Free Republic

In the National League, the first half of this decade has unfolded in a pattern a preschooler could understand: Giants, Cardinals, Giants, Cardinals, Giants. It should follow, then, that the St. Louis Cardinals will represent the National League in the World Series this fall. The Cardinals are strong again, and they very well could wrest the N.L. pennant back from the San Francisco Giants, who last October rode Madison Bumgarner’s left arm to their third World Series title in five seasons. But one of these years, the pattern will break. The postseason dominance of the Giants and the Cardinals has...

As the 2015 Major League Baseball season dawns, the lords of baseball are asking for our forgiveness. They want a second chance, and to get it they are making changes that could shake the game to its foundations. This isn’t about tinkering with the playoffs to make a few extra dollars from the television networks. The 30 team owners have ordered the new commissioner to modernize baseball and make it appeal to an audience that is increasingly weary of the game’s slow pace. There will of course be cries of sacrilege from traditionalists about putting the national pastime on a...

Michael Eisner did not care for the rules. He would look out for his kingdom, in a way that would seem perfectly logical to Arte Moreno, and to a good many fans too. If a player on your team was involved with cocaine, how could the team be forbidden from taking disciplinary action? In Baseball Land, the employees have a powerful union to protect their interests. And so, on Friday, the commissioner of baseball was reduced to issuing a statement that essentially said, "Yes, I would have suspended Josh Hamilton, but I had no authority to do so." In 1997,...

Eddie LeBaron, the College Football Hall of Fame quarterback at the University of the Pacific who went on to a lengthy pro career, died Wednesday in Stockton, the university announced. He was 85. University officials said Mr. LeBaron, who also worked as a lawyer in Sacramento for nine years before retiring in 1997, died of natural causes ... Drafted by the Washington Redskins, Mr. LeBaron played seven years in the nation’s capital and four with the Dallas Cowboys. He also played one season with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League ...

NCAA President Mark Emmert says the association is "very pleased" with revisions to Indiana's religious objections law that critics feared would lead to discrimination against gays and lesbians. Indiana lawmakers unveiled an amended bill Thursday morning.

This project represents the single largest investment in size and scope that Bass Pro Shops has ever made outside of its national headquarters in Missouri. With an array of retail, educational and fun attractions for guests of all ages, the experience is much more than a store; it's a deeply engaging, one-of-a-kind adventure. In addition to vast assortments of outdoor gear, the new destination experience will include wilderness hotel Big Cypress Lodge, 600,000 gallons of water features; a cypress swamp with 100-foot-tall trees; the interactive Ducks Unlimited Waterfowling Heritage Center; and a breathtaking glass-floored cantilevering observation deck at the top...

What’s the worst thing that could happen when your Windows update takes longer than expected? Ask the Paderborn Finke Baskets, a German pro basketball team who got relegated thanks to Windows’ sluggish performance. The Spiralling Progress Indicator of Doom spelled the end of the team’s run in Division Two of the Basketball Bundesliga. As the home team in a match against Chemnitz, the Finke Baskets were responsible for the large score display screen. The laptop controlling the screen crashed right before the start of the game and upon re-start insisted on installing automatic Windows updates. The game was supposed to...

The woman who accused former Alabama defensive lineman Jonathan Taylor of assault this past weekend has since recanted her statement to police and was subsequently arrested for giving a false report, according to authorities. Tuscaloosa County Metro Homicide Unit assistant commander Kip Hart said the 24-year-old woman, whose identity is being withheld, approached investigators and provided a written statement saying she fabricated the story.

The female accuser in the altercation that led to former Alabama defensive tackle Jonathan Taylor being arrested on domestic violence charges Saturday has recanted her accusations, according to a release from the Tuscaloosa Police Department. Taylor, who was dismissed from Alabama's team Sunday following the incident, was charged with domestic violence third-degree assault and domestic violence third-degree criminal mischief. The 24-year old accuser told police that she had been in a verbal confrontation that turned physical with the 6-foot-4, 335-pound Taylor, according to the release. Police arrested Taylor after the accuser told them that he caused injuries to her neck...

