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From Sam Farmer: All people is in search of that positive factor, particularly on this city.
However this 12 months, with the NFL draft being held in Las Vegas for the primary time, there’s no consensus on who the No. 1 decide ought to be.
Probably, it is going to be somebody who can topple a quarterback like tumbling cube — a move rusher akin to Georgia’s Travon Walker, Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux or Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson — somebody who may also help the Jacksonville Jaguars bully their approach again to relevance.
“I’ve been taking part in soccer for a decade and now it’s like, bro, I don’t care the place I get drafted, I don’t care what occurs,” Thibodeaux mentioned. “It’s simply acquired to occur.”
The one participant from a Southern California college prone to be chosen in Thursday’s opening spherical is former USC receiver Drake London, probably a top-10 decide.
London, too, isn't a lot involved about when he hears his identify referred to as, solely that he ultimately hears it.
“I might be Mr. Irrelevant,” he mentioned, referring to the nickname for the ultimate choice in every draft. “On the finish of the day, I do know what my ability set is, I do know what I can deliver to the desk. So I really feel like I’m high quality.”
The ultimate Occasions mock draft is right here.
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KINGS
From Marisa Ingemi: The most important problem the Kings confronted on the night time they clinched a playoff berth was seeing it occur.
In Seattle forward of their recreation with the Kraken – a 5-3 win for Los Angeles on Wednesday night time – the Kings clinched their first postseason look since 2018 when the Dallas Stars beat the Vegas Golden Knights in a shootout Tuesday night time, ending simply the fifth multiyear playoff drought in franchise historical past.
Because the recreation was on ESPN+, and the Seattle Mariners have been taking part in dwell, head coach Todd McLellan needed to work to see the clinching second.
“They weren’t too eager on altering it, it’s clearly a reasonably good baseball metropolis right here,” he mentioned at Wednesday’s morning skate. “We have been excited, I didn’t watch with the gamers clearly, I watched with the workers and among the administration, however we have been all excited.”
The Kings, who will face the Edmonton Oilers within the first spherical of the playoffs, have been swept by the Golden Knights within the first spherical in 2018 and haven’t gained a playoff sequence since successful the 2014 Stanley Cup towards the New York Rangers.
McLellan wasn’t with the Kings the final time they reached the postseason. Solely 4 gamers — goaltender Jonathan Fast, main scorer Anze Kopitar, defenseman Drew Doughty and veteran proper wing Dustin Brown — have been part of the Kings groups that gained Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014. Solely Alex Iafallo and Adrian Kempe have been additionally a part of the 2018 playoff group.
“It’s been a very long time coming,” mentioned McLellan, who took over as Kings head coach in 2019-20 after 4 years in Edmonton. “I wasn’t right here for the start of the journey, however from once I acquired on the bus till now, there have been ups and downs. However the plan has been actually clear and the dedication to the plan has been sturdy. No one has wavered from it and that features all people from administration to the teaching workers and particularly the gamers. They knew what they signed up for when it began. It wasn’t at all times simple, however the 4 remaining Stanley Cup champs have dedicated to it and caught to it. Then, all people else alongside the way in which, discovered a solution to contribute to get again right here. It was certainly not simple and we’d wish to assume we've got lots of miles left in that journey.”
DODGERS
From Jack Harris: The Arizona Diamondbacks didn’t hit a ball out of the infield in Wednesday’s eighth inning.
To attain the successful runs of their 3-1 defeat of the Dodgers, they didn’t have to.
As a substitute, a sloppy sequence doomed the Dodgers for a second straight day. Reliever Daniel Hudson issued a leadoff stroll. Third baseman Max Muncy fired excessive on a bunt within the subsequent at-bat. And within the ensuing scramble, one run scored, one other runner ended up at third (resulting in a second run later within the inning), and the Diamondbacks had taken a lead they wouldn’t relinquish in a rubber-match win at Chase Area.
“Up till this sequence, I believed we performed good baseball, elementary baseball, catching it and throwing it precisely,” supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned. “This sequence we didn’t do an excellent job of that.”
Certainly, a day after they hit into 5 double performs (tying a franchise file within the dwell ball period) and have been punished for poorly timed walks and errant protection in a loss, the Dodgers (12-6) struggled with the identical points within the sequence finale.
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ANGELS
From Steve Henson: Energy — on the plate and on the mound — is the Angels’ signature function. Particularly when Shohei Ohtani is the pitcher and within the batting order.
But that doesn’t preclude supervisor Joe Maddon from using small ball when the state of affairs requires it. And laying the groundwork for it as properly. So when Tyler Wade laid down an beautiful bunt within the second inning, beating the throw by a half a step to load the bases with none out, it was the product of preparation.
Taylor Ward adopted with a grand slam, his third residence run in three video games, giving the Angels a cushion they by no means relinquished in a 9-5 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday night time at Angel Stadium. Ward additionally tripled and doubled, simply the latest instance of the Angels’ pop on the plate.
Ohtani survived a tough starting to ship the win, the Angels’ fourth in a row. Ward’s grand slam and Ohtani’s 97-mph fastballs turned indelible recollections for the followers, however Wade’s bunt confirmed the Angels can finesse in addition to pummel.
