F***

Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008)
Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television. Some People Are Stupid. Stuff. People I Can Do Without. George Carlin, who died of heart failure Sunday at 71, leaves behind not only a series of memorable routines, but a legal legacy: His most celebrated monologue, a frantic, informed riff on those infamous seven words, led to a Supreme Court decision on broadcasting offensive language.

The counterculture hero's jokes also targeted things such as misplaced shame, religious hypocrisy and linguistic quirks — why, he once asked, do we drive on a parkway and park on a driveway?

Carlin, who had a history of heart trouble, went into St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica on Sunday afternoon complaining of chest pain and died later that evening, said his publicist, Jeff Abraham. He had performed as recently as last weekend at the Orleans Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas.

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All-Star game starter?


Rangers climb above .500 once again
On the way to a 5-3 win Sunday, Vicente Padilla fed the aggressive – almost undisciplined – Washington Nationals a steady dose of hard stuff for seven innings to earn his 10th win of the season and legitimately make himself a contender for a spot on the American League All-Star team. He is tied for second in the AL in wins and has won eight of his last nine decisions.

Closer C.J. Wilson followed suit in the ninth for his most efficient save in more than two months. It came at a time when Wilson's job was in peril after consecutive poor outings earlier in the week.

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I am getting a little jazzed for the Olympics

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A song worth half-a-billion dollars
In the big, bad game of rock and roll, “Stairway to Heaven” is undeniably a winner. Released by Led Zeppelin in 1971, the eight-minute song is considered a musical masterpiece and is one of the most-played rock tunes of all time. Proving its longevity, “Stairway” hit the U.K. charts again last fall and was a top download in the U.S., after Zeppelin’s first downloadable album launched on iTunes. But because the band is notoriously protective of its work, “Stairway” hasn’t met its full moneymaking potential.

THE BOTTOM LINE
Nearly 37 years after the release of “Stairway,” there seems to be no end to its ­revenue stream. But Zeppelin could up the total if it wants to go commercial.

VALUE OF "STAIRWAY" EARNINGS: $562 million
VALUE OF POTENTIAL LICENSING DEALS: $10 million and up


TOTAL VALUE OF "STAIRWAY": $572 million or more

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My prediction: halftime at the Super Bowl
Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page has dropped another hint that the legendary rockers are to tour following their acclaimed O2 gig last December.

Speaking at a recent award show, Page told the Daily Star: "I hope fans can vote for Led Zeppelin live awards in the future."

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High School sorriness
You've heard of Kill the Ump, Lynch the Ump, and Strangle the Ump, right? Well, get ready for the latest thing—Bean the Ump.

It happened on May 31 in the Georgia high school Class AAA championship game. Stephens County was losing to Cartersville 9-1 early, partly because nine straight SCHS batters had struck out. The last ring-up so hacked off superstar shortstop Ethan Martin—who had just been drafted 15th overall by the Dodgers—that he threw his helmet in protest. But that figured. Martin and his brother, Cody, who was pitching, reportedly had been complaining about balls and strikes the entire game.

So now it's the bottom of the fourth, with Ethan playing short and Cody on the mound. The catcher is Matt Hill. There are no outs. The count is 0-1. Cody winds up and flings a very high, very hard fastball. Hill comes out of his squat, puts his glove up to catch it, then does a very funny thing.

He doesn't.

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SI.com's Tom Bowles exclusive interview with NASCAR's accuser
Mauricia "Mo" Grant spent nearly three years as a race official in the Nationwide Series, working for NASCAR as the only African-American female in such a role. Now she's at the center of a $225 million lawsuit filed against the organization, in which she alleges sexual and racial discrimination, sexual harassment and wrongful termination. She claims she was called demeaning names, subjected to sexual advances -- including two male co-workers allegedly exposing themselves to her -- and made the brunt of graphic and lewd jokes.

In her first face-to-face and most extensive interview since the lawsuit became public, Grant, 32, spoke to SI.com this week about some of the background of the suit. During the two-hour, sometimes emotional interview (including an animated discussion about last week's NASCAR race at Michigan), her passion for the sport was evident.

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Yankees sign Ponson

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Cuban vs Nellie, part 33
The U.S. men's Olympic basketball team, which will include Dallas Mavericks' guard Jason Kidd, is one of the top honors an athlete or coach can have, and former Mavs coach Don Nelson said Wednesday that it's a travesty that Mark Cuban views the Olympics as strictly a financial proposition.

