By Johnny McDonald ~ the journal
Changing World of Sports
You might say it was a close call at first base. andom thoughts from a The money in the greener former sportswriter: pasture of Los Angeles County San Diego is still left is fertile enough to entice the dangling on a weakening thread Oakland Raiders and St. Louis with hopes of keeping the Rams to leap back where they Chargers from packing up for once had roots. Carson. Essentially, the City of San Washington, D.C. But the It’s somewhat compaDiego has been told to come hamburger guy, Ray Kroc, rable to the Padres when they up with $600 million toward stepped in and saved the day. were ready to take flight to a new stadium and they’ll play ball. The NFL and Chargers would be committed to pay the balances for a billiondollar project. The Bolts’ ownership realizes there’s more gold in them thar hills with the potential of greater corporate support and fan access from three counties. It would open up a huge market for merchandizing and Call Kathleen at Your Local advertising revenue. Ramona Office The little guy in San Diego, B U S I N E S S • H O M E O W N E R S • A U T O • H E A LT H • L I F E who’s been hit with a pricey tab for a seat in the stands, can only hope the team will stay. ate r i dge I N S U R A N C E S E RV I C E S It takes big bucks when it comes to putting a viable 760 - 788-9558 bunch of bodies on the 406 16TH STREET • SUITE 102 • RAMONA AL SLOCUM, CIC playing field. www.ramonainsurance.com Lic. #0827781 Like the Padres, who dug Our Mission Statement To maintain the highest level of professionalism while providing real deep for cash property financing solutions that serve the best interest of our clients. to acquire four players but What we offer – failed to get ■ Wide Variety of Loan Programs for Both Purchase & Refinance their money’s ■ Low Down Payment Programs ■ First-Time Home Buyers • worth. The price ■ FHA ■ VA ■ USDA ■ HomePath ■ HARP meant the player • Your best interest is •. . . Our primary goal! payroll reached
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$126 million. Yet that is only ninth out of all baseball teams. Sports have changed since my day, when salaries were in the thousands, not millions. Baseball bonus babies received upwards of $10,000, and they played hard to reach the majors. Once up and if they played well, they had a permanent, lasting job. Minor league baseball games in San Diego’s Westgate Park drew crowds of around 4,000. One special Boy Scouts Night drew an overflow 9,000 in 1962, when Sammy Ellis pitched a no-hitter. In fact, that was the last no-no by anyone in a Padres uniform. Million-dollar boxing attractions are a rarity, other than an occasional appearance of Floyd Mayweather. Otherwise, who knows the names of world champions? It was easy in my day. Rocky Marciano, Archie Moore, Sugar Ray Robinson and Carmen Basilio quickly come to mind. Indianapolis Motor Speedway has changed, too. Gone are the days when drivers like Parnelli Jones, A.J. Foyt and Rodger Ward worked their way up from the dirt tracks to claim Indy victories. Now, the entry list is filled with foreign drivers, most of whom have visited the
victory circle in cars owned by Roger Penske. I commend Steve Fisher for putting together exciting basketball teams at San Diego State University that reach high NCAA standards. Sellout arena crowds are a far cry from what was seen in the university’s tiny Peterson Gym. It might be difficult to match scholarship commitments with the basketball powers. With the spiraling sports money machine, it’s tough to afford good talent. You get the most from them as long as you can afford ’em. Players like Tony Gwynn, who performed an entire career with one team, are quite rare. Of the past, I can think of Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Bob Lemon and Stan Musial. Sure, there were more, but in this day, always have your bags packed. San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer must gather his troops to keep glimmering hopes alive. He said he doesn’t want to lose the Chargers on his watch. Sampling the business community may be the best approach. Sell some investment packages. Otherwise, the closest San Diego fans will be to that seat in the stands will be a chair in front of the television set. n
Vogues Concert and Car Show Help Fund Elks’ Charities
The Escondido Elks club will host a concert by The Vogues on Sept. 13 to help raise funds for its charity fund that supports children with disabilities. Fans of 1960s music will remember The Vogues, well known for their hits “You’re the One,”“Earth Angel,”
“Moments to Remember” and “5 O’clock World,” which became the “Drew Carey Show” theme song. The event, which will also feature a car show, food, drinks, a silent auction and wine tasting, is set to begin at 5 p.m. at the Elks Lodge, 2430 S. Escondido Blvd., Escondido. Doors open at 3 p.m. Tickets are available in advance by calling 760-745-1687, or visit www.elks1687.org. n
‘Being Mortal’ to be Screened at Library The San Diego County Coalition For Improving Endof-Life Care will present the film “Being Mortal” from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 27 at Ramona Library. The documentary asks the question, “If you thought you were dying, what would matter most?” 20 Ramona Home Journal
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The coalition is part of a national dialogue about exploring what is important to patients and families in the midst of a serious illness. A discussion and refreshments will follow presentation at 1275 Main St. Dr. Michael Barker of Ramona will be one of the participants. n AUGUST 27, 2015