THINGS IC4U #1

YOU SCREAM! I SCREAM!

If you are an ice cream lover, as I am, 

you have got to see what 

Ben & Jerry's has come up with now.

 WOW! 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/25/ben-jerrys-core-ice-cream_n_4854680.html

I think I'll take a short break and work on some…research!

**

LEFTOVER SOCHI!!

Now that the Olympics are over and I am going through withdrawal, I wanted to share some thoughts that spun through my head during the winter games.

 1. I want to enlist to be an Olympic bob-sled "yeller" for the 2018 games in Korea.

     I could do it! I could be one of those guys behind the starting line who does nothing but yell      

     "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" while the athletes run off and jump in a tin can for a fast ride down the hill. 

2. I do NOT want to enlist to be one of the athletes sitting behind the bob-sled driver. The view stinks!

3. Ski jumpers do NOT fly! They fall. United Airlines flies.

 Ski jumpers are susceptible to gravity.

4. Skeleton racing reminds me of being a kid riding a garbage can lid down a slippery slope.

5. Don't look for too many newborns to be named SHAUN or SHANI after WHITE & DAVIS fell far short of high expectations.

6. I'd like to find the twisted mind who came up with 

"short track speed skating"

    What was he/she thinking when pronouncing it a grand idea

 for athletes to:

      A. put giant razor blades on their feet, don spandex, goggles and a helmet?

      B. compete at high speeds against other athletes on an ice surface the size of a back yard pool?

      C. make things even more intriguing by adding more participants & more blades for a RELAY? 

7. No matter what country they represent, athletes LOVE to win and HATE to lose!

8. We have a great flag! There is nothing better than seeing the "stars & stripes" raised to the highest  

    flagpole while our National Anthem is being played!  

GOOSE BUMPS!

Thanks for a great Olympics, Sochi! 

I can't wait for the summer games in Rio in 2016 which I know will be a sight for sore eyes!

**

A SPORTS REVOLUTIONARY? ME??

Now that the winter Olympics are finished, I can finally speak out. Whenever I saw snowboarding during the Olympic games, I managed to annoy the closet person to me with recollections of my being a snowboarding pioneer during my youth. The facts don't lie and I revolutionized winter sports on a board just like this one. 

I know! It was raw, crude and unsophisticated, but real trailblazers have deal with adversity and suffering on the path to. their goal. Truth is, I have never tried snowboarding, as you know it, but I did ride a "SNURFER" back in the 60's. That is when the Brunswick Company decided to cash in on two trends of the decade. They married skiing and skateboarding and the "SNURFER" was born. 

You might have seen me riding mine down the hill at East Brunswick High School, in New Jersey. While everyone else was zipping down the slope on their sleds or coasters, I was "snurfing".

 I was a trend-setter, I tell you!

I never saw anyone else on the hill with a "SNURFER" and I have never met anyone else who owned a "SNURFER". Probably with good reason. The equipment was basically a bent plank with a rope attached to the front. Bindings? Are you kidding? 

I stood sideways on the plank with my boots gripping a couple of rows of metal staples. I grasped the rope and zig-zagged a trail through the Jersey snow. Oh, I took my share of flops and falls and there were no fancy helmets back then, but it was a trip that I truly enjoyed. I had no idea that I was an innovator or that, decades later, my pioneering efforts would lead to an incredible form of winter recreation that would become an exciting Olympic event, but I am happy to, in my own small way, have paved the trail.

So, the next time you go snowboarding or watch the sport on television, raise your glass and make a toast to the "SNURFER" and say 
"Thanks, Larry B., you snowboarding revolutionary!"
**

FLASHBACK TO CALGARY WINTER OLYMPICS!

I learned some things covering the 

Calgary Winter Olympics for ESPN.

1. Ski jumpers Do NOT fly! 

They FALL!

 I know that it looks very "birdlike" when you watch on television, but the reality is that once the skiers launch off the ramp, they are prisoners to gravity & simply drifting down a snowy slope .

2. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are not all on horseback and they can be very friendly.

