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“The NBA Draft Lottery-Now We Know?”

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There was excitement, and there was tension, and then there were even more questions.

We know who got the first pick in the NBA draft, the New Orleans Pelicans. We also know that means Duke’s outstanding freshman will play on Bourbon Street next year. Who his teammates will be, remains to be seen.

We also know that the aging and oft-injured Memphis Grizzlies will pick second.

The New York Knicks, rewarded for ownership incompetence since James Dolan bought the team in 1999, will draft third, after hoping that good luck charm, former Knicks star Patrick Ewing, might help them get the 1st pick, just like the night in 1995, when he wound up in New York when they won the lottery.

The Lakers made the biggest jump, going from 11th, to move up to the 4th pick, but that answers nothing in this off season of front office chaos..

It was a hard night, for both Phoenix and Cleveland, falling out of the top three, the Suns tumbling to 6th, right behind Cleveland, which fell to 5th.

We know about Zion, but we know notihng else.

Here’s a list of questions we will kick around for the next month, before the draft comes up in late June.

The Pelicans get the 1st pick and Williamson. Does that change the mind of soon to be free-agent Anthony Davis and will he rescind his demand to be traded this summer, now that he’s gone another really good player next to him?

Or does New Orleans say ‘see ya’, and burn the bridge behind him. Might the Pelican shop Davis, reopen talks and try to extract a pound of flesh, from say the Knicks at three , or the Lakers at four, and move Davis in a blockbuster deal?

Does New York, with two max free agent slots, make a move to get Anthony Davis, and then lure free agent Kevin Durant out of Golden State, giving up the 3rd pick in the process?

Or should the Knicks stay where they are, draft guard RJ Barrett, bring back young phenom Kevin Knox, and sign two from the outside, say Durant and Kyrie Irving?

Do the Lakers turn around and try to heal the wounds from the first series of trade talks with the Pelicans, restart them, and use their 4th pick plus one of their young stars, Brandon Ingram, to try to acquire Anthony Davis now?

Do the Lakers stay where they are, and go get another good young player, say Virginia’s DeAndre Hunter, with the fourth choice, and still have 1-max contract to give to lure a free agent, maybe Kyrie Irving?, Who will LeBron James’ new teammates be next year?

We answered one question, but we have so much more to look forward to, going towards the NBA draft in late June.

If you’re a fan of one of the bad teams high atop the draft list, don’t walk away, you’ll probably miss something.

The draft has been superseded by free agency, and potential trades. Not bad for the fans and the media. Might be a 6-week migraine headache though for NBA-GMs.

The lottery didn’t solve things, just made it more complicated.

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“Lakers-Purple & Gold–Fools Gold”

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I have to laugh everytime I punch up the Lakers Channel-Spectrum Sports on my TV.

In addition to showing re-runs of games from the past couple of years, and features about the glory years gone by, they keep running a (:60) promo of actor Ice Cube and his announcement in the hood of a new ‘era’ of Lakers basketball.

He’s right about one thing, it is a new era.

An era of disgraceful leadership, bad decisions, selfishness, and incompetence.

Tuesday night is NBA draft lottery night, and the Lakers, who had the 11th worst record in the league, in another non-NBA playoff season, have a chance to get a good player, in a very deep draft. Though, not much of a chance to get to the top of the draft board, and access to Zion Williamson..

This is a team that spent 23-days flailing around trying to hire a head coach, settling on their 7th selection, Frank Volk, fired by the Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic. The Lakers hired a guy who was (54-110) in his last job.

Where is Del Harris when you needed him?

This after failing to lure John Calipuri from Kentucky, then failing to land former Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue. This after interviewing everybody else and striking out alot. Talk about throwing up air balls.

The Lakers have LeBron James, basketball star and business entrepreneur, who seems so interested in leading the team to a title, that he never held an introductory press conference, had a so-so season, got hurt, and then blew off the exit meetings with the media.

Always has something else to do in his West Coast business world.

The Lakers spent half the winter trying to trade all their young players, to get a deal for New Orleans’ unhappy center Anthony Davis, a year away from free agency.

They have 4-young players, all who have battled thru injuries, led by the disappointing Lonzo Ball. Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingram are quality stars, but they’ve never been difference makers nor experienced a winning season.

LeBron came and played, showed flashes, but also showed a lot of indifference, all for 23M a year.

Magic Johnson quit as their leader, an hour before the final game of the season, never even telling owner Jeanie Buss.

GM-Rob Pelinka, with a tainted reputation for bad NBA relationships, is calling all the shots, so blame him-salute him for the Vogel hire and the last minute exit of Lue as a hot candidate. The insinuations are, and they won’t go away, the Lakers. wanted Lue, not so much as a head coach, but as a puppet. Why else would the GM offer him a substandard 3-year deal and mandate whom he should hire on his staff.

The owner has surrounded herself with an inner circle of friends, but not accomplished NBA people

LA has 35M in cap space to sign a max free agent.

Questions arise, who wants to play here, with LeBron, or in the chaos that the franchise has become.

So tonight the Lakers hope for a break, a high draft pick. And then maybe the ability to lure a big free agent.

Who would have ever thought the Lakers would rival the New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns for incompetence, but they have. Owner Jeannie Buss becoming an equal to Knicks owner James Dolan or the enigma that is Robert Sarver.

And I am sure if you turn on the Lakers TV channel, you can still catch Ice Cube and his promo about a ‘new era’.

Not what it used to be, Show Time and all. Now like ‘No Time’ and little prospects to get better.

Lakers Gold has become tarnished gold or Fools Gold….regardless of what Ice Cube says..

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“Padres-Hall of Famer-Evaluates Kid Pitchers”

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Everyone has an opinion about the Padres decision to put the youngest starting rotation in all of baseball, on the field at the same time this 2019 season. An average age of (23.4) in that rotation.

What better evaluator of the guys on the hill than the guy who was the Padres first superstar pitcher, Randy Jones. Retired number, Hall of Fame, Cy Young Award winner.

Back in the day, when the Padres weren’t very good, he was. He put together two magical seasons at then San Diego’s Jack Murphy Stadium.

In 1975…he went (20-12) with a remarkable (2.24-ERA). He followed that with a (22-14) record in 1976 with a (2.74-ERA). He threw an even (600-innings) over those two seasons, including a mystical (315) frames in the ’76-campaign.

In those two summers, he made 76-starts, threw 43-complete games. He spent 8-years in San Diego and then finished up with 2-seasons with the Mets. He won 100-games in the National League, and authored 76-complete games in his carrer.

What better a guy to evaluate the young arms wearing Padres colors.

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CHRIS PADDACK
..Committed to perfection-every start-every bullpen
..Duplicates his delivery-armslot with ease
..No false bravado about him
..Learns from his mistakes
..Learns adjust 2nd-3rd time thru lineup
..So impressed with drive to get better
..Worry about fatigue
..Never thrown more than 90-innings in a season-on track 130.
..Would like to limit him to 75-pitches an outing-protect him
..Better now that ever thought this young in career
..Locates all four zones
..Real deal

ERIC LAUER
..Love his competitiveness
..Knows he makes too many mistakes up in the zone
..Mentally tough
..Has real tools
..Needs to be aggressive all the time-not passive
..Communicates a lot with other young pitchers-shares info

JOEY LUCCHESI
..Can get burned throwing too much in middle
..Can move ball around a lot in zone
..Must learn mental part of game to attack black zone
..Repeats mechanics well despite strange delivery
..Want him to work up in the zone to establish low in zone
..Must learn that hitters learn you as outings build
..Needs to get mechanic in sync start to start
..Learned a lot in late season starts last year

NICK MARGAVICIUS
..College kid with really good makeup
..Understands hitters weaknesses
..Gets fastball up to get them to chase
..Knows he can get hurt by being up in zone too much

MATT STRAHM
..Love him as a starter
..Impressed with his mindset to be a warrior
..Has mental makeup to be a starter
..Experience as starter in Kansas City has helped
..Wants to go deep in ballgames
..Pitch command really good

LUIS PERDOMO
..Best stuff on staff
..Has never put it together since good first year
..Maybe a better 8th inning reliever than starter
..Career at crossroads…should be better than AAA pitcher

DINELSON LAMET
..On track to return in August
..Lively stuff
..Take command personality on mound
..Stage not too big for him
..Impressed with what did before got hurt

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“Death of Mighty 1090-Community Reacts”

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It’s been nearly one month since the Mexican owners seized the iconic sports talk radio station, The Mighty 1090. It’s been one week since the station leadership closed the doors, laid off its staff, and padlocked the doors of the studios.

You have to work really hard to destroy a heritage radio station, the Mexican ownership, and the San Diego leadership, did.

Name talk show hosts are out of a job, as are a staff of employees, who loved the format, the station, and its place in the community

The reaction in the community has been swift. My column last week “Blood on Their Hands”, generated (2,470) hits on my website in the first twelve hours.

Add to that, fans reactions via Emails, texts, tweets, and you can get a feel for how it is missed.

Below, a cross section of reaction from followers, listeners, haters. Everyone has opinions…good-bad-off the wall.

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..1090 leadership deserved what they got-they lost their job-ruined a station.

..2-Execs at 1090 needed to lose their jobs, and they did.

..Don’t do business in Mexico.

..Pay your bills.

..Talkshow hosts think it’s their birthright to slam people and to be on the air-good luck finding another job.

..Big business wins-small guy loses

..Such a shame to see it end

..Hey BCA Radio-pay your rent.

..Sure Dean Spanos is somewhere cheering about 1090 failing

..Bet John Moores walked away with money-he doesn’t lose money

..Mexican owners redid the least for one year-how could they be bad partners in this.

..Independent stations don’t stand a chance. This is also about the competitors, Entercom and I-Heart Radio.

