Earlier this off-season the Padres announced, in an effort to improve the fan experience, they’d be making some changes. While the front office was addressing the crowd last month at the Padres Open House, the mention of lowering beer prices received the biggest applause. And although I’m sure we’ll be paying at least $8 for a Stone next season, the Padres announced they’ll be offering 14-ounce domestic draft beers for $5. Nice! Even better, they said it would be the real thing and not the crappy 3.2% “stadium” or Utah beer. – Full Story
The Action Sports Retailers convention comes to the San Diego Convention Center twice a year. Even in a down economy, the one thing you can count on at ASR is an amazing crop of young talent. This gallery of the ladies of ASR is brought to you by TWSURF.com…good on ya, boys!
Jumping Turtle’s Entertainment Permit Suspended – In an unsurprising move, the city of San Marcos suspended the entertainment permit for the Jumping Turtle on Tuesday following a Saturday morning brawl that led to two stabbings and a woman being hit in the head with a bottle. The city had revoked the permit in November of last year but the venue was able to continue the live shows while the owners appealed. Yesterday’s decision will be effective immediately. Unfortunate news for all of you who were hoping to catch the “reggae/ska/surf” greatness of Mike Pinto there this Saturday.
Ryan Leaf Unable To Arrange Plea Deal – Ryan Leaf is still facing burglary and drug charges in Texas stemming from a incident in October 2008 while he was an assistant football coach at West Texas A&M. He allegedly broke into a player’s apartment and stole an unknown amount of the painkiller, Hydrocodone. Leaf has been attempting to reach a plea deal with prosecutors that would allow him to remain living and working in British Columbia. He’s been living there the last few years and working at a resort. Yep, a resort. If unable to reach a plea deal, the burglary charge alone could carry a sentence of 20 years in prison.
Scale of Zero To Tony Gwynn – GasLampBall.com is fielding a series of polls to judge individuals associated with the Padres on a scale of zero to Tony Gwynn. Here’s their official explanation, “The Zero to Tony Gwynn scale is a rating of a Padres’ importance to the San Diego Padres and their fans. The scale works to determine the relative importance of a particular Padre based on the assumption that Tony Gwynn is the perfect representation of the San Diego Padres.” Head over and place your votes, here’s a list of who’s been posted so far:
A fight this weekend at the Jumping Turtle may finally be the end for the shitty place. The city of San Marcos has already revoked the bar’s entertainment permit but the owners are fighting that decision and earlier this month, the club filed a federal lawsuit against the city.
A long line for the women’s restroom may have sparked one of several brawls early Saturday at a controversial San Marcos nightclub and restaurant. Three people were stabbed, one person was beaten, a security guard was hit in the face with a bottle, and two women were arrested, Sheriff’s Department officials said. Every deputy in San Marcos, and some from surrounding unincorporated areas, were dispatched around 1am: 10 deputies, two detectives, two sergeants and a lieutenant.
A female security guard was taken to the hospital with injuries from being hit in the face with a bottle, Crist said. He said the guard was hired to protect a rap singer performing at the nightclub. The guard identified two women as her two attackers. Irene Cardenas, 32, of Escondido, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, the bottle, and Valerie Valadez, age 32, was cited on suspicion of battery and released, Crist said.
What a game, what a weekend! Congrats to Drew Brees and the Saints for their victory over Payton and Co. in Super Bowl #??. Danica made her stock car debut and finished 6th in the ARCA race at Daytona on Saturday and Kevin Harvick edged out his second straight victory in the Budweiser Shootout. Mark Martin and Dale Jr. will be on the front row for Sunday’s Daytona 500 and the rest of the field will be sorted on during the Gatorade Duels on Thursday. Here are the rest of the headlines…
San Diego Supercross – Check out TransWorld Motocross’ coverage of San Diego Supercross, where Davi Millsaps pulled off his first victory in nearly 2 years. The boys at TWMX were also nice enough to put together a gallery of the ladies of San Diego Supercross for those of us who didn’t want to sit in the rain, unfortunately it’s a pretty weak gallery. Where are the crowd shots? That’s where the hotties are. Anyway, I caught a bit of the coverage on Sunday morning and it wasn’t as muddy as I thought it would be and seemed to be a pretty good race in the final.
