May 11, 2026

Don’t let them tell you otherwise Laker fans! Everyone thought the Lakers season was over on April 2nd. Instead, they overachieved and made it to the 2nd round without Luka, and without Austin for a good long stretch. They’ve been playing with house money. OKC is a great team, but it’s really their depth that has been killing the Lakers, not Shai and their starters. You can argue that this is the 3rd best team in the league when healthy. Even if it’s a distant 3rd, they have the draft picks and cap space to elevate from there. There is no more need to go star hunting because they have one in Luka Doncic. Everything else should be on the table to make this squad elite. That might include trading Austin Reaves for a better fitting piece or multiple pieces. This is a roster conversation for another day, but you shouldn’t be unhappy. Of course it’s about championships, but you also have to be realistic about what it takes to build a championship team, and this isn’t quite one yet. And for those of you thinking the Spurs and Thunder are gonna run this league for a decade, trust the apron and the salary cap will get them much sooner than later.

As for the Clippers, apparently their punishment for circumventing the salary cap was receiving the 5th pick in an upcoming loaded draft! In all seriousness though, they made out very well with Ivica Zubac traded, and getting a number of other assets. Even if they get punished for the Kawhi contract, I’m sure it will likely just be a fine and Kawhi’s contract voided. Is that even really a punishment anyway when they want to get rid of him now? Hanging on to Kawhi makes very little sense for this team. I really wouldn’t be surprised though if the Clippers traded their pick to collect even more assets. They are still in the hole in draft capital for a few years after that awful Paul George trade and building the Oklahoma City Thunder into the powerhouse they look like today.

In baseball, the Dodgers lost 2 out of 3 over the weekend to the Braves, and they’ve been hitting like Little Leaguers for the last 3 weeks. They are still tied for 1st place in the National League West with the Padres, but they have some things to figure out. Mookie Betts is coming off the IL today, so the question is what happen next? What they should do is DFA Santiago Espinal and keep both Hye Seong Kim and Alex Freeland on the roster. However, what I think will happen is Kim will get sent back to Oklahoma City so he can play everyday. I’m not going to like that move though because statistically, he’s been on one of the teams best hitters, not to mention been providing solid defense. I am missing Shohei Ohtani the hitter though. Two years ago when he was only a DH, he put up a spectacular 50/50 season on the way to an MVP. Nomar Garciaparra says it’s not fair to say his pitching is the reason he’s not hitting. Maybe not yet, but we’ll see if he can put the time into fixing his mechanics rather than focusing on pitching, because we know his mechanics are off.

Meanwhile, the Angel are tied for the worst record in the American League after losing 2 of 3 to the Blue Jays. Don’t worry though, Perry Minasian is telling us how competitive they have been in every game and that nothing is wrong. It’s hilarious how this guy just tries to gaslight us into thinking everything is fine in this organization. That’s what he’s paid to do, but this is truly an embarrassment. This franchise can’t do anything correctly, and it shows up from top to bottom everyday. I’m beginning to wonder if Mike Trout would even want a trade out of Anaheim because he’s just gotten too comfortable with the losing.

Kings fans were annoyed that the Ducks defeated the Oilers in a 1st round series after losing to them for 4 straight years in round 1. They will be even more annoyed if the Ducks beat Vegas and get to the Conference Finals. Anaheim’s power play is looking great, and their offense is very dangerous, which is something we haven’t seen in SoCal playoff hockey in a long time. One thing I will say though is that when the Ducks are in the playoffs, the fans in OC come out in full force!

Finally, interesting strategy by the Rose Bowl, doing a $30 million renovation on it’s seats to try and keep UCLA as a tenant.
If the Rose Bowl is going to continue to be a home for UCLA, then major renovations will need to happen to the stadium, beyond these. I think for this to truly work long term, UCLA will need to buy/lease land adjacent and build facilities for the football team to use before game days so this starts to feel more like a home field. Good thing UCLA doesn’t have to pay for it so they can focus on NIL talent!

May 4, 2026

The Los Angeles Lakers pulled off a genuinely shocking first-round upset over the Houston Rockets—a result that had all the predictability of a Hollywood reboot actually being good. Credit where it’s due: this team showed grit, defense, and just enough offensive rhythm to make you briefly believe in something bigger. Unfortunately, reality is looming in the form of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are younger, faster, deeper, and—crucially—healthier. No Luka Dončić means no chance. This next series has all the makings of a gentleman’s sweep, if the Thunder are feeling polite. Still, banner or not, this was a season-saving win. Hang the “Exceeded Expectations” flag proudly.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers finally remembered how to win a baseball game on Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals. The weird part? It wasn’t the Avengers at the top of the lineup doing the damage. Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Tucker, Will Smith, and Teoscar Hernández have recently been hitting like they’re trying to conserve energy for a marathon. Instead, the bottom of the order has been carrying the load like a group project where the quiet kids do all the work. As for Roki Sasaki—everyone needs to calm down. He’s young, electric, and inconsistent… which is basically the scouting report for every future ace ever. Putting him in the bullpen in June would be like buying a Ferrari and using it to deliver Uber Eats. October? Different conversation. June? Relax.

Out in Anaheim, the Los Angeles Angels have officially reverted to factory settings. That brief moment where they weren’t terrible? Fun while it lasted. But losing series to the Chicago White Sox and New York Mets is the baseball equivalent of tripping over your own shoelaces in public. The cruel twist: Mike Trout is actually having his best season in years. Which, logically, means this would be the perfect time to trade him and rebuild. Which, historically, means the Angels will absolutely not do that. This franchise treats common sense like it’s behind a paywall.

