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Not to blow my own horn,  but back in 1992 when hand held cell phones first hit the scene I was working at the original 710 KMPC. My good friend and “voice of the Bruins” Chris Roberts was in studio hosting our NFL wrap-up show, and I came up with the idea to use my cell phone live from the field after a game at the Coliseum between the Raiders and Chargers.  At the time it was a first, at least here in Los Angeles. I actually interviewed Junior Seau live as he was running off the field following a Bolts win that gave San Diego its first AFC West title in what seemed like forever!

Given the world we’re in now, it seems amazing to be wowed by an interesting use for a cell phone, but in the moment it was pretty cool, and allowed us to scoop our competition at the time, XTRA Sports 690 and then voice of the Chargers, Lee ‘Hacksaw’ Hamilton.

My point, aside from marking my minor little corner of the Innovation in Sports Reporting Hall of Fame?  Simple.  Things change, technology advances, and our means of delivering news to you as fans continues to rapidly evolve.  Not so long ago a sideline cell phone was unheard of.  Now, information spreads like wildfire, images and reaction are delivered to the public in near-real time.  Sports on the web is booming, and blogs are king.

On to the not so big time…

I recently signed a new contract as part of the sports team at AM 830 KLAA, the now not-so new radio home for the Angels, but am still extremely bitter over the Halos’ early exit from the play-offs.  From the day the 2008 season opened in Minnesota, this was a team with a swagger.  They played hard, believed in their talent, and had the ability to beat the opposition in almost any way imaginable (see ‘baseball, best record in)

But to see the Angels beat themselves?  It was stunning.

Pick your failing.  Maybe it was the 50 million runners left on base (well, it seemed like that many, at least), or the bad defense, or the bad baserunning.  It was all bad, as was the Angels inability to win at least one game at the Big A.  They just had to make it happen, but after a season of doing just that, the Halos couldn’t get it done.

And on the pitching side where the Angels were supposed to be strong, there were more disappointments.   John Lackey can’t give up that home run in Game 1 to Jason Bay, Scott Shields can’t follow him two runs in the ninth.  Ervin Santana absolutely can’t give up a three-run bomb to Bay in the opening frame of Game 2, and Shea-Rod definitely can’t serve up a two run game ender to J.D. Drew, putting the Angels down two games and effectively ending their season.  Championship teams don’t give up so many big hits in important situations, even against a quality opponent like the Red Sox.

That explains why the Angels aren’t playing for a championship…

The amount of criticism Mike Scioscia has received over the botched squeeze play seems laughable to me.  Bottom line, Erick Aybar has to get his bat on the ball. Besides, if Scioscia didn’t try the squeeze, had Aybar grounded out or popped out and Chone Figgins followed with the final out of the inning, those same critics would be ripping Scioscia for his lack of creativity in not trying the squeeze!

I will say this, though.  Privately, I think Scioscia felt a little stung by all the heat he took…

The big question now is if the Angels be able to re-sign priority number one, aka Mark Texeira?

I tried to hit up super agent Scott Boras for an update, since the Angels have a little time here before the end of the World Series. Boras got back to me with a classic line: “In free agency there really aren’t any updates for public consumption.”  Ouch! What happened to good old fashioned ‘leaks’ to the  media?

I guess that only happens in the LA Times…

Getting back to Shea-Rod, I thought he really showed his true character in blowing off the media after giving up the bomb in Game 2, then dissing them again in Boston before Game 3.   He was the first one  at his locker when he tied and broke the saves record!….

Is Phil Jackson really giving Lamar Odom the Pippen push, with Kobe moving to small forward?  Phil’s smart, and knows he needs to keep Kobe on the fuel saving hybrid switch until April.  Then the Lakers can hit the gas for the playoffs (see postseasons, 2000-02)…

For Pete Carroll and USC, the Trojans are kind of like the boys who cried wolf (or should I say Beavers?).  Let’s hope they can run the table this time…

Why would ‘Hooters’ offer free wi-fi?…

And last but not least, I wonder if the late great Allan Malamud would have had a cool blog?

Jeff Biggs is an L.A. native who has worked at each and every all-sports station in Los Angeles, and has traveled as an everyday ‘beat’ reporter with the Lakers, Angels, Dodgers, and Raiders.  Biggsy has also served as the regular fill-in host on the Jim Rome Show, and is currently hosting his own show from 7-10 pm on AM 830 KLAA.  Email him at biggsyonam830@yahoo.com.

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