"I couldn't disagree more," Nelson said. "It's not about the money. There is pride in these athletes. He ought to have more respect for his country. Everybody in the NBA makes plenty of money. It's not too much to ask that every four years you give something back to your country."

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You want some of this?

It was ten seconds that shook the Open. That's how long it took for an eagle putt by Tiger Woods to traverse the 75 feet or so from the back of the 13th green to the bottom of the cup. The eagle propelled Tiger back into red numbers — players roosting there were an endangered species Saturday at Torrey Pines — and announced what we already knew: Woods isn't giving up his dance with destiny without a fight to the last.

That roar was one that may live forever in Torrey Pines history, at least if Woods goes on to win the U.S. Open. Then again, it was nearly matched within the hour when Woods lofted a high pitch from left of the 17th green and watched it one-bounce into the cup for birdie. As another thunderous roar erupted from an electrified gallery, Woods grinned with his head down. It may yet prove to be a significant shot in historical terms but it was a fortunate accident and Woods acknowledged that. "You've gotta be kidding me," he said later. "I was thinking, don't make a 6, and I made a 3."

If that wasn't enough, there was the little matter of a 40-foot eagle putt on the last green, a stroke of genius that gave Woods the lead by himself heading into the final round. Another stunning turn, another raucous ovation, another Tiger miracle. If you don't believe in destiny after those three shots Saturday, you'd better reconsider.

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New Cowboy stadium jinxed?

Just days after three workers were injured in a crane accident at the new Dallas Cowboys stadium, an electrician was electrocuted there Saturday while performing tests on some of its wiring.

Timothy Mackinnon, 45, of Arlington was standing on a ladder when he touched a high-voltage line in the ceiling of the stadium's concourse level, said Neal Strasser, a battalion chief with the Arlington Fire Department.

The stadium site has already been under scrutiny, following a crane accident on Thursday afternoon. That day, a crane connector "failed," prompting cables and other parts to fall.

Three workers leapt off a nearby crane to avoid being hit and were injured in the 10- to 12-foot fall. All three were taken to area hospitals, though two have been released. The third, Wesley Harlow, remains in Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas. Hospital spokeswoman Susan Hall said Saturday evening that he is in serious condition.

More than 170 injuries – mostly minor – have occurred at the stadium site, where about 1,400 workers are engaged each day.

Two other high-profile accidents have happened during construction of the $1.1 billion stadium, which is scheduled to open for the Cowboys' 2009 season. A construction worker was injured in August when crane cables struck him in the back while on an upper deck of the new stadium. In January 2007, another worker fell 20 feet from scaffolding onto the field.

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Rangers play slip-n-slide
During a rain delay of nearly 90 minutes that preceded the postponement of Saturday's game between the Mets and Rangers, Bradley led a charge of six Rangers into an impromptu session of Slip 'N' Slide on the rain-slicked field cover at Shea Stadium.
Gerald Laird and Josh Hamilton broke out of the Rangers' dugout. They were soon joined by Josh Rupe and Michael Young. Only a little more than $100 million in guaranteed contracts. They slid about five times, eliciting a chant of "Let's go Rangers," from the fans still left at Shea.

General manager Jon Daniels held his breath, and when everybody got up unhurt, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"As long as nobody got hurt and no damage got done, they were just blowing off some steam and having some fun," said Daniels, a native of Queens. "And you don't hear that chant – 'Let's go Rangers' – very often in this borough."

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Sex Pistols kill....or at least threaten the crowd

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600

Jr gets his
But Griffey is far from done as a power hitter. There are still homers to hit, and milestones to reach. He could become the third player ever, joining Ty Cobb and Rusty Staub, to hit a home run as a teenager and as a 40-year-old. He could join Ted Williams, Rickey Henderson and Willie McCovey as the only players to hit home runs in four different decades and he could become the first player to hit 300 home runs for two different teams.

It is easy to look at 600 and wonder what might have been with improved health. But it is easier and more fun to remember Griffey at his best, a wondrous athlete who streaked through the outfield, climbed an outfield wall and made a catch that only Mays could make, then the next inning, hit a ball to places that very few players could reach. Six hundred home runs is a tremendous milestone, but Griffey at 100, 200, 300 and 400 was simply breathtaking.

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Panic time in LA?
Two games into the Finals, the Celtics are much closer to winning a 17th championship than the Lakers are to winning a 15th title.

Only three teams in NBA history have come back from 2-0 deficits to win the NBA Finals -- the Celtics in 1969 (against the Lakers), Portland in 1977 and Miami in 2006.

