TED SOBEL SPORTS AUDIO VAULT: Your Inside Access to TOUCHING GREATNESS

Kobe still has the touch after the long lockout

My radio alarm clock woke me up on Thursday morning with Dan Patrick’s words that the Angels had signed Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson which had me thinking I might still be dreaming? And it wasn’t long after when I arrived for my shift at KFWB the report that the Lakers had acquired Chris Paul from New Orleans for Gasol and Odom and it was non-stop from there.

And then by the time I was heading home later in the day, NBA Commish David Stern had nixed (not Knicksed) the deal and all I could think about was dealing with Pao and Lamar during Friday’s opening day of Lakers training camp.

Kobe walks off the court to meet us media types

It never mattered though with L.O. not staying around for practice and Gasol leaving out the back door early for no media contact. So instead we got reactions from some of the players including Kobe, who took the matter in stride (at least for the moment). And what a media zoo it turned out to be, maybe the largest turnout I’ve seen for a non-playoff situation ever?

I usually can get a few one on ones during these sessions but could only squeeze out one with Luke Walton who’s fresh from his bried coaching stint as an assistant at Memphis University.

Enjoy the banter and there’s plenty of it for what was one of the strangest first days of camp in recent memory…

Kobe Bryant with Ted Sobel et al:

Derek Fisher with Ted Sobel et al:

Andrew Bynum with Ted Sobel et al:

Ron (Meta World Peace) Artest with Ted Sobel et al:

Luke Walton with Ted Sobel:

We had some blowouts and great come from behinders as Week 14 of the NFL ended with another fantastic finish with Eli Manning and the Giants pulling out a last minute 3 pt. win in Dallas.

And not a bad Sports USA doubleheader either with first Houston stealing a 20-19 win in Cincinnati followed by Arizona edging San Francisco 21-19 in the desert.

Here’s our complete Sunday wrap up show including play by play hightlights and enough stats to put you in fantasy football heaven!…

NFL Sunday Sports Wrap up on Sports USA:

Thanks for being loyal visitors to this site and sorry that I’ve fallen behind in my postings. I’ve been running around from Lakers camp, to the Angels big newsconference to the Kings-Dallas Stars game. When I have some time on Sunday night after my NFL doubleheader on Sports USA Radio I’ll post all the audio I have from the past 2 days including Lakers opening day of training camp including possible trade reactions from Kobe and his teammates along with a one on one with Luke Walton. I sat down with new Angels mega-millionaires Albert Pujols and CJ Wilson along with reactions from manager Mike Scioscia, Torii Hunter, Jared Weaver, and hitting coach Mickey Hatcher. And Saturday night’s latest loss by the hockey Kings on Bernie Nicholl’s legend’s night including player’s and coach Terry Murray’s reactions and a reminiscing chat with Nicholls.

Thanks for your patience and remember that you read it here first about Jim Mora as the next coach at UCLA…at least Dan Guerrero took my advice, now don’t make me look bad–son of Mr. ‘PLAYOFFS!!!!!’ 🙂

The Green Bay Packers went into Giants Stadium a touchdown favorite to get to 12-0 and they found a way to get it done (although a few key breaks from the officials didn’t hurt either).

Two plays that stood out to me were the Aaron Rodgers to Greg Jennings touchdown pass that Jennings seemed to bobble (as if he had oil on his fingers) on his way out of the end zone and somehow it was never reviewed and stood for 6 pts. on the scoreboard. The other was the late 4th quarter Packers 3rd down in which Rodgers got sacked for a big loss but a phantom illegal contact penalty was called against the Giants to give Green Bay a free first down to help their overall cause. NYG did tie the game late with a nice 2 pt. conversion but Rodgers showed his last minute magic with a few perfect throws setting up the game winning chip-shot field goal by Mason Crosby.