As in Sochi, the alpine events for the Calgary Games were held more than an hour away from the Olympic village. Our crew went to Nakiska to cover the men's downhill and to interview Pirmin Zurbriggen after his victory. Unfortunately for us, "Z" took a really loooong time to complete his drug test after the race and that pushed us up against our deadline to get back to Calgary for our live satellite hookup back to ESPN.

By the time we got on the road, it was obvious that, even if we exceeded the speed limit, we were not going to make it back to the TV station on time.

Our producer, Tom Reilly, decided we needed help, so when a Royal Canadian Mounted Police car passed us, Reils stepped on the gas and started flashing his lights and beeping the horn. That's right. He pulled over the police and explained that we were with American television, ESPN, and in a race with time to make our deadline.

The officer said,  "Pull in behind me. Let's go!"

He got in his car, sounded his siren and started flashing his lights. In seconds we were flying down the freeway with a police escort and as we passed other RCMP cars along the way, they joined our caravan.

By the time we got to our exit, we had two police cars in front of us and two more behind us. It was incredible and our photog, Jeff Israel, recorded the entire scene from the back seat. 

Thanks to the "mounties", we made it back to our TV headquarters just in time for our "live shot" 

and had a unique story to tell, as well.

**

OLYMPIC THOUGHTS!

1. I wonder if you can get good sushi in Sochi?

2. If the best skaters in the world can't stay upright on the ice, how are the rest of us supposed to do it?

3. The ultimate place to be to win gold in the winter Olympics, is right behind Lindsey Jacobellis!!

4. The "eyes have it!" Welcome back Bob Costas! 

I'm just sayin… 

**

BASEBALL IS BACK!

I thought you might like to see some

 great pics from

 spring training,

 plus a few annoying ads spliced in!!

Click link below.

http://sports.yahoo.com/photos/sights-of-baseball-s-spring-training-1392420968-slideshow/

**

BIRD WAS THE WORD!!

These days, Larry Bird is the President of Basketball Operations for the highly successful Indiana pacers basketball franchise, 

but way back when, 

"Larry Legend" was one of the NBA's greatest players and one of sports' greatest success stories. 

Bird is the subject of this mini doc that I worked on with bio.com.

Please click and enjoy. 

http://www.biography.com/people/larry-bird-9213087

**

WEEKEND WONDERS!! 2-10-14

Yesterday marked the first Sunday in months that we have not had NFL competition to watch.

Do you know what we call a Sunday without a 

competitive NFL game?

"SUPER BOWL 48!"

-

In my mind, the highlight of the Sochi Olympics, so far, has been the Russian Police Choir's rendition of "Daft Punk's " Get Lucky".

http://gawker.com/the-russian-police-choir-sang-get-lucky-at-the-openin-1518475274

You have to know that , after seeing that, Kruschev is banging his shoe on a desk in hell and saying "What happened to my Russia?"
--

I thought the technology displayed in the Opening Ceremony was incredible, but the performances reminded me of high school talent shows when, much to the chagrine of many, someone always felt the need to put in a Modern Dance segment that was

 way too confusing and way too long!

**

TWO ASSISTS FOR THE L.A. SPARKS!

Now that the L.A. Sparks are back in business and assistant coach, Sandy Brondello, has moved on to a well-deserved head coaching job with the Phoenix Mercury, we should be hearing soon about two new assistant coaches on Carol Ross's coaching staff. 

 Former Tulsa Shock head coach, Gary Kloppenburg, interviewed for the Sparks' assistant position back before the franchise was shut down by Paula Madison and then sold, last week, to a group headed by Magic Johnson. 
All indications are that the Sparks will stay within the organization to fill their other assistant coaching spot.

Stay tuned! 

**

THROWBACK THURSDAY- OLYMPIC STYLE!

In honor of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, here is a flashback to the 1988 winter games in Calgary. 

John Saunders and I anchored ESPN's coverage of the event from a hilltop tent outside a Calgary television station.

This was the first time for Canada to host the Olympics and the weather was unseasonably balmy. Chinook winds were blowing warm air into Calgary throughout the games, but there was plenty of snow for the Alpine events.

