The former teen actress, “singer”, “entrepreneur” and whatever else she thinks might make her a buck, has been on probation for a number of run-ins with the law – drugs, DUI, assault – for a couple of years now. She’s under instructions to stay away from alcohol and attend AA classes, but like so many of her “Young Hollywood” cronies she plays it fast and loose with rules, convince that they somehow don’t apply to her. Until now, she’s gotten away with it.

Until now.

Having run out of excuses and judicial patience, on July 6th Lohan was sentenced to 90 days in jail and another 90 in a rehab facility; yesterday, she turned herself in and was let off in handcuffs. This is not her first experience with incarceration; recall that in 2007 she served 84 minutes of a 1-day sentence for cocaine and alcohol violations. It was violations of the probation resulting from this earlier conviction that caught up with her this time.

There are those who will claim 90 days is too harsh for what might be seen as minor traffic and narcotic offenses, and they might be right, if this was still about those offenses – but it’s not. This is about respect for the law. The minute the judge told Lohan what she needed to do to stay out of jail and Lohan agreed to those conditions, that’s all that mattered. She made an agreement with the judge, she violated that agreement, and now she pays the price.

Truth be told, she’ll probably spend less than a month of her sentence in the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood – you know how Sheriff Lee Baca loves to release prisoners then cry about his budget, particularly when there are cameras available. Hopefully it’ll be long enough for her – and her Hollywood Brat Pack cronies – to get the message: The law applies to everyone.

But I doubt it …

As someone who was a full-time bicycle commuter for several years, has pedalled over 5,000 miles on the pavement of Los Angeles, and has survived two car-versus-bicycle encounters, I can sympathize with the mayor on this one, and am glad it wasn’t worse than it was. Seldom is there a happy outcome in these events, and the truth is that drivers in Los Angeles just don’t look out for cyclists. When I ride, if forced to blend with traffic, I assume I’m surrounded by idiots who will do the worst thing at the worst time. I’ve learned all the tricks of survival on the streets (like looking at the wheel of a stationary car you fear might pull out into your path – you’ll see the rotational movement of the wheel much quicker than the forward motion of the car).

If anything good comes out of this, perhaps it will be a better understanding that if cyclists and motorists are genuinely expected to co-exist, it’s going to take a combination of cooperatino and new infrastructure.  One of the candidates running against Councilman Tom LaBonge is cycling activist Steven Box, who was quick to point out the challenges Villaraigosa faced unsuccessfully while riding in a decidated bike lane:

“Venice Boulevard is notorious for having all of the trash cans block the bike lanes. Venice Boulevard is notorious for having motor homes block the bike lanes. And Venice Boulevard is notorious for having fast traffic that uses the bike lane to squeeze through even when bicyclists are in the bike lane,” he said.

Personally, I don’t think striping will ever be the answer – if anything, it gives cyclists a false sense of security and can lull them into believing they are safer than they really are.  The only real solution is physical separation, but as we learned with the Metro Rail system, it’s hard to wedge new infrastructure in among the pavement jungle that is Los Angeles.

Villaraigosa is resting comfortably back at his Getty House residence.  His office says he will try to resume a normal schedule of business sometime this week, although I’m sure he’ll make the kickoff of girlfriend / reporter Lu Parker’s new charity tonight – after all, he doesn’t have to buy tickets …

So how exactly did the first people to arrive on the scene after the DEEPWATER HORIZON drilling platform exploded in the Gulf of Mexico turn out to be a boatload of opportunistic sissies?

Bradley Shivers and the crew of the 31-ft RAMBLING WRECK were fishing near the rig when the fire broke out and MAYDAY calls filled the radio. The Coast Guard urged any boats nearby the rig, located 50 miles offshore, to respond to the disaster. The RAMBING WRECK stowed the fishing gear and headed toward the flames. It was everything they feared it would be …

The 20 minutes it took the fishermen get to the rig felt like forever.

What are we going to see when we get there? Shivers thought.

The men kept communicating with the Coast Guard, describing their coordinates and what they were hearing over their radio as they closed in on Deepwater Horizon.

For a second, just a second, disbelief gripped them. Flames blazed across the water’s surface, jumping 500 feet. And the heat….