The defending Super Bowl champions won their 18th straight and coupled with the Detroit Lions loss to New Orleans on Sunday night, the Packers captured the NFC North and joined the San Francisco as the first two teams to clinch divisional titles and trips to the playoffs.

So the Pack remains unbeaten and if they can beat Oakland at Lambeau Field next Sunday, the following week I’m supposed to get Mr. Rodgers on the phone for a nice chat before they head to Kansas City for their final road game with 14-0 looking very promising. We’ll discuss that interview in due time but for now, enjoy listening to our longest NFL Sunday Wrap up show of the season on Sports USA after the doubleheader that first had the Patriots put away the sorry 0-12 Colts followed by the 49ers shutting out the 2-10 Rams.

NFL Sunday Wrap on Sports USA with Ted Sobel/Brian Golden:

First the Anaheim Ducks fire head coach Randy Carlyle after a win and then Bruce Boudreau suddenly takes over just 2 days after being given his pink slip in Washington, and now he’s still wondering how to get a first win with his new team?

The Ducks blew a 3-0 lead to Philly in Boudreau’s debut only to lose in overtime and tonight they played like Carlyle never left…inconsistently throughout the game and lost another one on home ice to Minnesota 5-3.

Before the Flyers game, Bruce was kind enough to squeeze a couple of minutes to call me for his introductory interview and he was quite excited (besides admittedly nervous) about making his Anaheim coaching debut. You can see how his more enthusiastic and open-communicating style of coaching could be of benefit to his new team but so far that hasn’t produced the bottom line-2 point games!

It’s up to the players to take it from here and one of those, young Andrew Gordon a 3rd line winger was also a guest of mine before Bruce’s inaugural game in the OC. Gordon is the lone Ducks player who’s ever played for Boudreau on the NHL level and he was open with this thoughts on his new coach and the club’s outlook. The irony is that Andrew’s lone NHL goal was scored for Boudreau’s Capitals last season and he scored his first Ducks goal for Bruce on Friday night. I texted Gordon to congratulate him minutes after the goal, of course little did I realize that the Ducks would eventually give this game away.

Here are my 2 interviews which despite being conducted a few days ago, will show what the Ducks are hoping to become and how they might get there?…

Bruce Boudreau with Ted Sobel:

Bruce Boudreau after 2nd game in Anaheim:

Andrew Gordon with Ted Sobel:

Tiger Woods takes a three shot lead into the weekend at his own tournament, the Chevron World Challenge at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California. Tiger has been ‘STUCK’ on 71 tour wins for two years now and what a place to end his long drought where he’s won 4 times in this event’s 12 years.

On Wednesday, Woods held his usual pre-tournament newsconference and I asked him not only about trusting his new swing after more changes working with his latest coach Sean Foley, but also about this hockey goalie mask story that I randomly came across before heading out to speak to him.

It turns out that the one and only ‘official Tiger Woods goalie mask’ painted by Suzie Mathias was displayed in the Hockey Hall of Fame from 2005-06 in its “Shoot For a Cure” auction inventory. It’s autographed by Tiger, and commemorates his four consecutive Majors that he won in 2000-01.

It really is a beautiful work of art and I would love to have it displayed in my place except for one little problem…it’s listed at $4,999 on ebay (although it has been dropped by $1,000) and is still several thousand over my price range. As you’ll hear in Tiger’s response to me, he doesn’t recall the mask at all but at least he opened up with a nice glib reply which ended up in a few of the reporters stories (including my friend Karen Crouse of the New York Times). Just having fun here…as it’s hardly brain surgery, right? lol

In the old days, we’d all be counting this weekend as another easy win for Tiger (since he’s the halfway leader by 3). But these are these days and Woods has yet to finish anybody off down the stretch since his public and private downfall two Thanksgivings ago.

Whatever the rhetoric out there…golf could use some big wins by Tiger and no better time to start than right now—in his own hometown! Good luck Eldrick and welcome back, I think?

Tiger Woods with Ted Sobel: