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So many links this week that I’m not even writing an intro. Here we go …
Back in April ‘06, I wrote a column about getting billed for Clippers tickets that included an extended section about Sam Cassell’s brilliance and all the “little things” he does for a basketball team. I demand that you read it if you’re a Celtics fan. Maybe Sam is at the tail end of his career, but his spirit and personality remain as strong as ever, and I don’t think people back home fully realize how many unique things Sam does during the course of an NBA game, or how much fun they’re going to have watching him play on a game-to-game basis. You can’t overstate how big the Cassell and P.J. Brown signings were for the Celtics; in the span of 48 hours, I went from thinking they were destined for a Round 2 exit in Cleveland to believing they can win the championship if everything falls right.
At long last, we have an official photo of the exact moment when the Pats’ 19-0 season started to go down the tubes. Look to the right … yep, it’s the ominous pregame handshake between Tom Brady and Pat O’Brien! It’s interesting that the celebration on Bourbon Street after Super Bowl XXXVI happened at Pat O’Brien’s (a bar on Bourbon Street), and the downfall of the 19-0 season started with Pat O’Brien. I don’t know what this means. Thanks to Steve Harding for taking the photo and reader Hugh Q. for sending it along.

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On Thursday with the enlightened press in tow, Frank McCourt broke ground at the LA Memorial Coliseum to prepare for the March 29 exhibition game against the Boston Red Sox.
Although the game has been sold out, the Dodgers have added a standing room only section behind the right field fence for 25,000 more tickets. Those tickets will go on sale Saturday for $10 a piece. If that sells out that means 115,000 people for a baseball game which would break the previous record of 93,103 the Dodgers drew on a May 7, 1959 exhibition game against the New York Yankees – a fundraiser for Roy Campanella whose career ended with a car accident.
Much has been made about the dimensions of the field. Back in the day the left-field wall was 250 feet away from home plate. With all the renovations at the Coliseum over the years, the distance for next month’s game will be only 200 feet. Because of that the screen will be adjusted from 42 feet to 62 feet.
On the day of the game the Dodgers will be holding a Fan Fest at the Coliseum which will have carnie games, baseball discussions with members of the organization and autograph tables. The Fan Fest will be open to ticket holders only free of charge.
To top it off, the gates will open at 4:10 which means fans can watch batting practice. The Dodgers will probably double the amount of balls used in batting practice because of the strange dimensions. So if you do make it there early, go to the left field. You’ll be almost guaranteed to get a ball, even one hit by Slappy McPopUp.
Now if any of you have been to a USC football home game, the parking situation is something left to be desired. So the Dodgers are offering free parking and shuttles at Dodger Stadium starting at 11 am.
So that’s a whole lotta information for a little exhibition game. But as the title suggests, does the sheer size of the spectacle make for a better game? It’s too early to say, but if Matt Kemp keeps on avoiding signs and running to third base with a runner already on third this could be more like a comedy of errors.
Photo courtesy AP Files
I bought tickets to that game. I was wondering how it was going to work, a baseball diamond in a football field. With the picture it looks like left field won’t be as deep as normal.

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