The CW (Clipper Weekly), 4th Edition

(Originally posted November 28 on LAist)

Current Record: 6-6, 5th Pacific

Last Week: Was it only a week ago when we were singing the Clippers’ praises and talking about their position atop the Pacific Division and #2 in the entire league? Four losses later, they’ve fallen to last place, ahead of only three teams in the conference. Amazing how quickly things can change in a week, especially in the ridiculously tough West. Apparently the Clippers felt like taking a holiday like many of the rest of us since they failed to show up for each of their games, particularly after taking a tough loss to the Lakers on Tuesday. They were outgunned by Seattle on Wednesday, trailing the whole game while getting lit up Rashard Lewis all over the court. Saturday featured an embarrassing fourth quarter meltdown against lowly Minnesota, in which the Clips were outscored 19-2 over the final five minutes to turn a nine-point lead into an eight-point loss. And yesterday, Denver drubbed the Clips by 15, shooting nearly 52 percent from the field compared to the LA’s 36.4%. To add insult to injury (or is it injury to insult), Chris Kaman sprained his ankle in practice on Friday and missed the last two games while Sam Cassell also sprained his ankle against the Nuggets.

Quick Take: Late word out of Clipper camp is that Mike Dunleavy has signed a four-year contract extension (more on that in a future post), so all potential distractions have now been diffused; it’s time to show some return on Donald Sterling’s investment. Last week, the CW noted that in order for the Clips to make the leap, they needed to win in hostile conditions. So far, they have failed miserably: 0-5 on the road, 0-2 on the back end of back-to-backs. Cassell is blaming it on effort. Indeed, the Clips have appeared to be going through the motions, even during their winning streak. Mistakes are up from last season (1.2 more turnovers per game) and focus is clearly lacking (free throw percentage has dropped by 4.4%). The Clippers seem to be burdened with the pressure of expectations and have thus far been unable to play with the same level of enthusiasm and energy as they did last season. It’s much harder to be the hunted, and the inconsistent play is reflecting this.

This Week:

Tuesday: at Sacramento (PRIME, 7:00 pm) – if the Clippers are going to reverse the momentum, Arco Arena will be a great place to start: the Clips haven’t won there since before Monica Lewinsky became a household name (16 straight losses). Swingman Kevin Martin may be the best player you’ve never heard of, averaging nearly 25 points a game (10.8 last year). Of course, you’ve all heard of Ron Artest, one of the preeminent street brawlers defensive stoppers in the league. Unfortunately, his rap game is not as strong as his right hand: K-Fed sold 17 times as many albums during their first week in stores.

Wednesday: vs. Memphis (PRIME, 7:30 pm) – you know you’re bad when: 1) you have a worse record than the Knicks; 2) ex-Laker Chucky Atkins (a role player during the Rudy T disaster) is your leading scorer; 3) your coach’s hairpiece is a bigger conversation piece than your team. The Grizzlies’ offense has been crippled with star forward Pau Gasol’s broken foot, ranking 27th in scoring and last in shooting percentage. I would bet every hair on Mike Fratello’s head that the Clippers win this one.

Saturday: vs. Lakers (KTLA-CW for Clipper broadcast/KCAL for Laker broadcast, 7:30 pm) – the first matchup was a terrific game with the stars shining brightly. Hopefully this rematch, on the Clipper home court, will be equally entertaining. With the Lakers now sitting on top of the Pacific, the Clips hope to exact a measure of revenge to get back on track. More on this game later in the week.

Sunday: vs. Orlando (KTLA-CW, 6:30 pm) – Darko Milicic has been a running punchline since he entered the league, being drafted ahead of superstars such as Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Bosh. While he’s still light years away from being even an all-star, his size and skill provide a nice complementary frontcourt piece alongside the man-child Dwight Howard (leading the league in rebounds). Orlando is the surprise leader of the Eastern Conference, mixing in the contributions of a healthy Grant Hill and mighty-mite Jameer Nelson. Given Hill’s star-crossed history, it seems dubious to expect this early success to last, but if Darko can contribute, anything is possible.

AP photo by Jeff Lewis

Lakers 1 Clippers 0

(Originally posted November 22 on LAist)

The Lakers fired the first salvo in this season’s Battle for LA, winning a competitive and highly entertaining contest over the Clippers 105-101.

Though play was sloppy at times, both sides exhibited the talent and skill that gives Laker and Clipper fans hope for a deep playoff run next Spring.

With the win in front of its home crowd, the Lakers took over first place in the Pacific Division.

