Kent Ninomiya sports - Articles - Zimbio

Chargers roll over Raiders; QB Russell leaves injured

Fri, 5 Dec 2008 09:02:47 -0800

Darren Sproles caught two TD passes and had another apparent 86-yard punt return TD called back due to a penalty.

SAN DIEGO — LaDainian Tomlinson can still run the ball and his San Diego Chargers finally looked like world-beaters.

It might not matter, though, because the Chargers still need a miracle to get to the playoffs.

Four downs

» LaDainian Tomlinson passed Marshall Faulk for fifth place on the all-time career TDs list with 137.

» Raiders rookie Darren McFadden was held to under 50 yards rushing for the ninth time in 10 games this season. He had one run for no gain and two receptions for 8 yards.

» Chargers WR Vincent Jackson set a career high with 148 yards receiving on five catches, including a 59-yard touchdown catch from Philip Rivers.

» The Chargers’ longest touchdown drive of the season put them up 17-0 early in the second quarter. It covered 96 yards in 15 plays, and was kept alive by a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty on Raiders DT Tommy Kelly.

Tomlinson scored on a 3-yard run against his favorite punching bag and Philip Rivers threw three touchdown passes, including a 59-yarder to Vincent Jackson, to give the Chargers a 34-7 victory against the Oakland Raiders on Thursday night.

The Chargers beat their archrivals for the 11th straight time in a series dating to the birth of the AFL in 1960.

The Chargers (5-8) snapped a three-game losing streak and won for just the second time in seven games. Once considered favorites to reach the Super Bowl, they’re still in deep trouble, trailing Denver by 2½ games in the AFC West. The Broncos have four to play.

"It was desperately needed but it was one win for us," Tomlinson said. "We don’t want to make it more than what it is."

On Sunday, Tomlinson was held to 24 yards, the second-lowest total of his brilliant eight-year career, in a listless 22-16 home loss to Atlanta.

"After the showing last week, I think we wanted to prove to everyone that that wasn’t us," said Tomlinson, who’s having the worst season of his career. "It’s good that it was a short week. We got to show people who we are as a group."

San Diego’s Darren Sproles caught two TD passes. His 87-yard touchdown on a punt return in the fourth quarter was called back after rookie Antoine Cason was called for an illegal block in the back.

Oakland quarterback JaMarcus Russell was intercepted twice by linebacker Stephen Cooper and also lost a fumble, leading to 17 points for the Chargers. Russell sprained his right ankle after his second pickoff and didn’t return. X-rays were negative, and Russell left the locker room on crutches.

Andrew Walter replaced Russell at the start of the third quarter. Walter was intercepted by Matt Wilhelm late in the fourth quarter.

Thursday, Dec. 4
» San Diego 34, Oakland 7
Sunday, Dec. 7
» Jacksonville at Chicago, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
» Houston at Green Bay, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
» Minnesota at Detroit, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
» Cincinnati at Indianapolis, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
» Cleveland at Tennessee, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
» Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
» Atlanta at New Orleans, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
» Miami at Buffalo, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
» New England at Seattle, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
» Kansas City at Denver, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
» N.Y. Jets at San Francisco, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
» St. Louis at Arizona, 4:15 p.m. ET (FOX)
» Dallas at Pittsburgh, 4:15 p.m. ET (FOX)
» Washington at Baltimore, 8:15 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, Dec. 8
» Tampa Bay at Carolina, 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

The Raiders (3-10) reached double-digit losses for the sixth straight year. They are 22-71 since being routed by Tampa Bay and former Raiders coach Jon Gruden in the Super Bowl in San Diego on Jan. 26, 2003.

"It’s clear that we’re not close," cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha said. "We don’t play good football, we don’t play sound football. We’ve been undisciplined. You just wonder how many people care and how many people are upset."

Tomlinson’s TD midway through the first quarter was his 137th, moving him into sole possession of fifth place on the career list. He had been tied with Marshall Faulk, who was at the game working for the NFL Network.

LT had 91 yards on 25 carries. He has 1,906 career rushing yards and 22 total touchdowns, 19 on the ground, in 16 games against the Raiders. They are his most yards and touchdowns against any opponent.

"I think there are always certain teams that you enjoy playing and you seem to match up well against and seem to have a great game against," Tomlinson said. "I can’t explain it."

Three plays into Oakland’s first possession, Russell fumbled as he was being sacked by outside linebacker Shaun Phillips, and inside linebacker Jyles Tucker recovered at the 12-yard line. Tomlinson carried three straight times, scoring untouched off left tackle for a 10-0 lead.

Rivers threw an 8-yard TD pass to Sproles early in the second quarter, capping a 15-play, 96-yard drive that took 8 minutes, 29 seconds. Tomlinson and Sproles carried five times each and Rivers had three carries on the drive.

San Diego got the ball back on Cooper’s first pickoff. Jackson got behind two defenders and hauled in Rivers’ scoring pass down the right sideline to make it 24-0.

Fan feedback Can the Chargers pressure the Broncos in the AFC West? How can the Raiders rebound? What are your thoughts?

Russell was hit by Phillips while passing late in the second quarter and the ball went straight to Cooper, who lateralled to Antonio Cromartie for a 14-yard gain. Russell was hurt on that play.

San Diego’s Nate Kaeding kicked field goals of 20 and 39 yards.

