‘Tough’ linebacker Junior Colson is a Charger

COSTA MESA – Linebacker Junior Colson is an impact player. He has speed. He’s not shy about delivering hard hits. More importantly, Colson has the confidence to be the player to solve the linebacking woes of the Los Angeles Chargers.   “I think that I’m bringing a lot to the Chargers with my skillset,” Colson said during a Zoom call with reporters. “I’m bringing my ferocity, the way that I play…

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Denver is just better than the Lakers

LOS ANGELES - For the Los Angeles Lakers, playing the world champion Denver Nuggets must feel like a recurring bad dream. They have now lost seven consecutive postseason games to Denver, and every time they play, you can squint and imagine you are watching a replay of the previous game. This matchup has run its course. The Nuggets are simply a better team than the Lakers. They have the best player in the series, Nikola Jokic, and a better head coach. On both ends of the floor, they do everything better as a team than the Lakers. Los Angeles has continuously hit Denver with its best shot, but it is not enough every time.  Second half starts now ? pic.twitter.com/EqCKsLk5B0— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) April 26, 2024 "They do not have a weakness offensively, especially their starting lineup. They have been one of the best-starting fives in our league over the last couple of years," said LeBron James. "It is definitely one of the better teams I have played against in my career." This is not the same team the Lakers beat in 2020 on their way to the championship. That team did not have Aaron Gordan or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Michael Porter Jr. was a rookie coming off the bench, and Nikola Jokic had yet to evolve into the most unstoppable player in the NBA. Los Angeles has led at the half in all three games during this series, and even when trailing, it always feels like Denver is in the driver's seat. Once the Lakers go up by double digits, it feels like the Nuggets have them right where they want them. "I think they are a little more locked in than we are when we come out of the half, and we have seen Denver throughout the year. They take advantage of every opportunity," said Gabe Vincent. The Lakers started game 3 on an 8-0 run, and Anthony Daivs scored 10 points in the first four minutes, but as the game went on, Los Angeles steadily declined in every category while Denver ascended to a near-perfect level of play. First 8 belong to us ?? pic.twitter.com/D2wvQd5MmX— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) April 26, 2024 Davis has been great in this series, scoring at least 32 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in every game. James is holding up his end, with at least 26 points and eight assists in all three contests. Neither of the Lakers stars has had an off night, and they still can not buy a win. In game 1, James tried to attack early and be a playmaker late. He took the opposite approach in game 2, setting up his teammates first and scoring 12 points in the fourth quarter. In game 3, he took what the defense gave him. None of these strategies resulted in a victory. "I think Dever is just beating us, to be honest. You can talk about adjustments, you can talk about this and that, but at the end of the day, we got to put our best foot forward and win basketball games. You can talk about everything else, but at the end of the day, you gotta man up and go win," said Austin Reaves. Jamal heatin' up ? 20 PTS / 3 REB / 6 AST pic.twitter.com/WbLiPjM8h1— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) April 26, 2024 The most frustrating part for Los Angeles is that they have never been blown out during any of the seven playoff losses and are only losing by an average of six points per game. It feels like they are so close, but in reality, they are so far away from being able to beat this team in a seven-game series. "Our focus right now is to try to get one. Try to get a game and then go from there," said Davis. Denver is the best team in the NBA for a reason. The Lakers will look to avoid being swept for a second straight season on Saturday, but the Nuggets are too good for the Lakers to come back and make this a series. Top Image caption: Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) has hit another milestone during his NBA career. Photo credit: Mark Hammond/The Bulletin/File Read the full article

‘Disruptive’ Jared Verse is Rams' first pick

HERMOSA BEACH - The Los Angeles Rams got it right last year. After doing some home purging of their roster, the Rams went the way of the NFL Draft to shore up their personnel. The Rams went with the youth movement.  The strategy paid off for head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead.  The Rams had 14 draft picks in 20223. All 14 of those draft picks wound up making the team. Several players, including defensive tackle Kobie Turner, offensive lineman Steve Avila, and wide receiver Puka Nacua produced stellar rookie debuts. 

PITTSBURGH, PA - NOVEMBER 04: Florida State Seminoles defensive lineman Jared Verse (5) rushes on defense during a college football game against the Pittsburgh Panthers on November 04, 2023 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire) The challenge for the Rams has been magnified with the retirement of star defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Even at the quarterback position with starter Matthew Stafford and backup Jimmy Garoppolo, another signal-caller would add more youth to that quarterback room.  The Rams came into the 2024 draft coming off a year in which they made a surprising playoff run, losing out to NFC Conference runner-up Detroit Lions. And so with the 19th overall pick in the draft this year, the Rams made Florida State edge rusher Jared Verse their selection.  “It’s a dream come true,” Verse said duing a Zoom press call with reporters. “You work your whole life for this moment. I talked to the Rams throughout the process. Last week I got to meet with them again and do one last interview with them and it felt like the right thing. As you go on, as you go through the whole process and hear them call my name with that Los Angeles Rams attached to it. Woo! Dream come true.” The hole on the defensive line created by the retirement of Donald simply called for the Rams to fill that void immediately. In his two seasons playing for the Seminoles, Verse recorded 18 sacks and 29.5 tackles for losses.  At 6-foot-4 and 254 pounds, Verse has the size to play at the NFL level.  His ability to create havoc in the offensive backfield could be attributed to the motor he has thanks to his track background. At the NFL Combine, Verse posted a 40-yard time of 4.58 seconds.  “It helps your footwork a lot because you can't make false steps,” Verse said. “If you make false steps in track, they don't care how fast you are, but in high school you might be able to get away. When you face top level competition your form has to be perfect, especially on the later runs like the 100 to 200 to 400, your strides become very important.”  “That's why when a quarterback or a running back gets of out the pocket, I have faith in my speed and my form to be able to catch up to him and do something like that. Even if they may be faster, their form is not better than mine,” he added.  Verse is the first player to be selected by the Rams in the first round since 2016. That was the year the Rams made Jared Goff, now the starting quarterback of the Detroit Lions, the face of their franchise.  The Rams have moved on from the Goff experiment and have won a Super Bowl since then with Matthew Stafford manning the quarterback position.  "The way he plays the game, from the first snap to the last snap of the game, he wears people down." ?? Coach McVay on @JaredVerse1 pic.twitter.com/Dpmsi4TFxm— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) April 26, 2024 The Rams want to make another Super Bowl run with Stafford. That means surrounding the veteran quarterback with all the right pieces to enable that to take place. Filling in the gap left behind by Donald was of the highest priority for the Rams. According to the overview of his draft profile, Verse is described as being “twitchy and compact, with explosiveness featured at the point of attack.” Translation: Verse is a disruptor, which McVay likes.   “He's got great hands. He's violent,” McVay said. “He's got a versatile arsenal of moves that he can activate, but he plays the game the way that we want it to be played. We're looking for grown men on defense and I think you've seen a lot of the guys that we've added through free agency and then with the first pick tonight, he was one of the guys that we had targeted and feel really good coming away with him. He's going to make a big impact.” One of the things that has Snead impressed with Verse is his passion for the game.  “The cool thing about him is where he started (at) Albany, transferred to Florida State," Snead said. "Might have gone about where he went tonight last year, but he decided to stay back. I can tell you about him. He's just one of those guys that you want to just watch another game on because you can tell he cares about football. He has fun playing football and oh, by the way, he's pretty disruptive, violent. You think defense, the way he plays is next to the word in the dictionary.” Top Image Caption: CHESTNUT HILL, MA - SEPTEMBER 16: Florida State Seminoles defensive lineman Jared Verse (5) in action during the college football game between Florida State Seminoles and Boston College Eagles on September 16, 2023, at Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, MA. (Photo by M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire) Read the full article

