The Hamilton HS Yankees (green) scored a convincing 45-0 Homecoming win over Fairfax HS last week.
If one were rating high school homecoming games on a scale of one to 10, last week’s at Hamilton High School would be off the charts rating an 11.
Led by six foot, six inch junior quarterback Armani Rogers, The Hamilton Yankees destroyed the crosstown rival Fairfax Lions, 45-0 at Al Michaels Field.
The play-by-play announcer for NBC’s Sunday Night Football telecasts is a Hamilton alumnus.
It was the Western League opener for both schools.
Rogers torched the Lions for over 250 yards through the air completing four touchdown passes and running for another.
Rogers is reminiscent of NFL Hall-of-Fame quarterback and Hamilton alum, Warren Moon. Moon went to Hamilton during the Nixon administration as did his agent and best friend, Leigh Steinberg.
Senior linebacker Anthonee Parker intercepted a Fairfax pass for a touchdown, returned a punt inside the Lions’ five yard line that led to another score and had numerous tackles including at least two quarterback sacks recorded on video.
Speaking of Hamilton linebackers, Oakland Raider and Super Bowl XV MVP Rod Martin is an alumnus having played with Moon during the Watergate years.
Senior wide outs Russell Shaw, Jericho Flowers and Trent Sadler caught the touchdowns with Shaw snaring two. Sadler also intercepted a pass.
Speaking of Hamilton wide outs New York Giants Super Bowl champion Stephen Baker The Touchdown Makeris an alumnus as well playing there in the early ’80s.
Junior tailback Malik Norman easily ran through the Lions defense for 100 yards like they were kittens.
With the win Hamilton evened its overall season mark at 3-3 with a 1-0 record in the Western League.
To hear from Hamilton head coach Ernest King on the Homecoming win, click on the video below.
Later this afternoon, they’ll host another crosstown rival – the University Wildcats – for first place in league.
“There is no deal until there is a deal but Inglewood is well equipped for an NFLstadium.”
Members of Bring Back the L.A. Rams listen to Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts discussing bringing the NFL to Hollywood Park. St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke owns 60 acres of Inglewood land.
That’s the message mayor James T. Butts gave an overflow crowd of some 500 residents at a town hall meeting this past weekend, most of whom would like to lure an NFL team to what is known as the City of Champions – Inglewood, CA.
“We have the largest single continuous block of land in Southern California and there is interest in development of some type,” said Butts referring to St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke.
Hollywood Park Tomorrow is part of an almost 300-acre plot of land ready for development with ample parking.
There’s talk that Kroenke could eventually buy more land from the developers of the Hollywood Park Tomorrow project who might consider selling some of those 238 total acres.
“Inglewood is the only city that an NFL owner owns land in and we are very well situated,” explained Butts who was elected Mayor in 2011. “Inglewood is at the center of four major freeways (405 to the west, 105 to the south, 110 to the east and the 10 to the north) and is a mile-and-a-half fromLos Angeles International Airport.”
Inglewood is known as the City of Champions because of the racetrack, which opened in 1938 and had a 75-year run until it closed last year; the Fabulous Forum which opened in 1967 with its main tenants being the Los Angeles Lakers – who won six NBA Championships while calling Inglewood home until the team moved to Staples Center in downtown L.A. prior to the 1999-2000 season – and the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings who moved to Staples Center along with the Lakers.
Having been without a major professional sports franchise going on 15 years and counting, and with the closing of the racetrack last year, Mayor Butts and the residents of Inglewood – which number more than 110,000 people – would like nothing better than to be the home of L.A.’s NFL team as part of the city’s revitalization and keep that City of Champions moniker.
While all the residents are in favor of bringing the NFL to Inglewood some don’t want the traffic a team and football games would bring.
“It’s just 10 games a year,” said Butts not figuring in possible playoff games, possible college bowl games and the big prize – Super Bowls. He continued, “With any kind of development comes traffic and money. If you don’t want the traffic, you don’t want the money. You can’t have one without the other.”
The newly remodeled Fabulous Forum – owned by MSG Entertainment – is home to world class concerts.