After Kaeding’s second field goal, Oakland’s Justin Miller returned the kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown.

Rivers was 10-of-22 for 214 yards. Jackson had five catches for a career-high 148 yards.

"I’m sick of losing, especially like that," Raiders tight end Zach Miller said. "We never really got going on offense and when we did, penalties and interceptions and fumbles killed us. As an offense we were inept again."

Notes: The Raiders gained 163 yards, 59 of them in the second half. … Raiders T Cornell Green left with a knee injury. … Head linesman John McGrath hurt his right leg midway through the second quarter and missed a few plays while his leg was taped by the Oakland training staff.

Kuroda pitches Dodgers past Padres in opener

Mon, 6 Apr 2009 19:36:40 -0700

Joe Torre's trust in Hiroki Kuroda paid off with an opening-day win for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Kuroda outpitched San Diego Padres ace Jake Peavy, leading the defending NL West champions to a 4-1 victory Monday without a hit from Manny Ramirez.

The enigmatic slugger went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run on his first opening day with the Dodgers. Matt Kemp drove a 418-foot homer to straightaway center field off Peavy, and James Loney had three hits, including a two-run single.

The crowd of 45,496 was the largest in Petco Park's six-year history.

Torre said he figured Kuroda could handle the pressure of an opening-day start based on his two big wins in the postseason, against the Chicago Cubs in the division series and the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL championship series.

The right-hander came through, holding San Diego to four hits in 5 2-3 innings.

Kuroda (1-0) gave up a run in the first inning, then allowed only one baserunner over the next four. The Padres finally chased him in the sixth after he allowed singles by David Eckstein and Brian Giles and walked Adrian Gonzalez to load the bases with two outs. Cory Wade came on and got Kevin Kouzmanoff to hit a weak grounder to the right side of the mound.

Jonathan Broxton, who threw a handful of 99 mph fastballs, pitched the ninth for the save.

Peavy (0-1), who was on the trade market for much of the offseason, allowed four runs — three earned — and seven hits in seven innings while striking out eight and walking two.

He opened the game by giving up two singles on his first five pitches, to Rafael Furcal and Orlando Hudson. That brought up Ramirez with runners on first and second and no outs, but Peavy got him to fly out to center. Andre Ethier flied out before Peavy walked Russell Martin and allowed Loney's two-run single.

San Diego got one run back in the first when Jody Gerut hit a leadoff double, advanced on Eckstein's sacrifice and scored on Brian Giles' chopper over Kuroda's head to second base for the second out.

Ramirez scored with two outs in the third to make it 3-1. He walked, advanced on Peavy's throwing error on a pickoff attempt and came around on Ethier's single up the middle.

Notes:@ Former Padres greats Tony Gwynn, Randy Jones, Dave Winfield and Ollie Brown simultaneously threw out ceremonial first pitches as part of pregame ceremonies celebrating the Padres' 40th anniversary. ... Padres OF Cliff Floyd was placed on the 15-day DL with a strained right shoulder, retroactive to Sunday. OF Drew Macias was recalled from Triple-A Portland to fill Floyd's roster spot. ... The Dodgers finalized their roster when they purchased the contracts of RHP Ronald Belisario, INF Doug Mientkiewicz and LHP Will Ohman from Triple-A Las Vegas. ... The previous largest crowd at Petco Park was 45,389 on Sept. 30, 2004.

Kuroda, Dodgers open season with a win over Padres

Mon, 6 Apr 2009 21:06:22 -0700

Dodgers hurler Hiroki Kuroda of Japan out-pitched San Diego ace Jake Peavy as Los Angeles launched the 2009 Major League Baseball season with a 4-1 victory.

Dodgers manager Joe Torre tabbed Kuroda for the opening day outing after his wins in last season's playoffs, and Kuroda rewarded his faith by holding the Padres to four hits in 5 2/3 innings as the Dodgers notched their first victory over Peavy since September 13, 2003.

Kuroda retired 17 of 18 batters in a stretch that started in the first inning and went into the sixth.

However he then loaded the bases and had to be rescued by Cory Wade.

The Dodgers got the victory without a hit from slugger Manny Ramirez, who went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.

Matt Kemp belted a home run to centerfield off Peavy and James Loney had three hits, including a two-run single.

The game was one of a dozen on Monday's slate, after the reigning World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies opened the season on Sunday night at home against the Atlanta Braves.

The Braves spoiled the Phillies' celebratory night with a 4-1 victory.

In Baltimore, US Vice President Joe Biden threw out the ceremonial first pitch as the Orioles hosted the New York Yankees.

The Orioles notched a 10-5 victory over the high-priced Yankees, whose starter CC Sabathia allowed six runs and didn't make it through the fifth inning.

New York, who missed the playoffs for the first time since 1993 last season, shelled out 423.5 million dollars on free agents Sabathia, AJ Burnett and Mark Teixeira during the offseason.

But it was the Orioles, who finished last in the American League East last season, who got the win in front of the largest Opening Day crowd ever at Camden Yards - 48,607.

The Boston Red Sox will have to wait another day to launch their campaign after rain postponed their home game against Tampa Bay.

Seahawks vs Chargers Preseason Postgame Review: Bolts Edge Seahawks 18-17

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:13:01 -0700

The Seattle Seahawks came into town for a Preseason Monday Night Football game against the San Diego Chargers. The Bolts win 18-17.

