Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Vuvuzelas create buzz at World Cup

By Fred Guzman

ESPN550.com 

 

For better or worse, the biggest talk of the World Cup has not been about the action on the field but, rather, the steady buzzing sound emanating from the stands and serving as an irritant for television audiences around the world.

 

The constant noise is generated by plastic horns known as "vuvuzelas," which are a tradition among South African fans.  Vuvuzelas make a sound that has TV audiences wondering if a swarm of bees is stuck in their home monitors.  

 

FIFA, soccer's world governing body, has already said it will not ban the use of vuvuzelas in the stadiums our of respect for local tradition.

 

Fortunately for TV viewers who find the noise so obnoxious, relief is on the way.  The company proving the feed for the World Cup plans to double its audio filters in an effort to reduce the sound, although the filters also will minimize other crowd noise in the stadiums, such as chants and cheers. 

 

Several broadcasters have already taken their own measures to reduce the drone.  The French changed their microphones, replacing them with mics commentators hold close to their mouths to better filter sound.

 

The BBC is considering giving viewers the option of muting ambient noise while maintaining game commentary through its "red button" digital service. Viewers would push a red button on their remote control to receive the quieter broadcast on a separate channel.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Conference carousel will hurt Hawaii

By Fred Guzman

ESPN550.com 

 

The athletic fortunes of the University of Hawaii resemble a cork in the ocean.   UH is floating but has absolutely no control of anything else.

 

Two quick examples:  Hawaii's season-opening football game against Southern California is in serious jeopardy as a reuslt of the recent sanctions handed down by the NCAA. 

 

If USC is unable to play at Aloha Stadium on Sept. 2, it will cost Hawaii's cash-strapped athletic department – already facing a projected $2.2 million deficit – easily in excess of $1 million.

 

Of even more significant long-term concern is the future and viability of the WAC as we know it.  While the commentators continue to focus on the big-time programs that are -- or soon will be -- shifting conference affiliations, the WAC is at the mercy of others.

 

Boise State, the WAC's flagship football program, is leaving for the Mountain West, which may – in turn – find itself cannibalized if the Big 12 has to do some cherry-picking of its own in order to stay alive.

 

So what happens if the Big 12 goes after Utah, BYU and/or TCU?  And what if the Mountain West then goes after Fresno State and Nevada as replacements? 

 

That could leave the WAC in the position of having to fill out its ranks with the likes of Montana, Portland State, Weber State and UC Davis.  At the risk of sounding snobbish, hardly the type of teams likely to attract throngs of football fans to Aloha Stadium.

 

POWER SURGE:  If you got caught up in the feats of the Rainbow Wahine softball team, you are probably well aware that the long ball played a huge role in their success.  You probably also know that they shattered the previous national record for home runs in a single season, going deep 158 times.

 

Eight Hawaii players, led by freshman Kelly Majam's national-best 30, finished with double-digit homers. Melissa Gonzalez hit 25.  Jessica Iwata and Amanda Taualii  had 18 apiece, while Jenna Rodriguez added 17.  In fact, all of UH's runs in the College World Series came on homers.

 

But UH was not alone in increasing its power numbers.  In fact, the dramatic increase in home runs has NCAA officials investigating whether composite-barreled bats -- credited with the increase in big flies  and run production in recent years -- are good for the sport.

 

During this recent World Series, for example, there were 35 home runs hit in 15 games. There were 9.4 runs scored per game.  That's a dramatic departure from recent times when shutouts at the World Series were the rule rather than the exception.

 

UH coach Bob Coolen acknowledges that composite bats, with their larger barrels and expanded sweet spots, are the reason for the rise in home runs.  But Coolen, a former college pitcher, believes the increase in homers is good for the sport. 

 

Others, however, disagree, which is why the NCAA is taking a long and hard look at composite bats and/or seeking to expand the dimensions of softball stadiums across the country.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Late homer lifts UH to 3-2 win

By Fred Guzman

ESPN550.com

 

Hawaii has lived by the long ball all season.  Today was no exception.

 

Traci Yoshikawa blasted a two-run homer to right-center field in the top of the seventh, giving the Rainbow Wahine a 3-2 victory over Missouri in the Women's College World Series softball opener in Oklahoma City.

 

Katie Grimes led off the UH seventh with a single to right-center and was replaced by pinch runner Dara Pagaduan. Yoshikawa then ripped the first pitch from Missouri's Kristin Nottelmann for her 12th homer  and the Rainbow Wahine's NCAA-record 156th of the season.

