1969: Bobby Isaac wins the final Cup race at Asheville-Weaverville Speedway, a half-mile track in Asheville, N.C. Isaac leads 373 of the 500 laps and wins by more than four laps over David Pearson. Dick Brooks finishes third, 13 laps back, for his first top five.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Joe Posnanski: Pitchers and the MVP Award
Does Verlander have the body of work to be considered a viable MVP candidate? (Rick Osentoski/US Presswire)
First a little award history: The Baseball Writers started to give out the Cy Young Award for best pitcher in 1956. For the first 11 years, only one Cy Young Award was given out, covering both the American and National leagues. Over those 11 years, two pitchers ? Don Newcombe in that first year, and Sandy Koufax in 1963 ? swept both the Cy Young and MVP awards.
Then in 1967*, for the first time, the writers handed out a Cy Young Award in each league. That year, Mike McCormick and Jim Lonborg both won 22 games and won the awards. Jim Bunning probably should have won it in the National League, and maybe Dean Chance or Joe Horlen in the American League, but you know how much people love those wins.
*Speaking of awards and 1967, you probably know off the top of your head that Carl Yastrzemski won the Triple Crown that year. In addition to that, he had one of the great final months in baseball history and led the Impossible Dream Red Sox to the World Series. I would say that no matter how you look at baseball ? stat-oriented, gut-oriented, clutch-oriented, believer in the heart, whatever ? you had to vote Yaz as MVP. When you take into account the countless ways that people look at baseball, I would say that Yaz in 1967 was the all-time MVP slam dunk. Right?
No. Yaz received 19 of 20 votes. The other vote? Minneapolis? Max Nichols voted for Cesar Tovar. You know what Cesar Tovar hit in 1967? .267/.325/.365. Obviously, Wins Above Replacement was not a thing in 1967, but Tovar still finished ninth ON THE TWINS. I think we can retire the trophy. That?s the worst individual vote in Baseball Writers history. Max Nichols went on to have a long and admirable career in journalism, by the way. That was, however, the last year he covered baseball.
Anyway, when they decided to give a Cy Young to the best pitcher in each league, the writers certainly could have made pitchers ineligible for the MVP award. That would have made as much sense as anything else. But they didn?t. In fact, they made it very clear to the voters that pitchers were eligible for both awards. And in 1968, for the only time, pitchers swept the Cy Young and MVP in both leagues. That, of course, was the Year of the Pitcher. Bob Gibson had his legendary 1.12 ERA. Denny McLain won his legendary 31 games. And it seemed likely that even with the Cy Young Award, pitchers would continue to be major factors in the MVP voting.
But, in general, pitchers have not been factors at all, especially in recent years. Yes, Tom Seaver almost won the award in 1969 ? he got the same number of first-place votes as winner Willie McCovey, but finished 22 points behind ? and Vida Blue did win the MVP in 1971 in another year dominated by pitching. And yes, for a while there the MVP voters in the American League had a bizarre little love affair with closers ? Rollie Fingers won the thing in 1981, Willie Hernandez in 1984, Dennis Eckersley in 1992 and other closers such as Sparky Lyle, Goose Gossage, Dan Quisenberry, Jose Mesa and Randy Myers finished in the Top 5. You would hope that the voters have lost that particular fascination.
But since Blue, the only STARTER to win the MVP award was Roger Clemens in 1986. And the only other starters over the last 40 years who were serious threats to win the award were Ron Guidry in 1978 (2nd to Jim Rice), Greg Maddux in 1995 (3rd to Barry Larkin and Dante Bichette) and, most famously, Pedro Martinez in 1999 (2nd to Pudge 2.0 Rodriguez).
There have been two pretty stark schools of thought on the subject. Some think that pitchers are getting jobbed. Over the last 10 years, not a single starting pitcher has finished in the Top 5 in the MVP voting, and only one, Johan Santana in 2006, received any first-place votes. He received one.
Some, on the other hand, feel that pitchers shouldn?t even get the few votes that they do get. As Brilliant Reader Tom writes in: ?They don?t allow you to win both the main actor and the supporting actor for the same performance at the Oscars.?