Now for something completely unexpected: UCLA Bruins football might… actually be cooking? Bob Chesney went from pulling a “meh” top-70 recruiting class in 2026 to suddenly flexing a top-5 class in 2027 like he found the cheat codes. It’s been six months. Six. And UCLA fans are already googling “Rose Bowl CFP scenarios” like it’s 1998 again. Is this sustainable? Who knows. But for now, Bruins fans are allowed to feel something unfamiliar: optimism that isn’t immediately followed by disappointment.

Speaking of disappointment, the Los Angeles Kings would like you to know they are “close.” Close to what, exactly, remains unclear. The Minnesota Wild scored as many goals in 40 minutes as the Kings did in an entire showing against the Colorado Avalanche. That’s not “close”—that’s being in a different zip code. But don’t worry, running it back with Cody Ceci (yes, we’re still doing this) and leadership under Luc Robitaille will surely fix everything. Because if there’s one thing that always works, it’s doing the exact same thing again and hoping for a different result.

And finally, the crown jewel of chaos: the Kentucky Derby. NBC’s coverage is truly a masterpiece. They spend hours giving you just enough information to feel confident—and just little enough to ensure you make absolutely terrible betting decisions. You learn about bloodlines, jockey strategies, and horse personalities, all so you can confidently put money on a horse named something like “Thunder Biscuit IV” because it “looked focused during warmups.” Congratulations to Golden Tempo for taking the win, and condolences to everyone who bet based on vibes and a cool name. Which, let’s be honest, is all of us.

April 27, 2026

The Lakers somehow have a commanding 3-1 series over the Houston Rockets, and nobody should be worried about last night’s loss. Did you really think the Lakers were going to sweep the Rockets when most of you thought they were going to be swept about a week ago? The team was gassed after an emotional OT win on Friday, especially Lebron. Honestly, closing this series out on Wednesday instead of last night might actually be a blessing in disguise, because it will give Luke Doncic and Austin Reaves more time to get healthy and be ready for round 2 against OKC. To this point, you have to give Lebron a lot of credit. What he’s doing at his age is remarkable. Plus, seeing him on the court with Bronny in the playoffs is truly an amazing father son moment, especially that alley-oop connection they had in game 3. Meanwhile, Kevin Durant is a great player, but at this point he’s a pain in the ass and his teammates hate him. He’s like the star musician that somehow gets in a fight with his own fellow band members and ruins what could have been a good show. Whether he comes back or not, the Lakers should wrap this series up on Wednesday. I expect them to come with much more urgency than they did last night.

To baseball, where the Dodgers took 2 of 3 from the Cubs over the weekend to reclaim 1st place in the NL West. Dalton Rushing no longer looks like a little leaguer carrying a bat, and has suddenly turned into an impact Major Leaguer. They almost need to find a place for him in the lineup, even when Will Smith is healthy enough to resume full time catching duties behind the plate. The same can also be said for Hyeseong Kim, who is showing his talents at the plate, and on defense. Roki Sasaki hasn’t exactly been lights out, but he’s making progress as a starter. Then there’s Justin Wrobleski, who has suddenly turned into Randy Johnson overnight. When do we start the Cy Young campaign for this guy? He’s supposed to be a 6th starter that is suddenly taking the NL by storm right now. Ironically, it’s the top of the order that has just been ok by their standards. Shohei went deep yesterday for what felt like the first time in ages, but the Dodgers are still rolling. Losing Edwin Diaz is tough, but the Dodgers have enough arms in their pen to overcome this. Heck, the won the last two World Series without a bona fide Closer last year anyway.

As for the Angels, they have quickly returned to the team we all thought they would be. They were swept by the Royals over the weekend, in a series that was capped off by them blowing a 3-run lead in the 9th inning, followed by a walk-off homer in the 10th. The Halos are now just 12-17, and losers of 7 of their last 10 games after looking respectable for a couple of weeks. However, it turns out that putting together a patchwork bullpen for pennies on the dollar isn’t working out, as opposed to signing some established relievers like Kenley Jansen. On top of that, the starting pitching is leaking oil as well, after looking somewhat dependable in the first few weeks. Someone just tell Arte Moreno to take his $5 Billion from selling the team and get lost!

In the NFL, the Rams surprised us all by taking Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th pick in the draft. I know we should usually give the Rams the benefit of the doubt with the moves they make, but at face value I didn’t really like this move. They are getting a player who was a reach at #13, just so they might have a successor to Matthew Stafford whenever he retires. Yes the Rams are already Super Bowl contenders, but you can never have enough good players. Why not take another wide receiver like Makai Lemon? Or an edge rusher like Rueben Bain Jr? Or an offensive tackle like Blake Miller? Those guys would have positively impacted the Rams immediately in their attempts to win a Super Bowl right now, and beyond. In a perfect world, Simpson won’t see the field for another couple of years. It just seems like a wasted pick, but here’s to me hoping that I am wrong.

Speaking of the Rams, there is some video of some members of their staff wearing Colorado Avalanche jerseys at work. Everyone is making a big deal about this, since the Kings got swept by the Avalanche in the 1st round. More on that in a moment, but people fail to realize that because Stan Kroenke owns the Rams and the Avalanche, his employees are just supporting their boss. Heck, the staffs of those two franchises actually work very closely together, sharing information on training and nutrition, so they are simply supporting each other. Their allegiances are to their boss, not the city. I’m as big a Kings fan as they come, and a big Rams fan too, but this doesn’t bother me, and it shouldn’t bother you.

