The inning was like getting a proctology exam when you have a gigantic hemorrhoid. At least that’s what I said during the Padre’s six-run fourth inning that lasted about 45 minutes.

Little did I know about Malingering’s incident with Luis Gonzalez’s foul ball which now makes me very thankful that my seats of choice are in the top deck. I guess you can say Viejito still has some pop in him.

The Padre’s 7-6 win last night was an interesting game. Yet again the Dodgers tried to rally from behind and came real close driving all the Dodgers fans into a blitzing Blue fury only to be completely deflated when Viejito popped-out to foul territory with Jeff Kent on second base. It was quite a grizzly scene.

But the grizzliest scene came in the top of the fourth when pitcher Hong-Chi Kuo completely fell apart. He gave up six runs on six hits, and the defense didn’t help any by committing two errors. That 45 minutes was enough time for my still jet-lagged friend (she just got back from Vietnam last weekend) to take a nap and be refreshed for the rest of the game. At this point I’ll let you say what you will about Kuo’s performance.

Just remember that this is June not September. I have to keep telling myself that all the time because it’s easy to look at the standings and think the sky is falling. Aside from the fateful fourth, the Dodgers were not all that bad. The Dodgers are in a very tough division this season where it looks like three teams could possibly win more than 90 games. To win the wild card is not the end of the world.

I'm guessing someone went out to celebrate last night, as a couple local college boys were chosen in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft.

USC's Nick Young was the first to go, at pick number 16 to Washington, where he will toil in obscurity and probably be irrelevant in three years. Just kidding -- he might fit well in the Wizards offense. UCLA's Arron Afflalo was chosen 27th by the Pistons, who could use him now that Chauncey Billups is leaving town, except Afflalo could be overrated. Gabe Pruitt from USC had a pretty disappointing night, falling into the second round (32nd pick overall) and going to the Celtics, so he'll change from being Greek to Irish. More Guinness!

The Clippers and Lakers did alright in the first round, taking Al Thornton (14th pick, Florida State) and Javaris Crittenton (19th pick, Georgia Tech) respectively. Crittenton supposedly needs a few years to develop -- he's 19 years old, and he's no Kobe. Thornton was the second senior to go in the draft. That bodes well for the usually young Clippers, and they were probably lucky to get him with the 14th pick.

In the second round the Lakers added China's Sun Yue (40th overall) and Spain's Marc Gasol (48th overall) -- Pau Gasol's brother has to be good, right? -- while the Clips got Jared Jordon from Marist at 45th.

Both teams were quiet on the trade front, which means Kobe and Andrew Bynum will have some more time to bond. For now.

photo by psychofish via flickr

I asked for a "souvenir helmet sundae." This is because I wanted 1) a souvenir helmet and 2) a sundae. Well, I got number 2 as this is clearly a sundae. And I got half of number 1 as this is a helmet. But how in the world is it a souvenir if it is not the helmet of the team whose STADIUM YOU ARE SITTING IN WATCHING A BALLGAME? I already have about 500 little plastic Dodger hats. Why in the name of Vin Scully would you give me another one when I am at Chase Field, home of the DIAMONDBACKS? I want an ARIZONA souvenir helmet. I didn't drive 400 miles and endure 114 degree heat to pretend I'm at Dodger Stadium.

Why do they even have Dodger helmets there? Did some desperate DBacks ice cream employee hijack the helmet truck on the way to LA? Did they not order little helmets in the new Sedona red so they were forced to use anything they could find? Does this make sense to anyone at all? Anyone? Bueller?

We like to keep you informed after we've started something, so here's that 24-second clip of Kobe caught on tape complaining about the Lakers. Or rather, about 10 seconds of Kobe as the cameraman pans back and forth between his friends and the Lakers star. My favorite part is the creepy music at the start.

Last I checked, the guys selling this video for $1.99 hadn't gotten more than 10,000 people to buy it off their site. And after watching it, I'm sure you're not surprised.

After the jump, there's "The Kobe Audio," too!

Because LAist loves you and loves the Dodgers, we thought it would be nice to give you some road trip action. Hooray for you.

Okay, really I just had to escape LA for a while for fear of vengance from the Victoria's Secret Pink Army and thought Phoenix would be safe. I can blend in with all of the other out-of-town Dodger fans and no one will suspect a thing.

Before I go into anything, however, I have to say IT IS ONE HUNDRED AND TWELVE DEGREES OUTSIDE. It is so hot that I cried in discomfort and the tears evaporated straight off my eyeballs. It took me 6 minutes to peel my thighs off of my car seat. My camera was too hot to touch and I considered putting it in the cooler. Okay. Got that off my chest.

More on Malingering's road trip to baseball stadium #9 of 30 after the jump.

The Dodgers must really not like Derek Lowe.

Yet another decent outing for him giving up one earned and on unearned run, and the Dodgers scored nothing. No runs on nine hits. No runs on bases loaded with one out in the eighth inning. No hits in 12 chances with runners in scoring position. Nothing in a 2-0 loss to the D-Backs.

I’m not saying Prozac was perfect, but neither was D-Back’s pitcher Brandon Webb. Both threw well over 100 pitches in seven innings (well 6 2/3 innings for Prozac) and had troubles with keeping the ball low. There were six fly balls hit from each pitcher.

The biggest concern for the Dodgers now is Nomar Garciaparra. So far this month he is batting .210, just 16 for 76. In this series against the D-Backs, he is batting 0-14. Is he still feeling the effects of the flu that knocked him out of the Devil Ray’s series this past weekend? Is he just falling apart before our eyes? Is he having problems seeing the ball?

To me it seems he’s too aware he’s in a slump and is trying too hard. In crucial situations, he’s striking out on bad pitches. And by bad pitches I mean high high fastballs, sliders far away from the plate and very low breaking balls. For his sake I hope he is watching video and taking extra batting practice.

Even though they lost tonight, there’s not too much to worry about. I still say they need to get Matt Kemp in the everyday line up, but with James Loney’s hot bat the Dodgers should be all right for now. And let's face it, at least the Dodgers didn't get swept by the AAA Kansas City Royals.

AP Photo by Ross D. Franklin

Monday night came news that Nomar Garciapopup would be the third baseman in the near future. Who knew the near future meant Tuesday?

Nomar felt he was ready for third base duties and in he went, however that wasn’t the end of it. Grady Little also moved Nomar from third in the hitting lineup to sixth. And just what did Nomar do?

With Russell Martin on second and Luis Gonzalez on first with two outs, Nomar came up to bat with the score 5-5 in the top of the seventh and grounded out to first. In the top of the ninth with the same score and the bases loaded, Nomar struck out swinging on a high fastball out of the strike zone.

Way to go Nomar.

