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When Angelou High defeated Manual Arts 77-33 in an Exposition League basketball game earlier this week, second-year coach Leon Jacob had mixed emotions. He graduated from Manual Arts in 2003, went on to win a state championship at Compton College and played at Texas A&M-International
“I apologized to the coaches,” he said. “We could have had 100 points. That’s not me. I have respect for my alma mater.”
Jacob, 41, played professional basketball for years in such places as Belize, Mexico, Germany and Bolivia. He played for the Belize national team. He became a JV coach at Hawkins for one season before taking over at Angelou last season. Angelou made it to the City Division V final before losing in overtime.
Angelou is 10-3 this season and 6-1 in the Exposition League. Daviandre Davis, a 5-foot-7 junior guard, is averaging 23 points a game. Sophomore Rayshawn Martin and senior Damon Ly average 13.8 and 12.0 points, respectively.
“I’m having fun coaching,” said the 6-foot-3 Jacob said. “They’re really high-character kids.”
Jacob said he decided to try coaching after learning from lots of mentors. He said he’s never gotten a technical called on him.
“I’m a cool coach,” he said.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
The incident happened after 10-time champion Djokovic, leading 6-3 4-2 at the time, saw a pacy return from world number 75 Van de Zandschulp go long for deuce.
In a split-second, Djokovic casually hooked the ball left.
“I don’t even think he knew the ball kid was there. But it was three inches from getting defaulted,” said former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash, who was analysing the third-round match for BBC Radio 5 Live.
“He’s hit that in an area where nine times out of 10 is probably a default. He’s managed somehow to sneak in between the ball kid and the spectators to the left.”
In New York little over five years ago, it was a clear-cut case.
Djokovic took a ball out of his pocket and hit it behind him, striking the female line judge in her throat.
It was an infamous incident which the Serb swiftly apologised for, saying it had left him “really sad and empty”.
Given he felt he needed to apologise again in Melbourne, many will question whether Djokovic has learned his lesson.
He also fell awkwardly during the third set and, shortly afterwards, received treatment for a blister on his right foot.
But ultimately Djokovic won in two hours and 44 minutes, keeping up his record of not yet dropping a set at this event, and a lighter workload could prove critical for his hopes of winning standalone record 25th Grand Slam singles title.
He will play Czech 16th seed Jakub Mensik in round four.
Bangladesh have decided to boycott next month’s men’s T20 World Cup and will be replaced by Scotland.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has yet to formally announce the step but BBC Sport understands Scotland are now in line to take Bangladesh’s place in Group C as the highest-ranked team not already at the tournament.
Bangladesh had asked for their games to be switched from India citing safety concerns amid growing tensions between the countries and demanded to play them in Sri Lanka, which is co-hosting the tournament, instead.
A source close to the ICC board said the BCB were given a final 24 hours to confirm they would travel to India.
That deadline has now passed and ICC officials have decided to press ahead with an alternative plan to invite Scotland to participate instead.
The ICC, Cricket Scotland and the BCB are expected to issue statements in due course.
Cricket Scotland officials had been closely monitoring developments for the past few weeks and it is understood that internally they have taken some operational steps to prepare for this scenario.
Scotland’s players were already back in training as they had been preparing for a one-day international tri-series with Namibia and Oman in Windhoek in March.
Nevertheless it will be a tight turnaround for Scotland’s players to obtain visas to enter India with their first match scheduled to be on the opening day of the tournament, against West Indies in Kolkata on 7 February.
Also in Scotland’s group are England – who they face in Kolkata on 14 February – plus Italy and Nepal.
A fourth-place finish at last summer’s Europe Qualifier had looked to have cost Scotland a place at the 2026 T20 World Cup as the Netherlands and Italy secured the two spots on offer for the region.
Zimbabwe withdrew from the 2009 T20 World Cup in England for political reasons and were replaced by Scotland who were the ‘next best’ team in a pre-tournament global qualifying tournament.
But with qualifying for T20 World Cups, which were expanded to 20 teams in 2024, now done on a regional basis it is not quite so straightforward and this was a discretionary decision by the ICC based on rankings.
Scotland are currently 14th in the ICC T20 rankings and also represent a low-maintenance choice from the ICC’s perspective.
The 12th-year pro played in four NFC championship games with the Green Bay Packers.
And lost every time.