As for the Chargers, they helped their team with size, speed, and an o-line overhaul at the draft. The Bolts already ramped up their pass rush by selecting Miami’s Akheem Mesidor at No. 22, a player widely projected to be off the board by then. Doesn’t matter the division, a strong pass rush is always essential. The Chargers didn’t race to the podium to select offensive linemen — their undoing last season — but they have remade their offensive line anyway. They’re getting back Pro Bowl tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, who missed all or most of last season with leg injuries; signed center Tyler Biadasz and guard Cole Strange in free agency; and drafted Florida center Jake Slaugher in the second round, with the idea of him playing guard. So if the plan works out, the Chargers will start five linemen who weren’t even in uniform for them for the January playoff loss to New England. The club took Memphis tackle Travis Burke in the fourth round, presumably adding depth at the position because he’s not the type of player who is going to move inside to guard. Overall, a decent draft, but the question as always is if they can stay healthy, and can they contend with both Denver and KC, who are always a handful.

In College Hoops, it looks like UCLA’s projected lineup next year is Trent Perry, Jaylen Perry, Eric Daily Jr, Filip Jovic, and Xavier Booker. The Bruins got left without much in the transfer portal dance that took place just after the tournament. That teams looks extremely mid, and is probably a .500 team in the Big Ten. They are lacking a bigger body, and lost a lot of efficient scoring. At this point, Mick Cronin might be walking dead. This team isn’t 1 player away but more like 2-3. Perhaps Steve Kerr will want to be relocate to Westwood and be an advisor to Bob Myers for the next coaching search. Either way, UCLA Basketball looks like it’s going to be grim for a while.

Finally, the frustration that is the LA Kings. They were swept by the Colorado Avalanche yesterday in their 1st round series. This team has now last 5 straight 1st round series, and has not won a playoff series in 12 years. Happy trails to Anze Kopitar, who played his final career game yesterday, finishing what will be a Hall of Fame Career. However, the future does not look bright. The Kings are in no mans land. They aren’t bad enough to tank, and not nearly good enough to contend. They had built a bridge to to contention with the #1 farm system in the league 4 years ago, but that bridge collapsed when they failed to develop any of their young players into studs. Now they have a few nice players like Quinton Byfield and Brandt Clarke, but then a bunch of old aging guys that are not longer the stars they once were. The first thing that really needs to happen is to fire Luc Robitaille. Everyone knows this needs to happen, but unfortunately, that isn’t likely to happen right now. Robitaille is a franchise legend, and barring something unforseen, will probably continue to be enabled by Philip Anschutz and his boys from AEG. This team needs to look at themselves in the mirror and realize they need to tear down a rebuild, and that includes the front office as well. Unfortunately, they just refuse to have the honest conversation with themselves.

April 20, 2026

The Lakers surprised us all on Saturday by taking down the Rockets in game 1 of their best-of-seven, 1st round series. Lebron James, who is 105 years old, was out there playing a very cerebral game, finishing just 2 rebounds shy of a triple double. It sounded crazy before, but the Lakers have to believe they have a real chance to win this series. The Rockets are an athletic team, but with or without Kevin Durant, they are also a low IQ basketball team. When KD isn’t out there, they jack up shots like they are playing 5 pm pick up at LA Fitness. No structure at all, but they do offensive rebound very well. If the Lakers can clean up their turnovers, and continue to play smart, they definitely have a great chance to win the series. No, I don’t think that Luke Kennard is going to be shooting like Larry Bird every game, and I expect the Rockets to make their adjustments, but defense is supposed to travel. Houston is a good defensive team, and the Lakers found a way to be efficient offensively against them. I expect the Rockets to respond in game 2 and be desperate, but the longer this goes, the better chance the Lakers get Luka back, and then the series really shifts in their favor.

As for the Clippers, they were eliminated in the play-in tournament by the Golden State Warriors last week. The Clippers once again don’t have a whole lot to show for the Kawhi Leonard era. They haven’t been out of the 1st round of the playoffs since 2021. I don’t care what Ramona Shelburne or Lawrence Frank are saying publicly, the franchise is ready to move on from him. They tried, they went all-in which you can’t blame them for, and it didn’t work. Except now that the league may punish them for circumventing the cap, they could be like the guy playing poker that not only loses his chips, but is now losing the shirt off his back, and his car as well. It makes no sense to hold on to Kawhi with one year left on his deal. I’m just not sure how you can trade a guy who’s contract may be terminated by the league in the next few months.

I know what you are going to say about the LA Kings. They made it close against the Avalanche and should be commended for their effort. Ok, yes they made it close, but this isn’t the same tough team to play against as the Stanley Cup era Kings of 12 years ago. The Kings barely generated any offense, and outside of the first line, nobody really generated any dangerous scoring chances. This is where the Kings really need Quintin Byfield to step up and become the player we all think he’s capable of becoming. Of course it also would have helped if Drew Doughty could have shot the puck into an open net when he had the chance in the early going. Game 2 is on Tuesday, but so far, nothing I’m seeing has made me think this is going to be a very long series.

As for the Ducks, they will get their shot tonight against the Oilers in game 1 of their 1st round series. This could be a very high scoring series, but I don’t know what to make of Anaheim. For a stretch of time they looked like the best team in the league, and then two weeks later they looked like the worst team. I do also have slightly more confidence in Anaheim’s goaltending than Edmonton’s, but does it even matter when Connor McDavid is on the other team? That guy is still the best player in hockey, and he can be the difference in the Oilers winning the series by himself.