People were flailing in the current, hurt, screaming. Others clung to life boats.

“We’ve got friends that are missing,” someone shouted. “Please go search!”

The Deepwater Horizon was enormous, its destruction so vast that the friends had to keep using their binoculars. “You’d see something floating in the water and we’d go up and try to find out what it was. You know, is it a person?” Shivers recalled.

I’m sure becoming a sudden participant in such a disaster would be a frightening experience, one that someone could retell over the years with a great sense of pride and accomplishment. Instead, these guys are on anti-anxiety medications and talking about suing BP.

“We could have been sitting under that rig,” Mead said. “We could have been on the victims’ list.”

He said he’s taking anti-anxiety medications and though he rarely fought with his wife, he says he’s gotten short with her lately.

Only adding to the stress, Mead said, the BP oil spill has destroyed his charter ship business.

…

They have left messages with BP and Transocean’s hot lines and claims departments and sent e-mails to the companies, Shivers said.

“‘Hey guys, we were there. Can we tell ya what we saw? Can we, you know … I may have information that can help ya’ll out,’” Shivers said, describing his messages. “Zero calls. Nothin’. No one’s ever called us back.”

The men say they are suing BP for emotional distress.

Everyone who runs a boat – regardless of type, size or purpose – understands that the first priority of any oceangoing captain is to preserve the life of those in distress. It doesn’t matter if it’s a French fishing boat plucking Abby Sunderland off her damaged sailboat thousands of miles from shore, a marlin boat rescuing a downed spotter pilot off Catalina or fishermen called to save wildcatters about to burn to death – you drop what you’re doing, you do what you have to do, and you don’t whine about it. I don’t doubt it’s an experience that will stay with you for life, and I applaud the men for responding to the call.

It would be one thing if the fishermen suffered injuries in the rescue attempt, or the boat was damaged or they were dragging dead bodies out of the water. Perhaps it’s just the way the article was written, but there’s no evidence the crew did anything other than stand by – I’d think if they were plucking oil-soaked workers out of the water, you’d hear about it. These guys sound as if their biggest complaint is that they weren’t paid proper attention to by BP – and, until now, the media. The sad part is that in the end, there’ll be a fat check written to reward these slackers for doing what every boater I know wouldn’t think twice about doing – and wouldn’t consider complaining about afterward.

Sad indeed.

- The biggest sporting event in the world came to an end yesterday with the final match of the 2010 World Cup, pitting Spain against Holland.  Neither team had won the Cup previously, but both came to the final game undefeated and ready to make history.  Unfortunately, as is too often the case in sport, the game couldn’t live up to the hype.  Through 90 minutes, the only records made were the number of penalties given and yellow cards issued – each side only had a handful of realistic scoring chances.  For the first time in the tournament, the pressure of the moment was apparent to both squads, and they played very tight.  Credit Spanish netkeeper and team captain Iker Casillas for keeping the Dutch scoreless – his performance made it clear it was just a matter of time until the Spanish scored what you knew would be the only goal of the game.  That moment came 26 minutes into extra time, as a Dutch turnover lead to a shot by Andres Iniesta that a diving Dutch goalie could only get a fingertip on.  The good news is that it kept us from deciding the Copa del Mundo on PKs … but that’s where it ends.   See you in four years in Brazil …

- As someone who can see 50 in the rear-view mirror, I can tell you that there’s very little good about growing old.  The only consolation we all can take is the realization that it’s gonna happen to us all.  Among those who tend to ignore this reality are elite athletes, who continually delude themselves into believing they can somehow cheat Father Time.  The latest elite athlete to have that particular bubble popped is Lance Armstrong, who came face to face with the reality of age yesterday in the Alps.   Through his long career, Lance used his superior conditioning to punish his rivals in the mountains, taking big bites out of them and putting them far enough behind to be unable to recover.  But now, at 38, the riding shoe is on the other foot.  On the first real mountain day of this year’s Tour, and a blistering hot one at that, Armstrong saw his podium hopes crumble as he was caught up in several crashes and in visible pain on the final climb.  At the end, he lost over 12 minutes to the new leader Cadel Evans, and nearly as much to the other overall classification challengers.  Armstrong admitted his tour was done, and said he’d continue to ride to support his team.  That’s very important if he hopes to establish his Radio Shack team as more than a one-time Tour flash, as well as finishing his career on as high a note as possible.  Freed of the need to challenge for the lead, Armstrong could opt to try for a stage victory, something he often passed on to preserve his overall chances.   It would be a fitting end to a heroic career, and a far better image than the bloodied, exhausted rider we saw yesterday.