Kudos goes to James Loney and Tony Abreu. Loney was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle driving in three runs, and Abreu hit his first career homer pinch hitting in the top of the tenth to lead the Dodgers to victory 6-5.

Starting pitcher Chad Billingsley was not spectacular giving up five runs on four hits with three walks, three homers and one hit batter in four innings. Fortunately the bullpen came through with six shut-out innings to help the Dodgers get back into first place in the division.

While the Dodgers don’t need nor expect Billingsley to be perfect, he needs to do a better job than this and will once he gets the mentality of a starter. His next start against the San Diego Padres this weekend should show a marked improvement.

So a couple of questions to close this mother out. Why couldn’t the Dodgers show this much offense against the Devil Rays, and how long will it take for Grady to bench Nomar and Juan Pierre?

AP Photo by Paul Connors

It is my favorite time of the year: The Championships, Wimbledon fortnight.

The grass courts at the All England Club hold tradition and the place where legends are born. It was in Centre Court where Roger Federer won his first grand slam in 2003, Bjorn Borg won five consecutive championships from 1976 to 1980 and Pete Sampras cemented his greatness in 2000 eclipsing Roy Emerson in total grand slams won.

This year Federer is seeking to tie Borg’s record of five consecutive Wimbledon championships. His only real challenge is Spaniard Rafael Nadal who has defeated him in the clay courts of Roland-Garros three consecutive years. However Nadal is a clay court specialist and doesn’t stand a chance against Federer on Federer’s best surface.

The women’s side features more uncertainty. With no dominant player the championship is up for grabs. Top seeded Justine Henin has never won Wimbledon but could capture a Career Slam with a win. Defending champion Amelie Mauresmo has not looked consistent all year, and 2004 champion Maria Sharapova has struggled all year with an injured right shoulder hindering her serve.

Most compelling are the Williams sisters who are trying to make a comeback this year. Serena Williams, ranked outside the top 100 prior to the Australian Open, went on to dominate Sharapova in the finals. She is now ranked 8th in the world and has the 7th seed in the tournament, however she is hindered by hamstring problems. Venus Williams has not shown any consistency all year after an injury plagued 2006.

My prediction: Roger Federer defeating Novak Djokovic and Jelena Jankovic defeating Serena Williams.

AP Photo by Victor Romero

Yesterday was the shock of the death of Chris Benoit and his family.

With the rising of the sun came the grisly details of what is now deemed a double-murder and suicide.

From the looks of things, Benoit strangled his wife Nancy after binding her feet and wrists Friday night in an upstairs family room. He choked his son Daniel in Daniel’s bed late Saturday or early Sunday, then killed himself in the basement weight room sometime Sunday or Monday. Even more bizarre was a Bible placed next to Nancy’s and Daniel’s bodies.

It was unsettling enough finding about Benoit’s death yesterday, but these added details have left me in limbo. Was Benoit dealing with mental issues? How long had he planned this out? Is this steroid related? And if so how much should the WWE be liable? Why are these performers dropping out like flies?

Regardless of what comes out after the toxicology reports and investigation, this is a tragedy first and foremost and a huge loss in the world of professional wrestling. Say what you want about the validity of WWE, it is a part of our culture and a loss like this reverberates throughout our society.

AP Photo by Darryl Dyck

No, not really ESPN. Just one guy, John Hollinger. And not all LA basketball, just the local college guys awaiting their fate in Thursday’s NBA draft. (In fact, given the deluge of Kobe stories that the Leader has been trumpeting, you would probably argue that ESPN’s love for the Lakers is only surpassed by its obscene coverage of Yankees-Red Sox).

Hollinger, ESPN’s resident stats guru, published an article today (currently Insider free preview) with a rankings methodology for college players entering the draft. His formula uses such their statistics from last season, adjusted for factors like strength of competition, age, and height. Interestingly enough, the most important stats by his calculation are steals, blocks, rebounds, 3-pointers, and a variant of the assist-to-turnover ratio, which attempt to provide some objective measure of athleticism, activity, and ability.

His results? Seemingly pretty accurate as it pertains to the last five years. But not so pretty if you support our local college heroes. He has USC’s Nick Young and Gabe Pruitt, as well as UCLA’s Arron Afflalo, all out of his top 30, the number of picks in the first round (where the guaranteed money is). In fact, the last section of his article is titled “The two USC guys look like total busts.”

Excerpts from Hollinger's vendetta article after the jump:

As my friend put it, our long national nightmare is over: interleague play is done. Finito! And calling interleague play is by no means an exaggeration. The Dodgers went 5-10 against the AL.

Though they were not at home, the Dodgers sure as hell played like they were at home in Arizona. They ended up driving the Diamondbacks back into the ground torching them 8-1.

The game started like the most recent Dodgers games: great pitching, inept offense. In the first five innings the Dodgers notched only two hits. That’s when Brad Penny took matters in his own hands.

In the bottom of the sixth Penny led off with a stand-up double which ignited the offense. The Dodgers scored four runs in that inning with Russell Martin sending two home on a sliding triple.

And that was all she wrote. The Dbacks couldn’t figure out Penny who threw 104 pitches in eight complete innings. He now leads the National League in wins (10) and ERA (2.04).

For all of us who have been huge WWE fans or were forced to sit through a pay-per-view because our friends were rabid about it, it's a sad day.

Chris Benoit, the Rabid Wolverine, and his wife and son were found dead in his home in Atlanta this afternoon. No details have been disclosed, but the police are treating this as a homicide.

When I was a real wrestling nut earlier this decade, I loved watching his battles with Kurt Angle. It was amazing to watch him use his crossface to force his opponent to tap out.

In lieu of their regular Monday Night RAW show, the WWE will air a 3-hour tribute to Benoit tonight. You can catch it on the USA Network at 8 pm.

Which team has the best record in the National League? Two teams share this distinction: the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Yes, the same Los Angeles Dodgers team I ripped in my last post has the best record in the National League. Actually I take that back. This is not the same team I ripped the other day.

In Friday’s 6-3 win against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Grady Little posted this lineup:

Rafael Furcal, SS
Juan Pierre, CF
Russell Martin, C
Jeff Kent, 2B
Luis Gonzalez, DH
James Loney, 1B
Matt Kemp, RF
Andre Ethier, LF
Tony Abreu, 3B

If you notice, the youngsters filled out the bottom of the lineup. They also had eight hits in 17 at-bats notching half of the Dodger’s offensive output.

Yesterday we told you about National Skateboarding Day. Um, then we mentioned it again. Today we will show you what you missed by not listening to us when we tell you to do something.

Okay, I admit that my motives aren't always the purest. I like to see bratty entitled little kids fall down and bruise their overgrown egos and I felt certain with the number of skaters present, there had to be at least 3 good accidents. I am fascinated that anyone can skate in those toddler sized jeans they wear and I planned on waiting gleefully for them to rip open so I could snap pictures and giggle.

