September 21, 2026

Good morning, Southern California.

Pour yourself a cup of coffee, find something stronger if you’re a Chargers fan, and welcome to another edition of Monday Morning Coffee, where football season is two weeks old and somehow we already have one NFL team in crisis, another resurrecting a future Hall of Famer, USC trying to win games without playing defense, UCLA turning Newman from Seinfeld into Barry Sanders, and the Angels desperately trying to avoid making history for all the wrong reasons.

So basically, everything is normal.

CHARGERS: OH NO. THEY’RE BACK.

I don’t want to overreact after two games.

Actually, screw that.

What the hell was that?

The Chargers are 0-2 after losing two very winnable games at home, including Sunday’s 26-14 disaster against the Raiders. They also lost the opener to Arizona by the exact same 26-14 score, which is almost impressive.

It’s like they found a new way to Chargers while simultaneously honoring the old way of Chargering.

Six fumbles. Interceptions. Penalties. A botched third-and-inches snap that hit a receiver in motion. A late fumble. A safety.

And, of course, a fourth-quarter collapse.

You could have put Brandon Staley on the sideline wearing a Jim Harbaugh Halloween mask and I wouldn’t have noticed the difference.

That’s the concerning part.

The whole point of hiring Harbaugh was that this crap was supposed to stop. The Chargers were supposed to become tougher, smarter and more disciplined. They were supposed to become the team that watches somebody else melt down in the fourth quarter.

Instead, we’re two weeks into the season and Harbaugh is 0-2 for the first time in his NFL or college head-coaching career.

And now the schedule gets nasty: Buffalo, Seattle, Denver, Kansas City and the Rams are coming.

Those first two home games were the appetizers.

The Chargers threw them both on the floor.

Justin Herbert will get blamed because quarterbacks always do, but he’s hardly the fundamental problem here. When your team is fumbling six times, committing backbreaking penalties and repeatedly sabotaging itself, Patrick Mahomes isn’t fixing that with a few better throws.

This feels disturbingly familiar.

The Chargers spent years turning fourth quarters into an escape room where nobody could find the key.

Harbaugh was supposed to bulldoze the room.

Right now he’s locked inside it with everybody else.

RAMS: WELCOME BACK, 99

Meanwhile, the Rams get their opportunity Monday night to even their record at 1-1 against the Giants.

And it sounds like Aaron Donald is back.

Donald says he expects to play in the home opener, which is still one of the strangest sentences I’ve written in years.

Aaron Donald retired.

Aaron Donald became a legend.

Aaron Donald presumably spent some time enjoying life without having three 330-pound men trying to crush him every Sunday.

And now Aaron Donald is apparently like, You know what? This retirement thing is boring. Where’s my helmet?

At this point, the Rams don’t need vintage 2018 Aaron Donald. They need him to be an insurance policy while Myles Garrett works his way back.

If Donald can give them 25 or 30 useful snaps, command some double teams, disrupt the interior and occasionally remind an offensive lineman why he retired in the first place, that’s plenty.

The bigger immediate question may be Puka Nacua, who is questionable with a hip injury after missing practice.

That’s not ideal.

Still, the Rams can beat the Giants.

And frankly, they should beat the Giants.

Get to 1-1, survive this stretch without Garrett, figure out exactly what Donald still has in the tank and move forward.

If Aaron Donald comes flying through the middle of the Giants’ offensive line tonight and destroys somebody, I’m going to assume he spent retirement lifting refrigerators.

USC: 4-0 HAS NEVER FELT SO TERRIFYING

USC is 4-0.

USC is ranked No. 12.

USC just won its Big Ten opener 42-35 on the road.

And USC fans should feel absolutely fantastic.

Except for one minor detail:

Their defense just gave up 460 yards to Rutgers.

Winless Rutgers.

The Scarlet Knights passed for 292 yards, rushed for 168 and had 10 explosive plays against USC. Even Lincoln Riley said afterward that he was “not pleased at all” with the defensive performance.

No kidding.

Rutgers looked like 2019 LSU for stretches.

And now USC gets Oregon.

Then, looking farther down the schedule, there are teams like Penn State, Indiana and Ohio State waiting.

So here’s the obvious question:

If Rutgers can put up 460 yards, what are those teams going to do?

Because eventually Prophet Brown isn’t going to be standing at the goal line waiting to take an interception 99 yards in the other direction. Eventually those mistakes become touchdowns.

The offense is good enough to keep USC in a lot of games.

But this has the unmistakable smell of another season where we spend Saturday afternoons saying, “Well, if the defense can just get ONE STOP…”

That movie has had four sequels already.

At this point, 8-4 doesn’t feel remotely impossible.

And if that’s where this winds up, the Lincoln Riley conversation is going to get very uncomfortable again.

UCLA: HELLO, NEWMAN

Now to the Bruins.

UCLA beat Purdue 52-38.

They piled up 645 total yards.

They rushed for 369 yards.

And a running back named Wayne Knight ran for 177 yards and two touchdowns.

Excuse me?

Wayne Knight?

I had no idea Newman could move like that.

Apparently after years of being terrorized by Jerry Seinfeld, the man finally found an offensive line.

NEWMAN!

All joking aside, UCLA football feels different under Bob Chesney.

There’s energy. There’s enthusiasm. The offense is explosive. The Bruins are 3-0, which already matches their win total from last season.

And after years of watching Chip Kelly roam the sideline looking like he’d rather be literally anywhere else on Earth, it’s refreshing to watch a UCLA team that appears to have a pulse.

But let’s not start printing College Football Playoff tickets.

Purdue also put up 488 yards.

That’s a problem.

And UCLA absolutely cannot allow Nico Iamaleava to keep getting hit the way he has been. The entire ceiling of this season changes if Nico isn’t healthy.

Still, Bruins fans should enjoy this.

There’s life in the Rose Bowl again.

There’s optimism.

There’s an identity.

And Newman is apparently averaging 6.4 yards per carry.

Maybe George Costanza can play linebacker.

DODGERS: JUST GET EVERYBODY TO OCTOBER ALIVE

We’ve reached the final week of the baseball season, and the Dodgers are 96-60 and already NL West champions.

At this point, regular-season wins are nice.

Health is everything.

Mookie Betts is rolling. Teoscar Hernández is producing. Will Smith is dangerous. Kyle Tucker has added another ridiculous bat to a lineup that already looked like somebody turned off the salary cap in a video game.

And Josue De Paula?

How do you leave this kid off the postseason roster?

De Paula arrived from Double-A and immediately injected some life into the club. There’s something to be said for youthful energy in October — especially when everybody else has played six months of baseball and looks like they need a massage, a nap and three Advil.

But none of that is the real story.

The real story is Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman.

Ohtani is on the injured list, and Freeman has also been dealing with health issues.

Forget September.

Forget individual milestones.

Forget squeezing another meaningless at-bat out of anybody.

The Dodgers need those two guys as close to 100 percent as humanly possible when October starts.

And that’s what makes evaluating this team so difficult right now.

Ask me today what the Dodgers’ postseason lineup looks like and I’ll give you an answer.

Ask me again in 10 days and it could be completely different.

October baseball isn’t going to be decided by how intimidating the Dodgers’ roster looks on paper.

It’s going to be decided by which version of that roster actually walks onto the field.

ANGELS: SIX GAMES FROM HISTORY

And finally, your Los Angeles Angels.

They are 60-96.

They have six games remaining.

They need to go at least 3-3 to avoid the first 100-loss season in franchise history.

So…good luck with that.

At least there is finally legitimate reason for hope beyond “maybe Arte Moreno will accidentally sell the team someday.”

Because he did.

Stan Kroenke’s purchase is expected to become official in the first quarter of 2027, assuming the sale receives MLB approval.

But Angels fans need to be realistic.

The Kroenke Effect probably isn’t arriving overnight.

This isn’t a team that needs one starting pitcher and a left-handed bat.

This organization needs infrastructure. Development. Scouting. Pitching depth. Organizational depth. Probably major improvements to the stadium situation. And about 47 other things.

I’d give it two years before we really begin judging what Kroenke is building.

And I would seriously consider doing something Angels fans probably don’t want to hear:

Listen on everybody.

Reid Detmers just reached 200 strikeouts this season. If another organization wants to pay a premium for him, listen.

And yes — even Mike Trout.

I love Trout.

He is one of the greatest players in baseball history, and the fact that the Angels managed to employ Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani simultaneously without winning a playoff game should eventually be studied by congressional investigators.

But sentimentality cannot be the rebuilding plan.

If somebody offers legitimate young talent for Trout and Trout wants the opportunity to play meaningful October baseball somewhere else, Kroenke’s baseball people should at least have the conversation.

Because the goal shouldn’t be getting the Angels from 60 wins to 75.

It should be rebuilding the entire organization so that someday the Angels enter September and the number 100 represents how many games they might win instead of how many they’re desperately trying not to lose.

Bad Flights, Bad Defenses, Christmas in Los Angeles, and the Clippers Finally Get Their Bill

Pour yourself a cup. Make it strong.

Because if you’re Sean McVay, Jim Harbaugh, or Steve Ballmer, you might want to skip the coffee entirely and go directly to something considerably stronger.

We’re barely into the season and Los Angeles sports already has panic, optimism, scandal, firings, injured superstars and two separate fan bases celebrating Christmas in September.

So basically, everything is normal.