To baseball, where the Dodgers ran into trouble over the weekend against Colorado, losing their last two games to the Rockies. The Boys in Blue will try to salvage a series split today at Coors Field. You can chalk up Saturday’s loss to some poor execution with runners in scoring position, and yesterday’s loss due to less than stellar pitching. Roki Sasaki remains a work in progress, looked dominant for 4 innings before running into trouble that he couldn’t get out of. Blake Treinen was going to give up a run eventually, so glad he got that out of his system. However, Edwin Diaz is still a mess after sitting out about a week. He didn’t record an out, gave up 3 runs, and his fastball velocity was down to 95 mph, which was previously 97. For a team with the best record in baseball, they have time to work all this out, but Diaz might be this year’s Tanner Scott!

Then there’s the Angels, who lost 2 out of 3 over the weekend to the Padres, and now get the Blue Jays for the next 3 games at home. The Halos are hovering around .500 at 11-12, but nobody in the American League is killing it, and certainly not in the AL West. The Angels have given away at least 6 wins like a 501C3 charity, so I wouldn’t call them a good team per se, but they could easily be 12-7 if they had a decent closer. Of course they had a decent closer in Kenley Jansen, and let him walk for nothing, and simply replace him with a bunch of bullpen guys that will likely be delivering your Uber Eats order in a few months.

Finally, the NFL Draft will take place this week and the Rams are licking their chops with the 13th pick in the 1st round. At this point it’s all about depth. The team should be looking at adding depth at inside linebacker, wide receiver, offensive line, and cornerback. At one point I thought the Rams should be looking at drafting a successor to Matt Stafford, but I don’t think that player is in this draft. In fact Fernando Mendoza at #1 will probably be the only quarterback selected in the draft. I’m not gonna lie though and I’m sure it’s the Golden Domer in me writing this: I love the idea of the Rams somehow drafting Notre Dame running back Jeremiah Love. He was one of the best players in the country last year, and I’m salivating at the idea of what he could do in a Sean McVay offense!

April 13, 2026

The NBA regular season is in the books, and now it’s playoff time! What a bizarre situation the Lakers found themselves in yesterday, with an opportunity to get back to the #3 seed and play Minnesota rather than Houston, depending on what Denver did. In the end it didn’t matter because the Spurs decided to tank their game against the Nuggets. Think of it this way, the Lakers probably got the best possible 1st round matchup they can get, given that they are a walking infirmary. Do I think the Lakers can really beat the Rockets in a 7-game series without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves? No. Do I like the Lakers odds better against Houston than Denver or Minnesota? Absolutely. I’d rather buy a scratchers ticket knowing my odds are better than the Power Ball. That doesn’t mean my odds of winning either are all that great! You shouldn’t be concerning yourself with facing OKC in the second round. If the Lakers were to get there given how things are, it would be a minor miracle. Even though Lebron is 102 years old, I hope he can put his superman cape on and somehow lead this team to a series win against the Rockets.

As for the Clippers, they defeated the Warriors in their season finale, but they will still be relegated to the 9th seed and the play-in tournament. They will face the Warriors once again on Wednesday night. You never know with Kawhi, but assuming he is healthy, he can make any matchup interesting. Plus you know he’s going to be motivated to earn another max contract if his contract gets voided this summer, or when it’s up after next season. My expectation is they will beat the Warriors on Wednesday, and somehow get the 8th seed. However, for a team that began the season 6-21 and was also blindsided by James Harden’s contract demands, yet finished above .500, that’s impressive.

To baseball, where the Dodgers have jumped out to the best record in the big leagues in the early going at 11-4. It’s easy to talk about all the great things about this team. But since Dodger fans are hoping for a 3-peat, let’s focus on the areas of concern. I’m sure most fan bases would consider these critiques ridiculous first world problems, but the Dodgers still do have some. Roki Sasaki is incredibly talented, but he doesn’t have the command of his pitches. The question is how long they allow him to start and work through it, as opposed to letting him work things out in the minor leagues in Oklahoma City. For the time being, I think they can afford to start him in the Big Leagues without hurting themselves in the standings. Sasaki’s pitches these days are often as wild as Kyle Tucker’s swings, who is hitting just .246 on the season, and has really yet to get it going. For a guy that is making $60 million this year, I would hope he could do better than that, but at least he’s not Michael Conforto. I’m also a bit concerned about the velocity of some of the pitchers we’ve seen so far. Alex Vesia, Emmet Sheehan in later innings, and Edwin Diaz are all throwing at noticeably lower speeds. Whether that is due to too much usage last year or needing to build up arm strength remains to be seen. Nevertheless, this Dodger team is going to be fun to watch this summer, so for the time being, enjoy the ride!

Meanwhile, the Angels are 8-8 after taking 2 of 3 from the Reds. How seriously should we take this team? So far not too serious. There are only 5 teams in the league that have a worse team batting average than the Halos. Their pitching is right in the middle of the pack in terms of ERA, and they do hit a lot of home runs. However, if you struggle to put the ball in play, that’s going to catch up with you. I also question their overall depth. With that being said, not only the AL West, but the entire American League has been rather unimpressive so far, with everyone hovering around .500. If they haven’t fallen off a cliff 6 weeks from now, I’ll be a little more optimistic about this team’s chances.

Let’s go to the ice, where somehow, the Kings still have a chance to make the playoffs. Heck, it’s even crazier than that. As I type this, the Kings have a chance to win the division. They haven’t done that since 1991. I’m far more optimistic that the Kings will make the playoffs, despite the fact they are incredibly flawed, especially on defense. What’s even more bizarre is in the last month, we’ve seen this team go from a defensive identity, to an offensive identity, that can no longer defend. That doesn’t sound like a great recipe for long-term success. The division is weak as hell right now, so that’s giving them every opportunity to stay in the race. Their schedule is super weak, but that actually makes me nervous they could have a let down. I still wouldn’t trust this team with a cup of coffee. It would also be annoying as hell if they get to the playoffs just to face the Oilers again. I will say this though. If somehow the Kings can get Andrei Kuzmenko and Kevin Fiala back in the lineup, their top 6 forwards become much better than they have been in a long time. Hopefully the Kings can at least make the playoffs so Anze Kopitar can make the postseason in his final season.