- Lookout, Miami – the LeBron James Circus has come to town.  In an announcement anchoring an hourlong special on ESPN, the free agent shared his decision to sign with the  Miami Heat, joining Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh to create what they all hope will be a new super-team.  As a Lakers fan, all I can say is, “bring it on”.  In the aftermath, there’s been a lot of talk about the decision – and the method chosen to announce it.  Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, obviously feeling jilted by James lashed out at him in a particularly harsh fashion, attracting comparison to a slave owner by Jesse Jackson and earning himself a $100,000 fine from the NBA.  Clearly his rant was over the top, but I can appreciate the sentiment of Gilbert and all fans of Cleveland who feel a sense of betrayal.  Certainly, James was well within his rights to “take his skills to Miami,” as he put it, but either he or more likely his people made a lot of mistakes along the way.  While he claims to have made the decision to join the Heat only a day before, it was clear long ago that he was leaving Cleveland.  No one can blame him for that choice, but leaving the Cavs – and their fans – twisting in the wind was a mistake.  Ditto the whole “Decision” special.  James clearly understands image and the money that can be made from it (I’m sure somewhere there’s a copyright mark next to that whole “powder toss” stupidity …), but booking an hour on ESPN – and having his people collect all the money from the advertisements – leaves a very bitter taste in a lot of mouths.  The Heat will be good next year, and probably very good, but James has created a lot of baggage that the team will be forced to drag along with it on its way to next years’ finals beating by the Lakers.

-  Are you a soccer fan yet?  Didn’t think so.  Lots of folks pointing to the run by the US side in the current World Cup tourney as some kind of turning point, but I’m not convinced.  Right or wrong, the perception of the typical American sports fan is someone of low intelligence and short attention span – and perceptions tend to be based on fact.  We don’t take to hockey, which is essentially the same sport on ice with a smaller playing stage, even though it’s faster paced and has more scoring – and violence.  The likelihood that we’d embrace soccer after that seems small – and remember, we have the largest youth soccer program in the world.  Some things are just not meant to be.

-  That said,  I am a soccer fan, and have been following the Copa del Mundo pretty closely.  The Americans blew a golden opportunity when they came out flat and got beat by Ghana in the round of 16 – they had a pretty easy path for the next couple of games if they’d just bore down.  Defense looked old and forwards ineffective, and that will tend to get you a quick ticket home.  But it could be worse – we could be the English squad …

-  Am I the only one sick of the whole “where’s LeBron going next” saga?  Sure he’s a great player and all, but he’s not the second coming – although you’d never know it from the way teams have effectively gutted their rosters to make room for him and his hand-picked buddies.  If you believe the sources, Chicago has the inside track, but New York, New Jersey, Miami and even the Clippers are making a push.  Meanwhile, despite the fans pleas, I think Cleveland is resigned to losing their star and being relegated to the trash dump.  It was a good, but not great run, CavFan – but you can always watch your boy on TV … albeit in a different jersey …

-  The hammer finally fell on Marlins manager Fredi Gonzales, and while I was caught off guard by the timing, I’m not surprised by the act.  With players like Hanley Ramirez and Josh Johnson signed to big contracts, and the new stadium coming soon, the Fish know the future is now.  But hanging out in fourth place won’t keep you in a job, and so Fredi’s out.  The Marlins have made a habit in recent years of being the training ground for new managers (such as the Yankees’ Joe Girardi), and so look for Fredi to be in the mix as the new Braves skipper next year when Bobby Cox steps down.  Meanwhile, the search is on for a new manager in Miami, and the most intriguing name so far is current ESPN analyst Bobby Valentine.  Personally, I like the pick, and a couple of days ago he seemed like a dead lock for the job.  It doesn’t seem quite so sure now, so we’ll just wait and see … as the Fish keep on sinking deeper in the East.

