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Five and Fly: Torre in trouble?

From Yahoo!Sports

By Tim Brown
Saturday, Apr 28, 2007 2:18 pm EDT

Those four championships in five years, those nine consecutive AL East titles, a streak that happens to be current, and the dignity and resolve that have made him the ideal manager for the New York Yankees since 1996, they might not be enough to save Joe Torre.
It would be a shame, and it would be wrong, but as one Yankees insider observed, "George might be itching for some carnage."
That would be Steinbrenner, who, despite reports to the contrary, is lucid enough to read the standings and come to his own conclusions. He still speaks every day to general manager Brian Cashman, who isn't entirely free of this, either.
Torre's contract expires at the end of this season, and nearly didn't make it to this one, then lost three starting pitchers and his left fielder before the season was two weeks old. Cashman's contract runs through 2008.
The Yankees are trolling for starters, but so are a lot of teams – the Detroit Tigers, for one – and already there's not enough to go around. Andy Pettitte apparently believes Rogers Clemens is going to pitch again, and the Yankees hope it's for them, and the Yankees also pine for Dontrelle Willis.
If Joe goes, here is the list Steinbrenner will be working from, and the entirely subjective odds of them being hired/promoted:
• Don Mattingly: 2-1. The presumed successor to Torre. Entire managerial experience: 1-1 in spring intrasquad games.
• Joe Girardi: 4-1. Viewed by Steinbrenner as a Don Zimmer disciple, which is not a good thing.
• Larry Bowa: 5-1. Boss likes his fire.
• Jim Fregosi: 8-1. Last managed in 2000 (Toronto); career record under .500.
• Tony Pena: 9-1. Bright guy, left Kansas City under hazy circumstances.
• Buck Showalter: 15-1. Potential A-Rod issues here, but A-Rod might not be around, right? Managed the Yankees from 1992-95.
• Bobby Valentine: 20-1. Makes sense, actually. New York is his kind of job.
• Dusty Baker: 30-1. Career .527 winning percentage, despite last two seasons in Chicago.
• Ken Macha: 50-1. Good man who resented front-office interference in Oakland.
FIVE …
• Speaking of Clemens, assuming he'd pitch somewhere this season and that his preferences were the Yankees and Houston Astros, what must he be thinking this morning? The Yankees have lost seven in a row and are in last place in the AL East. The Astros have lost seven in a row and are tied for last place in the NL Central. Does this make the Boston Red Sox the new favorites?
• And what about Sandy Koufax, who must now choose between the Israel Baseball League and the Yankees?
• It's been pretty well proven that walking Barry Bonds does not mean keeping the San Francisco Giants from scoring runs. If I'm an opposing manager, though, I'd have to see it for myself. The Arizona Diamondbacks walked Bonds three times and hit him with a pitch Friday night, and Ray Durham made the last out in all four innings.
• The career saves list isn't a very safe place these days. Trevor Hoffman (1) has blown consecutive saves for the first time in 10 years. Mariano Rivera (4) has an ERA over 12. The New York Mets bailed Billy Wagner (10) out of a loss on Tuesday, though he's been fine otherwise. Jose Mesa (13) is on the Detroit Tigers' disabled list. Only Roberto Hernandez (11) is untouched, so far.
• So far, steroids dealer Kirk Radomski is being described by those who shared time with him in the New York Mets' clubhouse as a largely invisible employee hardly anyone knew. Tick … tick … tick …
… AND FLY
I hear Tony La Russa will wager $1 million that Curt Schilling's bloody sock could write a better baseball column for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Any takers?

'Rabbit ears' find new life in HDTV age

From Yahoo!News

By JOE MILICIA, Associated Press Writer Sat Apr 28, 7:11 PM ET
CLEVELAND - Buying an antenna for a high-definition television seems as out of place as using a rotary phone to make a call. But some consumers are spending thousands of dollars on LCD or plasma TVs and hooking them up to $50 antennas that don't look much different from what grandpa had on top of his black-and-white picture tube