As a baseball observer, I?m actually kind of neutral on the subject. I do have some respect for the argument that pitchers already have the Cy Young Award. And I do believe that pitchers and every-day players have strikingly different roles and responsibilities, meaning that it isn?t easy to compare the value of the two.
Then again, nobody said it was supposed to be easy. And as an MVP voter, I?m bound by the letter of the law, which pointedly says: ?Keep in mind that all players are eligible for MVP, including pitchers and designated hitters.? Yep: Thems the rules. And, deep down, I suspect that I lean that way anyway. It seems to me that if a pitcher is the best player in baseball, then he should win the MVP award.
But here?s the thing: I?m not entirely sure that can happen anymore. And the reason is this: Pitchers? roles have so dramatically changed over the years. Look back: Between 1931 and 1952, 11 pitchers won the MVP award. Four of those won during World War II, when offense was way down. Now, look at how many innings those pitchers pitched:
Lefty Grove (1931): 288 innings
Carl Hubbell (1933): 308 innings
Dizzy Dean (1934): 311 innings
Carl Hubbell (1936): 304 innings
Bucky Walters (1939): 319 innings
Mort Cooper (1942): 278 innings
Spud Chandler (1943): 253 innings
Hal Newhouser (1944): 312 innings
Hal Newhouser (1945): 313 innings
Jim Konstanty (1950): 152 innings ? closer
Bobby Shantz (1952): 279 innings
There are exceptions, but six of those pitchers threw 300 innings. That?s also what Koufax threw when he won the MVP, what Gibson threw, what McLain threw, and Vida Blue threw too. Well, since 2000, the most innings anyone has pitched was Roy Halladay?s 266 in 2003. Justin Verlander, who has had an amazing year in which he has thrown at least 100 pitches and six innings every single time out*, will still probably fall short of that 266-inning mark.
*In today?s world, this Verlander streak of six-inning games is amazing. If Verlander can keep that up through the end of the year, he might be only the second pitcher over the last 30 years to have 35 games of six or more innings in a season. The other? I wouldn?t have guessed it either: Curt Schilling in 2002.
The game has changed. I realize that people don?t like admitting this. I know that many still want to credit starting pitchers with wins and losses, like they did in Old Hoss Radbourn?s day, when pitchers finished what they started. I know that they may want to believe ? as my friend, CBS Sportsline?s Danny Knobler keeps insisting on saying ? that?s it?s a ?pitcher?s job to win games.? But I don?t think that?s right. Pitchers have never won and lost games on their own, but it becomes less and less true every year. Justin Verlander is having this incredible season, and he has completed four of his 29 starts. Four. That last Tigers starter to win the MVP, Denny McLain, made six more starts than Verlander is likely to make, completed 20 more games than Verlander is likely to complete, threw 75 more innings than Verlander is likely to throw.
Let?s go back to Baseball Reference?s WAR for a second. The Top nine WAR seasons ever are all 1880s pitchers, led indeed by Old Hoss, with a staggering 20.3 WAR in 1884, when he went 59-12 and threw 678 innings. But you don?t have to go back that far to see the effect of innings pitched. From 1968 through 1986, when the most rugged of pitchers often threw 275 innings, pitchers led their league in WAR 16 times.
The Top WAR seasons over that time:
1. Steve Carlton, 1972 (12.2)
2. Joe Morgan, 1975 (12.0)
3. Bob Gibson, 1968 (11.9)
4. Dwight Gooden, 1985 (11.7)
5. Robin Yount, 1982 (11.5)
6. Bob Gibson, 1969 (11.0)
7. Rod Carew, 1977 (10.9)
8. Wilbur Wood, 1971 (10.7)
9. Gaylord Perry, 1972 (10.5)
(tie). Mike Schmidt, 1975 (10.5)
Six of the 10 are pitchers. So, you can see, the best pitchers and hitters, at least by WAR, were providing about the same value. But since 2000, only one pitcher has led the league in WAR, and it?s probably not one you were thinking of: It was Zack Greinke in 2009.