(Getty Images)

On another gorgeous evening in America's Finest City, Head Coach Norv Turner wanted more work from the starters on both sides of the ball. QB Philip Rivers was ready to see more action after sitting out last week's game against the St. Louis Rams. Again, preseason games mean more evaluation of players trying to make the 53 man roster. Here are the positives and negatives:

Positives

- RB Darren Sproles had 13 carries for 102 yards and 1 TD. He was hitting the holes so quick, Seahawk players couldn't find him. He definitely looks like the #2 RB behind LT.

- Philip Rivers looked poised in the pocket (11-21 for 143 yards). Though he looked tentative as the pocket collapsed, Rivers made some good reads and great throws.

- WR Vincent Jackson saw his first action in the preseason and didn't disappoint with 3 catches for 84 yards including a 59 yarder that Rivers launched over the middle.

- WR Malcolm Floyd made his case as the 4th WR making great catches including the game winning two-point conversion from Billy Volek.

Negatives

- Run Defense...where are you? The Bolts gave up 162 yards of rushing to the Hawks (5.1 yards per carry average). I know DT Jamal Williams sat this game out, but for the third straight game, the run defense is looking very porous. I hope Defensive Coordinator Ted Cottrell is limiting the defensive playbook because it is looking ugly.

- QB Charlie Frye looked like Joe Montana out there, connecting with short passes that turned into big gains including the 68 yard TD to WR Nate Burleson. He finished 19-29 for 219 yards and 2 TDS.

- Goal line run offense. RB Jacob Hester was stuffed several times at the line of scrimmage.

Next Game: @ San Francisco, Friday, August 29th @ 7:00 PM PST. Final preseason game. Head home with no injuries and start the regular season September 7th vs the Carolina Panthers.

(AP Photo)

Sproles Big Night Saves the Day for Chargers

Sun, 4 Jan 2009 09:07:51 -0800

When it came out on Saturday that it appeared that LaDainian Tomlinson was not going to be able to go for the Chargers vs the Colts, the thought was the season would be fast over for San Diego. Not so. Little did the Colts, or probably even the Chargers for that matter, realize the player or the game that backup Darren Sproles would have.

All Sproles did vs Indy was rush for 105 yards on 23 carries, and put up 328 total yards and two touchdowns, including the “walk-off” game winner in OT. “The guy who typifies what our guys are about is Darren Sproles,” coach Norv Turner said. Sproles was just the medicine that the Chargers needed with Tomlinson on the sidelines with a groin injury that easily could sideline him for next Sunday’s game vs either the Titans or Steelers.

While the former MVP sat out most of the game with the injury, he was more than excited to see Sproles pickup the slack for the Chargers run game and offense. “I’m very happy for Darren,” Tomlinson said. “There’s a brotherhood and a love for him.” Sproles is going to be a free-agent in the offseason, and easily earned himself millions with the huge outing on Saturday night.

For now though, all he and the team is concerned about is moving on, and with Sproles picking up the slack, there is no doubt the Chargers are a lot more dangerous than maybe other people think. “He’s got a lot of heart,” LB Steven Cooper said.

Chargers Jolt Jets on Monday Night, 48-29

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:47:37 -0700

In a must win game, the San Diego Chargers answered the call and walloped the New York Jets on Monday Night Football, 48-29.

(AP Photo)

Is it just me or is the Chargers offense beginning to show signs of Air Coryell? Maybe it's just me but after being down 7-0 in the 1st quarter, the Bolts began to score at will. Philip Rivers is in complete control of the offense. Despite giving up the 1st quarter interception for a touchdown, Rivers remained poised in the pocket and proceeded to throw for 250 yards and 3 TDs. The Bolts defense finally showed signs of aggression, forcing 4 turnovers (3 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery).

Positives

Philip Rivers: What can you say? He currently leads the NFL in TD passes with 9. A QB rating of 124.8! MVP of the game.
Antonio Cromartie: Cro refocused and had 2 interceptions, including a 52 yarder for a TD.
LaDainian Tomlinson: Despite a sore toe, LT showed that he can grind it out, rushing for 67 yards on 26 carries and 2 TDs.
Buster Davis: The 2nd year WR, labeled so far a "bust", caught 3 passes for 43 yards all for 3rd down conversions.
Defense: Finally an attacking defense, resulting in 3 sacks (2 by Jyles Tucker). The secondary could have had 5 interceptions (2 dropped). Still gave up a big play here and there but they made the plays when they needed them. They held the Jets to 13 carries for 41 yards.
Mike Tolbert: Rookie fullback scored 1st NFL TD. What a find by AJ!

Negative

Kick-off Coverage: Coverage was not good, giving up 291 yards. Gave up 94 yard return to Leon Washington immediately following Cromartie's INT for a touchdown. They also lost 1 onside kick.

Next Game: @ Oakland Raiders, 1:05PM PST

The Chargers should be ready to go into the Black Hole and take care of business despite a short week of practice. Amid reports of his firing, Lane Kiffin is still the Raiders' Head Coach and the Raiders are coming off a heartbreaking loss to the Buffalo Bills, 24-23. Bolts should leave Oakland at 2-2.

