If you thought the incumbent in the White House was the manifestation of the most ill-fated occurrences over the years, you certainly missed that the West Coast rap scene has had a severe fall off since its glory days of G-funk, NWA and Death Row.

There is only one word that can summarize the Los Angeles Clippers as a franchise, and following the exit of vice-president of basketball operations Elgin Baylor, the same word should be bounced back to the man who directed a creaky ship for 22 years: Sorry.

It's Friday night. For most it's beer pong or Donkey Kong. For me, it's the most dreaded date of the week '- the day I realize my fate as my schedule for work is released. I have told my boss countless times, sports comes before work. It has been an initiative he has had a hard time accepting in my four plus years on the job.

Widely known as baseball's premier launching pad, Citizens Bank Park will be the venue of Game 1 where the playoff-proven Derek Lowe will pitch against Philadelphia's fireball-throwing lefty, Cole Hamels. Like Lowe, Hamels (14-10, 3.09 ERA) already has one 2008 playoff victory under his belt.

Both teams are well-rested and have strategically aligned their rotations for a playoff push. As of now, no team in baseball is hotter than the Los Angeles Dodgers, who finished September with a 17-8 record. The Dodgers are capable of being this year's version of the 2007 Colorado Rockies, but with a different ending. The Chicago Cubs, however, can shift the entire balance of the series if they profit from their killer concoction of starting pitching and ability to out-slug the opposition. Plus, they have the home-field advantage. ?

If you are a fan of high-octane, beat-knocking, 'get ya' two-step on' raps that are sure to be tearing the roof off the club this Saturday night, then Gza/Genius' latest solo album is not for you. Sorry. Move on with the Top 40. As a matter of fact, to prove his style is not mainstream and all about getting 'In Da Club,' he has a track set out for an east-coast counterpart, but more on that later.

When the Chivas USA communications' team phoned the Daily Sundial sports desk and offered all-inclusive press coverage for their team's home match-up against the Kansas City Wizards Saturday night at the Home Depot Center, it was an opportunity that most definitely had to be seized.?

As the baseball season comes to a close, Most Valuable Player-award candidates are finishing up their respective campaigns and padding their stats during the final week of the season. In the interim, talks are heating up just like the pool of award-winning hopefuls. Only one deserving player will hoist the MVP trophy after the culmination of the World Series. Not one of them is more deserving of the career-making accolade than Manny Ramirez.

When the Matadors soccer team learned midfielder Rafael Garcia and senior forward Devin Deld'oacute; both had season-ending ACL injuries, the coaching staff was anxious to see who would step and seize the role of team leader.

The revelations read too familiar. Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Richard Collier was in critical condition after being shot several times while riding in the passenger seat of a Cadillac Escalade in the wee hours of the morning last week.

As the fall semester kicked off last year, the talk of hip hop music was the battle between Kanye West and 50 Cent. The question was who would be selling more albums and who carries more clout as both their records were released on September 11th, 2007.

The Matador men's soccer team kicked off the 2008 regular season last weekend by hosting a four-team, four-game tournament and came out of it with a win, a defeat and a huge bite from the injury bug.