KINGS TO HOLD FIRST EVER FANTASY CAMP

FORMER KINGS GREATS TO TAKE PART IN INAUGURAL TWO-DAY EVENT IN EL SEGUNDO IN SEPTEMBER

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Kings will host L.A. Kings Fantasy Camp 2008 at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo from September 6-7. The inaugural camp will feature former Kings players Luc Robitaille, Marcel Dionne, Bernie Nicholls, Jim Fox, Daryl Evans, Steve Duchesne and Ray Ferraro and more as the inaugural event raises money for the Kings Care Foundation.

“This Fantasy Camp will feature a special once-in-a-lifetime experience for hockey fans,” said Robitaille, the Kings’ President of Business Operations. “Not only will our participants get the best instruction possible from some of the greatest players to play for the Kings, but we will all have a lot of fun in the process.”

For information on attending the Camp, contact the Kings Fan Development department at 213-742-7215. Visit LAKings.com/fantasy08 as more Kings alumni confirm and for all Camp information including registration.

Below is more information on the alumni already confirmed to attend this year’s Camp:

Luc Robitaille

-- Highest scoring left wing in NHL history with 668 goals

-- Holds Kings record for most goals scored (557)

-- Jersey retired by the Kings in 2007

-- Stanley Cup winner (2002 with Detroit) -- Future member of the Hockey Hall of Fame

-- Current Kings President, Business Operations

Marcel Dionne

-- Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame

-- Ranks fifth on the NHL’s all-time scoring list with 1,771 points

-- Holds Kings records for points (1,307) and assists (757)

-- Member of the famed Kings “Triple Crown Line”

-- Jersey retired by the Kings in 1990

-- Current Kings Ambassador

Bernie Nicholls

-- Scored 475 goals over his 18-year NHL career

-- Recorded 70 goals and 80 assists with the Kings during the 1988-89 season

-- Ranks fifth on the Kings all-time scoring list with 758 points

-- Holds Kings season-best records for goals (70) and short-handed goals (eight)

Jim Fox

-- Played in 578 games during his 10-year NHL career, all with the Kings

-- Ranks eighth on the Kings all-time scoring list

-- Scored at least 30 goals three times in career

-- Set to enter his 19th season as Kings’ TV color commentator

-- Named by Sports Illustrated in 2006 as best hockey analyst

Daryl Evans

-- Played six seasons in the NHL

-- Played with the Kings from 1981-85

-- Scored the game-winning goal in the 1982 “Miracle on Manchester” playoff game

-- Recorded 13 points in 10 playoff games with Kings in 1982

-- Set to enter his 10th season as the Kings’ Radio color commentator

Steve Duchesne

-- Played in 1,113 games over his 16-year NHL career

-- Recorded 752 points in career including 315 with the Kings

-- Won Stanley Cup (in 2002 with Detroit)

-- Named to NHL’s all-rookie team as a King (with Robitaille and Jimmy Carson)

Ray Ferraro

-- Played in 1,258 games over his 18-year career

-- Played with the Kings from 1996-99

-- Led the Kings in goals in 1996-97

-- Currently serves as a TV color commentator in Canada

http://lakings.com/

Chiefs TE Gonzalez Saves Man’s Life In Restaurant

Check out this Associated Press story about Tony Gonzalez saving a man's life. We often refer to professional athletes as heroes. I think this is a case of it actually being true.

By DOUG TUCKER, AP Sports Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)—A California man says Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez of the Kansas City Chiefs kept him from choking to death.

“Tony saved my life. There’s no doubt,” Ken Hunter, a shipping company manager, told The Associated Press in a phone interview from Huntington Beach, Calif.

“Tony came up behind me and gave me the Heimlich maneuver. Thank God he was there.”

Gonzalez, a nine-time Pro Bowl selection who has set numerous NFL records, was having dinner with his wife, brother and 5-week-old daughter at Capone’s restaurant in Huntington Beach Thursday night. Hunter, 45, was dining with his girlfriend at the next table when suddenly a piece of meat stuck in his throat.

“I tried to take a drink of water, but I couldn’t swallow,” Hunter told The AP. “Then I couldn’t breathe. That’s a terrible feeling. I couldn’t breathe. Then I guess I started to panic.”

Gonzalez, sitting with his back to Hunter’s table, looked around when he heard Hunter’s companion yelling.

“She was screaming, `He can’t breathe, he can’t breathe,”’ Gonzalez said by phone from California, where he lives in the offseason. “The whole restaurant was quiet. Nobody was doing anything.”

Then I saw he was turning blue. Everybody in the restaurant was just kind of sitting there wide-eyed.”

The 6-foot-5 Gonzalez, about a foot taller than Hunter, jumped out of his chair and came up behind the stricken man and began to perform the Heimlich maneuver.