RAMS: MAYBE NEXT TIME JUST TAKE THE BOAT

I don’t want to get off on a rant here, but Sean McVay made the worst decision involving a flight to the South Pacific since Amelia Earhart.

Too soon?

Probably.

But so was whatever McVay was thinking.

The Rams have stumbled out of the gate, and now Myles Garrett is headed for knee surgery, which is generally not one of the ingredients listed in the recipe for a Super Bowl run.

Naturally, everyone is going to lose their minds.

McVay has suddenly forgotten how to coach. The roster is overrated. The season is over. SoFi Stadium should be converted into affordable housing.

Relax.

We’ve watched McVay teams look strangely disjointed early in seasons before, only to figure things out once the calendar turns. There is way too much talent here and way too good a coaching staff to declare the season dead in September.

But here’s the deal: until the Rams start winning, they deserve the criticism.

You make a questionable decision, lose games and then lose Myles Garrett to surgery, people are going to talk crap.

That’s how this works.

The good news?

It’s September.

The bad news?

It’s September and we’re already saying, “The good news is it’s September.”

CHARGERS: I’VE SEEN THIS MOVIE BEFORE

What a disaster.

The Chargers can’t stop the run. Their coverage is softer than the pillows at the Four Seasons. And somehow Justin Herbert is once again standing in the middle of the crime scene while everyone asks whether he did it.

Now we’re hearing Herbert is overrated.

Please.

Justin Herbert isn’t the problem.

He’s been asked to carry variations of this franchise on his back for years while the Chargers continually discover innovative new ways to waste his prime.

Bad defense. Injuries. Questionable protection. Strange coaching decisions. Fourth-quarter collapses.

Change the coach. Change the coordinator. Change the uniforms. Change the parking lot.

Somehow we keep arriving at the same place.

And that’s what makes this particularly frustrating. This isn’t some young quarterback trying to figure things out. Herbert has already demonstrated he can play at an elite level.

How about giving the guy a defense that doesn’t treat opposing running backs like they’re participating in TSA PreCheck?

Until the Chargers can stop the run and challenge receivers without giving them a 12-yard personal-space bubble, debating Herbert’s place among NFL quarterbacks is rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

And knowing the Chargers, the deck chairs would probably pull a hamstring.

DODGERS: EVERYBODY INTO THE BUBBLE WRAP

Rough weekend in Florida.

But at this point, I’m considerably less interested in September wins than I am in making sure everyone important arrives in October with all necessary limbs attached.

Shutting down Shohei Ohtani for some rest was absolutely the correct move.

And if Freddie Freeman is hurting?

Sit him too.

Wrap him in bubble wrap. Put him in a cryogenic chamber. Send him to Palm Springs for a week. I don’t care.

The Dodgers don’t need September Freeman.

They need October Freeman.

I’m also not particularly concerned about Tyler Glasnow having a couple of rough starts. Starting pitching has ups and downs. Glasnow’s stuff isn’t suddenly gone because he had a bad weekend.

The bullpen?

That concerns me.

Because October baseball eventually comes down to this: It’s the seventh inning, you’re leading 4-3, there are runners on first and second, and Dave Roberts has to pick up the phone.

Who exactly are we excited to see jogging in?

And please don’t say Edwin Diaz.

Diaz’s rehab assignment in Oklahoma City currently looks less like rehabilitation and more like a hostage situation.

The Dodgers have enough starting pitching. They have enough offense. They have enough stars.

What they need to figure out over the next few weeks is who can get six outs late in a playoff game without causing 50,000 people at Dodger Stadium to simultaneously reach for blood-pressure medication. In the meantime, Josue De Paula looks great, and should be given every opportunity over the next couple of weeks to earn a postseason roster spot.

ANGELS: STAN KROENKE BOUGHT THE TEAM. NOTHING ELSE MATTERS.

The Angels stink.

There. We’ve completed our weekly Angels analysis.

Now onto the important part:

STAN KROENKE BOUGHT THE ANGELS.

Christmas came early in Anaheim.

Actually, forget Christmas. This is Christmas, Hanukkah, your birthday and finding $500 in an old jacket simultaneously.

For years Angels fans weren’t asking for championships.

They were asking for evidence that somebody running the organization had seen how a modern professional sports franchise operates.

Now they have Kroenke.

Does money automatically guarantee championships? Of course not.

But infrastructure matters. Scouting matters. Player development matters. Analytics matter. Facilities matter. Hiring smart executives matters.

And Kroenke’s track record across professional sports gives Angels fans something they haven’t had in a very long time:

A legitimate reason to believe.

A new stadium suddenly feels possible. A complete organizational rebuild feels inevitable. A modern baseball operation feels achievable.

Will it happen overnight?

No.

But eventually being competitive doesn’t sound ridiculous anymore. Eventually contending doesn’t sound ridiculous anymore.

For Angels fans, that’s practically a parade.

USC: 2-0, NO. 12…AND I’M STILL WATCHING THAT DEFENSE

USC is 2-0.

The Trojans are No. 12 in the country after taking care of Louisiana.

Everything is wonderful.

Right?

Ehhhhhhh.

I still don’t completely trust this defense.

Maybe that’s unfair. Maybe it’s September paranoia. Or maybe I’ve watched enough Lincoln Riley football over the years to know that when somebody tells me not to worry about the defense, that’s precisely when I begin worrying about the defense.

The good news is USC is winning the games it’s supposed to win.

That’s Step One.

But we’re about two weeks away from Oregon coming to town.

That’s when we find out what this team actually is.

Because against Oregon, “pretty good” defense isn’t going to cut it.

If USC wants to be taken seriously as a playoff team, we’re going to need to see whether this defense can get off the field against an elite opponent.

Until then?

Enjoy 2-0. Enjoy No. 12.

Just keep one eye on that secondary.

UCLA: WAIT…ARE WE HAVING FUN?

Across town, something even stranger is happening.

UCLA fans are happy.

The Bruins are 2-0 after beating San Diego State, following their win over Cal, and there’s a very realistic path to 4-0 before Oregon arrives.

Four-and-oh UCLA?

In football?

Everybody remain calm.

And as if winning football games wasn’t enough, Christmas also came early in Westwood:

Martin Jarmond is gone.

He’s being replaced on an interim basis by former Lakers CFO Tim Harris, which might be exactly the type of background UCLA needs right now.

Because Harris isn’t walking into an athletic department.

He’s walking into an episode of Financial Rescue: Westwood Edition.

UCLA athletics has a massive financial problem, and fixing it is going to require creativity, discipline, increased revenue and probably some accounting maneuvers that would make Cirque du Soleil jealous.

But bringing in someone with a serious financial background makes sense.

And suddenly UCLA fans have something they haven’t had much of lately:

Momentum.

Football is winning. There’s optimism around the program. The athletic department is changing direction.

Enjoy it, Bruins fans.

Oregon will be here soon enough.

THE IRISH JIG?

My Fighting Irish of Notre Dame are also off to a nice 2-0 start after being Rice, and moving up to #3 in the AP Poll. However, this season is shaping up to be exactly like last season.

The Irish will likely roll through their schedule, but their playoff chances are going to come down to their showdowns against Miami and BYU in the middle of the season.

If they go 2-0 it’s all good. If they go 1-1 we’ll see.

If they lose both, not even lighting a candle and saying their prayers at the Grotto will get them into the CFP.

CLIPPERS: FIVE FIRST-ROUND PICKS LATER…

And finally, the Clippers.

The punishment for the Kawhi Leonard cap-circumvention mess finally arrived.

Five first-round picks.

Five!

Steve Ballmer has accepted it, which is probably wise considering appealing would essentially amount to walking back into the principal’s office and asking whether they could review the security footage one more time.

So now what?

Why is Kawhi still here?

If Toronto is willing to send back two first-round picks, make the trade yesterday.

You’ve just lost five. Getting two back would be the NBA equivalent of discovering a couple of twenties in the washing machine after your house burned down.

And while everyone is treating the lost draft capital like it guarantees a decade of darkness, I’m not entirely convinced.

Have you seen the Clippers draft?

Maybe taking their first-round picks away is actually a competitive advantage.

The larger issue is what comes next, particularly if the Justice Department decides the NBA’s punishment isn’t the end of the story.

That’s when things could become considerably uglier.

Either way, the Clippers have a long road back to contention.

Although I suppose that sentence requires us to accept the premise that they were contenders in the first place.

We’ve spent roughly a decade hearing about the Clippers’ championship window.

Lob City.

Kawhi and Paul George.

The deepest roster in basketball.

The scary playoff matchup.

The championship favorite.

And what did it produce?

Zero NBA Finals appearances.

So perhaps we’re not witnessing the end of a Clippers dynasty.

We’re witnessing the end of a very expensive PowerPoint presentation about one.

LAST SIP

So that’s Los Angeles sports this morning.

The Rams are wounded and getting roasted.

The Chargers are once again trying to determine why Justin Herbert can’t personally play quarterback, linebacker and safety.

The Dodgers are trying to bubble-wrap everyone until October.

The Angels have a billionaire savior.

USC is 2-0 but still making us stare suspiciously at its defense.

UCLA is 2-0 and suddenly has competent adults addressing its finances.

And the Clippers lost five first-round picks and may need to trade Kawhi Leonard back to the place this whole experiment started.

August 31, 2026

Aaron Donald is officially returning to the Los Angeles Rams.

I still can’t believe I’m typing that sentence.

Aaron Donald — future Hall of Famer, three-time Defensive Player of the Year and one of the most terrifying human beings ever to line up across from an offensive guard — has decided retirement has gone on long enough.

