League Notes
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Writer Says De La Hoya's Retirement Not
Surprising, But "Body Blow To The Sport" |
In San Antonio, John Whisler wrote boxer Oscar De La Hoya's retirement, while "not surprising," was a "body blow to the sport." De La Hoya's critics will "pick apart his career and point out that the failures in his biggest fights outweighed his successes, but De La Hoya's contributions to the sweet science cannot be overstated." De La Hoya "came along at just the right time" -- Mike Tyson was in prison and boxing "needed an attraction, another Sugar Ray Leonard." De La Hoya "was happy to oblige" (SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 4/19). ESPN.com’s Howard Bryant said of De La Hoya, "He generated more money than any boxer in the history of the sport, ever” (“The Sports Reporters,” ESPN, 4/19).
BACKGROUND CHECK: In Oakland, Monte Poole wrote with the NFL "becoming ever more infamous for unsavory off-field incidents," teams are "taking drastic measures in hopes of avoiding players with an aptitude for trouble" in the NFL Draft. Some teams are creating a "ghost profile" of a woman on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, which is a "ruse, designed to test the young man's self-discipline, help determine whether it's wise to invest millions on him." With the proliferation of similar sites, NFL teams are "compelled to dig deeper than a chat with the coaching staff and a visit to the prospect's home town" (OAKLAND TRIBUNE, 4/19).
SEALING THE DEAL: In Boston, Kevin Paul Dupont reported NHL officials last week were in Boston to "tidy up the contract details connected to staging the Winter Classic" at Fenway Park. There is "no chance of the game being staged" at Gillette Stadium, as the Patriots host the Jaguars on December 27 and the NHL "needs at least a 10-day window to build out" (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/19).
BACK IN THE SWING: MLB Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols Friday said that he "does indeed plan to participate in a sponsor promotion before the July 13 All-Star Home Run Derby at Busch Stadium and, health permitting, the Derby itself." In St. Louis, Joe Strauss noted after phone calls between MLB, the Cardinals and Pujols' agent, Pujols blamed a "faulty memory" for comments last week that said he had not committed to the events. Pujols: "It was something we agreed to back in February. It slipped my mind. My focus has been on winning games" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 4/18).
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