The Lakers controlled most of the early action, leading by as much as 13 in the third quarter, but the Clippers fought their way back into the game, assisted by a brutal seven minute scoreless stretch by the Lakers at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

However, it was the Lakers that executed best in the final three minutes, with a certain number 24 in gold making the clutch plays needed to capture the victory.

In case you missed the game, here’s a quick recap:

What to like: the Lakers’ and Clippers’ offensive rebounding
The strength of both teams is in the quality of its frontcourt, and it showed in the relentlessness of their glass work. The Lakers pulled in 22 offensive rebounds while the Clippers had 15, both well above their season averages of 10.9 and 11.8, respectively.

What not to like: the Lakers’ and Clippers’ defensive rebounding
Part of the reason that the teams accumulated 37 offensive rebounds was poor boxing out and lazy defense, in particular by the Clippers – at times, they looked like they were allergic to the ball.

What to like: strong contributions from complementary Lakers
The Lakers are at their best when Kobe doesn’t have to do it himself. 18 from Lamar, 15 from Smush, and 12 from Luke gave them nice balance. Kwame Brown had by far his strongest outing of the season with 10 points and 14 boards in 31 minutes.

What not to like: nothing’s free in Lakerland
The Lakers missed 15 of their 46 free throws (67.4%). Taking out Kobe’s freebies, the rest of the team shot only 16 for 28 (57.1%) which won’t get it done on most nights.

What to like: Clippers pounding it inside
The Clippers shot 48.2% from the field, primarily due to all of the shots they were able to secure from close range; they scored 54 points in the paint. Normally, they are tough to beat when they are getting such high percentage looks.

What not to like: Clippers treating the ball like disposable wipes
20 turnovers, many unforced on careless passes and silly offensive fouls, negated the advantage that the Clippers had inside.

What to like: a Chris Kaman sighting
Kaman has been under scrutiny for his slow start, especially with his new $52.5 million contract freshly inked. He showed more energy tonight than he has most of the season, finishing with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks in 32 minutes (though he fouled out with five minutes left).

What not to like: sending out an APB for the player formerly known as Sasha Vujacic
What happened to this guy? He looked solid in preseason, but has seen his shooting stroke disappear along with his minutes to rookie Jordan Farmar. He played 14 minutes, most since the season opener, but bricked four shots (including three wide-open 3s) and did pretty much nothing except fill up space.

What to like: oh yeah, that Kobe guy
He’s the best player in the world for a reason, healthy knee or not. 40 points (20 in the first), numerous acrobatic shots, and total control of the game when the Lakers needed him. He looked more confident and comfortable than he has all year. When the game is close and someone needs to step up and make a play, it’s nice to have Kobe on your side.

AP photo by Jeff Lewis

Aijuswanaseing

(Originally posted November 21 on LAist)

With the robust music scene here in the City of Angels, LAist always tries to keep you abreast of all the talent to grace our local venues, in particular the diamonds in the rough that don’t necessarily have the name recognition of a Top 40 act but still maintain the purity of their musical genius.

There’s another group of performers that doesn’t get often mentioned but is also a vital part of the musical landscape here. They don’t have the originality of many of the cherished acts performing at the El Rey or Spaceland, but they make up for it in sheer joy of performing and love of music. I’m talking, of course, about LA’s finest karaokers.

Since the explosion of American Idol, it seems that everybody is looking for their big break to get their vocal talents skewered by one Simon Cowell. Not so for our karaoke singers. There’s no Clay Aiken or Kelly Clarkson wannabes here – though there are many people that can definitely sing better than Justin Guarini. It’s not about hitting perfect pitch or showing off range; rather, it’s about the performance, the connection with the audience, feeling the music pulsate your soul as you belt out penetrating lyrics like “A mulatto/An albino/A mosquito/My libido/Yeah”.

The LA karaoke scene covers the spectrum, from Eastern-style private rooms with Cantonese pop songs to Western-style bars with stages and even live backup bands, depending on your tastes and sense of exhibitionism. I happened to be spending this past Saturday night at Caffe Brass Monkey in Koreatown with about 250 of my closest friends. Well, at least by the end of the night they became my closest friends. Throw in some inflatable guitars and screens throughout the bar carrying the song lyrics and we might as well have been at Lollapalooza. Whether it was Starship’s “We Built This City”, Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back”, or The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside”, it was drunken showmanship music at its apex.

Let’s face it, a lot of you out there sing in the shower or bang those air drums in the car while sitting in traffic on the 10 on your way to work. Don’t be embarrassed. Embrace those deep seated passions to express yourself. Everyone’s got a voice that needs to be heard. So share it with us! Where do you go to sing? And what’s your go to song?