“It feels almost like a mythical thing to me at this point,” he said of reaching the Super Bowl. “You do everything you can to get there and it’s been so hard and I’ve been working so hard at it.”
Adams is part of a Rams offense led by quarterback Matthew Stafford, a finalist for the NFL most valuable player award, and receiver Puka Nacua, a finalist for NFL offensive player of the year.
But Adams, 33, could be the X-factor for the Rams.
After stints with the Las Vegas Raiders and the New York Jets, Adams signed a two-year contract with the Rams that included about $25 million in guarantees. It took a third of the season to establish a consistent connection with Stafford, but Adams led the NFL with 14 touchdown catches despite sitting out three games because of a hamstring injury.
“I started off with a great experience with the Packers and didn’t have anything else to compare it to so you don’t, in a sense, take it for granted,” Adams said of participating in the playoffs. “Being back in a position where you’re with a great team and in a great situation, you definitely have a greater appreciation for times like this.”
In four NFC championship games, Adams has 22 catches for 228 yards and two touchdowns.
In 2015, he had one catch for seven yards in a 28-22 overtime defeat by the Seahawks in Seattle.
The next season, he caught three passes for 16 yards and a touchdown in a 44-21 loss to the Falcons in Atlanta.
In 2020, he caught nine passes for 138 yards in a 37-20 defeat by the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara.
And in 2021, he caught nine passes for 67 yards and a touchdown in a 31-26 loss to the Buccaneers in Tampa.
“A guy like Tae, a Hall of Fame player like him, you want a guy like that to experience getting a Super Bowl,” Rams safety Kam Curl said. “So that gives us a little bit more motivation, especially what he brings to this team. He deserves it.”
Rams wide receiver Davante Adams tries to run past Carolina Panthers linebacker Christian Rozeboom during the Rams’ NFC wild-card playoff win on Jan. 10.
(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)
Because of the hamstring injury suffered four days before against the Detroit Lions, Adams was not on the field on Dec. 18, when the Seahawks defeated the Rams 38-37 in overtime at Lumen Field.
Stafford passed for 457 yards and three touchdowns and Nacua amassed 225 yards receiving and two touchdowns. But it wasn’t enough against a Seahawks team that would go on to claim the No. 1 seed for the NFC playoffs.
“It crushed me,” Adams said of not being able to play, adding, “It’s not a good feeling as a receiver, especially as one that has been relied on a lot in the past to be able to put things together and ultimately get you where you want to be as a team.”
Rams coach Sean McVay is happy to have Adams back for the third game between the teams.
“Everybody feels and notices when he’s on the grass,” McVay said. “He’s just got this swag that I think elevates the energy of our overall group and team.”
The Rams are aiming to win and advance to the Super Bowl for the third time under McVay.
Stafford, a 17th-year pro, played 12 seasons with the Lions before he was finally able to play for a chance to advance to — and win — a Super Bowl.
Adams has a fifth opportunity.
“He got a lot closer than I did for a long time,” Stafford said, laughing, and adding, “I don’t have that same experience, but I do know that as you get older in this game and longer in the tooth a little bit, you just appreciate these moments.”
Adams does as well.
Now he and the Rams must close the deal.
“We’re close,” he said. “We just have to finish it off.”
Tottenham defender Ben Davies has undergone a second operation on a broken ankle and is a doubt for the World Cup should Wales qualify.
The 32-year-old was given oxygen before being carried off on a stretcher after 19 minutes of last weekend’s 2-1 Premier League defeat by West Ham United.
Davies has undergone further surgery that is liable to rule him out of Wales’ March World Cup play-off games and casts doubt on his Tottenham future.
Wales face Bosnia-Herzegovina in the World Cup play-off semi-final at Cardiff City Stadium on 26 March, with the winners at home to Northern Ireland or Italy in the final on 31 March.
Wales manager Craig Bellamy recently described Davies as his “best player,” with Davies the only member of the current Wales squad to reach 100 caps.
Two-time champion Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from her Australian Open third-round match shortly before she was due to take the court against home qualifier Maddison Inglis.
Japan’s Osaka, 28, has cited a left abdominal injury for pulling out.
The announcement came about two hours before the pair were expected to take to Rod Laver Arena in Saturday’s night session.
“I’ve had to make the difficult decision to withdraw to address something my body needs attention for after my last match,” Osaka, who was seeded 16th, wrote on Instagram.
