Definition of cheating: take note, Barry Bonds

OK, folks... just when I've heard it all... last week's press conference orchestrated by Giants' slugger Barry Bonds proved to the entire world of what a blithering idiot this guy really is.

Even moreso when he responded to a question from a reporter asking whether using steroids is cheating.

Bonds' response: "I don't know what cheating is".

OK... and I don't know what a dumba$$ is.

Let us recap what the meaning of the word "cheating" is.

1. Looking over your classmates' answers during a test is considered cheating.

2. Filing a fictitious income tax return is considered cheating.

3. Taking illegal drugs to advance and perform better in sports is considered cheating.

and 4. Using steroids is considered cheating.

If Bonds' doesn't know what cheating is, then I wonder how the hell he graduated from high school, let alone grade school.

Sorry for these harsh words, but I love baseball. I grew up with the sport, seen the sport live and actually played the sport. And to have baseball ruined because someone decided to inject steroids, to me, and for a low-class bum to avoid telling the truth about steroids by coming up with insane answers as "it's like reruns of Sanford and Son" is very sad.

Jerry Coleman of the Padres, who really is the saving grace of true athletes in baseball, sums up his feelings this way: if Coleman was emperor, he would suspend someone for a month if caught the first time, one year the second time, and the third time, banned for life.

Perhaps the baseball commissioner should take Coleman's advice to good use.

Hang a star on that one!

Some great news out of the world of baseball yesterday... even moreso for longtime fans of the San Diego Padres.

Jerry Coleman, the Voice of the Padres since 1972, was named the 2005 Ford Frick award winner in baseball for his contributions not only to broadcasting but to the sport in general, and will be inducted into the broadcaster's wing of baseball's Hall of Fame in July.

But there is more to this honor. Jerry Coleman is a World War II hero, who also served in the Korean War; flying in some 150 missions, coming home on all of them, and receiving numerous medals and honors for his service. Plus, he played the game, as a second baseman for the New York Yankees for some seven years; was the World Series MVP in 1950; AP rookie of the year, etc.

Now think about it, folks. Jerry Coleman has contributed to virtually everything, and at the age of 80, he continues to go strong. And yes, he is still the master of Colemanisms, as he has demonstrated many times in the past. One of the most memorable of them all was when Dave Winfield hit his head against the fence attempting to catch a long fly ball, and Coleman came up with this classic line: "He hits his head...it's rolling towards second base!"

Others included the following:

"he slides into second with a stand-up double", "Rich Folkers is throwing up in the bullpen", "Here's Randy Jones; the left-hander with the Karl Marx hairdoo", and one that is still one for the ages; from a year or two ago:

While doing a game between the Padres and the Indians in Cleveland, Jerry was complaining about someone banging a drum in the background. He was asking his broadcast partner Ted Leitner what that noise was, and Leitner told Coleman that it was someone bang a drum, which is part of the games in Cleveland. And Coleman came up with this line that had everyone on the floor for hours, including Leitner:

"I wish he would bang someone else!"

Anyway, congratulations to Jerry Coleman...the Colonel...the Goodwill Ambassador to this great sport called baseball. Believe me, folks, when he's gone, this sport will never be the same without him.

Adios...Goodbye...and that's not a winner

With apologies to the late great Jack Buck, who came up with that phrase during the 1985 NLCS on a three-run home-run by Jack Clark (the line actually is "Adios, goodbye and maybe that's a winner").

Well, when it comes to the National Hockey League, it's not a winner.

More like "nucleur winter".

The NHL became the first North American sports organization ever to cancel and entire season due to a labor dispute, which has been ongoing for almost six months now. It involves the infamous two words... salary cap... those same words that has caused problems in Major League Baseball 11 years ago, as well as the NBA and the NFL in previous years.

Congratulations to the NHL. You guys who runs this great organization has pretty much run this orgnaization to the ground. And that's exactly what happens when you union morons resort to money-hungering greed, which is obviously the case: put a salary cap on all of the players and keep most of the profits. All of you idiots in the union should be ashamed of yourselves! There are some very good NHL players, owners, employees, etc. who are forced to make money elsewhere... some of which has decided to play hockey in Europe.

And with the way things are going, there may not be a season in 2005-06.

Very sad. The people in Canada are obviously up in arms, and are not very happy. Hockey in Canada is like baseball in the United States: it is their national past time.

To the union... I hope you sleep well having accomplished what you have done. To me, I find it very disturbing and at the same time... very sad. I will tell you this: if and when the NHL does come back to the ice, there will be a lot of hockey fans dressed up as seats during game time... and trust me, that will pretty much put this organization out of business once and for all.

Remembering a true English Gentleman

Today, February 10th, marks what should have been the 50th birthday of a wonderful human being who touched the lives of everyone he had associated with, both in his personal and professional life.