I’ve never completely understood why it is that people riot when they win.  I get the whole righteous indignation leading to urban violence – Rodney King or Watts or May Day or any number of other injustices leave people angry and frustrated, and that rock at their feet seems like a pretty good release.   But how exactly is it that what ought to be a joyous celebration -  wisely monitored by the authorities – becomes a reason to smash and loot?

Back in the day, Staples Center stood out among the blighted region immediately south of Downtown LA.  There were abandoned buildings surrounding the place, and a huge parking lot on the north side.  People could still get onery, but they had to walk a pretty good distance before they ran into anything of substance, and one hoped that the frustration level was mitigated by the exercise.   In spite of that, when the Lakers won the title in 2000, looters destroyed a pair of police cars and damaged 70 other vehicles.

Now, however, Staples is the centerpiece of the “LA Live” complex.  New restaurants and upscale businesses surround the place, and that parking lot is now the Nokia Theatre – there’s a whole lot to break these days.  After last year’s victory, a crowd of knuckleheads got rowdy outside Staples, starting fires and throwing rocks – and that was with the game having been in Orlando.

As you might imagine, the police presence will be pretty significant tonight.  LAPD Chief Charlie Beck plans on having 4 to 5 times the number of police on hand this year compared to last, and the LA County Sheriff has several hundred deputies on call should backup be required. 

The eyes of the media world will be on LA tonight – for once, let’s not embarass ourselves.

When the crisis struck, Sunderland was just over half-way through her round-the-world voyage.  She set out in January from Marina Del Rey, hoping to set a record for the youngest person to singlehandedly circumnavigate the globe without stopping.  Mechanical glitches forced her to make a pair of unplanned stops, but she sailed on, planning to arrive home sometime in October.

It was nearly a year ago that the world welcomed home Abby’s brother Zac from his own solo circumnavigation – we even chronicled it here.  And, as we pointed out at the time, it was an admirable if dangerous accomplishment.  But in the six months between Zac’s arrival and Abby’s departure, Zac’s record as  youngest to accomplish the feat was beaten, and a second sailor fell just short.  Now Abby is lost at sea, and you can’t help but wonder if this isn’t becoming a grossly misguided pursuit of records.

At sixteen, Abby Sunderland couldn’t even drive her friends to school without parental supervision, yet she is sailing around the world. In a society that won’t let their kids walk to school in fear of what might happen, three sets of parents stood dockside and watched their kids sail over the horizon – one pair twice.  I appreciate the willingness of parents to encourage and even endulge their children’s dreams, but shouldn’t there be a limit?  In recent months, we’ve seen a 13-year-old climb Mount Everest (while a member of another climbing party was killed), a tourist company be criticized for their introduction of a child-sized shark cage for swimming with great white sharks, and now this.  I pray this isn’t some kind of sibling oneupsmanship gone tragically wrong.

A few years ago, there was a similar episode of younger and younger children setting records in a particular accomplishment – in that case, piloting a plane cross-country.  The string of flights only ended when one young pilot was killed, and the FAA was forced to step in.  I think the appropriate authorities really need to take a look at these teenage circumnavigations and determine at what point someone should be allowed to put themselves so completely at risk.

But that can wait for another day.  For now, join me in praying for the safety of Abby Sunderland.

UPDATE:  A Qantas airliner chartered to search for Abby spotted her dismasted boat and was able to make contact with her.  She can’t do anything but wait to be rescued, but at least she’s safe.  Judging from the reports I’m seeing, we’re going to get the best of both worlds – rescue for Abby, and a serious question about the wisdom of sending teenagers into harm’s way in such a fashion.

We all saw the play – the game was covered by no less than 5 broadcast teams, and there’s several mashups of the final call on YouTube. Ground ball … flip to first … safe! The replays clearly show the runner was out by a half-step and Joyce made the wrong call. But it’s worth noting that none of the announcers broadcasting the game thought he was out initially – they, like Joyce himself, thought it was a close “tie goes to the runner” call. Only after seeing the review did anyone realize what had happened. I myself was watching the game, and having seen Miguel Cabrera and his less-than-impressive work ethic in Florida for several years, my first thought was that his lazy ass just didn’t get rid of the ball fast enough (for the record, he ought to have tossed it when Armando Galarraga was approaching first base, rather than waiting until he got there – he made the play a lot closer than it should have been). It was a bang-bang play, and he just got it wrong.

