Left Coast Sports Babe

So the A’s are out of their Oakland lease after 2024. Looks like sharing their stadium with the SF Giants isn’t feasible. There are minor league stadiums in Sacramento, Salt Lake City, and Las Vegas.

What about a return to the baseball history days of barnstorming? Not completely kidding. They’d probably draw more around the country at various retired stadiums or AAA ballparks than in Oakland.

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Tickets for Iowa women’s season basketball final game now against Ohio State,- with Caitlin Clark poised to break Pete Maravich’s all time college scoring record, start at about $500 to get in the door, with ticket prices going up over $5,000.

For those of us who aren’t going to Iowa, the game will be televised on ESPN.

Love the fact that these ticket prices are higher even than Ohio State football bowl games.

You go girl.

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Meanwhile, Susan Collins, on Mitch McConnell, “I felt compelled to thank him for devoting his life to public service for all the right reasons, to improve the lives of people in our great country** Well, unless you’re a woman who counted on reproductive rights. For starters.

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Mitch McConnell stepping down almost guarantees a Trump supporter will lead Republicans in the Senate. This would be a great time for Lisa Murkowski to become an independent & work out how to caucus with Democrats. Yes, she’s conservative on most issues, but she’s not crazy.

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Remember that old joke about a guy who murdered his parents and asked for sympathy from the court because he was an orphan?

Well, Donald Trump has been delaying his trials for over a year and now wants sympathy from the courts because those trials will be too close to the election.

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Brett Kavanaugh on bump stock prohibition on guns: “Even if you’re not aware of legal prohibition, you can be convicted…That’s going to ensnare a lot of people who arent aware of the legal prohibition.” So Brett wants to strike down all laws people can claim to be unaware of?

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So MAGA Mike Johnson kicked the can down the road to avoid a government shutdown for another week. If course if the Speaker really gave a damn about keeping the government open he could have cut the House’s two week vacation short.

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SCOTUS will somewhat unexpectedly take on Trump immunity case. Unintended consequences? If they rule for absolute Presidential immunity, Joe Biden can claim regardless of the election results, he can stay in White House himself if he feels Trump is threat to our democracy.

In California, voting by mail is straightforward and easy…. they verify signatures & also track your ballot. So far, 6 days before election, fewer than 10% of ballots have been returned, which is considerably lower than average. Hoping for a good election day turnout.

Even in blue state there are close races, We need to do better. VOTE!

So as NBA All-Star game get even more unwatchable, how much will it take NBA to offer WNBA say to get more what will really get ratings?

As in more competition between Steph Curry and Sabrina Ionescu. For starters. And how much to convince Caitlin clark not to return to Iowa for a five year…

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A major wreck late in Monday’s Daytona 500 knocked out 18 cars, a good percentage of the remaining field,

Can’t be the only one who saw parallels to today’s House GOP.

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Jimmy Carter continues to inspire us, a year after entering hospice. Almost as if God wanted one of the better human beings ever to be President, to be around as long as possible to remind us that 2024 GOP candidate might be one of the worst human beings ever to be President.

It’s been clear for a while that Donald Trump, “many fine people on both sides,” would excuse and even support Hitler were Adolf alive today. What’s depressing is how many of today’s GOP would now goosestep in line behind him.

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Alabama Supreme Court rules frozen embryos Are ‘Children’ Okay then… young couples tight on cash. Create a lot of frozen embryos, take all the child tax deductions, and worry about dethawing them, or not, later.

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As the world reels from death of Alexei Navalny, and Ukraine aid languishes while MAGA Mike has House on a two-week vacation, is it time to start referring to him as Mike Johnson (R- Moscow)?.

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Finally, travel agent nonpolitical PSA.

Biden walking slowly,especially over uneven terrain and boarding planes or helicopters is SMART.

After COVID top reason people of all ages cancel trips recently in my experience is falls. Just had 35 yr old break ankle. And MANY clients in 40s,50s, 60s & 70s twist & sprain things- playing sports, hiking, dog walking etc.

The most American celebration, a Super Bowl parade, and the most American tragedy.

It’s the guns, stupid.

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KC Police Chief Stacey Graves: “This is not Kansas City.” Sorry, with the easy availability of guns, this IS Kansas City. And potentially anywhere else in the USA. Especially in states like Missouri with loose gun laws.

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Now up to 22 gunshot victims in Kansas City. Eight life-threatening. The fire chief said “they weren’t ready but they were prepared.”

Sadly in a country where we give guns more rights than women, we HAVE to be prepared.

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A regular season women’s basketball game. “Tickets as low as $234”

The Caitlin Clark effect is real. As is the record she will break.

Let’s hope it translates into higher salaries for the WNBA.

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SF 49ers fired their D-coordinator Steve Wilks after one season. This year the 49ers held Mahomes & Chiefs to 19 points in regulation. In 2020, KC scored 31 points against SF In 2023, KC scored 38 points against Philadelphia. Just saying.

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Former UK PM David Cameron has warned US Congress not to repeat mistakes of 1930s by blocking a multi-billion package for Ukraine & “show the weakness displayed against Hitler.” Marge Three Names responded “kiss my a–”. I miss the days when ugly Americans were just tourists.

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So have GOP blamed mental illness for today’s mass shooting yet – while simultaneously trying to cut mental health and other funding?

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Karen Carpenter was trending tonight on Twitter.

So can I ask again, why aren’t the Carpenters, who were so influential with so many top hits that have stood the test of time, in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame yet? There are plenty of pop acts in the hall!.

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Speaker Mike Johnson on the reported National Security Threat from Russia.

“We want to assure people that steady hands are at the wheel and we’re working on it.”

“”Steady hands?”  If true, does MAGA Mike mean the White House is making sure the House GOP is nowhere near the response?

