BenMaller.com - Ben's Takes

Friday Thoughts, Opinions and Notes

By Ben Maller

I would like to welcome Kenny "The Jet" Smith and Marques Johnson who join the radio side of Fox Sports this weekend with a new basketball show. You can hear it from 11am till 12pm Eastern Time.

The Lakers get their biggest weapon back just in time for the playoffs. Chick Hearn returns to the broadcast booth on March 1st. I can't think of a better gift to LA Fans. I wonder, though, is Chick going to do just home games? or all games?

Chris Webber should call a time out and think for a second. He's an NBA star player Tyra Banks is a star in Hollywood. Why wouldn't their relationship be news? Maybe Webber is smoking pot again.

I wonder if Lamar Odom will ever play again for the Clippers. The forward will be out 4-to-6 weeks with an injured right ankle. Elton Brand is the man now for the Clippers.

A listener to my show Sunday night on Fox Sports Radio brought up a good point: When Mike Piazza returned to Philadelphia in 1997 for the all-star game he wasn't booed. So why was Kobe Bryant booed at the NBA All-star game? Is Philadelphia a racist town?

Did you see that Charles Barkley of TNT won close to $700,000 dollars betting on the Patriots in Super Bowl 36. Bakley won the money at the Mandalay Bay.

Marv Albert will be able to buy some really nice panties soon. Albert is set to cash in this offseason when the NBA package moves from NBC to ABC.

I remember when Ike Austin was the hottest thing in the NBA. He was filling in for Alonzo Morning in Miami and playing at an all-star level. Austin was later traded to the Clippers and turned down big money to go elsewhere. How the mighty have fallen as it's expected that Austin will be released on March 1st by Memphis.

I have been saying for some time that Kobe Bryant is the second best player in the NBA behind Shaquille O'Neal. Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter and Jason Kidd are nice guys but Kobe is the man.

If Nick Van Exel is traded, it just proves how stupid NBA GM's are. Van Exel was a cancer in the Laker lockerroom and was the same thing with the Denver Nuggets. Van Exel has more baggage than a full 767.

How pathetic are the Colorado Rockies? Garth Brooks turned down there spring training invitation for "Personal Reasons."

Rickey Henderson is going to try and play for a 24th season. The Boston Red Sox signed Henderson to a minor league deal on Wednesday. When I saw Henderson play with the Angels back in 1997, I thought he was over the hill and yet he's still playing!

Major League Baseball officially acquired the Montreal Expos and named hall of famer Frank Robinson the manager and New York Mets executive Omar Minaya the general manager. This is the equivilant of the movie "Major League." Baseball hired Robinson and Minaya to lose and lose some more so that they can fold the franchise in a year.

The Orioles will suck this year, but at least they added a cool mascot to their uniforms in 2002.

All is right with the world as pitchers and catchers for the Dodgers and Angels work out today.

Congratulations to former KMPC 710am host Joel Myers who will work for the St. Louis Cardinals radio team this season. Myers will not spend much time in St. Louis though as he will only do Red Bird road games so that Jack Buck can do the home games.

I don't understand why Trent Dilfer can't find a regular gig. He has won his last 15 starts as an NFL QB yet will probably leave Seattle this offseason. The Redskins, Bears and Bengals are interested in Dilfer.

Dorsey Levens and Antonio Freeman both part of the Packers great run in the mid 90's, could be released by Green Bay this offseason.

Da Bears have big balls asking fans to pay from $900 to $10,000 for a personal seat licenses. Let's try and remember Chicago football has sucked for 10 years up until 2001.

Big Ben Trivia Question: What team in the NFL had a record $16,000 Personal Seat License?

The Houston Texans say they are not going to draft any player over 30 in the expansion draft. Isn't this age discrimination? I see lawsuit.

I'm sure Jay Fiedler is a nice guy and I'm happy he's rich, however what were the Miami Dolphins thinking giving him a five-year, $24.5 million contract?

Great article in Sports Illustrated this week pointing out the flaws in NFL Salaries. Some of the examples given:

Marty Booker the WR for the Bears had more receptions than Randy Moss or Terrell Owens despite making $529,000 while those guys made well over $10 million.

Reports are now that the Steelers will keep kicker Kris Brown around despite the fact that he led the NFL in missed field goals. This figures to be a horrible mistake.

Tom Brady, QB of the Patriots, made $298,000 for winning super bowl MVP honors and playing in the Pro Bowl. Jake Plummer of the Cardinals agreed to a deal worth $6.9 million a year.

I wasn't the only one that missed out on the NFL Pro Bowl. Only 4.2 percent of U.S. households watched the game on Saturday afternoon on ABC, according to Nielsen Media Research. Maybe if they stopped playing touch football more people would watch

Mike Tyson got a boxing license in Georgia. I wonder if he could get a drivers license there?

The Georgia Dome will make $13 million dollars upfront should the fight happen.