Rams select ‘disruptive’ Jared Verse as first pick

HERMOSA BEACH – The Los Angeles Rams got it right last year. After doing some home purging of their roster, the Rams went the way of the NFL Draft to shore up their personnel. The Rams went with the youth movement.  The strategy paid off for head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead.  The Rams had 14 draft picks in 20223. All 14 of those draft picks wound up making the team. Several…

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Murray’s dagger is a shot at Lakers’ heart   

The Los Angeles Lakers are in trouble. They know it. And everybody else knows it. The Lakers are halfway to going on summer vacation. By blowing a 20-point lead against the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers may have blown their chances to win their first-round series against the defending NBA champions.  Game 2 was a game the Lakers needed to win. They should have won but got no dice. As a result, Denver’s 101-99 win kept their feet on the Lakers’ neck.  Jamal Murray, probably one of the most underrated players in the entire NBA, dropped one of the most iconic finishes in postseason history when dropped back nailed a jumper over the outstretched hand of Anthony Davis as the buzzer sounded at the end of the fourth quarter to give the Nuggets a commanding 2-0 series lead against Los Angeles.  Can't stop watching https://t.co/IWU0TxQa2Q pic.twitter.com/StNCfxHTYj— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) April 23, 2024 When you think of game-winning shots in postseason history, the Lakers have had their share of breaking other team’s hearts. How about that 3-point dagger that Robert Horry hit for the Lakers against the Sacramento Kings?  Remember that? If that wasn’t enough, you cannot forget about that Derek Fisher Hail Mary game-winning basket against Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs,  The Lakers have often been on the winning side of game-winning shots. This time, the Nuggets hit the big one when it counted. How will the Lakers rebound from this devastating defeat? It was more than a tough loss for the purple and gold.  To come back from this defeat will take a Herculean effort by the Lakers collectively as a team. The loss by the Lakers is compounded by the fact that Los Angeles has lost 10 straight games to the Nuggets, including being swept in the West Conference Finals last year.  The epic collapse by the Lakers in Game 2 superseded the double-digit lead Los Angeles surrendered to Denver in a 114-103 defeat in Game 1. The Lakers outscored the Nuggets 31-20 in the second quarter to take control of the game.  By the time the third quarter rolled around, the Lakers increased their lead. The problem the Lakers ran into is that an NBA game is played in 48 minutes, not 36 (outside of overtime). Denver outscored Los Angeles 32-20 to finish the game with a flurry.  Outside of Murray’s incredible shot-winning basket, there were several factors that contributed to Denver getting a two-game jump over the Lakers.  For one, the Lakers turned the ball over 14 times. That’s never good. On a second note, Denver outscored the Lakers in the paint, holding a 54-38 advantage. Finally, how does any team stop Nikola Jokic? The Lakers have had no answer to slow down Jokic. In Game 2, Jokic was unstoppable, scoring 27 points, collecting 20 rebounds and handing out 10 assists.    He made this. pic.twitter.com/OTim2JoZRH— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) April 23, 2024 Making the defeat even harder to swallow is that both LeBron James and Anthony Davis played well. Davis, before Murray stuck that fadeaway jumper in his face at the buzzer, held his own against Jokic with 32 points and 11 rebounds. James answered with 26 points and 12 assists.  Game 3 and Game 4 are going to be interesting. Either the Lakers are going to fight their way back into the series or the Nuggets are going to break out the boom handles and sweep Los Angeles at Crypto.com Arena.  Right now, the Nuggets are like sharks in the water that smell blood. They’re coming. So now the Lakers have to go and protect their home court. Good luck with that. The Lakers don’t have an answer on how to stop Jokic. Murray has become indefensible, especially at crunch time.  The Lakers have to play desperate to have a chance to win the next two games. That might not be enough to keep Denver from finishing off this series quickly. Lead Photo Caption: Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) goes up for a shot against Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) during the second half in Game 2 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Monday, April 22, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey) Read the full article

Murray’s dagger is a shot at the Lakers’ heart   

The Los Angeles Lakers are in trouble. They know it. And everybody else knows it. The Lakers are halfway to going on summer vacation. By blowing a 20-point lead against the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers may have blown their chances to win their first-round series against the defending NBA champions.  Game 2 was a game the Lakers needed to win. They should have won but got no dice. As a result,…

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Clips take game 1 against Dallas

LOS ANGELES - Without Kawhi Leonard in Game 1 of their first round NBA playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks , the Los Angeles Clippers played with the energy they needed to jump out to the series lead. The Clippers attacked Dallas from the opening tip and proved they can advance even if their star player does not return. Ivica Zubac bullied the Mavericks down low from the start, scoring 10 points in the first quarter. James Harden was passive early but scored 11 points in four minutes down the stretch, going 3-3 from three-point range, to take a 34-22 lead into the second quarter.

Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac goes up for two of his 20 points against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of a NBA playoff first-round series played at Crypto.com Arena on April 21, 2024. Zubac also added 15 rebounds in the Clippers' 109-97 win. Photo credit: Mark Hammond/News4usonline Harden finished the game with 28 points and eight assists, and Zubac totaled 20 points and 15 rebounds. Postgame, several Mavericks' players and coaches credited Zubac's physicality as to why the Clippers were so successful. Playoff career-high for Big Zu ? ? 20 PTS | 15 REB pic.twitter.com/XOWEGXOeFX— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) April 22, 2024 "(Harden) understands that he doesn't have to do a lot of heavy lifting when Kawhi and PG are both on the floor, but when one of those guys is out, he has to step up and be aggressive scoring the basketball. That is what he has been doing for us as of late. I thought he really set the tone early, him and Zu, and then it kind of opened everything else up for us," said Tyronn Lue. The Clippers won this game in the second quarter with their defense, holding the Mavericks to eight points. To put things into context, Dallas was the seventh-best team in the NBA scoring basketball this season, averaging just under 118 points per game. They also have the league's leading scorer, Luka Doncic, who is averaging 34 points per game this year. Holding them to eight points is nothing short of spectacular. "I thought we did a great job in that second quarter of keeping them to 22 points, but we just couldn't throw it in the ocean. We missed layups, free throws, and wide-open shots," said head coach Jason Kidd. "Ready to get ready for Game 2" -James Harden pic.twitter.com/wk1HT2XchF— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) April 21, 2024 The defensive game plan is clear. Defend Luka well enough to make him take difficult shots while not allowing him to be the playmaker he is capable of being. LA held the MVP finalist to six assists, his fewest in eight games. Doncic was second among all players in that category this year. The Clippers changed their look and used different primary defenders on Doncic, including Terance Mann, Amir Coffey, and Russell Westbrook at times. They also attacked him continuously when they were on offense to wear him down.

Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook (0) scored 13 points in the team's 109-97 Game 1 NBA playoff win against the Dallas Mavericks on April 21, 2024. Photo credit: Mark Hammond/News4usonline Doncic and Kyrie Irving both scored over 30 points in the loss, but no one else was able to get going. Dallas was held to a season-low 14 assists as a team, something they must address before game two. "It is a war out there in the playoffs, metaphorically speaking, of course. We have to enjoy it and have fun, but at the same time, bring it to these guys. We are going against some Hall of Famers, so they are not going to make it easy," said Irving. "We just have to pay attention to what we can control." There is little doubt the Mavericks will bounce back from the disappointing showing. This team has too much talent and finished the regular season on a roll. Adjustments will be made, and game two is a fresh set of 48 minutes. The Clippers' biggest concerns coming into the series were Kawhi Leonard's availability and containing Luka Doncic. Leonard sat out while Doncic scored 33 points, yet LA got the win relatively easily. Read the full article

Izaiah Montaque Harris taps into 'Funny Girl'

(News4usonline) – The role of Eddie Ryan is a fascinating character in the hit Broadway musical “Funny Girl.” On a national tour with Southern California stops at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles and the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, “Funny Girl” gets a wow for its entertainment value.  Fanny Brice (Katerina McCrimmon) is the over-the-top star of the show as a comedienne and…

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Rev. Dr. Cecil 'Chip' Murray was L.A.'s fixer

(News4usonline) - Rev. Dr. Cecil "Chip" Murray, an icon to the Los Angeles community during the 1992 riots, passed away at the age of 94 on April 5, 2024. He was the first pastor of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles in 1977. During his time as a pastor, he transformed a small congregation of 250 into an 18,000-person church with multi-million dollar community and economic development programs that brought many jobs and housing, according to the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture website. We are humbled and honored to continue the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Cecil L. Murray. His family has asked donations to be directed to Rev. Murray’s Circle of Support: https://t.co/D9ZLdZ2KhG. We will share the livestream for his funeral services here next week. pic.twitter.com/Udvosn5iSQ— USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture (@usccrcc) April 18, 2024 He later was appointed as the John R. Tansey Chair of Christian Ethics in the School of Religion at the University of Southern California. Dr. Anthony Asadullah Samad, who is the Executive Director of the Mervyn Dymally African American Political and Economic Institute (MDAAPEI) on the campus of California State Dominguez Hills, said Rev. Murray was a lot of things to a lot of people. “Reverend Murray was not just a icon in the Los Angeles community,” said Samad. “Not just the  Black Los Angeles community, but the Los Angeles community. But he was also a personal mentor.” Samad first joined  First AME Church in 1981 and when he left the church, Rev. Murray was a senior pastor at the time. The significance that Rev. Murray was that he continued the tradition of Black radical Christian theology from a church that had religious activists. “What projected First AME into the national limelight was on the day that the four police officers were pronounced not guilty, April 29, 1992,” said Samad. “Tom Bradley was holding a town hall gathering, sort of to pray for the city. And we came out of the church and the church was on fire.” California mourns the passing of Reverend Dr. Cecil Murray—a landmark civil rights activist and spiritual leader. He was a tower of strength for the Black community in Los Angeles. His impact will continue to be felt by millions for generations to come.https://t.co/wS67HnFJsc— California Governor (@CAgovernor) April 11, 2024 First AME Church became “the center of the frustration and expressions of the Black community” according to Samad. However, it was not just the Black community that Rev. Murray had a direct impact on. He also reached out to the Latino and Asian communities as well. Under Rev. Murray's leadership, First AME Church grew from roughly 250 members to more than 18,000 members by the time he retired 27 years later. “Cecil Murray basically took what was a dying congregation and built it over a 28-year period,” said Samad. Rev. Murray was born on September 26, 1929, in Lakeland, Florida. He grew up in the segregated South. He graduated from Florida  Agricultural and Mechanical University and then earned his PhD from the School of Theology at Claremont College. After the 1992 Los Angeles riots, Rev. Murray and First AME Church began to rebuild the L.A community. “Through a grant from State Farm, (they) built a nonprofit called L.A. Renaissance that began to build housing and build businesses and rebuild what had been destroyed in the L.A. riots of 92,” said Samad. “So first AME became the go-to location for community mobilization. And Reverend Chip Murray was that focus.” “Rev. Murray became the model for using religion and using churches to advocate for the poor,” Samad added. After Rev. Murray retired from the First AME Church after 27 years, he then began teaching his theology around social advocacy and fighting social injustice where he would teach young ministers how to use the church to address social injustices. I was honored to celebrate the distinguished career of Rev. Cecil Murray. Incredible legacy of bridging communities and uplifting our world. https://t.co/HBHXiWfMtl pic.twitter.com/aekja08DGo— Carol Folt (@PresidentFolt) September 23, 2022 He also had a center named after him, the Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement. The center helps faith leaders to transform underserved communities. But besides being an icon to the greater Los Angeles community and being the backbone of the Black residents during a time of instability, Rev. Murray was a person with a good heart, Samad said. “He was a beautiful person, always positive. There was a lesson in every engagement with him in terms of helping people sort through differences, mitigating conflict,” Samad remarked. “He never closed the church doors when the community was trying to address an issue.” “So he was a person who basically sought to bring people together and he'll be remembered for that. He'll be remembered as a builder, as a peacemaker. Blessed are the peacemakers, so that they will inherit the earth. So that will be his legacy and his memory,” added Samad. Top Image Caption: FILE - The Rev. Cecil Murray delivers a benediction at the conclusion of a memorial service, at the Shrine Auditorium, Wednesday, April 18, 2012, in Los Angeles. Murray, an influential pastor and civil rights leader who gained international attention for his efforts to help Los Angeles recover from one of the country's worst race riots, died Friday, April 5, 2024. He was 94. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times via AP, Pool, File) Read the full article