Caffe Brass Monkey
3440 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90010
10 am-2 am daily (karaoke starts at 9 pm)

The CW (Clipper Weekly), 3rd Edition

(Originally posted November 20 on LAist)

Current Record: 6-2, T-1st Pacific

Last Week: It was a slow week for the Clippers, and they appeared out of sync. In a battle of division leaders on Tuesday, Utah manhandled the Clips, dominating the inside with a 54-34 advantage on points in the paint and 11 offensive rebounds. And early in Saturday’s game against short-handed Philadelphia, it looked like more of the same with the Clippers falling quickly into a 16-point deficit. But Elton Brand and Corey Maggette salvaged an otherwise forgettable performance by the team, with Brand finally breaking out a slump by hitting for a season-high 33 points, with 12 boards while Maggette put in 21 and 8. The Clips were fortunate to escape with an ugly OT win.

Quick Take: Coach Dunleavy set a goal of winning at least 30 home games this season, and so far, the Clippers are 6-0 at Staples, taking care of the games they should win (even if it’s an ugly performance like Saturday). However, for the Clippers to prove they belong with the big boys, they need to show some strength in the face of adversity, namely on the road and in back-to-back games. They were a respectable 20-21 away from Staples last season, but have failed their two tests so far this year against Phoenix and Utah. The Clippers were also only 8-9 on the back end of back-to-back games last season, so this week will be a good litmus test with two road games (plus the “away” game against the Lakers) and two sets of back-to-backs.

This Week:

Tuesday: at Lakers (KTLA-CW for Clipper broadcast/FSW for Laker broadcast, 7:30 pm) – the CW usually likes to make snide comments about the Clippers’ opponents, but when it comes to the other LA team, we’re going to give them some props to show some LA solidarity. For the first time, possibly ever, first place will be on the line. The Lakers have overcome their rash of injuries thanks to the surprising emergence of their young talent. The game may be decided underneath, where Lamar/Bynum/Kwame will be going toe-to-toe with Brand/Kaman/Thomas. Hopefully, the first of many classic battles this season.

Wednesday: vs. Seattle (PRIME, 7:30 pm) – the Sonics are kind of like the team that you run into at the YMCA: they run a lot, they gun a lot of threes (5th in 3 pt attempts, 27th in FT attempts), and they don’t play much defense (dead last in FG% defense). The sweet-shooting tandem of Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis average close to 50 points a game between them. If they’re on, it could be a long night for the Clips. However, Seattle’s 4-7 record indicates that it’s more likely that they won’t hit enough outside jumpers to compensate for all of the easy layups they’ll give up to the Clippers post players.

Saturday: at Minnesota (KTLA-CW, 5:00 pm) – quick recap: 2004-2005, T-Wolves finish 44-38, Clippers 37-45; T-Wolves trade “malcontent” Sam Cassell to Clips for underachieving Marko Jaric during the offseason; 2005-2006, Clippers finish 47-35, T-Wolves 33-49. Oops. KG is becoming the new Elton Brand, putting up nice numbers for a crappy team. Those seven consecutive first-round playoff losses must sound heavenly these days with Minnesota looking doomed to its third consecutive trip to the lottery. It will take a true fan to tune into this game with USC-Notre Dame on at the same time. Then again, if you are an insomniac, watching this game is highly recommended as the T-Wolves second-worst scoring offense will put you to sleep rather quickly.

Sunday: at Denver (KTLA-CW, 5:00 pm) – since their season-opening three game losing streak (including a one-point loss to the Clippers), the Nuggets have won four of five by beating up on the weak sisters of Eastern Conference. Carmelo Anthony, who got ejected in the first Clipper game, is leading the league in scoring at 31.2 ppg. He’ll need to average 40 to carry this team to another division title with Kenyon Martin recently out for the season with knee surgery, and the seemingly always hobbled Nene also sidelined with a bruised knee. The Nuggets are so thin up front that 5’5” Earl Boykins may need to line up at center.

AP photo by Branimir Kvartuc

The Glass is Two-Eighths Empty

(Originally posted November 15 on LAist)

To this point, most of the writing on this space about the Clippers has been highly positive, and with good reason – the team is in first place and has found creative ways to win games in spite of not playing their best ball.