Local News: Thousands Visit Jade Buddha In Escondido – Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike descended upon the Phap Vuong Monastery in Escondido on Sunday to witness the unveiling of the Jade Buddha for Universal Peace, the largest Buddha ever carved from jade in the world. The statue is on the North American leg of its world tour. Monastery officials estimated that by 2 p.m., more than 10,000 visitors had participated in the event. The Buddha will be on display in Escondido through February 16th.
Local News: Animal Waste Used To Ward Off Protesters – An Oceanside animal hospital is using three large bins filled with animal feces set near the edge of its property to try to ward off labor-union members who have been picketing the place for months because the hospital used a nonunion contractor in some of its construction work. “We put it out there every day to discourage them,” said Lisa Hamilton, administrator of Mission Animal and Bird Hospital on Benet Road at Highway 76. She declined to discuss the matter further, saying inquiries were being handled by veterinarian Robert Cartin. “It smells awful,” said Abraham Bustamante of Carpenters Local 1506, pointing out the bins on Friday. Bustamante said the odor is so bad, particularly on warm days, that picketers often wear masks to filter the air they breathe.
Local News: Drunk Driver In Encinitas Rams Sheriff’s Deputy – A suspected drunken driver crashed into the back of a Sheriff’s patrol car late Sunday night in Cardiff, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. Deputy Steve Johnson had stopped at the intersection of South Coast Highway 101 and Chesterfield Drive when the crash occurred, said Sgt. William Dreyer. The deputy was taken to Scripps Encinitas Hospital for treatment of minor injuries and was later released. The driver of the car, Troy Otillio, 44, was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence, Dreyer said. Otillio was not injured in the crash, the sergeant said.
Olympic Athletes Confused By Social Networking Guidelines – There are some restrictions on what athletes can do online during the Olympics. According to the IOC Blogging Guidelines for the 2010 Games, athletes and other accredited people must keep their posts confined to their personal experiences. “You can’t act as a journalist if you aren’t,” says Condron. “You need to do things in a first person way.” Rule 49 of the Olympic Charter says that “Only those persons accredited as media may act as journalists, reporters or in any other media capacity.” The other most significant restriction on athletes posts is a ban on references to sponsors or advertisers who aren’t official Olympic partners. – I used to enjoy watching the Olympics as a kid but after being exposed to all these guidelines set forth by the IOC, I’m growing to despise them. At work, we’re one of their media partners so we have to deal with some of their ridiculous guidelines.
Danica Adds Daytona To Nationwide Schedule, NASCAR Premiere – JR Motorsports’ general manager Kelley Earnhardt has announced Danica Patrick will make her NASCAR and Nationwide series premiere this weekend at Daytona. Patrick, the only woman to win an IndyCar Series race, had considered not competing at Daytona because of the uniqueness of restrictor-plate racing and also the number of Sprint Cup drivers in the event. But having survived a spin and moving from the back of the pack to near the front during the ARCA race, Patrick felt as if she progressed enough to make her NASCAR debut on NASCAR’s biggest stage a day before the Daytona 500. “The ARCA race was a blast, and I’m not ready for my first Daytona Speedweeks to end just yet. I want more racing,” Patrick said.
**UPDATE** – 9:50am, 02/07 – Well, now the rest of the world is reporting on this. As expected, it’s a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training.
Is Brian Giles going to sign with the Dodgers? The dude on Fox 5 here in San Diego just said he’ll sign with them by next week. No details on terms of the contract. I don’t have a link but I just saw him say so on the picture box.
