KFMO - B104 Sports

Colorado Avalanche

KFMO.com will take summer off
PARK HILLS, MO. - Following the completion of the High School spring season, KFMO.com will cease operation until the HS fall season nears. Schedules for the upcoming 2008 fall season will start to appear towards the end of the summer as the fall season officially begins on Aug. 25, with the first week of the HS football season taking place on Aug. 29. Our summer sports broadcast schedule will consist only of Major League Baseball in both the St. Louis Cardinals as well as the ESPN Sunday Night Game of the Week and NASCAR events. Management has made the decision that we will not be carrying Mineral Area Baseball Association games this summer. KFMO.com will return to normal operation just prior to the start of the fall sports season.

Ludwick hits a pair of HR's, but Loshe had already put Cards in too big a hole
DENVER, CO. - Rockies manager Clint Hurdle has been pleading with his team to play more relaxed. With the losses piling up, though, relaxed was the last thing the players felt. But the reigning NL champs are walking around with a little more pep after beating the St. Louis Cardinals for a second straight time, a 9-3 win Thursday to salvage a split in their four-game series. "I had a coach tell me (once) to relax, but he finally told me it's hard to relax when you're not good," Hurdle said. "That's where we've been." Matt Holliday had four singles and Jorge De La Rosa scattered five hits over 5 2/3 innings as the Rockies won two in a row at Coors Field for the first time since early April, when they took three from Atlanta. "When things are going bad, it seems to snowball," Todd Helton said. "Hopefully, it goes the other way, too." The Rockies had lost 13 of 16 before a late rally Wednesday night led to a 4-3 win, momentum that might have spilled over into Thursday -- if you believe in that sort of thing. "I never know how much carries over, what does or doesn't carry over," said Holliday, who had four hits in a game for the 11th time in his career. "You just try to keep it going." A funny hop in the first had the Cardinals fuming and the Rockies off and rolling. Third baseman Brendan Ryan's misplay of Holliday's grounder with two outs opened the door for a four-run first inning. Ryan waited back on the ball only to have it bounce off his glove for what originally was ruled an error and later switched to a hit. The Cardinals said they want the league office to take another look at the play. While it won't help with the outcome, it would lower Kyle Lohse's ERA. Lohse (3-2) struggled for a second straight outing, allowing seven runs and eight hits in four innings. He was coming off a sensational April in which he allowed just nine runs in 34 1/3 innings. So far in May, though, he's surrendered 15 runs and 17 hits in 10 innings. "I didn't have the best stuff out there," Lohse said. "I wasn't getting the inside part of the plate so ... it's pretty easy when you're looking for something over the plate." Omar Quintanilla added a career-high three hits and Garrett Atkins finished 2-for-3 with a double, triple and two RBI for the Rockies. De La Rosa (1-1) was making his second start for Colorado since being acquired April 30 from the Royals. He gave up two runs while striking out five. He looked like a completely different pitcher from the one that surrendered nine runs in four innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers. "Everything was different," said De La Rosa, who received a standing ovation as he left the field. "I felt much better. I mixed my pitches very good." Ryan Ludwick continued his torrid hitting for St. Louis with two solo home runs. He went 9-for-13 in the four-game series with three doubles, three home runs and six RBI. Ludwick entered Coors Field with a .308 average and departed at .363. "He had a great series," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "It's part of a great first month and eight days - long way to go." Albert Pujols had a single in the sixth, running his streak of reaching base to 36 straight games. It's the longest streak to start a season since 1999, when Derek Jeter reached in 53 straight games and Jim Thome in 37. The Rockies head out on a six-game road trip on which they play NL West rivals San Diego and Arizona. Colorado is 5-13 this season against its division. The team knows that has to change in a hurry in order to defend its NL title. "We haven't allowed ourselves much room for error," Holliday said.