“I was so excited to keep going and this run meant the most to me, so having to stop here breaks my heart but I can’t risk doing any further damage so I can get back on the court.”
Inglis, 28, is ranked 168th in the world and moves into the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career.
Having been overlooked by Tennis Australia for a wildcard, she came through three qualifying rounds and will now face either Polish second seed Iga Swiatek or Russian 31st seed Anna Kalinskaya for a place in the quarter-finals.
San Francisco 49ers legend John Brodie has died at the age of 90.
The quarterback was the 1970 NFL MVP and spent all his 17 NFL seasons with the 49ers.
Brodie led the NFL with 2,941 yards and 24 touchdowns during his MVP season and his number 12 jersey was retired by San Francisco when he ended his playing career in 1973.
“The 49ers family is saddened to learn of the passing of one of the franchise’s all-time great players, John Brodie,” said 49ers co-chairman Dr John York.
“As a kid, my 49ers fandom began by watching John play quarterback on television. He displayed an incredible commitment toward his teammates and his support of the organisation never wavered after his playing days.
“John became a dear friend of mine, and he will always be remembered as an important part of 49ers history. We express our deepest condolences to his wife Sue and the entire Brodie family.”
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo expects to be out for about four to six weeks with a calf injury.
Antetokounmpo played 32 minutes of his side’s 102-100 defeat by the Denver Nuggets on Friday before coming off in the final minute of the game.
“Probably the next steps will be, go to [an] MRI tomorrow,” said the 31-year-old, who produced 22 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists against the Nuggets.
“After the MRI, they’ll tell me, probably, I popped something in my calf, in my soleus, something. They’ll probably give me a protocol of four to six weeks that I’ll be out.
“This is from my experience being around the NBA.”
He added: “After that, I’m going to work my butt off to come back. That will probably be the end of February, beginning of March.”
Kelly: If you could relive one match from your career, what would it be?
Joao: When I won the league with Sporting it was during Covid times and we didn’t have the supporters in the stands. The game that gave us the title was when we beat Boavista. Everyone inside the dressing room felt that moment meant our names could be written in the history of the club and that probably was the most special game. I had also other ones, you know, like when I made my debut in the Premier League against Liverpool, which was a draw against them at Craven Cottage… that was really special as well. My game here against Manchester City when I scored my first goal for Tottenham that was really special too. I have a few!
Kelly: What’s been the toughest moment of your career?
Joao: Probably the time that I had at Bayern, I would say. I expected to play more when I went there but after the injury it was not easy for me to get the right chances.
Kelly: Moving away from football, tell me what it was like growing up in your house…
Joao: I’m a family person. I’m a proud father, proud son. I think in our lives, what we need is to give the right value to the family, because I couldn’t reach anything in my life without them. I have two boys – I’m a really proud dad and it’s the best feeling that you can have.
Kelly: What was a young Joao like? How would your parents maybe describe you?
Joao: At school I was not probably the best student but I always had the effort, you know, the commitment to learn. I think this is not just on the pitch, but also off the pitch. I always have been a respectful person with the right principles of family, and values as well.
Kelly: How do you escape from football in your time off?
Joao: Depends if my family is here or not but usually I like to spend my day off… if I don’t go to Portugal or they are here, I like to go to the city or a garden with them when the weather is good, which is something not particularly easy here! But yeah, enjoy it with family.
Kelly: Do you have any hobbies?
Joao: I like to play tennis but I don’t do it much because I can’t [because of the risk of getting injured]. We have a lot of golfers in the team but I like more active sports… movement. Golf is too lazy for me! I think for the mind it is good, but for the body, for me, I think is not the right sport.
Real Madrid right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold has not been told to find a new club this summer, Arsenal eye summer move for Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez, while Liverpool are set to battle Bayern Munich for RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande.
