7/23/08: 15-12
That record sounds a whole lot better than 14-13 doesn’t it? The Sparks’ overtime win in Minnesota, at the tail end of their “Long and Winding Road Trip”, was an incredible victory. It was so exciting that I thought I might need Dick Cheney’s cardiologist just to get me through the game. That win was a lot more than just a feel good moment though. It closed out the road trip on a winning note, vaulted the Sparks back into third place in the West, and kept the Lynx from grabbing the tie-breaker in the season series between the two teams.
That overtime win came in the very last game of a road trip that started on Wednesday July 16th and ended Sunday July 27th. Needless to say, that victory was absolutely huge for Coop’s Troops. Don’t forget, the Sparks played six games in eleven nights on that trip. We were on the road more than Willie Nelson and the Michelin Man combined. The air travel alone covered more than 5,500 miles and then there were the numerous bus rides, including a late night trip from Uncasville, CT to New York City when the Sparks played a back to back against the Sun and then the Liberty. The highlight of that drive was a midnight stop at Denny’s for some gourmet dining and a 3 A.M. arrival at our Manhattan hotel. Ahh, the glamorous life! Heck! We weren’t in the Big Apple long enough for me to brush up on my jaywalking!
The “L & W Road Trip” was a real challenge for the Sparks. Consider this. The team spent time in three different time zones (somehow we skipped Mountain Time) and a variety of climates. We started with HOT and dry in Phoenix, moved on to hot and HUMID in Houston and got a little taste of muggy, stormy, sticky and rainy before the trip was over in Minneapolis. Sneezy and Dopey were not on the itinerary.
The “L&W Road Trip” was almost two weeks of late nights and early wake up calls. It featured jet lag, strange beds, fast food, multiple airport security checks, trying to grab a few winks in the air or on the road and, of course, washing socks and underwear in the sink to try to stay one step ahead of the Dirty Clothes Demon.
Was the trip successful? Well 2-4 was not what Coop and his coaches were hoping for when the journey began. It beats the heck out of 1-5, but the Sparks hurt themselves on the boards, at the free throw stripe, and in the turnover department again. All of those areas will have to be improved after the Olympic break if the team plans to compete for the WNBA championship.
When the team flew out of Minneapolis on Monday morning, several of us winged our way to LAX, while many of the players took off to their various homes and destinations around the country. Lisa, Delisha, and Candace flew directly to northern California where they began a short training camp with their Olympic teammates. Then, off to China for exhibition games against Australia, Russia, and China, before taking on the world in the Olympic games in Beijing.
Be sure to keep those emails coming and don’t forget to check out my web site www.larrybsports.com
In the next few weeks I am going to need your help with something, so keep checking out this page for more information.
7/23/08: WHAT A GAME!
I told you that the Detroit Shock was the most physical team in the WNBA! That was putting it mildly! Did you think I was kidding?
Mahorn is bigger than most of the balloons in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, but he also has a huge heart. He acts big and tough, but Ricky is a pussycat. He is a proud dad who loves his four daughters. I cannot believe that he intentionally shoved Lisa to the deck. I think he was trying to keep players separated. Coop was doing the same thing with Detroit’s players in the middle of the melee, but Mahorn’s sheer size and strength created an incredible mismatch with Leslie. Lisa never had a chance.
I am glad that none of the Sparks got hurt. I feel bad that Cheryl Ford got hurt during the altercation. She was only trying to keep Plenette Pierson from going all the way from crazy to totally insane. Hopefully, Pierson will think twice before she loses her cool and her mind again.
I’ll be honest with you. I do not mind a good fight every once in awhile. I know! The politically correct thing to say is that “there is no place in sports for this kind of activity”. Truth is, the Sparks have been playing soft and getting pushed around for weeks. They were struggling with team chemistry on the court and had not exhibited anything remotely resembling a killer instinct. Tuesday night for a few wild seconds, they pulled together, closed ranks and stood up for each other. You find out who your real friends are when a fight breaks out. There will definitely be suspensions that will hurt the Sparks, but circle July 21st on your 2008 calendar. That just might be the date that the L.A. Sparks became a true team again and serious championship contenders.
Unfortunately, we did not have radio coverage of the Tuesday Night Fights for you, but I’ll be back on AM-1150 Thursday night at 7PM(pt) when the Sparks take on the Lindsay Whalen and the Sun in Connecticut.