“After just a few seconds, the piece of meat popped out,” Hunter said. “I could breathe again. It’s a good thing Tony is so tall because I had stood up— I think.”

Diana Martin, a restaurant employee, said no one else seemed to know what to do.

“He was so lucky Tony was there,” Martin said. “In a situation like that, every second counts. It helped a lot that Tony’s a big, strong guy because you have to be able to apply some pretty good pressure. I don’t think I would have been strong enough to help him.”

Hunter went into the restroom to clean up and didn’t realize he’d been saved by a famous athlete until he came out.

“I’m a big NFL fan and I recognized him right away. I was still kind of dazed when I went over and thanked him and said, `What can I do for you?’ I guess I said it about 1,000 times.”

Gonzalez, who has been active in charity and community activities during a brilliant career with the Chiefs, said he had no intention of having the incident become public.

“The next night I had a dinner for my grandmother’s 90th birthday, and people were saying, `Why didn’t you tell me about that?’ I honestly don’t want to make a big deal out of it. But of course it does give me a lot of satisfaction to know that I was able to help somebody.”

One of the most productive receivers in pro football history, Gonzalez holds the NFL record for tight ends with 820 career receptions and 102 catches in a season. He needs only 79 more yards receiving to become the career leader among tight ends.

He has never received any formal instruction in the Heimlich maneuver.

“I had seen it done, so I just did it,” Gonzalez said. “When you find yourself in those situations where you have to take action in a crucial situation, you just do it. I got the same feeling I get when I go on a hospital visit.”’

Hunter is a lifelong fan of the San Diego Chargers, one of Kansas City’s key rivals in the AFC West, and plans to be at the game when the Chiefs visit the Chargers on Nov. 9.

“I’m Tony’s No. 1 fan now,” he said.

And what will this longtime follower of the Chargers do if they’re ahead by four or five points in the final minute and Gonzalez runs into the end zone and leaps up for what would be the game-winning touchdown for K.C.?

“I’m going to be yelling for Tony to catch the ball,” Hunter said. “I think all my friends will understand.”

Courtesy: Associated Press

Ex-UCLA Women's Basketball Standout Quinn Returns The Favor To Her Community

Too often in sports we concentrate on the small faction of athletes who get into trouble away from their respective sports. As the old saying goes, "Bad news sells!" However, trust me when I say this, the overwhelming majority of athletes do not get arrested on a regular basis or curse out fans in public. They are much more likely to be involved in some type of community service rather than illegal activity. I just wished more media outlets presented these stories to the general public, and I wish more of the general public clamored to hear these stories.

Here's a great example of an athlete doing something to give back to her community. And you don't have to be a superstar to make a difference. This story by Jill Painter appeared recently in the Los Angeles Daily News.

By Jill Painter, columnist

Noelle Quinn was counting down the days until her trip home to Los Angeles via her computer's instant messenger.

But this trip was more special than most.

Quinn, the Minnesota Lynx guard who grew up in LosAngeles and starred at UCLA, helped hand out 25-pound boxes of food to families, many of whom she has known for years, on Wednesday.

The event, which backed up traffic on Vermont Avenue across the street from USC, was held in the parking lot at St. Mark's Lutheran Church, the church Quinn has attended all her life. She went to preschool there, too.

Folks were there to meet Quinn and accept some help in the form of canned foods and toiletries.

"Since I landed in L.A., I've had a smile," Quinn said. "I'm happy to be back. It's an opportunity to give to the community. I didn't know what to expect. I'm happy people were able to come out and that I was able to see some happy faces.

"They were amazed to see me, but at the same time, it was amazing to see them."

http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_9771586

Obama To "Open Up" Democratic National Convention

I received this e-mail today from the Barack Obama Campaign about its plans during the Democratic National Convention to be held in Denver. Read the e-mail for yourself and then check out my comments below.

I wanted you to be the first to hear the news.

At the Democratic National Convention next month, we're going to kick off the general election with an event that opens up the political process the same way we've opened it up throughout this campaign.

Barack has made it clear that this is your convention, not his.

On Thursday, August 28th, he's scheduled to formally accept the Democratic nomination in a speech at the convention hall in front of the assembled delegates.

Instead, Barack will leave the convention hall and join more than 75,000 people for a huge, free, open-air event where he will deliver his acceptance speech to the American people.

It's going to be an amazing event, and Barack would like you to join him. Free tickets will become available as the date approaches, but we've reserved a special place for a few of the people who brought us this far and who continue to drive this campaign.

If you make a donation of $5 or more between now and midnight on July 31st, you could be one of 10 supporters chosen to fly to Denver and spend two days and nights at the convention, meet Barack backstage, and watch his acceptance speech in person.