However, there are some areas of concern so far, all of which were exposed in yesterday’s ugly 112-90 loss to Utah. The loss wasn’t surprising, despite the fact that star forward Andrei Kirilenko sat out with a sprained ankle; the Jazz have the league’s best record and are an astounding 33-1, including playoffs, against the Clippers at the Delta Center since it opened in 1991 (talk about a house of horrors – that’s Susan Lucci level of futility). But losing of course magnifies the problems, and since it’s been two weeks since the Clips lost, it’s as good a time as any to take a closer look at the few things not going right.

With Mike Dunleavy seemingly settled in on an eight-man rotation – through seven games, the rest of the bench has played a combined 30 minutes; I could suit up and no one would be the wiser – it is more noticeable when players are not pulling their weight. Though virtually everyone played poorly last night, the two most glaring weak spots were the same people that have struggled so far all year: Chris Kaman and Shaun Livingston.

In fairness to the wild-haired one, Kaman barely played at all in the preseason because of a nagging hamstring injury. His rust has showed, as he seems a step slow and unable to score with any kind of consistency on the low block. But after signing his monster $52.5 million contract extension, more is expected of him. His lack of post offense directly impacts Elton Brand’s offense by creating double teams because the defense does not have to respect his presence underneath the basket. Kaman’s size should be an asset on the boards, but his rebounding stats are at career lows in terms of per 48-minute averages. And with the ongoing trend of small ball around the league, Kaman does not bring much to the table if he’s not posting up and rebounding since he becomes a defensive liability against smaller, quicker centers. Memo Okur, who will never be confused as being small or quick, continually abused Kaman all over the court yesterday (Okur 27 and 6, Kaman 3 and 3 with 6 fouls in 19 minutes).

For Livingston, after a strong preseason, it appeared that he was ready to take over for Sam Cassell as the starting point guard (or at least 1A). Not so much. After a poor opening night, Livingston has been relegated to the bench because of his spotty play. The Prodigy had spent the offseason focusing on improving his outside jumper, since that was believed to be the missing piece that could make him unstoppable, given his terrific playmaking skills. It looks like he may need a bit more gym time, shooting a miserable 34% so far. As is the case with Kaman, Livingston's struggles have spillover effects. Because the defense doesn’t respect his outside shot, they are lagging way off of him to crowd the paint – Deron Williams and Derek Fisher were standing practically ten feet away from him daring him to shoot. His lack of confidence has made him tentative (he took only four shots with zero points in 22 minutes yesterday). The extra cushion defenders are giving him also makes it difficult for Livingston to utilize his strengths: finding open passing lanes to feed teammates and creating opportunities off the dribble. His inability to step up is forcing Cassell to play more minutes than Dunleavy would like, which could have detrimental effects as the season wears on. Since there were high expectations of dramatic improvement for Livingston, it has been disappointing so far that his numbers are virtually the same as his first two years.

But there’s no reason to fret too much about these slow starts of Kaman and Livingston. They are both still extremely young – Kaman is 24 and Livingston is still a 21-year old baby – so they will undoubtedly bounce back. And because of the strength of the rest of the team, the Clippers have the luxury of building these guys up slowly without sacrificing any wins. If they are able to regain some confidence and play to their capabilities, watch out. It will make it a lot harder to find something negative to write about this team.

AP photo by Ric Francis

The CW (Clipper Weekly), 2nd Edition

(Originally posted November 13 on LAist)

Current Record: 5-1, 1st Pacific

Last Week: Three home games, three double digit victories. Legendary broadcaster Ralph Lawler perhaps said it best during yesterday’s telecast against the Hornets, calling the Clippers’ performance “workman-like”, playing just well enough to escape with a win when there was really nothing else good to say about it. The Clippers have always been the team that would find ways to lose games they should have won, where any win was cause for celebration. It is a testament to how far they’ve come that we critique a 16-point win over a solid team as not being pretty enough, or think that they can play much better (even though they can). They were barely tested in any of last week’s games, including a drubbing of the defending Western Conference champion Mavericks.

Quick Take: The versatility of the Clippers is startling – they can win in myriad ways. The win over Portland exhibited a balanced attack, with crisp ball movement and five players in double figures in points and shots (none of whom were Elton Brand). Against Dallas, Coach Dunleavy went to a small lineup with the 6’4” Cuttino Mobley playing power forward, who harassed All-Star 7’0” Dirk Nowitzki into a terrible shooting night while scoring 28 points himself. Finally yesterday, EB looked back in regular form yesterday, scoring and causing double teams which opened up the floor for everyone else. Although it remains to be seen whether this eight-man rotation can stand up to the rigors of a full season – the rest of the team played only eight combined minutes the entire week – it is clear that the Clips are not overly reliant on any one cog to generate their success.

