Ramble on ... Portland Readies for the D-League

The Portland City Council voted unanimously to approve a lease agreement which will open the doors for the NBA D-League to expand to Maine, the first key franchise for the northeast. The proposed D-League franchise will play in the cozy Portland Expo, a 3,200-seat "Cameron Crazy-like" gymnasium which will undergo a modest face-lift in the year to come.

The facility, which frequently hosts Maine high school basketball tournaments, is the perfect match for an upstart D-League franchise.

See maineprobasketball.blogspot.com

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Sox Appeal on NESN is a lot of fun.

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We have a little letter 'k' on our weekly planning calendar for the family and it now marks the day when Dice-K starts. Pretty cool, as the kids like to keep track of the rotation. Nothing like 10 and 8 year old girls charting the pitching rotation of their favorite team.

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The Long Island Lizards list six people on the team directory, including a mascot and two team photographers. Go figure.

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I have taken a couple shots at Ari Fleischer and his newfound sports vocation, but I really have to ask? Ari, my main man, you stood up in front of the US flag and the Presidential seal, shoveling the malarkey your superiors asked you to dish out, the agenda stroked by the evil axis of the Bush Administration, Karl Rove, the bad excuse for a VP and Secretary of Defense, and now, you're trying to pedal a crisis communications and media training shop to pro sports leagues, franchises and players?

Ari, tell me you can relate to Lebron, D-Wade and Yao Ming? Tell me you can hang in the media relations oit of the batting cages with Manny and Prince Fielder? Tell me you can skate circles around Larry Brooks and Harry Sinden?

Tell me you have a clue as to the real inner workings of the IOC and BOCOG as the torch relay PR crisis unravels in the streets of Paris?

Tell me you have more?

Now, are these the questions I was called here to answer?

Please tell me you have something more, Ari. The Olympics are on trial for their lives. Please tell me that their media relations, crisis communications expert man hasn't pinned their hopes to a phone bill?

We want you on that wall, Ari, we need you on that wall.

Nevermind.

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Since when did Matt Stover become Samuel Gompers?

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Overheard in my NYC apartment elevator:

Dad holding hand of a three-year old on her way to preschool: "You can have some fruit salad for a snack."

Three-year old girl to her Dad: "I don't like fruit salad"

"It's not even salad. It's just a bunch of fruit in a bowl."

I will miss moments like that.

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Alumni Hall (Carnesecca Arena) at St. John's has looked the same since the 1960s. The only work done to the place was some paint and a new court now and then. Now, I am moving to Boston and they decide to put $5 million into the place to renovate and create a whopping 800 good seats with chairbacks and remodel the lobby and ticket area. It will be a step in a $30 million dollar renovation/upgrade of the Arena. Go figure.

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Do you think Bob Ryan would be "SHOCKED"... "SHOCKED" to read about this story?

TAMPA - Police and prosecutors are discussing whether to file additional charges against a Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher who police say spat blood on people outside a South Tampa bar.

Tampa police zapped Rafael "Al" Reyes twice with a Taser about 2:30 Friday morning after a fight outside Hyde Park Café. Police charged him with a misdemeanor related to causing a fight and released him on his own recognizance.

However, police are reviewing the situation with the state attorney's office, and additional charges could be filed, police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said.

Rays spokesman Rick Vaughn said this morning that the team just learned of the situation and is looking into it.

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MLB's Mosiac is pretty damn cool. I watched Gavin Floyd attempt a no hitter on-line as I was multi-tasking some email, researching a column and watching the Masters on CBS.

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The Weekend WSJ included a special section pull-out on the Beijing Olympics. Milwaukee Bucks forward Yi Jianlian was listed among the six athletes to watch as China goes for the gold this summer. Swimmer Wu Peng, Diver Guo Jingjing, Beach volleyball player Xue Chen, women's volleyball player Zhao Ruirui and badminton player Lin Dan were the others.

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Has there even been a name that better suits a professional athlete than that of Gary Player?

I've listed the favorite venues, my favorite sporting events, but how about my favorite names:

It doesn't get any better than boxing's Ali ... For tennis it has to be Bjorn Borg ...Hockey has a name or two in Maurice "Rocket" Richard and Jacques Plante, but Bobby Orr says it all ... Babe Ruth conjures up the very best in baseball. I'll expect some reader comments to provide a few more.