The Top 10 WARs since 2000 (and to make it fair, I?ll only count Barry Bonds once):
1. Barry Bonds, four times, (10.3 to 12.5)
2. Sammy Sosa, 2001 (11.4)
3. Alex Rodriguez, 2000 (11.0)
4. Albert Pujols, 2003 (10.9)
5. Jason Giambi, 2001 (10.3)
6. Adrian Beltre, 2001 (10.1)
(tie) Pedro Martinez, 2000 (10.0)
8. Alex Rodriguez, 2007 (9.9)
9. Albert Pujols, 2008 (9.6)
10. Albert Pujols, 2004 (9.4)
So, one pitcher is in the Top 10 ? and that was Pedro way back in 2000. And you still have a few more to go ? Bret Boone, Scott Rolen, Pujols again ? before you get to another pitcher. Obviously, this is only one measurement, but it?s a constant measurement and it seems to show what should be obvious: That with the five-man rotation, with pitch counts, with bullpens getting larger, with starters completing fewer and fewer games and throwing fewer and fewer innings, the starting pitcher?s value has been diminishing. That?s not to say that a pitcher can?t still be the league?s most valuable player. But the new order should be considered. Hitters are still playing 150 or more games, still getting 700 plate appearances, still contributing the way they were in the 1950s and ?60s and ?70s and ?80s. Starting pitchers, largely, are not.
That is not to say, by the way, that Justin Verlander in particular, or perhaps one of those Phillies pitchers should not be considered for MVP. Attention should be paid to the spectacular year ? Guidry in 1978, Gooden in 1984, Maddux in 1995, Pedro in 1999. No, it?s only to say that the voters, without making a public announcement about it, have more or less stopped considering pitchers to be MVP candidates. And there could be something to that.
LLWS title game pushed back due to Irene
updated 10:51 a.m. ET Aug. 28, 2011
SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. - The start time of the Little League World Series championship game Sunday between Japan and California has been pushed back to 3 p.m. EDT because of Tropical Storm Irene.
Little League officials said they wanted to ensure any remnants of the storm were clear of the area. Williamsport received some rain overnight into Sunday morning but was on the outer fringes of the storm system.
The game was initially scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday. Then, on Friday, Little League moved the start to noon based on early forecast predictions before deciding again Sunday to push it back.
Little League vice president Lance Van Auken said officials would monitor the Lamade Stadium field. A new drainage system was installed there two years ago.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Watney has pole position in FedExCup playoff opener
EDISON, New Jersey |
EDISON, New Jersey (Reuters) - Nick Watney starts the race for the $10 million FedExCup playoffs prize from the pole position as overall points leader heading into Thursday's opening round of The Barclays at Plainfield Country Club.
Lurking just off the pace are heavyweights including world number one Luke Donald, number three Steve Stricker and the world's sixth-ranked Phil Mickelson among the 123-man field.
Watney, twice a winner this year on the PGA Tour, begins the four-event, season-ending series with an edge, but the 30-year-old Californian knows how quick things can change.
"Pole position is a good analogy, because you have to play well to stay there," Watney told reporters on Wednesday. "It's nice to start there, but obviously a lot can happen."
Just two years ago, unheralded American Heath Slocum crept into a 125-man field as the 124th-ranked player but edged Tiger Woods on the final hole for The Barclays victory and catapulted to third in the standings.
The top 100 players in the points list qualify for next week's Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston, with the leading 70 there reaching the BMW Championship. The top 30 qualify for the Tour Championship finale.
The overall points winner pockets the eight-figure bonus.
Mickelson, winner of four majors, views the FedExCup crown as something special after calling his 2009 Tour Championship victory one of his better wins that year.
"But it wasn't enough to win the FedExCup," lamented Mickelson, who finished behind Woods in the playoffs. "It would be pretty cool to be able to do that. I have not done that yet and I would like to."
Winning The Barclays would be a great first step, but will require mastering a course the features fast, sloping greens, tree-lined fairways, heavy rough and a reachable par-four 18th that could produce high-drama at the finish.