Keep those emails coming! I’ll try to answer some of them in this space, later this week. Be sure to check out my personal blog at www.larrybsports.com.
7/21/08: ROAD REPAIR!
The Sparks have really dug a hole for themselves by losing the first two games of this six game road trip. After a strong performance in the win over San Antonio, at STAPLES Center, the Sparks went back to their woeful ways in Phoenix and Houston. Too many turnovers, not enough rebounds (especially on the offensive glass) and a lack of physical play continue to haunt the team. The Sparks will need to fix all those areas if they plan to compete with Detroit on Tuesday night. The Shock is the most physical team in the WNBA and one of the best at taking care of the basketball. Bill Laimbeer’s team is stinging from Sunday’s loss to Sacramento. That was Detroit’s first home loss of the season, so you know that the Shock will be amped up for their showdown with the Sparks, Tuesday night on national television.
No radio for that game, but the Sparks will be back on AM-1150 (Los Angeles) for Thursday night’s match up with the Connecticut Sun. We will be tape delayed, so you’ll be able to catch my play-by-play starting at 7PM (pt). I hope you can tune in.
Keep those emails coming! I’ll try to answer some of them in this space, later this week. Be sure to check out my personal blog at www.larrybsports.com.
7/18/08: HOT STUFF!
There was a HEAT WARNING ADVISORY in effect this morning in Phoenix. The temperature was 90 degrees when I got my 5:45 A.M. wake up call. It was scheduled to be 107 by noontime and close to 112 degrees in mid afternoon.
There should have been a HEAT ADVISORY Thursday night in U.S. Airways Center because Delisha Milton-Jones was on fire against the Mercury. “D” scored 19 points in the first quarter and she did not miss a shot. She canned all six of her field goal attempts in the quarter including 4 for 4 from long distance and 3 for 3 from the stripe. DM J had a new career high, 27 points, by halftime and finished with 38 points and brand new career highs of 13 fgm and 5- 3pt fgm. DEEEEEEEEEEEE-LIGHTFUL for Delisha, but the Sparks coughed up 23 turnovers to only 10 for Phoenix in that game. The Mercury won the battle of the boards and won the ball game 99-92 to earn a split of the season series.
BTW- The average price for a gallon of gas in the Phoenix area is $4.06 right now. I saw it for as low as $3.99 down there. When we got to Houston this afternoon, I saw one gas station that was selling unleaded regular for $3.85/ gallon. Those were the good old days, weren’t they?
We’ll have Saturday’s game against the Comets for you on radio at AM-1150. Coverage starts at 5:30 (PT) so be sure to tune in. Keep those emails coming too, and don’t forget to check out the Sparks’ audio interviews and highlights that are available at the top of this page.
THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD TRIP CONTINUES!
7/14/08: FRESH FISH - ONE NIGHT ONLY
Lakers’ guard, Derek Fisher will be working with me tonight on the FSN-Prime Ticket broadcast of the Sparks v. San Antonio game. If you can’t make it to the game at Staples Center, be sure to tune in at 7:30 P.M. (pt) and catch our act on the tube. Our next T.V game on FSN won’t be until after the Olympic break, August 28th to be exact, when the Sparks host the Sacramento Monarchs.
Lisa Leslie and I are scheduled to sign copies of her life story, “DON’T LET THE LIPSTICK FOOL YOU”, after the game. Books have to be purchased at the Team LA Store in Staples Center and I have been informed that there are less than 50 copies available.
7/8/08: I’M SO EXCITED!!
My apologies to Donna Summer, but the Sparks finally won a home game when they beat Phoenix last Sunday night. Okay, they did not win the fourth quarter again, but we are taking things one step at a time right now. Besides, the Merc only outscored L.A. 23-15 in that fourth quarter. In the final quarters of their four home losses, this season, the Sparks had been:
OUTSCORED - 124-59
OUTSHOT - 60%- 30%fg
OUTSCORED - + 16 FT points
OUTSHOT - 10-20- 3PT FG to 3-17- 3PT FG
The Sparks also committed 8 more turnovers than their opponents in the 4th quarters of those losses too. So, you can see why I was excited about the win over Phoenix!
