pA-13, v6.14 — Sports & Arts — Mountain Views News

Sports & Arts

Mountain Views News Saturday, April 7, 2012

MVNews this week: Page A-13

SPORTS

Mountain Views News Saturday, April 7, 2012

HUDDLE UP!

By Harvey Hyde

THE RETURN OF DODGER GLORY:
IT¹S MAGIC

The Los Angeles Magics, or rather the Los Angeles Dodgers (and their
owners), have certainly been getting a lot of attention. First, there were
almost daily reports on the Frank McCourt soap opera. Now, with the
$2.15-billion sale of the team, we have Magic Johnson in the picture.

Major League Baseball has got to love that. What better smiling face
could you have as a team’s representative? There’s a statue of Magic in his
Laker uniform in front of Staples Center. Will there eventually be a statue
of Magic in a business suit in front of Dodger Stadium?

Although it pains me to say it, I guess congratulations are in order for McCourt. He made a
$421-million investment in 2004 without putting up any cash and now, after paying off all his lawyers,
his creditors and ex-wife Jamie, he will realize a profit of about $1 billion.

They say buying something smart is the best deal, and McCourt certainly did that. He’s sold the
Dodgers, but even now he isn¹t totally gone. He is still an investor ($150 million worth) in potential
development in the Stadium parking lot. This potential development would likely resemble the LA
Live area in what was originally the main parking lot at Staples Center.

This leads me to this question: Did the Chicago-based Guggenheim Partners, who have assets
valued at $125 billion, buy the Dodgers because they love baseball or was it the prospect of creating a
new sports complex that drew their interest?

In the area once commonly known as Chavez Ravine, are we someday going to see hotel complexes,
restaurants, an entertainment center and maybe even an NFL stadium? Now, wouldn’t that be
something? If I were Magic Johnson, I would have cried tears of joy as well.

We don’t know how much money Magic put up, but having his name attached to such a project
has to be worth a lot. It’s really a win-win situation for both he and Guggenheim. The Guggenheim
people seized the opportunity to align themselves with a popular L.A. sports icon who is also a very
smart, successful businessman.

Magic says he will leave all the baseball operations to the Dodgers’ front office, manager and
general manager. Remember when Jamie claimed she was the face of the Dodgers? Magic likely will
actually be the face of the Dodgers, at least more so than Jamie McCourt ever was.

Let’s hope that Dodger Stadium may again be a fun place to go and enjoy Dodger Dogs and liquid
refreshments, and that we will know it is safe to go there.

The price of progress? Don’t be surprised to see significant price increases for tickets, parking and
concessions. The new owners will need to recoup their money in every way they can. Without a
doubt, however, the biggest source of revenue figures to be television.

Guggenheim Baseball Management, the name given to the new owners’ group, could sign a 15-to-
20-year deal worth an estimated $4 billion with an existing network, such a Fox-owned Prime Ticket.
Or the new owners could start their own network, as the New York Yankees did a number of years
ago.

Whichever route the new owners take, it is going to mean your cable or satellite TV bill is going up.

You won’t be getting anything for free here, but let’s hope we can once again have the freedom to
enjoy Dodger Baseball on TV or at the Stadium. Maybe the phrase will end up being “The Magic of
Dodger Baseball.” Batter up!

Harvey Hyde can be heard on Las Vegas station KSHP 1400am via the Internet and also at
USCTrojans.com, http://USCTrojans.com/.

MAKE SURE YOU BUY THE RIGHT HYBRID
GOLF CLUBS FOR YOUR GAME

By Bobby Eldridge

I think the hybrid golf clubs are going to wind up being a better invention than the sand wedge. I
have to ad one more thought. IF you buy the right one for your game.

Can you believe how incredible it is to stand in the middle of the fairway 200 yards from the green
and you get to pull out one of those beautiful replacement clubs instead of a 3 iron? That is exactly
where the problems begin. You better hope that you bought the correct 3 iron replacement. From the
minute I heard about the hybrids I have referred to them as replacement clubs.

Of course I have a reason why I call them replacement clubs. I bought three of them before it dawned
on me that I was just buying them because I liked them, not because they were correct for my game.
That is when I did some research that I will share with you.

The Rules of Golf states that you are allowed to carry 14 clubs in your bag. Let’s do some math. You
probably use a driver, putter, pitching wedge, sand wedge and LOB. That’s five golf clubs and nine to
go. Most of you have a 9-8-7-6 irons. Now we have nine clubs and four to go.

You have to make sure of two things when you are replacing your longer irons. If you don’t buy the
hybrids in a set you are going to get different shafts from different companies. Even thou you bought
a regular shaft from one company that doesn’t mean it is going to be the same regular shaft of another
company. The second thing you have to be careful of if you don’t buy your hybrids in a set is the loft
on the clubs.

That is where my problems began early on. I was buying different hybrids and the lofts were too close
together.

The following chart will help you understand what you have to purchase for a replacement club:

17 degree hybrid would replace a 2 iron or 5 wood

20 degree hyrid would replace a 3 iron or 7 wood

23 degree hybrid would replace a 4 iron

27 degree hybrid would replace a 5 iron

31 degree hybrid would replace a 6 iron

In closing I have to explain one last thing to you. Not all companys have the same degree of loft.
Some companies might make a 24-28-32 degree set of hybrids. The one thing to keep in mind is that
you are REPLACING a club in your bag. You don’t want two clubs with the same loft.