 

Stephanie Ricketts got the Tigers in order in the bottom of the seventh for the complete-game victory, improving her personal record to 30-8 and Hawaii's season mark to 50-14.

 

UH will play its second game tomorrow against UCLA or Florida at 1 p.m., Hawaii time.

 

Hawai'i's Alex Aguirre hit a 2-2 pitch from Nottelmann to right-center field for a home run with one out in the second inning to give the Rainbow Wahine a 1-0 lead.

 

Today's other first-round games in the double-elimination tournament will pit Pac-10 and SEC teams.  UCLA (45-11) will play Florida (48-8), Arizona (48-11) will face Tennessee (47-13) and defending national champion Washington (50-7) will meet Georgia (48-11).

 

The event's three-game championship series will start on Monday.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Rainbow Wahine open World Series bid

By Fred Guzman

ESPN550.com

 

Members of the Rainbow Wahine softball team have been on the road so long – three and a half weeks, to be exact – that anyplace they lay their heads – or bats -- seems to become home.

 

First, it was Las Cruces, N.M., for a successful run in the WAC tournament.  Then, it was off to Palo Alto, Calif., and a sweep of the Stanford Regional. 

 

Over the past weekend, the Wahine found themselves in Tuscaloosa, Ala., where they took two of three games against the top-seeded host Crimson Tide to reach the NCAA softball World Series for the first time in program history.

 

Today in Oklahoma City, the 16th-seededd Rainbows open their bid in the eight-team national tournament, facing ninth-seeded Missouri in an opening round game that is scheduled for a 7 a.m. start, Hawaii time, and will be aired on ESPN.

 

Fueled by a high-powered offense that has hammered an NCAA record 154 homers this season, UH brings a 49-14 mark into today's game.  Missouri is 51-11.

 

If the Rainbow Wahine win, they would play the winner of today's game between fourth-seeded Florida (48-8) and fifth-seeded UCLA (45-11) at 1 p.m. (Hawai'i time) tomorrow.

 

A loss to Missouri today means playing the loser of the Gators-Bruins on Saturday at 6 a.m. (Hawai'i time) in an elimination game, with another potential game to follow at 1 p.m. that day.

 

DIAMOND NOTES:  It was a golden weekend on the diamond for three teams from the Aloha State.   The University of Hawaii qualified for its first-ever NCAA softball World Series with a stunning upset of  top-seeded host Alabama in the Super Regionals.  The Baseball Bows earned an unlikely berth in the NCAA baseball tourney.  And, to cap things off, Hawaii Pacific captured the NCAA national softball title.

 

Hawaii completed a stunning run in Tuscaloosa, Ala., going the maximum three games in eliminating top-seeded host in the softball Super Regionals. After being routed 8-0 in Friday's opener, UH rebounded for a pair of dramatic wins to oust Alabama.  In Friday's nightcap, UH squandered a 6-0 lead and held on for a nail-biting 8-7 victory over the Crimson Tide, ending Alabama's 28-game winning streak. 

 

In Saturday's decisive game, Hawaii overcame a 16-strikeout performance by Kelsi Dunne to post a 5-4 victory on Jenna Rodriguez' two-run walkoff homer.  It was her second blast of the game and increased UH's national single-season record to 154.

 

The UH baseball team, which spent the regular season struggling to qualify for the WAC tourney, capped a spectacular recent run by beating regular-season champ Fresno Sate 9-6 in the WAC championship game held in Mesa, Ariz.  The Bows didn't have to travel far for its NCAA regional tournament.  UH is assigned to the Arizona State regional and opens Friday versus San Diego State.  The top-seeded Sun Devils and Wisconsin-Milwaukee round out the regional field.

 

HPU won the national D-II crown with a 4-3 win over Valdosta State in the title game in St. Joseph, Mo.

 

TEXEIRA OUT:   Kanekoa Texeira's stint with the Seattle Mariners is over.  The rookie reliever was claimed from the New York Yankees in the Rule 5 draft, but was designated for assignment by the struggling Mariners.   That means the right-hander can be claimed off waivers by another team or be reclaimed by the Yankees.

 

Texeira struggled in recent outings, allowing six earned runs over four innings in his last five appearances.  Before then, the 24-year-old from Kula gave up just one run over 10 innings. Texeira's overall numbers with Seattle include a 0-1 record and a 5.30 ERA, giving up 22 hits and 10 walks with 14 strikeouts over 18.2 innings in 16 bullpen outings.