I’M EXCITED II!!!
Lisa Leslie and I will be signing copies of her life story, “DON’T LET THE LIPSTICK FOOL YOU” after Sparks’ home games on Wednesday, July 9th and Monday, July 14th. The signings will be on the court, but here is the catch. We can only autograph books that have been purchased at the LA Team Store at Staples Center and I understand that there will only be 25 copies available for sale on the 9th (vs. Houston) and less than 50 copies available on the 14th(vs. San Antonio). Lisa’s husband, Michael Lockwood, will also be signing his book “Women Have All the Power. Too Bad They Don’t Know It”, which is also on sale at the LA Team Store.
I’M EXCITED III!!!
Hopefully, you noticed something new near the top of this page. Thanks to Chris Forrest (our web guru) we now have Sparks' highlights and interviews available to you. You can check out Lisa’s historic dunk from 2002 and Candace Parker’s two dunks from this season as well as interviews with key players from the Sparks and the WNBA.
I know that a lot of you are at the games when our halftime interviews air on the radio broadcasts on AM-1150. We’ve had some great chats, many of them very enlightening, and now you can hear them right here on the blog page just by making a little click. I think you’ll enjoy them. Let me know.
That is all the excitement I can handle for one day. I’ll be looking for you at the Houston game. If you cannot make it, be sure to tune in for the radio play by play at 7:30PM (pt) or right here on lasparks.com.
My website is www.larrybsports.com. You can read my personal blog there and send me an email, too. Who knows, I may answer it here or read your mail on the air.
7/5/08: CU ON TV!
Hey! If you cannot make it to Sunday night’s game against Phoenix, be sure to tune in FSN-Prime Ticket at 6:30PM. Lakers’ guard, Derek Fisher and I will be calling all the action for you on television.
Immediately following that game, FSN-Prime Ticket will be running the interview that I did with Lisa Leslie for “In My Own Words”. Be sure to check that out and if you are at the game, make sure that you set your Tivo.
Upcoming Sparks’ games on FSN will be:
Monday, July 14th v San Antonio 7:30PM (pt)
Thursday, August 28th v Sacramento 7:30PM
Monday, September 1st v Minnesota 7:30PM
Thursday, September 11th v Atlanta 7:30PM
I hope to see you at every home game. When Sparks’ games are not on FSN or national t.v., you can catch my play-by-play on AM-1150 radio. My website is www.larrybsports.com. You can read my personal blog there and send me an email, too. Who knows, I may answer it here or read your mail on the air.
7/2/08: DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS!
I got my handy-dandy camera out on the Sparks’ most recent trip to San Antonio. Here is a brief pictorial travelogue.
San Antonio is known as “The Alamo City” because The Alamo is in the city and no, you cannot rent cars there.
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Remember the Alamo & try to forget the Sparks’ 77-75 loss to the Silver Stars!
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The Alamo is not the most impressive historical site that I’ve ever seen, but if Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett were willing to fight for the place, it is good enough for me.
San Antonio’s Riverwalk is a hot spot for tourists. The river is lined with shops, bars and restaurants and you can hop on a boat, take the tour, and check it all out without ever getting wet.
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If you aren’t walking, shouldn’t they call it the Riverboat?
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San Antonio’s Riverwalk is a hot spot for tourists. The river is lined with shops, bars and restaurants and you can hop on a boat, take the tour, and check it all out without ever getting wet.
By the way, when the boat gets close to the bridge, be sure to...
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You were way ahead of me on this one, weren’t you?
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There is plenty of good Mexican food, barbeque, and beverages along San Antonio’s Riverwalk. I was told that more than a few people have gotten “up close and personal” with the ducks after having a few too many adult beverages. Hey, it’s Texas so you know that you are going to find a wide variety of cowboy hats, boots and western wear. I stayed away from the spurs, but I figured “When in Texas…”
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Just call me Tex!
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Y’all come back now, ya hear?
6/22/08: HISTORIC!
1939 - The first U.S. water-ski tournament was held at Jones Beach, on Long Island, New York
1946 - Jet airplanes were used to transport mail for the first time.
1959 - Eddie Lubanski rolled 24 consecutive strikes in a bowling tournament in Miami, FL.
1970 - U.S. President Richard Nixon signed 26th amendment, lowering the voting age to 18.