This Week:

Tuesday: at Utah (PRIME, 6:00 pm) – the surprising Jazz are the only team with a better record than the Clippers. Kirilenko, Boozer, and Okur may sound more like an international law firm, but is actually one of the most formidable frontlines in the NBA. This three-headed monster is the primary reason that Utah is second in the league in both rebounding and rebounding margin, which will present some interesting matchup issues for the Clips. Paul Davis may see more action than he’s seen all season. It’s early, but this could be the best Jazz team we’ve seen since the Stockton-to-Malone days. Thankfully, we won’t have to see Stockton’s short-shorts.

Saturday: vs. Philadelphia (KTLA-CW, 7:30 pm) – the Sixers have been a team with a serious identity crisis. After heavy speculation that Allen Iverson would get traded in the offseason to help begin the rebuilding process, the Answer ended up staying. Along with the woefully immobile Chris Webber, Philly has two aging, highly paid, past-their prime players that dominate the ball (the duo has taken over 46% of the team’s shots so far), alongside a young group of role players that are forced to fit into this scheme. As you would expect, this has produced mediocre results. Iverson is still incredibly entertaining to watch, continuing to make plays worthy of the And 1 Mixtape tour. (Ohhh baby!) Meanwhile, C-Webb looks like he’s trying out for the Washington Generals.

He's Human After All

(Originally posted November 12 on LAist)

You know that Five For Fighting song, the overplayed one about Superman claiming to be “only a man in a funny red sheet”? Somewhere around LA this morning, Elton Brand must be singing those words to himself as he climbs out of bed.

With apologies to Shaq Diesel, Brand has been his team’s Superman for several years now. He’s been historically underappreciated because he’s always been on lousy teams, but he’s been one of the most consistent performers in the NBA since entering the league despite frequently being the only legitimate player on his team. He’s averaged over 38 minutes a game, and noted for his unending motor. He’s never seemed to be weighed down by the burden of responsibility of being the go-to-guy, of the expectations of being the #1 overall draft pick and cornerstone of a franchise. And when the stakes were highest, like last year’s playoffs, Brand was at his best.

So we’ve all come to expect that Elton is going to be Elton, the one player that can always be counted on to deliver a star performance befitting of his stature. Yet this season, alarm bells are ringing because after five games, Mr. Dependable is off to a slow start. Entering this afternoon’s game with the Hornets, Brand is averaging only 14.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 48.4% from the field, and 54.5% from the line, as compared to 24.7/10.0/52.7%/77.5% last year. He has been less active, more tentative, and more passive. Everyone seems to be asking the question, what is wrong with Elton Brand?

Reports are that Brand is suffering from fatigue, after a summer consumed by national team duties, exhibition games in Russia, and his film production company (which he has since taken a step back from). Quite frankly, it’s no surprise given the amount of miles he logged during the offseason, following the longest season of his career in which he played 91 games, including the playoffs. What is perhaps more surprising is that Elton hasn’t broken down sooner: I’m sure it gets tiring to carry the team on your back year after year.

Fortunately, it appears that he doesn’t have to fully carry the load right now, as the Clippers are 4-1 and in first place in spite of Brand’s abnormally low output. Sam Cassell and Cuttino Mobley have performed admirably in picking up the slack in scoring (up 8 points from last year’s averages), while frontcourt players like Corey Maggette and Tim Thomas have filled the void on the glass (up 5 rebounds from last year’s averages). The Clippers are also in the middle of a stretch where they only play three games in 12 days. While a couple of light weeks is not going to compensate for all of the wear and tear, Elton finally has the luxury of being surrounded by stellar players that can allow him to gradually regain his second wind.

For the Clippers to ultimately find success this year, Brand will eventually have to don his Superman cape. But the fact that he’s got a Justice League-type of team to support him means that he can allow himself to be a little more vulnerable for once. So Elton, get some rest, you’ll know when you’re truly needed to be you.

AP photo by Kevork Djansezian

It's Not You, It's Me

(Originally posted November 10 on LAist)

First off, big ups to all of the men and women serving our country that help preserve the freedom which we enjoy.

Given that today is Veteran’s Day, a day to honor the sacrifices of our soldiers, I found it incredibly ironic that J.D. Drew opted out of his contract with the Dodgers, with 3 years and $33 million left on the table, leaving the team hanging in order to pursue a better deal for himself.