"Oh you're so mean, Malingering, you hate kids and fat people and pit bulls and women and men!" Wah wah wah, I don't hate anyone. In fact I was rather disappointed that there weren't more arrogant little punks who would brag and show-off and then fall on their faces. Instead, these were just hard-working, determined people who wanted to be good at what they do. It's actually inspiring. If I fell down on my ass trying to do some kick-flip-thing in front of 100 people I would run to the bathroom and sit on the toilet and cry until someone dragged me out of my chamber of shame and bought me an ice cream cone and told me I was still special, just not a special skateboarder. But not these kids. They have nerves of steel. Skateboarding is not a crime.

(Plus I figured with all of the action going on, fake boobies and muffin tops and bad tourist fashion would flock to experience the excitement and madness of "National Go Skate Day" and then I wouldn't have to walk around looking for anything as it would all just come straight to me.)

LAist readers might be tired of the controversy, but someone is betting that at least 50,000 people still want more Kobe.

The "Kobe Video," which shows the embattled Laker bashing the organization and Andrew Bynum -- and swearing a lot -- is now available for sale on the official Kobe Video site.

In case you hadn't heard, the video was shot by two guys who have not identified themselves, but claim to have caught Bryant on a cell phone camera in a parking lot. The mystery men offered to sell the video to various news outlets and also contacted the Lakers and Kobe looking to make a buck. An unknown Lakers fan reportedly offered them $100,000 to buy the video and keep it private, but the "Kobe Video guys" didn't bite. They decided they would make that money by selling the video online for $1.99 per download -- starting tonight.

Once the sellers have reached their goal of 50,000 orders, buyers will receive the 24-second video and a short audio clip in which Kobe apparently tells the guys to "get a Bulls uniform." The video's owners won't send it out until they've reached the threshold, since the clip would end up on YouTube faster than you could say "Kobe's a whiner."

It’s not even worth bringing up his name anymore. The story got old about two seconds after hit the air the first time, and about four weeks before all of this ridiculous war of words, MySpace baiting, YouTube disparaging business became headline news. Trade him. Don’t trade him. Whatever.

All I know is that I miss the old Lakers.

I’m not talking about the Showtime Lakers of the 80s (though those were some of the most spectacular teams of all-time) or even the Big Aristotle-centric Lakers that dominated just a few years ago. I’m talking about the post-Magic (I’ll pretend like his “comeback” didn’t actually happen), pre-Shaq Lakers. The Ced Ceballos leaner in the lane Lakers. The George Lynch dive after loose balls Lakers. The Eddie Jones blow-by for a throwdown Lakers. The Vlade flop when it was still cool Lakers.

I miss cheering for likable players that had some game. I miss following a team that was enjoyable to watch on the court together, rather than a disjointed one-man gang and his lackeys. I miss watching a young team full of promise, though still flawed and vulnerable, hungry to prove themselves rather than coming in with a sense of entitlement. I miss having a front office not satisfied with mediocrity but actively putting together a roster to achieve success in the short-term and the long-term instead of expecting fans to patiently wait for “a few years” to get the ship turned around.

Not that those teams weren’t without faults. You had talented but mercurial Nick Van Exel taking a swing at ref Ron Garretson and going at it with coach Del Harris. There was also the frustrating Elden Campbell, at times an unstoppable force in the low post, but possessing the focus of a St. Bernard puppy chasing its tail. And they lacked some of the personality and charisma of other Laker teams that we hold dear to our hearts. But with those mid 90s teams, you could focus on solely basketball, rather than the drama surrounding the team, even if the basketball was only good enough for 45-50 wins and an early playoff exit. They were teams worth supporting. For those of us that love the sport as much as we love the Lakers, rooting for this current Lakers team is becoming about as fun as going to the dentist.

One of our very favorite Los Angeles historical moments is when Jay Adams and his Dogtown cohort bombed the Bicknell hill in south Santa Monica, inventing modern skateboarding and changing the face of SoCal sports, culture, and fashion. (How many pairs of slip-on Vans do you own?)

Salute their totally radical contribution today, and celebrate national Go Skateboarding Day. Get that old Bones Brigade board out of your closet. Roll on down to any one of the Southland's many skate parks - or make a little road trip out of it: Skatelab in Simi Valley is less than an hour away, and boasts a tight museum. Practice your ollie, get some exercise, and honor a bit of totally awesome LA culture.

Or just hit the streets and kick it with some teenagers at a local high school - the kids outside of Hollywood High on Sunset are usually out in the early evenings, and they're always rocking the best clothes. Latino kids these days are growing their hair out long like the (formerly) golden-locked Peralta and Adams, and god damn, but don't skater boys look great in tight jeans and Vans?

If you're not the type to risk life and limb in the pursuit of a good grind, then do yourself a favor and check out Dogtown & Z-Boys (and not its lesser fictional version, Lords of Dogtown - which is really only worth watching for Emile Hirsch). More than just a sports doc, it's an in-depth look into the history of Venice and Santa Monica back in the days when living south of Wilshire meant you were from the wrong side of the tracks. Other great skateboarding movies include Gleaming the Cube, a 1989 skate-murder-mystery starring the inimitable Christian Slater, and Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator, another doc that relates the sad and sordid tale of Mark "Gator" Rogowski, a former skate star who is serving 30 years in jail on charges of rape and murder (check out a clip below the jump).

Dogtown still lives in the form of Horizons West surf shop, you just gotta look a little harder these days to find it.

Photo of Venice skater by malingering via flickr

I’ve had it with this Dodger’s team.

They remind me of the Laker’s team this past season where the only thing that could be counted on was their inconsistency.

Right now I’m tired of guessing which Dodger’s team will show up to the park. After destroying the Toronto Blue Jays 10-1 Tuesday night, the Dodgers decide to be charitable and then some Wednesday night getting spanked 12-1.

Things were so bad even home base umpire Eric Cooper decided he had enough after six innings. He pulled a muscle and left the game.

Boy I envied Cooper.

Psychologically I was going into the Dodger’s Tuesday game at the Toronto Blue Jays a little glum to say the least. The Dodgers have lost 20 of their last 21 road interleague games and was completely manhandled by the Jays over a week ago at home.

I was pretty shocked when the Dodgers won Tuesday night. I was even more thrilled they completely pasted the Jays 10-1.

I was taught if you have nothing good to say then don't say it at all. I usually don't heed this advice, but since I was up in Santa Barbara this weekend watching my cousin graduating and getting her degree in sociology I'll just leave you with exactly one thought.

Is this series indicative of the Dodgers sleepwalking again? After completely torching the slumping Mets earlier in the week, they seemed to have gone back to their offensive slump especially Sunday's 10-4 loss.