Christopher Adams, known to the pro wrestling world as "Gentleman" Chris Adams, was to have turned 50 years old today, and perhaps enjoying retirement from wrestling and getting involved in other activities. Unfortunately, Chris is no longer with us, as he was taken from us unexpectedly on October 7, 2001. Now I am not going to go through the circumstances of how he passed away, because it is very disturbing to me and to others who knew him very well.

So let's stick to the good things about Gentleman Chris.

Chris Adams touched the lives of everyone. Plain and simple. When he started out in Judo at the age of 11, he became an instant success, winning world and national judo championships in his weight class, and was a member of the British Judo Olympic squad, but never competed in the Olympics. His brother Neil did compete in the Olympics, and won two silver medals (one each in the 1980 and 1984 Olympics), not to mention numerous world and national championships. Then, at the age of 23, Chris Adams decided to become a pro wrestler when he was introduced to the sport by a friend, and was inspired by the talents of Tom Billington (aka Dynamite Kid). After two years in England, Chris headed to the United States, and began competing out here in Los Angeles for Mike LaBell's Olympic Auditorium promotion, and eventually ended up in Dallas for Fritz Von Erich's World Class Championship Wrestling promotion.

World Class, of course, is one of my favorite wrestling federations of all: interesting storylines, angles, the success of the Von Erichs and the sad tragedies that plagued this great wrestling family, and so on. Chris became a star with this organization, and he was very well liked by everyone, including promoters, fans, fellow wrestlers from both sides of the fence (the heroes and the heels). And the good thing that Chris brought was not only his talent, but his brain. He wanted to get involved in all aspects of the business, and in later years he was quite successful in that endeavor: owning a wrestling school, and a few wrestling promotions here and there in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Chris was also a tweener: he was loved by everyone when he wrestled anyone other than the Von Erichs. When he wrestled against them, the fans were truly against Chris. And Chris and the Von Erichs ran a very hot feud, which basically picked up where the Freebirds-Von Erichs feud left off when that died down. Kevin Von Erich has said many times that Chris was the toughest wrestler he has ever faced in his entire career.

October 7, 2001 was a very sad day for wrestling, when Chris left us. To this day I am still sad that he is gone: he was a good human being who was loved and respected by everyone. And when you think about this: October 7, 2001 was the day Texas wrestling died. It is still around mind you, but the era of Texas wrestling that began back in 1982 with one slam of the cage on the head of Kerry Von Erich by Terry Gordy, ended on October 7, 2001 with the passing of Gentleman Chris Adams. And quite honestly, even moreso now that the Dallas Sportatorium is no longer in existence, I don't think these glory days will ever be recaptured again.

Super Bowl Memories

A nice fitting subject as Super Bowl Sunday approaches.

Gosh, where do I begin? The first Super Bowl was played just before I was born (1967 to be exact) at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Back then it was the AFL champion facing the NFL champion. Now the Super Bowl is played for the NFL championship.

There's been quite a lot of memories to share from watching the Super Bowls -- I think the most memorable of them all was the 1977 Super Bowl, which was played at the Rose Bowl, with the Raiders and Vikings playing (one team that later played in Los Angeles, and the other that may play here in LA in a few years, stay tuned). While the fans were enjoying the sunny warm weather here in SoCal, I was some 6,000 miles away in Germany, watching the game on television, and at the same time it was snowing like cats and dogs. Fortunately for me I didn't go to school that day because the conditions were too dangerous to do so.

There's been many others... the 1978 Super Bowl, in which the Cowboys won their 2nd NFL championship in a memorable game against the Denver Broncos (the Cowboys incidently began the 1977 season at 8-0, lost a heartbreaker to the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday Night Football, then lost another game to the Pittsburgh Steelers before winning the next four in a row, plus the three post-season wins). Dallas holds the NFL record for appearing in more Super Bowl games than any other team, with eight Super Bowl appearances. Dallas lost twice to Pittsburgh by four points, and to the Baltimore Colts on a last-second field goal in 1972, but won five NFL championships, (1973 vs. Miami, 1978 vs. Denver, 1993 & 94 vs. Buffalo, and 1996 vs. Pittsburgh). I think the crowning moment in Cowboys history was finally... finally beating the Steelers in the Super Bowl. These two teams have met three times in the big show, and that is an NFL record.

Overall... San Francisco and Dallas shares the most Super Bowl wins at 5. Pittsburgh has 4 Super Bowl victories, and the Raiders, Green Bay, and Washington have three NFL championships since Super Bowl play began.

Philadelphia is looking for their first NFL championship in 45 years; and the Patriots is looking for their third Super Bowl win in four years. I will tell you this: this game may be a close one, but I'm going to give it to Philly.
And let us not forget... the wardrobe malfunction from last year's Super Bowl.