These were the Olympics of the Jamaican bobsleigh team,  Katarina Witt, Debbie Thomas, Bonnie Blair, Matti Nykanen, Brian Boitano and so much more.

 Covering the 1988 Olympics was a real treat for our entire ESPN crew and a truly great flashback memory.

**

Larry's B-line- 

btw- I still have that jacket jacket and I have some great stories from the Calgary Olympics that I will share in coming blogs. Stay tuned and "GO U.S.A"!!

**

NO WNBA MIRACLE. JUST A WHOLE LOT OF MAGIC!

It was all smiles today as WNBA president, Laurel Richie, announced that Magic Johnson and his business partner, Mark Walter had purchased the L.A. Sparks and were keeping the team in Los Angeles. Fittingly, the announcement was made in the shadow of Magic's statue at Staples Center. 

Instant credibility!

Instant media attention.

Instant smiles all around!

Best case scenario? You betcha! 

Lemonade from Lemons?  Keep pouring!

The Sparks had been abandoned, last December, by Paula Madison's ownership group. Employees were abruptly terminated via New Year's Eve emails and the franchise was in danger of being sold to the NBA's Golden State Warriors and shipped to the Bay Area. How close was L.A. to losing its WNBA team? Magic spoke about that after today's news conference.
--
Magic " It was very close. We came in at the 11^th hour. I think we were the last ones. If we hadn’t come in and made a deal, I think the Sparks would be gone!"
--

Can you say "chicken salad"?

Could this have turned out any better??

The deal took less than 30 days to complete. Magic and Walter bought the franchise from the previous owners and absorbed their debt. According to Johnson, the serious negotiations and bookkeeping began just two weeks ago. During the entire time, Sparks' players were being kept in the loop, a bit. They had contracts and knew they would be playing somewhere, for some owner. 

Not so easy for Sparks' fans who got very little information about the status of their favorite franchise. WNBA president, Laurel Richie, was noticeably silent through the process. She told me today that while the deal was recorded in record time, the prez knows it probably didn't seem that way to long-time Sparks fans.
--
Laurel Richie-"I know from a fan perspective that 30 days of not knowing the fate of a team that you love can seem like an eternity. I fully appreciate what they went through. I thank them for their patience, understanding and support and I hope, after today, they will realize just how hard we were really working to find a really terrific home for  their beloved Sparks."
--

Magic Johnson said the Sparks' will play at Staples Center this season and will retain general manager, Penny Toler, head coach Carol Ross and the team's executive staff. Lisa Leslie will be involved with the franchise in a yet unspecified role. 

The Sparks' brass will soon begin talking with former employees and putting the organization back together again, although there are indications that some jobs might be lost in an effort to shave costs. According to Paula Madison, the Sparks lost $12 million over the past seven years. So, why would Magic and Walter, plunge into troubled financial waters to resuscitate the franchise?
--
Magic- "We wanted to make sure that the Sparks stayed in Los Angeles where they belong. We bought the team because we feel like we can turn it around. We can increase the fan experience. We think we already have a great team. Candace Parker is the best player in the world, but we know what we we are up against.

We are aggressive businessmen- aggressive investors. We know we can make some things happen to improve the bottom line. It is going to take a little while, but we are happy where we are at and we know what we have to do. We have work to do with the Sparks, but we are excited. We are going to roll up our sleeves and go to work." 
 --

Don't forget. Magic & Walter are also co-owners of the L.A. Dodgers. They turned around that MLB franchise in a hurry, but where will they be on those summer nights when the Sparks' and Dodgers' schedules conflict and both teams play at home on the same night? 

--

Magic -"I might have to go half and half (laugh). We understand that is going to happen a few times. What we want is to make sure that both are winning franchises and we want the fans of the Sparks to enjoy their experience when they come to Staples Center and know that this is an exciting team, a championship caliber team and we want the same to happen at Dodger Stadium."

--

After most of the crowd and media was gone, this morning, Magic was still in front of Staples Center talking up the  L.A. Sparks on NBA-TV and recording promotional spots for the team. Later, walking through L.A.-Live, he stopped and took pictures with diners and workers.