"I'm not worried about which Celtics team shows up," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said resolutely. "I'm worried about what Lakers team shows up. That's the one that moves the ball, and we do things well on the offensive end."

Oh, that one.
The Celtics shouldn't need to change much to hang on to their momentum. Paul Pierce's knee wasn't an issue after a 28-point effort, and the Celtics' defense has been strong throughout the series, a 41-point lapse in the fourth quarter of Game 2 the lone serious dent.

There is, however, their one main problem in the playoffs.

After a 31-10 regular-season record on the road, the Celtics are 2-7 away from home in the playoffs, though they did win two of three in Detroit in the Eastern finals.

"We've played well of late on the road, so that gives us confidence," Boston Coach Doc Rivers said.

Just what the Celtics need. More confidence.

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TO's weird saga continues
Terrell Owens is now subject to increased screenings for performance-enhancing drugs after the veteran receiver did not make himself available for a recent NFL-administered random test.

As a result, Owens has been placed in the NFL's "reasonable cause" testing program, sources said, though Owens said he has never failed a test in his 12-year career and passed his most recent test.

Owens said the league did not have an up-to-date cellphone number for him, leading to the miscommunication. While it is not uncommon for players to switch cellphone numbers or have multiple cellphones, changes in off-season phone numbers and addresses must be reported to the steroid program advisor.

"It was openly discussed and cleared up in a meeting that I had at the NFL office last week," Owens said in a statement released by his publicist. "I have been in the NFL for over 12 years and have never had a positive test for substance of any kind. That includes tests that took place as recently as last month. The matter was resolved to everyone's satisfaction last Tuesday, and everyone has moved on."

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Fallout from the David Jacobs steroid investigation
Convicted Plano steroids trafficker David Jacobs told The Dallas Morning News that he supplied performance-enhancing drugs to a Cowboys player before and after the 2006season.

In several conversations since January with reporters at The News , Mr. Jacobs described how he prepared spreadsheets detailing a regimen for special teams player Ryan Fowler. It has previously been reported that Mr. Jacobs told federal investigators he sold to offensive lineman Matt Lehr after he left the Cowboys.

Mr. Jacobs, 35, was found dead Thursday at his Plano home. An autopsy revealed he committed suicide in the same room where his ex-girlfriend, 30-year-old Amanda Jo Earhart-Savell, was shot several times. Her death was ruled a homicide Monday. Friends said Mr. Jacobs was extremely jealous and was upset that she had been seeing other men.

A day after the bodies were found, the NFL wrote Mr. Fowler a letter telling him he faces suspension for violation of the league's anabolic steroid policy. According to his attorney, the letter said there was credible evidence that Mr. Fowler "purchased, used or supplied" banned substances.

The existence of the letter was first reported Monday by ESPN.

"I suspect Jacobs said something which the NFL decided to use to threaten my client," Peter Ginsberg, Mr. Fowler's lawyer, said Monday. The league has given "absolutely no justification" for its action, he said.

"Without any corroboration the NFL is threatening to jeopardize my client's career," Mr. Ginsberg said.

He said he has asked the league for substantiation and it has not responded.

The NFL, Cowboys and the Tennessee Titans, where Mr. Fowler now plays, declined to comment.

Mr. Jacobs spoke to The News about his dealings with Mr. Fowler with the understanding that some details not be immediately published. After his death and after Mr. Fowler's attorney linked the league's action to Mr. Jacobs, The News decided to make some of the information public.

Contract boost

Mr. Jacobs said that with his help, Mr. Fowler, who played in Dallas from 2004 to 2006, went from making $400,000 as a Cowboy to signing a four-year, $11.5 million contract with the Titans, where he was a starting linebacker last season.

"After he got his big contract, he came back, knocked on my door and hugged me," Mr. Jacobs said. "He said, thanks, I just got $12 million."

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Cedric goes bye-bye

"Cedric displayed a pattern of behavior we will not tolerate," general manager Jerry Angelo said. "As I said this past weekend, you have to protect your job. Everyone in this organization is held accountable for their actions. When individual priorities overshadow team goals, we suffer the consequences as a team. Those who fail to understand the importance of 'team' will not play for the Chicago Bears."

Coach Lovie Smith, who brushed off reporters earlier in the day after Monday's practice, had no comment.

The move came less than an hour after Benson issued a statement he had hoped to make at Monday's organized team activity before he was sent home. The statement, crafted with the help of longtime ally and noted sports attorney David Cornwell, attempted to show remorse for putting the Bears through the latest ordeal.

