By Marc Tandan
The Virginian-Pilot
Rain supreme
In this country, when we need good weather for a sporting event, all we have to rely on is hope. Not in China. Meteorologists don't just predict the weather, they control it. And they have rockets at their disposal.
Patterns from the last 30 years indicated that there is a 50 percent chance of rain for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, so technicians at the Weather Modification Office, curious about cirrus, got to work. They claim they will be able to induce rain for several days before the games begin, saving clear skies for start. They also plan to increase rainfall as a way to clean some of the air pollution that plagues the city. The silver lining in the clouds just might be silver iodide, sticks of which are fired in rocket shells at clouds to initiate a chemical reaction yielding rain.
Unfortunately, some in the scientific community want to rain on the Chinese's parade. The U.S. National Academy of Sciences, for one, has deemed the practice of cloud-seeding all wet. The Buzz thinks that, in the end, the truth will shine through.
Pitching wedge
Larry Stewart of the L.A. Times reports that CBS has decided not to carry a commercial depicting golfer John Daly being handed a beer by a friend while operating a golf cart. The ad also shows Daly in a honky-tonk bar entertaining patrons by singing, thus making the content both visually and aurally questionable. The 30-second spot is actually for golf balls, not booze, and already airs on The Golf Channel. The Buzz argues that John Daly and alcohol go together like CBS and poor sports coverage. However, CBS spokesperson LeslieAnn Wade stated, "It did not meet the standards of the CBS network." What, and "Two and a Half Men" does?
Anti-ante
Come playoff time, everyone is looking for the big payoff - even Buffalo's mayor. You can't blame Byron Brown for trying to tap into the vast wealth that New York City is brimming with. Since the top-seeded Sabres are playing the Rangers in a second-round match-up, Brown's office called Michael Bloomberg's staff to suggest putting a friendly stakes on the series, but Bloomberg struck down the idea.
In an article by Sharon Linstedt of The Buffalo News, Brown, whose city is rich only in snow, said, "I hope Mayor Bloomberg's reluctance to wage a bet is not a sign of his lack of confidence."
Putting up cash to back the Rangers? Bloomberg didn't become a billionaire by just giving money away.
All that Jazz
Utah's Jerry Sloan, the longest-tenured coach with one team in professional sports, watched his chances of winning the Coach of Year award get snuffed out faster than a proposed casino in Salt Lake City when he lost to... Sam Mitchell?
Granted, the Raptors won 20 more games than last year, but they play in the Eastern Conference and the Atlantic Division no less, where Toronto was the only team to post a winning record. The Buzz knows the stolid Sloan won't shed a tear over the snub- he'll leave the sobbing to Andrei Kirilenko.
Poor reception
Kansas City Star columnist Jason Whitlock has reportedly declined an offer to take over the WFAN time slot previously occupied by Don Imus, expressing concerns about adopting a morning radio host's lifestyle - aka becoming an obnoxious, sensationalist jerk. He also didn't have a whit's interest in moving to New York. Apparently, Whitlock's not a big fan of gridlock. It doesn't matter to The Buzz who replaces Imus; even four-hours of static is less irritating than he was.
Too Mutch info
Boston College's women's hockey coach Tom Mutch resigned on Tuesday following allegations of inappropriate conduct with a player. The Boston Herald said Mutch, who is married to a former hockey player and has a recently born daughter, was found by the university to have sent lewd text messages to a freshman on the team. Although he's a little old, The Buzz suggests that Mutch apply for an internship with Mark Foley.
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
The Buzz sez: NASCAR zooms to the top for the second straight week. The top-rated sports telecasts in Hampton Roads for the week of April 16-21:
Rank/Game Day Station Rating Households
1. Nextel Cup Sat. WVBT 5.3 38,000
2. NBA: Lakers-Suns Sun. WVEC 4.3 31,000
3. NBA: Nuggets-Spurs Sun. TNT 3.7 27,000
4. NBA: Heat-Bulls Sat. WVEC 3.6 26,000
5. MLB: Yankees-Red Sox Sun. ESPN 3.1 22,000
6. MLB: Yankees-Red Sox Sat. WVBT 2.9 21,000
7. NBA: Magic-Pistons Sat. ESPN 2.5 18,000
8. NBA: Jazz-Rockets Sat. ESPN 2.3 17,000
9. IRL: Japan 300 Sat. ESPN 2.0 14,000
10. NBA: Bulls-Nets Wed. ESPN 1.9 14,000
Source: WVEC-TV 13
Note: MASN ratings for Nationals and Orioles games not available
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