They're not doing it for the nostalgia.
Local TV channels, broadcast in HD over-the-air, offer superior picture quality over the often-compressed signals sent by cable and satellite TV companies.
And the best part? Over-the-air HD is free.
"Eighty-year-old technology is being redesigned and rejiggered to deliver the best picture quality," said Richard Schneider, president of Antennas Direct. "It's an interesting irony."
A few years ago, Schneider started an assembly line in his garage and sold antennas out of the trunk of his car. Now his Eureka, Mo.-based company has seven employees and did $1.4 million in sales last year. He expects revenue to double in 2007.
"People thought I was nuts. They were laughing at me when I told them I was starting an antenna company," Schneider said.
Before cable and satellite existed, people relied on antennas to receive analog signals from local TV stations' broadcasting towers. Stations still send out analog signals, but most now transmit HD digital signals as well. (Congress has ordered broadcasters to shut off old-style analog TV broadcasts by Feb. 17, 2009.)
Consumers who can get a digital signal from an antenna will get an excellent picture, said Steve Wilson, principal analyst for consumer electronics at ABI Research.
One major difference with a digital over-the-air signal is it doesn't get snowy and fuzzy like the old analog signal. Instead, the picture will turn into tiny blocks and go black.
"You either get it or you don't," said Dale Cripps, founder and co-publisher of HDTV Magazine. "Some people can receive it with rabbit ears, it depends where you are."
Schneider recommends indoor antennas only for customers within 25 miles of a station's broadcast tower. An outdoor antenna will grab a signal from up to 70 miles away as long as no mountains are in the way, he said.
The Consumer Electronics Association has a Web site http://www.antennaweb.org/ that tells how far an address is from towers and recommends what type of antenna to use.
"When you're using an antenna to get an HD signal you will be able to receive true broadcast-quality HD," said Megan Pollock, spokeswoman for the group. "Some of the cable and satellite companies may choose to compress the HD signal."
Compression involves removing some data from the digital signal. This is done so that the providers will have enough room to send hundreds of other channels through the same cable line or satellite transmission.
The difference in picture quality is a matter of opinion, said Robert Mercer, spokesman for satellite provider DirecTV Inc.
"We believe the DirecTV HD signal is superior to any source, whether it's over-the-air or from your friendly neighborhood cable company," Mercer said.
Others disagree.
Self-described TV fanatic Kevin Holtz, of suburban Cleveland, chose an antenna because he didn't want to pay his satellite provider extra for local broadcast channels.
Holtz, 30, can't get the signal from one local network affiliate or a public broadcasting station but said the rest of the stations come in clearer than they would through satellite. He uses a $60 antenna for a 40-inch Sony LCD, which retails for about $3,000.
"Over-the-air everything is perfect," Holtz said.
Another downside to using just an antenna is that only local channels are available, meaning no ESPN, TNT, CNN or Discovery Channel. Some consumers partner an antenna with cable or satellite service.
Many people aren't aware that they can get HD over the airwaves, Wilson said. He estimates there are 10 million households with HDTVs and that fewer than 2 million of them use antennas. Including homes with analog sets, 15 million of the 110 million households in the United States use antennas.
HD antenna prices range from $20 to $150 for indoor and outdoor versions. The many models of available indoor antennas look more like a fleet of spaceships than the rabbit ears of old. Brand names include Terk, Philips, Audiovox, Jensen and Magnavox.
Those really interested in saving a buck and who have a little MacGyver in them could make their own antenna. Steve Mezick of Portland, Ore., created one out of cardboard and tinfoil.
"I decided to build it because the design looked exceedingly simple. I scrounged up stuff around the house and put one together," said Mezick, a bowling alley mechanic who repairs pin spotters.
The 30-year-old has since upgraded his original design using a wire baking sheet, clothes hanger and wood. He mounted it to the side of his house and gets all of his local stations.
"It works brilliantly," he said.

Russell first in draft, Johnson second, Quinn plummets to 22nd

From Yahoo! Sports

NEW YORK (AP) -- JaMarcus Russell barely had to wait before taking the stage as an Oakland Raider at Saturday's NFL draft. Brady Quinn turned out to be the forgotten quarterback, lingering long after Russell was picked, until Cleveland took him 22nd.
Russell was the top choice, by the offense-deficient Raiders. The 6-foot-6 junior QB who can throw the ball 80 yards fits the mold for Al Davis, who loves the deep ball.
LSU players had plenty of draft-day luster. Five spots after Russell, Tigers safety LaRon Landry went to Washington, and two more Tigers were chosen later in the opening round.
Notre Dame's Quinn sat and watched 21 players get called before he went to the Browns, the team he grew up rooting for in Dublin, Ohio. Once considered the best prospect in this year's crop, he was still available when the Browns traded with Dallas to get back into the first round.
When selected, Quinn let out a big sigh of relief before shaking commissioner Roger Goodell's hand, and fans who booed him before the draft cheered him this time.
"I felt like the weight of the world was lifted of my shoulders," Quinn said. "The love-hate relationship comes from going to Notre Dame. It's like the Yankees, you either love 'em or hate 'em.
"I got great advice beforehand and that was just to be patient. I said before that I was going to be open-minded, and that's the tough thing. I was open-minded, and I had a point in my head where I didn't think I was going to fall any further, and it obviously exceeded that."
Russell had no such anxious moments.
When Goodell, conducting his first draft as commissioner, announced Russell's name, Raiders fans in the crowd cheered loudly. But there was a mixture of cheers and boos when Russell, who is bigger than some NFL linemen, came on stage to don a Raiders hat and hold up a No. 1 black jersey.
Then came chants of "L-S-U, L-S-U" for the man who soon will be in charge of the Oakland offense.
"I kind of had faith in it. Everybody had been talking about it for a while," Russell said of being chosen first. "It's a dream come true. Growing up as a kid playing every sport in life and always seeing the guys on the professional level, and here I am today."
"I can't wait to get in the black and silver and get to work."
While he works for a team that went 2-14 last season and scored only 168 points, Landry heads to the Redskins to team with Sean Taylor in what could be a dynamic set of safeties.
"Our feeling there was, with this pick, we need to pick someone that we feel is going to play for a long time," coach Joe Gibbs said, "and have a chance to do some outstanding things."