Finally, congratulations to Rory McIlroy on winning his 2nd straight Masters! He is the first to go back-to-back since Tiger Woods, but the reality of it is, he isn’t Tiger Woods. In fact, for the longest time when he burst onto the PGA Tour, everyone thought he might be the next Tiger. No disrespect to everything he’s accomplished, including 6 major titles, he does not command the audience that Tiger does. Frankly every one of these major tournaments I find myself asking if and when we might be able to see Tiger again, and if he can capture the magic for just a weekend that made us watch golf when we didn’t before. That seems so far away at this point.

April 6, 2026

The Los Angeles Lakers are currently operating under the bold medical strategy of “Have you tried…Europe?” With both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves dealing with significant injuries, the franchise has apparently decided that crossing the Atlantic Ocean is the basketball equivalent of turning your phone off and back on again. Look, I respect the urgency. When your two primary creators are hurt, you don’t just need help—you need a miracle, a time machine, or at minimum, whatever fountain of youth Tom Brady has bottled somewhere in Switzerland. But even if Luka comes back speaking fluent Slovenian and Reaves returns with a European skincare routine, the bigger issue remains: this team goes as far as its stars can limp.Right now, the Lakers aren’t chasing a title—they’re chasing MRI results.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Clippers have achieved the rare double milestone of being both locked into the play-in and spiritually bracing for a potential front-office plot twist involving Kawhi Leonard.On the court, this is a team that screams “just good enough to be dangerous” and whispers “but probably not.” Off the court…well, let’s just say everyone is still waiting for the NBA equivalent of a “We need to talk” text regarding alleged cap circumvention.The Clippers’ season feels like a suspense movie where nothing actually happens, but everyone insists something might.

Out in Chavez Ravine, the Los Angeles Dodgers are doing what they do best—hitting everything that moves and a few things that don’t. The offense is humming, which is great, because the pitching and health reports occasionally read like a WebMD warning page.Roki Sasaki is still a work in progress, which is a polite way of saying hitters are currently treating him like a batting practice intern. Meanwhile, Mookie Betts’ back injury is a not-so-subtle reminder that even superteams eventually meet Father Time…who apparently throws harder than anyone in the bullpen. The good news? The arrival of Hyesong Kim injects some youth and energy into a lineup that occasionally looks like it remembers dial-up internet. Next up: Toronto. The Toronto Blue Jays are coming in with revenge on their minds—for the World Series and, apparently, for hockey-related emotional damage. Nothing fuels interleague baseball like unresolved international sports grudges.

Over in Anaheim, the Los Angeles Angels are shocking the baseball world by not being eliminated from playoff contention by April 3rd. Let’s give credit where it’s due: Jo Adell made three home run–robbing catches in one game. Three. For a guy whose defense has historically been…let’s call it “theatrically adventurous,” this was like watching your friend who burns toast suddenly cook a Michelin-star meal. Is this sustainable? Probably not. Is it fun? Absolutely. The Angels may not be good yet, but at least they’re interesting—which is a huge upgrade from “mathematically eliminated with vibes.”

Huge congratulations to the UCLA Bruins women’s basketball for winning the National Championship. Dominant, deserved, and a reminder that Westwood still knows how to produce winners. But can we talk about the viewing experience? Playing championship games in massive domes might look great on TV, but for fans in the upper deck, it’s basically a live-action version of watching ants compete. You’re paying premium prices to watch elite athletes perform…on what feels like a distant planet. At some point, we have to ask: is this a sporting event or an eyesight exam?

Speaking of pricing absurdity, let’s discuss the 2028 Summer Olympics. Two years ago in Paris, you could attend multiple marquee events—opening ceremony, swimming, gymnastics, track finals—for under $500 a pop. Reasonable, accessible, and actually in the spirit of global sport. Now? For LA 2028, “decent seats” are being priced like they come with partial ownership of the stadium. Thousands of dollars…for track and field. Track. And. Field. At these prices, you’re not buying a ticket—you’re making a financial commitment. You might need a co-signer just to watch the 100-meter final. The Olympics are supposed to bring people together, not require them to refinance their homes.

March 30, 2026

Let’s start with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who opened the season by casually sweeping the Arizona Diamondbacks like they were crumbs on a marble countertop in Beverly Hills. Yes, it’s early—but this team already looks like it has that annoying “we can beat you 12 different ways” energy. Bullpen shaky? Nope. Lights out. Offense cold? Doesn’t matter, pitching picks them up. Pitching off? Cool, lineup drops a 7-spot like it’s batting practice. Will Smith continues to be the most quietly terrifying clutch hitter in baseball—like a guy who apologizes after ruining your season. And the best news? Bill Plaschke predicted they won’t win the World Series. If Plaschke told me gravity still works, I’d do a quick test jump just to be safe. Dodger fans should feel incredible right now. Also, if you’ve never seen Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce react to Edwin Díaz entrances, do yourself a favor—it will permanently alter how you view a man jogging in from the bullpen with trumpets. You can find it below.

https://x.com/kg_certified/status/2036937669771411831

Meanwhile, over in Anaheim, the Los Angeles Angels briefly flirted with competence. Two games in, people were whispering, “Wait… are they… different?” Adorable. Fast forward 48 hours and they’re blowing leads to the Houston Astros like it’s part of a long-standing organizational tradition. This is who they are: a team that gives you just enough hope to make the disappointment sting more. But hey—Mike Trout looks fantastic. And if he stays healthy (pause for laughter), he might remind everyone he’s still one of the best players on the planet. The Angels don’t need a rebuild—they need a personality transplant.