So hope you enjoy these images of James Loney's injury during the eighth inning. One word: UY!

L.A. might love Kobe, but he wants out.

It's not you, L.A., it's him. Kobe needs his space. You're heading in different directions. He thinks you're "the best," but he has "a new road ahead."

Sunday on his site, KB24.com, Kobe re-posted a blog titled "The Truth: A New Road Ahead," explaining why he wants out of L.A. -- and hopefully putting an end to all the back-and-forth about his future with the team.

Bryant said winning is his passion and he doesn't think he can do it with the Lakers.

The more I thought about the future, the more I became convinced that the Lakers and me just have two different visions for the future.

Besides making a slight grammatical error in that sentence, Kobe also made it clear he's still pissed about someone in the Lakers organization blaming him for the team's failure to contend.

He did show a little love for L.A., but it felt like a "you're really great, but..." rejection:

And the support my family and I have gotten from Lakers fans is undeniably the best. I will also always believe that. But, now there is a new road ahead.

Break-ups suck, but in the NBA -- unlike in real life -- Kobe can't just drop L.A. "Dr. Buss" has made it pretty clear he doesn't want to trade his best player, so maybe Kobe and L.A. will have to iron out their differences and just make this relationship work.

But watch out, Kobe, a few more blogs like this, and you'll be sleeping on the couch.

photo by Half Crazy Girl

In light of our recent LeBron debates, I felt the need to show LAist readers this. It's a "cautionary tale about the villagers of small hamlet called 'Cleveland' and a magic mule and greed and the savage burden of expectation and sudden fortune". Basically, this is one of the funniest and most bizarre things to come out of the blogosphere. Will it make no sense to some of you? Yes. Of course, others will see it as pure genius. Me, I think I understand half of it, maybe. I expect nothing less from Wizznutzz. If you've never read Wizznutzz, it is absolutely amazing and insane. Listen to this audiobook. Not Safe for Work? Probably. Will it also be the best 15 minutes of your day? Definitely.

Photo/drawing by Wizznutzz

My what a game! In what is a preview of the World Series according to Sports Illustrated, both the Dodgers and Angels played a World Series-like game.

The Dodger’s 2-1 victory Friday night was a classic pitcher’s duel played before a capacity crowd of 56,000. Prozac gave up one run on four hits in seven innings and struck out career high 11 batters. For the Angels Ervin Santana gave up two runs on five hits in seven innings.

The lack of hitting is more a testament to the pitchers rather than anemic offense. Both the Dodgers and the Angels took advantage of what little opportunities they had. The Dodgers cashed in two runs on Viejito’s single with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the sixth. The Angels then cut the lead in half with a Casey Kotchman single in the seventh scoring Vladimir Guerrero.

With Prozac pitching the way he was, that’s all he needed to get the much deserved win. It’s rare that I feel bad for an athlete, but when Prozac pitched three complete games and was tagged for the loss in each game this season I wanted the Dodger’s offense to stand before a firing squad. The Dodgers finally gave him the runs he needed to get a 7-6 record. And just think, he could possibly be 10-3 right now if the Dodgers woke up earlier.

In addition to the great pitching on the field, the fans were in playoff form. There was the natural Dodgers tendency to chant, “Angels Suck” (which I did not partake in because the Angels do not suck.) However in the top of the ninth with Game Over V.2 trying to notch a save most of the crowd had stayed and were on their feet hanging onto every pitch. It was absolutely electrifying.

Despite all of this, it still hasn’t changed my opinion of interleague play.

To all the loyal Kobe supporters / LAist readers who commented on the Top Ten Reasons LeBron is better than Kobe:

First of all, I'm impressed that 25 people care enough about Kobe Bryant to bother defending him. I love that several of the comments were longer than the original post.

I should also say that LeBron did disappoint last night, and it's true Kobe won a ring in his first trip to the Finals, but that was on Shaq's back, and we all know that Kobe will never win an NBA title without the Diesel.

Some of you made valid points, but a lot of the those were on questions of taste (the nickname, the "Witness" marketing campaign, hair and baby names), so we can agree to disagree on those. You may think the "We Are All Witnesses" is lame. I might want to buy a "Witness" shirt. Let's not judge.

Speaking of which, I was pretty surprised that anybody defended Bryant on the rape charges. Whether or not I think he did it, I would not stand up for a guy charged with rape, who admitted cheating on his wife anyway.

It's pretty unfair at this point to compare the careers of Bryant and James, because Kobe has six more years in the league. In six years will LeBron's career outshine Kobe's? I'm betting yes.

In honor of Game 4 of the NBA Finals (yes, they're still going on, L.A., even if you didn't notice once your Lakers wilted in the first round), a little love for The King.

Please note: I said Top Ten because there are probably thousands of reasons, but I only have time and space for ten here.

10. Nicknames. Bron-Bron, King James, LBJ, The Chosen One, Video Game James. What does Kobe have? One word, and that's so been done: Cher, Madonna, Prince. One word names are old and boring.

9. Size. LeBron has two inches and 30 pounds on Kobe. I think James could probably take him a in fight, although Bryant strikes me as a guy who would fight dirty (see below).

8. Criminal charges. Rape accusations made against Kobe: 1 Rape accusations made against LeBron: 0 Need I say more?

Being the last real home game before they go on a 10-game roadtrip, I really wanted to witness the last game of the Met’s series Wednesday night. I’m sorry, but I think interleague play is a complete farce even if it is against the Angels.

This was a spontaneous affair. I had this hankering this morning and made a couple of IMs to friends. One of the reasons I love baseball so much is the fact that I can be this spontaneous and still be able to get tickets rather effortlessly.

What I witnessed was a completely different Dodger’s team than the one I saw last Friday night against the Toronto Blue Jays. Once Wilson Betemit sparked the offense with his home run in the bottom of the fifth, the game was over. The Dodgers scored two more runs in the fifth, three runs in the sixth, one in the seventh and two in the eighth to sweeping the series. James Loney, put into the game to relieve Nomar, hit a solo homer in the eighth off of Billy Wagner, arguably the best closer in baseball right now.

Once the offense sparked up, the Mets looked like they caught the same strain of mono that afflicted the Dodgers the last several weeks. The Mets couldn’t connect on routine double plays, and looked very lethargic on defense. On offense they could only muster one run which was scored in the first inning. They were so bad they made Useless look like an All Star.

While everything is all smiles in the Dodger’s dugout, one thing is really sticking in my craw.

Back on a warm Saturday afternoon on October 7, 2006 in game 3 of the National League Division Series with the Dodgers down two games to none, I witnessed the Dodgers fall behind 4-0 against the Mets. They managed to take a 5-4 lead in the fifth only to give it up in the sixth and go on to lose the game 9-5 and be swept out of the playoffs.