Drew certainly has every right to follow after that which he believes in his best interest, and in this day and age, many (if not most) athletes put business ahead of loyalty – the club owners that pay these players often exhibit the same characteristics. The problem with Drew has been that his me-first attitude has always spilled over to the field of play, not in the same destructive manner as T.O., but detrimental nonetheless.

Drew has incredible physical talent, a former national college player of the year for Florida St., a guy with all of the tools; this is what former GM Paul DePodesta saw when he signed him to the contract in the first place in 2004. Drew has also exhibited highly questionable commitment and resolve to realizing that talent. His 162-game averages are strong: 27 home runs, 86 RBI, 102 runs, .286 batting average, and a stellar .905 OPS (22nd among all active players). At the same time, he’s averaging only 118 games per season. In other words, he sits out nearly 28 percent of the time.

When the Dodgers acquired Drew, he was expected to be the cornerstone of the franchise, a guy to help the team sustain the success of its 2004 division title. But his two years as a member of the Blue Crew were marked by repeated injury – some major and some minor – and constant ego massaging by the coaching staff and front office to make sure that he felt comfortable and appreciated. He was an invisible presence in the clubhouse. When he felt like playing, he was out there. Too often, there were times where he didn’t feel like playing.

As an $11 million a year player, you have the responsibility to place the burden of the team’s success on your shoulders; that means being out there when your team needs you, not when you’re in the mood for it. It’s hard to be respected as a team leader if you aren’t doing everything it takes to help the team win. If you remember the classic baseball movie Major League, Corbin Bernsen played Roger Dorn, an overpaid, selfish third-baseman that frequently dogged it because he didn’t want to get hurt and jeopardize his health or his future. It took team leader Jake Taylor (Tom Berenger) to call him out on it and get him in line. But with Drew as one of the foundations of the team, there wasn’t anyone in the clubhouse that could hold him accountable.

Not that this should have been any news to the Dodgers. Drew’s entire career has followed the same story. He was the top draft pick of the Phillies (#2 overall), but with the help of über-agent Scott Boras, refused to sign for less than $8 million, an extraordinarily high sum of money at the time. Drew was vilified in Philadelphia to the point of fans throwing batteries at him, eventually getting re-drafted and signed the next season with St. Louis after sitting out an entire year just to get paid. Cardinals fans, initially enamored with his sweet swing and highlight reel plays, grew tired of his inability (or unwillingness) to stay on the field and his indifferent attitude and were happy to see him leave – this mentality came to be known as the “J.D. Drew Effect.”

I’m sure J.D. is very comfortable with who he is and the decisions that he’s made. And the Dodgers’ success this past season could not have been accomplished without his contributions. However, the Dodgers are a proud, storied franchise and deserve to have players that are willing to make sacrifices to help continue this legacy. The Dodgers may not be able to find the talent to replace Drew (though $33 million goes a long way), but hopefully they’ll find the type of ballplayers that are committed and hungry to contribute instead of just cashing in. The rest of the team will be much better off for it.

AP photo by Richard Drew

State of the Bruin

(Originally posted on November 9 on LAist)



LA is the city of stars. While there are a lot of nobodies in this city aspiring to be somebody, the fact is that once you’ve become somebody, you are idolized and lionized, or you become a paparazzi target like Lindsay Lohan. We talk about them at the water cooler, we read about them on wonderful blogs like LAist, and we listen to their opinions as if they carry the weight of the President (except for maybe Tom Cruise). Regardless of whether the attention is positive or negative, the point is that you matter if you are somebody in this city. I’m sure even “Firecrotch” would agree that being tabloid fodder is better than being irrelevant.

For the sports teams in LA, the paradigm is no different. We love our stars, especially when they win, and even more so when they show us something spectacular. But we have relatively short attention spans: if you show continued mediocrity (or worse) without any sign of life, you’ll get kicked to the curb faster than K-Fed. LA gets excited about the Lakers, Magic and the Showtime era, Kobe, and all of those championship rings. Meanwhile, one of the Lakers’ co-tenants, the Kings, have registered barely a blip on the public consciousness since Gretzky left town. If you’re not going to build a championship team, you have to at least give the fans a compelling reason to stay interested.

Whether fair or not, the UCLA football program is treading on a potentially dangerous path towards insignificance, struggling through a 4-5 season and a four-game losing streak with a bowl bid seriously in question. Coach Karl Dorrell is bearing the brunt of the criticism, due to a perceived inability to lead the program, in part because of poor game strategy and management, but also because of a perceived lack of Q-rating. Although many of the criticisms have some truth to them, the reality is that the problems were around long before Dorrell arrived. The dilemma is that it is not clear that Dorrell can do enough to overcome them.