England right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold has not been told to leave Real Madrid, despite reports in Spain suggesting new manager Alvaro Arbeloa has urged the 27-year-old to find a new club this summer. (Mail) , external
Arsenal are exploring the possibility of launching a summer move for 25-year-old Atletico Madrid and Argentina forward Julian Alvarez. (ESPN) , external
Bayern Munich will have competition from Liverpool in the race to sign Ivory Coast forward Yan Diomande, 19, from RB Leipzig. (Bild – in German), external
Rennes will target Toulouse’s English centre-back Charlie Cresswell, 23, should 20-year-old French defender Jeremy Jacquet leave them for Chelsea. (Florian Plettenberg), external
Barcelona will attempt to ward off interest in attacking midfielder Fermin Lopez by offering the 22-year-old Spaniard a new contract. (Sport – in Spanish), external
Brighton have made 19-year-old English winger Tommy Watson available for loan, with several clubs in the Championship and one in the Premier League interested. (Sky Sports), external
Marcus Alvarado, saying he had lost his love for baseball after dealing with constant complaints from parents, has resigned as baseball coach at Chatsworth High, where he guided the Chancellors to a 2022 City Section Open Division championship at Dodger Stadium.
“I’m just tired about hearing parents complain,” he said Friday. “We call it travel ball mentality now. That’s not me.”
He said he intends to spend more time with his wife and daughter while waiting to see if he can regain his enthusiasm for coaching.
“It took the love out of the game,” he said. “I hope to regroup.”
He previously coached at Kennedy, where his father, Manny, was a longtime successful coach.
Chatsworth and El Camino Real have won the most City Section baseball titles with nine each. Eight were won by coach Tom Meusborn, who’s now at Sierra Canyon.
Another longtime coach is out at Sun Valley Poly, where Gabe Cerna was replaced by assistant Freddy Flores, who will serve as an interim coach. Cerna was head coach since 2009 but the school decided to go a different direction for a coach.
Also, Doug Bledsoe announced he has resigned after one season as football coach at Narbonne. The Gauchos went 0-10 and are banned from the playoffs for three years because of rules violations.
John Brodie, who won an MVP award and was one of the NFL’s most prolific passers during a 17-year career with the San Francisco 49ers, has died. He was 90.
Brodie’s family said he died Friday, according to the 49ers. Brodie had a stroke on Oct. 24, 2000.
“The 49ers family is saddened to learn of the passing of one of the franchise’s all-time great players, John Brodie,” 49ers co-chairman Dr. John York said. “As a kid, my 49ers fandom began by watching John play quarterback on television. He displayed an incredible commitment toward his teammates and his support of the organization never wavered after his playing days.
“John became a dear friend of mine, and he will always be remembered as an important part of 49ers history. We express our deepest condolences to his wife, Sue, and the entire Brodie family.”
Brodie played for the 49ers from 1957-73 after breaking every major passing record at Stanford. He later played on what is now the PGA Tour Champions and won the 1991 Security Pacific Senior Classic.
Brodie’s 17 seasons are a 49ers record, and his 31,548 yards passing rank second to Joe Montana on San Francisco’s career passing list. When Brodie retired after the 1973 season, he trailed only Johnny Unitas and Fran Tarkenton on the NFL’s career passing list.
John Brodie gets a ride on the shoulders of an admiring crowd following a win over the Vikings that gave the 49ers the Western Division championship in San Francisco on Dec. 16, 1972.
(Associated Press)
His 214 touchdown passes are third in team history behind Montana and Steve Young.
“He was a great guy, a super competitor, I don’t care what it was: football, cards, golf,” said Jerry Mertens, a cornerback for the 49ers from 1958-65. “He was a great player and he enjoyed all the things that were competitive.
“The guy just did it all, and he was a great leader, there’s no question about that.”
Brodie won the most valuable player award in 1970 when he passed for 2,941 yards and 24 touchdowns with only 10 interceptions. He led the 49ers to the NFC championship game in 1970 and 1971. That was as close as he got to the Super Bowl.
When Brodie left football, the 49ers retired his No. 12 jersey, making him the fourth San Francisco player to be so honored.
Brodie led the NFL in yards passing three times and touchdown passes twice, earning first-team All-Pro honors in 1970 and second-team in 1965.
John Brodie drives from the 14th tee while playing as a professional in the Bing Crosby Pro-Am tournament at Pebble Beach on Jan. 16, 1959.
(Associated Press)
A 6-foot-1, 200-pounder during his playing days, Brodie was born in San Francisco on Aug. 14, 1935, but went to high school at Oakland Technical. He was a unanimous All-American at Stanford in 1956 and won the Coffman Award as the MVP in the East-West Game.
In college he earned three varsity letters in football under coach Chuck Taylor and two varsity letters in golf. The 49ers picked him at No. 3 in the first round of the 1957 draft.
Brodie had his best year statistically in 1965, when he had career bests of 242 completions, 3,112 yards passing, 30 touchdown passes and won the Associated Press NFL Comeback Player of the Year award.
