Born in the Viewpark area of North Lanarkshire, Robertson played for Drumchapel Amateurs and Scotland at youth level before joining Forest in May 1970, making his debut later that year.
Having been on the transfer list before Clough’s arrival in 1975, he became a key player under the iconic manager, appearing in 243 consecutive games between December 1976 and December 1980.
Robertson scored the winner from the penalty spot in the 1978 League Cup final replay win over Liverpool.
He was sold to Derby in 1983 for a constested transfer fee, a move which soured the relationship between Clough and his former assistant, Peter Taylor.
An early injury hampered Robertson’s progress at County and, despite rejoining Forest in 1985, he never again captured the same form and moved on to non-league Corby Town, Stamford and then Grantham Town.
At Forest, he also won the First and Second Division titles, the Uefa Super Cup, two Football League Cups, the 1978 FA Charity Shield and the Anglo-Scottish Cup.
And in 2015, Robertson topped a poll by the Nottingham Post of favourite all-time Forest players.
As O’Neill’s assistant, Robertson helped Wycombe win promotion from the Football Conference and Third Division, and promotion to the top tier with Leicester, as well as the League Cup.
An even more successful spell with Celtic followed.
In Glasgow, they won the Scottish Premier League three times, the Scottish Cup three times, the League Cup once and reached the Uefa Cup final.
Then, in Robertson’s final season as a coach in 2010, Villa finished runners-up in the League Cup final.
Growing up just outside Melbourne, Australia, Scotty James was more likely to spot the Loch Ness Monster or Big Foot as he was to spot snow. For him, the Winter Olympics seemed about as accessible as Mars.
“It is very unique, being an Australian in winter sports,” he said. “We’re very few and far between.”
Unique, but not impossible. Because if he qualifies for February’s Milano-Cortina Olympics, as expected, James will become the first Australian man to represent the country in five separate Winter Olympics. If he reaches the podium in the men’s halfpipe, his specialty, he will become the most decorated winter Olympian in Australian history with three medals.
Yet it almost didn’t happen. If his father Phil, a passionate snowboarder, hadn’t talked a Vancouver ski-shop worker into selling 3-year-old Scotty a miniature display board during a family vacation to Canada decades ago, James still might be watching the Winter Olympics on TV.
“My parents were always making sure that I realized how fortunate I was to be doing what I was doing,” said the 31-year-old James, a four-time world champion and the most successful halfpipe rider in history. “And incredibly supportive through all of it, through the challenges and through the most recent great moments.”
But James, whose fortunate if still unfolding life story is told in the film “Scotty James: Pipe Dream,” which will be available on Netflix beginning Friday, won’t be the only accidental Olympian in competing in Italy. The Summer Games feature running, jumping, swimming and throwing, activities that can be done mostly anywhere, but many of the disciplines in the Winter Games — skiing, figure skating, luge and snowboarding, for example — require ice and snow, which are unavailable to about two-thirds of the world’s population.
That’s why more than 10,000 athletes from more than 200 countries competed in the 2024 Summer Games in Paris and fewer than 3,000 representing about 90 nations will participate in Italy.
“Africa, big parts of southeast Asia, South America, many of those countries don’t have a heritage of winter sports,” said Gene Sykes, president and chair of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. “Given that there’s a limitation that all the sports have to conducted on snow or ice, we have to be creative.”
Among the creative ideas that have been discussed is adding events such as cross-country running, cycling and indoor sports that could be practiced anywhere to the Winter Olympics calendar, which would make the Games more universal.
In the meantime, athletes such as alpine skier Richardson Viano of Haiti and figure skater Donovan Carrillo of Mexico will be curiosities in Milan, having followed paths that were arduous, complicated and completely out of the ordinary.
James fits that description as well, having lived much of his life abroad, traveling to the U.S., Canada and the Nordic countries in search of mountains, snow and competition. That’s a hardship unknown to Winter Olympic athletes from Europe and North American.
“You know, 80% of the time I wasn’t really in Australia,” said James, who started competing in snowboard at the age of 6 and began traveling to events at 10. “I was always overseas. My mom would organize some tutors in different countries and then I would do some online stuff with my school back in Australia.”
There is snow in parts of Australia, but since the country is in the southern hemisphere, the winters there are short and they come during what is summer in the northern climes. So to stay fit and to compete in major events, James had to live on a Northern Hemisphere calendar, meaning he was overseas from October to May almost every year.
“It was a real task,” he said, “to get it all done.”
It was expensive, too, though it proved a wise investment since he progressed quickly, turning pro at 14 and making the Australian Olympic team at 15, becoming the country’s youngest male Olympian in 50 years and the youngest male competitor in the Vancouver Games in 2010.
Yet on the eve of those Games, James was ready to pass all that up.
“I didn’t love it anymore,” he said. “I would go home and cry to my mom all the time. I wanted to quit. I ended up in this spiral that made me want to go home and just have a normal life and go to school and be with my friends.”
It didn’t help that James broke his right wrist in practice before the Olympics. But he recovered from the injury and the lack of confidence to place 21st; four years later, while still a teenager, he won the first of four World Cup titles in the halfpipe and ranked No. 1 in the world.
At 23 he was chosen to carry the Australian flag in the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, where he won a bronze medal.
Scotty James carried the flag of Australia’s team during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
(Julie Jacobson / Associated Press)
“It’s one of the biggest honors, being an Olympic athlete, to walk your team into the opening ceremony,” he said. “The first time I ever watched the Olympics, I remember watching the opening ceremony and I believe one of the basketballers walked the team in. And I just remember being like ‘wow, that must be just a special thing to do.’
“Little did I know it was potentially on the radar for me. That’s a moment that lives rent-free in my head, that’s for sure.”
But if James had to leave Australia to become an Olympian, back home his exploits have made enough of a celebrity that he’s often recognized on the streets of Melbourne or Sydney.
“They remember for sure, which is really cool,” said the still-boyish James. “I always am chuffed when people come up and recognize me or have followed my career. It never gets old.”
Neither, it seems, does James, who turns 32 in July but isn’t ready to call his fifth Olympics his final one just yet.
“I don’t have a timeline. I don’t give myself an end date,” he said. “Every day when I wake up I think about how I can be better at snowboarding and what I can do to make myself better. So I really haven’t thought about that at all.”
But James, who is raising 14-month-old son Leo with his wife, Chloe Stroll, a Canadian singer-songwriter and daughter of Aston Martin chairman Lawrence Stroll, has begun preparing for a life beyond the slopes. In the last two years he’s released two illustrated children’s books featuring MOOKi, James alter-ego who has adopted the snowboarder’s childhood nickname and his insistence on always dreaming big.
He’s also an investor and brand advisor for MSP Sports Capital, which purchased the X Games — James is a seven-time X Games gold medalist — in 2022, kicking off his move from snow moguls to business mogul. There’s also the Netflix film, directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker Patrick Dimon, which will spread his legend and legacy even further.