Now to the hardwood, where the Los Angeles Lakers have quietly gone 14–2 in their last 16, which is impressive considering half the basketball world spent the season saying this roster belongs in a rec league. Yes, they’ve looked a little sluggish against bad teams lately, but that’s what happens when you play every other day and occasionally forget you’re supposed to try. The real strategy now? Lock in that 3-seed and pray for Houston Rockets or Minnesota Timberwolves—basically, anyone not named Denver Nuggets or Oklahoma City Thunder. Also, can we talk about how Luka Dončić isn’t getting serious MVP love? Or how JJ Redick isn’t a Coach of the Year frontrunner? Oh right, award voting isn’t about performance—it’s about voter fatigue and whichever storyline makes people feel smart on TV. You told me this roster stinks. Now they’re a 3-seed. At some point, someone has to admit they were just guessing.

Across the hall, the Los Angeles Clippers are locked into the NBA’s favorite purgatory: the play-in tournament. At this point, the league probably already knows the outcome of the Kawhi Leonard situation and is just waiting for a dramatic Friday news dump. Based on what Pablo Torre has hinted at, you half expect a plot twist involving a contract void and a Netflix documentary. And yet… Kawhi is hooping. Of course he is. Because nothing about this situation is allowed to make sense. Somewhere this summer, a team will absolutely convince itself giving him a max contract is a good idea. And honestly? They might not even be wrong. That’s the problem.

College hoops gave us absolute chaos—in other words, perfection. The Sweet 16 and Elite 8 delivered, capped by UConn Huskies men’s basketball pulling off a jaw-dropping comeback against Duke Blue Devils men’s basketball. Everyone wants to blame Cameron Boozer for the late turnover, because it’s easier to point at one moment than admit the game was lost when Duke coughed up a 19-point lead like it was optional. That wasn’t a choke—that was a full-system collapse. March Madness doesn’t build heroes—it exposes weaknesses, then puts them on a loop for the internet to dissect forever.

And then there’s Tiger Woods. At this point, it’s less about a comeback and more about whether he can go six months without making headlines for the wrong reasons. Another DUI, another incident, another reminder that the only thing more dangerous than his swing used to be his decision-making. He’s now collected more off-course issues in the last decade than major wins, which is a stat nobody thought we’d ever be tracking. At some point, the conversation stops being about redemption and starts being about reality.

Speaking of reality, the Los Angeles Kings appear to be taking the whole “No Kings” protest movement a bit too literally. This team is technically still in the playoff race, which says more about the division than it does about them. They’re one point out and somehow feel 20 points away. The bigger issue? An aging, expensive blue line that moves about as quickly as LA traffic at 5 p.m. The solution is obvious—blow it up and rebuild—but that requires admitting you’re not close. And no one in that building seems ready for that level of honesty.

Finally, the Los Angeles Rams flirted with the idea of trading for AJ Brown, which would’ve been the football equivalent of trading your reliable car for a sports car with a “check engine” light permanently on. Yes, he’s younger—but fit matters. Chemistry matters. Not reading Mark Twain on the sideline while your team is playing also probably matters. Moving Davante Adams for that experiment would’ve been a mistake. Sometimes the smarter move is the one you don’t make, and that’s definitely how I would characterize this one.

March 23, 2026

Let’s start in Westwood, where UCLA Men’s Basketball once again gave fans just enough hope to emotionally invest… before politely escorting them out of the tournament in the Round of 32 courtesy of UConn. At this point, the question isn’t what happened—it’s what are we doing here? Should UCLA be demanding more? Yes. This isn’t a plucky mid-major; this is a blue blood that hangs banners, not “competitive effort” certificates. As for Mick Cronin: good coach, absolutely. But “good” at UCLA can feel like ordering a filet mignon and being served a really solid burger. You’ll eat it, sure—but you know what you should be getting. Injuries didn’t help—Tyler Bilodeau’s knee giving out like a bad Wi-Fi signal is a brutal way to end a college career, and losing both him and Donovan Dent leaves a crater-sized hole in next year’s roster. Reload time. Again.

Meanwhile, let’s check in on your March Madness bracket. Be honest—did Florida ruin your life yet? Or are you still pretending you have a “path to winning the pool” like a delusional GM at the trade deadline? At this point, most brackets are either in the trash, on fire, or being repurposed as emergency household supplies. And let’s talk about the slow, quiet extinction of the Cinderella story. NIL has turned March Madness into something closer to “Power Conference Invitational Featuring Occasional Guests.” The days of a 12-seed accounting major from Southwest Directional State making a Final Four run are fading. And honestly? That’s okay. It’s fun for a weekend. Then suddenly you’re stuck watching a team you’ve never heard of brick 23 straight threes in a regional final while your bracket dies a slow, painful death. Nostalgia is nice—watchable basketball in April is nicer.

Now to the Lakers, who have apparently decided defense is… allowed? Nine straight wins, possibly ten by the time you read this, and suddenly Crypto.com Arena feels like a place where contenders live again. The biggest surprise isn’t just the winning—it’s how they’re doing it. LeBron James, in Year 47 (give or take), has evolved into this Draymond Green-esque Swiss Army knife who picks his spots, orchestrates the offense, and defends like he’s trying to prove a point to Twitter trolls. Luka is Luka—offensive wizardry with a side of “how did that go in?”—and the supporting cast has bought in. Most shocking of all? They’re defending. Like… actually defending. This team went from “they can’t stop a nosebleed” to “good luck scoring 100.” A deep playoff run still feels like threading a needle in a hurricane, but for the first time in a while, it doesn’t feel impossible.