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This aged well – fundaising email from Tuesday:

“My name is Mazi Pilip & I’m GOP nominee in NY-03 Special Election.  We now hold a slim majority in House of just 2 seats- losing this race would be greatest gift to Joe Biden since launch of CNN & MSNBC.” Thank you NY-03 voters.

For all people complain about sports fans calling in sick Monday after the game with “Super Bowl Flu,” do you really want hungover sports fans building important things or doing work that might seriously affect your life?

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Since people know I’m in SF Bay Area getting condolences on the 49ers. But, nah, I’m a Saints fan so didn’t really care.

This OTOH, is interesting. Klint Kubia, SF’s passing-game coordinator, has agreed to become offensive coordinator for New Orleans. No excuses now, Derek Carr.

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Mitt Romney and I disagree on most things. But he is on fire tonight. “If we fail to help Ukraine we will be known not as the “Greatest Generation” but the “Worst Generation. If your position is being cheered by Vladimir Putin, it’s time to reconsider your position”

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Its like explaining rules to a child who wants it all:

Sorry GOP you don’t get to vote not even to debate the bipartisan border bill crafted largely by REPUBLICAN Senator Lankford and then whine that foreign aid bill doesn’t have anything in it about securing the border.

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Kansas Senator Roger Marshall talking about “peace talks” in Ukraine. Uh, how do you have peace talks with a dictator who has invaded another country and has talked of invading more? What part of Kansas would he give up if his state was invaded?

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House GOP issued a statement “A man too incapable of being held accountable for mishandling classified information is certainly unfit for the Oval Office.” Who wants to tell them?

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As Trump pushes daughter-in-law Lara for RNC chair, some details on her background if you didn’t know: Before getting involved in Donald’s campaign, she worked as news producer, before that as personal trainer, & owned a cake business for a year. Clearly very qualified. #sarcasm

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The same GOP that idolizes a man who said “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall,” now genuflects before a man who encourages Putin to attack Europe. It’s. A. Cult.

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Adam Schiff tonight in California Senate debate ”

One of many reasons I support Adam Schiff. The man can get to the point. “Some people are unfit for office at any age. And I put Donald Trump in that category.”

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And wonder, except that Mahomes makes it easier, how many people can remember say, the last two or -three Super Bowl winners.

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Hard to believe that Sunday night we will finally be done with nonstop Super Bowl cover 24-7.

Monday morning, we start the Super Bowl 2025 pregame show.

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Amazon Prime Video apparently now will exclusively carry an NFL postseason game next season. Well, let’s hope it’s a big Cowboys playoff game, since those without the streaming service won’t have to worry about missing a game where they don’t know how it.

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CNN’s latest headine attempt to be Fox Light “Trump mocks Biden for mistakenly calling president of Egypt the president of Mexico.” As opposed to,, “Elderly man who confused Presidents of Hungary & Turkey for 2nd time this month tries to attack rival for verbal slip.”

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Senate votes 64-19 just before 8p Friday night o proceed to consideration of the foreign aid bill. Which means that the Senate can begin debate on the bill.

How many GOP cowards took off for the weekend already. Anyone seen Ted Cruz?

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After some GOP now demanded border legislation again along with foreign aid,… Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz “The Republicans wanted something and then decided that they didn’t want that thing. Now some of them want it again, and I think the adults are just moving on.”

Not that long ago it seemed like the economy was top story with national media. And why Biden hadn’t done enough to make things better.

Today the S&P closed above 5,000 for the first time. Anyone heard that touted nationally as “breaking news?” Me neither.

(And yes, I know. Or rather my late father used to say regularly, the stock market is not the economy. But media would be and has been, all over stock market fall.)

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President Biden stumbles over words and has made verbal gaffes since he was a young man. He knows who the President of Egypt is. Donald Trump honestly can’t seem to remember who is President of Hungary and who is the President of Turkey. There’s a difference.

NY Times headline “$7 Million for 30 Seconds? It’s Worth It at the Super Bowl.” Stormy Daniels is thinking “Darn, I could have charged him a LOT more” –

While we can bet on just about everything Super Bowl week is there a way to bet on the number of MLB free agent MLB stars who will still be unsigned when Spring Training starts?

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NBA players have been wearing sponsors’ patches for a while now. But NBA officials will begin donning shirts with Emirates Airlines patches during the All-Star Game on Feb. 18. And will continue with sponsorship patches during the rest of the NBA season.

Leaving aside the “bought and paid for jokes,” suppose it makes some sense, that the NBA has acknowledged with all the fouls and replays, referees get as much TV time as many if not most players.

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Good news for women’s basketball, Candace Parker who missed much of last year with injury, and will turn 38 in April, has re-signed with the Las Vegas Aces for 2024.

Did the Phoenix Mercury’s Diana Taurasi, 41, tell Parker ‘Welcome back, youngster?

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MAGA Mike Johnson is complaining that his impeachment stunt for Mayorkas didn’t pass because they have “a razor thin margin.” You know who had a razor thin majority and didn’t whine about it? Nancy Pelosi. And she could count too!

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First read the Bible as a child & hated story about God ordering Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac: Thought Abraham should have said “no.” Watching most GOP in Congress now & wondering – is there anything or anyone they wouldn’t sacrifice if Orange Jesus ordered them to do so?

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Watch lot of C-Span 2 while I work at home. Oklahoma’s James Lankford is one of the most conservative Senators:

But he nailed it Wednesday: “We have a divided congress. If we’re going to solve something we have to sit down together and solve it. That’s how you make law.”

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Senator Lisa Murkowski votes yes on border-foreign aid bill. Lisa is a grown-up. Wish she’d decide she’s a conservative independent. Thinking Schumer should and maybe would let her caucus with the Democats.

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