"It will be real exciting," Watney said about the uphill hole that is expected to be played from about 285 yards. "A guy leading by one shot, a lot can happen. If he hits a poor shot, he can lose a tournament outright."
Mickelson, known to go for broke on the golf course, predictably raved about the finishing hole.
"It's terrific," the big left-hander said. "If I ask anybody to think of your favorite hole, it's (usually) either a par-three under 150 yards or a drivable par-four, occasionally a reachable par-five."
Last week's winner of the Wyndham Championship, Webb Simpson, said the opportunity to post an eagle at the last would increase the tension.
"When you're two back coming to the last hole, you're certainly not out of it," he said.
(Editing by Frank Pingue; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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On this day ... August 26
1957: Gwyn Staley wins the second and final Cup race run at Coastal Speedway, a half-mile dirt track in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Staley wins by a lap over Eddie Pagan and two laps over Fireball Roberts, who won the inaugural race at Coastal the previous year. Fifteen cars are in the field, and the 10 cars running at the end of the race all finish in the top 10.
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Saturday, August 27, 2011
49ers curb tailgating, call for end to Raiders series
SAN FRANCISCO ? The preseason series between the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders, which dates back to 1967, should be postponed indefinitely in light of last weekend's violence at Candlestick Park, 49ers President Jed York said Monday.
Calling such behavior "degenerate," York said the NFL should stop scheduling such exhibitions. The 49ers and Raiders have met in the preseason each of the last 11 years and 39 times altogether. They play every four years in the regular season.
"This is a game where you have a rivalry situation, and unfortunately you have the worst segment, a very small segment, from both fan bases," York said. "It's our belief we should recommend to the NFL that this game is at least postponed for some period."
Police chief Greg Suhr was concerned enough about the evening game that he ordered a 10% increase in police presence despite a turnstile count of about 47,000 that was about one-third short of a full house. As the game progressed and fights in the stands multiplied, the police force was boosted by an additional 30%.
Suhr said the level of violence Saturday was "an aberration," and cited statistics such as 70 ejections, 12 criminal arrests when there are usually one or two, and 19 arrests for public intoxication, compared to the usual six to eight. 6-to-8.
"This game was like no other I can ever remember," Suhr said, "and I have been a Niner fan my whole life.''
Suhr said the three victims in the hospital had been upgraded to fair condition, and a person of interest has been detained. Suhr joined with 49ers executives in assuring fans that games at Candlestick Park are safe.
They also announced a number of security measures that will go into effect right away, including:
- Limiting tailgating to the four-hour period before kickoff. No tailgating will be allowed during or after games.
- Stronger alcohol management. Beer sales are already cut off at the end of three quarters.
- Establishing DUI checkpoints after the game.
- An increased law-enforcement presence both from the police and private security starting this Saturday, when the 49ers host the Houston Texans in a 5 p.m. game.
- Improving lighting in the parking lot, where the two shootings occurred.
- Demanding more accountability from season-ticket holders who give away or sell their tickets.
York said the different makeup of the crowd at preseason games, with many fans buying inexpensive tickets online, contributed to Saturday's troubles.
"In a preseason game you see a wider group of people who aren't necessarily fans coming to games," York said. "And I think with this rivalry's close proximity, when you look at the incidents, it makes sense to recommend not playing that game or maybe playing it early in the afternoon."
Jets-Giants moved to Monday as Irene nears
Updated: August 27, 2011, 10:45 AM ET
With Hurricane Irene churning toward the New York/New Jersey area this weekend, the New York Giants' game against the Jets has been rescheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday.
"Along with the NFL office and the Jets, we have closely monitored the hurricane and the forecast and its potential impact on our area for the past several days," Giants president and CEO John Mara said in a statement released Friday night.
"After conferring with (New Jersey) Governor (Chris) Christie, (Jets owner) Woody Johnson and (NFL) Commissioner (Roger) Goodell, we have determined the best course of action for the safety and well-being of all is to move the game to Monday night."
Hurricane Irene was on track to reach the New York area by Sunday.
New York City planned to shut down the entire mass transit system by noon on Saturday.