“Typically athletes kind of close the door on their athletic journey and then they start to invest in their sport. But I want to do it right now,” he said. “I can really add value to a business like X Games because I’m still competing. I can speak to the athletes and I can give really good feedback about where it can get better.”
However, the contribution he’d really like to leave involves creating an environment that would allow the next generation of Australian Winter Olympians to learn and grow in their sports without having to leave their homes. James did that by building Australia’s only 13-foot mini halfpipe for kids in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, where he trains when he’s in Australia. That’s a project he’d like to expand.
“I would love to leave a mark in some sense of hopefully opening up the door and creating some access [for] freestyle sport in Australia,” James said. “Specifically in the winter, to see if we can produce some really great talent in the future.”
Williams was selected for this summer’s British and Irish Lions tour, but having impressed in a pre-tour warm-up match against Argentina, he was forced to return home after suffering a hamstring injury in the first game on Australian soil against Western Force, having scored two tries.
“Tomos Williams will depart Gloucester Rugby at the end of the 2025-26 season,” a statement on 16 December had said.
“After impressing at Kingsholm, Williams was offered a new deal to stay at the club beyond the end of the season, but has instead opted to pursue a new challenge elsewhere.
“The Welshman will depart with the best wishes of everyone at the club when the time comes, but in the meantime, is entirely dedicated to ending his time at Gloucester Rugby on a high.”
Gloucester also announced at the same time that former academy graduate Dan Robson, 33, is to return to Kingsholm next season, 10 years on from his departure in 2015.
The scrum-half previously made 80 appearances for Gloucester, where he started his senior career, before leaving for Wasps and spent seven years there until their demise in 2022. He has been with French Top 14 club Pau for the last three seasons.
PHOENIX — It’s not the lineups, the injuries or necessarily the system. The cause of the Lakers’ defensive demise is a thousand little decisions gone wrong.
“It comes down to just making the choice,” coach JJ Redick said after the Lakers gave up 132 points in a blowout loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. “It’s making the choice. There’s shortcuts you can take or you can do the hard thing and you can make the second effort or you can sprint back or you can’t. It’s just a choice and there’s a million choices in a game, and you’re very likely not gonna make every choice correctly. But can you make the vast majority of ‘em correctly? It gives you a chance to win.”
Coming off back-to-back losses for the first time this season, the Lakers (19-9) are ranked 28th in defensive rating in the last 14 games entering a Christmas Day showcase against the Houston Rockets at 5 p.m. PST at Crypto.com Arena.
The Lakers, without any individual shutdown defenders, need a perfectly executed team defense to compete. But 15 different starting lineups in 28 games has delayed some of the team’s ability to build continuity. The Lakers have had their full complement of 14 standard contract players for two games.
Forward Rui Hachimura (groin) and Luka Doncic (leg) could return Thursday. Guard Gabe Vincent, one of the team’s top defensive options on the perimeter, will miss his fourth game with lower-back soreness. Center Jaxson Hayes tweaked his left ankle in the second quarter of Tuesday’s loss and didn’t return.
The Rockets (17-10) limp into the Christmas Day blockbuster with their own struggles. The team thought to be one of the few who could challenge Oklahoma City in the West has lost five of its last seven games. Three of the losses were in overtime and four came against teams currently out of the play-in picture, including Tuesday’s loss to the Clippers.
Led by Kevin Durant’s 25.2 points, the Rockets are a statistical anomaly in the sped up, possession-maximizing modern NBA. They have the third-ranked offense in the league despite being one of the slowest. They shoot the fewest three-pointers per game, but make them at a 40% clip that ranks second, and dominate the glass with NBA-leading 48.7 rebounds and 16.1 offensive rebounds per game.
Houston’s physicality and expertise on the boards could be especially worrisome for a team that still has to consciously choose defense on a possession-by-possession basis instead of consistently living up to a standard of playing hard.
“There’s really no defense, no scheme we can do when we’re giving up offensive rebounds in crucial moments like we are, our [opponents] are getting wherever they want on the court,” guard Marcus Smart said after Tuesday’s loss. “And there’s no help, there’s no resistance, there’s no urgency. … It’s on us.”
The Suns grabbed 12 offensive rebounds against the Lakers on 35 missed shots, an offensive rebounding rate of 34.3%. After the Suns scored a three-pointer by twice grabbing offensive rebounds off tipped balls, Lakers players had an animated discussion in a timeout with Smart was gesturing toward center Deandre Ayton about tipping rebounds. Ayton, who finished with 10 rebounds and 12 points, and Smart ended the timeout with a high-five.
“[I need to] just continue to talk to guys, even though sometimes they might not want to hear it,” said Smart, a free-agent addition the Lakers coveted for his leadership and tenacity on defense. “Especially when we losing, nobody wants to hear it, myself included, but also understand that it’s integral for us to hear those things, to see and to be able to talk to one another and figure it out as players on the court, because we’re the ones out there.”
Redick intentionally built in moments for players to connect and communicate during every timeout this season before coaches speak. The strategy was meant to encourage players to take a larger leadership role. “Championship communication” was one of the team’s three pillars.
Lakers center Jaxson Hayes, left, foulds Clippers guard James Harden on a layup during their game Saturday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Along with “championship shape,” Redick also asked his team to build “championship habits.” Living up to the mantras is easier said than done.
“It’s not the easy choice,” Redick said. “It’s human nature. … We do it on a daily basis. We make easy choices cause it’s comfortable. Comfortable doesn’t win.”
Robertson had played for Scotland at schoolboy and youth level before joining Forest as a teenager in 1970. He had failed to make an impact until Clough’s appointment, but the great manager saw something he could nurture.
In his autobiography Clough wrote: “Rarely could there have been a more unlikely looking professional athlete… scruffy, unfit, uninterested waste of time… but something told me he was worth persevering with and he became one of the finest deliverers of a football I have ever seen.”
He also wrote: “If one day, I felt a bit off colour, I would sit next to him. I was bloody Errol Flynn in comparison. But give him a ball and a yard of grass, and he was an artist, the Picasso of our game.”
Clough was idolised by Robertson, who said: “I knew he liked me but I loved him. I wouldn’t have had a career without him.”
Robertson played in 243 consecutive games between December 1976 and December 1980, and despite the big-name buys such as England goalkeeper Peter Shilton and Francis, Britain’s first £1m footballer, he was the player who made Forest tick.
For all the talent elsewhere, Robertson was Forest’s fulcrum.
In Forest’s first season back in the top flight under Clough in 1977-78, Robertson not only played a vital role in winning the title, but also scored the winner from the penalty spot against Liverpool in their League Cup final replay at Old Trafford.
It was not just Clough who recognised Robertson’s significance, with former team-mate Martin O’Neill saying: “He was the most influential player in Europe for maybe three-and-a-half to four years.”