Record-size Jade Buddha Visiting Escondido – I saw Escondido and Buddha in the same headline and I assumed it was a hip reporter’s clever headline for a pot bust. – The world’s largest Buddha carved from gem-quality jade arrived Wednesday in Escondido to begin a two-week stay that includes a Sunday unveiling ceremony expected to attract up to 3,000 people. The Buddha, consecrated in December by the Dalai Lama, arrived at Escondido’s Phap Vuong Buddhist Monastery by truck about 6 p.m. Wednesday. At 4 tons and nearly 9 feet high, the sculpture is the largest Buddha ever carved from gem-quality dark-green nephrite jade, although a larger one is being carved in Vietnam from light-colored jadeite. The Buddha will be displayed at all hours until Feb. 16, when it will be shipped to another monastery in Orlando, Fla. The monastery is at 715 Vista Ave. in Escondido.
Padres Fan (Friar) Fest Set For Saturday, Feb. 13 – Admittance to Padres FanFest is free and the gates at will open at 9 a.m. PT for season-ticket holders. Activities will include autograph sessions, Padres Garage Sale, hitting and pitching clinics, clubhouse tours, opportunities to run the base and catch fly balls in the outfield, Q & A sessions and more. The general public can enter the stadium at 10 a.m. The event ends at 5 p.m. Parking is free in four locations: the three surface lots along Imperial Avenue (southeast side of PETCO Park) and the Padres Parkade Garage (10th Avenue at J Street).
PADRES: Jerry Coleman Will Have Reduced Role In 2010 – For 37 years, Jerry Coleman has been the voice of the Padres on radio, the link between the team on the field and the fans in their homes, cars, at the beach or a barbecue. It will remain that way in 2010, but in a very limited basis. John Lynch, president and CEO of the Broadcast Company of the Americas —- the parent company of XX Sports Radio 1090, the Padres’ flagship station – said Coleman will call only 20-30 home day games. Coleman will still be involved every day, however, doing pregame features. “What does that mean?” Coleman said. “I guess I’ll be doing the ‘Manager’s Report’ like I’ve always done. Honestly, I haven’t been told much. At my age, I’m still fortunate to be working. I’m happy to have a job with the Padres and with XX. Really, I’m delighted to be working.”
First Cup Practice at Daytona Marred by Multicar Crash – An on-track tangle between Mark Martin and Denny Hamlin triggered a seven-car accident Thursday that may set the tone for two weeks of ramped-up racing at Daytona International Speedway. Also involved were Greg Biffle, Jamie McMurray, Joey Logano, Kyle Busch and Clint Bowyer who was driving his teammate Kevin Harvick’s #29 car at the time. Harvick was out with flu-like symtoms. Later in the practice, Kurt Busch and Juan Pablo Montoya came together sending Busch into the wall and forcing him to a back-up car.
This Weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Schedule – Last night was the draw for the Budweiser Shootout
Shootout Qualifying – Saturday, 02/06 – 1pm EST Daytona 500 Practice – Saturday, 02/06 – 2pm EST Daytona 500 Practice – Saturday, 02/06 – 4pm EST Budweiser Shootout – Saturday, 02/06 – 8pm EST
Live ARCA Qualifying – Danica is currently sitting in 9th with about 20 cars left with a speed of 179.788. Last year’s winner James Buescher is the current pole-sitter at a speed of 181.543 and Ricky Carmichael has yet to qualify. The green flag for the Daytona 200 drops tomorrow at 4:30pm EST and will be televised live on SPEED.
Supercross Rolls Into San Diego – AMA Supercross rolls into San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium this weekend minus the sport’s two biggest stars as James Stewart and Chad Reed are both out with injuries.
