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Friday, June 21, 2002
Ben Maller is the Smiling Rhino!  By Ben Maller Ever wonder what your nickname would be if your a super hero? Well someone sent me a link to this site that allows you the chance to get your hero nickname. I'm the "Smiling Rhino". George W. Bush is... The Great and Mighty Tumbler. David Letterman is... The Late-Night Tumbler. Homer Simpson is... The Shrieking Exhorter. To get your super hero nickname click here permalink Thursday, June 20, 2002
Chargers change policy to keep out Raider fans!  Hoping to regain a home-field feeling for their biggest rivalry, the San Diego Chargers are changing their ticket policy for their game against the Oakland Raiders on Dec. 8. Thousands of Raiders fans, many of whom developed an allegiance during the team's 13 years in Los Angeles, turn out for the Raiders-Chargers game every season. Last year, the sellout crowd was about 50 percent Raiders fans, and Oakland clinched the AFC West title with a 13-6 victory. Under a new policy announced by the Chargers on Thursday, group purchases of 25 or more tickets for the Raiders game must be accompanied by the purchase of an equal number of tickets for another Chargers game. When single-game tickets go on sale July 27, those buying tickets to the Raiders game must also buy an equal number of tickets to other Chargers games. ``This is to get more Chargers fans in Qualcomm Stadium for this and other games,'' said Ken Derrett, the Chargers' chief marketing official. In a letter sent this week, the Chargers asked season ticket-holders not to sell their tickets to the Raiders game. Two years ago, a Raiders fan stabbed a Chargers fan after the game and was later sentenced to five years in prison. Three years ago, brawling among fans was so bad that even the players took notice from the field. The Chargers have lost 26 of their last 32 games and have missed the playoffs six straight years, the second-longest active drought in the NFL. Source:The Associated Press permalink
Dodgers Drop the Ball  By Ben Maller The Dodgers missed a chance to honor a veteran of the Press Box wars. Liz Shanov passed away last week, she started covering the Dodgers in the early 1980's and spent close to 20 years covering the baseball team for ABC Radio. It has been the Dodger policy over the years to honor long time members of the media that have passed away with a moment of silence or at least a mention in the press box notes. Yet Ms. Shanov passed away without any such tribute. I was not close to Liz although we did talk from time to time over the years. It bothers me that a sports writer passes away and they have a video tribute and the flag goes to half mass at the stadium and a radio reporter dies and gets nothing. It makes many of us who work in the radio biz feel like somehow we are not as important. Everyone has a role in covering a baseball team from print to radio and TV. I can't imagine how many interviews Shanov must have done over the years with Dodgers from Fernando Valenzuela to Pedro Guerrerro to Mike Piazza and Hideo Nomo. Those interviews where fed to radio stations from Maine to Washington State helping promote Dodger baseball around the country. The Dodgers did not have to honor her but it would have been the right thing to do. permalink Tuesday, June 18, 2002
Ben Maller a Dolphins Expert?  By Ben Maller I love the NFL and talking about football. If I could get away with it I would talk football on everyone of my radio shows. I understand though that the key to a good radio show is to "play the hits." This means that when Tiger Woods wins the U.S. Open you talk about it. When WNBA players say they might go on strike you take valuable national airtime on the radio to goof on them. The Internet on the other hand is a different animal. The wild wild web allows you to do whatever the hell you want. Mike Oliva a fine sportswriter for the award winning PhinZone.com website is a listener to my show and contacted me for an interview. The result is a hard hitting exclusive look at the Miami Dolphins and the AFC East. Guess who I want to see from the NFL take part in celebrity boxing. Wonder who I think is the most overrated player in the NFL? Its not Kordell Stewart guess who? Click Here: Ben Maller's Interview on PhinZone.com permalink Monday, June 17, 2002
Stuff the All-Star Ballot  By Ben Maller Do you have a problem with how Bud Selig is running baseball? Well here is your chance to get some payback. Nothing would be more humiliating for Selig and baseball then to see members of the Minnesota Twins and Montreal Expos starting in this mid summer's classic that's being paid in Selig's Milwaukee. If all the players from the Twins and the Expos were selected as starters this would create problems for anyone trying to get rid of such smaller market teams. You can vote 25 times on your own computer for each member of the Twins and Expos. Its easy and will only take about 10 minutes of your cyber surfing time. I urge you to screw bug selig and visit BaseballVote.com permalink
The Rivalry Baseball Forgot  By Ben Maller It was a great weekend for rivalries in baseball. Despite the rotation of interleague matchups Major League Baseball has kept the regional series alive and well with the Mets vs. Yankees, Dodgers vs. Angels, Cubs vs. White Sox, Astros vs. Rangers, Marlins vs. Devil Rays and on and on except for one. Its baseball's forgotten rivalry. There is no "Battle of Ohio" this season despite being state rivals the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians for some reason do not play. According to baseball sources someone screwed up at the major league baseball scheduling office. These are two of the oldest franchises in the game, and the passion and history run deep. Its amazing to me that in 2002 with all the money on the line in pro sports that something like this could happen but it did. No Ken Griffey Jr. visiting Cleveland and no Jim Thome going to Cincinnati. Another brilliant move under the used car salesman Bud Selig. permalink Sunday, June 16, 2002
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