Jose Canseco calls out A-Rod in new book

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:03:57 -0700

The Major League Baseball steriod scandal is far from over! Jose Canseco evidently calls out A-Rod for taking steriods and hitting on his wife.

NEW YORK (AP) — Jose Canseco says in his new book that he introduced Alex Rodriguez to a steroids distributor and that A-Rod pursued Canseco's wife, according to the Web site of freelance writer Joe Lavin.

Lavin says on the Web site that he obtained the book, "Vindicated: Big Names, Big Liars, and The Battle to Save Baseball," on Monday from a bookstore in Cambridge, Mass. The book is due to be released April 1.

Lavin writes Canseco's book discusses A-Rod, Roger Clemens and Magglio Ordonez.

He says Canseco claimed he didn't inject Rodriguez but "introduced Alex to a known supplier of steroids." Lavin also says "Canseco claims that A-Rod was trying to sleep with Canseco's wife."

"I really, absolutely, have no reaction," Rodriguez said Tuesday when asked about the claim relating to the steroids distributor. As far as the allegation regarding Canseco's wife, Rodriguez responded:

"I don't know how to answer that."

Canseco writes about the infamous June 1998 party at his house. Brian McNamee, Clemens' former trainer, has said Clemens spoke with Canseco at the barbecue and soon after approached the trainer about using performance-enhancing drugs. According to Lavin, Canseco wrote that Clemens did not attend.

Earlier this year, Canseco gave an affidavit to congressional investigators stating Clemens was not there and that he had never seen Clemens "use, possess or ask for steroids or human growth hormone."

Lavin wrote the Ordonez reference was "that old yarn of one player injecting another with steroids, possibly in the buttocks." Canseco and Ordonez were teammates on the 2001 Chicago White Sox.

The New York Times reported in January that Canseco offered to keep Ordonez "clear" in the book if the Detroit outfielder invested in a movie project promoted by Canseco, claims Lavin said Canseco wrote he denies.

NFL: New Orleans 37, San Diego 32

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 16:58:01 -0700

LONDON, Oct. 26 (UPI) --

Drew Brees passed for three touchdowns Sunday, leading New Orleans past the San Diego Chargers 37-32 in a game played in London.

Brees totaled 338 yards on 30 completions in 41 attempts against his former team.

The contest, latest in the NFL's international showcase program, was played at Wembley Stadium.

Brees has thrown for at least 300 yards in six of eight games this season.

The New Orleans touchdown passes went to Lance Moore, Mark Campbell and Devery Henderson.

Deuce McAllister carried 18 times for 55 yards and a score for the Saints (4-4).

San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers also tossed three touchdown passes, finishing 25-of-40 for 341 yards and an interception.

LaDainian Tomlinson ran 19 times for 105 yards and caught five passes for 65 yards and a touchdown for the Chargers (3-5).

Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson caught Rivers' other two scoring tosses.

Golf Channel Controversy - Kent Ninomiya

Wed, 9 Jan 2008 11:43:29 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - Should someone lose their job and career for saying the wrong thing? Is it right that years of unblemished service be wiped out by a single off hand comment? The answer is... it depends. Last Friday, Golf Channel anchor Kelly Tilghman said young pro golfers trying to catch up to Tiger Woods should "lynch him in a back alley." Naturally this comment sparked outrage since Tiger Woods is part African American. The anger further intensified as Tilghman was allowed to appear on the air all day Saturday as if nothing happened. She issued an on-air apology Sunday and said he apologized directly to Tiger Woods, however she remained on the air that day. The Golf Channel issued a statement saying "we regret if any viewers were offended by Kelly's choice of words."
Tiger Woods is apparently taking the high road and not making an issue out of it. Woods' agent is quotes as saying "It is a complete non-issue. Kelly and Tiger are friends. It might have been a poor choice of words, but there was absolutely no ill intent whatsoever."

It is entirely reasonable to assume that Tilghman did not mean to offend anyone and is not a racist. It was most likely a slip of the tongue and she did not realize the context of the word "lynch" when she said it. So then, what should be her "punishment" if anything? The Golf Channel is obviously concentrating on intent. Since she has no ill will then it's a simple matter of apologizing. The fact that their viewer base is primarily white and not overall offended by her remark anyway also limits their motivation to dole out any punishment. To some this makes the Golf Channel seem apathetic and racist. Other groups out there are horribly offended and want Tilghman's head. It doesn't matter to them that Woods himself says he's not offended and is willing to drop the matter. They want to make an example out of Tilghman as if punishing her will stop others from making slips of the tongue in the future.

I have worked in television for more than 20 years now. Many comments have passed my lips that came out differently than I intended them. When you talk for a living on live television you sometimes say stupid and inadvertently offensive things without realizing it. Is that a punishable offense? One time in San Francisco I was chatting on air with my co anchor about a man who found several stolen Oscar statues in a trash dumpster. His reward for returning them was an invitation to the Academy Awards ceremony in the next day or two. I commented that I hoped he had time to find something nice to wear since the Academy Awards are all about what people are wearing. The man happened to be African American. One viewer was greatly offended by my comment and wrote a letter accusing me of being a blatant racist. He said I claimed African Americans are too poor and stupid to dress themselves. I have quite honestly never had that thought in my life and was not thinking about the man's race at all when making the comment. I was talking about clothes. Despite this the viewer was irate. I personally expressed my regret to the viewer if my comments offended him and explained that I did not mean what he believed I did. It did not satisfy him and he continued to be angry and convinced I was a racist. Nothing I could say or do would satisfy him. He just wanted to be offended.