Over in Chavez Ravine, the Dodgers are four days from opening the season against the D’Backs, and somehow the biggest storyline is… Alex Freeland making the roster over Hyeseong Kim? Look, I’m not a mathematician, but I’m pretty sure .116 is not greater than .438. Unless we’re grading on a curve that includes “vibes,” “defensive versatility,” or “Andrew Friedman knows something we don’t (again).” And to be fair, Friedman and Dave Roberts have earned the benefit of the doubt—they’ve basically turned roster decisions into a form of predictive art. Back-to-back World Series titles will buy you a lot of patience. Still, Dodger fans aren’t wrong to raise an eyebrow… or both.

Then there are the Angels, who released their starting rotation and somehow made fans nostalgic for… last year. José Soriano, Yusei Kikuchi, Reid Detmers, Jack Kochanowicz, and Ryan Johnson. That’s not a rotation—that’s a group project where nobody did the reading. And Grayson Rodriguez already has a “dead arm” before Opening Day? Incredible efficiency. This team might not lose 100 games, but 70 wins feels like the optimistic scenario you talk yourself into after your third cup of coffee. At least the weather will be nice.

And finally, the LA Kings, who are doing their best impression of a team actively trying to miss the playoffs while technically still being in the race. Losing to the Utah Mammoth—a team they’re chasing—is the hockey equivalent of tripping over your own skates at the finish line. The Pacific Division as a whole feels like it should come with a warning label: “Viewer discretion advised.” And if there’s a rocket ship available, please feel free to launch Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin into orbit. Not out of spite—out of mercy. For everyone involved.

In conclusion: UCLA is searching for answers, your bracket is searching for dignity, the Lakers are suddenly searching for June, the Dodgers are searching for logic (or hiding it), the Angels are searching for relevance, and the Kings are searching for the remote so they can watch someone else play meaningful hockey.

Just another week in LA sports.

March 16, 2026

Let’s begin with the outrage machine currently churning in Westwood. Some UCLA fans are upset about the Bruins drawing a tough road in the East as a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Tough path? Of course it’s a tough path. This is the NCAA Tournament, not the Big West Tournament where the scariest opponent might be a team that traveled by bus. UCLA actually looked pretty solid in the Big Ten Tournament and probably could’ve taken down Purdue if Donovan Dent and Tyler Bilodeau weren’t operating on half-health and ibuprofen. The good news: they’ll be healthy and rested next week, which is exactly the kind of thing that tends to make Mick Cronin teams annoying in March. If the bracket breaks the right way, don’t be shocked if the Bruins stumble into the Sweet 16… or even the Elite Eight… before inevitably losing a rock fight where both teams shoot 32%.

Speaking of the tournament, let’s address the March Madness bracket itself. Every year we pretend this is a puzzle that can be solved with careful analysis and spreadsheets. It’s not. It’s chaos with sneakers. But if we’re pretending to be rational adults for a moment, four teams look like they’re operating on a different level: Duke, Michigan State, Arizona, and Florida. They’ve been head and shoulders above the rest of the field. Of course, now that I’ve said that, one of them will probably lose to a No. 13 seed whose star player majors in agricultural science. That’s why everyone’s bracket—yours, mine, your coworker who claims he “studies mid-major efficiency metrics”—will be obliterated by Sunday and ceremoniously repurposed as toilet paper.

Meanwhile in the NBA, it turns out the Lakers can beat good teams after all. Who knew? In the past week they’ve knocked off the Knicks, Timberwolves, and Nuggets while climbing back to the No. 3 seed in the West. Even more shocking: they’re playing defense. Yes, defense. With Luka Dončić, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves on the floor together. Somewhere in basketball heaven, Red Auerbach just spit out his cigar. Deandre Ayton even managed to defend Nikola Jokić like a guy who remembered he’s seven feet tall. And Austin Reaves delivered one of the smartest plays of the season with the intentional free-throw miss and put-back to force overtime. If the media keeps telling us the Lakers roster is flawed, shouldn’t Luka be a stronger MVP candidate for dragging them up the standings? And can we stop acting surprised that LeBron can adjust his game? The man has been adapting his style since half the league was still in middle school. Credit where it’s due: LeBron’s doing the hustle stuff, JJ Redick has the team buying into roles, and Charles Barkley is somewhere on television looking emotionally exhausted by the whole thing.

Just down the freeway in Inglewood , the Clippers are once again experiencing their annual spin on the Injury Wheel of Fortune. Just when things looked stable, Kawhi Leonard went down with another ankle injury. And if that wasn’t enough cosmic trolling, their four-game win streak ended courtesy of the Sacramento Kings—featuring a revenge triple-double from Russell Westbrook. Yes, that Russell Westbrook. The one who occasionally shoots like the rim insulted his family. For one night, though, he looked like vintage Westbrook, carving up his former team while Clippers fans quietly contemplated the fragile nature of hope.

Over on the baseball diamond, the World Baseball Classic has once again proven that international baseball is wildly entertaining… and occasionally chaotic. Team USA manager Mark DeRosa nearly got eliminated early because he didn’t fully understand the tournament’s tie-breaking rules. That’s the kind of thing you’d expect from someone filling out their office pool, not managing the national team. Fortunately, someone eventually explained the math before disaster struck, and the U.S. is now headed to Tuesday night’s final. There’s probably extra motivation now after that close call. And yes, it would sting to see Shohei Ohtani disappointed—but considering he spent years playing for the Angels, disappointment is basically muscle memory at this point. From a Dodgers perspective, Japan exiting early might actually be a blessing. It means Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto get a little extra rest before the season begins.

Speaking of teams that actually look like they know what they’re doing, the Rams continue to treat roster construction like a home renovation show. Their latest upgrade: signing Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson to a three-year deal, further strengthening a secondary that was easily their weakest unit last year. Suddenly that problem looks… fixed. Just like that. The Rams now look like legitimate contenders again, which raises the obvious question: what do they do in the draft? The safest bet is reinforcing the offensive and defensive lines, because you can never have too many big humans whose job description is “push the other big humans backward.”

And finally, a stick tap to Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings, who became the franchise’s all-time leading scorer over the weekend, breaking a record that stood for 45 years. That’s the kind of longevity and excellence you almost never see in one uniform anymore. Unfortunately, the timing is bittersweet because the Kings look about as close to a Stanley Cup run as a Zamboni driver playing goalie again. But records like this force an interesting debate: is Kopitar the greatest LA King ever? Wayne Gretzky is unquestionably the greatest player who ever wore the jersey, but greatness within a franchise is different. Two Cups, nearly two decades of leadership, and now the scoring record? Yeah. It’s fair to say Anze Kopitar isn’t just a Kings legend—he’s the LA King.

March 9 , 2026

The Lakers finally beat a good team, knocking off the Knicks, which is the NBA equivalent of finally eating your vegetables after a week of living on dessert. For weeks the Lakers have been feasting on the Warriors and Kings like a team that only hunts wounded prey, then promptly folding when confronted by contenders. If they want anyone to believe this Knicks win means something, they’ll have to prove it against the Timberwolves, Nuggets, and Rockets — teams that don’t politely step aside when DeAndre Ayton remembers he’s seven feet tall. He has 5-7 minute stretches where he looks like prime Shaq, and most of the rest of the time he looks like Michael Olowokandi. Meanwhile, poor LeBron James has reached the strange late-career phase where every win without him sparks a national debate about how much better the Lakers are when he’s not playing. Imagine being a top-two player in the history of the sport and hearing talk shows argue that your team finally figured things out… by accident when you were in street clothes. The Lakers may not be better with Lebron on the floor, but it’s not necessarily a fault of his own. The Lakers three best players aren’t great defenders, so you simply cannot put enough defense around them as their roster is currently constructed. That makes JJ Redick’s job the rest of the year a challenge, because he has to figure out how to stagger his lineups to get enough defense around his 3 great players.

Over at Intuit Dome, the Clippers briefly flirted with tanking — or at least the basketball version of quietly drifting toward the lottery. Unfortunately for them, they suddenly realized the Jazz, Kings, and Grizzlies treat tanking like a professional craft. Those teams have years of experience losing with purpose. The Clippers, meanwhile, can’t even tank correctly; they accidentally win just enough games to land in the play-in tournament, where they’ll hope Kawhi Leonard morphs into 2019 Kawhi for two weeks. This version of Kawhi is great, but just maybe not championship level. Somewhere in the background, Kawhi is still waiting for his punishment for allegedly circumventing the salary cap, which is starting to feel like one of those parking tickets that gets lost in the mail for three years before suddenly showing up with interest.

UCLA men’s basketball looks destined for that very familiar NCAA Tournament address: the #9 or #10 seed line. Once upon a time conference tournaments felt like a dramatic last chance to impress the selection committee. Now they feel more like background noise while the bracketologists argue over decimal points in NET rankings. But if there’s one thing you can count on, it’s that the Bruins will follow the most Mick Cronin script imaginable: upset a #1 seed like Arizona in a gritty, defensive masterpiece… only to lose in the Sweet 16 to a team from the Missouri Valley Conference that shoots 58% from three for one inexplicable night.

The Rams, meanwhile, are behaving like a team that remembers it was about one half away from the Super Bowl. Trading for Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie and immediately making him the highest-paid corner in football is classic “we’re not rebuilding, we’re reloading” behavior. Cornerback was their biggest need, and they attacked it with the subtlety of Aaron Donald hitting a quarterback. Les Snead clearly looked at last season’s NFC Championship loss and decided the best response was to keep the pedal down and try to get back to February before everyone else finishes arguing about cap space spreadsheets.

The Dodgers, who otherwise treat roster construction like a luxury car dealership, suddenly have a reason to watch the World Baseball Classic with nervous energy. Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitching every four or five days instead of his preferred six is like forcing a Ferrari into stop-and-go traffic. It’ll probably survive, but nobody feels great about it. Add in the news that Gavin Stone has shoulder inflammation after looking sharp early in spring training, and suddenly the Dodgers’ otherwise flawless pitching machine has produced its annual “please not another injured arm” moment.

Then there are the Angels, who continue to exist mostly as a reminder that baseball has 30 teams. Vegas lists them at +4000 to win the division, which honestly feels generous given that oddsmakers typically prefer outcomes that have at least a passing relationship with reality. The roster looks like something assembled during a particularly slow afternoon of free agency, and unless several players simultaneously discover hidden superstar abilities, the Angels appear headed toward their annual tradition: finishing last while fans debate which former Angel will thrive somewhere else next year.

Finally, the LA Kings continue their slow slide out of playoff contention, which at least had one silver lining at the trade deadline. GM Ken Holland wisely resisted the classic desperate move of shipping out future assets for a rental player when the team clearly isn’t good enough to justify it. In Los Angeles sports, where teams often operate with the patience of someone stuck in freeway traffic, that kind of restraint almost feels revolutionary. Unfortunately for Kings fans, patience doesn’t show up in the standings.