By Lucas Camacho
It was a wild ride of ups and downs for Los Angeles sports fans. It truly did have “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.” We have a brief recap of all the news that happened over the weekend. We unfortunately start with the bad news.
BAD NEWS: RAMS BLOWN IT IN OVERTIME
It was a neck and neck battle with big playoff implications. The Rams needed this game to keep their playoff hopes alive, and they certainly had a chance to win this game. Then the Ravens rattled off a 76 yard punt return for a touchdown. It was definitely a blow to the Rams, whose playoff ambitions are now on life support. There is still a chance as the rest of the Rams schedule is filled with teams they can beat: the Commanders, Saints, and Giants. The only concern is the final week when they travel to San Francisco to face the mighty 49ers. Better hope the 49ers rest their players for their playoff run on that day (although that seems very unlikely…)
BAD NEWS: HERBERT GOES DOWN IN CHARGERS’ LOSS TO BRONCOS
This day couldn’t have gone worse for the Chargers. Not only does this loss put their playoff chances in grave doubt, but they also lost their star Quarterback. Justin Herbert, the face of the Chargers’ franchise, went down with an injury. While Herbert has been dealing with a broken finger on his non-throwing hand, now he has an injury on the index finger on his throwing hand. With the Chargers expected to play the Raiders on Thursday Night Football, Herbert is unlikely to play. It couldn’t come at a worse time as both the Chargers and Raiders will meet when both teams need a win just to stay alive in the playoff race.
BAD NEWS: KINGS RECORD ROAD WINNING STREAK ENDS AT 11
Finally, one last piece of bad news as the Los Angeles Kings’ NHL record road winning streak finally came to an end. The Kings lost after a late rally by the New York Islanders on Saturday. Despite the loss, the Kings’ successes on the road bodes well for the future as the Kings currently sit in third place in their division, and only seven points behind the defending champion Las Vegas Golden Knights. The loss of the streak stings, but the difference between the Kings, Rams, and Chargers is obvious: the Kings have plenty of time before the playoffs…while the Chargers and Rams do not have that luxury.
GOOD NEWS: SPARKS DRAW THE NUMBER TWO PICK
The good news starts with a piece of news that you may not have heard concerning one of Los Angeles’ basketball teams…their women’s basketball team that is. The Los Angeles Sparks drew the number two pick in the WNBA Draft Lottery. It’s been a long time since the Sparks won the WNBA championship and they have missed the playoffs for three straight seasons. But having the number two pick in the draft gives them a chance to land impactful player. The Sparks’ General Manager, Karen Bryant, is excited for the possibility as she attempts to restore the franchise to its former glory.
GOOD NEWS: LAKERS WIN FIRST IN SEASON BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
On the other side of basketball, the NBA’s inaugural in-season tournament came to a close. The Lakers emerged victorious, and it makes complete sense. The Lakers won the very first NBA Championship back when they were still the Minneapolis Lakers. So naturally, they win the first in-season tournament as well. It seemed to do a lot of good for the Lakers. Going into the tournament, the Lakers looked flat as they were allowing opponents to score at will, especially in the first quarter. But when the tournament got going, so did the Lakers. Sure, it also had to do with the Lakers getting back key players from injury, but the feeling of a playoff atmosphere seems to have stoked the Lakers’ competitive spirit. Led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers look like a true contender for the big prize at the end of the season: a chance to win their 18th NBA Championship…which would allow them to finally overtake their sworn enemies, the Boston Celtics.
GOOD NEWS: OHTANI SIGNS WITH THE DODGERS
Alright, let’s get down to the news everyone should have heard. In case you don’t know what we’re talking about, here it is: rising baseball star Shohei Ohtani is leaving the (Anaheim) Angels and heading to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ohtani is a generational talent and the closest thing to an answer to the question “what would Babe Ruth be like if he played today?” The Dodgers had a chance to sign Ohtani years ago, but Ohtani’s insistence on playing every day was a deal breaker. Now, several years and one universal designated hitter rule later, the Dodgers have landed the white whale. Not only that, the Dodgers now have a team that has four players that have won the MVP award (Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and, assuming he returns to the Dodgers, Clayton Kershaw). The kicker is that a lot of the money in Ohtani’s record breaking contract is deferred…allowing the Dodgers to free up more money to build around their MVP players. So the real good news is that the Dodgers are FAR from done…making them the scariest looking team going into the upcoming 2024 season. Assistant editor, Judy Shields, huge Angels fan has nothing to say on this matter!