Katerina McCrimmon gives ‘Funny Girl’ its soul   

LOS ANGELES (News4usonline) – When you think of Funny Girl, you think of the humorous wit and big voice of Fanny Brice. You also think of Barbara Streisand. Streisand, who won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Fanny in the 1968 film after playing the character on stage for several years.  Streisand is considered the gold standard in playing that role. Anyone else attempting to portray Fanny…

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Dawn Staley leads South Carolina to title

(News4usonline) - Greatness speaks for itself. For head coach Dawn Staley and her South Carolina women's basketball team, the word great will always be tagged along with what they achieved during the 2023-2024 season. And they did it their way. "I'm super excited to share this moment with our team," Staley said after South Carolina beat Iowa in the national championship game. "They are incredible human beings and young people who trusted, believed and figured out a way to help each other, learn and grow, and ultimately become champions." Most Outstanding Player, @Kamillascsilva! @GamecockWBB#WFinalFour x #NationalChampionship pic.twitter.com/YWImUlkGyu— NCAA Women's Final Four (@WFinalFour) April 7, 2024 The Gamecocks believed in what Staley was telling them all season. The journey for Staley and South Carolina took place months ago with sweat and wrapped up with a celebration. To do what Staley and South Carolina did is remarkable. When people discuss lifting women's basketball to another level, LSU and Angel Reece did it last season. Without question, Staley and South Carolina winning the national title and staying undefeated for the entire season is another example of this type of greatness. You don't go out and win 38 games straight (38-0) without greatness being attached to your name. You can go ahead and put that label right next door to Staley and South Carolina's legacy. "It means a lot to do it with this group of girls," South Carolina guard Raven Johnson said. "If you guys would have seen us, just the stuff we went through in the summer and the hard work we put in, we deserve this honestly. Coach, she gives us so much leeway. She let us be loose. She just let us be who we are. It's just so much stuff that we go through." In last year's Final Four, it was Iowa that was doing all the smiling and celebrating after beating the Gamecocks. A year later, Staley and South Carolina are now the ones smiling after beating Iowa, 87-75, to win the national title. Johnson talked about what it's been like playing for Staley. "The GOAT, you mean the Dawn Staley? It means a lot just to play -- just to learn from her," Johnson remarked. "She's like a mom. I mean, I don't know, I go to her about everything. I could joke around with her. I could do anything, just anything." "She's like a mom, like a home away from home. It's a home-away-from-home feeling." There's no better way to have a coach like her and be so comfortable around her. And I take pride in what she do for us, on and off the court, not just basketball," Johnson added. Te-Hina Paopao echoed her teammates' thoughts about Staley. Dawn is a whole mood! @GamecockWBB #WFinalFour x #NationalChampionship pic.twitter.com/dXWSfFGuAY— NCAA Women's Final Four (@WFinalFour) April 7, 2024 "Man, she's so important to have in people's lives. She's amazing," Paopao said. "God has put her in my life, and she's impacted it so much, not only me, but my family. She changes lives for the better. I wish you guys could experience that and just how much she's helped me as a player and as a woman." The accolades can't come enough for Staley. South Carolina. The Gamecocks are the 10th women's basketball team to go unbeaten in a season. This is the third national title the Gamecocks have won under the watchful eye of Staley. This championship, however, carried a little bit more weight to Staley than the other two, she said. "Well, it was emotional for me because of how it ended last year. I'll leave that there," Staley quipped. "And I was emotional at the beginning of the game because I didn't want what happened last year to happen this year. So I was handling things in real time, not afterwards." "I'm going to move to handling things in real time and not having to wait until there's an ending that shouldn't be. I was like that throughout the entire season, but for this one I wasn't going to allow what I felt happened to us last year to happen this year. So I had a little bit of PTSD, and I addressed it in real time. I mean, it's heavy, it's heavy. You carry the burden of every single one of your players, all the coaches and staff members that put so much into our team. And it's a heavy load to be undefeated, to finish the job," Staley added. Staley and the Gamecocks started off dominating the SEC Conference and concluded with an unblemished mark, going 16-0. 2024 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS ? @GamecockWBB #WFinalFour x #NationalChampionship pic.twitter.com/Ns40zsUaua— NCAA Women's Final Four (@WFinalFour) April 7, 2024 South Carolina went undefeated in conference games while they battled and played against formidable opponents like Angel Reece and LSU. Staley and the Gamecocks rolled through one opponent after another throughout the season. Then came the NCAA Women's Tournament. It proved no different. Staley and South Carolina pushed right on through, advancing to the Final Four. South Carolina took care of business against North Carolina State before reaching the title against Iowa. Another challenge. Another obstacle standing in the way of greatness. Individual achievement is wonderful, but winning a championship is what you're measured by in team sports. South Carolina has a group of talented individuals who came together collectively as a team to make all of their dreams come true, and that is to win a national championship. Staley views herself as a caretaker. She is going to make sure things are done right. The success she and South Carolina have achieved on and off the court can be attributed to doing things decently and in order. "Well, it means that we have quietly done things, in my opinion, the right way," Staley said. "We find the right pieces to help us. We really do things the right way. We're very disciplined in how we approach basketball." She continued, "I am one that, I'm forever indebted to basketball, so I'm always going to take care of it. I'm always going to make sure that our players are respectful. I'm always going to make sure that they know the history of our game. I want to make sure they are always respectful to our opponents." Top Image Caption: South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley during the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament between the Tennessee Volunteers and the South Carolina Gamecocks March 9, 2024 at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C. (Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire) Read the full article

