Here’s the one indisputable fact regarding umpire Jim Joyce’s “safe” call on Jason Donald’s already-infamous grounder Wednesday night, which ruined Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga’s perfect game with two outs in the ninth inning: It was wrong. Cleveland’s Donald was out by about a half-step, according to the replay, and should have been the 27th consecutive batter retired in a perfect game by Galarraga. Instead, Joyce flung his arms out to either side of his body to indicate Donald was safe. With that one gesture began an assortment of calls for instant replay’s expansion in baseball, a Commissioner’s reversal, an official scoring change and the suspension of Joyce.

“This is not the time to stick to the rules,” Keith Olbermann writes, calling for Commissioner Bud Selig to proclaim Galarraga’s gem a perfect game. “The rules failed the sport tonight.”

“In the history of sports rulings, you aren’t going to find too many worse than this,” the Miami Herald’s Dan LeBetard writes.

Yahoo’s Jeff Passan crafts a timely parallel in his argument for increased use of instant replay in baseball, bringing up Philadelphia’s Wednesday night NHL win. “On the same night referees in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals used replay to reverse a missed call and gave the Philadelphia Flyers a goal,” Passan writes, “baseball let its technology rot on something as infrequent as boundary calls on home runs.”

Joyce, voted by players in a 2006 Sports Illustrated poll as the game’s second-best umpire, admitted after the game that he blew the call. “There’s nobody that feels worse than I do,” Joyce said. “I took a perfect game away from that kid over there who worked his (butt) off all night.”

Joyce even went so far as to apologize to Galarraga and give him a teary hug after the game. Yes, he cost Galarraga a chance at immortality—only 20 perfect games have been thrown in Major League history (25 players, in contrast, have hit 500 or more home runs)—but he has been admirably honest and contrite and even somehow comes across as a tragic character in all of this.

Joyce’s solid resumé and post-game contrition bring up memories of the NFL’s Ed Hochuli, who made a game-altering gaffe in 2008 during a Chargers-Broncos game that culminated in him personally answering angry letters from fans who found his e-mail address online.

“Affecting the outcome of a game is a devastating feeling,” Hochuli told ESPN at the time. “Officials strive for perfection — I failed miserably.”

Cleveland manager Manny Acta suggested to MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince that all this controversy might have been avoided had Miguel Cabrera—who converted from third to first base last year—kept fielding fundamentals in mind and allowed second baseman Carlos Guillen to field the Donald grounder. “We’ve been preaching to our first basemen, starting in spring training, that a soft ball to your right, you break to the bag and try to take the pitcher out of the play.”

In an interesting side note, had he called Donald out, this would have been Joyce’s second perfect game of the season. He was the second-base umpire for Dallas Braden’s perfect game in May.

* * *
Overshadowed by the controversy in Detroit was the sudden retirement of Seattle’s Ken Griffey, Jr., a sure-bet Hall of Famer who played in 13 All-Star games, was the American League MVP in 1997 and was fifth on the all-time home run list, with 630. While other sports superstars were hit with recent claims of sleeping with adult film stars, Griffey’s worst transgression was allegedly sleeping in the clubhouse during a game.

The San Francisco Chronicle’s John Shea writes that Griffey leaves the game with a clean record and conscience. “While others juiced up to bulk up to power up, Griffey was nowhere to be found among the positive tests, grand jury testimonies, FBI investigations, Mitchell Report names and Jose Canseco books.”

Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci calls Griffey the “DiMaggio of his time” and notes that Griffey’s retirement comes exactly 75 years to the day of Babe Ruth’s. “Griffey gave us as sublime a picture of how baseball should be played,” Verducci writes.

The staff at Techblog pulled together the ten best commercials featuring Griffey. It’s a unique reminder of just how much talent he had.

For all Griffey accomplished in his career, many will remember him just as well for his 1989 Upper Deck rookie card. In 2008, Darren Rovell opined on what it meant to baseball and the hobby of card collecting. “When Griffey welcomed collectors to the very first Upper Deck set,” Rovell writes, “investment was just about to trump fun in the card world.”

The shame in all the calls for Griffey’s release or retirement over the past month is that he always seemed to be having fun playing the game in seasons past. “Long ago, baseball took away his legs. Over the past two years, it claimed his bat speed. Then came the death knell: It conquered his joy,” writes Jerry Brewer of the Seattle Times. Brewer’s colleague, Bob Condotta, puts Griffey’s retirement in perspective, noting that this is the first summer Griffey can spend with his kids.

For all the home runs and “sweet swing” memories, Griffey’s fun and loose approach to the game can best be summed up in two recent episodes: During a game in 2007, he tossed a heckling Dodgers fan a brown paper bag with an XXL jockstrap inside of it as a joke and instantly turned the fan’s loyalties; and last July, as a tribute to Michael Jackson, Griffey batted with one gloved hand.