Naming some of the restaurants in Inglewood, Mayor Butts, who spent two decades as an officer in the Inglewood Police Department, explained:
“When the Forum holds major events receipts are doubled and even tripled because of the traffic the events bring.”
While Butts told me he hasn’t spoken to the NFL or Kroenke about a stadium, when the billionaire owner of an NFL team buys 60 acres of prime developmental real estate in the middle of your city, you’re going to have discussions about what he plans to do with it.
To hear more of my interview with Mayor Butts click on the video with this article.
Los Angeles – the second largest media market in the country with more than 18 million residents and includes Ventura County to the north, Orange County to the south, the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Inland Empire to the east, and everything in between – has been without an NFL team since both the Rams and Raiders left after the 1994 season.
Many stadium proposals have come and gone over the past two decades in an attempt to bring the NFL back to the City of Angels. None more prominent than AEG’s Farmers Field proposal, which was to be financed privately by AEG in downtown L.A. in conjunction with the remodel of the Convention Center.
AEG won’t spend the almost $2 billion price tag to build the stadium without an agreement from any of the NFL team owners looking for better digs in return for a significant percentage of a team.
When I asked an AEG representative – who chose not to be identified – his thoughts on Kroenke’s purchase of 60 acres in Inglewood this is what he told me:
“Farmers Field is still the best option. We don’t think asking for 30 to 40 percent ownership of a team is too much to ask for in return for a new stadium we’re paying for out of our pocket.”
A third of a team for a stadium is a price tag none of the 32 owners is willing to pay.
And the clock is ticking because the deal between the City of Los Angeles and AEG to build Farmers Field expires in October of this year. If AEG doesn’t file for an extension by October 18th, Farmers Field is essentially dead.
When time runs out, the City of L.A. goes to Plan B focusing all its attention on remodeling the Convention Center.
Considering NFL officials have always toyed with the idea of building a Hall-of-Fame West and a stadium-site NFL Network studio, Los Angeles, home to Hollywood – the Entertainment Capital of the World – as well as Inglewood, is destined to be home to an NFL team sooner rather than later.
In a sixth inning that saw Arizona starter Trevor Cahill’s dreams of a no-hitter dashed by Dodger bats,Adrian Gonzalez hit his first of two, 3-run home runs leading Los Angeles (81-62) to a three-game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks (59-84) taking the series finale, 7-2.
Dodgers’ Adrian Gonzalez hit two home runs and collected 6 RBIs as L.A. swept Arizona taking Sunday’s series finale, 7-2. courtesy: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
For Gonzalez his pair of three-run jacks was his 16th career multi-homer game and tied his career-high for RBIs in a game. Ironically, the last time he collected six ribbies in a game came against the Dodgers as a member of the San Diego Padres in May of 2010.
His first home run in the sixth went straight-away over the center field fence measuring 442 feet. His second came in the following inning into left and was followed immediately by a Matt Kemp solo home run giving Los Angeles back-to-back homers.
“Gonzo’s three-run homers were huge,” said Dodgers’ manager Don Mattingly. “The first one gives us the lead and the second one allows us to catch our breath.”
This was the sixth multi-homer game for a Dodgers player this season and it’s the third time the Dodgers have gone back-to-back this year.
The two home runs for Gonzalez were numbers 21 and 22 on the season for the first baseman. His six RBIs on the day put him at 100 for the season giving him five consecutive 20 or more home runs and 100 or more RBI seasons and his seventh overall.
“A-Gone” hit his third round-tripper in two days. He hit a two-run home run in Saturday night’s 5-2 Dodgers win over the D’Backs.
Matt Kemp’s home run was his 19th of the season and extended his hitting streak to 13 games. For those 13 game’s Kemp is batting .346 with five doubles, four homers and 12 RBIs.
To hear post game comments from Gonzalez and Kemp, click on the video with this article.
Zack Greinke picked up the win improving to 14-8 overall for Los Angeles going six innings, allowing six hits, two runs and striking out four Diamondbacks.
Cahill suffered the loss (3-11) but was rolling through five frames until the sixth when everything fell apart with one out.