1990 - Billy Joel became the first rock artist to perform at Yankee Stadium.
2006 - Shakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie” was the #1 song on the Billboard charts
2008- CANDACE PARKER DUNKED AGAINST THE INDIANA FEVER!
In the history of the WNBA, there have only been two dunks during regular season games. They both happened in Staples Center, went into the same basket, were performed by members of the L.A. Sparks, and I got to call them both. Lisa Leslie did it first against the Miami Sol on July 30th, 2002.
WNBA fans voted that event as the “Greatest Milestone” in the league’s first decade. I remember it vividly. In fact, I will never forget it. That image is permanently branded in Lisa’s memory as well. Here is how she described that first dunk in an excerpt from Lisa’s life story “Don’t Let the Lipstick Fool You”.
“The Sparks were hosting the Miami Sol and we were trailing 36-25 with 4:44 remaining in the first half. I was mad. We were losing to an expansion team and our team defense was terrible. Miami moved the ball around really well and they seemed to be making every shot, so when Betty Lennox launched a three point shot, it was a bit surprising to see the ball bounce off of the iron and into the hands of my teammate, Latasha Byears. I just reacted and started sprinting down court. Toto turned and tossed the ball. I was just barely across mid-court when I caught the pass. Lennox was chasing me, but there was nobody between me and the basket. I knew that I only needed two or three dribbles to get to there. I was going for it. I was going to dunk! My steps were right, just as they were that rainy day at Morningside when high jump practice was moved into the gym and I worked on my approach, kicked into gear and dunked that tennis ball. On this night, I went up and I dunked it Hard! I was happy that it was not some wimpy “I just barely pushed it in” kind of dunk. It was not like my fingernail just barely made it over the rim. There was no question about it. This was a quality dunk. People were not sitting there wondering, ‘Did she try to dunk?’ They knew it and I knew it. I clearly dunked the ball. The rim snapped down and popped back. Everybody saw it!
The television audience on Fox Sports Net saw it and heard Larry Burnett’s play-by-play call that went, ‘Byears gets it up to Leslie. What's she going to do? SHE DUNKED IT! For the first time in WNBA history. It's Lisa Leslie with the dunk. She did it in practice, at the All-Star game and now, for the first time in WNBA history, a player has dunked in a WNBA game. Nobody, nowhere, no how had ever done it...’
My reaction was amazement. I threw my hands up in the air and started running back down court. I was thinking, ‘I did it!’ Usually, during a game, I don’t hear much crowd reaction because I am so totally focused, but after I dunked, the noise was incredible. ‘Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!’ Everybody in the arena was up. They had seen a little piece of history and I could definitely hear them. The fans were in shock. The Sparks were in shock and so was the Miami Sol.
Sparks’ head coach, Michael Cooper was jumping up and down when he saw the dunk. Coop had seen his share of great dunks while he was with the Lakers, but he was really excited to see me slam one down and make some WNBA history. My coach said, ‘It was surreal because they say women can’t get over the rim like that, but she put that one in. It didn’t go in by a hair or a fingernail. It didn’t go in clanking off the rim. She dunked the basketball like a true pro is supposed to do.’
The accolades were wonderful but the terrible thing was that we lost the game 82-73 to an expansion team. The dunk also brought with it a burning question. The ball had barely dropped through the net when people started asking me, ‘When are you going to do it again?’
I think as we progress you are going to see more women trying to dunk. We are realizing more and more that it is appealing to some of our fans and viewers. Maybe sometime soon, we’ll be able to name ten players in the WNBA who can dunk and create that kind of excitement. We are not there yet, but I truly believe that time will come. It is not easy to do. Let’s face it. Men jump higher than women. That’s a fact, but Candace Parker, Deanna Nolan, Margo Dydek and Michelle Snow can dunk. Hopefully, I can put down a few more before I retire.” From “Don’t Let the Lipstick Fool You”
Congratulations to Candace Parker. She joined a very elite club on Sunday night, June 22, 2008 and at least for now, L.A. Sparks are the only members in the WNDA- Women’s’ National Dunk Association. In case you missed my call of CP’s dunk, it went like this on AM-1150 in Los Angeles.