The game was originally scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday and later rescheduled for 2 p.m. The Giants kept a close eye on the forecast on Thursday and Friday and stayed in touch with the NFL league office prior to the decision.
MLB
The split doubleheader Saturday between the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles has been postponed because of the expected bad weather associated with Hurricane Irene.
The afternoon game will be held on Sept. 8, previously an off day for both teams. The time of that game will be announced at a later time.
The game originally scheduled for Saturday night will become part of a split doubleheader on Sunday. The first game is slated to start at 1:35 p.m., and the nightcap is scheduled for 7:35 p.m.
The New York Mets announced they have postponed Saturday and Sunday's games against the Atlanta Braves because of the hurricane.
The games will be made up as a single-admission doubleheader Sept. 8.
Major League Baseball announced Thursday that it moved Sunday's game between the Florida Marlins and Phillies in Philadelphia to 1:05 p.m. ET Saturday, followed by the regular 7:05 p.m. ET game.
However, later Friday, it was decided that the evening game would be postponed and made up Sept. 15 at an undetermined time.
The Boston Red Sox also will play two games Saturday at Fenway Park, at noon ET and 5 p.m. ET against the Oakland Athletics.
"We felt it was necessary and prudent to move the Sunday game to Saturday," Red Sox president and CEO Larry Lucchino said Thursday. "This will not only give us the best opportunity to play the scheduled games, but also help to ensure that traveling conditions are safer for our fans."
Little League World Series
The championship game of the Little League World Series has been moved back three hours to noon Sunday with Hurricane Irene expected to hit Pennsylvania.
Little League officials say the consolation game, which had been scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday, has been canceled and won't be played.
Officials say they will evaluate conditions leading up to the game and that they could postpone the game until Monday if conditions aren't suitable.
The winner of the two games on Saturday will face off in the championship. Japan faces Mexico in the international final and Huntington Beach, Calif., faces Billings, Mont., in the U.S. final.
Tennis
The New Haven Open, the final WTA tuneup before the U.S. Open, which starts Monday, moved up its championship match to 1 p.m. ET Saturday, rather than the scheduled 5 p.m. ET.
"Right now it looks like the hurricane is not going to hit until early Sunday morning," said Anne Worcester, the tournament's director. "But, it's not just the actual playing time of the final, but our staff has to break down the site, so it has a lot to do with their safety."
At Flushing Meadows, the U.S. Tennis Association called off Arthur Ashe Kids' Day, a tennis-and-music event set for Saturday and scheduled to feature Novak Djokovic, defending champion Rafael Nadal and Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks.
Tennis officials said they would close the National Tennis Center on Sunday, with plans to reopen it Monday morning before play begins.
Soccer
Major League Soccer's Philadelphia Union rescheduled Sunday's game against New England for 8 p.m. ET Sept. 7 at PPL Park in Pennsylvania, and the New York Red Bulls moved Sunday's game against the L.A. Galaxy to 8 p.m. ET Oct. 4 at Red Bull Arena.
D.C. United, scheduled to host the Portland Timbers at 2 p.m. ET Saturday, decided to postpone their game as well. No makeup game has been announced. The Timbers made arrangements to return to Portland Friday.
Golf
The PGA Tour on Friday reduced its first playoff event, The Barclays, to 54 holes because of the rain and potential damage expected. New Jersey already is under a hurricane warning, and officials feared up to 10 inches of rain could fall on Sunday.
The plan is to finish 36 holes Friday and start the third round first thing Saturday morning, with hopes of getting in a 54-hole event before the rain arrives.
If they can't finish Saturday, the tournament would become a 36-hole tournament, but left unclear was whether a 36-hole tournament would count as an official win.
Information from ESPNNewYork.com's Ohm Youngmisuk and Ian Begley and The Associated Press was used in this report.
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Jets-Giants moved to Monday as Irene nears
Updated: August 27, 2011, 10:45 AM ET
With Hurricane Irene churning toward the New York/New Jersey area this weekend, the New York Giants' game against the Jets has been rescheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday.
"Along with the NFL office and the Jets, we have closely monitored the hurricane and the forecast and its potential impact on our area for the past several days," Giants president and CEO John Mara said in a statement released Friday night.