Is the Westminster dog show like pornography to those nuts in Korea that eat dogs?

Someone needs to explain to me why anyone should care that a couple of Canadian ice skaters got a raw deal at the Olympics. Who cares? I find the Olympics a waste of time.

Top 5 NFL Teams to Relocate to LA

1.) San Diego Chargers: They have an out in their deal at Qualcomm Stadium after 2004 according to sources and have already had talks with Los Angeles officials.

2.) Oakland Raiders: Al Davis is not happy in Oakland and thinks he made a mistake leaving Los Angeles. He would love to bring the team back in a new stadium.

3.) Arizona Cardinals: Until a new stadium is actually built Los Angeles is a real possibility.

4.) Minnesota Vikings: Red Mcombs is not an idiot. He knows that a football team in LA would a be gold mine. The Metrodome is a dump by NFL Standards and the people of Minnesota aren't about to give him a new stadium.

5.) New Orleans Saints: They say that they'll stay in Louisiana but speculation is that if a new stadium does not come along then the west coast is waiting.

Now a message from our sponsors...

A friendly reminder to listen to my radio show this weekend on your local Fox Sports Radio station. It's me along with Bob Page at the Fox Sports Update desk from 5am till 8am(est) Saturday morning. Sunday morning from 4am till 7am I'll be back again.
(Heard in Foxboro, Mass home of the World Champion Patriots)

Sunday night listen to my new program from 10pm till 2am along with Jason Smith on your local Fox Sports radio station. (Heard in Washington D.C., the home of Michael Jordan)

Ben Maller Trivia Question of the Week Answer: The Oakland Raiders had a $16,000 dollar club seat PSL an NFL Record.

Write Back:Send Ben Maller E mail by CLICKING HERE!
permalink

Thursday, February 14, 2002

Mahalo To Hawaii

By Ben Maller

After a great week and a half in Hawaii I returned to Los Angeles yesterday. I had a great time hanging out on the islands with all the pro bowlers however it was time to come home though. I missed the smog, traffic and my bed!

I was welcomed back to Los Angeles with a Parking ticket not more than 2 hours after I arrived at my apartment to unload my luggage. I think parking police are some of the biggest assholes around.

Interviewing Kordell Stewart and Bill Cowher of the Steelers were among the top highlights of the week. I also enjoyed when a caller from the Islands listening on KHNR called and told me to chill out and go to the North Shore to relax, he said I was too high strung for the islands.

Hanging out in the NFC locker room during the rain on Friday gave me a chance to take part in my first NFL practice. Coach Andy Reid of the Eagles held meetings with the offense and defense and didn't kick me out. It was also nice of Keyshawn Johnson of the Bucs to come over and tell me that Marvin Lewis wasn't going to get the Bucs coaching job.

On Monday I had the chance to go out and see the Islands. Honolulu is nice but on the backside of the Island is where the real paradise is. Bright blue waters 80 degree temperatures and no people as far as you can see!

Check back on Friday for a look at my trip with pictures. permalink

Tuesday, February 12, 2002

Big Ben's Hard at Work

HONOLULU - Ben Maller is still in Hawaii covering the post pro bowl celebration. Ben will be back in Los Angeles later this week to file daily reports for BenMaller.com.

Check back soon, Ben will have breaking news on the latest gossip in sports talk radio and a whole lot more.

Ben is skinny dipping right now on the North Shore.

Mahola permalink

Monday, February 11, 2002

Kobe Leads the Way

By Ben Maller

HONOLULU - Shaquille O'Neal of the Lakers is the Cleo of the NBA. In training camp Shaq said that Kobe Bryant would win the MVP award this season. Kobe did just that sort of at the NBA All-Star game Sunday in Philadelphia.

The Lakers star scored 31 points and was the shinning star among the league's best.

Philadelphia is from Philadelphia and was booed everytime he did anything. I love to get on players at games but this is an all-star game. Kobe is playing for the NBA Fans not the Lakers in this game. The people in Philly just don't get it. They should have given Kobe some love and let the Finals loss to the Lakers go. Heck the 76ers were lucky to even get into the finals.

I can't remember a hometown boy was a booed returning to his hometown in an all-star game. Can you?

Ben's Notes

As for the second half of the season, as soon as the Lakers flip the switch they'll win the NBA championship for a third straight year.

I had to run some errands in Honolulu and ran into Kurt Warner and Corey Dillon who were at Nike town. Jeff Garcia of the 49ers was catching some sun at the team hotel.

Cal-State Sacramento beat Hawaii 5-3 in a game that took 4 Hours to play.

I'm looking forward to Tuesday when pitchers and catchers start reporting to major league baseball camps.

They should move spring training games to Hawaii. Spread the teams out over the eight islands. How cool would that be?

Wake me up when the Olympics are over.

I'll be in Hawaii a few more days before heading back to Los Angeles. permalink