And Forest’s captain under Clough, John McGovern, stated: “He was like Ryan Giggs but with two good feet.”
All this despite Robertson’s own admission that he had no pace and could not tackle.
Clough, however, was not bothered about what Robertson could not do, preferring to give him licence to concentrate on what he could do. It was the perfect footballing marriage of manager and player. Two maverick characters working in harmony.
In a famous interview before the 1980 European Cup final against Hamburg, who had England captain Kevin Keegan in their side, Clough was asked about the prospect of their great Germany right-back Manfred Kaltz keeping Robertson quiet.
“We’ve got a little fat guy who will turn him inside out,” said Clough. “A very talented, highly skilled, unbelievable outside-left.”
Martin O’Neill, Nottingham Forest team-mate and manager at Celtic
He was a beautiful footballer who could play with both feet, terrific ability.
I keep getting back to this word, fulcrum. He very seldom missed football matches and we needed John to play every single one of those games. He’s played his part in footballing history, I think.
When you consider the things he’s won in the game, he’s an iconic figure, absolutely.
John coming back to Scotland to see his family was a really big thing for him. Very seldom would he have got home and he hears this opportunity to come home as an assistant manager [at Celtic].
John really enjoyed his role. He was a special partner, no question about that.
People, for want of a better phrase, bought into John, they really did. There was something about him.
The players had enormous respect for John as a player and anyone who was playing in his position would come and ask John for advice. I’ve heard of players now, top quality players in the Premier League, that have said that John was influential in his advice to him.
People place bets at Santa Anita Park, where purses have declined along with the number of horses racing and lack of money coming from off-site betting.
(Getty Images)
Figuring out the purse for 34 of the 35 graded stakes races at Santa Anita is, for horsemen anyway, maddeningly simple: Just look up the minimum purse required in North America.
For a Grade 1 race, that’s $300,000. It drops to $200,000 for Grade 2 races and $100,000 for Grade 3s.
Even the one local exception, the Santa Anita Derby, pays “only” $500,000 after offering $750,000 from 2021-24. The current amount is half the purse on offer for the top 3-year-old races at Gulfstream Park (Florida Derby) and Fair Grounds (Louisiana Derby), and just one-third what Oaklawn Park pays for the Arkansas Derby.
Last year the Santa Anita Derby attracted only five entries, which reduced the number of Kentucky Derby qualifying points available in the race. That almost kept Baeza, who finished second to Journalism in the Arcadia race, from qualifying for the Derby (he made it in the field only after another horse was scratched and wound up placing third).
It’s the same story for older horses, where Gulfstream offers the $3-million Pegasus World Cup next month plus turf races for $1 million and $500,000. Oaklawn Park has a half-dozen races worth at least $500,000 (two at $1.25 million), and Fair Grounds has three between $250,000 and $500,000. No Grade 3 race at any of those tracks offers less than $150,000.
All of that makes it harder for Santa Anita to attract top horses from those states, which increase purses with money from slot machines or casinos, something not available to California tracks. Santa Anita, however, has hiked its purses this meeting for maiden and allowance races.
Being so close to the action also posed other occupational hazards.
“Trabzonspor versus Aston Villa, I was suddenly knocked out because of the supporters throwing rocks,” said Haroun.
Rocks were not the only danger, it was footballing legends taking shots on goal, too.
“Wayne Rooney, [while] practising, knocked me out one day,” she added.
“Denis Irwin, he shot at goal, but he knocked me out and I think it was Bryan Robson who turned round and said: ‘If you’re going to kill a photographer, Denis, make sure it’s not the chairman’s cousin!’
Sometimes, though, the players were helpful when trying to get the perfect shot.
Before one European match involving Arsenal, Haroun had a word with Gunners legend Ian Wright and told him to celebrate in front of her if he scored.
Wright did score, but started running in the opposite direction.
To Haroun’s relief, the striker realised his mistake.
“You could see him going the other way, then stopping and looking round and then coming back, [shouting] ‘yeah!’ with his arms outstretched, so much so that so I had to have a wide-angle lens on,” she said. “Perfect picture!”
I worry more about Joe Burrow’s window closing because since reaching that LA Super Bowl in 2022, Cincinnati have not looked the same.
I don’t know if I trust their organisation to draft and bring in the depth they need. In Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the Bengals have the NFL’s most expensive offence, from a salary cap perspective.
It’s always been able to hum a little, but the offensive line still needs strengthening and the defensive line, in particular, has been anaemic.
They had this weird pre-season, not wanting to give Trey Hendrickson the contract he wanted, and they’ve drafted some good young players, but why did they not do this years ago?
When the Bengals had a back-up QB in there, it showed how much Burrow does for the team and how he really extends plays. He is a freak of nature.
He’s the kind of guy that you want in the play-offs, in the Super Bowl, because he gets more dangerous as the season goes on. But it’s sad to think all three of these quarterbacks won’t be there this time.
Other teams are stepping up, because you’re drafting to kind of beat the guys in your division. In the AFC North, the Pittsburgh Steelers have always been consistent, but 100% it should have been the Ravens or Bengals winning that division this season.
The Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers have been building out their rosters to beat the Chiefs in the AFC West. What happens now the tables have been flipped? What will next season look like now the Chiefs will have higher draft capital?
You hope that they’re able to bring in or develop some star receivers. I know they wanted Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy to be that. But really, since Tyreek Hill left in 2022, they’ve not had that number one, true threat receiver.
I like that in their last two games they’ll be able to get some of their young guys true NFL game experience. That’s going to be crucial and will probably give them an upper hand long term.
They’ve been working in some of the younger tight ends, but if Travis Kelce retires, what does that look like? Who becomes that reliable player that Mahomes feels comfortable throwing to because, especially coming back from injury, he’s going to need somebody he can trust.
This is a really big recovery for him. I would be amazed if he’s able to recover to the point where he can start next season and be mobile. But he’s always going to have an opportunity because of who he is as a quarterback and a competitor.
The Chiefs have a lot of pending free agents so how they manage that – who they’re bringing back, who they’re bringing in – will be a really big piece of the puzzle for them.
My concern for them getting back to the play-offs next season is that the AFC West is really competitive. Are the Chiefs going to beat the Broncos twice a year? Are they going to beat the Chargers twice a year?
I feel more confident in the Bengals and Ravens, and either of them winning the AFC North. The Ravens are probably the most whole team. They need a couple more pieces on defence.
The Bengals need an entire defence, but at least they’ve got an offence that can be high-powered. I feel like the Chiefs are going to have to start from ground zero.
But for now, the three-headed monster is gone from the AFC, so maybe the path is clear for my Buffalo Bills to finally get back to the Super Bowl.
From the bottom of the swimming pool to the top of the pole vault bar, photographers reveal the stories behind these amazing shots. And a bonus point if you can spot the photographer in their own image.