Without question, Dorrell has injected discipline and accountability into the program. Recruiting has improved and the enthusiasm internally seems to be there. Hell, the team won ten games last season and had a number of exhilarating come-from-behind wins on the right arm of Drew Olson. These are good things. What is bad are the disheartening losses: the inability to close out Notre Dame after conservative playcalling enabled Brady Quinn to get one more shot on offense; humiliating losses against USC that weren’t even as close as the 25- and 47-point margins of defeat would indicate; a 38-point loss to a 2-6 Arizona team to fall from the ranks of the undefeated; consecutive bowl losses to inferior conference opponents. What is bad is that the base of support for the program appears to be eroding. UCLA may be winning some games, but none that get the fans excited about the direction of the program or remove the sting of disappointment from the losses. These days, it seems like the toll of these losses is really starting to add up.

Of course, it doesn’t help that the Bruins are living in the long shadow of USC, with the charismatic Pete Carroll having restored the Trojans to its traditional place as a national power. It is impossible to not notice all of the cardinal and gold being proudly displayed around town, a sold out Coliseum for every home game. The team’s stars are considered royalty here: last year, Matt Leinart gave up millions of dollars to stay in school, but lived the life of an A-lister while taking ballroom dance classes. USC garners the national spotlight and has stars like Snoop Dogg regularly on the sidelines. No matter what UCLA is able to do, it is relegated to being a second-class citizen. Its best players fly under the radar and its understated coach stays poised but doesn’t hold a captive audience.

Furthermore, the rich tradition of the basketball program from the John Wooden era often leads football to become a secondary sport, just as basketball is at USC. Though the basketball program fell on some difficult times under Steve Lavin, Ben Howland has re-energized the team, culminating with the Final Four appearance last year. The attitude of “it’s basketball season now” is pervasive among the fan base. What is often forgotten is that UCLA’s football history is also rich; from 1965 to 1988, UCLA finished in the top ten nationally eleven times and in the top two of the conference 18 times. Football should matter.

However, since 1988 (Troy Aikman’s senior year), the program has slowly slipped from elite status. Four, five, and six loss seasons became more commonplace. Bruin fans were able to console themselves with the fact that USC was even in worse shape, as evidenced by the Bruins’ eight-game winning streak over the Trojans throughout the ‘90s. UCLA experienced a resurgence in 1997 and 1998, with Cade McNown leading Bob Toledo’s high-flying offense to a 20-game winning streak. That all came crashing to a halt with the crushing upset loss to Miami with a national title game shot on the line, thanks to a mind-boggling defensive collapse. Since that fateful day, the national reputation of UCLA has been a soft team that doesn’t step up in big games. Recent years have done nothing to dispel that perception, with continued late season collapses and mediocre results.

The ironic thing is that a play or two could have changed everything. One defensive stop against Miami could have elevated the team to become a true national power; one first down against Notre Dame could have established some much-needed credibility. Al Pacino’s character in Oliver Stone’s flick Any Given Sunday gives a memorable locker room speech about the difference between success and failure, between life and death, being but a matter of inches, and implores them to fight together for that inch. The current state of the UCLA program shows a team unable to capture that inch.

I like Karl Dorrell, and I think he’s done enough to earn the trust of the Bruin faithful for now, but the clock is beginning to tick. The players and coaches are giving their all and are deserving of support. But the fans are beginning to expect that UCLA isn’t going to be able to win that inch, not now and not in the near future. Once the fans have lost the desire to fight together with the team, that inch will not be won back. The only thing worse than having angry fans is having indifferent fans. It certainly won’t be easy for UCLA to be a somebody on the national football scene again, but it’s on Dorrell’s shoulders to give people reason to hope; otherwise, it will be time for a new somebody to give it a shot.

AP photo by Marcio Jose Sanchez

The CW (Clipper Weekly), 1st Edition

(Originally posted on November 6 on LAist)

Current Record: 2-1, T-2nd Pacific

Last Week: The Clippers rebounded from a disappointing opening-night loss to Phoenix by knocking off Denver and taking out the Suns in the rematch. Sam Cassell showed that he still has plenty of gas left in his tank at 37, leading the team in scoring and taking all of the big shots down the stretch. Newly acquired Tim Thomas displayed the same form he had in last year’s playoffs against the Lakers and Clippers, making clutch 3s and staying active on the glass.