Video from Toyota of Escondido’s Supercross Kick-off Party earlier this week…
Escondido’s Ricky Seale Going To Stanford – According to the North County Times, Escondido High football coach Paul Gomes confirmed on Wednesday that star running back Ricky Seale, a Rivals.com 4-star RB CB recruit, will sign a letter of intend with Stanford. The son of former San Diego Chargers DB Sammy Seale holds the CIF San Diego Section career rushing mark with 6,635 yards. As a senior in 2009, Ricky rushed for 2,419 yards and averaged 8.2 yards per carry. Seale had also received offers from Arizona, Cal, San Diego St., Washington and Washington St. Seale measures out at 5′ 9″, 180 lbs and 4.4 in the 40.
Plan To Move Beach Break Hits Snag – “Sorry South Oceanside. We gave it our best but the banks don’t share our vision,” is the message Zell and Gary Dwelley posted on a sign at the site of what was to have been the new home of one of the city’s most popular restaurants. The Dwelleys said their plans to relocate the venerable Beach Break Cafe were crushed last week when they got word from Wells Fargo Bank that the loan they counted on wouldn’t come through on terms they could afford. Standing outside his restaurant, Gary Dwelley said he wanted to move the Beach Break from its 1902 S. Coast Highway location because the restaurant is always jammed with seating for about 55 people inside and 20 at outdoor sidewalk tables. The new Beach Break would have been big enough for 85 to 90 people inside and about 30 on an outside patio.
More Than $1-Million Worth Of Cocaine Seized – Two men were arrested in separate smuggling attempts over the weekend after Border Patrol agents at the Interstate 5 checkpoint near Camp Pendleton discovered more than $1 million worth of cocaine hidden in vehicles. The first seizure happened about 9:30 a.m. Saturday when agents stopped a Toyota Tercel driven by an 18-year-old U.S. citizen, Border Patrol officials said. A drug dog alerted agents to possible contraband and they discovered 15 bundles of cocaine hidden in a secret compartment in the gas tank. The 39 pounds of cocaine was valued at $392,000. Around 7:15 p.m., a drug dog picked up a scent on a Ford F-250 pickup driven by a 44-year-old Mexican man. Agents found 28 packages of cocaine, valued at $713,000, stuffed inside a spare tire.
Museums Offer Half-Price Admission In February – Visitors to 39 San Diego County museums and attractions can get half-price admission throughout February in conjunction with “Museum Month.” To get the discounted admission, participants must first pick up a “Museum Month Pass” at any Macy’s location in San Diego County. The pass is good for half-price admission for the holder and up to three guests.
Among the participating museums and attractions are the Birch Aquarium, Maritime Museum of San Diego, Mingei Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art, Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, San Diego Air & Space Museum, San Diego Museum of Man, USS Midway Museum and Quail Botanical Gardens. A full list is available at www.sandiegomuseumcouncil.org
Escondido’s performing arts center might become a conglomeration of government offices and retail businesses if city officials follow through on a budget-cutting plan that would shut down the financially struggling facility, but such proposals face a wide variety of hurdles. City officials last week suggested that huge budget deficits might force them to close the arts center and several other city amenities, including a library branch and some parks. They said the arts center might stay open on a limited basis, but the possibility of completely boarding up the center, which receives $1.9 million annually from the city, has also been discussed. – More
RSS
Comments (0) 
Earlier this off-season the Padres announced, in an effort to improve the fan experience, they’d be making some changes. While the front office was addressing the crowd last month at the Padres Open House, the mention of lowering beer prices received the biggest applause. And although I’m sure we’ll be paying at least $8 for a Stone next season, the Padres announced they’ll be offering 14-ounce domestic draft beers for $5. Nice! Even better, they said it would be the real thing and not the crappy 3.2% “stadium” or Utah beer.
Escondido’s performing arts center might become a conglomeration of government offices and retail businesses if city officials follow through on a budget-cutting plan that would shut down the financially struggling facility, but such proposals face a wide variety of hurdles. City officials last week suggested that huge budget deficits might force them to close the arts center and several other city amenities, including a library branch and some parks. They said the arts center might stay open on a limited basis, but the possibility of completely boarding up the center, which receives $1.9 million annually from the city, has also been discussed. – 