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Shaikin: Holding baseball in Anaheim has its worth
MATER DEI
From Invoice Plaschke: “I don’t have time to try this s—.”
In line with a sworn assertion by former Mater Dei athletic director Amanda Waters, that was the response of soccer coach Bruce Rollinson when she requested him to observe the varsity’s locker room.
She requested him as a result of she was apprehensive about stories of hazing. She requested him as a result of contained in the locker room she had seen a damaged mirror and a sink ripped off the wall. She requested him as a result of she was involved in regards to the security of the scholars.
She requested him no less than 10 occasions.
She mentioned his response was at all times the identical.
“I don’t have time to try this s—.”
As soon as once more, sadly, predictably, it's clear that Rollinson, Mater Dei and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange simply don’t have time to do the best factor.
As soon as once more, the famed Monarchs soccer program seems to be a cesspool of vanity, entitlement and callousness.
The most recent revelations appeared in a transcript of parts of Waters’ deposition contained in lawsuit filed towards Mater Dei and the Diocese of Orange on behalf of the household of a participant who suffered critical head accidents throughout a locker room combat in February 2021.
HORSE RACING
From John Cherwa: A retired New York State Supreme Courtroom justice, performing as a listening to officer, really useful that thoroughbred coach Bob Baffert be banned from horse racing within the state for 2 years. The advice isn't binding and can go to a three-person panel, which is anticipated to just accept the punishment.
The 50-page report by O. Peter Sherwood was issued on Saturday, however not introduced by the New York Racing Assn. till Wednesday.
“Even though Bob has by no means had a single remedy violation in New York, we anticipated this interim suggestion to the panel, which isn't NYRA’s last resolution,” Baffert legal professional Clark Brewster mentioned. “We are going to contest this suggestion till we finally discover a impartial, indifferent decision-maker that doesn’t rubber stamp the NYRA legal professionals’ calls for.”
The Corridor of Fame coach was charged in December with three counts: conduct detrimental to racing, and to the well being and security of horses and undermining the arrogance of sincere racing by the patrons of NYRA. An preliminary ban was issued by the racing affiliation on Might 17 of final 12 months, after the Preakness however earlier than the Belmont Stakes. After many authorized proceedings that stuffed the rest of the 12 months, Sherwood was named to be the listening to officer and he performed proceedings Jan. 24 to twenty-eight.
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1966 — Boston edges the Lakers 95-93 in Recreation 7, giving the Celtics and coach Purple Auerbach eight straight NBA titles. Auerbach, who introduced his retirement earlier, is changed by heart Invoice Russell, the primary Black head coach of a serious U.S. sports activities group.
1967 — Muhammad Ali refuses induction into the U.S. Armed Forces. He's arrested and the New York State Athletic Fee suspends his boxing license and strips him of his heavyweight title.
1987 — The NBA awards growth franchises to Charlotte, N.C. and Miami for 1988, and Minneapolis and Orlando, Fla., in 1989.
1990 — Boston set single-game NBA playoff data for scoring and capturing accuracy in a 157-128 rout of the New York Knicks to take a 2-0 lead of their first-round sequence.
1992 — Video replay is used to resolve a playoff recreation for the primary time. In recreation six of the Detroit-Minnesota division semifinal, Sergei Fedorov of the Purple Wings seems to hit the crossbar behind Minnesota goalie Jon Casey throughout time beyond regulation. The Stars ice the puck instantly, however referee Rob Shick requires a video evaluate. The replay reveals the puck enters the objective slightly below the crossbar and caroms off the body behind the online. Fedorov is awarded the objective to provide the Purple Wings a series-tying 1-0 victory.
1995 — Michael Jordan, in his first playoff recreation since his return from retirement, scored 48 factors because the Chicago Bulls beat the Charlotte Hornets 108-100.
1995 — The Orlando Magic give the Boston Celtics their worst defeat in group historical past, 124-77, in a playoff opener.
2001 — Colorado’s Patrick Roy units an NHL file together with his sixteenth profession playoff shutout, making 20 saves in a 2-0 win over the Kings.
2009 — Washington edges the New York Rangers 2-1 in Recreation 7 of their Jap Convention sequence to cap a comeback from a 3-games-to-1 deficit. It's the franchise’s first sequence victory because the 1997-98 season, when Washington made all of it the way in which to the Stanley Cup finals.
2010 — Montreal beats Washington 2-1 to finish a come-from-behind 4-3 sequence victory and get rid of the NHL’s greatest regular-season within the first spherical of the playoffs. The Canadiens are the ninth No. 8-seeded group to knock off a No. 1 in 32 matchups because the NHL went to its present playoff format in 1994 — and the primary to come back again from a 3-1 sequence deficit.
2011 — Canada’s Patrick Chan wins his first world determine skating title in file vogue. Chan units world data for the free skate and whole factors to say titles on the world determine skating championships in Moscow.
2016 — The Rams choose California quarterback Jared Goff with the No. 1 decide within the NFL draft, and the No. 2 choice for the Philadelphia Eagles is North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz. It’s the second straight 12 months that two QBs went 1-2 and the seventh time within the fashionable period of the draft since 1967.
Compiled by the Related Press
And eventually
Video replay determined the Detroit-Minnesota 1992 NHL playoff sequence. Watch and hear right here.
Till subsequent time...
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