I hope this helps you out the next time you head out to buy a couple of hybrid golf clubs for your game.

Golfingly yours, Bobby Eldridge

You can email me at: bobby@igolffixes.com

or go to my website: www. igolffixes.com

ARTS & ENTERTAIMENT

SEAN’S SHAMELESS

REVIEWS:

The Book Report

By Jeff Brown

Review By Sean Kayden

SPRING PLAYLIST WORTH PAYING
ATTENTION TO

Beach House – “Myth”

This empyreal tune is the latest from dream-pop aficionados, Beach House. “Myth”
is a spacious, utterly divine track that floats effortlessly behind a hypotonic haze. The
weightlessness and organic touch to “Myth” makes it such an easy listen for one to become
entirely mesmerized by. With each subsequent release, Beach House continually proves to
be a band worth looking into it if you haven’t already. Delivering yet another ineffable gem,
the mighty duo is primed for what signals indicate to be a stellar album once again.

Eight and a Half – “Go Ego”

Eight and A Half is comprised of two members from the out of commission group, The
Stills and the drummer from indie titans, Broken Social Scene. What’s the result? Something
undeniably wicked. “Go Ego” is more in vein of The Stills, but with much a more minimalistic
approach. Rich textures, slick vocals, and heavy-synths, “Go Ego” is the first cool song of
2012. If this is any indication on how the forthcoming album will sound like, then we’re in
for one hell of a debut. Eight and A Half may just be the antidote most of us are in need of.

Bear Driver – “Big Love”

The five-piece London band recently dropped the single, “Big Love”. It comes off their debut
LP that will arrive this summer. “Big Love” is an indelible pop song with edgy guitar riffs,
glossy vocals, and a downright infectious sound. The song is quick, upbeat, and always
charming. Bear Driver should be the definite sound for this rapidly approaching summer.
After a few EPs and singles under their belt, the lads are prepared for total domination with
the release of their first full-length record. Guess what? I’m totally on board with that.

Best Coast – “The Only Place”

2010 beloved band, Best Coast are back with a new single. “The Only Place” is a love letter
to California (the band’s home state obviously). Lyrically, “The Only Place” is similar in
nature to the tunes off their critically adored debut album, “Crazy For You.” However, their
signature sound has expanded and production values are significantly higher. The lo-fi tone
is gone, but strangely enough it’s not sorely missed. “The Only Place” is a simple tune, but
irrefutably catchy. It’s your “fun in the sun” style of a song. With the faintly new direction in
sight, songstress Bethany Cosentino and company are looking to repeat success with their
sophomore record this May.

Japandroids – “The House That Heaven Built”

Post-punk duo, Japandroids are back in a big way. Their latest endeavor is aggressive and
razor sharp. You can’t help but to not sing along with the “ohs” that are scattered throughout
this awesome tune. The rapturous track is both fierce and powerful, but even a bit poppy at
moments. “The House That Heaven Built” builds upon its towering, anthem-style energy.
Japandroids look to be a mighty force to be reckoned with come this summer when they
release, “Celebration Rock”, this presumed behemoth of a rock album.

ABUNDANCE: THE FUTURE IS BETTER THAN YOU THINK BY

PETER H. DIAMANDIS & STEVEN KOTLER

Providing abundance is humanity’s grandest challenge, this is a book about how we rise to
meet it. We will soon be able to meet and exceed the basic needs of every man, woman and
child on the planet. Abundance for all is within our grasp. This bold, contrarian view, backed
up by exhaustive research, introduces our near term future, where exponentially growing
technologies and three other powerful forces are conspiring to better the lives of billions.

The book is an antidote to pessimism by tech entrepreneur turned philanthropist, Peter H.
Diamandis and award-winning science writer Steven Kotler.

Since the dawn of humanity, a privileged few have lived in stark contrast to the hardscrabble
majority. Conventional wisdom says this gap cannot be closed. But it is closing fast.
The authors document how four forces—exponential technologies, the DIY innovator, the
Technophilanthropist, and the Rising Billion—are conspiring to solve our biggest problems.
Abundance establishes hard targets for change and lays out a strategic roadmap for governments,
industry and entrepreneurs, giving us plenty of reason for optimism. Examining human
need by category, water, food, energy, healthcare, education, freedom, Diamandis and
Kotler introduce dozens of innovators making great strides in each area: Larry Page, Steven
Hawking, Dean Kamen, Daniel Kahneman, Elon Musk, Bill Joy, Stewart Brand, Jeff Skoll,
Ray Kurzweil, Ratan Tata, Craig Venter, among many, many others.

THE SEVEN SECRETS OF SLIM PEOPLE BY VIKKI HANSEN

How so naturally thin people stay so slim? Face it. Diets don't work. All they do is create a
chronic cycle of weight loss and gain that's nearly impossible to escape. But you don't have to
be fat and unhappy forever. Now, at last, here's a long term, lifetime solution you can count
on, an inspirational, step by step plan that will help you achieve total health and your ideal
body weight. Sound too good to be true? It's not! According to Hansen by following these
seven secrets, you will take control of your eating habits and change your life forever. With
this groundbreaking, time tested program you'll get a new taste of freedom, the freedom to
look and feel great without giving up the foods you love.

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