I have also been on the other side of misspoken words. I was hired to be a primary anchor at a television station in Minneapolis and partnered with an African American woman. The general manager who hired me was a visionary. He was willing to create an all minority main anchor team in an overwhelmingly white market. When asked about this, he said when it comes to anchors it didn't matter the color of their skin or the "slant" of their eyes. Columnists and Asian American groups around the country took it upon themselves to be offended by the "slant" comment. Some called for the general manager's firing. They didn't bother to ask me if I was offended. I wasn't. I knew this man to be honorable and brave. He took a huge risk hiring me and was in no way a racist. His words came out wrong. That's all. The story diminished what should have been a hugely positive story about the landmark all minority anchor team in Minnesota. Those who were so offended missed an opportunity to focus on a positive accomplishment by being petty and negative.

The bottom line here is that words are powerful, but they're just words. A sum of a person's character and accomplishments can not be reduced to a single inadvertent comment no matter what it is. If there's a pattern of offensive behavior or words, that's different. If it's a single off hand statement then it should be judged in the context under which it is said. Making a big deal about an innocent statement harms the movement for equality. If the mainstream sees minorities as over sensitive and unreasonable then they will ignore legitimate complaints. Likewise, the mainstream needs to understand that offensive comments do harm us all and use these incidents as opportunities to focus on removing them from our lexicon. There is work to do on both sides. Kent Ninomiya

Steroid Strategy - Kent Ninomiya

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 18:29:47 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - In the old days, when an athlete was accused of using performance enhancing drugs they just came out and denied it. That strategy didn't work well for those who were actually guilty. Just ask Marion Jones who is heading to prison for six months for lying to investigators. Houston Astro shortstop Miguel Tejada is now under investigation by the FBI for allegedly lying to investigators about his possible steroid use. If he's found guilty he might go to prison as well. Athletes are realizing that covering up is often more costly than what they're accused of doing in the first place. Many are now listening to their attorneys and saying nothing. There's a reason Mark McGuire is rarely seen in public anymore and wont grant interviews to anyone. He knows that nothing he says will help his case or public perception. McGuire refused to implicate himself or possibly commit perjury when he testified before congress. It hurt him in the public eye but may keep him out of prison if he ever is found guilty of anything. Even Roger Clemens, who went on the offensive against his accuser, refuses to make statements that could end up harming him later. Expect more carefully worded statements when he eventually testifies to congress. The bottom line is, athletes are beginning to realize that people will not take their word for it. The smart ones know what they say can and will come back to haunt them. Kent Ninomiya

Changing Face of Athletics - Kent Ninomiya

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 14:22:18 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - Take a look at the leader board at the Sony Open. K.J. Choi is the big story. He is leading thanks to his amazing 5 under 65. It's a monumental turn around from his last place finish among the 31 winners at Kapalua for the Mercedes-Benz Championship seven days ago. He leads Kevin Na by two strokes. Another big story is Tadd Fujikawa. Last year he became the youngest player in 50 years to make the cut on the PGA Tour. The 17-year-old from Honolulu failed to make the cut this time but he's the focus of attention whenever he plays just like Michelle Wie and Tiger Woods. Do you notice anything about the names? Every one of them if Asian or of Asian ancestry. Tiger is the undisputed face of Golf yet many don't realize that he is more Asian than he is black. Asian athletes are moving to the forefront of American athletics. Gone are the days of the meek Asian stereotype. Baseball is full of Asian stars like Ichiro. Basketball has Yao Ming. Football has Hines Ward. The list goes on and on in sports ranging from tennis to figure skating to soccer to hockey. It's good for the future of sports to have role models of every color. It inspires young athletes to strive for their dreams. These pioneers represent far more than they know. They are like Jackie Robinson breaking down barriers both real and imagined. Kent Ninomiya

Chargers not ready to make a change

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 17:00:41 -0800

Despite team’s struggles, GM says Norv Turner’s job is not in jeopardy

That tick-tick-ticking the San Diego Chargers are hearing is the NFL season winding down. It is not — as some of their fans might hope — the clock expiring on the Norv Turner era.