He surpassed the 30,000-yard milestone in the fourth game of the 1972 season.
After football Brodie remained a top golfer. At 56 and playing in the 1991 Security Pacific Senior Classic at Rancho Park in Los Angeles, he beat Chi Chi Rodriguez and George Archer with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff.
Ospreys are currently playing out of Bridgend this season where a crowd of 4,052 turned out to watch in wet and windy conditions.
Fans were asked to light their phone torches on 11 minutes as a message to say “they will not ignore the disgraceful treatment of Ospreys players, staff, and supporters”.
The crowd obliged and there were resounding boos directed towards rugby bosses.
Ospreys staff had been in tears this week not knowing what the future holds and that frustration was shared by the fans.
Lynne Jones, of Ospreys Supporters Club said she feels let down by the WRU and Y11.
“I’m emotional, angry and upset, it’s devastating,” she told BBC Wales Today.
“The silence from the WRU – it’s not on.”
Sarah Collins-Davies, chair of the Ospreys Supporters Club added: “It’s been an emotional week for the supporters, but I can’t imagine how difficult it has been for the players and coaches.
Ospreys supporter Annette Davies says she is fearful for the future with so many unanswered questions.
“There has to be clarity,” said Davies.
“We’re told there will be an Ospreys side next season – what does that mean? Are we ending next season? Are we even going to have the players to have a season, because we have a lot of players out of contract.
“Who’s going to want to sign for us? Knowing they might not be here at the end of that following season.”
The Ospreys have produced Wales and British and Irish Lions internationals like Alun Wyn Jones, Dan Biggar, Adam Jones, Shane Williams and Justin Tipuric and attracted star names like Justin Marshall, Tommy Bowe, Jerry Collins, Marty Holah and Ryan Jones.
They are the most successful Welsh team in terms of silverware since the inception of regional rugby in 2003, although their last trophy was in 2012.
An illustrious past. But what an uncertain future looks like, remains to be seen.
A stunning 12-under 60 gave teenager Blades Brown a share of the lead with world number one Scottie Scheffler after the second round of the American Express in California.
The 18-year-old’s eye-catching 10 birdies and an eagle put him on 17 under alongside his fellow American.
On his first PGA Tour appearance of the season, Scheffler followed up his opening round of 63 with an eight-under 64.
The 29-year-old made three birdies on the front nine at in La Quinta, before another five followed for a second consecutive bogey-free round.
Scheffler has yet to win the American Express tournament, which boasts a prize of £1,236,000 ($1.656m) for the champion.
South Korea’s Si-Woo Kim is a shot behind the leaders after a round of 65 left him at 16 under, while compatriot Seong-Hyeon Kim and American Matt McCarty are a further shot back.
Relegation and city rivals St Pauli and Hamburger SV frustrate each other in a goalless draw that lifts the home side out of the mandatory relegation spots.
Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder who allegedly became the head of an organization that trafficked large quantities of drugs through L.A., was apprehended recently in Mexico, U.S. officials announced Friday.
Authorities said Wedding, who was in hiding for more than a decade and on the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list, was taken into custody in Mexico City Thursday night and has been returned to the United States. Two sources, who requested anonymity to discuss the pending case publicly, told The Times that Wedding negotiated his surrender.
FBI Director Kash Patel and other officials announced Wedding’s arrest at a news conference at Ontario International Airport on Friday morning.
“Just to tell you how bad of a guy Ryan Wedding is, he went from an Olympic snowboarder to the largest narco trafficker in modern times,” Patel said. “He is a modern-day El Chapo, he is a modern-day Pablo Escobar. And he thought he could evade justice.”
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said Wedding’s alleged global drug trafficking organization “used Los Angeles as its primary point of distribution.”
McDonnell said the efforts of authorities resulted in the seizure of more than 2,300 kilograms of cocaine, 44 kilograms of methamphetamine, 44 kilograms of fentanyl, eight firearms and more than $55 million in illicit assets.
“Together, we have disrupted a major narcotics pipeline impacting Los Angeles, the United States and Canada,” McDonnell said. “This is a significant blow to a criminal network that has endangered communities across borders.”
Former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding faces federal charges that accuse him of running a drug trafficking organization and ordering the killing of a witness against him. (FBI)
Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the Los Angeles FBI field office, said Wedding’s alleged organization shipped approximately 60 metric tons of cocaine through Southern California on its way to Canada.