Apparently spending Sundays at home watching other people play defensive tackle eventually becomes irritating when you know you’re still better than 98% of them.

And suddenly the Rams’ defensive outlook changes dramatically.

Donald doesn’t have to be 2018 Aaron Donald anymore. He doesn’t even have to play 70 snaps a game. Put him into a defensive front with Myles Garrett, Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske and Byron Young and just let offensive coordinators spend Tuesday nights staring at the ceiling.

“So…who exactly are we doubling?”

Correct.

All of them.

And quietly, the Rams should also feel pretty damn good about their quarterback room.

Matthew Stafford is still Matthew Stafford, but the preseason gave us something we haven’t had much of during the Stafford era:

Confidence that if QB1 misses a game, civilization doesn’t immediately collapse.

Between Stetson Bennett and Ty Simpson, the Rams appear to have legitimate options behind Stafford.

That’s important because Stafford is 38 years old and has accumulated enough NFL injuries to qualify for his own medical residency.

You hope you never need the backup.

For once, you don’t have to be terrified if you do.

Coffee Verdict: The Rams entered camp looking like contenders. They leave it with Aaron freaking Donald.

Expectations have officially changed.

 CHARGERS: PLEASE WRAP EVERYONE IN BUBBLE WRAP

I like the Chargers this year.

I really do.

Unfortunately, I’ve also watched the Chargers before.

Their schedule is difficult, their margin for error isn’t enormous, and their annual battle against the most formidable opponent in franchise history has already begun:

The injury report.

If this team stays reasonably healthy, however, there’s a lot to like.

And let me throw one prediction onto the table:

Omarion Hampton can win the NFL rushing title.

Not eventually.

This year.

Jim Harbaugh wants to run the football. Hampton is built like someone created a running back in Madden and moved the strength slider slightly too far to the right.

The biggest question is whether the offensive line stays intact.

Give Hampton healthy blocking for 17 games and he’s going to get the volume. And if he gets the volume, 1,400-1,500 yards isn’t some ridiculous fantasy.

Of course, we’re discussing the Chargers, so I probably just pulled three hamstrings by writing that paragraph.

Coffee Verdict: The Chargers can be very good.

Just bubble-wrap the offensive line until kickoff.

 DODGERS: TWO OUT OF THREE…AND SOMEHOW I’M STILL ANNOYED

The Dodgers took two of three from Detroit.

That’s good!

Now let’s discuss the offense.

That’s bad!

Actually, let me clarify.

It’s been bad for nearly two months.

For a lineup with this much talent, watching the Dodgers manufacture runs lately has occasionally felt like watching someone attempt to assemble IKEA furniture without the instructions.

There are enough good players that eventually somebody hits a home run and everyone celebrates.

But sustained rallies?

Timely hitting?

Putting together quality at-bats for nine innings?

Apparently those features require a software update.

This isn’t a two-week slump anymore. We’re approaching the point where you have to acknowledge this is an actual trend.

And that’s concerning because October doesn’t care what your payroll is.

Nobody awards postseason runs because Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman are printed at the top of the lineup card.

You actually have to score them.

The good news is that the pitching continues getting healthier and the Dodgers still possess enough talent to win the World Series.

The bad news?

If this offense shows up in October, we’re going to spend four hours watching a 2-1 playoff game while Dave Roberts makes 17 pitching changes and all of Los Angeles screams at its television.

Coffee Verdict: Winning two of three against Detroit is nice.

Now somebody please locate the offense.

 ANGELS: COME FOR THE $5 TICKETS, STAY FOR THE RODENTS

Seven straight losses.

Worst team in baseball.

Ladies and gentlemen, your Los Angeles Angels.

But I refuse to focus entirely on the negative.

Because the Angels are providing something incredibly rare in Southern California:

Affordable family entertainment.

You can apparently get into the Diamond Club for around $5.

Five dollars!

Do you understand how remarkable that is?

You can’t park at Disneyland for $5.

You can’t buy a beer at a Dodgers game for $5.

You can barely buy a large coffee for $5.

But apparently you can sit in premium seats at Angel Stadium and watch Major League Baseball.

Well…

one Major League Baseball team.

The opponent.

And as an added bonus, you may even encounter some of the local wildlife reportedly inhabiting the aging ballpark.

Nothing says family night quite like:

“Dad, is that Mickey Mouse?”

“No, son. That’s an actual rat. Don’t touch it.”

This franchise has reached the fascinating stage where losing isn’t even upsetting anymore.

It’s performance art.

Coffee Verdict: Seven straight losses and the worst record in baseball.

But $5 Diamond Club tickets?

Arte Moreno has finally discovered dynamic pricing.

 USC: GOOD NEWS — EVERYONE SURVIVED

USC opened its season Saturday at the Coliseum against San Jose State and won.

That’s the important part.

The second-most important part?

Nobody in attendance died of heat stroke.

Watching an afternoon football game at the Coliseum in August remains one of America’s great endurance competitions.

“Welcome to USC football. Your complimentary sunscreen and IV bag are underneath your seat.”

As for the actual football?

There was plenty to like.

But I still have questions about the defense.

Yes, USC eventually pulled starters.

Yes, you’re going to play backups with a comfortable lead.

I understand all of that.

But I’ve spent the entire offseason hearing about USC’s newfound depth.

This recruiting class is supposedly different.

The roster is deeper.

The talent level has been upgraded.

USC can finally rotate players without the defense turning into a Big 12 game from 2018.

Great.

Then I would like to see it.

Because if your backups are supposedly talented enough to contribute this season, I don’t want the defense becoming optional whenever the starters leave.

Against San Jose State, you can survive it.

Against Penn State, Oregon, Ohio State or whichever collection of enormous Midwestern humans eventually appears on the schedule?

Different conversation.

Coffee Verdict: A win is a win.

But Lincoln Riley’s biggest question remains exactly where it was eight months ago:

Can USC actually play championship-caliber defense?

We’ll find out soon enough.

 LAKERS: THE KUMINGA HOSTAGE CRISIS IS FINALLY OVER

Jonathan Kuminga signed with Minnesota.

And while I’m disappointed he isn’t a Laker, I would like to celebrate something far more important:

WE NEVER HAVE TO READ ANOTHER JONATHAN KUMINGA-TO-THE-LAKERS RUMOR.

It’s over.

Finished.

Done.

No more anonymous executives.

No more “Lakers monitoring the situation.”

No more fake trade proposals where Los Angeles somehow acquires Kuminga for Gabe Vincent, a 2041 second-round pick and the rights to Jack Nicholson’s courtside seat.

Minnesota got him.

Good for them.

Now let’s talk about the opportunity this creates.

Because I think Adou Thiero and Cameron Carr are going to matter.

The Lakers spent the summer flirting with the idea of adding another young wing.

Maybe the answer was already sitting on the roster.

Thiero brings physicality, athleticism and defensive versatility.

Carr brings length, shooting upside and a fascinating offensive skill set.

Are they finished products?

Of course not.

But young players don’t develop because you repeatedly tell everyone how promising they are while they watch veterans play 38 minutes.

They develop by playing.

And now there are minutes available.

Something tells me one — and potentially both — of these guys is going to make the Lakers look pretty smart for not panicking.

Sometimes the best move isn’t the blockbuster you make.

It’s the unnecessary one you don’t.

Coffee Verdict: Kuminga would have been fun.

But I’m buying stock in Thiero and Carr.

Ask me again in February.

MARK WALTER: WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?

For years, Mark Walter occupied perhaps the most comfortable position in Los Angeles sports.

He was the billionaire who saved the Dodgers from Frank McCourt, hired smart people, spent absurd amounts of money and generally stayed out of everyone’s way.

That’s basically the perfect owner.

Now federal investigators are reportedly examining complicated financial transactions involving insurance companies Walter controlled and loans involving businesses connected to him. The Wall Street Journal reports the web involves roughly $20 billion in loans and transactions that investigators are scrutinizing for transparency and potential fraud issues. (The Wall Street Journal⁠)

And the fallout has apparently reached well beyond Walter himself.

Which brings us to the uncomfortable conclusion:

Mark Walter appears to have screwed a lot of people.

We don’t know where the investigation ultimately goes, and being investigated is obviously not the same thing as being convicted of anything. But when the guy who owns half the sports teams on your television suddenly starts unloading assets while federal prosecutors and the SEC are asking questions, it’s probably fair to say this isn’t a routine accounting disagreement.

For Dodgers fans, it’s especially bizarre.

We spent more than a decade thinking Walter was the quiet adult in the room.

Turns out the quiet guy might have simply had the most complicated room.

DODGERS: EVERYBODY CAN COME BACK INSIDE NOW

Six straight wins.

SIX.

The Dodgers completed a sweep of Pittsburgh Sunday behind six scoreless innings from Blake Snell and have now gone 10-3 since August 10. (Reuters⁠)

Amazing how quickly baseball changes.

Two weeks ago, half of Los Angeles wanted to fire the bullpen into the sun.

Now?

“You know, this roster is actually pretty deep.”

That’s baseball.

More importantly, the Dodgers finally look stabilized.

Snell is starting to look like Blake Snell again. The bullpen has stopped behaving like every inherited runner is legally entitled to score. The offense isn’t requiring Shohei Ohtani to hit a ball 480 feet every night to win.

And there are still reinforcements coming.

That’s why I never understood the panic.