Why this column stuck with me: I chose “I’m Fighting Parkinson’s One Punch At A Time” because it was a story that took four years to write but one that has resonated immediately and endlessly.
When I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in the winter of 2021, I decided to keep the diagnosis a secret. Initially I didn’t even tell my own three children. I didn’t want people feeling sorry for me, or looking at me differently or, worse, treating me differently. I wanted to continue with my normal life while fighting the disease in private.
As part of this fight, I attended a boxing class for Parkinson’s patients. The class was filled with 80-year-old women pounding on a heavy bag, 75-year-old men dancing across the floor, elderly and trembling people working hard to stave off the effects of PD. They quickly became my heroes, and deserved to be illuminated as inspirations to others. I finally realized that I could tell their story and maybe push others to come out of the PD shadows and seek the same therapy.
And, well, if I was going to write about others with Parkinson’s disease, I would have to come clean about myself. So, with help from boxing instructor Jody Hould and sports editor Iliana Limón Romero, I did. And I’m glad I did. I’ve since heard from countless people that the story moved them to admit their illness and begin boxing therapy or other types of PD workouts. My diagnosis was a punch in the gut. But thanks in part to the encouragement that came from this story, I’m fighting back.
The two sides went into the game struggling at the wrong end of Division One, with Blackburn in 20th place and only outside the relegation zone on goal average, and Blackpool only one point and two places better off.
The home side had won just one of their previous eight league matches while Rovers’ form had improved with two wins from three before the trip to Bloomfield Road.
The Tangerines included future England World Cup winner Alan Ball in their side while Blackburn had Mike England, a Wales international defender who would go on to make almost 400 appearances for Tottenham and manage his country for eight years.
A crowd of 20,851 saw Neil Turner give Blackpool the lead only for George Jones to equalise before half-time.
The home side took control in the second period, with goals from Bobby Waddell and top scorer Ray Charnley, with Ball adding a fourth.
England then wrote himself into the history books by getting Blackburn’s second of the afternoon – and the final goal to be scored in the Football League in England on Christmas Day.
The two sides were once again due to play the return fixture at Ewood Park on Boxing Day but it was postponed because of a frozen pitch.
Blackpool eventually pulled themselves away from trouble to finish in 13th place but Rovers had a disastrous run in the new year, winning only three of their remaining 20 matches to drop to the bottom of the division and suffer relegation to the second tier.
That match in 1965 was the last we would hear of football on Christmas Day until 1983, when Brentford attempted to play their Third Division match with Wimbledon at 11am.
“I see it as a tremendous opportunity for the family to enjoy a fresh-air Christmas morning,” said Brentford chairman Martin Lange at the time.
Supporters did not agree and, with many complaining, the game was brought forward to Christmas Eve with promotion-bound Wimbledon winning 4-3.
John Slusher shouldn’t admit this. When the former Nike executive signed on to oversee LA28’s commercial operations last year, he looked at the private organizing committee’s lofty financial goals with some concern. Sales were “incredibly slow.” There was momentum around the first Olympics in L.A. in more than 40 years, but not many results.
Yet.
Weeks after celebrating his one-year anniversary with the group responsible for organizing and delivering the 2028 Games, Slusher and his team delivered a $2-billion present.
After announcing 15 partnerships in 2025, LA28 met its goal of reaching $2 billion in corporate sponsorship by this year, which Slusher said puts the group well on track to meet or exceed its $2.52-billion goal for domestic partnerships that serves as the largest line item funding the 2028 Games.
“Each avenue of commercial, whether it’s sponsorship, licensing, ticketing, hospitality, they’re all just kind of smoking hot, if you will, right now,” Slusher said in a recent interview with The Times. “I think there’s a lot of momentum and a lot of excitement around driving the business. And I think we’re all super focused on delivering an amazing, financially responsible Games.”
Since its bid for the Games began in 2016, LA28 has promised to deliver and operate the event with private funds. The estimated budget is $7.15 billion for L.A.’s first Olympics since 1984. After last year’s Paris Olympics, focus has shifted to the United States as the country begins a major decade of major sports events, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 2028 Olympics and the 2034 Winter Olympics held in Salt Lake City.
“There is still much work to do and I can assure you the team is not resting,” U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee Chief Executive Officer Sarah Hirshland said during a media conference call. “But the reality is that this success puts the LA28 Games on track to be very successful while building significant commercial value for Team USA for many years to come. We couldn’t be more pleased with where we sit.”
Slusher, the chief executive officer responsible for revenue for LA28 and U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Properties, said the group is still selling for major sponsorship categories, including quick service restaurant, retail, tech and finance. Ticket registration begins on Jan. 14 with 14 million tickets available for the Olympics and Paralympics, which would break the record for Games tickets sold. Volunteering opportunities connected to LA28 in the community have already begun and volunteer applications for the Games open in the summer of 2026.
From record commercial growth to launching volunteer and community ticketing programs earlier than ever, our north star continues to be delivering a fiscally responsible Games with meaningful impact for L.A. and beyond,” LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover said in a statement. “We’re working day in and day out to make the Games more accessible than ever to the millions of people who want to get involved in a meaningful way.”
LA28 announced a ticket donation program with hopes of making tickets accessible to local fans through community groups. The Rams were the first participants, donating $5 million. Tickets will begin at $28 and LA28 plans to have one-third of tickets under $100.
Ticketing and hospitality is supposed to cover $2.5 billion of LA28’s total budget, the second-largest source of revenue for the Games.
A study done by the Southern California Assn. of Governments estimated the Games will generate between $13.6 billion and $17.6 billion in additional gross domestic product across a six-county region between 2024-2029. The study considered LA28’s $7.15-billion budget, estimated visitor spending and a portion of Games-related transportation infrastructure investments.
While only four of the Olympic venues are outside of L.A. County, the study estimates that five other Southern California counties — Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura and Imperial — could still enjoy roughly 33% of the economic benefit because of visitor spending and work provided elsewhere in the region. Orange County, which will host the volleyball competition at Honda Center and surfing at nearby Trestles, could draw between $2.88 billion and $2.44 billion in gross domestic product from the Games, the second-most behind L.A.’s range of $8.96 billion and $11.97 billion.
The study was limited to only short-term gains up to five years after the Games, which does not take into account any “legacy effects.” The 2028 Games will have no permanent venue construction, but the planning agency notes that transportation infrastructure built to support the Games could benefit the region for decades in the future.
Transportation updates are largely the responsibility of the city, which is relying on federal grants to expand the Metro rail system and add more buses for the Games. Improvements to Los Angeles International Airport have been plodding: The People Mover train’s opening date has been delayed again to June 2026.
Outside of money used for infrastructure improvements, L.A. is also at risk to foot the first $270 million in potential overruns from LA28. If the private organizing committee’s debt goes further, the next $270 million would go to the state and anything remaining would return back to the city.