* * *
The NBA Playoffs kick off tonight in Los Angeles, as the Lakers host the Celtics.

“These teams are the NBA’s aristocracy,” the Seattle Post-Intelligencer’s Scott Cushing writes. “There is no little guy.”

Jill Painter of the Los Angeles Daily News tracks down Celtic’s President Red Auerbach’s daughter, Randy, an independent film producer living in L.A. Even with her new home, her loyalties still lie with the Celtics. “I’d rather see the Lakers lose than the Celtics win,” she says. “It’s a rivalry thing.”

Fanhouse’s Tom Lorenzo reports that, no matter who wins, FIBA Secretary General Patrick Baumann won’t consider the winner to be the World Champions. “There’s a world out there that has caught up [to the US] and the real World Champion is currently Spain,” says Mr. Baumann

* * *
For fans of the sports/fashion fusion niche, a trip to Nike’s 255 Studio in lower Manhattan could yield a few new additions to the wardrobe. Trend-tracking website PSFK reveals that Nike has paired with the No Mas fashion design team to create bespoke sports-themed clothes based on world baseball designs. Shoppers can meet with a consultant to create wholly customized Nike goods. It’s basically a British suit-maker’s approach to athletic gear that hasn’t been attempted before.

Here’s the one indisputable fact regarding umpire Jim Joyce’s “safe” call on Jason Donald’s already-infamous grounder Wednesday night, which ruined Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga’s perfect game with two outs in the ninth inning: It was wrong. Cleveland’s Donald was out by about a half-step, according to the replay, and should have been the 27th consecutive batter retired in a perfect game by Galarraga. Instead, Joyce flung his arms out to either side of his body to indicate Donald was safe. With that one gesture began an assortment of calls for instant replay’s expansion in baseball, a Commissioner’s reversal, an official scoring change and the suspension of Joyce.

“This is not the time to stick to the rules,” Keith Olbermann writes, calling for Commissioner Bud Selig to proclaim Galarraga’s gem a perfect game. “The rules failed the sport tonight.”

“In the history of sports rulings, you aren’t going to find too many worse than this,” the Miami Herald’s Dan LeBetard writes.

Yahoo’s Jeff Passan crafts a timely parallel in his argument for increased use of instant replay in baseball, bringing up Philadelphia’s Wednesday night NHL win. “On the same night referees in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals used replay to reverse a missed call and gave the Philadelphia Flyers a goal,” Passan writes, “baseball let its technology rot on something as infrequent as boundary calls on home runs.”

Joyce, voted by players in a 2006 Sports Illustrated poll as the game’s second-best umpire, admitted after the game that he blew the call. “There’s nobody that feels worse than I do,” Joyce said. “I took a perfect game away from that kid over there who worked his (butt) off all night.”

Joyce even went so far as to apologize to Galarraga and give him a teary hug after the game. Yes, he cost Galarraga a chance at immortality—only 20 perfect games have been thrown in Major League history (25 players, in contrast, have hit 500 or more home runs)—but he has been admirably honest and contrite and even somehow comes across as a tragic character in all of this.

Joyce’s solid resumé and post-game contrition bring up memories of the NFL’s Ed Hochuli, who made a game-altering gaffe in 2008 during a Chargers-Broncos game that culminated in him personally answering angry letters from fans who found his e-mail address online.

“Affecting the outcome of a game is a devastating feeling,” Hochuli told ESPN at the time. “Officials strive for perfection — I failed miserably.”

Cleveland manager Manny Acta suggested to MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince that all this controversy might have been avoided had Miguel Cabrera—who converted from third to first base last year—kept fielding fundamentals in mind and allowed second baseman Carlos Guillen to field the Donald grounder. “We’ve been preaching to our first basemen, starting in spring training, that a soft ball to your right, you break to the bag and try to take the pitcher out of the play.”

In an interesting side note, had he called Donald out, this would have been Joyce’s second perfect game of the season. He was the second-base umpire for Dallas Braden’s perfect game in May.

* * *
Overshadowed by the controversy in Detroit was the sudden retirement of Seattle’s Ken Griffey, Jr., a sure-bet Hall of Famer who played in 13 All-Star games, was the American League MVP in 1997 and was fifth on the all-time home run list, with 630. While other sports superstars were hit with recent claims of sleeping with adult film stars, Griffey’s worst transgression was allegedly sleeping in the clubhouse during a game.