What really makes things amazing to me is the reaction of the two key players in the drama – umpire Joyce and pitcher Galarraga. Every baseball fan has seen disputes between players and umpires, and it always goes the same way – the player is outraged, and the umpire is unmoved. It doesn’t matter who is right or who is wrong – neither is ever willing to give an inch, or to acknowledge error.

In this case, when Galarraga saw Joyce give the “safe” sign, he smiled – not a smirk, but a smile of serenity … of fate. He was angry, he was disappointed … but accepting. He didn’t get throw his glove or get in the face of the umpire (that was saved for Tigers manager Jim Leyland and the rest of the infielders) – he simply composed himself and got out the next man to end the game.

Joyce, too, reacted in a way you might never expect – he admitted his error. More than that, he owned it. Clearly distraught after the game, he went down to the Tigers locker room afterwards to meet with and apologize to Galarraga personally – shocking, in light of the recent antics of fellow umpires Angel Hernandez and Joe West. He accepted responsibility for his mistake, talked to the media, and took his place behind the plate for today’s game, despite an offer to take the day off. While nothing can undo the error, his reaction to is has been as honorable as the rest of his twenty-year career.

“It was the biggest call of my career, and I kicked the [stuff] out of it,” Joyce said, looking and sounding distraught as he paced in the umpires’ locker room. “I just cost that kid a perfect game.”

As I indicated yesterday, I do not support using instant replay for cases such as this. Umpires like players are human and make mistakes, and in my mind, the perfect game could just as easily been lost by Cabrera letting the ball pass through his legs. That said, there is a rare opportunity for a form of redo that I believe is worth considering.

The Commissioner of Baseball has the ability to make rulings and overturn results “for the good of the game”. I believe this is a perfect opportunity to do just that. Reversing the blown call will not give Galarraga or his teammates the opportunity to celebrate his perfect game, nor the fans the chance to witness history. But it would correct two wrongs. First, by changing two at-bats in last night’s game (changing the last hit to an out and negating the final at-bat), Armando Galarraga would take his rightful place alongside Roy Halliday and Dallas Braden as the owner of a perfect game. Perhaps more important, he would give Jim Joyce a graceful way to avoid having his entire career – one that many players have stated publicly is among the best of the best – relagated to a footnote compared to this one mistake. It’s the right answer for the two men and the game, and is one rare case where I believe such post-game meddling is justified.

UPDATE: As usual whenever Bud Selig has the chance to make a decision (think “ending the All-Star game as a tie”), he’s made the wrong one. Instead of righting a wrong, he’s going to throw the entire umpire community under the bus by advocating additional use of instant replay:

“While the human element has always been an integral part of baseball, it is vital that mistakes on the field be addressed,” Selig said in a statement. “Given last night’s call and other recent events, I will examine our umpiring system, the expanded use of instant replay and all other related features.”

Nice leadership, Bud …

Donald represented Galarraga’s last obstacle – the 27th batter he had faced in the game without allowing a baserunner. He looked at a couple of outside pitches, then hit a sharp grounder in the hole between first and second bases. First baseman Miguel Cabrera moved to his right, scooped up the ball and – after waiting a beat for Galarraga to break towards first base – tossed the ball to the pitcher for the final out. The fans went wild – until they saw first base umpire Jim Joyce spread his arms wide, signaling Donald was safe. The perfect game – heck, even the no-hitter – were lost on that final play.

It would be hard enough to lose such a monumental achievement at the very last moment, but as the replay clearly showed, Joyce blew the call – Donald was out by half a step. Tigers manager Jim Leyland and several players ran up to complain, but the call stood. The next batter grounded weakly to shortstop, ending the game on the bitterest of notes.

As much talk as there would be had Galarraga achieved his perfect game, there will be a lot more after the bad call. The loudest voice will be that in favor of using instant replay for cases like this, an extension of the video review already in place for certain events such as determining fair or foul balls or whether a ball indeed cleared the fence for a home run. And while instant replay would certainly have overturned Joyce’s call and preserved perfection, I’m going to come out against it.