Next year the Dodgers will try to become the first National League team to win three consecutive World Series. The Angels will try to end baseball’s longest postseason drought at 11 years, still without much of a plan beyond rushing first-round draft picks to the major leagues while treading the financial waters until Anthony Rendon’s contract runs out.
On Sunday they missed out on Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami, who signed with the 102-loss Chicago White Sox. Of the Angels’ five acquisitions this winter, three did not play in the majors last season, and not because they are up-and-coming prospects.
If you’re an Angels fan and you’re sick and tired of this, should you reconsider your loyalty?
Jim Bowden believes you should.
Bowden, formerly the general manager of the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals, serves as a baseball insider on several media platforms. On “Foul Territory” last week he suggested fans of small-market teams have an option that might be more constructive than getting angry.
In Pittsburgh, for instance, the owner would rather complain about the lack of a salary cap than spend enough money to build a winner around generational pitcher Paul Skenes.
“You don’t have to be a Pirate fan,” Bowden said. “You can retire as a Pirate fan, or trade yourself to the Dodgers.
“If you want to see your team win, right now the Dodgers have got the best chance to win a World Series again. As a fan, you can root for any team you want.
“You don’t have to root for the team in your home city. You can see the Dodgers play in your home city. They’ll come into Pittsburgh and beat you.
“If it bothers you that much, just become a Dodger fan. It’s fine.”
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto celebrates with teammates, coaches and owners after the Dodgers’ World Series victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Nov. 1.
On Sunday, Sports Business Journal reported that the parent company of FanDuel Sports Network is in jeopardy of shutting down if it cannot complete a sale to streaming service DAZN. The Angels would not disappear from your screens and streams, but it likely would mean the Angels would take a big cut in local broadcast revenue for a second consecutive year.
The Dodgers’ bandwagon shows no sign of slowing. The Dodgers set a franchise attendance record last season. They offer stadium tours in English, Spanish and Japanese. They launched a fan club in Japan.
So, as a frustrated Angels fan, you could hop on that bandwagon. Or you could try another large-market team — say, the New York Mets.
Mets owner Steve Cohen is worth $23 billion, according to Forbes. When Cohen bought the Mets in 2020, he said this: “If I don’t win a World Series in the next three to five years — I’d like to make it sooner — I would consider that slightly disappointing.”
The Mets still have not won a World Series since 1986. On Friday he took to social media to criticize “the usual idiots misinterpreting a Post article on Mets payroll.”
On Sunday, given the Mets’ losses of Díaz and beloved slugger Pete Alonso in free agency, New York Post columnist Mike Vaccaro shot back, comparing Cohen to greatly unloved former owner Fred Wilpon in this adaptation of a Christmas carol: “Steve’s beginning to look a lot like Wilpon/Mets fans say ‘Hell, no!’/What’s the point in being so rich/And a ruthless sonofabitch/If you don’t spend dough?”
The concept of fan free agency — essentially what Bowden suggested — is not new. Every now and then some disgruntled fan will publicly disown his favorite team, then invite rival teams to suggest why he should support them. If you’re creative enough, rival teams will send you some free swag.
That level of desperation is what many Dodgers fans felt a decade and a half ago, when former owner Frank McCourt needed a loan to cover payroll, hired a Russian physicist who channeled positive energy toward the team and “diagnosed the disconnects” among baseball operations personnel, and disparaged as “un-American” the league’s refusal to approve a television contract that he said would have provided the revenue to keep the Dodgers out of bankruptcy court.
Fans wearing Shohei Ohtani Dodgers jerseys wait to enter Angel Stadium before a game between the Angels and Dodgers on Aug. 12.
(Luke Hales / Getty Images)
In 2011, the year McCourt took the team into bankruptcy, the Angels outdrew the Dodgers for the only time. The Dodgers fans did not bail on their team. They waited for better days.
That is where Angels fans are now — and, for that matter, where Pirates fans are too. Bowden’s suggestion that unhappy Pirates fans exhausted by the perennial futility try the Dodgers did not go over well in Pittsburgh. At the Pirates’ fan site Rum Bunter, Emma Lingan wrote: “Fandom isn’t a streaming subscription you cancel when the content gets bad.”
This year’s World Series was the best and most dramatic I ever covered. But the one that was the most fun was the 2002 World Series: the underdog Angels, the Disney team no one projected for a happy ending, rampaging through October and toppling giants. As The Times’ headline on the Game 7 victory put it: “Fantasyland!”
If you were there in 1982 and 1986, when the Angels had six chances to win one game to clinch their first World Series appearance — and lost all six — then you could have a greater appreciation of 2002. And, if you were there for McCourt bankruptcy, you can have a greater appreciation of Guggenheim majesty.
So get that Angels fan in your life an Angels cap. That fan will be able to wear that cap proudly one of these years, and all the tears will make the cap fit that much more snugly.
My best Christmas on tour was in South Africa in 2015. The Boxing Day Test was the opening match of the series and it was going to be highly competitive. South Africa were still packed with big guns and we had just won the Ashes the previous summer.
I’d had a few months out with a stress fracture to the ball of my foot and it felt like a Christmas present when I proved myself fit enough to join the squad in Durban.
In contrast to that Australia tour five years earlier, I knew if I was fit I was going to play. It’s what I loved about the time England were coached by Trevor Bayliss. I felt as though he really believed in me and trusted me to be myself as a bowler. Even though I had an idea I would be playing, it was still a lovely feeling when the captain gave the nod, as Alastair Cook did that Christmas Day.
There was no bursting into tears in the toilets, just a calm, enjoyable Christmas on the seafront in Durban. It didn’t really feel like Christmas because it was hot and I was contemplating how I was going to bowl to Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers and the rest the following day. I was far more content, even if I did have the prospect of facing Dale Steyn in my unenviable role as nightwatchman, which would ruin anyone’s peaceful Christmas.
I had no family travelling with me and I enjoyed Christmas lunch with the other guys who were in the same boat, then slid off to my room to relax, before hopefully watching us win the toss and bowling first on a spicy looking pitch. Now, that’s a real Christmas present.
We actually lost the toss, but won the Test by 241 runs. I got one of my favourite wickets in my career, a lifter to Faf Du Plessis on the fourth evening, just as he was providing significant rearguard. It felt like a degree of redemption for my previous Christmas letdowns.
Christmas on tour really does become like another Test week. I would always feel for the guys with families having to navigate this time of year. Balancing life between being a father, a husband, an international cricketer and Father Christmas must be tough.
Having family there does provide a degree of balance, which can be a great escape when you’re on a long tour. But explaining to a four-year-old why it’s not snowing and how Santa knows you’re not going to be at home is something I’d always leave to the guys with children.
As I settle down on this festive period, ready to eat my body weight in whatever is laid in front of me, I’ll be thinking of all the cricketers out there preparing to play a game the next day.