Why couldn’t they show the effort they made in this three-game sweep back then?

AP Photo by Mark J. Terrill

On a day of magnificent feats when Detroit Tiger’s 24-year old pitcher Justin Verlander pitched a no-hitter against the Milwaukee Brewers, the Dodgers managed to top that. They exploded with three consecutive homers on three consecutive pitches against the New York Mets in the second inning.

Don’t get me wrong. Verlander’s no-no was absolutely amazing. In the ninth inning, he was still pitching strikes at 102 mph. And given the blustery conditions at Comerica Park, it’s inexplicable he only had three balls fly out to the outfield including the last one off of the bat of JJ Hardy to right fielder Magglio Ordonez.

But what makes the Dodger’s feat so amazing is the fact that it was the Dodgers who did it. Coming into the game, the Dodgers were only better than the Washington Nationals in home runs hit. One home run is understandable, but three is flat out shocking.

Also the pitcher Hong-Chih Kuo hit the third homer. Note the stylish bat flip after the ball was hit. I can’t confirm this fact, but I believe the Dodgers lead the majors in home runs hit by the pitcher (see correction in comments): two. SF Trash went yard back on the Dodger’s home opener on April 9 against the Rockies.

It started out like another pedestrian Dodger game despite players meetings Sunday night and Monday afternoon and the first pitch thrown by Victoria “Posh Spice” Beckham.

The Dodgers gave up two runs in the first inning thanks to three singles, a pass ball and a throwing error by My Boyfriend. After the Mets notched another run in the top of the fourth, I started thinking of fun places I could go to in October while trying to avoid the baseball postseason.

Then in the bottom of the fourth inning the Dodger’s offense inexplicably woke up. They got things started in the bottom of the fourth by, of all people, Useless. He got a walk, stole second and scored when My Boyfriend hit a single.

From that point on, this Dodger’s team looked like a completely different team than they have recently shown winning the game 5-3.

Dodgers 5, Mets 3 - New York took a first inning lead on a pair of RBI singles including one by former Dodger slugger Shawn Green. They added another run in the fourth, but Los Angeles tied it up in the bottom of the frame with a pair of their own. They took the lead for good in the sixth thanks to a Carlos Beltran error. Randy Wolf is now tied for most wins in the NL with 8.

Avengers 55, Rattlers 52 - Sonny Cumbie tossed six touchdowns, four to Los Angeles teammate Rob Turner. Arizona QB Chris Sanders threw four touchdowns and rushed for three more, but couldn't hold of a late LA comeback.

Beckham Watch - Now Real Madrid wants Becks back. Galaxy says no way, Jose.

Elsewhere - After celebrating "Mr. McMahon Appreciation Night" on Monday, the WWE chairman go into his car and it done did blowed up (see photo). According to a WWE publicist, "Although full details have not been disclosed, initial reports indicate that Mr. McMahon is presumed dead." ... NCAA drops ball on blogging. Ironic, since their players probably understand it better than the administrators ... Cross-country bike race is underway ... Justice may have finally been done in Genarlow Wilson case.

This is probably going to sound crazy, but that's because it is. I hold the keys to Cubs victory, and it all started with a Dodgers game.

Here's what happened: I went to see the Dodgers a couple weeks ago when the Cubs were in town. I went to Friday, Saturday and Sunday games, May 25-27. The Cubs lost two of three, but managed to pull out a 4-2 win Saturday. Then they went on to lose every game for the next week. At the end of that week I'm in Chicago visiting my sisters and we go to see a game (June 3, in case you're keeping track). On the way to Wrigley, I happen to reach into the back pocket of my jeans and find the ticket from Saturday's win -- not Friday's ticket, not Sunday's, just the ticket from the last win the Cubs had for a week (Side note: please don't make any judgments about my personal grooming habits based on the fact I hadn't washed my jeans since the previous weekend). So I keep the ticket in my pocket for good luck. And the Cubs pull it off. Grand slam in the first inning, a couple more HRs, and a 10-1 victory over the 32-24 Braves. Well, that does it. I keep the ticket from that game, united with the Dodgers stub, and leave it in my pocket during Monday's game as I listen on MLB radio. The result? Another win for my Cubbies.

Saturday night was the 49th Annual Hollywood Stars game at Dodger Stadium. This has been a long-standing tradition at Dodger Stadium, beginning in 1958, the year the Dodgers came to Los Angeles. A few years back, they changed the game from baseball to softball, and they started letting people sit on the field to try to catch home runs. There used to be some reasonably famous people playing and Jon Lovitz and Billy Crystal would call the game and Tony Danza would fight with the umpires and we would all engage in canned sitcom laughter while eating Dodger Dogs and nachos. My family and I have attended every single year for the past 6 or 7 years, so it's become a bit of a joke tradition to get to Dodger Stadium early and watch the has-beens stars come out to play on Hollywood Stars night.

I will preface this report with the fact that I don't watch much TV and once sat next to Brooke Shields at a Broadway show and never recognized her, so my knowledge of so-called "stars" is very limited. I generally rely on my retired grandparents to tell me who they recognize from what TV show, since retired people like to watch TV and are very good at remembering plot lines. Also my grandmother is a subscriber of People magazine, so she can usually give us reports of who's banging who and which one is bulemic and how so-and-so won their fight against alcohol. While the past few years haven't been all that great, they've certainly had their moments so we gave it another shot. I was rather disappointed.

A message from Major League Baseball before I start this drivel. For one lucky baseball loving, red blooded, testosterone raging man or lesbian comes an opportunity of a lifetime. He/she gets a DATE WITH ALYSSA MILANO!

If you want to as close to her as Barry Zito, Carl Pavano and Tubby have been, just fill out the entry form here and good luck. And from the looks of this list all you need to show is promise – actual performance in the clutch is not important.

As for the Dodger’s game my oh my oh my. I could easily sit here typing away words that trash the club and bemoan the fact it looks like they’ve given up the season and will go nowhere. But they’ve done this too many times and always seem to be in contention of a division title.

Take last year for instance. After the All-Star break they promptly lost 12 of 14 games before going on a tear in August and September to end up in a tie in first place. So I’m not going to say everything is hopeless. But we have to face the facts. If the Dodgers do not get the offense going, they have absolutely no chance to compete in September for a division title.

The Dodgers have been proactive this week in trying to remedy this. To the delight of the Dodger Faithful they brought up Matt Kemp and James Loney from the minors, and Grady Little has moved Useless to batting in the eighth spot. The youngsters will hopefully provide the pop and energy that will oil up the creak in the club.

And that pop and energy is sorely needed from the Dodgers.