*All that was missing from today's proceedings was a white horse for Magic to mount and ride off into the So.Cal sun, the way heroes do.

**Hard to believe, but Johnson & Walter, hit a game-winning homer and a buzzer-beater all at once. Give Magic & Co. an "assist" and a "save" and heartfelt thanks!

 ***Hard to believe that a man who received an HIV "death sentence" back in 1991 is still here and healthy and ready, willing and able to breathe life into a franchise that was  in danger of fading away! 

**

SMILE!

MAGIC TOUCH FOR THE WNBA??

Earvin Johnson may be about to throw a lifeline to the sinking L.A. Sparks' basketball team. 

Wednesday morning, Magic will be at a news conference with WNBA president, Laurel Richie, at Staples Center. 

Sources tell me that Magic, who has been a long-time supporter of the Sparks, may be part of a group that will buy the team and keep the Sparks in Los Angeles.

The Sparks have been in limbo since last December when team owner, Paula Madison, announced that she could no longer run the organization because of huge financial losses. 

Employees were informed via email on New Year's Eve that their jobs had been terminated and the L.A. Sparks were effectively "dead in the water".

The WNBA started looking for new local ownership and I reported here, last week,  that more than one local group was interested in buying the team as well as the NBA's Golden State Warriors who are looking for a summertime attraction for their proposed new arena in the Bay Area.

In recent days, there was increased optimism that the Sparks might stay in L.A. and Magic Johnson's name was in the mix. Magic's spokesperson would not comment on the issue when I called him today, but it appears, that Magic Johnson will save the day for Los Angeles women's professional basketball as he did so many times over the years for the Los Angeles Lakers.

**

SUPER BOWL 48 ! HOW BAD WAS IT???

First! Congratulations to the Seahawks! They outplayed Denver in every aspect of the game and deserved to win their first Super Bowl championship. I am happy for Seattle, but this was the worst Super Bowl game that I have ever seen and I have seen them all.

I think we all hope for a highly competitive game in the NFL's biggest game of the season, but this on was not it.

So, HOW BAD WAS SUPER BOWL 48??

1. It was so bad- a referee intercepted Joe Namath's coin flip. 
    (Someone should have intercepted Joe Willie's coat. 

Talk about a wardrobe malfunction!)

2. It was so bad- Denver head coach, John Fox, said heart surgery   
    was less painful than watching his team play the Seahawks.

3. Super Bowl 48 was so bad- the only guy who had a worse day   
    than the Broncos was Phillip Seymour Hoffman. 

    (Can you say "Space Needle"?)

4. HOW BAD WAS IT?
    The last time a Bronco looked so bad, O.J was in the back seat!

**

The Seahawks were great, but the game was terrible! 

The only mistake Seattle made was in dousing Pete Carroll with "orange" Gatorade. 

Orange is the Bronco's color but maybe, since the Seahawks took everything else away from Denver on Sunday,

that move was symbolic as well. Some blue or fluorescent green "ade" would have been a super finishing touch though.

**

NEW JERSEY! THE SUPER STATE!

I was hoping it would snow for Super Sunday! 

A blizzard or an ice storm would have been nice.

 It would have served the NFL right for holding it's biggest game in New Jersey- in February!

 I grew up in Jersey. (not pronounced Joy-Zee)

 I have family in the state,

 but I don't even go to New Jersey in February. 

Now it appears as though the weather for Super Bowl 48 will be decent and the league won't get the message that it needs to hold its super game in super weather locations or, 

at least, in domed stadiums.   

That's your weather report. Time now for sports.

I am picking the Broncos to win Super Bowl 48. 

Denver's offense looked super in the conference championship game. Seattle's did not. 

Peyton Manning will find ways to attack the Seahawks' secondary, but if Seattle get's its running game going, 

the Hawks' could wreak havoc.

 I look for Russell Wilson to run more than he has in recent games and that could be a major plus for Seattle, 

but I still like Denver to get the job done.

**