“Rebound tipped out- Parker on the run. Are we going to get a dunk here? YES, SHE DID IT! SHE DID IT WITH 29.5 SECONDS LEFT!! Lisa Leslie did it first. Candace Parker did it second. The Sparks own the dunks in the WNBA!”
It was an exciting evening and unlike Lisa’s historic dunk night, the Sparks won the game.
Hey, Delisha Milton-Jones can dunk too. Maybe the Sparks can have a "dunkin trio" before the 2008 season ends.
I hope to see you at every home game, too. If you can’t make it to Staples Center, be sure to catch my play-by-play on AM-1150 radio. My website is www.larrybsports.com. You can read my personal blog there and send me an email, too. Who knows, I may answer it here or read your mail on the air.
6/16/08: WOW!
That is all that I can say. WOW!
The Sparks win at Sacramento Saturday night was on of the gutsiest comebacks that I have ever seen, and I have seen more than a few in my twelve years with the team. Coop’s Troops couldn’t do anything right in the first half at Arco Arena and that was a shame because a busload of Spark’s fans had driven all the way to the state capitol, Saturday morning, to see their team perform.
There were close to 50 fans that made the trip and almost every one of them was standing up in that arena until the Sparks scored their first basket against the Monarchs. (Sparks’ owners Carla Christofferson and Kathy Goodman started that new tradition at this year’s home opener, but I did not realize that it covered road games, too.) Apparently it does because these die-hard fans stood and stood and stood for 6:30 (not including the time out) until Delisha finally canned a three point shot with 4:30 seconds left in the first quarter. By that time, the Sparks were already trailing 12-3. Turnovers were killing the team and the Monarchs just kept marching to the free throw line (in the words of Cyndi Lauper) “time after time”. Sac stretched its lead to 17 points in that awful first half and the Sparks seemed doomed.
The second half was a completely different story though. Heck, it was a completely different book- a totally different library! The Sparks defense kicked in and that forced Sac to miss all 15 of its shots in the third quarter. Purple Pride outscored the Monarchs 21-5 and when Raffaella Masciadri (Mosh) nailed a three pointer with 33 seconds left in the third, the Sparks had their first lead of the night. (Thankfully, the Sparks faithful did not have to stand until that happened.(An emergency call to Dr. Scholl’s would have been necessary.) L.A. totally dominated Sacramento in the second half, outscored the Monarchs 43-22 after intermission, and won the game 74-66. It was a tremendous effort, an amazing comeback and a major coup! The Monarchy was overthrown. Sparks ruled!
The Sparks’ players were exuberant after the game and that feeling continued when we all got back to the team hotel on Saturday night. Those wonderful “Road Trip Sparks’ fans” were there waiting for us. They had packed the lobby and when the team came through the doors, cheers went up, cameras flashed, and the place went wild. You would have thought that we had cured cancer, ended the war, or at least trimmed gas prices a dollar or two. What a great feeling! Don’t ever let anyone tell you that fans don’t make a difference. That was a night and a trip that none of us will forget.
It was nice to meet, and get a chance to chat with, so many of you. Let’s do it again real soon. In fact, the Sparks have a road trip scheduled for Seattle on July 12th. (you get to fly in a plane and everything). Let’s make it a date in the Emerald City!
I hope to see you at every home game, too. If you can’t make it to Staples Center, be sure to catch my play-by-play on AM-1150 radio. My website is www.larrybsports.com. You can read my personal blog there and send me an email, too. Who knows, I may answer it here or read your mail on the air.
6/12/08: LARRY B-MAILS
Here are some of the emails that I got from Sparks' fans recently. I answered some on our Sparks' radio broadcasts and I'll answer some here too, so keep your letters coming my way. There was a strong Sidney Spencer theme to a lot of your emails this week.
From: Debra
"So what's your take on why Sidney is all of a sudden persona non gratis ??? She was fantastic last year? we are huge fans of SS and are very disappointed in how she is being apparently neglected, disciplined or something, traded?? ...."
From: Sidney's Biggest Fan
"I really want to know why Sidney is not playing much! As a top scorer as a rookie and being a second round pick she should be playing more! When she does play long enough she's really good and could help the team a lot but she doesn't get to play enough to show everyone that!"
From: Debbie in Hoover
"O.K. what is going on? Why is Coach not playing Sidney. It seems that he is putting all his “eggs in one basket” or should I say about 3 baskets? In light of some losses that should not have happened, he could have used some help!"