The nerves, excitement and disappointments are all part of being a sportsperson. It just so happens it is Christmas Day, too.
Welcome back to this week’s Lakers newsletter, where we’re making our interview lists and checking them twice. I have something to share: I never celebrated Christmas growing up. We didn’t do presents, trees, decorating or any of that.
What we did was basketball.
From spending Christmas Day eating my mom’s home-cooked meals and watching the NBA, I will now be at Crypto.com Arena covering the game my parents will inevitably ask about later. Talk about a special holiday gift.
All things Lakers, all the time.
LeBron James rounds into form
At this stage of LeBron James’ career, it’s not enough to just evaluate the Lakers superstar’s performance in a vacuum. So when coach JJ Redick was asked in Utah before James played his 10th game of the season whether the 21-time All-NBA honoree was “looking more like himself,” Redick didn’t have a straightforward answer.
“Well, I think you have to contextualize it,” Redick told reporters. “[He’s] ‘looking like himself’ as a 41-year-old coming off [a knee injury] and sciatica.”
Redick is premature in calling James a 41-year-old — his birthday is not until next week — but James is at least back to a version of himself. About a month since his season debut, James is starting to round into form, moving past the informal training camp and preseason period after sciatica kept him out all offseason.
James is averaging 27.6 points, 6.2 assists and 7.2 rebounds in the last five games during which the Lakers (19-8) went 3-2. His shooting percentage improved to 53.8% compared to 41.3% in his first six games.
But James is in a new era of his play. His usage rate is the lowest it’s ever been. Redick commended the superstar’s willingness to play off the ball more with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves emerging as the team’s primary ballhandling options.
There are moments when James’ age is showing. A second jump that isn’t as quick as it once was. A dunk that looks more deliberate than explosive. Then he turns back the clock by bulldozing Luke Kornet on a vicious one-handed dunk. James, always one of the league’s best in transition, still leads the Lakers with 6.4 transition points per game.
Lakers star LeBron James dunks over San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet at Crypto.com Arena on Dec. 10.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
“The thing about LeBron — it’s why he’s so great — is he can play with anybody,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “So it doesn’t matter who’s on the floor, but he’s always going to be effective.”
James showed he can still carry the team for stretches when Doncic suffered a left leg bruise during the first half against the Clippers, and the shorthanded Lakers, who entered the game without three starters, still chopped the Clippers’ 22-point lead to seven in the fourth quarter.
Doncic (leg) will remain out for Tuesday’s game against Phoenix, along with Rui Hachimura (groin) and Gabe Vincent (back). Reaves (calf) is questionable as his absence has surpassed one week.
The Lakers have been short at least one player for almost every game this season, Deandre Ayton pointed out Monday after practice as he prepared to return from a two-game absence because of an elbow injury. The injuries, highlighted by James’ 14-game absence, has made Redick feel like this team’s primary identity at the quarter mark of the season is “chaos.”
Yet leadership from players such as James has helped the Lakers find calm amid the confusion.
“This is not a quiet team,” Ayton said. “… We communicate. That’s what brings closure, where you know the guy might not be out there, or superstars might not be out there, but they with us in spirit.”
James was a vocal leader even while injured. When he returned to the court, his energy was infectious in practice, Reaves said, who often marvels at how James, despite playing in a record 23rd NBA season, still feels like one of the biggest kids in the gym.
So a month after his return, when asked in Utah about how James looked in the context of his age and recent injury history, Redick didn’t hesitate to follow up.
“Pretty damn good,” Redick said.
Holiday spirit
Lakers star LeBron James stands on the court during player introductions before a game against the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena on Nov. 18.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
While the NFL tried to use Beyoncé to take over Christmas last year, the games were all laughers. The NBA, meanwhile, planted its flag with a thrilling slate that had four of five games decided by six or fewer points.
“I love the NFL,” James said into the ABC camera last year after the Lakers won a 115-113 nail-biter over the Golden State Warriors. “But Christmas is our day.”
The Lakers are playing on Christmas for the 27th season in a row. James is slated for his 20th Christmas Day game, but even he’s grown tired of his personal tradition.
“I’d much rather be at home with my family,” James said. “But it’s the game. It’s the game I love. It’s the game I watched when I was a kid on Christmas Day, watching a lot of the greatest to play the game on Christmas. It’s always been an honor to play it. Obviously, I’m going to be completely honest, I would like to be home on the couch with my family all throughout the day. But my number is called, our numbers are called, so we have to go out and perform. And I look forward to it.”
The Lakers are 25-26 on Christmas Day. This year’s lineup is delicious. The Lakers at home against Houston — the only team in the league besides Oklahoma City ranked in the top five in offensive and defensive rating — is the prime-time entree. The 11:30 a.m. PST appetizer between San Antonio and Oklahoma City could be the star of the night.
Outside of James’ slightly Grinchy mood about playing, the Lakers were getting into the holiday spirit last week. Doncic gifted e-bikes to everyone in the organization, 103 in total. Jarred Vanderbilt and Jaxson Hayes held charity events. Vanderbilt and his foundation held a holiday giveback at the Boys & Girls Club last Friday while Hayes had giveaways in Compton and his native Cincinnati.
“Stuff like that just fills my heart up and makes me feel better,” Hayes said. “… Stuff like that, I just feel like it’s why God put us here, we’re here to help others.”
On tap
Records and stats current entering Monday’s games
Dec. 23 at Suns (15-13), 6 p.m. PST
Nine days after the Lakers barely survived a dramatic fourth-quarter Phoenix comeback attempt, the Lakers and Suns run it back. In the midst of a challenging portion of their schedule that featured games against Western Conference front-runners Oklahoma City, Denver and Houston, the Suns have lost seven of their last nine games, including three of their last four.
Dec. 25 vs. Rockets (17-9), 5 p.m.
Entering Monday’s game against the Clippers, the Rockets lost three of their last four games. All the losses — to Denver, New Orleans and Sacramento — came in overtime. Kevin Durant is averaging 25.3 points while center Alperen Sengun is putting together a career year with 23.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 6.9 assists.
Dec. 28 vs. Kings (7-22), 6:30 p.m.
The Kings scored an improbable victory over the Rockets to break a six-game losing streak but remain in the Western Conference cellar. The Lakers needed a career-high 51 points from Austin Reaves to survive against the Kings on Oct. 26 without Doncic or James.
Status report
Lakers star Luka Doncic controls the ball during a loss to the Clippers on Dec. 20. Doncic sustained a left leg contusion in the game.
(Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
Luka Doncic: left leg contusion
Doncic suffered the injury when he was kneed in the leg by the Clippers’ Bogdan Bogdanovic. He sat out of the second half and was seen on the practice court Monday with a wrap around his left calf. He is out for Phoenix, but is day to day.