The Dodgers didn’t need to play .750 baseball in August. They needed to survive August and get their pitching staff healthy enough to construct something resembling an October rotation.

If they can do that?

Good luck.

The rest of baseball spent the last month watching the wounded version of the Dodgers.

The healthier version may be arriving just in time.

RAMS: WE MIGHT ACTUALLY HAVE TWO BACKUP QUARTERBACKS

Here’s a sentence I wasn’t expecting to write:

Stetson Bennett and Ty Simpson both look pretty good.

Simpson has completed 78.4% of his preseason passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns, while Bennett has completed 62.2% for 219 yards and two scores. (Turf Show Times⁠)

And after Saturday’s 34-0 demolition of New Orleans, Bennett seems to have regained the inside track for QB2. (Dawn of the Dawg⁠)

This is a fantastic problem to have.

Matthew Stafford is obviously the quarterback.

But Stafford is also approximately 147 years old in NFL quarterback years, so having someone behind him who can competently operate Sean McVay’s offense is somewhat important.

Bennett has experience in the system.

Simpson has the superior physical tools and looks like the long-term developmental play.

Which means McVay has gone from:

“Dear God, please don’t let Stafford get hurt.”

to:

“Dear God, please don’t let Stafford get hurt…but if he misses two games we probably won’t have to cancel the season.”

Progress!

CHARGERS: OF COURSE SOMEONE ELSE GOT HURT

If you wanted to explain Chargers football to someone who had never watched the NFL, you could simply tell them this:

They signed Pro Bowl center Tyler Biadasz to a three-year, $30 million contract this offseason to stabilize an offensive line that allowed Justin Herbert to be sacked 54 times last season.

Excellent signing.

Smart roster construction.

Exactly what they needed.

Naturally, Biadasz suffered a serious knee injury during a joint practice and has now been placed on season-ending injured reserve. (Los Angeles Chargers⁠)

Because Chargers.

At this point the Chargers’ medical tent should have naming rights.

“Welcome back to the Cedars-Sinai Chargers Injury Report, presented by Advil.”

Second-round rookie Jake Slaughter now becomes an extremely important player before he’s taken a single regular-season NFL snap.

Could he be good?

Absolutely.

Would it have been preferable to let the rookie center develop behind an 80-start veteran rather than telling him, “Congratulations, kid. Here’s Justin Herbert. Please keep him alive”?

Also yes.

LAKERS: PLEASE STOP REPORTING ON JONATHAN KUMINGA

I am begging everyone.

Please.

STOP.

Nobody has any new Jonathan Kuminga information.

The Lakers are interested.

Kuminga is interested.

The money hasn’t worked.

A sign-and-trade hasn’t worked.

The situation has reportedly been stalled for weeks. (SI⁠)

That’s the update.

Yet every morning my phone tells me:

“LAKERS EMERGE AS FAVORITE FOR KUMINGA.”

Four hours later:

“KUMINGA DEAL WITH LAKERS NOW UNLIKELY.”

Dinner:

“NEW DEVELOPMENT COULD SEND KUMINGA TO LOS ANGELES.”

The new development?

Somebody on a podcast said, “You never know.”

We’re now reporting rumors about rumors that originated from people discussing previous rumors.

Wake me up when he signs something.

Meanwhile, the actual Lakers story is considerably sadder.

The Buss family is fighting again.

Five of Jeanie Buss’ siblings are supporting the sale of the family’s remaining 17.8% stake in the Lakers to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger. Jeanie is contesting the transaction, and her attorney argues the sale can’t happen without approval from the trust’s co-trustees. (AP News⁠)

This feels personal because it probably is.

There have been years of Buss family disputes, including Jeanie removing Jim Buss from basketball operations and Joey and Jesse Buss later being dismissed from their Lakers roles. (AP News⁠)

Now the siblings are effectively telling Jeanie:

“Remember when you wanted to sell the Lakers?”

“Cool. We’re selling the rest.”

It’s sad.

Jerry Buss built the Lakers into arguably the greatest family-owned franchise in American sports.

Now his children are fighting over the remnants of the family’s ownership through lawyers.

Somewhere Dr. Buss is probably ordering another martini.

CLIPPERS: STILL WAITING…

Is Kawhi Leonard getting traded?

Probably.

Maybe.

Eventually.

Could be tomorrow.

Could be September.

Could be when Intuit Dome needs its first roof replacement.

The reported trade sending Kawhi to Toronto was agreed upon in late June and still isn’t official, while the NBA’s investigation into the Clippers remains unresolved. (BasketNews⁠)

Meanwhile, we still don’t know whether the Clippers will actually be punished.

One report said the NBA had found no evidence that Steve Ballmer funneled money to Leonard through sponsors. Then the NBA publicly disputed aspects of that reporting and said the investigation remained active. (ESPN.com⁠)

Perfect.

So to summarize:

Kawhi may be traded.

But hasn’t been traded.

The Clippers may be punished.

But haven’t been punished.

The investigation may be nearing completion.

But isn’t completed.

This is the most Kawhi Leonard transaction imaginable.

Even his trade is load managing.

USC: IS 8-4 GOOD ENOUGH?

This is the question I keep coming back to.

What happens if USC goes 8-4?

Because under normal circumstances, 8-4 in the Big Ten isn’t embarrassing.

But this isn’t Year 1 of Lincoln Riley.

It’s Year 5.

USC just brought in a 35-player recruiting class ranked No. 1 in the country. Riley says this is the deepest roster he’s had at USC. They’ve opened a spectacular new football facility. Gary Patterson has arrived to run the defense. Jayden Maiava is entering his third season as the starting quarterback. (Los Angeles Times⁠)

At some point, the infrastructure has to become wins.

And apparently I’m not alone in thinking that, because the Los Angeles Times is already calling 2026 a “make-or-break” season for Riley. (Los Angeles Times⁠)

So is 8-4 enough?

I don’t think so.

Not anymore.

If USC goes 8-4 but beats Notre Dame, wins a bowl game, plays meaningful football in November and you can clearly see the freshman class developing?

Maybe you can sell that.

But another season where USC beats the teams it’s supposed to beat, loses every toss-up game and finishes somewhere between the Holiday Bowl and whatever bowl is currently sponsored by a lawn mower company?

That’s going to be a difficult pitch.

Lincoln Riley doesn’t need to win the national championship this season.

He probably doesn’t even need to make the College Football Playoff.

But USC needs to look like USC again.

Nine wins should probably be the floor.

Ten wins changes the conversation completely.

A playoff appearance ends it.

Because Riley finally has everything coaches spend years asking administrators for:

The facility.

The NIL resources.

The recruiting class.

The quarterback.

The defensive coordinator.

The institutional commitment.

There aren’t many excuses left.

And if the No. 1 recruiting class in America is really the beginning of USC’s return to national prominence, fantastic.

But eventually recruiting rankings need to turn into football rankings.

Put up or shut up.

August 17, 2026

The Dodgers just lost three of four to the Brewers, which is irritating enough on its own. But Thursday’s loss was particularly painful because Edwin Díaz blew the save, and the resulting swing effectively cost the Dodgers three games in the standings.

Three!

At some point, this stops being about Edwin Díaz and starts being about the Dodgers.

If the guy isn’t right, LET HIM GET RIGHT.

Put him in lower-leverage situations. Give him a few appearances where the entire National League West isn’t hanging on every pitch. Let him rediscover whatever it is that makes Edwin Díaz look like Edwin Díaz.

Because using playoff-race games as his personal rehabilitation assignment seems like an unnecessarily expensive experiment.

And the bigger issue remains the offense.

It is just way too inconsistent.

One night the Dodgers look like they could score 14 runs against the 1998 Yankees. The next night they look like somebody introduced the entire lineup to baseball five minutes before first pitch.

This becomes an even bigger problem when your pitching staff requires the offense to outslug everybody.

You cannot enter October with a postseason strategy of:

“Hopefully Shohei, Freddie and Mookie hit three home runs before the bullpen gets involved.”

Well, technically you can.

I just wouldn’t recommend it.

The talent is obviously there. The reinforcements are there. The Dodgers can absolutely win the World Series.

But October tends to expose your weaknesses rather than politely ignore them.

Right now, inconsistency and late-inning pitching are giant flashing weaknesses.

 THE ANGELS: YES, CLEARLY MIKE MADDUX WAS THE PROBLEM

The Angels fired pitching coach Mike Maddux.

Excellent.

Problem solved!

I assume the parade down Katella Avenue is scheduled for Tuesday.

The Angels have a 4.53 ERA, 24th in baseball. They lead the majors in walks. They’ve blown 20 of 36 save opportunities.

Last season they posted a 4.89 ERA, which ranked 28th.

So obviously the pitching coach had to go.

Except I have one minor question:

WHAT EXACTLY WAS MIKE MADDUX SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THIS ROSTER?

This is like giving someone a 1987 Yugo with 240,000 miles on it, watching the transmission fall onto the freeway and firing the mechanic.

The Angels have the worst record in baseball because the roster is terrible.

Their player development has been terrible.

Their organizational infrastructure has been terrible.

And eventually somebody has to acknowledge that constantly changing coaches, managers and front-office personnel doesn’t magically fix an organization that isn’t consistently acquiring and developing enough good baseball players.

There are absolutely situations where firing a pitching coach is justified.

But if you hand a chef a bag of expired hot dogs, three packets of ketchup and a broken microwave, you probably shouldn’t fire him because dinner wasn’t Nobu.