Angels 9, Cardinals 3 - Ervin Santana needed 115 pitches to get through just 6 innings, and his 3 earned runs over six innings was actually a major improvement over his season ERA. The Halo's offense ensured that none of that mattered, piling up the runs early and often with 18 total hits. They had seven hits and four RBI from just the 1-2 hitters (Chone Figgins and Orlando Cabrera).

Blue Jays 1, Dodgers 0 - Derek Lowe gave the Dodger bullpen some major relief, allowing just one run on four hits in a complete game ... loss. The offense, unfortunately, provided absolutely no support and never got home despite reaching base nine times. Oh, and Juan Pierre was dropped from the second spot in the lineup to the eighth.

FC Dallas 3, Galaxy 1 - Now tied for fewest points in the West, the Galaxy are in the awkward position of looking up at Chivas USA.

Chivas USA 1, Fire 0 - Paulo Nagamura scored the lone goal after 79 minutes, helping Chivas sneak past Chicago.

Elsewhere - LAist is severely insulted by being left out of the hot blogger bracket. Sure, we've been out of town a lot and totally out of touch (so we probably missed the entry process), but we've tested the waters on Hot Or Not and think we shoulda' been in this thing ... If anybody knows about Lucha Libre events around town, would you please tell LAist? ... Ah-nold bench presses the Cup ... Nobody cares about hockey, anyway, or basketball, for that matter. Turns out football is the only popular sport (just ask Mark Cuban) ... Save a horse, ride a marathoner.

AP photo by Tom Gannam.

We're pretty stoked this summer to be on an ultimate frisbee league team with the Los Angeles Organization of Ultimate Teams, or LAOUT (get it? LAyout?). This week was the first week for the summer league where games are played at Balboa Park in Encino and Oakwood Park in Venice.

It's fascinating to see a group of strangers from all over LA get together, play, win (of course, go Team Tan!) and hang out after at a bar to hear their stories. Like the the accountant from Canyon Country who is an Amazon.com top 100 reviewer or the guy who has a job to go to 3-5 indie rock concerts a week and buy people drinks (jealous now?).

It was also funny when the bouncer at the Robin Hood British Pub & Restaurant in Sherman Oaks thought we were ultimate fighters. Nice.

Photo by Zach Behrens for LAist.com

Dodgers 4, Blue Jays 3, 10 - It was a strange interleague game against Toronto. Brad Penny allowed one run in 7 and 2/3 innings, but got no decision. Takashi Saito blew the save, but didn't lose the game. Rudy Saenez only faced one batter, but it was enough for the win. Olmedo Saenz finally won it with a two-run blast in the bottom of the tenth.

Angels 10, Cardinals 6 - The Halos hung a ten-spot on St. Louis, six of which came in the seventh inning. That was too late to save Bartolo Colon. He gave up three home runs on seven hits in just four innings. His ERA is up to 5.70 and he's looking nothing like his 5-0 season start.

LA Times Sports - Christine Daniels is becoming a full time blogger. How do you top news involving a transgender sports writer? Hire somebody new to cover baseball! According to an inside source, Dylan Hernandez is moving south from the San Jose Mercury News to cover the Dodgers for the Times.

Elsewhere - Win a date to a Dodger game with Alyssa Milano ... UCLA, UC Irvine, and Cal State Fullerton are in the sweet sixteen of the College World Series. UCLA is playing Fullerton, while the Anteaters are up against Wichita State ... Minor league baseball team in Long Beach is holding a contest for the worst song of all-time. Deadspin has more ... What will the Ducks do with the Cup?

AP photo by Mark J. Terrill.

Back on April 30, 2006 the Dodgers played the Pads in San Diego leading 5-0 going into the bottom of the ninth. Lance Carter comes out to pitch for the Dodgers and loaded the bases by giving up two singles and a walk with no outs. The Dodger’s then-closer Danys Baez tried to get out of the jam but gave up a single, two walks and two sacrifices to tie the game up 5-5.

In the top of the tenth, the Dodgers went out in order. Tim Hamulack pitched in the bottom of the tenth and gave up two walks and a single to give the Pads a 6-5 win.

And this is why when the Dodgers were up 5-1 in the bottom of the ninth Thursday night against the Pads, the fact they coughed up the game didn’t really come as a surprise to me. Here’s the play-by-play of the bottom of the ninth with Bob’s Big Boy pitching:

So this is what it feels like to collapse across a finish line. Normally I collapse well before the yellow tape. Prematurely, the doctors like to call it. But here I am, on the plus side of a 6-2 Stanley Cup clinching victory by the Anaheim Ducks.

It was quite a ride. There was a certain amount of gratification "covering" the Stanley Cup Finals for LAist. I use the term "covering" in the most Chatsworth of senses (i.e. loosely). First of all, I simply love writing about hockey. Second, I got to be that guy who posted every day about a sport that (as "Deke" recently put it) nobody gives a rat$ a$$ about. I can't tell you how much joy that gave me. When you march to your own drummer, no one complains when you change the beat.

Despite the fact that the Stanley Cup champion now resides somewhere in Los Angeles, I am not foolish enough to believe that Disneyland will be leveled to make way for a Hockey SuperPlex. But maybe just maybe those fans inside the building that witnessed history will spread the gospel of the greatest game on earth. Or, perhaps they'll just leave their Southern California vacation homes and return to Canada...

Ducks 6, Senators 2 - Hell didn't freeze over, but Orange County did. Anaheim pounded Ottawa to win the NHL Finals 4-1 and bring the Stanley Cup to California for the first time. There's plenty being said about this on LAist, so keep reading!

Twins 8, Angels 5 - One cold-weather team blew into Anaheim and came out on top. Of course, this game wasn't nearly as significant. Errors created a major subplot, with Minnesota tacking on four runs after an Orlando Cabrera error and Luis Castillo botching a play for the first time in 143 games (a record for second basemen). The Angels had a five game winning streak snapped, but still control the division by five and a half games.

Padres 5, Dodgers 2 - Russell Martin has made some memorable plays for the Dodgers this year, but Wednesday he was on the other end of a big moment in baseball history. Trevor Hoffman struck him out to earn career save number 500.

Elsewhere - Can you bench press more than the likely #2 draft pick in the NBA? Probably ... Somebody must have been reading our posts about booze and charity ... LA Coliseum is still going nowhere fast. Is that really news? ... Who gave the Lakers permission to raise ticket prices? It's $2,300 to sit courtside next season, assuming you can actually get your hands on a ticket.

AP photo by Kevork Djansezian.

Is it me, or is there an explosion of hockey interest here on the mighty LAist? Thank you Adam Rose! I was beginning to feel like that solitary nutjob on the corner who rails on about the miraculous healing power of magnets. Sure, hockey fever is finally rearing its rubbery head with Anaheim only one game away from winning the series, but on the bright side... it's better than nothing. (Which is also good advice for your love life.)