The University of North Dakota is looking for suggestions for a new nickname. The school's nickname committee will be accepting submissions beginning Wednesday until the end of the April. The names must be 25 characters or less. The committee says it is looking for nicknames that are unique, promote pride and strength, represent the state and region, honor the traditions and heritage of the past, and can be a unifying and rallying symbol. A consulting group will research the suggestions for any trademark or copyright infringement. The committee will narrow down the choices for a public vote. The school's Fighting...

The Redskins nickname has been the forgotten NFL controversy of the past several months. With concussions and domestic violence dominating the off-field headlines, the nickname debate circling around the Washington NFL franchise has moved to the backburner recently. However, some interesting developments from The Associated Press could move it back front and center. The organization is considering whether to make a ruling against the polarizing nickname when it comes to the influential AP Stylebook.

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland walked away from the NFL at the age of 24 for fear of head injuries, despite not having a diagnosed concussion for a decade. And then there’s Wes Welker, the anti-Borland, a wideout with a disturbing array of concussions who isn’t ready to quit. “As long as I’ve recovered the right way and everything like that, I’m ready to go,” Welker told ESPN in December. “I really don’t see any problem with it.’’ But apparently the rest of the NFL sees what Welker doesn’t. Pro Football Talk reported the receiver has “generated no buzz”...

I'm not a soccer fan, but I am a big fan of humor and well done parody. If this doesn't make you laugh, nothing will! (I clicked excerpt to make the link easy)

Trolling for Dummies A dummy's guide to trolling — from picking lures to setting up your trolling spread. By Erik Landesfeind In last week's So Cal Scene, I touched upon the subject of trolling while discussing fishing kelp paddies. Apparently I should've spent a little more time on the subject as I've received several emails from readers with questions like, “What colors and brands of lures should I use?” “How exactly should I set up my trolling spread?” and “How do I go about trolling that spread?” My honest answer to most of them was, “I don't know, but I'm...

Cristie Kerr ran off four straight birdies on the back nine and closed with a 7-under 65 to win the Kia Classic on Sunday for her first LPGA Tour title in nearly two years. Starting the final round three shots behind, Kerr was in a three-way tie for the lead at Aviara Golf Club when she pulled away from Mirim Lee and 17-year-old Lydia Ko. Her fourth straight birdie was on the 16th hole when she drove the green and two-putted from 20 feet.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been following closely as Wisconsin makes its run through the NCAA tournament. After the Badgers outlasted Arizona Saturday night to advance to the Final Four

A Downey mall was shut down Saturday as police attempted to calm a crowd of 2,000 teenagers arriving to see two professional skateboarders scheduled to appear at a local clothing store. Stonewood Center shopping mall, located in the 200 block of Stonewood Street, was swarmed with fans of professional skateboarders Steven Fernandez, 15, and Keelan Dadd, 27. Downey police say hundreds converged inside the shopping center while thousands formed a line outside its doors.

The Kalashnikov Group has filed an appeal against a court ruling that rejected its request to terminate the legal protection of the Kalashnikov logo, a 3D image of the famous gun with an AK-47 graphic element, which belongs to the gun designer and his daughter and grandson, the Intellectual Property Court said in a statement. The ruling in favor of the designer’s family was made on December 23, 2014. The Presidium of the Intellectual Property Court said that the trademark was used by the rights holder (defendant) and other individuals who produced and marketed the gun in Russia under the...

Rod Hundley, basketball’s irrepressible Hot Rod, who parlayed showmanship on the court with flair at the microphone to become a fan favorite for more than half a century, died on Friday at his home near Phoenix. He was 80. Hundley was an electrifying presence at West Virginia University, played for the Lakers and stamped his persona on broadcasting, mostly for the New Orleans Jazz. “Nobody did the things I did on the court and nobody has done them since,” Hundley said of his collegiate exploits in “Hot Rod Hundley: You Gotta Love It Baby!” (2012), written with Tom McEachin. “I’d...

Can a smart bike rescue itself if there’s no one around to see the blinking LED that says it’s stolen? Tuesday morning, Bill Kiriakis drove in from the North Bay to The New Wheel to pick up his brand new $6,990 Stromer ST2. By noon it had been stolen. What could have turned into a real lousy Tuesday turned into an exciting tale of smart bike success. Kiriakis made the mistake of locking his super bling electric bike up to his rack and walking away. Dramatization of the bike theft. Dramatization of the bike theft. when he came back from...