"After conferring with (New Jersey) Governor (Chris) Christie, (Jets owner) Woody Johnson and (NFL) Commissioner (Roger) Goodell, we have determined the best course of action for the safety and well-being of all is to move the game to Monday night."
Hurricane Irene was on track to reach the New York area by Sunday.
New York City planned to shut down the entire mass transit system by noon on Saturday.
The game was originally scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday and later rescheduled for 2 p.m. The Giants kept a close eye on the forecast on Thursday and Friday and stayed in touch with the NFL league office prior to the decision.
MLB
The split doubleheader Saturday between the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles has been postponed because of the expected bad weather associated with Hurricane Irene.
The afternoon game will be held on Sept. 8, previously an off day for both teams. The time of that game will be announced at a later time.
The game originally scheduled for Saturday night will become part of a split doubleheader on Sunday. The first game is slated to start at 1:35 p.m., and the nightcap is scheduled for 7:35 p.m.
The New York Mets announced they have postponed Saturday and Sunday's games against the Atlanta Braves because of the hurricane.
The games will be made up as a single-admission doubleheader Sept. 8.
Major League Baseball announced Thursday that it moved Sunday's game between the Florida Marlins and Phillies in Philadelphia to 1:05 p.m. ET Saturday, followed by the regular 7:05 p.m. ET game.
However, later Friday, it was decided that the evening game would be postponed and made up Sept. 15 at an undetermined time.
The Boston Red Sox also will play two games Saturday at Fenway Park, at noon ET and 5 p.m. ET against the Oakland Athletics.
"We felt it was necessary and prudent to move the Sunday game to Saturday," Red Sox president and CEO Larry Lucchino said Thursday. "This will not only give us the best opportunity to play the scheduled games, but also help to ensure that traveling conditions are safer for our fans."
Little League World Series
The championship game of the Little League World Series has been moved back three hours to noon Sunday with Hurricane Irene expected to hit Pennsylvania.
Little League officials say the consolation game, which had been scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday, has been canceled and won't be played.
Officials say they will evaluate conditions leading up to the game and that they could postpone the game until Monday if conditions aren't suitable.
The winner of the two games on Saturday will face off in the championship. Japan faces Mexico in the international final and Huntington Beach, Calif., faces Billings, Mont., in the U.S. final.
Tennis
The New Haven Open, the final WTA tuneup before the U.S. Open, which starts Monday, moved up its championship match to 1 p.m. ET Saturday, rather than the scheduled 5 p.m. ET.
"Right now it looks like the hurricane is not going to hit until early Sunday morning," said Anne Worcester, the tournament's director. "But, it's not just the actual playing time of the final, but our staff has to break down the site, so it has a lot to do with their safety."
At Flushing Meadows, the U.S. Tennis Association called off Arthur Ashe Kids' Day, a tennis-and-music event set for Saturday and scheduled to feature Novak Djokovic, defending champion Rafael Nadal and Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks.
Tennis officials said they would close the National Tennis Center on Sunday, with plans to reopen it Monday morning before play begins.
Soccer
Major League Soccer's Philadelphia Union rescheduled Sunday's game against New England for 8 p.m. ET Sept. 7 at PPL Park in Pennsylvania, and the New York Red Bulls moved Sunday's game against the L.A. Galaxy to 8 p.m. ET Oct. 4 at Red Bull Arena.
D.C. United, scheduled to host the Portland Timbers at 2 p.m. ET Saturday, decided to postpone their game as well. No makeup game has been announced. The Timbers made arrangements to return to Portland Friday.
Golf
The PGA Tour on Friday reduced its first playoff event, The Barclays, to 54 holes because of the rain and potential damage expected. New Jersey already is under a hurricane warning, and officials feared up to 10 inches of rain could fall on Sunday.
The plan is to finish 36 holes Friday and start the third round first thing Saturday morning, with hopes of getting in a 54-hole event before the rain arrives.
If they can't finish Saturday, the tournament would become a 36-hole tournament, but left unclear was whether a 36-hole tournament would count as an official win.