Postseason lay ahead for comeback Clippers

LOS ANGELES (News4usonline) - The Clippers pulled off a 26-point comeback win over the Cavaliers despite being without Kawhi Leonard. It is the fourth straight game Los Angeles has played without their best player, and it is unclear exactly when he will return to the starting lineup. "I'm not sure," said Tyronn Lue when asked if Leonard will be available for their next game. "I don't have any level of concern," added Lue.

Los Angeles Clippers guard Paul George scored 39 points in a 120-118 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Crypto.com Arena on April 7, 2024. Photo credit: Dennis J. Freeman/News4usonline The organization is likely being cautious with a player who has had multiple postseason knee injuries during his tenure in Los Angeles. However, it is still concerning that Leonard has missed this much time right before what they hope will be a deep playoff run. In the middle of the season, the Clippers easily looked like one of the best teams in the NBA, and there were a number of reasons to believe they might break through and win their first championship. If Leonard is not feeling right, the Clippers' expectations plummet. "We are still fighting for that four seed. We understand that we have a chance to clinch it, or we don't have a chance to clinch it. Right now, our focus is on playing better basketball, continuing to get better, and getting up as far as we can in terms of seeding," said Lue. The Clippers' biggest weakness has become a glaring problem that could be difficult to overcome when the level of competition is heightened. The Clippers simply have no answer for teams with top-tier big men. Even though they pulled off the win against Cleveland, the Clippers allowed Even Mobley and Jarrett Allen to combine for 37 points. Mobley had double figures in the first quarter, helping the Cavaliers build the early lead. Their last loss came at the hands of Sacramento when the Clippers allowed Domantas Sabonis to grab 20 rebounds, seven on the offensive end. Luckily, it looks like the Clippers will face the Mavericks in their first-round matchup. Dallas's offense is heavily dominated by guards, with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving running the show. They lack the ability to get production from their post players consistently. A series with the Mavericks brings back into play the health of Kawhi Leonard. If he is not able to give maximum effort on the defensive side of the floor Doncic and Irving will have their way scoring the basketball.

Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook (0) drives to the basket in a 120-118 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Crypto.com Arena on April 7, 2024. Photo credit: Dennis J. Freeman/News4usonline "These situations aren't ideal, but it is nice when we find a way to kind of just rally together. I thought this was a game where we really just dug down, and that second half was special," said Paul George. With Leonard out and James Harden not playing at all in the fourth quarter, George put the team on his back down the stretch. He scored 39 points, including the game-winning basket, while also grabbing 11 boards and dishing out seven assists. The win is a huge positive for the team, as it shows that they can beat quality opponents when they are not at their best. The goal is a championship, though, and the Clippers will need to be at their best to compete for one. Read the full article

5 QBs expected to be NFL game-changers  

The 2024 NFL Draft has a lot of teams in need of a franchise quarterback. Let’s start with the obvious. It’s just about a foregone conclusion that the Chicago Bears, after giving up and trading away Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers, will take Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick.  Unless some foreseen incident takes place, Williams is a virtual lock to be drafted by the Bears. The rest of the draft order, especially in the first round, is up in the air. When you look at the draft order and the number of teams thirsty for the next great signal-caller, there could be as many as seven quarterbacks taken on the first day. 

USC quarterback Caleb Williams (13) goes back to pass against Nevada in the Trojans' 66-14 win on Sept. 2, 2023. Photo by Melinda Meijer/News4usonline Think about it. Chicago, Washington, New England, Minnesota, Denver, and Las Vegas have holes to be filled at the quarterback position. Teams like the Rams and New York Jets, with Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford entering their twilight years, could also be in the hunt for a quarterback.  The Rams have the No. 19 overall pick in the first round. Even though the team went out and signed veteran Jimmy Garappolo this offseason to back up Stafford. The signing of Garappolo could be a stopgap between the present and future for Sean McVay’s team. The rest of the first round is going to be wild.  Right now there is a lot of speculation and predictions about what quarterback will go where. There is nothing really predictable about the draft. Picking quarterbacks ahead of the NFL's biggest weekend outside of the Super Bowl is a lot like picking the lottery. It’s a guessing game.  When it comes to the quarterback in this year’s draft, there are lots of quality players lined up at the position. Just like picking a winning lottery ticket, we’re going pick our Top 5 quarterbacks in this year’s class who figure to have an immediate impact in their rookie seasons. 

Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) goes back to pass against the defense of the Oregon Ducks in the Pac-12 Conference Championship. Photo credit: Melinda Meijer/News4usonline Michael Penix Jr. University of Washington  People slept on Michael Penix Jr. up until the national title game. To a degree, they are still sleeping on him. While other quarterbacks have enjoyed more notoriety, Penix proved to the doubters and haters he is that dude you want running your franchise.  During the 2022 season, Penix completed 65 percent of his passes for 4,651 yards and 31 touchdowns. He followed up that campaign with an even better 2023 season, passing for 4,903 yards and 36 passes, while also completing 65 percent of his passes.  Numbers are nice, but Penix is a big-time thrower. He can find a seam in the middle of a needle. Wherever he goes, the 2023 Heisman Trophy runner-up will show his pro team that he was well worth the draft capital.  Caleb Williams University of Southern California  The best way to describe Caleb Willams and what he does on the football field would be like trying to figure out how Harry Houdini did his magic tricks. You see him. Then you don’t. When defenders thought they had Williams bottled up for a sack the next thing you know, he’s galloping down the field.   Making defenders miss became routine for Williams at the college level. So much so that his elusiveness helped him win the Heisman Trophy in his first season as a Trojan. Williams was a good quarterback at the University of Oklahoma, where he started his collegiate career.  He became a great quarterback and a can’t-miss NFL draft prospect while playing under Lincoln Riley at the University of Southern California. For teams (Chicago) looking for passing accuracy and playmaking abilities, Williams has all the tools. Hopefully, for Chicago fans, all the excitement and hype surrounding Williams will translate into more wins than losses. 

Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix passed for 239 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-31 loss to the Washington Huskies in the 2023 Pac-12 Conference Championship. Photo credit: Melinda Meijer/News4usonline Jayden Daniels LSU  Jayden Daniels is the real deal. Believe it or not, Daniels had a completed passing percentage of 72 percent during the 2023 college football season. That kind of pinpoint accuracy resulted in Daniels passing for 40 touchdowns against just four interceptions, while he torched opponents for 3,812 yards through the air.  Oh, yeah. I almost forgot to mention the other part of his game that makes Daniel lethal at the quarterback position.  Aside from bombarding defenses with his aerial attack, Daniels is also a game-breaker on the ground. Daniels rushed for 1,134 yards and 10 scores during his Heisman Trophy-winning season.  That’s 50 touchdowns and 4,976 yards in total offense. That’s mind-boggling.  Now Daniels will take his dual-threat abilities to the next level where expectations are going to be high for him to turn into this juggernaut play. That may come, but he wll have to adapt to the ways of the NFL. Or it just might be the other way around.   Bo Nix University of Oregon  Believe it or not, Bo Nix proved to be more efficient throwing the football than Penix, Williams, and Daniels. During his outstanding 2023 season, Nix threw or 4,508 yards and 45 touchdowns compared to having only three passed picked off. Now that is just plain next-level stuff.  Something must be in the water in Oregon. A few years back, Justin Herbert came through the Ducks’ quarterback pipeline. All Herbert has done is rewrite multiple NFL records during his brief career. While he is not as tall as Herbert, Nix possesses some of the attributes of the Los Angeles Chargers quarterback.  He’s big, physical, and fast. And we know Nix can throw the ball. With the right team and the right coach, Nix can be a franchise changer.   Jordan Travis Florida State University  Before he went down with a devastating leg injury against North Alabama last season, Jordan Travis was having a spectacular senior year. That injury cost Travis in a big way. Up until that injury, Travis was knee-deep in the Heisman Trophy conversation and looked to be a high draft pick in this year’s draft.      Before his season and collegiate career ended, Travis had completed 63 percent of his passes, good enough for 2,756 yards and 20 touchdowns through the air. Without question, the injury flipped the trajectory of where Travis would be selected. A deep quarterback class would have been deeper if Travis was at 100 percent. Without question, Travis would have been a first day or second day pick. He could still be a player project for a team patient enough for him to learn the NFL game on the bench. But if he gets a chance to do his thing, Travis will show everyone he has enough game to be a difference-maker. Top Image Caption: USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams (13) scrambles to make a play against Stanford during a 56-10 win at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sept. 9, 2023. Photo by Sammy Saludo/News4usonline Read the full article

5 QBs expected to be NFL game-changers  

The 2024 NFL Draft has a lot of teams in need of a franchise quarterback. Let’s start with the obvious. It’s just about a foregone conclusion that the Chicago Bears, after giving up and trading away Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers, will take Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick.  Unless some foreseen incident takes place, Williams is a virtual lock to be drafted by the Bears. The rest of the draft order, especially in the first round, is up in the air. When you look at the draft order and the number of teams thirsty for the next great signal-caller, there could be as many as seven quarterbacks taken on the first day. 

USC quarterback Caleb Williams (13) goes back to pass against Nevada in the Trojans' 66-14 win on Sept. 2, 2023. Photo by Melinda Meijer/News4usonline Think about it. Chicago, Washington, New England, Minnesota, Denver, and Las Vegas have holes to be filled at the quarterback position. Teams like the Rams and New York Jets, with Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford entering their twilight years, could also be in the hunt for a quarterback.  The Rams have the No. 19 overall pick in the first round. Even though the team went out and signed veteran Jimmy Garappolo this offseason to back up Stafford. The signing of Garappolo could be a stopgap between the present and future for Sean McVay’s team. The rest of the first round is going to be wild.  Right now there is a lot of speculation and predictions about what quarterback will go where. There is nothing really predictable about the draft. Picking quarterbacks ahead of the NFL's biggest weekend outside of the Super Bowl is a lot like picking the lottery. It’s a guessing game.  When it comes to the quarterback in this year’s draft, there are lots of quality players lined up at the position. Just like picking a winning lottery ticket, we’re going pick our Top 5 quarterbacks in this year’s class who figure to have an immediate impact in their rookie seasons. 

Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) goes back to pass against the defense of the Oregon Ducks in the Pac-12 Conference Championship. Photo credit: Melinda Meijer/News4usonline Michael Penix Jr. University of Washington  People slept on Michael Penix Jr. up until the national title game. To a degree, they are still sleeping on him. While other quarterbacks have enjoyed more notoriety, Penix proved to the doubters and haters he is that dude you want running your franchise.  During the 2022 season, Penix completed 65 percent of his passes for 4,651 yards and 31 touchdowns. He followed up that campaign with an even better 2023 season, passing for 4,903 yards and 36 passes, while also completing 65 percent of his passes.  Numbers are nice, but Penix is a big-time thrower. He can find a seam in the middle of a needle. Wherever he goes, the 2023 Heisman Trophy runner-up will show his pro team that he was well worth the draft capital.  Caleb Williams University of Southern California  The best way to describe Caleb Willams and what he does on the football field would be like trying to figure out how Harry Houdini did his magic tricks. You see him. Then you don’t. When defenders thought they had Williams bottled up for a sack the next thing you know, he’s galloping down the field.   Making defenders miss became routine for Williams at the college level. So much so that his elusiveness helped him win the Heisman Trophy in his first season as a Trojan. Williams was a good quarterback at the University of Oklahoma, where he started his collegiate career.  He became a great quarterback and a can’t-miss NFL draft prospect while playing under Lincoln Riley at the University of Southern California. For teams (Chicago) looking for passing accuracy and playmaking abilities, Williams has all the tools. Hopefully, for Chicago fans, all the excitement and hype surrounding Williams will translate into more wins than losses. 

Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix passed for 239 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-31 loss to the Washington Huskies in the 2023 Pac-12 Conference Championship. Photo credit: Melinda Meijer/News4usonline Jayden Daniels LSU  Jayden Daniels is the real deal. Believe it or not, Daniels had a completed passing percentage of 72 percent during the 2023 college football season. That kind of pinpoint accuracy resulted in Daniels passing for 40 touchdowns against just four interceptions, while he torched opponents for 3,812 yards through the air.  Oh, yeah. I almost forgot to mention the other part of his game that makes Daniel lethal at the quarterback position.  Aside from bombarding defenses with his aerial attack, Daniels is also a game-breaker on the ground. Daniels rushed for 1,134 yards and 10 scores during his Heisman Trophy-winning season.  That’s 50 touchdowns and 4,976 yards in total offense. That’s mind-boggling.  Now Daniels will take his dual-threat abilities to the next level where expectations are going to be high for him to turn into this juggernaut play. That may come, but he wll have to adapt to the ways of the NFL. Or it just might be the other way around.   Bo Nix University of Oregon  Believe it or not, Bo Nix proved to be more efficient throwing the football than Penix, Williams, and Daniels. During his outstanding 2023 season, Nix threw or 4,508 yards and 45 touchdowns compared to having only three passed picked off. Now that is just plain next-level stuff.  Something must be in the water in Oregon. A few years back, Justin Herbert came through the Ducks’ quarterback pipeline. All Herbert has done is rewrite multiple NFL records during his brief career. While he is not as tall as Herbert, Nix possesses some of the attributes of the Los Angeles Chargers quarterback.  He’s big, physical, and fast. And we know Nix can throw the ball. With the right team and the right coach, Nix can be a franchise changer.   Jordan Travis Florida State University  Before he went down with a devastating leg injury against North Alabama last season, Jordan Travis was having a spectacular senior year. That injury cost Travis in a big way. Up until that injury, Travis was knee-deep in the Heisman Trophy conversation and looked to be a high draft pick in this year’s draft.      Before his season and collegiate career ended, Travis had completed 63 percent of his passes, good enough for 2,756 yards and 20 touchdowns through the air. Without question, the injury flipped the trajectory of where Travis would be selected. A deep quarterback class would have been deeper if Travis was at 100 percent. Without question, Travis would have been a first day or second day pick. He could still be a player project for a team patient enough for him to learn the NFL game on the bench. But if he gets a chance to do his thing, Travis will show everyone he has enough game to be a difference-maker. Top Image Caption: USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams (13) scrambles to make a play against Stanford during a 56-10 win at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sept. 9, 2023. Photo by Sammy Saludo/News4usonline Read the full article

King's murder fueled Olympic boycott talk

Ed Temple was fully aware of what was going on around him. The young women he coached at Tennessee State University knew what time it was as well. This wasn’t the time to go dancing in the streets. The acts of rebellion spilled out over the United States like a dark cloud of sawdust by the time 1968 rolled around. Revolt and defiance were heavy in the air. Black athletes were just as attached to the movement for the call of social justice as civil rights leaders.     As black Americans, these individuals wanted to do their part to help bring about change as the next man. The fact that they were cheered while in athletic competition didn’t shade them from the full-frontal bigotry they endured and being treated with less respect than a cup of spit. Racism was just as embedded in this country’s falsehood of democracy as a slice of apple pie.

Dr. John Carlos (left) and Dr. Tommie Smith finished first and third in the men's 200 meters at the 1968 Summer Olympics. The two men later engaged in a human rights demonstration on the victory stand which resulted in the pair being sent back home immediately. Carlos and Smith are now revered for the stance they took in Mexico City, Mexico. Photo credit: San Jose State University It certainly was not a walk in the park.   That was highlighted in a call to arms as discussions of a full-fledged boycott by black athletes heated up as the 1968 Summer Olympics approached. This wasn’t something new to Temple. He had seen this drama play out before. Mal Whitfield, a three-time gold medalist and a former Tuskegee Airman with certified combat duty, called for black athletes to boycott and ditch the 1964 Tokyo Olympics altogether. Whitfield felt America needed to live up to its standard of treating all its citizens equally. The country, he reasoned, fell way short of that goal when it came to Negro Americans as he wrote in a commentary to Ebony magazine. “I advocate that every Negro athlete eligible to participate in the Olympic Games in Japan next October boycott the games if Negro Americans by that time have not been guaranteed full and equal rights as first-class citizens,” Whitfield said in the March 1964 edition of Ebony. “I make this proposal for two reasons: First, it is time for American Negro athletes to join in the civil rights fight – a fight that is far from won, despite certain progress made during the past year. For the most part, Negro athletes have been conspicuous by their absence from the numerous civil rights battles around the country. Second, it is time for America to live up to its promises of Liberty, Equality and Justice for all, or be shown up to the worlds as a nation where the color of one’s skin takes precedence over the quality of one’s mind and character,” Whitfield added.