The San Francisco Chronicle’s John Shea writes that Griffey leaves the game with a clean record and conscience. “While others juiced up to bulk up to power up, Griffey was nowhere to be found among the positive tests, grand jury testimonies, FBI investigations, Mitchell Report names and Jose Canseco books.”

Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci calls Griffey the “DiMaggio of his time” and notes that Griffey’s retirement comes exactly 75 years to the day of Babe Ruth’s. “Griffey gave us as sublime a picture of how baseball should be played,” Verducci writes.

The staff at Techblog pulled together the ten best commercials featuring Griffey. It’s a unique reminder of just how much talent he had.

For all Griffey accomplished in his career, many will remember him just as well for his 1989 Upper Deck rookie card. In 2008, Darren Rovell opined on what it meant to baseball and the hobby of card collecting. “When Griffey welcomed collectors to the very first Upper Deck set,” Rovell writes, “investment was just about to trump fun in the card world.”

The shame in all the calls for Griffey’s release or retirement over the past month is that he always seemed to be having fun playing the game in seasons past. “Long ago, baseball took away his legs. Over the past two years, it claimed his bat speed. Then came the death knell: It conquered his joy,” writes Jerry Brewer of the Seattle Times. Brewer’s colleague, Bob Condotta, puts Griffey’s retirement in perspective, noting that this is the first summer Griffey can spend with his kids.

For all the home runs and “sweet swing” memories, Griffey’s fun and loose approach to the game can best be summed up in two recent episodes: During a game in 2007, he tossed a heckling Dodgers fan a brown paper bag with an XXL jockstrap inside of it as a joke and instantly turned the fan’s loyalties; and last July, as a tribute to Michael Jackson, Griffey batted with one gloved hand.

* * *
The NBA Playoffs kick off tonight in Los Angeles, as the Lakers host the Celtics.

“These teams are the NBA’s aristocracy,” the Seattle Post-Intelligencer’s Scott Cushing writes. “There is no little guy.”

Jill Painter of the Los Angeles Daily News tracks down Celtic’s President Red Auerbach’s daughter, Randy, an independent film producer living in L.A. Even with her new home, her loyalties still lie with the Celtics. “I’d rather see the Lakers lose than the Celtics win,” she says. “It’s a rivalry thing.”

Fanhouse’s Tom Lorenzo reports that, no matter who wins, FIBA Secretary General Patrick Baumann won’t consider the winner to be the World Champions. “There’s a world out there that has caught up [to the US] and the real World Champion is currently Spain,” says Mr. Baumann

* * *
For fans of the sports/fashion fusion niche, a trip to Nike’s 255 Studio in lower Manhattan could yield a few new additions to the wardrobe. Trend-tracking website PSFK reveals that Nike has paired with the No Mas fashion design team to create bespoke sports-themed clothes based on world baseball designs. Shoppers can meet with a consultant to create wholly customized Nike goods. It’s basically a British suit-maker’s approach to athletic gear that hasn’t been attempted before.

Reaction was mixed to the blown call by umpire Jim Joyce in Detroit that cost Armando Galarraga a perfect game against the Indians. Not on the call itself, but whether instant replay should become the norm in such plays.

"That's crazy," Phil Hughes said. "I saw the replay. That's tough. I feel bad for Galarraga. That's got to be tough for him, and I'm sure Joyce feels terrible, too. What are you going to do? He saw it the way he saw it. It will be interesting to see what happens from here."

"It's unfortunate, because Jimmy Joyce is a very good umpire," Joe Girardi said. "It's something baseball should look at. If they do change (the call), it doesn't affect the game or the outcome. I know it would be the first time that's ever happened, but you're talking about a very unusual circumstance here."

But Curtis Granderson thinks baseball should leave well enough alone.

"I think one of the things people forget is the players make a lot of human errors out there and people forget the umpires are also human and are going to make mistakes throughout the course of a game," he said. "Whether it's balls and strikes, fair or foul, safe and out, catch or no catch. There's just different things throughout the course of a game where they're going to miss a couple of things. Unless we go ahead and change all the rules on that basis, I think right now with the instant replay of the home run I think we're pretty good with everything being the way it is right now."

NO SURPRISE, ROBBIE'S HOT
The hits just keep a-coming for Robinson Cano. But for as long as Curtis Granderson can remember, it's always been that way for the Yankees second baseman.

"I've seen him do it for a long time," Granderson said. "I had, I don't know if I want to say fortune, but I've played against him ever since 2002 at all different levels of the minor leagues as an opponent and at every level he's done the same thing. Now with just a little more power. It doesn't surprise me.

Cano collected three more hits, including a two-run homer, to extend his hitting streak to 16 games and boost his average to .373.

"It's been a lot of fun to watch him," Nick Swisher said. "He's proving he's going to be the hitter that everyone said he's going to be. He's special to watch."