Information from ESPNNewYork.com's Ohm Youngmisuk and Ian Begley and The Associated Press was used in this report.
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USA won't bid for 2020 Olympics
The U.S. Olympic Committee has decided not to put forth a bid city for the 2020 Summer Games, a spokesman for the federation confirmed Monday.
By Morry Gash, AP
This Oct. 2, 2009, file photo shows Chicago 2016 supporter Patti Nugent reacting after the announcement that Chicago was eliminated as a possible host city for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, in Chicago. The U.S. Olympic Committee has notified all interested cities that it will not submit a bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympics.
By Morry Gash, AP
This Oct. 2, 2009, file photo shows Chicago 2016 supporter Patti Nugent reacting after the announcement that Chicago was eliminated as a possible host city for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, in Chicago. The U.S. Olympic Committee has notified all interested cities that it will not submit a bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Chicago, New York and Dallas were among those that had expressed interest in bidding to host the games. The USOC has been working for the past two years to resolve a conflict with the IOC over revenue sharing. The issue has been viewed as a stumbling block that the USOC needs to overcome if it is to launch a successful bid campaign.
"With such little time left in the process, we don't believe we could pull together a winning bid that could serve the Olympic and Paralympic Movement," USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky said in a statement.
Countries have until Sept. 1 to submit the name of candidate cities. South Africa announced last week it would not put together a bid for 2020. Rome, Tokyo, Madrid and Istanbul, Turkey have stepped forward with bids.
The last games on U.S. soil were the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in 2002 and the last Summer Olympics were the Atlanta Games in 1996.
Two years ago Chicago lost in the first round of IOC voting for the 2016 Summer Olympics, which went to Rio de Janeiro. Four years earlier, New York lost in the second round of voting for the 2012 Summer Games.
The USA's most likely next bid would be for the 2022 Winter Olympics. Denver and Reno-Tahoe have expressed interest.
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PBT: Ex-Wizard Crittenton sought for murder
There are terrible stories every day. Stories that make you question how young lives go wrong, how people can commit terrible acts, how they can make decisions that end the lives of others, innocent or not, and ruin their own. Javaris Crittenton is currently sought by police in connection with one such story.
WSB-TV in Atlanta and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution report Friday night that an arrest warrant has been issued for Crittenton in connection with the fatal drive-by shooting of a mother of four on August 19th. From the AJC:
Julian Jones, 23, was killed in a drive-by shooting on Aug. 19. A murder warrant in the slaying has been issued for former Georgia Tech star Javaris Crittenton.
Crittenton is not in custody and is believed to be in the Los Angeles area, Maj. Keith Meadows said. The FBI is involved with the investigation, and Atlanta authorities are hoping Crittenton will turn himself in, he said.
Jones was walking with others near 2915 Macon Drive in southwest Atlanta around 10 p.m. Aug. 19 when she was shot, Campos said.
Police believe Crittenton fired shots from a black Chevrolet Tahoe, Meadows said. There were several witnesses to the incident, he said.
via�Former Georgia Tech star wanted for homicide �| ajc.com.
Crittenton was a first-round pick for the Lakers, and was so certain he would be making his home there as a reserve for the Lakers behind Derek Fisher that his girlfriend at the time had moved to L.A. to begin school. Then he was traded in the Pau Gasol deal to Memphis. He never caught on with the Grizzlies under Marc Iavaroni and wound up in Washington.
Which is likely where you?re most familiar with his name from.
Crittenton was the other Wizard who feuded with Gilbert Areas in 2009 over a gambling dispute that led to guns being brought out in the Wizards? locker room. Both Crittenton and Arenas were suspended for the remainder of the season, Crittenton?s contract was not picked up. He had a brief stint with the Bobcats in 2010, and spent most of his time in the D-League.
Crittenton had a bright future in this league, and is only sought in the charge. He hasn?t been convicted of anything, but there are multiple witnesses to the shooting and police believe the shooting was targeting two unarmed men with the victim. Police believe the shooting was retaliation for a robbery of Crittenton in April.
We?ll keep you updated as events warrant.
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