LSU wide receiver Dwayne Bowe went 23rd to Kansas City, and wideout Craig Davis was chosen 30th by San Diego. It's the first time LSU has had four first-round picks.
Quinn's draft day turned into an agonizing wait.
He kept flashing a smile that became harder to maintain with each selection, perhaps recalling how Matt Leinart dropped last year and Aaron Rodgers plummeted in 2005. Leinart only fell to 10th to Arizona; Rodgers went 24th overall to Green Bay.
When Miami selected Ohio State wide receiver-kick returner Ted Ginn Jr., at No. 9, Dolphins instead of Quinn fans at Radio City Music Hall let out a gasp and booed. And then a huge portion of he crowd began chanting, "BRADY, BRADY."
At one point the NFL allowed Quinn to wait it out in a room away from TV cameras.
"I guess just the opportunity to have Cleveland come back around and giving me a chance to play there is just something that I've always dreamed of doing," Quinn said.
"I was surprised that he went past nine. I thought he could have gone anywhere from the first pick in the draft to the ninth pick in the draft," said Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis. "I was surprised because when ... you establish a floor and you figure Miami is the floor, and he doesn't get picked then, then you're definitely surprised."
The Browns gave a second-round choice and next year's No. 1 to the Cowboys to get Quinn. They could've had him at No. 3 but took Wisconsin offensive tackle Joe Thomas instead.
Thomas spent the morning fishing back home rather than attend the draft.
"It didn't surprise me," Thomas said of being taken by the Browns. "I hoped for a few months that Cleveland would pick me. They showed a lot of interest in me all the way along."
After Russell's selection, Detroit declined several trade options for the No. 2 overall pick and chose wide receiver Calvin Johnson of Georgia Tech, considered the best athlete available. It was the fourth time in five years the Lions chose a wideout high in the draft. Only one of the others, Roy Williams, has succeeded in Detroit. Johnson, an All-American junior known as "Spider-man," is 6-4 and 237 pounds and can run a 4.35 in the 40.
"I told him when he was here (for a pre-draft visit) that he wouldn't get past 2," Lions president Matt Millen said. "This guy is the real deal."

Tampa Bay picked the first defensive player, Clemson end Gaines Adams, who at 6-5 is an inch shorter and three pounds lighter than Russell.
"Oh, it's a tremendous honor," Adams said of being the top defensive selection. "There's a lot of great defensive players that are out in this draft and it's just an honor to me to be one of the first ones chosen."
Arizona also went for offensive line help at No. 5, taking Penn State tackle Levi Brown, who should replace Leonard Davis, now with Dallas after leaving as a free agent.
Adrian Peterson of Oklahoma was chosen by Minnesota, which apparently was unconcerned by the running back's history of injuries in college.
"I don't want to say necessarily disappointed because my dream has come true," Peterson said of sliding to seventh overall. " You never put all your eggs in one basket. I am just excited."
At No. 8, Arkansas defensive end Jamaal Anderson went to Atlanta, which went to the Super Bowl in 1999 with a running back named Jamal Anderson.
Then Miami got Ginn.
"I promise you that Ted Ginn is going to be someone you're going to enjoy watching play for a long, long time as a Miami Dolphin," coach Cam Cameron said.
But Johnson was the true prize at wide receiver, and Lions coordinator Mike Martz has a history of using such players well.
"He's ecstatic just like me," Johnson said of Martz. "Like I said, I'm going to be in a good situation."