Rams take Virginia defensive end Chris Long with second overall pick
ST. LOUIS, MO. - In the minutes following the moment she officially became the mother of the second pick in the NFL Draft, Diane Long found herself on the telephone with her son’s new boss, Rams coach Scott Linehan. But she wasn’t about to let the chance to capture the most important moment in Chris Long’s life get away. So, she did what any mother would do, she put Linehan on hold. “It was thrilling to speak to him, he was wonderful but I had to keep putting him on hold because Chris was on stage and then the commissioner was speaking,” Diane Long said. “I said I am really sorry that I have to put my son’s new boss on hold but I really don’t know what else to do.” Of course, Linehan understood the significance of the moment and gladly waited. For the fast, energetic Long, the waiting and months of being on hold are finally over. After much internal debate, the Rams finally entrenched Long as their pick late Friday night. There were some semi-serious trade discussions Saturday morning, but ultimately the opportunity to add a player the caliber of Long at a position of such intense need was too great to pass up. “At the end of the day, Chris was really what the doctor ordered not only for our defense or our football team, but for our organization, because of his ability level, he’s pretty darn good, and what he can do for a team in the defensive line, in the pass-rush part of things and being an every-down player, but just what he’ll be able to bring to the team as far as all that other stuff,” Linehan said. To call this week dizzying for the Rams and for Long would be a vast understatement. On Thursday afternoon Long said he didn’t view the NFL Draft as a competition and was prepared to just let the chips fall where they may. In fact, Long had spent most of the week trying to keep his Hall of Fame father, Howie Long, calm. Howie Long had been far more nervous and excitable than his son for most of the week. “It’s ironic that he was talking me down,” Howie Long said. “But you know when it’s your kid you are a little more sensitive, you take things a little harder, and you just wish the best for him.” Chris Long spent most of the week in New York with the other invited prospects and his mother. By the time his father arrived Friday night, he was still relatively calm. But by Saturday afternoon when the Rams came on the clock, his tune changed quite a bit. Sitting in the green room waiting to hear his name, Long had come to terms with the fact that he really wanted to be a Ram and the moment of truth was fast approaching. “I was nervous when the clock hit about seven minutes to go when the Rams were on the clock,” Chris Long said. “Then it kind of hit me and my heart pounded out of my chest. I just tried to hide it.” The emotion of the Long family was difficult to hide in the moments after the Rams selected Chris. It had been a long time in the making, according to Diane Long. Growing up in California where his father was a star for the Raiders, Long was gangly and “a bit awkward” according to his mother. The Long family relocated to Virginia when Chris was 9. It wasn’t until he was about 14 or 15 that Long grew into his body and discovered that football was his passion. Never was there a point where he feared the comparisons to his father or tried to live up to the expectations of what his father had done in the game. “Chris is pretty well equipped to deal with comparisons,” Diane Long said. “Even as a kid it kind of rolled off his back. I really think he was able to find his way and never have to worry about any of that.” As Long began to find his way in the game, the family encouraged his participation. At no point did Long buy into any kind of privileged situation, developing a passion and work ethic that was a big reason for the Rams’ selecting him. “I’m passionate and I love the game,” Long said. “I work very hard and I’m going to have to pick it up even more to be a pro athlete and I understand that.” After putting together an outstanding college career at Virginia, where he had his number retired, Long was widely regarded as a top prospect. Of course, he dealt with constant comparisons and questions about his famous father along the way. As recently as Thursday, Long said he was unconcerned with where he would land and what team would take him. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, though, Long knew he wanted to be a Ram. “I wanted to go to St. Louis the whole time,” Long said. “I had an open mind this morning when I woke up and I just tried to stay as calm as possible. When I knew that I was going to be a St. Louis Ram, it just a huge adrenaline rush. It’s the best moment of my life.” Right after his selection, Long began making the rounds around Radio City Music Hall. One of the first people he spoke to was Rams running back Steven Jackson, who was in town for some promotional work and stopped by to say hi to his newest teammate. After that, Long went downstairs to the media room for Round 1 of interviews. He then went to a side room for more interviews. After addressing the various Charlottesville media, Long was asked to speak to the fans in Tokyo. As he watched his son do his final round of interviews, Howie Long crossed paths with the newest Raider, Arkansas running back Darren McFadden. Long told McFadden, “That hat looks good on you.” In an instant, Long was done with the media session and saying his goodbyes with his parents but not before he could voice his approval in his father’s choice of headwear, a brand new Rams cap. “That hat looks good on you, Dad,” Chris Long told his proud father. Off into the New York afternoon he went, ready for the next chapter in what he hopes is a long NFL career that has only just begun. “Chris is excited, he’s ready to go to work and get started,” Howie Long said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he is in the gym tonight.” It wouldn’t surprise anyone if the gym is exactly where Long spends his draft night. After all, the time for waiting is over.

St. Louis Rams' 2008 schedule released
ST. LOUIS, MO. - A heavy dose of trips to the East Coast and a difficult early slate highlight the Rams’ 2008 regular season schedule. "It's not an easy schedule but no NFL schedule is like it used to be," coach Scott Linehan said. "It's not hard to get our guys' attention. They know. You have to play them some time. They are on the schedule we knew we were going to play them. What's the best time? The best time to play them is when you are playing your best football. That's why we want to get ourselves prepared for the season and start off playing well and play these tough teams. It will be an exciting start." The Rams open the 2008 season on the road with a trip to Philadelphia for a game on Sept. 7 at noon . That game has Linehan excited. "I know a lot of guys have played there and I know there have been a lot of storied games played there against Philadelphia in the past for the Rams," Linehan said. "It's a great environment so it will be pretty exciting." The following week the team will stay in the NFC East, taking on the Giants in the home opener on Sept. 14. The NFC West slate opens on Sept. 21 with a trip to Seattle to take on division rival Seattle. The team returns home for a matchup against AFC East’s Buffalo in the only 3:00 home game the team is scheduled for this season. The bye week comes earlier than usual this year as the Rams will be off the week following the game against the Bills. Although the Rams have had their bye week in the middle of the season in recent seasons, Linehan doesn't mind having it a bit earlier this season. "The bye comes at a nice time," Linehan said. "I don't know what the best time for a bye is but I like it somewhere in the middle between preseason, training camp, open up the preseason and play through September. That's usually about the time you feel a bye is needed." The NFC East portion of the schedule comes to a conclusion soon after the bye with a trip to Washington to play the Redskins on Oct. 12 before returning home the following week for a game against Dallas on Oct. 19. Things don’t get much easier after the meeting with the Cowboys as the Rams travel to Foxborough, Mass. the next week to meet the New England Patriots on Oct. 26. That game could have plenty of intrigue considering the ramifications of the SpyGate incident. The Rams finally dive back into division play on Nov. 2 with a home game against Arizona before hitting the road for two consecutive weeks with trips to play the New York Jets and San Francisco on Nov. 9 and Nov. 16, respectively. Two home games against non-playoff teams could provide a potential break around Thanksgiving as the Rams host Chicago on Nov. 23 and Miami on Nov. 30. On Dec. 7, the Rams begin a trio of divisional games with a game at Arizona before returning home to host the Seahawks on Dec. 14 and the 49ers on Dec. 21^st. The Rams wrap up the 2008 slate with a Dec. 28 meeting at Atlanta. The preseason schedule begins with the Rams meeting the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m.