Read the full Article

Hypocricy in Baseball - Kent Ninomiya

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:14:56 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - The media circus surrounding Roger Clemens' congressional testimony isn't shedding much light on who is lying and who is telling the truth. However, it is exposing the crystal clear hypocricy of baseball. The surprising champion of truth in all this may end up ironically being Jose Canseco. Canseco cashed in on confessing his steroid use. He wasn't going to the hall of fame anyway so he might as well make some money off the scandal. While Canseco delighted in pointing his steroid inflated finger at big star after bigger star, he is coming to the defense of Clemens. Canseco insists Clemens was not at a 1998 party he hosted. Clemens' accuser, Brian McNamee says Clemens was there. Canseco calls McNamee a "dirty liar." Why would Canseco, a man who made a second career out of outing fellow MLB players, publically defend Clemens? On the other hand, why would Clemens' long time friend and training partner Andy Pettitte implicate Clemens? It's a huge mess getting bigger because Congress decided to sweep in with a holyer than thou condemnation. Jealous politicians, who I suspect once had fantacies about being a sports star like Clemens, take delight in tearing down this icon. It's the ultimate in player hating. I don't know if Clemens is lying or McNamee is lying. They may both be lying. The one thing that's certain is that steroid use in baseball was commonplace and condoned by MLB and lawmakers for decades. The joke about spring training is that it's a time to figure out the proper dosage. Lots of players took steroids and the league knew about it. Saying they're cleaning it up now is hypocritical. Remember, baseball was in big trouble after the 1994 strike. Fans were slow to return. The homerun contest of Mark McGwire and Sama Sosa, career homerun record of Barry Bonds and pitching heroics of Roger Clemens brought the fans back. Baseball now enjoys unprecidented prosperity thanks to these athletes. Now that the league is lining its pockets with the exploits, they are wagging their collective finger at the guys who did it for them. The true villians in all this are the owners and league officials who allowed it to happen. If they truely wanted performing enhancing drugs out of baseball they could have taken steps decades ago. They didn't. Looking the other way was paramount to condoning it. They do not have the right to act outraged now. Kent Ninomiya

Padres Pain - Kent Ninomiya

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:22:00 -0700

I just finished watching the series between the Padres and the Giants in San Francisco. The Pads looked good going in. Pitching was strong as ever and their bats seemed to be coming alive early. Virtually the entire starting line up entered the series batting over .300. Despite all the nay sayers it looked as though the Padres could have another successful year and wipe clean the memory of last year's last minute collapse. SD walked away with the first game of the series making the hapless Giants look amateurish with a record of 1-6. The last two games of the series were low scoring drawn out battles. In the first the Padres came back from a 0-2 deficit to send the game into extra innings only to lose it in the bottom of the 11th on a Benjie Molina home run. In the second game there was no score going into the bottom of the 9th. It looked as though it would be another extra inning game but with two outs Daniel Ortmeier muscled in a run on a double over the head of Jim Edmonds to score Rajai Davis from second. It was two close walk off losses for the Padres in two days. Here's my question... is being a Padres fan all about the heartbreak? Yeah... I know it's early in the season... but I feel like we are being slow tortured. It's far more painful to lose the nail biters than the blow outs. Padres fans are not Cubs fans or old Red Sox fans. We don't like the pain. Would it be too much to ask to have the Padres win a few of these close ones? Please... at least until the sting of last season fades. Kent Ninomiya

Chargers eliminate Colts in overtime

Sun, 4 Jan 2009 07:22:26 -0800

Darren Sproles steps in for the injured LaDainian Tomlinson to help San Diego to a 23-17 overtime victory over Indianapolis on the first day of the NFL playoffs.

Read the full Article

Another Super Bowl Analogy - Kent Ninomiya

Tue, 5 Feb 2008 21:19:39 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - The slugfest that was Super Bowl XLII attracted more viewers than any other Super Bowl in history. Nielsen Media Research says 97.5 million viewers tuned in. Likewise, I predict more voters will take part in this presidential election than any other in history. Just like the scrappy underdog Giants taking on the seemingly invincible Patriots hoping to cap off a perfect season, the Obama-Clinton matchup is intriguing. It captures the imagination of even the most apathetic citizen. We have had black candidates before. We have had women candidates before. We have never had one of each battle each other at the top of the polls. This is the first time in history that a woman and an African American have a legitimate shot at the White House. It's exciting to many, threatning to some, interesting to all. Expect record turnouts on this Super Tuesday and an even higher turnout for the general election in November. We are witnessing history and everyone wants to be in on the action. Kent Ninomiya

Dana Jacobson - Kent Ninomiya

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:19:57 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - Suspending TV talent for off hand remarks seems to be in vogue these days. Now it's ESPN's Dana Jacobson who is on the hot seat. The co-host of "First Take" on ESPN2 is reportedly serving a one-week suspension for comments made at a January 11 roast of ESPN Radio personalities Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic. Jacobsen is said to have made vulgar comments about Notre Dame as a joke. Jacobson is a Michigan graduate who often kids Notre Dame alumnus Golic about the rivalry between the schools. Apparently it went too far. Jacobson reportedly made a number of apologies the next day to Greenberg and Golic, and issued a statement saying, "I am sorry. My remarks about Notre Dame were foolish and insensitive. I respect all religions and did not mean anything derogatory by my poorly chosen words. I also deeply regret the embarrassment I've caused ESPN and Mike and Mike." The apology wasn't good enough for ESPN.

The question I have is: would Jacobson have been suspended if the Golf Channel's Kelly Tilghman had not been disciplined for her comments about Tiger Woods recently. Then Golfweek ran a cover of a noose to exploit the controversy. Editor Dave Seanor got fired for approving it. It seems to be a feeding frenzy on TV talent.