 THE LAKERS: SOLD AGAIN?!

I cannot believe the Lakers have been sold again.

My immediate reaction?

I’m concerned.

Because if Mark Walter is stepping away from the Lakers this quickly, my first question is what exactly is going on with Walter.

And from a basketball perspective, Bob Iger and Josh Kushner simply don’t have Walter’s financial resources.

That matters because what excited me about Walter wasn’t just having a billionaire owner.

It was the possibility of the Lakers finally adopting the Dodgers model.

Massive investment in scouting.

Massive investment in analytics.

Massive investment in player development.

Massive investment in facilities, medical infrastructure, technology and every little competitive advantage money can buy.

Basically: stop operating the Lakers like a family business with a famous logo and start operating them like the most sophisticated basketball organization on Earth.

Can Iger and Kushner still do that?

Absolutely.

But we don’t know yet.

And spare me the left-wing/right-wing political analysis surrounding the ownership group.

I don’t care.

I have exactly one political affiliation when it comes to Lakers ownership:

THE CHAMPIONSHIP PARTY.

Are you competent?

Will you spend?

Will you hire smart people?

Will you stay out of their way?

Will you build an organization capable of winning championships after LeBron James is gone?

Great. You have my vote.

But perhaps the funniest part of this entire story has been watching the media reaction.

Apparently Bob Iger acquiring the Lakers has magically transformed the Lakers offseason into a masterpiece.

What a coincidence!

ESPN personalities who spent the last several months telling us the Lakers were reckless, desperate and destroying their future suddenly sound like they’re narrating a Lakers championship DVD.

Amazing what happens when your former boss buys the team.

Nothing to see here!

THE CLIPPERS: KAWHI LEONARD & BRADLEY BEAL…

The Clippers are off the hook for the Kawhi Leonard cap circumvention investigation. I don’t for a second believe they didn’t circumvent the cap. However, the politics of nailing Steve Balmer for this investigation are too messy to make it a reality. The same goes for Kawhi. In any case, the parties can now move on with their lives.

The Clippers are also bringing back Bradley Beal.

I have a simple question.

Why?

Bradley Beal will be 33.

He’s constantly injured.

The Clippers are rebuilding.

And every minute you give him is potentially a minute you’re taking away from a younger player who might actually be part of your future.

But don’t worry.

I’m sure Lawrence Frank has a plan.

Because apparently we’re all legally required to describe the Clippers as “well run.”

I’ve been hearing this for years.

Lawrence Frank makes a move:

“Smart.”

Lawrence Frank makes another move:

“Savvy.”

The Clippers don’t win anything:

“Still one of the league’s best-run organizations.”

Perhaps someday someone can explain to me exactly what qualifies an NBA franchise as “well run.”

Because apparently actually winning is optional.

 THE RAMS: TY SIMPSON TIME

Preseason football is officially underway, which means it’s time to draw enormous conclusions from football games featuring approximately seven players who will matter by Thanksgiving.

But I did like what I saw from Ty Simpson.

Simpson looked pretty good in his first appearance, and the most important thing for him right now is simply playing football.

Lots of it.

Remember, this is a quarterback who didn’t even accumulate a massive amount of experience in college.

He needs snaps.

He needs to see different coverages.

He needs to make mistakes.

He needs to learn how quickly NFL windows disappear.

Because if the Rams are going to trust him as their backup quarterback, you want him getting every possible rep now rather than learning on the fly when the games actually matter.

My bigger concern?

We’re already seeing injuries.

Myles Garrett looks banged up.

Puka Nacua looks banged up.

Can we please bubble-wrap everybody important until September?

And Puka…

I love Puka Nacua the football player.

Love him.

Puka Nacua the person giving interviews and making decisions away from the football field?

Let’s just say I occasionally wish someone would confiscate his microphone.

The guy is an unbelievable football player who somehow keeps finding creative ways to say or do something ridiculous.

Catch football.

Run with football.

Score touchdown.

Repeat.

It’s a beautiful formula, Puka. Don’t overcomplicate it.

 THE CHARGERS: WAIT…COULD THIS ACTUALLY BE THEIR YEAR?

The Chargers dominated the Texans in their preseason opener.

And yes, I understand the first rule of preseason football:

None of this matters.

But there’s something interesting happening with the Chargers.

Nobody seems particularly excited about them.

A few years ago, Justin Herbert was treated like the inevitable next great NFL quarterback.

Now?

It feels like people have moved on.

Mahomes.

Allen.

Burrow.

Lamar.

Maye.

Everybody has their guy, while Herbert has somehow become the quarterback people acknowledge is really good before immediately discussing somebody else.

But look around the AFC West.

The Chiefs aren’t invincible anymore.

The Broncos are talented, but they’re still unproven.

And the Chargers have a legitimate roster.

Maybe being overlooked is exactly what this franchise needs.

Because historically, the Chargers’ biggest problem has been expectations.

The moment you start believing in them, a punt hits somebody in the helmet, three offensive linemen simultaneously pull hamstrings and they lose 27-26 because the game-winning field goal somehow ricochets off both uprights and the mascot.

So here’s my proposal:

Nobody believe in the Chargers.

Don’t pick them.

Don’t hype them.

Don’t put them on magazine covers.

Don’t tell Justin Herbert this could finally be the year.

Just quietly let them play football.

And maybe — just maybe — this is finally the season they surprise everyone.

Although merely writing that sentence probably guarantees they’ll lose Week 1 on a blocked extra point.

Sorry, Chargers fans.

August 10, 2026

THE DODGERS: EVERYBODY CALM DOWN

Yes, the Dodgers are losing.

Yes, they look terrible.

Yes, approximately nine guys appear to approach every at-bat with the enthusiasm of someone waiting for their number to be called at the DMV.

And no, I’m not panicking.

Welcome to the dog days of summer.

The Dodgers look exhausted and disinterested. The bullpen has been worked like an Amazon distribution center in December, and right now every reliever who jogs through that bullpen door looks like he just received a text saying, “Hey, can you cover another shift?”

This isn’t ideal.

It’s also August.

The cavalry is coming. Blake Snell should provide another major arm for the rotation this week, and eventually Tyler Glasnow should be back as well. That matters because suddenly you aren’t asking the bullpen to record 14 outs every night while simultaneously wondering why everybody’s arm looks like it’s about to detach from their body.

The Dodgers don’t need to win 12 straight games right now.

They need to get healthy.

They need to get their pitching lined up.

And they need to start playing their best baseball sometime around late September.

And while we’re here, can we address everyone complaining about the Dodgers’ spending and how their dominance is “bad for baseball”?

Please.

Cry me the Pacific Ocean.

Where was all this concern for competitive balance when the Dodgers were getting bounced out of the playoffs every year?

Where was the national outrage when other organizations were laughing at them?

Now they’ve built a monster, spent money, developed players, attracted stars and figured out how to operate like the Death Star with a scouting department.

Suddenly everybody wants regulations.

Funny how that works.

THE ANGELS: WAIT… ARE THEY ACTUALLY GETTING SOLD?

I have absolutely no inside information suggesting Arte Moreno is selling the Angels.

But I have eyes.

And this organization is starting to look suspiciously like a house that’s been professionally staged for an open house.

Think about it.

Interim GM.

Manager on a one-year deal.

Pieces being moved at the deadline.

Minimal long-term organizational commitments.

That’s an awful lot of flexibility for whoever might theoretically walk through the door next.

I’m just saying.

If you wanted to sell a baseball franchise, wouldn’t you want the new owner to have the ability to install their own president, general manager, manager and organizational philosophy without spending two years cleaning out the previous regime?

Because that’s basically what the Angels are creating.

Maybe it’s coincidence.

Maybe it’s organizational restructuring.

Or maybe one glorious morning we’re all going to wake up to the headline Angels fans have been waiting years to see:

ARTE MORENO AGREES TO SELL TEAM.

At which point there may be a parade down Katella Avenue before the new owner has even been identified.

In the meantime, there’s another fascinating development:

Angels tickets are disgustingly cheap.

You can practically attend a Major League Baseball game right now for the price of parking at a Major League Baseball game.

So if you’ve been looking for an inexpensive summer night out, congratulations.

The Angels have finally discovered their competitive advantage.

Affordability.

THE LAKERS: APPARENTLY WALKER KESSLER COST THEM THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE

I cannot take another segment of national NBA analysts explaining how the Lakers have MORTGAGED THEIR FUTURE for Walker Kessler.

Enough.

They traded two first-round picks and two swaps that, barring some spectacular organizational apocalypse, may never even convey.

And somehow this transaction is being discussed like Rob Pelinka drove to Utah, handed over the deed to Crypto.com Arena, surrendered every draft pick through 2047 and tossed in Magic Johnson’s statue.

Meanwhile, other teams make enormous trades and everybody suddenly becomes a Rhodes Scholar explaining roster construction.

The Pacers make a major move?

“Aggressive. They identified their window.”

The Knicks?

“You have to pay for talent.”

The Magic?

“I love that they’re pushing their chips in.”

The Lakers?

“THIS IS FINANCIAL MALPRACTICE. WHAT ABOUT THE 2032 DRAFT?!”

Please.

Hating the Lakers has become the NBA hipster position.

And here’s the inconvenient part:

They won 53 games last season.

That happened despite Luka Doncic missing roughly a quarter of the season and Austin Reaves missing about a third of it.

Now they’re younger.

They’re deeper.

They’re more athletic.