Dr. Tommie Smith, speaking to an audience at the Santa Monica World Peace Ikeda Auditorium on Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 15, 2018, re-enacts the gloved-fist, Black Power salute that he and Dr. John Carlos exhibited at the 1968 Olympics. Photo by Dennis J. Freeman/News4usonline Dr. Harry Edwards and the Olympic Project for Human Rights (OPHR) picked up the mantle that Whitfield left behind. Edwards and OPHR, with card-carrying members Tommie Smith and Lee Evans, meant business about gutting the appearance of American black athletes at the Mexico City, Mexico Olympics. They had a pretty good impetus for this to come to fruition. To OPHR, athletics was just another arm of injustice used against black Americans. Starting with Muhammad Ali fighting to get back his heavyweight championship belt, OPHR wanted to see change. Ali saw his heavyweight title stripped because of his refusal to go into the United States military draft. OPHR also wanted the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to rid itself of president Avery Brundage, the same man who brokered the deal that gave Adolf Hitler the 1936 Berlin Olympics.  With these and other demands going on deaf ears, Edwards and OPHR ramped up their efforts to arouse the consciousness of the black athlete. It seemed to work. Dozens of colleges and universities were left to deal with the upheaval of black athletes requesting better treatment. Protest had been years in the making, so by the time 1968 rolled around, the black athlete was sick and tired of being sick and tired about the perceived abuse they faced.    In Smith, OPHR had the perfect national shot-caller. Smith was on top of the food chain in track and field, having collected 10 world records before he even set foot in Mexico City. His penned letter “Why Negroes Should Boycott the Olympics,” placed Smith alongside Whitfield in the bodacious Negro department.

Dr. Harry Edwards, who established the Olympic Project for Human Rights (OPHR), speaks at the San Jose University's Inspiration to Innovation Gala 2018 at the Events Center on the campus of San Jose State University on Thursday, Oct. 18, 2018, in San Jose, Calif. ( Josie Lepe/San Jose State University ) The one major difference was that Whitfield had already put behind his Olympic glory days. Smith was aiming to get his moment to shine, should it come to pass. He wasn’t too concerned about that. Smith was more alarmed at the way black Americans were treated.           As far as Evans, the introspective quarter-miler sort of blended in the background but had the same mindset as his “Speed City” brethren that something had to change…and change soon.               John Carlos decided to hop aboard the mutiny train after attending an OPHR meeting in which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights stalwarts made an appearance. According to Carlos, King wanted a full-fledged strategy behind the idea. The talk of a black athlete boycott was getting serious.             “Dr. King made it clear from the beginning that he wasn’t just there to lend moral support,” Carlos said in his book, “The John Carlos Story. “He wanted to help us out hammer a plan and he made it clear that he a public support of the Olympic boycott.” Temple didn’t want his runners to get too caught up in the outside noise that could possibly distract them from what he wanted them to achieve. That outside noise, however, was too loud for anyone to put their heads in the sand and pretend racial tensions had not become the epicenter of the nation’s pulse. The state of Tennessee was in the middle of all this noise when King took a gunman’s bullet on the side of the neck in the spring of 1968. The assassination of the civil rights icon in Memphis set off rioting in hundreds of cities. Temple and his group of athletes could not escape the reality of being black in America.      “I was devastated and sad like everybody else,” Temple said. “It happened in Memphis, Tennessee, so it happened not too far away from us. We felt like everybody else.” This article is an excerpt from a forthcoming book written by Dennis J. Freeman about the Olympics and the legendary Tennessee State Tigerbelles Read the full article

'I never bet on baseball,' Ohtani says

This offseason, the Dodgers made Shohei Ohtani the highest-paid athlete of all time. A player of his caliber comes with extreme benefits, but managing someone of his stature was always going to be difficult for Los Angeles. The new gambling situation has only added to their labors. Ohtani’s press conference on Monday served as a reminder to the organization of the magnitude of the player they are dealing with. Seventy-three media members piled into the Dodgers post-game interview room to listen to his statement despite not being allowed to ask the superstar questions.

Shohei Ohtani (right) with Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts are all smiles during the player's introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium. Photo credit: Dennis J. Freeman/News4usonline “I never bet on baseball or any other sports or never have asked somebody to do that on my behalf, and I have never gone through a bookmaker to bet on sports,” said Ohtani through his new interpreter, Will Ireton. Ohtani and his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, who was fired, are under investigation by the MLB in the wake of the alleged theft that Mizuhara committed by exchanging $4.5 million of Ohtani’s money with an illegal bookmaker. “I am very sad and shocked that someone who I trusted has done this,” said Ohtani. Despite rampant speculation, Ohtani remains innocent and is allowed to play for the Dodgers during the investigation. Still, everything he does will be under extreme scrutiny as the process unfolds. All eyes were already on the Dodgers after they acquired both Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto for $1 billion combined. Signing two of the biggest Japanese baseball stars made them the surefire favorite to win the World Series, putting a massive target on their back. “You have brought in an entire country and essentially another continent,” said Roberts during Spring Training. “So, with the media, you have brought in two to three times what we have ever had. It is certainly much different than we have ever seen.” In addition to all the new media and fans following the Dodgers, they now have a player with the most unique talent and regiment in sports. “You have heard that he has his own thing going on, in which it takes a lot to get your body ready and to prepare as a starting pitcher and also as a hitter,” said Roberts. “You hear things, and until you see it on a day-to-day basis, it is hard to kind of wrap your head around. Seeing it in real speed is fascinating to see how methodical he is.”

Shohei Ohtani (left) with former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara walk the field at Dodger Stadium for the baseball star's introductory press conference after he had signed a contract to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Photo credit: Dennis J. Freeman/News4usonline How the Dodgers go about managing him over the next ten years remains to be seen, but it is puzzling that they have already stated he might see some time in the outfield this year. Ohtani has only played eight MLB innings as a fielder and is recovering from Tommy John surgery. Immediately after he read his statement to the media, Ohtani was seen throwing on the field for the first time since joining Los Angeles. “I am looking forward to focusing on the season; I am glad that we had this opportunity to talk, and I am sure there will be continuing investigations,” said Ohtani. The statement Ohtani read must be taken as the truth for the time being. As details continue to emerge, more will be known about what took place, but for now, we are left to wonder. Ohtani no longer has his former friend and running mate by his side, and this scandal has complicated things by adding another element no one could have anticipated. The Dodgers knew they were going to have their work cut out for them when they brought Ohtani on board, and now their job just became that much more complex. Read the full article

JuJu leads Trojans to the Sweet 16

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (News4usonline) –  USC started its second-round game of the NCAA Women’s Tournament against Kansas with defense. The Trojans finished the contest the same way to cruise to a 73-55 win at Galen Center to move on to the Sweet 16.   “Getting to the Sweet 16 is hard and this team earned that,” USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said after the game. “I couldn’t be more proud. I…

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