Each of the ten supporters who are selected will be able to bring one guest to join them. Make a donation now and you could have a front row seat to history.

https://donate.barackobama.com/openconvention_facebook

We'll follow up with more details on this and other convention activities as we get closer, but please take a moment and pass this note to someone you know who might like to be there.

It will be an event you'll never forget.

Thank you,

David David Plouffe

Campaign Manager

Obama for America

I think this is a brilliant move. Think about it. More people can relate to going to a sports stadium than they can a national political convention. It's all about connecting with the "average" people, who make up the majority of the populace. This is just another move to show how Obama is so much more emotionally accessible to the average American than any political candidate in recent memory. And just imagine how this scene will play out on television if they can get 50,000 to 75,000 people to show up at Mile High Stadium. Talk about grabbing the momentum heading into the fall.

Clippers Lure Baron Davis To LA, Hope Elton Brand Stays

In his obviously predetermined post-game interview outburst at the NBA Finals, Kevin Garnett shouted, "Anything is possible!" Something I've always believed, long before Adidas started using it to sell shoes. And if you ever needed further proof of that idea, all you had to do was hear the news of the Clippers agreeing to a free agent contract with Baron Davis.

Let's be real. Moves like this one don't usually happen for the Clippers. They happen to the Clippers. To put it simply, this is the biggest free agent coup in the history of the Donald T. Sterling era. Davis is a bonafide star in the NBA, a proven playoff performer, and someone who gives the Clippers more than just hope, but an actual chance to do great things.

However, that chance is only possible if Elton Brand re-signs with the Clippers, which was a foregone conclusion once Davis agreed to come on board. That was until the Warriors, fresh with new cap space, threw a max deal offer towards EB. Say what you will about Brand should do, but have you ever had to make a decision that would mean walking away from $20 million?

I have not talked to EB since the Warriors offered him $90 million, but those who have spoken to him recently believe he will remain with the Clippers, and so do I. Not only does he have several interests off the floor here in Los Angeles, but he and his wife Shahara are expecting their first child shortly. So with a fresh baby room awaiting its first tenant, it would be hard for Daddy Brand to bolt town for the Bay Area, don't you think?

UPDATE: You should expect some type of definite answer from Brand in the next 24-48 hours. And from what I'm hearing, EB will re-sign with the Clippers for all the reasons I mentioned above and for another one. Next season's salary cap is expected to be $59 million. If that is indeed the case, the Clippers could actually offer Brand a contract possibly in the $80-85 million range, which would be much closer to the Warriors offer of around $90 million. And don't forget, the Clippers are the only team that can offer Brand a 6-year deal. The maximum contract length available to everyone else is only five years. If you remember, that extra year was one of the main reasons Kobe Bryant stayed with the Lakers several years ago instead of jumping ship to the Clippers.

Brett Favre: Retired or not?

Let me preface my following comments with this statement: I really don't care if Brett Favre stays retired or comes back to play for the Packers this season. I truly and honestly don't. He's a grown-ass man and he can do whatever he wants.

But having said that, I do have a problem with the media's--especially ESPN's-- utter infatuation with this man. I mean, some people are treating Favre's impending comeback as though it were Jesus Christ rolling back that stone on Easter Sunday. If Favre does indeed play again this season, will he get a holiday named after him leading people to get dressed up in their Sunday best for a game?

Yes, he's one of the game's all-time greats. Without question. But he hasn't won a Super Bowl since 1997. His last Super Bowl appearance came in 1998. His run of 3 consecutive MVP awards stopped more than 11 years ago. He's come close to getting back to the Super Bowl in recent years, but so have Drew Brees and Jake Plummer, and Rex Grossman and Matt Hasselbeck actually got there. So what exactly does that say?

He's just another Hall of Fame football player hoping to make sure his decision to leave the game is one he won't regret. He wants to be certain he's ready to leave when he actually leaves. So while he battles with this emotional, life-altering choice, give the man some space. If you stop crowding him demanding a definite yes or no, he might actually give you what you want-- one more year!

Kaman Hoping To Lead Germany To Beijing

Chris Kaman had planned to play for Germany for quite sometime, but during the NBA season the opportunity came into question after a series of injuries. He has since fully recovered, and this experience should only help his development, which took a giant leap forward last season.

The Clippers, however, see this opportunity slightly differently. Since they have about $50 million invested in their starting center, they'd much rather he didn't play. They are concerned he might get hurt and affect his season back in LA. But if I recall, Elton Brand got hurt working out with Kaman 1-on-1 last summer. Injuries happen wherever and whenever. You can't really prevent them, and worrying about them doesn't help either.

But from a pure comedy standpoint, it might not get any better than Kaman in Beijing. It's a reality show waiting to happen.

(AP) FRANKFURT, Germany -- Los Angeles Clippers center Chris Kaman has received German citizenship and will team up with Dirk Nowitzki for Germany at an Olympic qualifying tournament later this month.