And let's be honest, if it was the Los Angeles Kings in the Final there'd be a heckuva lot more buzz in town and around the nation. But it's just homely ol' frumpy Anaheim. Anaheim is like that girl with the stellar personality, but questionable looks, who you would never introduce to your buddies. Mainly because they're assholes and would probably make fun of you for dating a hobo.

There is one minor difference though. That girl whom you only invited over in low light was never on the verge of winning a World Championship.

While a small number of hockey fans are still paying the electrolysis bill to remove "Mighty" from their bicep, many are just catching up with post-lockout rule changes. Around the Southland, people are scratching their heads over the possibility that the Anaheim Ducks may win the NHL crown. The Stanley Cup in Orange County? It almost sounds like a Chris Rock joke about the best golfer being black and the best rapper being white. Next, somebody is going to say the hockey columnist at the LA Times is a woman.

They'd be right.

Helene Elliott has been covering sports at the Times for almost 18 years. She also happens to be the first female journalist ever to be inducted into a professional sports hall of fame. Without her regular commentary, a lot of Southern Californians would miss the inside scoop on not only the sport of hockey, but the personalities as well. As she puts it, "You're writing about people."

And as for the person who brings you the people? LAist interviewed Helene to find out where she's coming from and where she thinks hockey is going in the Southland, a place she once considered "another planet."

Did you follow sports as a kid? What got you interested in this job?

I have an older brother and he was a big baseball fan. As most younger siblings do, I tried to copy my big brudder'. My dad would take him to baseball games so of course I demanded that he take me to games, too. I just fell in love with baseball. I used to have a good memory for statistics and numbers -- I could recite the all time home run hitters list and things like that. I just loved baseball and in the wintertime I started watching basketball and hockey and fell in love with those as well.

We heard you were a big Mickey Mantle fan. Did you have heroes in other sports or was just him?

It was pretty much the Mick! I actually had his baseball card thumbtacked to my bedroom door. A collector would probably look at me in horror because heaven forbid you should put any hole in a baseball card. Who knows what that card would be worth now. I loved hockey as well and I was living in New York at the time. There was a player on the Rangers named Brad Park who I loved and of course Bobby Orr was playing for the Boston Bruins at the time.

Read more with Helene Elliott after the jump...

If you were just flipping through the channels and said to yourself, “Self, I would really like to see a low-scoring pitcher’s duel,” then you would have really enjoyed Tuesday’s Dodgers game against the Padres. Unfortunately, Dem Bums lost to the Pads 1-0 thanks to a hit batter, stolen base and a single in the bottom of the eighth.

In what a pretty unremarkable game, two notable things happened.

Notable thing, the first: My Boyfriend screwed up. It didn’t officially count as an error, but in the top of the seventh after he hit a single, Tony Abreu hits a single into right field. My Boyfriend tries to run to third, but right after he turned on second he tripped and fell. Granted he was absolutely tired from multiple pick-off attempts from pitcher Chris Young, but if he doesn’t get caught falling he could have scored when Useless grounded to first. In what has been a pretty stellar season for My Boyfriend it was quite shocking to see him make an oopsie.

Notable thing, the second: SF Trash looked good in his first appearance since his stint on the disabled list. Aside from a tough second inning, he limited the Pads to no runs and one hit in six innings allowing only three walks. He only threw 86 pitches while striking out four. The cherry on this sundae is his velocity. Before being on the DL his fastball never topped 85 mph, but tonight his fastballs topped out at 92mph.

Between the second a third periods of Anaheim's game four victory over Ottawa, NBC got a taste of Canadian attitude. CBC star Don Cherry called out the NHL for being too family friendly. After declaring anti-fight efforts "the dumbest thing I've heard in my life," he listed some American favorites like "NASCAR (where there's crashes), football (kill the quarterback), [and] ultimate fighting." He may have been looking for a scrap himself, calling out fellow commentator and fight aficionado Brett Hull for cheating back in his playing days. Surprisingly, nobody suggest breaking ties with a flinching contest involving slap-shots to the stomach. There's always game five.

Will Cleveland complete a giant turnaround on the shoulders of LeBron James? Will San Antonio continue their NBA legacy with another championship?

We don't have a stinkin' clue, but if you make the best prediction LAist will give you a box of 2006-2007 Topps Full Court Basketball Cards. The box contains 108 cards, including two relic cards and one that's been autographed by two different NBA stars. If you haven't heard, it seems like everybody wants to buy Topps right now. Plus, they just signed some spokesmanchild named Greg Oden.

It's free and easy to enter. Here's how it works:

1. You must guess which team will win the finals and in how many games (ex: Cavs in 6 or Spurs 4-2).
2. There is only one box of cards, so as a tie breaker you must also include the total number of points scored in the series. Closest person wins. This isn't Price Is Right, so it doesn't matter if you're over or under.
3. You must post your prediction in the comments section BEFORE tip-off of Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
4. You may only make one prediction post, but you can talk trash whenever (don't get outta' line).
5. Your prediction must have a working email address or the prize will go to the next closest person.
6. If more than one person makes the same prediction of both winner, games, and points, only the first one posted will count.
7. The box will only be shipped within the US. If you live outside the US, you have to come pick it up.

Photo by AP.

I'm so intelligent when it comes to hockey there should be a bylaw barring me from showing off like this. All of the pre-game talk yesterday was how Ottawa had all the momentum, how the Ducks defense was deflated due to Pronger's abscence, and how the hometown crowd was going to run amok with Alanis induced fever.

Who predicted a 3-1 series lead coming home on Wednesday for Game 5? Yes, probably your uncle. Perhaps your mom. Maybe even Paris Hilton. But mainly me. This is why I'm hot.

I got to get right into Don Cherry on NBC. Don, in no particular order, ripped NBC, Swedes, Dick Ebersol, the NHL, Gary Bettman and a large chunk of the continental United States. It was a thing to behold. Several of the 17 people who actually watched last night's broadcast might have been wondering who forgot to lock the front door of the local nursing home.

Dear London.

Why hast thou forsaken us?

We realize that you hate us for our freedoms and for our superior dental hygiene.

But why would you take the innocence and intellect of Lisa Simpson and do that for her just so that you could sell a few more million 2012 Olympic t-shirts?

We could have sworn that they have The Simpsons across the pond, was there nobody in the room who snickered when this new logo was revealed today?

Is there no one on that island with their head in the gutter?

We're told that you spent over $750k and a year to develop this logo and just now you're saying D'oh?

Hell, the very first comment on Londonist acknowledged that yep that's Lil Lisa doing something that doesn't seem like something a vegetarian would do unless she's planning on spitting it out.