Austin Reaves: left calf strain
Reaves was a partial participant in practice Monday and remained day to day. He passed the initial estimated one-week mark since being diagnosed with a mild left calf strain on Dec. 12.
Deandre Ayton: right elbow soreness
The center appeared to suffer the injury when he got tangled up with Phoenix’s Mark Williams on Dec. 14 and missed two games but will return against the Suns on Tuesday.
Rui Hachimura: right groin soreness
Redick said Hachimura started feeling pain in his hip after the game at Utah on Dec. 18. The coach expects Hachimura to be sidelined for three to five days, which leaves a Christmas Day return possible.
Gabe Vincent: low back soreness
Vincent will not be reevaluated until at least Christmas after a back issue first popped up before the game at Utah.
Favorite thing I ate this week
A meal worth savoring at Santa Monica’s Elephante: (clockwise from top) the pizza bianco, vodka sauce pasta and squash agnolotti.
(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)
I finally crossed an essential L.A. dining experience off of my list this week. I visited Elephante in Santa Monica and very much understand the appeal.
Everyone talks about the whipped eggplant, which we got, but the vodka sauce pasta was my favorite because the pasta was perfectly cooked and the sauce had a slight smoky kick from the Calabrian chile. We also ordered the pizzo bianco, which is finished with a drizzle of hot honey and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. An order of the squash agnolotti pasta that features sage, brown butter and walnut pesto completed the spread.
We’ve built five quizzes to celebrate five BBC shows – but only those with the biggest football trivia brains can beat them all.
So, is your knowledge the Strongest Link or is it more Pointless?
With the exception of our Mastermind quiz, which has used past questions on the show, all these quizzes have been written by the BBC Sport team and are just inspired by the relevant BBC quiz.
The quizzes get harder as you go – good luck with our Only Connect finale. It’s time to put yourself to the test!
PHOENIX — Austin Reaves returned from a left calf strain that sidelined him for three games, but the Lakers’ second-leading scorer did nothing to fix the team’s most glaring weakness.
The Lakers’ defense collapsed in a 132-108 loss to the Suns on Tuesday at Mortgage Matchup Center, giving up a season-high field goal percentage (59%) and tying their mark for most points allowed in a loss this season. Led by a combined 17-for-29 shooting from star guard Devin Booker (21 points) and Dillon Brooks (25 points), the Suns easily eclipsed the 56.5% they shot against the Lakers on Dec. 1.
“The theme with our team again is like these young teams that move, we just can’t move,” said coach JJ Redick, whose team is 1-2 against the Suns (16-13). “So it’s like we’re stuck in mud.”
The Lakers (19-9) remain in the top half of the competitive Western Conference, but with blowout losses to Atlanta, Oklahoma City and San Antonio, L.A. is clinging to a plus-1.1 in point differential. They lost consecutive games for the first time Tuesday and limped into a marquee Christmas Day matchup against the Houston Rockets with a multitude of injuries.
All things Lakers, all the time.
Playing without Luka Doncic, who is day to day with a left leg contusion he sustained Saturday against the Clippers, LeBron James led the Lakers with 23 points on seven-for-14 shooting. Deandre Ayton had a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double while Reaves came off the bench for the first time in two seasons and scored 17 points with two assists and three turnovers.
Redick said Reaves was not on an official minutes restriction after his weeklong absence, but that the team would monitor his workload “in real time.”
“It’s hard for me to start, at the rotation that Bron has, for me to stay around that 20-25 minute mark,” said Reaves, who played 21 minutes and 46 seconds. “So [coming off the bench] got brought up in my shooting time. I said I was open to whatever. Definitely felt weird coming off the bench, but it’s basketball at the end of the day.”
Calf injuries, even the most minor, have been major concerns for the NBA since three stars suffered Achilles tendon tears during last season’s playoffs. Reaves, who carried the team during the early part of a season that has featured injury absences from James and Doncic, led the team in minutes per game. His 775 minutes entering Tuesday were second-most on the team behind Rui Hachimura. The Japanese forward missed his second consecutive game with right groin soreness.
Lakers star Lebron James puts up a shot against the Suns on Tuesday night. James finished with 23 points.
(Rick Scuteri / Associated Press)
When asked whether Reaves needed a physical reset after carrying such a large load, Redick acknowledged a break may have been necessary.
Reaves looked out of sorts when he entered with 5:23 remaining in the first quarter. He fumbled the handoff on his first touch coming off a screen. When he tried to thread bounce passes through tiny windows, the ball was kicked away or deflected. He got attacked on defense and gave up consecutive driving layups to Suns guard Jamaree Bouyea.
Bouyea had 14 points off the bench, including a layup over Marcus Smart, who failed to draw a charge call, in the third quarter. While Smart laid in the key appealing to officials, Bouyea didn’t hesitate to leap over the Lakers’ guard and score. The Lakers fell behind by as many as 29 in the third quarter, and Redick quietly waved the white flag with 5:22 remaining in the third when he put reserve forward Maxi Kleber and rookie Adou Thiero onto the floor.
The Phoenix crowd started to file out in bunches with seven minutes remaining when the lead reached 30.
Even courtside seats were empty in the final minutes. Brooks took advantage, sitting in a courtside seat on the baseline as Thiero stepped to the free throw line with 1:16 remaining. Brooks waved his arms as a distraction. Thiero split his two shots.
Etc.
Center Jaxson Hayes left the game with left ankle soreness in the second quarter and didn’t return.. Redick said it was an aggravation of a previous injury suffered last week.
Matthew Stafford was voted to the Pro Bowl this season, but the Rams veteran quarterback stopped concerning himself about the recognition more than a decade ago.
In 2011, the then third-year pro passed for more than 5,000 yards and 41 touchdowns for the Detroit Lions.
Stafford thought he had a chance to make the NFC roster, but Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Cam Newton got more votes.
“Wasn’t even close,” Stafford said, chuckling, on Wednesday. “So at that point, I kind of reserved myself to just go play, have fun and whatever happens, happens.
“But it is cool to be a part of it.”
Stafford, who also was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2014 and 2023, is a leading contender for perhaps the NFL’s most prestigious award — most valuable player.
Stafford, 37, has passed for a league-leading 4,179 yards and 40 touchdowns, with five interceptions, while leading a Rams team that is 11-4 and currently seeded No. 6 in the NFC going into Monday night’s game against the Atlanta Falcons (6-9) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Rams are averaging 30.5 points and 396.7 yards per game, both tops in the NFL. They rank second in passing (270.5 yards per game) and fifth in rushing (126.3 yards per game).
In last Thursday’s 38-37 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Stafford passed for 457 yards and three touchdowns. Yet he was outdueled by fellow Pro Bowl pick Sam Darnold, who led a touchdown drive in overtime and capped it with a game-winning two-point conversion pass.
Stafford is preparing to face a Falcons defense that ranks 14th overall, but eighth against the pass, giving up 195.1 yards per game.