I watch Dana Jacobson on a regular basis. She is a classy professional who presents herself well while doing hours of live television involving contentious debate. She was making jokes at a roast. Did she go to far? Maybe, but come on, it was a roast. A McCarthy style witch hunt is brewing in the broadcast industry where everyone is hypersensitive about what they say and intent is determined by public opinion days after the fact. We need to be careful not to lose our freedoms of expression and press by pandering to "pile on" outrage. They are just words. Let's not make them about something they're not. Kent Ninomiya

Baseball Waits - Kent Ninomiya

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 11:23:53 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - As Roger Clemens awaits his February 13th meeting with U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, he ponders the seemingly impossible task of clearing his name. The seven time Cy Young Award winner and, until recently, shoe in for the Hall of Fame, was named in the Mitchell Report as a user of steroids. The apparent source of the allegation is a sole trainer who claim he injected Clemens years ago. Clemens vehemently denies the allegation. He is doing what he can to fight it and the public perception that followed. He released statements, appeared on 60 Minutes, and filed a lawsuit against his accuser. Clemens also plans to testify before congress. He is doing more to clear his name than any other athlete who has been in this situation. If Clemens is guilty and there is convincing proof out there then he is in big trouble. Doing steroids is bad enough. Lying about it under oath will land you in prison. Just ask Marion Jones. However, if Clemens is not guilty then he is doing quite literally all he can. He is fortunate to have the money and resources to fight allegations in a way few others can. He will, no doubt, spend millions in his attempt to save his reputation. It will be worth the expense if he is able to turn around public perception and save his legacy. By all accounts it is a long shot. It is more unlikely than a 45 year old who can still throw a baseball like Clemens. He seems to realize this. "How do you prove a negative?" Clemens asked rhetorically at his news conference. "How do you do it?" His voice dripped with anger and frustration. Clemens is going for broke in this ordeal. Either he will be completely destroyed and disgraced or vindicated and held up as a working class hero for overcoming the establishment and unjust accusations. Either way he will carry indelible scars. What else can he do though? Kent Ninomiya

Shut up Philip! - Kent Ninomiya

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 14:07:34 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - What is wrong with Philip Rivers? Here he is on the verge of achieving a life long goal of playing in the Superbowl and he's acting like a playground bully. Rivers was shown on national television trash talking Indianapolis Colt fans at the end of the AFC divisional game. The video was repeated over and over on ESPN for days. You would have thought Rivers would have learned his lesson the last time this happened. He was caught jawing to the Denver Broncos at the end of the regular-season finale. The Chargers are not the Raiders. They have always been seen as the clean cut good guys. Rivers is doing everything he can to change that image. He is making the team look like a bunch of classless punks who need to be taught a lesson.

By all accounts teammates are embarrassed by Rivers. The team's biggest star LaDainian Tomlinson says "I think we're perceived as a trash-talking team, and I hate that. That's never been my style, to really trash talk. The only thing you can do about that to change is to just play the game and quit talking about different things. Eventually it will go away, but you have to win also. The problem is that if you trash talk and you lose, people say that, 'This team, all they can do is talk and they can't back it up.' I've heard that this year already."

Rivers is proving himself to be an immature jerk. The tragedy is he is surrounded by class professionals who are forced to work with him. Instead of the classy guys raising him up, Rivers is bringing them all down. The last thing the Chargers need is to give other teams more motivation to beat them. Rivers invites people to knock him on his ass. Let's hope he wises up and grows some humility and self esteem.

Bizzare Clemens Twist - Kent Ninomiya

Thu, 7 Feb 2008 11:29:02 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - Lawyers for Brian McNamee, the trainer accusing Roger Clemens of steroid use, now say they gave prosecutors physical evidence that proves Clemens is guilty. They claim they handed over bloody syringes with Clemens' blood on them in early January. This prompted strong denials from Clemens' attornies who say anything like that would have to have been fabricated. Common sense suggests it is highly unlikely a trainer would keep used syringes with illegal substances in them for seven years. Why would he do that? It is unsanitary and implicates him in a crime. Also if he had these why did he wait until now to hand them over? Roger Clemens knows this is no joke. His team of lawyers must have told him the legal ramifications of perjury. Yet the seven-time Cy Young Award winner gave a five-hour sworn deposition Tuesday to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Afterward he again denied to reporters that he ever used performance-enchancing drugs. Clemens knows that if he's caught lying he could go to prison. That makes Clemens either completely innocent or increadibly stupid. This case gets more and more bizzare every day, but I still haven't seen any evidence that proves Clemens did anything wrong. His accuser is hardly credible and now suddenly there's physical evidence we didn't know about? There is something very wrong in all this. Clemens may need his day in court to get this all out in the open and clear his name. Unfortunately this will probably drag on for years and may never reach trial. If that's the case Clemens will have no where to go to get his reputation back. Kent Ninomiya

Chargers Can't be Ignored - Kent Ninomiya

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 20:37:41 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - What I love most about the Chargers being in the AFC Championship game is all the national attention they're getting. Being a smaller West Coast market, San Diego is often neglected by the sports networks. The prevailing view is that they don't have the national fan base the Patriots or Giants or Bears have. Well, they can't neglect them now. The Bolts are front and center in every sportscast. It's glorious to be able to turn on any TV anywhere in America and see my Chargers covered. However, even though they can't be neglected this week, they can be dismissed. All the so-called experts are declaring San Diego done for. The odds makers have them 13 point underdogs. The Patriots have all but been crowned the greatest team of all time. I beg to differ. Let's remember last year. The Chargers were in the spot the Patriots enjoy now. They came into the playoffs with a 14-2 record and #1 seed only to be dethroned by the Patriots. The Chargers entered that game at home cocky and comfortable. They became a victim of their own overconfidence. This year the Chargers are hungry. The started the season with a new coaching staff and a 1-3 record. They battled back to finish strong and take the first two playoff games despite devastating injuries. This team has heart and this team wants it. As eager as I am to see the Chargers ruin the Patriots' destiny of a perfect season, I am even more eager to see the so-called experts eat their words Sunday night after the game. Remember, Indianapolis was an 8 point favorite but San Diego took care of them with backup players. They are ready for the Patriots. Kent Ninomiya

