by Chris Ello on November 13, 2009
For one team, it was a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. For another, it was a first step toward trying to reach that same stage again. All in all, Friday was a pretty good night for the San Diego State women.
Thanks to Cat Walker’s goal in the 39th-minute, the SDSU women’s soccer team defeated USD, 1-0, in Los Angeles to win its eighth-straight game overall and its first in NCAA Tournament play in 11 years.
The SDSU women’s basketball team, which reached round No. 2 of the Big Dance last season, opened its highly-anticipated 2009-10 campaign with a 64-42 victory at UC Irvine.
Beth Burns’ team was sloppy throughout, committing 26 turnovers, but led comfortably all the way behind 18 points, eight rebounds and five blocked shots from junior center Paris Johnson.
On the soccer pitch, things were much tighter for Mike Friesen’s club, which held on after Walker’s first-half goal to extend its unbeaten streak to 16 games. The Mountain West Conference champions (15-3-5) will meet host UCLA in the second round on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.
UCLA, ranked No. 3 in the country, has reached the Women’s Soccer NCAA Final Four in each of the last six seasons. The Bruins (18-2-1) blew out Boise State, 7-1, in their Tournament opener.
Continue Reading →
by Chris Ello on July 4, 2009
I didn’t see Barnum. Or Bailey. The Ringling Brothers couldn’t make it. But the circus has arrived in town nonetheless.
And — joy of all joys — I had a free pass for opening night! (Well, you know, some people get all the breaks).
Know what I did with my pass? I passed. I stopped going to the circus years ago.
You, on the other hand, still love the Big Top. So you mortgaged your Friday evening, fought the throngs, and shoe-horned your way into Petco Park — 42,000-plus of you, one of the largest crowds of the season.
All just to see the biggest clown in all of baseball. Only difference between this clown and the ones in the center ring? When the ones with all the face makeup speak, their red noses light up. When this one talks, his nose simply grows.
I'd Rather See Him Play
Manny Ramirez of the Los Angeles Dodgers said he would talk about his 50-game suspension for the use of a banned substance (or substances) once he returned to Major League Baseball. But then he refused to talk about it.
He apologized to all of his fans for the transgression. But he didn’t apologize for the $17-million dollars he’ll still pocket this season. Nor did he say he wouldn’t cheat the game again.
He smiled like the cat that ate the Continue Reading →