Asked if he was surprised that Stafford has only been voted to the Pro Bowl three times, Rams coach Sean McVay said yes, adding that there were “a lot of layers to the Pro Bowl stuff.”
“You talk to the real football people. … I think he’s seen as a guy that’s one of the best ever to do it,” McVay said. “I think that’s been very well acknowledged this year but I think it’s probably overdue.”
Stafford has “elevated” everybody around him since the Rams traded for him in 2021, McVay said.
“The best part about Matthew is, he’s got this great humility,” McVay said, adding, “What he cares about are the respect of his teammates, his coaches and the people he’s playing against. And I think when you talk to those who know, hes got great respect and admiration for the way that he competes, the way he goes about it and what type of player he is.”
Etc.
Receiver Davante Adams (hamstring) and offensive lineman Kevin Dotson (ankle) are making “good progress,” but McVay did not provide a definitive update on their status for the game against the Falcons. … The Rams opened the 21-day window for cornerback Roger McCreary (hip) to return from injured reserve. McVay said “most likely” that the Rams will open the 21-day window for safety Quentin Lake (elbow) next week to return from injured reserve. Lake is expected to be ready for the playoffs, or possibly for the final game against the Arizona Cardinals. … The Rams are off Thursday. They are expected to practice Friday at SoFi Stadium, and Saturday at their Woodland Hills facility.
January has traditionally been the harshest time of the year for the Kings, who haven’t had a winning record in that month the last three seasons. But winter grew dark and gloomy a little earlier than usual because December has hardly been a walk in the park.
With Tuesday’s 3-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken, the Kings head into the NHL’s three-day Christmas break having lost six of their last seven. And things aren’t getting easier any time soon: when the team returns to the ice Saturday, it will play host to the Ducks, who lead the Pacific Division in wins, before closing out 2025 Monday on the road against the Colorado Avalanche, who lead the NHL in wins.
“It’s not going the way we all want to,” forward Kevin Fiala said. “But you know, that’s going to happen for everybody. So it’s us who have to do something about it. Who can pull us out of it? Nobody else.
“I’m not worried. Like, I’m sure we’re gonna get out of this. But it’s not acceptable right now.”
And if it doesn’t change right now, the rest of the season will be as cold as a winter frost for the Kings.
It’s not just that the team is losing, but how it’s losing that is most concerning. The Kings (15-12-9) are 31st in the 32-team NHL in scoring, 31st on the power play and have scored more than two goals just twice in 11 games this month. That’s negated a defense that is second in the league in goals allowed.
“Sometimes it’s difficult to make sense of things,” coach Jim Hiller said when asked to explain a slide that has dropped the Kings into the middle of the division standings. “We just feel like we haven’t had a good run of games where we felt like, win or lose, we really like how we’re playing.
“That’s something that we’ll keep driving towards. We just haven’t had it yet.”
Last season, Hiller’s Kings tied franchise records for wins and points in the regular season and had the best home mark in team history. This season, they’re 4-8-4 at Crypto.com Arena, the second-worst home record in the Western Conference. And that has general manager Ken Holland answering questions about Hiller’s future behind the bench.
“I expect him to be here the rest of the season,” said Holland last week, not exactly a full-throated vote of confidence.
Yet for all their struggles, December has just been a continuation of the things that have plagued the Kings all season.
“We all have high expectations for ourselves,” Hiller said. “We just haven’t hit our stride yet. That’s the part that we’re chasing. That’s what we have to focus on. We have to hit that stride.
“It’s a difficult time right now, for sure.”
On Tuesday, Hiller tried to shake things up by mixing up his lines, most significantly pairing Fiala and Andrei Kuzmenko with center Alex Turcotte. And while Fiala and Kuzmenko responded with goals, they didn’t come until the Kraken had taken a 3-0 lead.
The first goal came from Jordan Eberle, who was left alone in front of the Kings’ net, giving him plenty of space to settle a pass from Matty Beniers before lifting the puck around goaltender Pheonix Copley and under the crossbar for his 13th goal of the season. It was the fourth power-play goal the Kings had given up in the last two nights and the sixth in four games.
The Kraken doubled their lead on a quirky goal less than eight minutes later, with Copley misjudging a deflected shot from Seattle’s Frederick Gaudreau, allowing the puck to knuckle off his glove then trickle through his legs for the goal.
Ben Meyers extended Seattle’s lead to 3-0 with less than four minutes left in the second before the Kings finally got on the board with an unassisted goal from Fiala, his 13th of the season, 11 seconds later.
Kings coach Jim Hiller watches from the bench during the second period of a 3-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena.
(Luke Hales / Getty Images)
Now the Kings will have three days to think about that, although Fiala said he’d gotten over the game by the time he finished showering.
“If you win five in a row or lose five in a row or whatever, it’s forgotten. It’s in the past,” he said. “I think we take the good things with us and the bad things we hopefully analyze and get better at.”
For Hiller, the break couldn’t come at a better time. Or a worse time since the team’s current seven-game slump is its deepest since the winter of 2023-24. That one cost coach Todd McLellan his job.
“I hope the players are able to relax and refresh themselves,” Hiller said. “It’s been from September till now, with the schedule and how busy it is. And 85% of our games, we’ve been playing within one goal.
“It’s taxing physically and mentally. So I’m sure those guys need a break.”
A lone goal by the Manchester United forward is enough for Ivory Coast to successfully begin their AFCON title defence.
Published On 24 Dec 202524 Dec 2025
Share
Holders Ivory Coast squandered a number of chances, but Amad Diallo’s goal early in the second half was enough to beat Mozambique 1-0 and give them a winning start to their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title defence.
In the opening Group F game on Wednesday in Morocco, the Ivorians battled to break down their opponents in a competitive first half but took firm control after the break without converting the many chances they created.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
Diallo side-footed the ball into the net in the 49th minute to ensure the three-point haul in rainy conditions, but the scoreline would have been a lot more emphatic had the Ivorians been sharper in front of goal.
Wilfried Zaha, playing his first international in more than two years after his surprise recall for the Cup of Nations finals, wasted several chances, and Franck Kessie had two point-blank efforts saved by Mozambique goalkeeper Ernan.
Ivorian substitute Vakoun Bayo also had an opportunity with an easy header in front of goal but somehow put it wide, and in the 89th minute, Bayo had an effort cleared off the line with Ernan caught well out of his goal.
Mozambique brought on winger Dominguez as a second-half substitute at the age of 42 years, one month and six days, making him the oldest outfield player in tournament history behind only former Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary, who was 44 when he played in the 2017 final.
Mozambique are still to win a match at the finals, stretching back to their tournament debut in 1986. This is their sixth appearance with a record of four draws and 12 losses.
Diallo, centre, scores the only goal of the contest in the 49th minute [Khaled Desouki/AFP]
