I’m reading, well, actually re-reading John Keegan’s book on World War I. (Entitled, simply, “The First World War.”) Keegan is the best military historian over the past 30 years. Probably since World War II. Absolutely readable yet consistently incisive. I’ve been struck again by the concept of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. I am fascinated by it. […]

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I don’t write this blog to make money off it. Very few bloggers do. They have something to say, or just feel like writing, and that’s that. Financial reward just isn’t part of the equation. When I began this particular blog, it had no ads at all. Then a couple of people told me to […]

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Another bad day in the print journalism world. The Denver-based Rocky Mountain News announced that tomorrow’s paper will be its last, after something like 150 years of publishing. I know at least one person who works in that newsroom, former Sun assistant sports editor Chuck Hickey, probably the best sports layout/production person in the history […]

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“Absolutely didn’t see this one coming” is the phrase that jumps to mind. The Clippers quit on this season months ago, and the idea that they could defeat the Boston Celtics, defending NBA champions anytime, anywhere seemed preposterous. And then the final score came in: Clippers 93, Celtics 91. I almost fell out of my […]

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I am one of Landon Donovan’s biggest fans. You all know that. He is a guy with the rare blend of athletic excellence, human decency and humility. So the headline, above, is not mocking. It is literal. I plan to see Landon soon because he will not be staying with the famous German club team […]

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I’ve been doing one blog entry per day for months now. Once in a while two, but at least one per day since, what, last summer? Maybe longer? Today, I’m going to go crazy and make at least four entries. And instead of making each one a sort of “instant newspaper column,” which has been […]

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It’s time. The Dodgers need another hitter. Manny Ramirez needs another contract. Time for Scott Boras to get out of the way and let the man-child he represents, Manny, sign with the Dodgers and get on with what he does best: Crush baseballs. Let’s get busy. The Dodgers apparently have sweetened their offer to Ramirez […]

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Consider yourself warned, street-ballin’, gravity-defyin’ hoopsters. Stat geeks are descending on your sport, and the next thing you know half the fans in the country will be talking about how “you’re good but you ain’t no Shane Battier.” Michael Lewis is the author of “Money Ball,” the book on Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane […]

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I banged the drum for an arena in the Inland Empire for, oh, 20 years. OK, almost 30, while working as sports editor and columnist at The San Bernardino Sun. Going back almost to the day in 1981, I believe it was, when the pilot of a small plane had a heart attack while flying […]

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It doesn’t happen here often, which is why this sort of steady national drumbeat of criticism aimed at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana (nee’ “California Speedway) is out there. But they had a nice race here at Fontana tonight. A fun race. An interesting race that wasn’t determined until the final lap. With two […]

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