LARRY'S TAKE
I really thought this was going to be a banner year for Sidney Spencer and I still do. She was one of the Sparks' few bright spots last year as a rookie. She was also one of the WNBA's top three-point shooters despite the fact that the Sparks did not have a strong inside game to help her out.
This year, the Sparks have the best front line in the league with Lisa, Delisha, and Candace. Opponents have to pay a lot of attention to that strong inside game which means there should be lots of open perimeter shots for Sid. When she has gotten playing time, S.S. has been productive.
I know that Coach Cooper is trying to find ways to get Sidney into games when the matchups are right. I do think her time will come and I do think that Sidney will be a strong contributor when she gets opportunities.
Trade bait? I don't think so, but I guarantee that just about every team in the WNBA would love to have a Sidney Spencer on their roster.
Thanks for the mail. Remember, if you can’t make it to the Sparks' games, you can catch my play by play call on AM-1150 radio. Be sure to check out my website www.larrybsports.com where you can read my personal blog, send me an email and tell me what’s on your mind. Who knows, maybe I’ll read your mail on the air.
6/10: 1ST IMPRESSIONS/ 2ND CHANCES
About ten minutes after the crowd had filed out of Staples Center last Friday night following the Sparks loss to Phoenix, a loud noise blasted through the building. I had just closed out my radio post game show on AM-1150 and I jumped. It sounded like a gun shot. I guess I probably should have ducked, but when I turned and looked up, purple and gold streamers were raining down from the rafters. You know, the ones that are supposed to land on your head when the Sparks win a game. Something had triggered their release and thousands of streamers trickled down into the empty arena. That’s the kind of night it was. Not only did the Sparks blow an 18point lead in their home opener and lose to the Mercury, they got outscored 32-10 in the fourth quarter in front of a sellout crowd. More than 11,000 excited fans had been in the house. I’m sure many had never been to a WNBA game before, but they wanted to see Lisa and Candace and the highly talented, highly touted Sparks. What they saw was a colossal collapse.
I felt badly for Spark’s owners Kathy Goodman and Carla Christofferson who have done everything humanly possible to make the Sparks’ successful and community friendly. I felt badly for all the folks in the Sparks’ organization who had worked so hard to make Opening Night 2008 a very special occasion. The city was buzzing about the Sparks as the home opener got closer and the media coverage was the most that I had seen since the championship years. The table was set, but dinner was a disaster.
I do not feel badly for the Sparks’ players. They jumped out to a lead, got sloppy, and let it slip away just as they did in Chicago last week. They set a trend on the road and brought it home with them, only this time, the Sparks did not have an overtime period in which to squeak out a win. That habit has got to stop if this team has any hopes of being a championship contender. Now, the Sparks can only hope that the city gets hungry for another taste of WNBA basketball real soon. I know that the core nucleus of Sparks’ fans will keep showing up. I just wonder about the others? Was the golden opportunity, lost?
Come back to high school with me for one more perspective on that disappointing home opener. It was a lot like finally getting a date with the captain of the cheerleading squad or the quarterback of the football team. You know, the one that you thought would never give you a second glance. Somehow, fate stepped in one day and the stars aligned just right. You connected and he/she agreed to go out on a date. You were thrilled, excited and expecting the best night of your life. Your time had finally come. In your mind, from that point on there would be nothing but bliss and “happily ever afters”, but when you met your future soul mate at the door, your heart started pounding! You began to sweat! You got light headed, woozy, and threw up on your date’s shoes. To say the least, it was embarrassing. Things definitely did not go the way you had planned, but hopefully your date had compassion and more than one pair of shoes. Hopefully you had a mint or a piece of gum to help get that terrible taste out of your mouth. Hopefully, that person that you wanted to impress so much, would give you a second chance.
Right now I am offering a “virtual mint” to every person who was in attendance at Staples Center on opening night. I want you get a fresh taste in your mouth, get your hunger back for WNBA basketball, and give the L.A. Sparks a second chance. They deserve it and while I cannot guarantee that they won’t blow any more leads or lose any more games, I feel safe is saying that you won’t need to bring a spare pair of shoes to Staples Center.