Quick Take: So far, so good. Sam I Am is the man, but hopefully they’ll get more from Shawn Livingston so he doesn’t have to play quite as many minutes. The prodigy has looked a bit overmatched so far, struggling with his shot and facilitating the offense. Elton Brand needs to get more touches, as he has gone long stretches without any shots, despite hitting on better than 56% from the field. With so much quality talent deserving of minutes, Coach Dunleavy will have to continue to ride the hot hand and hope that winning cures any dissatisfaction over lack of playing time.

This Week:

Monday: vs. Portland (PRIME, 7:30 pm) – after last year’s pathetic 21-win season, the Blazers are off to a surprisingly fast start at 2-1. Zach Randolph is leading the team in points, rebounds, and off-court arrests. Rookie swingman Brandon Roy looks like a legitimate star in the making, but the Blazers as a whole are low on talent while high on inexperience (and in Darius Miles’ case, high on other substances). Plan to bring your Aaron Williams jersey to the game since the Clippers bench should get some extra minutes with the game in hand by the early fourth quarter.

Wednesday: vs. Dallas (PRIME, 7:30 pm) – the Mavs seem to be suffering a hangover after their epic collapse in the NBA Finals last season against the Heat, laying an egg in their first two games. Picked by many experts, including yours truly, to win the Western Conference, the Mavs are getting the usual contributions from superstar Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard, but very little from the rest of the supporting cast, particularly on the defensive end. The Clips have a chance to make an early statement against one of the teams that finished ahead of them in the standings last year.

Sunday: vs. New Orleans/Oklahoma City (KTLA, 12:30 pm) – the Hornets were one of the feel-good stories of last season, staying in playoff contention for most of the year despite being displaced after Hurricane Katrina. They’ve continued their momentum as one of the three remaining undefeated teams. The Clippers will need to find a way to slow down stud point guard Chris Paul, who is the Hornets’ catalyst. Perhaps putting the Oakland Raider game on the Jumbotron will get the Hornets thinking about how to run a crappy offense.

AP photo by Jae C. Hong

It's a Phenomenon Known as Déjà Vu

(Originally posted November 3 on LAist)

The trailer for Denzel’s new movie, opening on Thanksgiving weekend, explains that “you arrive at a place you’ve never been, but it feels … familiar.”

Tell me about it.

Our last memories of the Clippers were walking off the court in Phoenix, dejected after the MVP Steve Nash-led Suns offense ran circles around them in Game 7. There were also more pleasant memories of the Clippers emerging victoriously on their home court after a playoff series win over the Nuggets, with Carmelo Anthony a total non-factor.

Our latest memories look pretty similar.

The Clips split their first two games of the season, dropping a tough game to the Suns in Phoenix on Wednesday night, 112-104, but rebounding to edge the Nuggets in their home opener at Staples last night, 96-95.

Wednesday’s loss saw the Clippers unable to slow down the frenetic pace of the Suns, with Nash repeatedly getting into the lane for open jumpers or setting up Shawn Marion and Boris Diaw for easy layups. Elton Brand continued where he left off, dominating the smaller Suns inside for 28 and 13, but the Clips did not fully exploit their size advantage as the Lakers had the night before. Shawn Livingston struggled as he got the start ahead of Sam Cassell, and the Clipper shooters were cold from outside. Corey Maggette was virtually invisible after getting a mild case of food poisoning from a surf and turf dinner the night before. (Note to Corey: Phoenix is not exactly known for its lobster)

While the Clippers seemed just as offensively challenged last night against Denver, the defense made the necessary stops to win the game. Anthony was tossed from the game, picking up two Ts in the third quarter under the league’s new no tolerance complaint policy, thus depriving the Nuggets of their best player for the critical moments down the stretch. The Clips came back from ten points down in the fourth, thanks primarily to the clutch shooting their two major offseason signings. Sam Cassell lit up Denver’s guards for 35 points, including the go-ahead free throws with 12 seconds left. Tim Thomas scored 21 off the bench, hitting three 3s in the last two-and-a-half minutes to ignite the comeback. Their scoring offset a pitiful 34 percent shooting effort from the rest of the team.

If there’s anything to take away from the first two games – and there’s usually not – it’s that the Clippers act like a team that knows it’s supposed to be good. In years past, the Clippers would fold the tents if falling behind by double-digits in the fourth. But this team showed some guts in coming back. Even in losing to Phoenix, there was a sense of disappointment in their effort that they should have won the game, as opposed to acceptance that they lost a game they weren’t expected to win. Times are changing in Clipper Nation.

Here’s hoping that the Clippers continue to write a new chapter in their not-so-storied history this season, instead of falling into déjà vu over all their past failures.

AP photo by Kevork Djansezian