Latest News
No one in his or her right mind would sit and watch Major League Baseball’s televised draft show. Which means, of course, that your humble correspondent did. Well, not the entirety of the first two rounds Thursday (June 6). But enough to see that you probably would have to be an employee of MLB to sit through the show on the MLB Network. Or possibly a relative of commissioner Bud Selig. Not falling into either category, I was able to switch channels and not feel that I was missing out on anything.
Kings Ice Crew member Ally shows a certain puckish side.
* Speaking of tough TV to watch, I will take the word of others regarding the NBA postgame program on ESPN. Which saves me the problem of deciding whether that or the baseball draft was less entertaining.
* Speaking of baseball’s draft, the Cubs took Kris Bryant, a third baseman from the University of San Diego with the No. 2 overall pick. Some Cubs fans no doubt are thrilled to have another third baseman of the future. Less thrilled (just guessing here) would be Josh Vitters, the man who previously was the leading candidate holding that title.
* In the second round, the Cubs selected University of Missouri left-hander Rob Zastryzny with the 41st overall pick. Baseball America rated Zastryzny at No. 76. Zastryzny was 2-9 with a 3.38 earned-run average for his junior year at Missouri. Either the Cubs front office think Zastryzny has more potential than his stats show or the Cubs brass wants to torment the media now that they have mastered spelling Samardzija.
* The White Sox took shortstop Tim Anderson from East Central Community College in Mississippi with the No. 17 overall pick. His selection continues a recent trend of the team choosing players who possess above-average footspeed.
The L.A. Kings may not have the Stanley Cup around much longer.
* The Blackhawks took a 3-1 Western Conference finals series lead with a 3-2 victory against the Kings in Los Angeles. Which would seem to have the Hawks on the brink of a Stanley Cup finals berth. And which also would seem to provide a reason to run video of the Kings Ice Crew for possibly the last time this season.
* Speaking of postseason action, the NBA finals opened Thursday in Miami with the Heat losing to the San Antonio Spurs 92-88. LeBron James had 18 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists for the Heat. Tim Duncan had 20 points and 14 rebounds for the Spurs. Duncan became the fourth player in finals history to appear in games in three decades. The others: Elgin Baylor, A.C. Green and John Salley with Salley the only one to win titles in three in three decades.
* A reminder that “Tarafied” — Matt Goldberg’s movie about wrestling’s Tara (in real life Lisa Marie Varon) — will be screened at The Squared Circle (2418 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago) on Saturday at 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. That is the establishment that Lisa Marie and her husband Lee have and features wrestling-themed memorabilia on the walls. The short documentary was among the offerings at the recent Cannes Film Festival.
* The fortunes of the Chicago Sky may have taken a tumble Thursday. Star guard Epiphanny Prince, who is missing seven games to be with the Russian national team as part of her contract with the Russian squad, sprained an ankle in a contest against the Chinese National team. The extend of Prince’s injury was to be determined. At worst, she won’t be able to return to the Sky as had been anticipated. At best, it’s a mild malady that limits her play overseas. The Sky plays at San Antonio on Friday with San Antonio playing at the Sky on Sunday at 5 p.m. Both games are to be on The U Too (Channel 248 on Comcast).
* Speaking of women’s team sports, the Chicago Bandits improved to 2-0 with a 5-0 victory vs. the Akron Racers at the Ballpark at Rosemont. Rookie Mel Dumezich threw a four-hitter and struck out seven. Megan Wiggins had a three-run home run to center in the second inning. The teams play again Friday at 7:35 p.m.
* Still speaking of female athletes, roller derby will be in full swing Saturday at the UIC Pavilion. THe Ivy King championship card begins at 6 p.m. with the Fierce Flamingos facing the White Zombies in a charity bout with teams comprised of players from Hell’s Belles, Double Crossers, WCR All-Stars and Haymarket Rioters. THe main event at 7:30 will feature the Manic Attackers and The Fury. General admission tickets are $20 with VIP track-side seats $35 and available from Ticketmaster. The charity partner for the event is elp Tequila, which benefits Tequila Mockingbird, a veteran Chicago roller derby player for The Fury who suffered serious spinal cord injury during a bout in 2007. An after-party will be held at The Shambles, 2050 W. Division.
A photograph of June Playboy Playmate Audrey Aleen Allen or of Willie Lanier or Eric Dickerson? Decisions, decisions.
Another edition of “Sports & Torts” with co-hosts David Spada and Elliott Harris is in the archives at Talkzone.com. Or wherever the fine folks there put podcasts of the 60-minute interview program.
Thank you to the guests who appeared on the June 6 show. Playboy’s JUne 2013 Playmate Audrey Aleen Allen was a delight.
Maybe next time we will be able to have her in the studio for an interview rather than by long-distance telephone.
Having the opportunity to chat with Willie Lanier and Eric Dickerson was wonderful. It’s not every day you have the chance to talk with a couple of Pro Football Hall of Fame players.
For those who were unable to tune in and/or for those who would like an encore performance of the program, you can access it by clicking here.
Here is where we go for our daily dose of non-gratuitous video (thanks to the nonstop efforts of the editorial and video departments — and their generous definition of “gratuitous”):
Advertising opportunities are available on ElliottHarris.com. For information and rates, contact sales@elliottharris.com.