A-ROD RADIO
Alex Rodriguez made an appearance with Ryan Seacrest yesterday on his "On Air" radio show, chatting with the "American Idol" host about topics ranging from baseball to his daughters.

With A-Rod trailing Rays third baseman Evan Longoria by nearly 300,000 votes, Seacrest implored his listeners to vote Rodriguez to the All-Star team. A-Rod was also asked about the Yankees-Dodgers series later this month, which will mark the Bombers' first reunion with former manager Joe Torre since he departed at the end of the 2007 season.

Torre and A-Rod never formed a tight bond during their four years together in pinstripes, but Rodriguez said he would "just say hello and wish him well except for the three games we're playing against him," when he sees the manager.

SENT PACKING
Juan Miranda was the odd man out when the Yankees activated Jorge Posada yesterday. The seldom-used first baseman/DH is headed back to Triple-A Scranton.

EXTRA INNINGS
STAT OF THE DAY ... 50
Despite going homerless Wednesday night, Alex Rodriguez has clubbed 50 home runs and knocked in 165 runs in his career against the Orioles to lead all active players.

UNSUNG HERO
Jorge Posada, back from the 15-day DL, finished the night 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.

MIA
Mark Teixeira was the only player in the original lineup not to reach base Wednesday night.

Reaction was mixed to the blown call by umpire Jim Joyce in Detroit that cost Armando Galarraga a perfect game against the Indians. Not on the call itself, but whether instant replay should become the norm in such plays.

"That's crazy," Phil Hughes said. "I saw the replay. That's tough. I feel bad for Galarraga. That's got to be tough for him, and I'm sure Joyce feels terrible, too. What are you going to do? He saw it the way he saw it. It will be interesting to see what happens from here."

"It's unfortunate, because Jimmy Joyce is a very good umpire," Joe Girardi said. "It's something baseball should look at. If they do change (the call), it doesn't affect the game or the outcome. I know it would be the first time that's ever happened, but you're talking about a very unusual circumstance here."

But Curtis Granderson thinks baseball should leave well enough alone.

"I think one of the things people forget is the players make a lot of human errors out there and people forget the umpires are also human and are going to make mistakes throughout the course of a game," he said. "Whether it's balls and strikes, fair or foul, safe and out, catch or no catch. There's just different things throughout the course of a game where they're going to miss a couple of things. Unless we go ahead and change all the rules on that basis, I think right now with the instant replay of the home run I think we're pretty good with everything being the way it is right now."

NO SURPRISE, ROBBIE'S HOT
The hits just keep a-coming for Robinson Cano. But for as long as Curtis Granderson can remember, it's always been that way for the Yankees second baseman.

"I've seen him do it for a long time," Granderson said. "I had, I don't know if I want to say fortune, but I've played against him ever since 2002 at all different levels of the minor leagues as an opponent and at every level he's done the same thing. Now with just a little more power. It doesn't surprise me.

Cano collected three more hits, including a two-run homer, to extend his hitting streak to 16 games and boost his average to .373.

"It's been a lot of fun to watch him," Nick Swisher said. "He's proving he's going to be the hitter that everyone said he's going to be. He's special to watch."

A-ROD RADIO
Alex Rodriguez made an appearance with Ryan Seacrest yesterday on his "On Air" radio show, chatting with the "American Idol" host about topics ranging from baseball to his daughters.

With A-Rod trailing Rays third baseman Evan Longoria by nearly 300,000 votes, Seacrest implored his listeners to vote Rodriguez to the All-Star team. A-Rod was also asked about the Yankees-Dodgers series later this month, which will mark the Bombers' first reunion with former manager Joe Torre since he departed at the end of the 2007 season.

Torre and A-Rod never formed a tight bond during their four years together in pinstripes, but Rodriguez said he would "just say hello and wish him well except for the three games we're playing against him," when he sees the manager.

SENT PACKING
Juan Miranda was the odd man out when the Yankees activated Jorge Posada yesterday. The seldom-used first baseman/DH is headed back to Triple-A Scranton.

EXTRA INNINGS
STAT OF THE DAY ... 50
Despite going homerless Wednesday night, Alex Rodriguez has clubbed 50 home runs and knocked in 165 runs in his career against the Orioles to lead all active players.

UNSUNG HERO
Jorge Posada, back from the 15-day DL, finished the night 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.

MIA
Mark Teixeira was the only player in the original lineup not to reach base Wednesday night.

Joran van der Sloot, a 17-year-old Dutch teen detained in connection with the disappearance of Alabama high school graduate Natalee Holloway on May 30, is transferred from the police station to court in the capital city of Oranjestad, in this June 11, 2005 file photo. Van der Sloot must remain behind bars as authorities try to find out what happened to Natalee Holloway, who was last seen six weeks ago leaving a nightclub, an appeals court said Thursday, July 14, 2005.