Pending the outcome of Sunday night’s Giants-Detroit Tigers game Los Angeles could find itself three games ahead of San Francisco for first place in the N.L. West and no worse than two up. The Dodgers begin a three-game series Monday night when they welcome the San Diego Padres to Dodger Stadium.
The sense of urgency the Los Angeles Dodgers are feeling with three weeks left in the regular season is an absolute real one.
Dodgers’ Dee Gordon hits the game-winning RBI single in the 8th. Los Angeles beat Arizona, 5-2 maintaining its two-game lead over San Francisco in the N.L. West. courtesy: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
That’s because their lead was just two games ahead of the rival San Francisco Giants in the N.L. West prior to Saturday’s action and with the G-Men beating the Detroit Tigers, 5-4 earlier in the day, the Dodgers faced a must-win situation hosting the second of a three-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Dodgers are feeling the heat and continue to cook.
Adrian Gonzalez hit his 20th homerun of the season in the first inning with a runner on and Dee Gordon drove in the winning run on a two-out rbi single in the 8th as Los Angeles forged a 5-2 win over Arizona and stays two games up on the Giants.
Starter Hyun-Jin Ryu kept Arizona off the board through six innings, including in the second when the first three batters got aboard.
With the bases loaded and no one out, Ryu got Nolan Reimold to strike out. Carl Crawford made a diving catch in left for the second out robbing Tuffy Gosewich of some rbis. Then Ryu got Chase Anderson to strike out on a foul tip.
Threat averted and Ryu was sailing until he surrendered to runs in the top of the seventh tying the score at two-apiece.
The bullpen held and the Dodgers broke through in the eighth for three more runs including the game-winner from Dee Gordon who drove in one of the “September call-ups” – Roger Bernadina making his debut as a pinch-runner for the 3-2 lead.
Reliever Brian Wilson got the win while closer Kenley Jansen recorded his 41st save.
The finale of the three-game set is Sunday at 1pm.
Dodgers’ right-hander Josh Beckett is done for the season and contemplating retirement. courtesy: Eric Hartline
Prior to tonight’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed pitcher Josh Beckett confirmed he’s done pitching this season due to a torn labrum in his left hip that’s kept him sidelined since August 4th and is considering retirement.
A free agent at season’s end, Beckett had been working his best year since 2011 with the Boston Red Sox. The 34 year-old, who won World Series Championships with the BoSox and Florida Marlins, has started 20 games this season going 6-6 with a 2.88 ERA. He’s pitched 115 and two-thirds innings striking out 107.
Beckett recorded his first career no-hitter blanking thePhillies in Philadelphia back on May 25th which hi-lighted a solid first half of the season after missing most of last year with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.
Dodgers’ manager Don Mattingly spoke with the media prior to Friday night’s game at Chavez Ravine against Arizona and addressed the situation with Beckett. Click on the video with this article to hear what Mattingly had to say.
Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw got his mlb leading 17th win Tuesday night as L.A. beat Washington, 4-1. courtesy: Jeff Gross/Getty Images
Dodgers’ ace Clayton Kershaw (17-3) went eight innings, allowing a run and scattering three hits earning his major league-leading 17th win of the season in Los Angeles’ 4-1 win over the Washington Nationals Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium.
It seems to be so easy for Kershaw who’s been virtually automatic. A model of consistency every five days when he’s on the hill and handed the ball.
To read the remainder of this story, please click on this link.
“They’ve been here before.” Said a parks and recreation official who didn’t want to be identified adding, “They really amped it up this year and broke rules in the process.”
“Amped” is a good way to put it.
The picnic/event – which began at nine in the morning before being abruptly shut down at three p.m. – attracted a crowd estimated by parks and recreation officials at being more than 2,500 people.
St. Louis Rams fans came from as far as Fresno to the north and Arizona – YES, Arizona – to the southwest to get together prior to the kick-off of the upcoming season.
Panoramic view of some of the more than 2,500 Rams fans who attended Saturday’s annual So. Cal. Rams Booster Club Picnic.
Former Los Angeles Rams players – including Frank Corral, A.J. “Jam” Jones and Doug Reed – were there signing autographs for everyone.
“I’m disappointed. I wanted to meet some of those players.” Said a Sheriff ‘s officer who aided in closing the event. “I’m a huge Rams fan from way back when they were here but rules are rules and we had to shut it down.”
A tremendous turnout for an area that’s been without a team since both the Rams and Raiders left after the 1994 season – 20 years ago.
“Some of the people at the event brought over-sized portable barbeques, a few were consuming alcoholic beverages,” said the parks and rec official adding, “That’s against the rules.”
The parks and rec official also told me some brought huge portable generators while others plugged into outlets in the available public restrooms causing a “tripping hazard” for park-goers.
“You can’t do that. It’s similar to when a request for concerts or movies in the park are made. You need permits for all of this,” explained the parks and rec official.
With a Sheriff’s department helicopter flying over-head, So. Cal Rams Booster Club president Ralph Valdez told me;
“We’ve had this picnic here the last seven years around this time and never been told to leave.”
The difference from those picnics prior to Saturday’s is that they never attracted more than 200 people – still a big enough number for an area without a team for 20 years.
Schabarum Park is a 575-acre facility with 75 acres developed for activities that include walking, hiking and picnics with “limited parking” provided.
The picnic areas are divided up into 11 locations with the largest sites having a group capacity of no more than 200 people.
According to the park’s picnic information sheet most of those are made available on a first-come first-served basis but with the largest areas requiring a non-refundable reservation/rental fee, a refundable “clean-up/security deposit” fee of between $150-$450 and may require proof of liability insurance showing the County of L.A. as “co-insured” for the amount $2-million.
“I wasn’t told any of that info. I was told picnic areas were first-come, first-served,” explained Valdez adding, “They have my contact info and never called me.”
Prior to this year, there really wasn’t any need to contact him.
That’s all changed with – to borrow from the parks and rec official – recent “amped up” talk of the NFL’s inevitable return to Los Angeles in the near future.
Candace Parker (3) led the Sparks with 24 points, seven rebounds and six assists in L.A.’s 77-65 win over Seattle Friday at Staples Center.
LOS ANGELES – Getting ready for a Western Conference Semi-Final showdown with either the defending WNBA Champion Minnesota Lynx or the Phoenix Mercury, the Los Angeles Sparks took care of business Friday night beating the Seattle Storm on Fan Appreciation Night at Staples Center, 77-65.
L.A. has one game remaining in the regular season before beginning the playoffs. Low and behold it could be a playoff preview with the Sparks finishing the regular season in Phoenix against Brittney Griner and the Mercury.
Candace Parker led the way for the Sparks (16-17) with 24 points to go along with seven rebounds and six assists and Kristi Toliver poured in 20 points and dished out six assists for the winners who held a 16 point half-time lead at 48-32 and led by as many as 20 in the third quarter at 56-36.
The Storm (12-21) – who were led by Jenna O’Hea’s 16 points – went on an 11-0 run closing the gap at 56-47 midway through the third and trailed by a 60-53 score at the end of the stanza but would get no closer.
“We were on the verge.” Said Sparks coach Penny Toler. “We were up by about 18 and then we got three or four sloppy turnovers. In a game like this you can’t do that.”
L.A. committed 20 turnovers giving up 22 points – seven of those in that third quarter that led to 11 Storm points- letting them right back in the ball game.
“We just wanted to get the win tonight. “ Said Parker. “It’s fan appreciation night, our last home game. I think we did a good job coming out but we just had spurts where we weren’t focused.”
13-year Storm veteran Sue Bird played just under five minutes and didn’t score for Seattle against the Sparks Friday night.
L.A. will have to show some focus Saturday night in Phoenix when they finish the regular season against the league’s best team – the Mercury – who’ve beaten L.A. in all their match ups this season.
A win coupled with a San Antonio loss gives the Sparks the third seed and they can pack their bags for an opening round series with the defending WNBA champion Minnesota Lynx.
Or L.A. gets the fourth seed and will stay in the Valley of the Sun and open the post season against the Mercury.
Kenley Jansen got Angels Mike Trout to strike out, Albert Pujols to fly out and Josh Hamilton to strike out for his 32nd save in Wednesday’s 2-1 Dodgers win over the Angels.
ANAHEIM – Talk about silencing a “murderers’ row” of major league hitters. That’s exactly what L.A. Dodgers’ closer Kenley Jansen did Wednesday night in the third game of the Freeway Series against the L.A. Angels.
To preserve a 2-1 Dodgers lead and earn his 32nd save, Jansen had to get out in succession Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton.
That’s like facing a line-up card for Home Run Derby on All-Star Monday night.
To open the 9th inning, lead-off hitter Kole Calhoun got on base with a single and then stole second base.
With nobody out and the tying run in scoring position, Jansen fell behind 3-0 to Trout. He reared back and came all the way back to strike out Trout swinging.
The next batter – Pujols – lifted a fly ball to center that was caught by Yasiel Puig for the second out.
The Angels last chance – in the form of Hamilton – ended with Jansen striking him out swinging for the third out, a Dodgers win and the save for Jansen.
That warranted some fist-pumping on the mound after sitting Hamilton down and that’s exactly what Jansen gave the crowd split with Dodgers and Angels faithful.
Jansen’s been doing plenty of fist-pumping. Since June 21st – a span of 17 appearances by the right-hander, he’s allowed just a single run in 17 and-a-third innings of relief working an .052 ERA in the process. Wednesday’s save was his 12th since the Summer Solstice in 13 opportunities.
In that span, Jansen’s allowed just one extra-base hit while striking out 24 batters and just two walks.
Safe to say if the Dodgers have a lead entering the ninth inning of any game, it should be a lock that Jansen shuts the door on opponents.
To get Jansen’s reaction to getting those three big outs in Wednesday’s 2-1 Dodgers win over the Angels, click on the video below.
Matt Kemp homered for the 6th time in the last nine games as the Dodgers beat the Angels, 2-1 Wednesday in Anaheim.
ANAHEIM, CA – Former Angel Dan Haren returned to Anaheim Wednesday night pitching three-hit ball into the eighth inning going perfect through six frames and guiding the Dodgers to a 2-1 win over the Angels in the third game of the Freeway Series at sold-out Angels Stadium.
The win lifted a huge Rally Monkey off Haren’s back after losing his previous five starts with a gargantuan 10.03 earned run average in those games.
The line on Haren (9-9) read seven and a third innings, allowing three hits an earned run while striking out four Halos.
Reigning National League Player of the Week Matt Kemp continued his torrid hitting lifting an Angels starter Matt Shoemaker offering into the bullpen in left for a lead-off, second-inning solo home run – his 14th of the season and and his 6th round-tripper in nine games – giving the Dodgers (65-50) a one-nothing lead.
Later in the inning, after Carl Crawford singled and then stole second base, Andre Ethier doubled to right driving in Crawford giving the Dodgers a two-nothing lead.
Not a bad outing for Shoemaker (9-4) who suffered the loss for the Angels. He went five innings, scattering six hits and striking out five allowing the two runs.
After getting on the board in the eighth inning when Chris Iannetta hit a sacrifice fly to Yasiel Puig in center scoring Erick Aybar from third, the Angels (67-46) had a chance in the ninth when Kole Calhoun hit a lead-off single of Dodgers’ closer Kenley Jansen with the heart of the Halos line-up coming up.
Calhoun then stole second and after falling behind Mike Trout at 3-0, Jansen came right back and struck Trout out swinging for the first out. Albert Pujols popped up for the second out to Puig in center. Josh Hamilton was the Angels’ last hope and Jansen struck him out swinging for the last out and his 32nd save of the season.
To hear post game comments from Matt Kemp and Dan Haren, click on the video below.
The Angels lost a golden opportunity to climb to within one game of first-place Oakland in the American League West after the A’s lost to Tampa Bay 7-3. the Halos remain two games behind Oakland in second place.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers maintained a two-and-a-half game lead over San Francisco in first place in the National League West with the Giants beating the Brewers in Milwaukee, 7-4.
Thursday night’s Freeway Series finale in Anaheim will pit the Dodgers’ Hun-Jin Ryu (12-5, 3.39 ERA) against the Angels’ C.J. Wilson (8-7, 4.74 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:10 pm PDT.
On Any Given Sports Day 