And they addressed several of the exact weaknesses everybody spent last season screaming about.

Do they still need wings?

Absolutely.

I’m not pretending this is the 1996 Bulls.

But can we stop analyzing this roster like it’s frozen in carbonite for the next five years?

This isn’t necessarily the team they’ll have in February.

It certainly isn’t necessarily the team they’ll have two summers from now.

They have Luka Doncic.

They have Austin Reaves.

They have Walker Kessler.

They have flexibility to keep changing the roster.

But apparently because they’re the Lakers, every transaction must be evaluated as though it’s the final move the franchise will ever be allowed to make.

THE CLIPPERS: THE KAWHI STORY SOMEHOW KEEPS GETTING WEIRDER

Every time I think the Kawhi Leonard situation can’t sound worse…

It sounds worse.

Now we’re hearing about another sponsorship arrangement raising questions about potential salary-cap circumvention.

Wonderful.

Because apparently the Clippers weren’t satisfied with merely having one bizarre Kawhi financial controversy.

They needed a cinematic universe.

If the NBA ultimately determines rules were violated, the league should come down hard on everyone involved.

Will it?

We’ll see.

There are enormous personalities, enormous money and enormous politics involved here.

But let’s appreciate the absurdity of the larger Clippers story.

This franchise finally convinced a legitimate superstar to voluntarily sign with them.

That alone was historic.

And what did it take?

They had to mortgage a gigantic portion of their future to acquire Paul George because Kawhi wanted another star.

They endured years of injury uncertainty.

And now we’re discussing multiple financial arrangements that have raised cap-circumvention questions.

All to get one superstar to choose the Clippers.

Do you understand how incredible that is?

The Clippers found someone weird enough to voluntarily say:

“Yes. This is where I want to spend the prime of my career.”

And apparently even THAT wasn’t straightforward.

Now their future is murky, the Kawhi situation is increasingly uncomfortable, and the organization that was supposed to take over Los Angeles is once again generating headlines for everything except actually taking over Los Angeles.

This franchise is screwed.

But hey.

Intuit Dome is beautiful.

USC FOOTBALL: ARE WE DOING THIS AGAIN?

USC enters the season ranked No. 14 in the preseason Coaches Poll, and I have no idea what to do with this information.

Because we’ve seen this movie.

USC has talent.

USC can score.

USC has athletes.

Lincoln Riley can design an offense.

Wonderful.

Now can they line up against a gigantic Big Ten offensive line in November and stop somebody on 3rd-and-2?

Because that’s the question.

USC doesn’t play in the Pac-12 anymore.

This is the Big Ten.

You occasionally have to travel halfway across the country in weather that feels like you’re playing football inside a Costco freezer and try to tackle a 238-pound running back who has been consuming whole milk since birth.

Are the Trojans tough enough?

That’s what I want to know.

Especially defensively.

Especially along the lines.

Because until USC proves otherwise, this still feels like a talented team trying to prove it has the physicality necessary to consistently win in a conference filled with enormous human beings.

But I’ll give Lincoln Riley this:

The opportunity is there.

People aren’t expecting USC to win the national championship.

They’re No. 14.

They’re relevant without carrying ridiculous expectations.

Go prove everybody wrong.

Because if USC can combine Riley’s offensive creativity with a legitimately physical football team?

Now you’ve got something.

UCLA FOOTBALL: WAIT A SECOND… WHAT IS BOB CHESNEY COOKING?

Meanwhile, across town, something interesting is happening.

Very quietly.

Bob Chesney is building something at UCLA.

Recruiting momentum has picked up considerably, talent is coming in, and suddenly UCLA doesn’t feel like the Big Ten program everyone circles on the schedule and writes a W next to in permanent marker.

Will the full impact show up in 2026?

Probably not.

Building a college football program takes time.

But I’m fascinated to see what Chesney can squeeze out of this roster immediately.

Because sometimes a coaching change doesn’t instantly produce a championship contender.

Sometimes it simply produces something much more important:

Competence.

Organization.

Development.

Players believing they’re supposed to win.

And UCLA has enough talent that if Chesney can get them playing disciplined, physical football, this could become one of those annoying teams nobody wants to play.

I’m not saying UCLA is winning the Big Ten.

I’m saying don’t be shocked if sometime in October you’re watching them knock off a ranked team and thinking:

“Wait… UCLA is actually good?”

That would be progress.

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON: GOOD. NOT GREAT. DEFINITELY NOT THRONES.

And finally, because Monday Morning recognizes that sometimes dragons are more entertaining than middle relief pitching…

House of the Dragon wrapped its season Sunday night.

My grade:

B.

It’s good.

I watch every episode.

I’m entertained.

The production is spectacular.

The dragons are awesome.

And yet…

It’s just not Game of Thrones.

And I finally figured out why.

The characters aren’t nearly as interesting.

Game of Thrones could give you 15 minutes of Tyrion drinking wine with Bronn and somehow it was more entertaining than half the television shows ever created.

Tywin could have a conversation at a dinner table and you’d be terrified.

Littlefinger could say three sentences and you’d spend the next week wondering which kingdom he was secretly trying to overthrow.

Varys was hilarious.

The Hound was hilarious.

Tormund was hilarious.

Even characters who hated each other were funny.

House of the Dragon?

Everybody is miserable.

All. The. Time.

Nobody tells jokes.

Nobody seems to enjoy dinner.

Nobody appears to have hobbies.

It’s essentially two families spending several decades angrily discussing succession planning.

Which, admittedly, becomes more entertaining when succession planning occasionally involves a 200-foot dragon incinerating a castle.

We know there’s only one season left.

And those of us familiar with the source material have a pretty good idea where this is headed.

So now the challenge is simple:

Stick the landing.

Give us the battles.

Give us the betrayals.

Give us the dragons.

Give us the chaos.

And maybe—just maybe—allow one person in Westeros to make a joke.

August 3, 2026

The MLB Trade Deadline is this afternoon, but the Dodgers have already done their work and acquired the best pitcher in the American League over the weekend. Tarik Skubal is now a Dodger, and their rotation is as stacked as ever! I’m hear to tell you that we do not care about all the complaining going on around baseball. The Dodgers are so much better run than every other organization, and the rest of baseball is just mad about it and wants the rules of the sport changed. We don’t care because these same complainers were laughing at the Dodgers 10 years ago when they were in bankruptcy, and just a couple of years ago when they were losing in the 1st round of the playoffs. Those laughs have now turned into tears. Skubal wasn’t signed by the Dodgers. They traded for him. Anybody could have traded for him. But Milwaukee and Tampa decided not to. As for the Dodgers play on the field, they had a rough weekend against Boston, but they’ll look to turn it around against the Cubs this week. I personally see no reason why Shohei Ohtani should be pitching for the time being. His bat is too valuable to be risked, but I don’t see him or the Dodgers giving up that part of his game. If you’re a Dodger fan you should be ecstatic and enjoy the ride, while everyone else thinks the Dodgers are “ruining baseball”.

The Angels actually made some moves as well at the trade deadline, and they were sensible. They traded Jose Soriano this morning to Toronto for 3 promising prospects. They also traded Logan O’Hoppe and Chase Silseth to the Rangers for a prospect 3rd baseman. Earlier this morning they even traded Jo Adell to Cleveland for a catching prospect. Congrats to John Mozeliak for being able to convince Arte Moreno to let him make some trades that are sensible for the organization. The real question however, is if he can convince him to invest in some scouting and player development. Otherwise, the Halos need to hope that somehow the prospects they acquired can just naturally figure it out on their own.

While I was gone, something else important happened. Lebron James finally made a decision and signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. I hold absolutely no ill will toward the man and neither should you. Lebron brought a championship to the Lakers, and turned the franchise around after one of the darkest times in the history of the franchise. With that being said, I wish him well, as should you, and both sides, the Lakers and Lebron, probably got what they want. The Sixers are going to be a good team, but the Eastern Conference is also loaded so it’s going to be fiercely competitive. As for the Lakers, to me, they have improved, but they still need another wing. Jonathan Kuminga and Peyton Watson are still out there, so I’m still not ruling out one of them being a Laker. Even if that doesn’t happen, the likes of Cameron Carr and Adou Thiero make the possibilities on this team extremely exciting.

Meanwhile, the Clippers still have not executed the Kawhi Leonard trade with the Raptors. This situation has been so poorly managed by Adam Silver. He needs to create some urgency here and start negotiating punishments directly with Kawhi and the Clippers through an arbitrator. Otherwise, the situation is unfairly punishing the Toronto Raptors, and anybody else trying to do business with these two teams. The Clips are downplaying the idea that its a big deal if Kawhi is still on their roster. They are lying though. Having him would still be awkward for all parties involved.

The Rams are back…but one phone call could change everything

Training camp has officially opened.

Matthew Stafford looks healthy.

Sean McVay looks like he drank six espressos before every press conference.

The defense looks fast.

Everything feels normal.

Except…

Everyone is still waiting to see whether Aaron Donald decides retirement was overrated.

Every few weeks someone reports he’s working out.

Someone else reports he looks incredible.

Breaking news.

Aaron Donald has always looked incredible.

The Rams don’t need him to have a successful season.

But if No. 99 suddenly walked back through those doors?

Every offensive coordinator in the NFC West would immediately begin updating their résumé.

USC and Notre Dame finally put the nonsense to bed.

The rivalry will continue in 2030.

Excellent.

Now can everyone stop pretending one school desperately needed the other?

