After five NBA championships, including a three-peat in 10 years in Los Angeles, how would the Lakers send their farewells to the Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson in his last year? Well it was not the tribute I think Jackson wished for. In fact, I doubt any coach would want to be a part of what happened Sunday against the Dallas Mavericks. The underdog Mavericks crushed the Western Conference-favorite Los Angeles Lakers, 122-86, culminating the series with a 4-0… Read more

For the Los Angeles Dodgers, a storied franchise and iconic sports organization, it seems like the only two things worth celebrating lately is outfielder Andre Ethier’s hitting streak and the Major League Baseball’s takeover of day-to-day operations from owner Frank McCourt. “The Dodgers have been one of the most prestigious franchises in all of sports, and we owe it to their legion of loyal fans to ensure that this club is being operated properly now and will be guided appropriately in… Read more

With 15 of 30 Major League Baseball teams having their spring training in Arizona, the state that passed a bill last year that allows police officers who have stopped somebody for an infraction to ask for proof of legal residence if there is reasonable suspicion the person is an illegal immigrant, some teams have taken precautions to ensure their Latino players are prepared if the situation arises. The Milwaukee Brewers have issued their players identification cards with their photo and information on… Read more

Now that the short-handed New York Knicks have lost a playoff series against the Boston Celtics and succumbed to a sweeping first-round defeat, fans are wondering what is next for the high-profile team. Granted, the Knicks were stricken with injury issues as point guard Chauncey Billups went down in game one with a strained left knee and Amar’e Stoudemire played through excruciating back spasms, the reality is the Knicks were still defeated and once again it is time to start… Read more

If there is anything that jumps out about the 2011 NBA playoffs is that anybody can win. Okay well maybe not anybody, but there has been a growing trend where top-seeded positioning in the playoffs no longer equals an automatic ticket for the next round. Every team from first through eighth in both the conferences pose a different threat with different weapons to opposing teams. With so much parity in the NBA this postseason, it is not difficult to see…. Read more

Once again one more piece of history is written in the rich Southern California sports world. No, the Los Angeles Lakers did not win three consecutive titles for a second time in the last 10 years, that has yet to occur. It is happening on the ice in the National Hockey League and for the first time, the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks will compete during the postseason in the same year. Since the 1993-94 season when the Ducks… Read more

Virtually every year right around tournament season, college basketball analysts will go through each regional bracket in search of a team with a double digit seed from a mid-major conference that may have what it takes to pull up an upset or two and make a deep run at the tournament. The team that is able to accomplish this feat is referred to as a Cinderella team. The life of a Cinderella team usually starts out the same. The team… Read more

Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire. What can I say about the two? Lets see… legends, leaders and phenomenal players? It’s funny to even say these words because both are the two most scrutinized players for alleged steroid use over the past several years. Reading about Bonds’ perjury trial that began on Monday and McGwire’s recent return for another season as the hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals, these events led me to wonder whether these two people will ever… Read more

It is that time of the year again. The NBA and NHL seasons are in full stride as games become more and more meaningful as teams in both leagues look for good playoff positioning. MLB teams are fine tuning their rosters for opening day and, oh yeah, there’s a little thing called the NCAA men’s basketball tournament referred to as March Madness. The collegiate tournament is everything the name implies. In a single elimination tournament, the best teams in college… Read more