series.”
After three cyclists were dumped from the Tour de France for positive drug tests, the French newspaper Liberation ran an editorial that included this line: “As a sport, cycling is dead. As a spectacle, it is still running — like a chicken with its head cut off.” . . . George Foreman appeared on ABC-TV with Jimmy Kimmel the other night. Foreman, of course, has five sons, all named George. All the boys had nicknames. “The one who was supposed to be the last one,” Foreman said, “we called ‘Red,’ after a stoplight.” . . . Goose Gossage, who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame last weekend, remembers being backstage with his pal Willie Nelson in East Rutherford, N.J., in 1983. “I get into the trailer, and there are Merle Haggard, Hank Williams Jr. and Willie sitting around talking,” Gossage told the Toronto Sun. “The best part was when they invited me on stage to sing the chorus of Mamas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys for the encore. That was more exciting than being on the mound in the World Series.”
The fun has started in Chicago where the Bears continue to struggle to find a quarterback. Here’s Jay Mariotti of the Chicago Sun-Times: “It’s pro football’s lamest QB controversy ever. It’s like going to a restaurant and seeing only Spam and chopped liver on the dinner menu.” . . . Another U.S. college football season is almost upon us and the most exciting battle this time around will feature head coaches Joe Paterno of Penn State and Bobby Bowden of Florida State. Bowden goes into the season No. 1 on the NCAA list with 373 victories. Paterno is second at 372. . . . Bowden will celebrate his 79th birthday in November; Paterno is 82. . . . Gentlemen, start your walkers. . . . Doug Ferguson of The Associated Press asks you to “name the only two players from Dublin to win the British Open.” . . . The answer comes later. . . . Watch for CFJC-TV to televise a weekly show looking at TRU’s athletic programs and teams once a new sporting season arrives in about a month. Word is that TRU also will have a much greater presence in schools and at charitable events in our fair city than it has in the past.
Mark Cuban, the owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, is one of three bidders still alive in the chase to buy the Chicago Cubs. “It’s good to see Cuban back in the second round of something other than dancing,” notes David Thomas of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. . . . I’m still trying to get my mind around the fact that TRU never did issue a press release, hold a news conference or officially announce that it had fired, err, reassigned men’s basketball coach Nevin Gleddie. But a union held a news conference in response to something. . . . Only in B.C., kiddies, only in B.C. . . . You have to love minor league baseball teams. . . . The Class AA Altoona Curve, a team affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates, issued a press release to admit it has been “robbing time for months with our planning for the previously announced, but not-yet-scheduled Salute to Procrastination Night at Blair County Ballpark.”
The answer to Ferguson's question: Padraig Harrington of Dublin, Ireland, and Ben Hogan of Dublin, Texas.” . . . Earlier this week, with folks in Beijing struggling with air quality, Du Shaozhong, the city’s municipal environmental protection administration director, told the Houston Chronicle not to be concerned. As he put it: “Under certain circumstances, there may be bad visibility on foggy days, rainy days. It is like when taking a bath in the bathroom. It doesn’t mean there is pollution.” . . . According to Brandweek, Coca-Cola coughed up about $100 million for advertising in Beijing. Of course, the $100-million question is: Will we be able to see the billboards and all the other signage? . . . The Pro-Am Summer Hockey Classic is set for the Sunwave Centre in Salmon Arm on Aug. 13. Among the players will be Salmon Arm natives Alex Rodgers and Tyler Shattock, both of whom play for the Kamloops Blazers.
Greg Cote, in the Miami Herald: “Dwyane Wade scored 20 points as the U.S. Olympic team routed Canada in an exhibition. The Canadian team isn’t very good. That is what happens when you try to play basketball wearing ice skates.” . . . One more from Cote: “Speaking of Wade, he is being sued by business partners who blame his lack of promotion for the failure of his eponymous restaurants. Evidently, it wasn’t a good sign that even D. Wade wouldn’t go to D. Wade’s Sports Grill.” . . . We end as we started, with a crack about Manny. . . . “Looks like the Boston Red Sox are finally fed up with the selfish antics of left fielder Manny Ramirez,” wrote Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times early this week. “Or as he’s destined be known, Manny-Me.”
Gregg Drinnan is sports editor
of The Daily News. He is at
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca.
Keepng Score appears Saturdays.