Joran van der Sloot, a 17-year-old Dutch teen detained in connection with the disappearance of Alabama high school graduate Natalee Holloway on May 30, is transferred from the police station to court in the capital city of Oranjestad, in this June 11, 2005 file photo. Van der Sloot must remain behind bars as authorities try to find out what happened to Natalee Holloway, who was last seen six weeks ago leaving a nightclub, an appeals court said Thursday, July 14, 2005.

It was one of the great love affairs of the last century – a turbulent 20-year odyssey of lust, love and marriage (twice), all in the spotlight of Hollywood fame. Now, Elizabeth Taylor is offering glimpses into her passionate, often painful life with Richard Burton through his love letters to her.

In the letters, excerpted in the July issue of Vanity Fair, Burton, who died in 1984 at age 58, teases and cajoles, threatens and confesses – and tries to come to terms with his infatuation, love and need for Taylor.
"Richard was magnificent in every sense of the word," the actress, now 78, tells the magazine. "From those first moments in Rome [on the set of Cleopatra] we were always madly and powerfully in love."

But it was a love that had a dark side. They married twice and divorced twice, but never fully let go of each other. Among the highlights from Burton's letters:

• On his need for Taylor: "If you leave me I shall have to kill myself. There is no life without you."

• On her gifts as an actress: "You are probably the best actress in the world, which, com bined with your extraordinary beauty, makes you unique. … When, as an actress, you want to be funny, you are funnier than W.C. Fields; when, as an actress, you are meant to be tragic, you are tragic."

• On their misunderstandings: "You must know, of course, how much I love you. You must know, of course, how badly I treat you. But the fundamental and most vicious, swinish, murderous, and unchangeable fact is that we totally misunderstand each other … we operate on alien wave lengths."
On the idiocy of love: "I find it very difficult to allow my whole life to rest on the existence of another creature. I find it equally difficult, because of my innate arrogance, to believe in the idea of love. There is no such thing, I say to myself. There is lust, of course, and usage, and jealousy, and desire and spent powers, but no such thing as the idiocy of love. Who invented that concept? I have wracked my shabby brains and can find no answer."

• On his own acting: "I have never quite got over the fact that I thought and I'm afraid I still do think, that 'acting' for a man – a really proper man – is sissified and faintly ridiculous. … My heart, unlike yours, is not in it."

The one letter that Taylor declines to share publicly – though she read it aloud to a Vanity Fair reporter – was the last one he wrote to her, just days before his unexpected death from a brain hemorrhage. In that letter, which Taylor keeps in a bedside drawer, he says he was happiest in life when he was with her, and wonders if they might have another shot together.

It was one of the great love affairs of the last century – a turbulent 20-year odyssey of lust, love and marriage (twice), all in the spotlight of Hollywood fame. Now, Elizabeth Taylor is offering glimpses into her passionate, often painful life with Richard Burton through his love letters to her.

In the letters, excerpted in the July issue of Vanity Fair, Burton, who died in 1984 at age 58, teases and cajoles, threatens and confesses – and tries to come to terms with his infatuation, love and need for Taylor.
"Richard was magnificent in every sense of the word," the actress, now 78, tells the magazine. "From those first moments in Rome [on the set of Cleopatra] we were always madly and powerfully in love."

But it was a love that had a dark side. They married twice and divorced twice, but never fully let go of each other. Among the highlights from Burton's letters:

• On his need for Taylor: "If you leave me I shall have to kill myself. There is no life without you."

• On her gifts as an actress: "You are probably the best actress in the world, which, com bined with your extraordinary beauty, makes you unique. … When, as an actress, you want to be funny, you are funnier than W.C. Fields; when, as an actress, you are meant to be tragic, you are tragic."

• On their misunderstandings: "You must know, of course, how much I love you. You must know, of course, how badly I treat you. But the fundamental and most vicious, swinish, murderous, and unchangeable fact is that we totally misunderstand each other … we operate on alien wave lengths."
On the idiocy of love: "I find it very difficult to allow my whole life to rest on the existence of another creature. I find it equally difficult, because of my innate arrogance, to believe in the idea of love. There is no such thing, I say to myself. There is lust, of course, and usage, and jealousy, and desire and spent powers, but no such thing as the idiocy of love. Who invented that concept? I have wracked my shabby brains and can find no answer."

• On his own acting: "I have never quite got over the fact that I thought and I'm afraid I still do think, that 'acting' for a man – a really proper man – is sissified and faintly ridiculous. … My heart, unlike yours, is not in it."