Is this just some brilliant underground viral marketing for the upcoming Simpson's movie?

Was this all a genius way to get the BBC to put a goatse version of the logo on their air?

Or did you do this so we in LA would feel ok about losing the Olympic bid to Chicago where they will have the opportunity, perhaps, to get embarrassed like you are experiencing today.

Or do you plan on keeping a stiff upper lip and playing on with this logo? Something that's pink, and foul, and to be seen by kids around the world. Something, that if you keep, will end up being the most popular logo ever.

Amazing, London. You've done it again.

Sports, in my opinion, is the forebearer to "reality" TV as we know it today. We view many of our sports heroes as being close to super human. And yet with today's access to information we find ourselves readily identifying with the Clark Kent side of Superman. This is exactly the allure of the reality TV genre. Regular folks doing extraordinary stuff for our viewing pleasure.

Now Chris Neil of the Ottawa Senators isn't exactly a sports hero. He's more Peter Parker than Spiderman. More Bruce Banner than Hulk. More Calvin than Spaceman Spiff. More Luigi than Mario. (Oh you better believe I could keep going...) But in his own way, Neil has developed a mythos about him. Be it when he ripped Buffalo captain Chris Drury's head off, or when he attempted to rip Andy McDonald's head off, the guy is a beast. That's his mythos: Beastly. (This entry could very easily descend into a discussion on D&D if I'm not careful.)

But even beasts have back stories. We now know that Chris' wife gave birth to their first child on Friday. And then on Saturday he goes to work and scores a huge goal that helped propel the Senators to their first win over the Ducks. That's a story line right there. A common thug finds salvation and glory within a 24 hour period.

Of course, he did also try to take McDonald's head off in that same game. When I write up the Hollywood script for this series, I'll just edit that part of the story so we don't piss off Disney. Emilio can be a little touchy.

I love manager ejections. I love it when the manager gets up in the ump’s grill and lets him have it. With that said, it seems to me that Grady Little has the tamest ejections in the history of baseball (click on the appropriate linky for a video of the ejection).

More on baseball meltdowns later.

A serious cause of concern came in the bottom on the ninth in Sunday’s 5-4 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates. It’s something far worse than the Dodger’s bipolar hitting. Lights out closer Takashi Saito with one on, one out and a 2-2 to Jose Bautista tweaked his hammy. I was having an email discussion with a couple friends of mine (one Giants fan, one Cubs fan). “Holy fuck,” I wrote, “Saito just got injured.”

Fortunately it doesn’t look like a major injury, and Bob’s Big Boy is more than capable of taking over the closing role for a short while. Hopefully the Dodgers can muster up enough runs in the final game of the series against the Pirates to prevent a save situation.

Dodgers 5, Pirates 4 - Brad Penny was taxed for four runs in six innings, but Los Angeles cashed in with three runs in the seventh and two in the eighth to keep his record at 7-1. Andre Ethier hit the two-run shot that put the Dodgers ahead for good. Grady Little watched most of the game from the clubhouse after arguing with the ump in the fourth. He's the fifth major league manager to get ejected in the past few days, but he's got nothing on Bobby Cox.

Angels 4, Orioles 3 - LAnaheim also needed some home run heroics to win the game, but this shot was even more dramatic. Vladimir Guerrero went yard in the bottom of the ninth to complete the Halo's comeback. Must have been frustrating for Baltimore starter Jeremy Guthrie, who hurled 8 strong innings an allowed only one earned run with four strikeouts and no walks.

Duck Hunt - For the second series in a row, Anaheim defenseman Chris Pronger will serve a one game suspension. This one will happen on Monday night in game four of the Duck's NHL finals matchup against the Ottowa Senators. The Ducks currently lead 2-1 and game 5 will be held back in Anaheim.

Elsewhere - Beckham is having second thoughts, but at least the United States won something in soccer ... The United States also reclaimed hot dog supremacy ... If you thought it was strange when an NBA ref tried to fight Tim Duncan, at least he didn't take away all of the Spurs' points. Video here.

AP photo by Gene J. Puskar.

There is a silver lining in the Anaheim Ducks' 5-3 loss last night to the Ottawa Senators. It means that there is now a Game 5 guaranteed to occur at the Honda Center. Of course, this good news is offset by the fact that you folks will have to hear from me for another couple days.

I don't know if you caught the anthems yesterday, but there's something special hearing 18,000 people belt out a national anthem. I watched the NBC feed, hoping they would switch to the big police officer guy for the wink and the smile, but they didn't. They remained stuck on a darkened shot of Ray Emery. Who was producing this broadcast? Howie Mandell?

I'm actually surprised NBC didn't trot out Chris Hansen at some point. That dude rules the network. His programming makes up 63% of their broadcast schedule. If Chris Hansen were ever to get hit by a bus, NBC would tank.

Do not forget to pronounce the 'i' when you tell all of your friends that Chris Kunitz is likely back for tonight's ever so important Game 3 between your Anaheim Ducks and the Ottawa Senators (NBC @ 5 pm).

Who is this Chris Kunitz fellow? He's like the bread in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He's like the ice in a gin and tonic. He's like the third part of something that has 3 parts.

He is actually the third component of Anaheim's top line that also features Andy McDonald and Teemu Selanne. Chris busted his wrist during the last series and was told he was gone for the season. But in just another example of how passionate these hockey players are, he's back and desperate to compete.

In anthem news, Alanis will be belting out the anthems for Game 4 on Monday night. Which Alanis who you say? I'm sure you have a good idea, but since there is only one Alanis in Canada, it is not necessary to employ a last name. Tonight the giant police officer will be doing his thing. Watch for the wink and the smile and the end. It's awesome. If only police officers were this affable every time I have a run in with them.

Before tomorrow night's MLS match pitting the LA Galaxy against DC United, Mexican rock band Kinky will play a special pre-game set for soccer and music fans.

Kinky is five-member band from Monterrey, Mexico. Their song "Solo un Paso" from is the theme for Fox Sports en Español's 2007 MLS broadcasts, with the video featured n the channel's pre-game montage.

Here's the video for "Sister Twisted," which features a gaucho with some amazingly rubber-limbed dance moves.

O Dodgers how you break my heart sometimes. I was only kidding at the beginning of the year when I expected you to go 162-0. I only expect you to win around 92 games this season which is just over 56% of the games, but when you get a horrible team like the Washington Nationals you should be able to sweep them easily. You don’t lose to them 11-4.

Let’s face it. The Mark Hendrickson era should be over. In his last four starts he has given up 20 runs (18 of them earned) and 34 hits with an ERA of 8.57. He started out the season nicely enough, but the shimmer has long since worn off. He should go back to the bullpen where he belongs then perhaps see that psychologist he saw during the off-season.