..AM-radio is dead.

..Foul up after foul up. That’s a long time to lose a lot of money.

..To quote an old Army term…1090 is FUBAR.

..San Diego lived and breathed sports on 690-1090.

..XTRA 690 is reason we became rabid sports fans.

..Autospy on station death is painful to read.

..Chargers-Padres…selfish A-holes about those contracts.

..Hacksaw-a jerk…Kentera-a dinosoar….Sileo-cleaning toilets

..Kaplan fired before-dumped again…Sileo fired from 4-jobs in row…Nice track record of hires at BCA.

..Death of sports-talk radio…97.3-can’t hear it…1360-college station-don’t want to hear it.

..Padres station-you could hire a pretty good lineup of talkshow hosts now..Darrin-Hacksaw-Scott & BR & Linda.

..Hey management…so you a better station now that you let Hamilton, Coach, Padres and Aztecs get away? Nice decisions? Terrible end result!

..You know what made you guys great…Hacksaw’s Headlines…Coaches contacts….Darrin-Marty interviews…Scott & BR schtick…and now you’re all off the air. Who makes decisions like that? Unemployed people in management.

..Your shows delivered information…other shows like a frat party.

..Villans?…Nobody’s fault….Businesses go out of business everyday.

..You hosts made a lot of money-go start your own station.

..Congrats Lee, you are an accomplished Obit writer.

..Damn it Oceanside-where’s my sports station.

..From Baja to the Canadian Rockies….now..From Chinese to Spanish.

..My Hacksaw Tee-Shirt flying at half staff.

..Thanks for the ‘real’ story on your website.

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“Baseball Moments from Petco Park Pressbox”

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PADRES….Quite a two week run. They go (7-6) and don’t wilt at all. Think of the Padres of the past. If they were lining up against Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Clayton Kershaw, Kenta Maeda, Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndegaard, I guarantee they would not have won 7-games in that span. Impressive pitching duels and some big hits against really great pitching.

HOME RUN HAVEN….Balls rocketing out of Petco Park. The Padres hitters have made their stadium, a home run yard. What Franmil Reyes and Hunter Renfroe have done on this homestead has been special. Neither hitting for average, but hitting important home runs.

HOT HOSMER…..Chasing away all the bad times from a year ago, Hosmer is on his best tear since coming from Kansas City, a (.391) splurge over the last ten games or so. Add to that, marvelous defensive plays. Now he needs to keep it up.

THE CATCHERS….You have seen the defensive prowess of Austin Hedges, you have seen improvement in Francisco Mejia with their gloves. The bats, not so, yet. One hitting (.171) the other (.174). Guess the Padres can live with that if the rest of the lineup in swinging.

MANNY MANS CENTER….Quite a couple of innings for Manny Margot, going over the fence to take away a home run in one inning, and going to the fence to deflect one from going over, turning it into a double. Looks as if Margot will platoon with Will Myers in center.

KIRBY COLLAPSE….Always worried about overuse, Kirby Yates has hit a rock patch. Two home runs allowed over the weekend, then another shakey appearance out of the pen, in finally getting a save on Wednesday. Have to wonder if fatigue is setting in?

MATT THE MAN….Matt Strahm has brought his full arsenal of four pitches to the starting rotation, that plus a fierce fire on the mound. A former starter with the Royals, then moved to the bullpen while rehabbing from knee surgery, he looks like another steal in another AJ Prefer trade.

COWBOY WAITING….The national media has yet to catch up to what Chris Paddock has done in his seven starts, but the wins, the strikeouts, the ERA, matches what Doc Gooden did in his (7-1) start with the New York Mets. He was in the media market in the world, so thus much more coverage-exposure. Paddock is not getting exposure buried here in the southwest corner of the nation. He keeps this up, as May goes to June, he will be not only in the running for an All Star berth, but Rookie of the Year.

EL NINO RETURNS….Fernando Tatis should be back in the lineup on Friday against Colorado. A quick return from what was a scary hamstring injury. We’ll see if they can protect him from himself, or he needs his legs to make all the plays, steal all the bases, he did at the start of the season.

WHO IS THIS GUY GERARDO….Quite an outing from Gerardo Reyes, just called up from El Paso. Man at second and third, one out, in a tie game with the Mets, Reyes comes in throwing gas. 6-pitches, 6-strikes, 2-striekouts. The pitchers ranged from 97-to-99 in that impressive outing.

CALVIN BACK TO THE CHIHUAHUAS….Calvin Quantrill goes back to El Pso. He had some good innings, some rocky innings. They hit a lot of rocket shots against him in his two major league starts. Most surprising in all, he is not overpowering at this point in his young career. The positive, the state isn’t too big, and for the rocky innings, he bounced back. Not sure he ranks up there with Paddock, Lauer, Paddock, in their debuts. But then again, everyone needs a quality 4th or 5th starter in the rotation. Quantrill might be that.

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