The one letter that Taylor declines to share publicly – though she read it aloud to a Vanity Fair reporter – was the last one he wrote to her, just days before his unexpected death from a brain hemorrhage. In that letter, which Taylor keeps in a bedside drawer, he says he was happiest in life when he was with her, and wonders if they might have another shot together.

Alabama Republican Rep. Parker Griffith was soundly defeated in a Republican primary tonight, the second party switcher to lose an intraparty fight in the past two weeks.

Madison County Commissioner Mo Brooks had 51 percent of the vote to Griffith's 33 percent and 16 percent for Les Phillip with 99 percent of precincts reporting. Although the Associated Press had not called the race, local media reported that Griffith had conceded the contest to Brooks.

Griffith, who had been elected as a Democrat to the northern Alabama 5th district, switched parties last year with promises from House Republican leaders that they would back him to the hilt.

But, he struggled to convince Republican primary voters that he was one of them; he was battered over his vote for Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) as House Speaker at the start of the 111th Congress, for example.

Griffith's problems were a mirror image of Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter's (D) difficulties in his primary loss to Rep. Joe Sestak on May 18.

Griffith joins Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-W.Va.) as House members to lose their re-nomination bids. In the Senate, Specter as well as Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah) have come up short in intraparty bids and Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) faces a runoff race on June 8 against Lt. Gov. Bill Halter.

Alabama Democrats showed a similar resistance to establishment favorites in the governor's race.

Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks crushed Rep. Artur Davis in the Democratic primary for governor, ending Davis' hopes of becoming the state's first black governor.

"We worked hard, we fussed hard, we cried hard," Sparks said. "Thank you for allowing me to be in the position I'm in."

The Associated Press called the race for Sparks shortly before 11 pm eastern time and Sparks holding a lead of nearly 30 points.

Davis had long been touted as a star on the national stage but his insistence on opposing President Barack Obama's agenda in a failed attempt to keep himself viable in a general election coupled with his long-running feud with the state's unelected black leaders combined to make his showing a major disappointment.

Rick Dent, campaign manager for Sparks, told the Fix that Davis' vote against President Obama's health care legislation "hurt him in the African-American community."

The Republican gubernatorial race is headed to a July 13 runoff. Former state Sen. Bradley Byrne secured one of the spots but businessman Tim James and state Rep. Robert Bentley were separated by less than 300 votes in the fight for the second slot.

Two hundred miles to the west, national Republicans got some good news as Mississippi state Sen. Alan Nunnelee won the GOP nomination in the 1st district without a runoff.

Nunnelee took 51 percent of the vote in the race against former Europa Mayor Henry Ross and Fox News Channel commentator Angela McGlowan. McGlowan placed a distant third despite a last-minute endorsement from former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin -- via Twitter!

Nunnelee will face Rep. Travis Childers (D) in the fall in a district that gave Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) 62 percent of the vote in 2008 and that will be a major GOP pickup target this fall.

Across the country in New Mexico, Dona Ana District Attorney Susana Martinez cruised to a victory in the GOP primary for governor.

"Susana Martinez's historic nomination is great news for New Mexico," said Republican Governors Association spokesman Tim Murtaugh. "

Martinez will face Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, who was unopposed for the Democratic nomination, in the fall.

Alabama Republican Rep. Parker Griffith was soundly defeated in a Republican primary tonight, the second party switcher to lose an intraparty fight in the past two weeks.

Madison County Commissioner Mo Brooks had 51 percent of the vote to Griffith's 33 percent and 16 percent for Les Phillip with 99 percent of precincts reporting. Although the Associated Press had not called the race, local media reported that Griffith had conceded the contest to Brooks.

Griffith, who had been elected as a Democrat to the northern Alabama 5th district, switched parties last year with promises from House Republican leaders that they would back him to the hilt.

But, he struggled to convince Republican primary voters that he was one of them; he was battered over his vote for Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) as House Speaker at the start of the 111th Congress, for example.

Griffith's problems were a mirror image of Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter's (D) difficulties in his primary loss to Rep. Joe Sestak on May 18.

Griffith joins Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-W.Va.) as House members to lose their re-nomination bids. In the Senate, Specter as well as Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah) have come up short in intraparty bids and Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) faces a runoff race on June 8 against Lt. Gov. Bill Halter.

Alabama Democrats showed a similar resistance to establishment favorites in the governor's race.

Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks crushed Rep. Artur Davis in the Democratic primary for governor, ending Davis' hopes of becoming the state's first black governor.

"We worked hard, we fussed hard, we cried hard," Sparks said. "Thank you for allowing me to be in the position I'm in."

The Associated Press called the race for Sparks shortly before 11 pm eastern time and Sparks holding a lead of nearly 30 points.