The Sparks next home game is Wednesday night, June 11th, at 7:30PM. Bill Laimbeer, Katie Smith, Cheryl Ford and the Detroit Shock will be at Staples Center and I hope you will be there too.
If you can’t make it to the game, catch it on AM-1150 radio and be sure to check out my website www.larrybsports.com where you can read my personal blog, send me an email and tell me what’s on your mind. Who knows, maybe I’ll read your mail on the air.
6/6: HOMECOMING
Five games on the road to start the season and a 4-1 record coming back to L.A. for the Sparks’ home opener against Phoenix on Friday night? Pretty darn good if you ask me, but if you ask me twice, I’ll tell you that the Sparks should be 5-0 right now. They let a great comeback in Indiana go to waste and wound up losing to the Fever in double overtime.
At times this season, the Sparks have been their own worst enemies. They get complacent when the team has a big lead and opponents take advantage. That’s what happened in the Chicago game. The Sparks blew big leads twice in that game and barely squeezed out a win in overtime. Believe me, 3-2 coming off a loss to the Sky is a world apart from going into the home opener at 4-1 and coming off of a victory.
TECHNICAL FOWLES
Sky head coach, Steven Key, told me before the Chicago game that if the Sky had gotten the #1 pick in the 2008 draft, they probably would have taken Candace Parker. Pretty smart when you consider that the rookie is a great player, grew up in the Chicago suburb of Naperville, and helped fill the house at the UIC Pavilion last Tuesday to give Chicago its first WNBA sellout.
Coach Key also told me that while the Sky really liked Parker in the draft, they felt they got the exact player that Chicago needed with the #2 pick, Sylvia Fowles. The Sky needed an inside presence, tough defense, solid shot blocking, and strong rebounding and Fowles was giving them all of that until she got hurt in the third quarter of the game against the Sparks. Fowles went up to block a shot and came down hard on her left leg. Her right leg jammed into the basket standard and she went down hard. An MRI showed a sprained left knee and Fowles is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. The Sky just signed Tye’sha Fluker, the former Spark who was in training camp with L.A. this year, to add another big to their roster.
BTW- Fowles was selected to play for the U.S. Olympic team in Beijing. Coach Key told me that some Olympians might be off their game a bit when they return to the WNBA in September, but he expects Fowles to be an even better player because of all that she will learn from playing on Team USA with Lisa Leslie.
See you at the home opener 7:30 P.M. on Friday night. If you can’t make it to the game, catch it on AM-1150 radio and be sure to check out my website www.larrybsports.com where you can read my personal blog, send me an email and tell me what’s on your mind. Who knows, maybe I’ll read your mail on the air.
6/2: CARDIAC ARREST
The Sparks have certainly made their recent games very interesting. A little bit tough on the old ticker, but interesting just the same. First, the big comeback at Indy only to fall short in double OT. Then, blowing the big lead in Washington but persevering to get the victory.
PARKER ROLLS
Tuesday night here in Chicago, it will be another test and a great rookie match up featuring Candace Parker and Sylvia Fowles, the top two picks in the 2008 WNBA draft. Parker was born in St. Louis, but she grew up in Naperville, Illinois, a little more than 30 miles west of Chicago, so this is a home coming for her.
When Candace played at Naperville Central High School, she led the Redhawks to back-to-back state championships. She was Illinois’ Player of the Year three consecutive seasons and was named to the All State first team in all four of her high school seasons. Candace also became the only junior to win the Naismith and Gatorade Prep Player of the Year Awards and she earned USA Today’s National Prep Player of the Year honor in 2003 and 04. Pretty darn impressive Parker!
BRIDGE & TRUMP CARDS
BTW- We’ve got a great view of the Chicago River from the Sparks’ hotel in the Windy City. Windy? The weather has been great and I’ve seen water taxis, sight seeing boats, pleasure crafts, and kayaks going up and down the river. When the larger boats are out, the drawbridges go up. Chicago has more than 40 movable bridges. That’s more than any other city in the world.
BTW#2- Donald Trump’s International Hotel and Tower is still under construction in the Chicago River area. When it is finished, the building will stand 92 floors and more than 1300 feet high. Penthouses will sell for between $3.4 million and $9.6 million.
5/29: OOH BABY, BABY!