Every time this discussion came up, social media sounded like two people arguing over who did whom a favor by agreeing to go to dinner.

“Notre Dame needs USC.”

“No, USC needs Notre Dame.”

Actually…

College football needs USC-Notre Dame.

Some rivalries are bigger than conference realignment.

They’re bigger than television contracts.

They’re bigger than whatever scheduling spreadsheet someone in a corporate office came up with.

Besides, I have a sneaking suspicion this won’t be the last meeting before 2030 anyway.

With the expanded College Football Playoff, don’t be surprised if these two collide in December long before they line up in South Bend or Los Angeles again.

And honestly?

That would only make the rivalry even better.

Can somebody please check on LeBron James? Actually, never mind. He’s fine. He’s just enjoying the annual tradition of reminding the basketball world that the calendar doesn’t officially start until he says so.

There is absolutely no basketball reason his decision hasn’t been made yet. If you’re staying, stay. If you’re leaving, leave. If you’re retiring, announce it. Instead, we’ve reached the point where the NBA schedule is apparently sitting on Adam Silver’s desk with a giant sticky note that reads, “Waiting on LeBron.”

And here’s the funny part.

Everyone wants to blame LeBron.

Nope.

This is an NBA problem.

At some point Adam Silver has to simply say, “Here’s the schedule. Figure it out.”

Can you imagine the NFL delaying its entire schedule because Aaron Rodgers hadn’t made up his mind? Roger Goodell would release the schedule, shrug his shoulders, and tell everyone to enjoy Thanksgiving football.

The NBA created this monster. LeBron is simply taking advantage of it.

The Lakers’ Summer League, meanwhile, has quietly become the happiest place in Los Angeles.

No, nobody is planning the championship parade because Cameron Carr hit a couple of threes in Vegas.

But Cameron Carr looks like he belongs.

Adou Thiero looks like he belongs.

More importantly, both look like legitimate NBA rotation players—not just “Hey, let’s see what happens in garbage time.”

That’s significant.

Because every solid young wing the Lakers develop makes them just a little less desperate.

And desperation is expensive.

Which brings us to Jonathan Kuminga.

I still want him.

In fact, I’d absolutely pursue a sign-and-trade.

His athleticism fits perfectly with Luka. His age fits the timeline. His upside is obvious.

But every day his market keeps shrinking.

Suddenly the Lakers have leverage they didn’t have a month ago.

Funny how patience is a virtue…unless your name is LeBron James.

The Dodgers opened the second half exactly the way you’d want.

Two out of three.

On the road.

Against the Yankees.

That’s a successful weekend no matter how you slice it.

Now comes the part where Andrew Friedman earns his paycheck.

Please…

Trade for pitching.

Lots of pitching.

Because I’m apparently supposed to believe that by October we’re going to have Blake Snell healthy…

Tyler Glasnow healthy…

Shohei Ohtani healthy enough to pitch meaningful innings…

AND Will Smith surviving another season catching nearly every important game.

Sure.

While we’re making wishes, I’d also like to win the lottery.

The Dodgers should be making aggressive calls for Tarik Skubal.

Yes, it’ll cost a fortune.

Championships usually do.

They also need another defensive catcher. October baseball becomes a completely different sport when every pitch matters, every runner matters, and every passed ball becomes a season-ending highlight.

This roster is outstanding.

But outstanding teams still patch obvious holes.

Speaking of organizations that enjoy pretending everything is fine…

The Angels.

They currently own the worst record in baseball.

Congratulations.

Mission accomplished.

Now we’re hearing that Arte Moreno has supposedly signed off on trading Reid Detmers and José Soriano.

Really?

Now?

After spending what feels like fifteen consecutive years refusing to acknowledge reality?

I’m suddenly supposed to believe that Molly Jolly and John Mozeliak walked into Arte’s office, delivered one convincing PowerPoint presentation, and he finally said, “You know what? Maybe rebuilding is the right idea.”

Forgive me if I wait until the trades actually happen before I believe this organizational epiphany.

The Angels have teased rebuilds the same way Lucy keeps teasing Charlie Brown with the football.

At some point the fan base deserves to actually see someone kick it.

The World Cup has officially come to an end, and honestly…

I’m going to miss it.

For one glorious month, the entire sports world revolved around one event.

Different countries.

Different cultures.

Different languages.

Everyone watching together.

It was fantastic.

Unless, of course, you happened to be rooting for Argentina.

Because it felt like literally every neutral fan on Earth suddenly became Spain’s biggest supporter.

Argentina has become international sports’ version of the New York Yankees.

You either love them…

…or you’re desperately hoping someone—anyone—beats them.

And then there was halftime.

Madonna.

Coldplay.

Shakira.

Justin Bieber.

Burna Boy.

BTS.

Basically FIFA looked at Coachella and said, “Cute festival. Hold my corruption.”

Say whatever you want about FIFA—and there is certainly plenty to say—but they know how to stage an event.

The World Cup felt massive every single day.

That’s not easy to pull off for an entire month.

Finally…

The Rams.

The whispers continue getting louder that Aaron Donald may actually return.

Let’s be honest.

Nobody expects 2018 Aaron Donald.

Nobody expects Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald.

But even if he’s only 60 or 70 percent of the player he once was…

Have fun blocking that.

Quarterbacks already lose sleep preparing for Sean McVay’s offense.

Now imagine having Aaron Donald collapsing the pocket again while Myles Garret continues to dominate the edge.

That’s enough to make offensive coordinators update their résumés.

Sometimes greatness doesn’t have to be fully restored.

Sometimes it just has to show up.

And that’s exactly why the rest of the NFC should probably hope these rumors stay rumors.

July 13, 2026

Well here we are, at the baseball All-Star Break. The Dodgers are at the break with an 11 1/2 game lead in the NL West, and the best record in baseball. I’m going to ignore the fact they were completely embarrassed by the Diamondbacks over the weekend, suffering a 3-game sweep and showing some awful defense, and lackluster offense. They have 6 players on the all-star team. I’m going to chalk this one up to a bunch of guys who were mentally checked out and ready to go to Cancun for a week to vacation with the wives and kids. As for the roster, they have 2.5 weeks to make an important decision. If Tarik Skubal is available, do they trade for him? As I look at the wear and tear on Shohei Ohtani, the questionable health of Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, and the incredible load on the shoulders of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, I think Skubal makes sense if you don’t have to gut your farm system. Since he will likely be a rental, he probably won’t require gutting their farm system either. Plus, keeping Skubal away from an NL rival like the Brewers is important. Justin Wrobleski has been nice, but I much prefer the idea of him and Emmet Sheehan coming out of the bullpen in the playoffs at this point.

As for the Angels, they enter the All-Star break with the worst record in baseball. They also just drafted 20 players in the MLB Draft. I’m sure everyone is wondering will anything change, specifically if they will be more process oriented, rather than rushing their prospects to the big leagues and ultimately seeing them fail. We know very little about these players that were drafted. Ultimately, development is the name of the game, and the Halos have yet to show us they can develop anybody. I think it’s also fair to say that if Reid Detmers or Jose Soriano are still on this team by the end of July, this franchise remains unserious, and firing Perry Minasian was simply just another move for optics. I also think now is the time to try and trade Mike Trout because his value is back up again, and he is an All-Star. They would have to approach him about a trade, but it’s the sensible thing to do.

To the NBA, where the off-season is slowing down but the Lakers are still waiting out a few things. Namely, Jonathan Kuminga to sign with them. Adding Kuminga would be a really nice acquisition for the Lakers, and I don’t see how there is a market for him outside of LA. Nobody is going to pay him over $20 million for him, and he might not even get a starting gig with another team. If the Laker can get him, this suddenly becomes a very interesting team. It’s especially interesting if you’ve seen the Adou Theiro and Cameron Carr play summer league ball. Theiro is an athletic freak who has the potential to be an outstanding POA defender if he puts his mind to it. Carr is quickly showing he can be a nice rotational wing player, which is exactly what the Lake Show needs to elevate them into true contender status. Otherwise, contrary to what the talking heads are saying, this has actually been a pretty good off-season for the Lakers. I still think though the sensible thing for Lebron to do is re-sign with the Lakers, even though it won’t happen. They have a perfect spot for him at the starting 4, plenty of depth around him, and two guys to take the scoring load off his shoulders. The longer this drags on for without him signing in Cleveland, the more it makes me wonder.

As for the Clippers, I told you last week a Kawhi trade didn’t make any sense! Sure enough, the league is putting the trade on hold until they are done with the Aspiration investigation. It’s embarrassing it’s taking this long for Adam Silver to put a deadline on this. Now he’s going to create all kinds of ripple effects on other moves and franchises. To make the only way to fairly punish the Clippers is to fine them heavily, take away a few draft picks, and if you’re really savage, suspend Steve Ballmer for a year. Kawhi is more complicated though. The real punishment for him I believe is making him play on a minimum deal for the season, although they could just suspend him for a year too. He ultimately wants to get paid again, so if his contract is terminated, he loses a year salary, and he has to risk injury on a bad knee to get paid again. At the end of the day, I don’t see a scenario where Kawhi doesn’t end up in Toronto so both sides can move on, but this could get a little messy in between.