Davis had long been touted as a star on the national stage but his insistence on opposing President Barack Obama's agenda in a failed attempt to keep himself viable in a general election coupled with his long-running feud with the state's unelected black leaders combined to make his showing a major disappointment.

Rick Dent, campaign manager for Sparks, told the Fix that Davis' vote against President Obama's health care legislation "hurt him in the African-American community."

The Republican gubernatorial race is headed to a July 13 runoff. Former state Sen. Bradley Byrne secured one of the spots but businessman Tim James and state Rep. Robert Bentley were separated by less than 300 votes in the fight for the second slot.

Two hundred miles to the west, national Republicans got some good news as Mississippi state Sen. Alan Nunnelee won the GOP nomination in the 1st district without a runoff.

Nunnelee took 51 percent of the vote in the race against former Europa Mayor Henry Ross and Fox News Channel commentator Angela McGlowan. McGlowan placed a distant third despite a last-minute endorsement from former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin -- via Twitter!

Nunnelee will face Rep. Travis Childers (D) in the fall in a district that gave Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) 62 percent of the vote in 2008 and that will be a major GOP pickup target this fall.

Across the country in New Mexico, Dona Ana District Attorney Susana Martinez cruised to a victory in the GOP primary for governor.

"Susana Martinez's historic nomination is great news for New Mexico," said Republican Governors Association spokesman Tim Murtaugh. "

Martinez will face Lt. Gov. Diane Denish, who was unopposed for the Democratic nomination, in the fall.

More sad news today: Andrew Koppel, Former ABC News Nightlight Host Ted Koppel's son, died reportedly after a day of drinking. The New York Post reports that Andrew Koppel, 40, of Rockaway Park, Queens, passed away from a day-long drinking binge. The question is just how much did Andrew Koppel drink?

Worked for City of New York

Andrew H. Koppel was a lawyer with the New York Housting Authority and had his own general practice legal business based in Woodbridge, NJ. Andrew Koppel's website reports "The Law Firm of Andrew H. Koppel, Esq., is dedicated to providing quality legal services at affordable rates. We are centrally located in Woodbridge, NJ and able to accomodate clients throughout the State."

Koppel was on Facebook

Andrew H. Koppel also had a Facebook page where the New York lawyer has a photo of himself in crisp shirt and tie with a Budweiser in hand.

This blogger double-checked to make sure this was the Andrew Koppel by including his middle initial "H" in a Google search. That this is the person is confirmed by several news sources, eBebo one of them.

Koppel was found "unconscious and not breathing in a bedroom" at 180th Street at Audubon Avenue. Koppel had been out with Russell Wimberly, a 32-year-old waiter he met at a bar in Hell's Kitchen just 12-hour before. That's when they allegedly went on what would become for Koppel a fatal drinking binge.

Wimberly said they went hoping from bar to bar. He said Koppel didn't eat; just drank straight whiskey and beer. From personal experience, three glasses of whiskey is too much for this blogger, unless over three hours and with a good steak dinner and three glasses of water. Just reading the accounts of this story, Koppel had a lot more drink than that over a smaller period of time, and no steak dinner.

Ted Koppel loses his only son who was also father to a baby boy. Andrew Koppel has an older sister Andrea and a younger sister Tara.

More sad news today: Andrew Koppel, Former ABC News Nightlight Host Ted Koppel's son, died reportedly after a day of drinking. The New York Post reports that Andrew Koppel, 40, of Rockaway Park, Queens, passed away from a day-long drinking binge. The question is just how much did Andrew Koppel drink?

Worked for City of New York

Andrew H. Koppel was a lawyer with the New York Housting Authority and had his own general practice legal business based in Woodbridge, NJ. Andrew Koppel's website reports "The Law Firm of Andrew H. Koppel, Esq., is dedicated to providing quality legal services at affordable rates. We are centrally located in Woodbridge, NJ and able to accomodate clients throughout the State."

Koppel was on Facebook

Andrew H. Koppel also had a Facebook page where the New York lawyer has a photo of himself in crisp shirt and tie with a Budweiser in hand.

This blogger double-checked to make sure this was the Andrew Koppel by including his middle initial "H" in a Google search. That this is the person is confirmed by several news sources, eBebo one of them.

Koppel was found "unconscious and not breathing in a bedroom" at 180th Street at Audubon Avenue. Koppel had been out with Russell Wimberly, a 32-year-old waiter he met at a bar in Hell's Kitchen just 12-hour before. That's when they allegedly went on what would become for Koppel a fatal drinking binge.