The 10th pick was 19-year-old defensive tackle Amobi Okoye of Louisville, by Houston. He's the youngest player drafted in the first round since the merger and will join last year's No. 1 overall pick, defensive end Mario Williams, on the line.
Johnson, Adams and Okoye all reportedly admitted in team interviews at the NFL combine that they had tried marijuana. That clearly didn't hurt their stock.
San Francisco followed by choosing the best linebacker in the draft, Mississippi's Patrick Willis. Buffalo, selected next, was interested in Willis, as well but settled for Cal running back Marshawn Lynch. Lynch could replace Willis McGahee, who was traded to Baltimore in the offseason.
The Jets and Panthers swung the first trade of the day, with New York moving up from 25th overall to 14th for Pittsburgh's Darrelle Revis, the first cornerback selected Saturday. The Jets gave their first, a second-rounder and a fifth-rounder for Revis, who also returns kicks. Carolina also gave New York a sixth-round choice.
Late in the opening round, San Francisco sent its 2008 first-rounder to New England to get the 28th spot, where the Niners picked offensive tackle Joe Staley of Central Michigan.
Midway into the second round, the 49ers got back an '08 first-round pick from the Colts for a pick Indianapolis used to take Arkansas tackle Tony Ugoh.
At one point in the 6-hour, 8-minute first round -- longest ever -- nine straight defensive players were chosen.
In all, 17 defensive players were taken, and 15 on offense. Fourteen underclassmen were selected and 11 SEC players went in the opening round.
The first three rounds took a total of 11 hours, 4 minutes, the longest ever.

Hands-on with an iPod Battery Replacement Kit

From Yahoo!Tech

I've been known to dig up a screwdriver and open the occasional DVD player when, say, a disc gets jammed in the tray, but prying open an iPod with a little screwdriver has never seemed like a good idea to me. Yet here is Blue Raven Technology with its new series of DIY iPod battery replacement kits, which promise to help you swap in a new battery for your player. I gave it a shot myself yesterday, and guess what? It worked, but my iPod's lovely shell suffered some ugly dings in the process. Ugh.The $30 Blue River kit is pretty straightforward: you get a replacement battery for the iPod of your choice (in my case, a first-generation 5GB iPod, but note that Blue Raven does make a kit for the Nano), a tiny screwdriver, and a green plastic tool for prying the case open. The first step is to take the screwdriver and "gently" shove it between the iPod's front and back covers. Now, if you recall, the front cover of the original iPod is surrounded by a layer of clear plastic enamel, and while trying to, uh, gently insert the screwdriver in the tight seam, I took several digs out of the plastic. Sure, the enamel was a bit scuffed up already, but I was pretty bummed that I'd dinged up the casing so noticeably. Anyway, the next step is to work the green plastic tool inside the seam and start prying the front and back covers apart, except I couldn't hold the seam open with the screwdriver and insert the tool at the same time; a third hand would have been helpful here. After much digging and scraping, I finally wedged the plastic thingy (its sharp edge now pretty well wrecked) inside and began pulling the covers apart; you're supposed to, again, "gently" work the tool all the way around your iPod and neatly snap off the back cover, but eventually I lost patience and resorted to brute force. Not exactly elegant, but no apparent damage done.Next, you remove the thin, flat battery, which takes up almost the entire back side of the iPod. The battery is attached to the player with a thick adhesive pad, and pulling the battery free almost took the innards of my iPod with it. Oops. That done, I unplugged the old battery, pressed the replacement against the adhesive pad (it was still sticky), plugged it in, tucked the tiny battery wire in a space behind the iPod's logic board, and snapped the metal cover back on. Three hours of charging later, my old iPod was ready to rock again.So yes, the kit worked as advertised, and its $30 list price is significantly cheaper than the $60 Apple charges for replacing out-of-warranty iPod batteries. But I'd seriously question the wisdom of prying open your iPod unless you know what you're doing—and if, indeed, you're made of stern DIY stuff, you might have something in your toolbox that will work just as well as the crude tools that ship with Blue Raven's kit.

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Michael Jordan's son plans to play for Illinois

April 27, 2007

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) -- Jeffrey Jordan, the son of Michael Jordan, plans to attend Illinois next year and play basketball as a walk-on.
Jordan, a 6-2 guard at Loyola Academy prep school in Wilmette, Ill., said in a news release Friday he chose Illinois over Valparaiso.
"After I worked out at Illinois, (met) with the coaching staff and the players, and toured the campus with my mom, I just felt more comfortable with U of I," he said.
The 18-year-old Jordan was a three-year starter at Loyola Academy and two-year All Catholic League player.
After working out at Illinois last week, Jordan told Illinois coach Bruce Weber about his plans Wednesday.
"He's a quality kid who is very competitive and passionate about basketball," Weber said in an e-mailed statement. "He's made great strides over the last year as a player and is an excellent student who should be a great fit here at the University of Illinois."
A message left for Michael Jordan with the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats, the team of which he is a part owner, was not returned.
As a walk-on, Jordan will have not been on scholarship and will not sign a letter of intent, meaning his commitment is nonbinding.

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