The USMNT World Cup run came to an end last week against Belgium. Now we can all stop caring about soccer until 4 years from now. Look it was a nice run that created excitement, but in reality, the US benefitted from playing some weak ass teams, then just got exposed by Belgium. I’m also tired of hearing about the US not having its best athletics play soccer, as opposed to other sports, otherwise we would dominate. That’s a bunch of crap. The USA has 330 million people. Belgium has 11 million people. France has 68 million people, Spain has 50 million people, England has 58 million people, and Argentina has 46 million people. We have plenty of great athletes playing soccer, but we simply don’t develop the skill and talent the way these other countries do. Are we getting better? Ok maybe a little, but so are other countries relative to us so we aren’t closing the gap. It’s also not a problem that just throwing money at can fix. This isn’t college football where a $40 million roster suddenly vaults you into the World Cup Final Four. We just haven’t figured it out yet, and I’m not convinced we are any closer to doing so.

Finally, we are nearly halfway through season 3 of House of The Dragon. I have to say, this show doesn’t quite have the writing of Game of Thrones as much as I want it to. Game of Thrones is all about “the bad guys”, that loyalty gets you killed, and if you don’t resort to underhanded tactics, you will likely not come out on top. It was brilliant, despite its rushed ending. House of the Dragon seems more a story about how a botched line of succession from greed is going to screw up a dynasty, and cause some amazing dragon creatures to go extinct. I’m not saying I’m not going to watch it. I’m still in it, and plan to be until the end. However, it just isn’t capitalizing on reeling the audience in like Game of Thrones so far.

July 6 , 2026

Who says July is the dog days of summers for sports? We have a loaded edition of Monday Morning Coffee! We start with LeBron James leaving the Lakers. I appreciate everything LeBron did for this franchise, and the fact he was here for 8 years. I don’t buy this “he wasn’t a true Laker” narrative some of you are pushing. He is one of the greatest players of all-time, and he resurrected a franchise that was maybe at its lowest point in history. He delivered a championship under very difficult circumstances as well, and did so graciously dedicating it to the late Kobe Bryant. He should have you ultimate gratitude and appreciation. The Lakers are in the superstar business, so you have to accept the fact they are always going to have to cater to those stars and deal with that baggage. It’s the cost of winning. LeBron probably would have won more with the Lakers if he and AD didn’t get injured in 2021, or made the ridiculous Russell Westbrook trade that ruined everything. It still doesn’t take away from what he accomplished, and what was still a successful run with the Lakers. I’m actually sad to see him go because the Lakers should be where a superstar like LeBron finishes his career. However, it’s obvious that the new Laker ownership had the guts to push him out the door in the most tactful way possible. Also, this entire process has revealed that there are a lot of groups of weirdos out there. The LeBron fans that are just fans of him and wherever he goes, not the team. The Kobe fans that are only fans of Kobe, and not really the Lakers. How do you people actually enjoy basketball?

Lost in all this is that the Lakers are suddenly putting together what appears to be a much improved team than the last few years. They finally have young defensive center they can build around in Walker Kessler, and are going to be much deeper, younger, and more athletic. I’m still hoping they can find a way to add some combination of Jonathan Kuminga, or even Peyton Watson, and a back up big man. Any combination of those guys added to this team, and they are suddenly cooking with gas. Pay no attention to the Laker and Rob Pelinka haters that think the Lakers haven’t had a good offseason, because most of those people don’t even recognize the names of the players they added. That doesn’t mean they aren’t effective. I’m not sitting here telling you this is going to work, but what I am telling you is that this is how modern NBA championship teams have been built. Ironically, if LeBron came back for the minimum, this is the exact type of team he should be on if he wants to win another championship. Unfortunately, LeBron is too prideful of an individual to go back to the Lakers and make it work, even though he should. He is likely going to Cleveland, because that’s really the only fitting end for him.

The Clippers sure seemed in a big hurry to trade Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors, with the looming decision on the Aspiration investigation. I suspect that if the league thought they were going to terminate Kawhi’s contract as part of the investigation, they would have not let the Raptors or Clippers complete the trade. Seems like a penalty is more likely to be fines or loss of draft capital. As for the trade itself, the Clippers were wise to move off of him. I still give them credit for going all in on Kawhi and Paul George, even though it didn’t work out. They simply tied their future to a guy with a degenerative knee condition, and paired him with a guy who doesn’t want much accountability in Paul George. Now they are starting from scratch. They have done a pretty good job of moving on from James Harden, Ivica Zubac, and Kawhi and re-couping a lot of their draft capital. Keaton Wagler is also a nice point guard prospect too they drafted at #5. Their best hope is to let their young players develop, and keep their assets and cap flexibility in hopes of landing a disgruntled start down the line. It will be a few years though before the Clips re-enter the championship contending conversation, but that’s something they’ve hardly been a part of throughout history anyway!

Let’s go the ice, where we’ve seen a busy off-season for both the Kings and Ducks. The Kings made a flurry of free agent moves last week. They signed forwards Matt Zuccarello, Erika Haula, and re-signed forwards Corey Perry and Scott Laughton. This team has gotten old, but one thing that has surprised me: their outlook is nearly the same as it was a year ago. The rest of the division, and even the conference, has done much better this off-season, and a few teams in the division like Anaheim, Calgary, and Vancouver are much worse. This is a borderline playoff team again. However, for a team that claims they are “win now” that just doesn’t cut it. It’s not a Stanley Cup contending team. They will need to rebuild sooner than later, so in my mind it would be better to do it now, but that won’t happen with Ken Holland here as GM. However, the best thing they did was give Brandt Clarke a 5-year deal at a reasonable contract, while not extending Drew Doughty. They also didn’t get involved in a crazy bidding for the likes of these restricted free agents, or superstar trades. That’s also because they didn’t have the assets for it. Get ready for more of the same from this Kings team in 2026-2027.

Meanwhile, the Anaheim Ducks have had an absolutely awful off-season, after what appeared to be a very promising future. They traded Olen Zellweger, Mason McTavish, they lost Jacob Trouba and John Carlson in free agency, and now the big blow: losing Leo Carlson to Philadelphia. All they have to show for it is 6 first round picks, which sounds like a lot until you realize it could take you a half decade to rebuild your team from where you are now. Ducks GM Pat Verbeek is under a lot of heat now for not just destroying the Anaheim roster, but for completely destroying the NHL CBA and salary cap structure. The Flyers are going to pay $18 million to a player that is great, but has never had more than 67 points in a season. This man is by far the highest paid player in the NHL. More money than established stars like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and more money than emerging stars like Connor Beddard and Macklin Celebrini. Just when I thought the LA Kings had it bad, they can always look up the freeway and see and see an even bigger disaster going on right now.

Just when you thought UCLA Basketball was toast this upcoming season, they appear to be making a big splash. The Bruins are on the verge of landing Nikola Kusturica, a 17 year old phenom from Serbia. He would be paid a whopping $12 million and be with the Bruins for two seasons, before likely jumping to the NBA, where he is projected to be a top 3 pick. Mick Cronin hasn’t exactly been able to recruit much talent this off-season, so this would be a much needed win for his roster. Since the Tournmanet has been expanded to 76 teams, there’s a good chance the Bruins are going to the Tournament again, but whether or not they can do any damage there or in the Big Ten will be dependent on how this roster comes together, and just how big of an impact Kustirca has on this roster. Judging by what they are going to pay him, he must be able to play right away and be elite.

To baseball, where the Dodgers took 3 out of 4 from the Padres over the weekend, and now have a monstrous 14 game lead in the division. There’s not much to not like right now if you’re a fan. If you want to complain about Roki Sasaki go ahead, but the Dodgers can afford to start him and let him develop every six days when they have such a massive division lead, let alone the best record in baseball by a 5 game margin. Also, congrats to Freddie Freeman, Andy Pages, Max Muncy, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto for making the NL All-Star team. Freeman is as consistent as they come and has aged like a fine wine. Andy Pages couldn’t even track down a fly ball less than 2 seasons ago, now he’s one of the best all around center fielders in baseball. Yamamoto is one of the toughest pitchers in baseball and worth every penny of his $325 million deal. And Max Muncy went from a guy who we questioned defensively at 3rd base two seasons ago, to the best 3rd baseman in baseball. Justin Wrobleski and Tanner Scott probably should have been all-stars too, but I get that 6 Dodgers is a lot at that point.

Congratulations to Mike Trout for making the AL All-Star team again. This is about the only good thing going on with the Halos right now. I was a little surprised that Jose Soriano didn’t make the team because he’s been a very good pitcher on a trash team. You probably also thought for a hot second with John Mozeliak in charge, he was going to do the sensible thing and trade some veterans at the deadline. However, the man was non-commital when asked about it, and said he isn’t comfortable revealing their strategy at this point. Look John…..let me enlighten you. Your team has the worst record in baseball right now. The franchise and owner that employs is one of the biggest embarrassments in Southern California. If you are not going to trade veterans for prospects now and can’t convince your boss to let you, you might as well just tell everyone to stop going to the games until the franchise is sold.

Finally, it’s show time for the USMNT tonight against Belgium. A spot in the quarterfinals is on the line tonight. This is going to be a tough match for the US, but I think they can win it. The real story thought is Folarin Balogun, who had his red card reversed, so he will be eligible to play in tonight’s match. I’m astonished that happened, but you know that Donald Trump is going to remind us all how much credit he deserves for the whole thing, and negotiating with FIFA. I remember when I was little and I used to see a character playing POTUS in a movie, and I’d ask my parents if that was the real President. They always told me absolutely not, because the President wouldn’t have time for such nonsense. It turns out that today, the President does have time for this type of nonsense!