Kaman, whose great-grandparents were German, averaged 15.7 points and 12.7 rebounds last season with the Clippers.

The 7-foot Kaman will add size to a German team seeking to qualify for its first Olympics since the 1992 Barcelona Games.

"We'll be stronger under the baskets with Chris," Nowitzki said Thursday.

The German team is practicing at home for a warmup tournament before it travels to Greece for the July 14-20 qualifying event in Athens.

"Chris is a significant addition and we'll now have to integrate him in time for the Athens tournament," coach Dirk Bauermann said.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

What's Really In A Name?

In the latest installment of "Some people just take some things way too far," comes this report from the Washington Post. And just for the record, when did "gay" become a 4-letter word?

OneNewsNow.com, a Mississippi-based website committed to delivering "news from a Christian perspective," has a strict policy to replace certain words deemed offensive. So imagine the surprise when readers learned Sunday that Tyson Homosexual -- not Tyson Gay -- had run the world's fastest 100-meter dash.

The website ran the following altered Associated Press recap of Gay's 9.68-second wind-aided sprint:

"Tyson Homosexual was a blur in blue, sprinting 100 meters faster than anyone ever has. . . . Homosexual qualified for his first Summer Games team and served notice he's certainly someone to watch in Beijing."

"It means a lot to me," the 25-year-old Homosexual said. "I'm glad my body could do it, because now I know I have it in me."

Fred Jackson, news director of OneNewsNow, told the Washington Post that the site has been fixed.

"We took the filter out for that word," he said, without uttering the "G" word, the Post reported.

DODGERS PREVIEW 2008 OLYMPIC BASEBALL SITE

"Dodgers Insider: Trip to China" Debuts on FSN PRIME TICKET on Tuesday, July 8

Los Angeles--FSN PRIME TICKET, the destination for the most comprehensive Los Angeles Dodgers coverage, debuts "Dodgers Insider: Trip to China" on Tuesday, July 8. The half-hour show is the fifth Dodgers' original program to be featured during the 2008 MLB season.

"Dodgers Insider: Trip to China" airs at 10:30 PM on Tuesday, July 8 on FSN PRIME TICKET.

In 2008, Major League Baseball (MLB) unveiled MLB China Series to showcase the sport of baseball in China. On March 15 and 16, the Dodgers and the San Diego Padres met in the first-ever MLB games played in the country. The games were held at Wukesong Baseball Field in Beijing, a 12,000-seat facility and the host venue for baseball during the 2008 Olympic Games.

"Dodgers Insider: Trip to China" educates baseball fans on the MLB's plan to grow the sport in China. Interviews with MLB Commissioner Bud Selig and Chief Operating Officer of the MLB Players Association Gene Orza, alongside reaction to the historic events by Asian and American attendees, help to illustrate the plan. The half-hour show also spends time with Dodgers Owner Frank McCourt and Dodgers Manager Joe Torre. The experiences of the Boys in Blue traveling in and around Beijing are highlighted by Matt Kemp's side trip to the Great Wall of China.

Following the July 8, 2008 debut, FSN PRIME TICKET provides re-airs of the "Dodgers Insider: Trip to China", July 13 at 12:30 PM; July 21 at 9:30 PM; July 22 at 10:30 PM; July 23 at 10:00 PM; July 27 at 12:30 PM; July 28 at 10:30 PM and July 31 at 6:00 PM.

About FSN PRIME TICKET
FSN PRIME TICKET is the destination for the most comprehensive, local coverage of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Clippers, Anaheim Ducks, Chivas USA, Los Angeles Sparks, Los Angeles Avengers, Las Vegas Gladiators, UCLA Bruins, USC Trojans, local high school sports, Big West and Pac-10 conference competition. FSN PRIME TICKET and its sister network, FSN WEST, have been providing local sports coverage to Southern California, Nevada and Hawaii for over 20 years and together present more live, local sports programming than any other network or broadcast system in the market. The partner networks combine to produce over 700 live sporting events and telecast over 5,000 hours of original programming every year. For complete national and regional sports news, provocative opinions, telecast schedules and updated statistics, log-on to www.foxsports.com.
-- FSN PRIME TICKET --

TIGER’S TEST RUN

Just spotted this article in an e-mail from http://thegolfchannel.com. Even though his season is officially finished for 2008, it looks as though Tiger Woods is still active in at least one capacity on the PGA Tour.

Tiger Woods is still a candidate for drug testing, even though he will not be competing the rest of the year. But he already knows what to expect, having gone through private testing.

“I’ve done it twice, actually,” Woods said.

Why did he require two tests? Woods didn’t say when the tests were conducted, but both came back negative.

After the first test was clean, he said he changed the brand of amino acid as part of his nutrition program, and wanted to make sure the change didn’t alter the results. He said the second test came back negative, too.