Lisa’s baby, Lauren Jolie, is with her mom on the Sparks’ current road trip. It is fun to watch long, tall Lisa with her little bitty baby. Hard to believe that Lauren will be one year old next month. That little bundle is turning into a real person right before our eyes.
Lauren wasn’t the only baby on the Sparks’ flight from LAX to Indy. In fact, there was an all out baby boom on our plane. There was a baby behind me and three more in the aisles across from my row. Most of us dread seeing a baby coming our way when we are settling in for a long flight. I started thinking about the old W.C. Fields quote, “Children should never be seen or heard from, ever again”, but except for a few high decibel outbursts, the kids were pretty good on the four hour journey. There were not any real tantrums or ear drum shattering screams, so I considered myself very lucky.
Heck, even W.C. Fields had to eventually admit that he “liked children… if they were properly cooked.” I’m sure he was kidding. Okay, I think W.C. was kidding. Hey, we were all kids at one time, weren’t we? Thankfully, some of us still are.
That’s the latest word from the road. If you want to send your comments or questions to me, just go to my web site www.larrybsports.com , click “e-mail” and fire away.
5/26: LARRY’S BLOG
I know it’s early in the season, but there is something about this L.A. Sparks team. They’ve got talent. That’s for sure. Lisa is one of the greatest players in the history of women’s basketball and she is back from maternity leave and playing with a passion. Candace Parker has more game in her rookie season than Lisa had when she helped start the league back in 1997. It’s true and Lisa readily admits it. Leslie is going to make Parker an even better player and Candace is going to push Lisa as well. That’s good news because together, they could be darn near unstoppable. When you add DeLisha Milton-Jones (it is so good to have her smile back in Sparksville) to the mix, Coop can put a front line on the floor each game that should be unequalled by any team, anywhere in the WNBA.
Their versatility is incredible. Every one of them can shoot, defend, and drive to the basket and Lisa, D, and CP can each rebound and bring the ball up court. Candace excels at that, has no qualms about running the point on breaks, and she is Silky Smooth. Collectively, their individual defense and “help defense” should be phenomenal. Don’t forget that Delisha is still the long arm of the law with that 84- inch wingspan of hers. Opponents who bring it into the DMZ (Delisha Milton Zone) do so at the risk of getting a round ball facial.
The great teams have more than talent, though. They have cohesiveness, coaching, and chemistry. This Sparks’ team seems to have it. The players get along and the coaching staff is strong. Coop knows when to push the right buttons. He makes the game fun, but he makes certain that it gets played the right way. Newcomer Laura Beeman is solid and it is terrific to see Hall of Famer, Marianne Stanley back on the staff again. The Sparks’ organization has just one focus and that is winning the WNBA Championship. Keep your fingers crossed because if this team stays healthy, they just might do it. How does “worst to first” sound to you?
I’ve got lots more to tell you about and I’ll be traveling with the team and bloggin all season long. Don’t forget to check out my Sparks’ radio broadcasts on KTLK-AM-1150. Several of the weekday games are going to be tape delayed, so you may have to wait a bit for your Sparks’ fix, but it will be well worth waiting for. We’ve also got six television games on FSN & FSN Prime Ticket this season. Lakers’ guard Derek Fisher will be working with me for those games on the tube.
Enough from me for now! I want to hear what you think about the L.A. Sparks, so go to my website www.larrybsports.com , send me an email and tell me what’s on your mind. Check out my personal blog, too. Who knows, maybe I’ll read your email on the air.
I’ll be looking for you in the radio.
4/28: LISA'S BOOK
I am really pleased with the way that 'Don't Let the Lipstick Fool You' turned out. Lisa's story is even more fascinating than I imagined when we started the project. There is plenty of basketball in the book, but the thing I am most pleased about is that 'Lipstick' is so much more than just a book about basketball. 'Don't Let the Lipstick Fool You' also includes truck driving, self esteem issues, fighting, goal setting, racism, recruiting wars, professional modeling, an Olympic bombing, faith, international travel, stolen identity, jet fighters, skinny-dipping, motherhood, and Lisa meeting the man of her dreams by giving her phone number to a complete stranger.
Lisa is a very special lady and her story is compelling and inspiring. I hope you enjoy reading 'Don't Let the Lipstick Fool You' as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Available in book stores April 29th OR available now at Amazon.com