Wimberly said they went hoping from bar to bar. He said Koppel didn't eat; just drank straight whiskey and beer. From personal experience, three glasses of whiskey is too much for this blogger, unless over three hours and with a good steak dinner and three glasses of water. Just reading the accounts of this story, Koppel had a lot more drink than that over a smaller period of time, and no steak dinner.

Ted Koppel loses his only son who was also father to a baby boy. Andrew Koppel has an older sister Andrea and a younger sister Tara.

NEW YORK The 40-year-old son of former ABC News anchor Ted Koppel was found dead in an apartment in upper Manhattan, and the cause of death is being investigated, authorities said Tuesday.

Andrew Koppel was declared dead around 1:30 a.m. Monday in the apartment in the Washington Heights neighborhood, Detective John Sweeney said.

Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the city medical examiner, said an autopsy was performed Monday but results were pending further study, including toxicology and tissue testing.
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Additional tests were needed to determine the manner and cause of death, Borakove said. They will take a few weeks to complete, she said.

Koppel had been drinking for hours with a man he met at a bar, the New York Post reported Tuesday.

"He had a straw hat on, and I had one on, and he said, 'Nice hat, man,"' his drinking partner, Russell Wimberly, told the newspaper. "We got to talking, and he started buying me drinks."

Wimberly said that Koppel drank whiskey, and that neither man had anything to eat all day.

Koppel was appointed attorney for the city Housing Authority's civil litigation division in 2001, a post he resigned in 2008, the agency said Tuesday.

Ted Koppel was the longtime anchor of the ABC News show "Nightline." Andrew Koppel, of Queens, was one of his four children. A call to the elder Koppel's publicist was not immediately returned Tuesday.

Andrew Koppel was convicted of misdemeanor assault in 1994 for striking a U.S. Senate aide during an argument at a Capitol Hill automated teller machine. At the time, he was a student at Georgetown Law School.

Wimberly said that after drinking, he and Koppel eventually wound up at the apartment, which belonged to Wimberly's friend. He and the friend, Belinda Caban, told Koppel to sleep it off and later found that he had gotten sick and appeared not to be breathing, the Post said. The two said they called 911.

NEW YORK The 40-year-old son of former ABC News anchor Ted Koppel was found dead in an apartment in upper Manhattan, and the cause of death is being investigated, authorities said Tuesday.

Andrew Koppel was declared dead around 1:30 a.m. Monday in the apartment in the Washington Heights neighborhood, Detective John Sweeney said.

Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the city medical examiner, said an autopsy was performed Monday but results were pending further study, including toxicology and tissue testing.
» Don't miss a thing. Get breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox.

Additional tests were needed to determine the manner and cause of death, Borakove said. They will take a few weeks to complete, she said.

Koppel had been drinking for hours with a man he met at a bar, the New York Post reported Tuesday.

"He had a straw hat on, and I had one on, and he said, 'Nice hat, man,"' his drinking partner, Russell Wimberly, told the newspaper. "We got to talking, and he started buying me drinks."

Wimberly said that Koppel drank whiskey, and that neither man had anything to eat all day.

Koppel was appointed attorney for the city Housing Authority's civil litigation division in 2001, a post he resigned in 2008, the agency said Tuesday.

Ted Koppel was the longtime anchor of the ABC News show "Nightline." Andrew Koppel, of Queens, was one of his four children. A call to the elder Koppel's publicist was not immediately returned Tuesday.

Andrew Koppel was convicted of misdemeanor assault in 1994 for striking a U.S. Senate aide during an argument at a Capitol Hill automated teller machine. At the time, he was a student at Georgetown Law School.

Wimberly said that after drinking, he and Koppel eventually wound up at the apartment, which belonged to Wimberly's friend. He and the friend, Belinda Caban, told Koppel to sleep it off and later found that he had gotten sick and appeared not to be breathing, the Post said. The two said they called 911.

Memorial Day a day to honor all of America’s fallen soldier throughout time. On this Memorial Day 2010, The Sergeant Audie Murphy Club (SAMC) inducted another of America’s military leaders into its ranks. Today Sergeant Holly Burke, a three time Iraq tour survivor and leader, has achieved one of the greatest honors an NCO (Non-Commissioned Officer) can achieve; she was welcomed as a member into the SAMC.
Becoming a member of The Sergeant Audie Murphy Club is something Burke has always aspired to. She is said be completely overwhelmed and honored. The Sergeant was quoted saying “Being named to the SAMC means everything to me; I studied for this for a year and had no expectation of getting it on my first try. It’s all very surreal to me. But having accomplished this shows me that I actually am good at something.”
The SAMC is a military organization that recognizes America’s finest; the men and women who have serve our country.
The Sergeant Audie Murphy Club was named after the legendary and most decorated soldier of the WWII era Sergeant Audie Murphy.