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Big Brown's trainer is not happy

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Peterson gets extention from Stars
Toby Petersen worked a long time for his big break, and it came Monday afternoon. The 29-year-old center signed his first "one-way" contract in the NHL, hooking up with the Stars for two seasons at $550,000 a year.

Petersen played eight games during the regular season with the Stars after a call-up from the minors, but he played 16 of 18 playoff games, including some strong performances against Detroit in the Western Conference finals. He is a checking-line center who has some offensive upside and some strong leadership skills with several of the team's younger players

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The passing of a legend

Like many others, my Saturday afternooons as a kid were filled with the anticipation of Wide World of Sports. As I heard over the weekend, there is no book how to be a sportscaster, but Jim McKay wrote volumes as he helped to develop the art of sportscaster.
The passing of a legend
Over much of the '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s, I followed that voice all over the world, spanning the globe, spinning stories for ABC Sports, bringing all manner of odd athletic endeavors (Luge! Barrel jumping! Demolition derby!) to "Wide World of Sports," while remaining cool, calm and collected as TV host of ten Olympic Games.
Nobody who lived through the Black September attack in Munich during the 1972 Summer Olympics will forget what McKay meant to a nation. How hour after endless hour - under the enormous pressure of live television - he never once strayed into hype or hysteria, holding our collective hands as we pondered the fate of 11 Israeli athletes.

And when he finally found out, and told us they were gone, all gone, well, you never forget words like that, or the man who carried them into your home.

Today, there are far more screamers than commentators, a trend I trust he’d find regrettable. Perhaps the stories surrounding the death of this legend, at age 86, will serve to do what all those Saturday and Sunday afternoons did for me - inspire the next generation of broadcast journalists to model at least some of their ways after Jim McKay.

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The Leon Powe show?

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Rangers end a 10 game homestand 5-5
Rangers get one from the fighting Rays

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I watched a little Formula 1 racing Sunday for the first time in a long time. I must say, it was pretty entertaining. Part of it was the fact that they only raced 70 laps. That seems much easier to digest than 200 or 300 laps of Nascar or the IRL. There was side-by-side racing, wrecks, stuff happening in the turns, high speeds on the straightways. All good stuff.

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And so, it beings

Ah yes, the rematch beigns. However, these two teams (and tha NBA) are not yout Lakers and Celtics from the 80's. Just look at the shorts.

Dan Shaughnessy from the Boston Globe

LA's story

The Boston Celtics were physical and resolute.

The Lakers were not.

The result became predictable, a 98-88 Celtics victory in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

The Lakers were outrebounded, outhustled and outdone on the plot lines, Paul Pierce's return from what looked like a serious knee injury carrying the night Thursday at TD Banknorth Garden.

The Lakers didn't lose a Game 1 while cruising through the Western Conference, but this was different, in case the hauntingly familiar "Beat L.A." chants and loud green-clad crowd didn't drive home the distinction.

Kobe Bryant had a dreadful shooting night, making only nine of 26 shots on the way to a quiet 24 points, with little help from teammates.

The Celtics hammered the Lakers on the boards, 46-33, and held the top-shooting team in the playoffs to only 41.6% shooting. They were held to 15 points in the fourth quarter as the game got away.

The good news for the Lakers could be found only in the near future. Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Sunday.

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The Brawl in Boston



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The strange story of David Jacobs. Wonder what the NFL will do about any investigations.

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Wings Roll

Detroit Wins
Pitt's take
The Penquins could not build on their epic game 5 win. They looked totally gassed in the third. However, they did put up a gret effort and in football terms, came up a yard short from scoring the winning (or tying) touchdown.

As good as Osgood was, Zetterberg deserved the Conn Smythe.

After a very disappointing first 2 games, the NHL has to be happy with the past 4 games.

Evgeni Malkin finally made an appearance and mus tleave Pitt fans thinking, "what if..."

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A story on what happpeed to the music
When MTV was launched in 27 years ago, its purpose was to play music videos. This noble concept gave way to a pop culture phenomenon, forever changing the dynamic of celebrity culture. MTV became the place to spot the next big thing, and played a huge role in the break-out careers of artists like Madonna and Michael Jackson as well as ushering hip hop into the mainstream with Y! MTV Raps.


Over the years, MTV has become less music television, opting instead for programming dominated by reality television shows. For those of us who remember the MTV of the 80s and 90s, and remember MTV being the go-to source for music news, videos, events and breaking new artists, we see what it has become and wonder what happened.


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You probably never heard of this guy, but you have certainly seen his work



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Led Zeppelin - the ride