To me, one of the joys of baseball is its humanity. It’s not ruled by a clock but rather by the flow of the game – you have to get 27 outs, and you can do it as quickly or slowly as you like. The current usage of instant replay makes sense to me only because it reviews a portion of the game not immediately overseen by a human umpire – often, the closest ump can be over a hundred feet away. In those cases, instant replay is a tool, much like a pair of binoculars.

There are umpires stationed on every base, and when a play is made they are right on top of it. In the call tonight, Joyce was in the right place at the right time – he just blew the call. You expect them to get it right, just as you expect the shortstop to cleanly field a ground ball. But both men are human, and humans make mistakes, and sometimes that leads to unfortunate moments like tonight. But to subject their calls to review is to call their judgement into question. Most plays at a base are bang-bang – the umpire must be looking in one place and listening in another, and always to the right things. It takes years to develop the skill set required to perform at the big league level, and to me, that time earns you a certain respect. I know there are a lot of folks tonight in Detroit who passionately support instant replay, but I’d rather see the occasional blown call – even in such a crucial time – than to have every umpire question themselves on every play, knowing Big Brother is looking over their shoulder.

- OK, let’s face it … there’s not much worse that can happen to your team than to have the opposing pitcher throw a perfect game, but that’s exactly what happened to my Marlins on Saturday as Roy Halliday of the Phillies spun his gem and beat the Fish 1-0. Only the 19th perfect game in major league history, it was the second in less than a month, and if there is such a thing as an inevitable PG, this was it. Halliday has been one of the best pitchers in the game for a decade, toiling for most of that time in the anonymity of Toronto, picking up the 2003 AL Cy Young Award along the way. Sprung from that baseball hell, he’s been making the most of his opportunity in Philly, and this is the tangible result. He’d be the hands-down leader for his second Cy Young if it weren’t for the Ubaldo Jimenez freakshow in Colorado.

- As a Marlins fan, there has been nothing sadder to watch than Dontrelle Willis – the one-time “D-Train” – turning into a train wreck. He was the 2003 NL Rookie of the Year, and a close second to Chris Carpenter for the 2004 NL Cy Young, but it’s been all downhill from there. Unable to find the strike zone, he was dealt to the Tigers in 2007 where slope of the slide only increased. Suffering from afflictions both physical and mental, Willis has only two victories for the Tigers, and was designated for assignment on Sunday. With his huge contract, he won’t attract any trade interest and will become a free agent in 10 days. Presumably someone will be desperate enough to give him a shot, but it’s unlikely to lead to a positive outcome. A sad end for one of the nicest guys in the game. UPDATE: They just announced that Willis has been traded to the Diamondbacks, the only team in baseball as dysfunctional as he is. Lovely … the D-Train pitching for the D-Backs … this is gonna get ugly.

- As I watched Dario Franchitti lead late in the Indy 500 Sunday, the headline I envisioned for the race was “redemption”. He had won both the 500 and the series championship in 2007 before the siren call of NASCAR lured him away for a disastrous season cut short by injury and sponsorship woes. Forced to return with his hat in his hand to IndyCar, he was able to snag a ride with his stock car owner and surprisingly picked up right where he left off. Last season, he won a second IndyCar championship and as I watched looked to all the world to be on his way to a second win at the Brickyard. But those last few laps showed all of us that the real headline for the day was “luck”. All the leaders had to gamble on fuel, and most ran short and were forced to pit. But Franchitti’s crew knew that if he could only save a little fuel, he could make it to the end – he just needed a little luck. The break he needed came on the penultimate lap as the car driven by Ryan Hunter-Rhey slowed, gasping for fuel. Behind him, Mike Conway, running at full speed, could do nothing to avoid the collision that send his car airborn and into the catch fence – passing twice over Hunter-Rhey’s head, missing him by literally inches. The resulting caution allowed Franchitti to coast to victory under a yellow flag, but all eyes were on Conway, who sat in less than half the car he’d been driving seconds before. In the final stroke of luck, the car had corkscrewed just the right way as it flew to keep Conway’s head from hitting anything, and he suffered relatively minor injuries. A game of luck indeed.

- Lakers … Celtics. It’s the matchup everyone really wanted, and it’s the one we got. I don’t think there’s anything else that needs to be said. OK, one thing – Lakers in six, baby … on the freaking parquet!!!