Mixed Martial Arts - Kent Ninomiya

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:15:10 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - Mixed Martial Arts are exploding on the scene. The undisputed king of the genre is the UFC. They deserve to be where they are. They endured while the league struggled with lack of interest, economic viability and lawmakers who wanted to shut them down. Like a true MMA champion they survived it all to thrive. Even though I am a martial arts purist, I confess to enjoying the UFC. I don't watch their reality show because I don't care about the private lives of the fighters, but I like watching these amazing athletes show off their skills. They are professionals and highly trained. Unfortunately, wherever there is success there are cheap imitators. Several inferior leagues have popped up trying to cash in on the UFC's popularity. Some of them are downright sad. For example, I was watching HD Net Friday Fight Night. It was worse than amateur hour. The fighters are pathetically bad. Some are downright fat. They look like they just put down their beer and pried themselves off the couch to fight. Predictably most of the fights last just a few minutes since they have no skills or conditioning. The winners then have the nerve to parade around like they've vanquished Mohammad Ali in his prime. I saw one guy with a 1-6 record win and act like he was the champion of the world. I witnessed another guy with a 6-5 record act like a punk taunting his downed opponant. The worst part about watching it on high definition is that it's crystal clear how pathetic the whole scene is. It made me wish I had an old blurry black and white TV. Kent Ninomiya

Golf Channel outrage - Kent Ninomiya

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 00:05:21 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - A few words about the suspension of Kelly Tilghman. The Golf Channel anchor will leave partner Nick Faldo and the network for two weeks as punishment for her comment that golfers should "lynch" Tiger Woods "in a dark alley" if they want to catch up to him. It was a stupid thing to say but no one believes she meant it literally. Tiger Woods, through his agent, said it was a non issue. The Golf Channel treated it as if it was no big deal and kept Tilghman on the air for several days after the comment. It wasn't until the next week when there was a public outcry and Rev. Al Sharpton called for Tilghman's firing that the Golf Channel took action. Suddenly they condemned her words. They released a statement saying "there is simply no place on our network for offensive language like this." Hmmm... such outrage. Why did it take them so long to feel it? I see hypocrisy here. If there is no room on the Golf Channel for that language then Tilghman should have been yanked from the air immediately. If it was a non issue then she should not be suspended. If you are going to take a moral stand then you have to make up your mind. You can't have it both ways. The late suspension was a compromise to hopefully get angry African Americans off the Golf Network's back. Tilghman's suspension conveniently ends just in time for her to work the Buick Invitational on January 24. It will be Tiger Woods' 2008 debut. I guess the Golf Network's timing isn't completely off... not when it comes to scheduling their outrage. Kent Ninomiya

Chargers Will - Kent Ninomiya

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 12:31:30 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - The Chargers battle their way to an impressive victory over the defending Superbowl champion Colts with clutch performances by Darren Sproles, Michael Turner, and Billy Volek. Who?! Most of the Chargers' headline starters were sidelined with injury including LaDainian Tomlinson, Philip Rivers, and Lorenzo Neal. Antonio Gates played with his dislocated toe but wasn't very effective. The backups were extremely effective and stepped up when they needed to. Darren Sproles rushed 56-yards for a touchdown on the last play of the third quarter. Michael Turner carried the ball 17 times for 71 yards. Billy Volek led the Chargers 78 yards on eight plays and scored his first career touchdown with a 1 yard quarterback sneak with 4:50 remaining. It sealed the lead and the victory for San Diego. Meanwhile the Colts had all their stars on the field. Payton Manning came out firing and even had Marvin Harrison back on their home field after resting for a bye week. The Colts had no excuse. Even the referees seemed to want the Colts to win. They took points off the board just before the half on a questionable holding call when the Chargers ran back a punt for an apparent touchdown. There was also a phantom pass interference call they saved an important Colts drive. It had me thinking NFL conspiracy. However, the Chargers just wanted it more and muscled it out until the end. The refs and the Colts couldn't overcome the Chargers will. It was a glorious moment for a San Diego fan. Kent Ninomiya

Bolts fired up - Kent Ninomiya

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 14:46:34 -0800

Kent Ninomiya - Some good news and some bad news for the Chargers going into their playoff game with the Colts tomorrow. Pro Bowl Tight End Antonio Gates is not practicing while he rehabs his dislocated left big toe, but All-Pro fullback Lorenzo Neal is practicing and is expected to play. He missed a month after breaking his lower left leg. Neal was certainly missed by LT who rushed for only 64 yards last week. If Gates can't play, he'll be replaced by Brandon Manumaleuna. He's still a threat but he's no Gates who was San Diego's leading receiver for the fourth straight season, with 75 catches for 984 yards and nine touchdowns. The defense will need to step up if they expect to beat the rested Colts. Perhaps they can repeat their 6 interception performance from earlier in the season. Kent Ninomiya