Authorities have arrested 36 people for their role in the transnational organization and the treasury department has sanctioned 19 people, including Wedding, according to Davis.
Wedding allegedly became a major trafficker of cocaine into Canada and the United States and a ruthless leader who ordered killings, including one of a witness in a 2024 federal narcotics case against him. The order resulted in the victim being shot to death in a restaurant in Medellín, Colombia, in January 2025, prosecutors said.
“Ryan Wedding tormented several people and several families that will never be the same,” Davis said. “But today they get the justice that they sought.”
Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi previously said Wedding’s operation was responsible for generating more than $1 billion a year in illegal drug proceeds.
A federal indictment against Wedding alleges his organization sourced its cocaine from Colombia, cooking and testing it in “cocaine kitchens” run collaboratively with a Colombian paramilitary group and drug cartel.
The so-called Wedding Criminal Enterprise worked with Mexican cartels, utilizing boats and planes to move drug shipments from Colombia, then using semitrucks to get the loads into the United States, U.S. authorities charged. Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties generally served as the “hub” where the organization’s cocaine was stored before being conveyed to final destinations in other parts of the U.S. and in Canada, according to the indictment.
On Friday, Mexican Security Minister Omar García Harfuch posted on X that Patel was returning to the U.S. with two priority targets: “a non-U.S. person who was detained by Mexican authorities among the FBI’s 10 most wanted and a Canadian citizen who voluntarily surrendered” at the U.S. Embassy.
Wedding’s capture follows a mass transfer of cartel suspects from Mexico to U.S. custody, with authorities south of the border handing over 37 inmates for prosecution. The Department of Justice said the defendants include high-ranking members of the Jalisco New Generation, Sinaloa and Gulf cartels.
Extraditions of high-level cartel suspects from Mexico have in past eras taken years to accomplish. Now, as it faces pressure from the Trump administration, the Mexican government has began moving quickly to expel some key figures outside of the standard process.
Wedding was previously charged in a 2024 indictment with running a continuing criminal enterprise, assorted drug trafficking charges and directing the murders of two members of a family in Canada in retaliation for a stolen drug shipment.
Authorities said Wedding’s aliases included “El Jefe,” “Public Enemy” and “James Conrad Kin.”
Wedding competed for his home country, Canada, in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
Mexican officials last year began handing over dozens of alleged cartel leaders facing charges in U.S. federal courts, including Andrew Clark, Wedding’s alleged lieutenant, who is facing prosecution in Los Angeles.
In December, the New York Times cited U.S. and Canadian court documents that indicated Clark had started cooperating with authorities against his former boss. The records reportedly showed a witness believed to be Clark had “agreed to assist U.S. authorities in the investigation of Wedding’s organization.”
An attorney for Clark did not respond to a request for comment Friday.
This was pretty audacious, even by the Dodgers’ standard. Their $17-million left fielder flopped last year, so they threw $240 million at another corner outfielder to supplement the three most valuable players already in their lineup.
Still, as Kyle Tucker smiled for the cameras at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, it was hard to imagine this one man could sign here and take down the 2027 season.
On Tuesday the Athletic quoted one ownership source that portrayed the Tucker signing as a tipping point that made it “a 100 percent certainty” owners would push for a salary cap when the collective bargaining agreement expires this fall. Owners have been complaining about the Dodgers’ signings of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell and Tanner Scott, and on and on, and it sounds silly that the signing of one Kyle Daniel Tucker would turn the owners in a direction many of them already indicated they want to go.
“I agree,” said the man who signed him, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman.
If baseball comes up with new rules next year, the Dodgers will abide by them. Until then, Friedman said, their “only focus” is on delivering the best possible product to the fans who pack Dodger Stadium every night and shop the team store like crazy. In return, he said, the Dodgers can sell themselves to stars like Tucker.
“A destination spot is where players and their families feel incredibly well taken care of,” Friedman said. “If they’re playing in front of 7,000 people, they don’t feel that as much.
“Playing in front of 50,000 people, and seeing the passion and how much people live and die for the Dodgers each summer and each October, I think, adds to the experience and allure of playing here.”
He also said this, which might infuriate some fans and perhaps some owners outside Los Angeles: “This isn’t just about, let’s spend a lot of money.”
If the Dodgers’ spending habits border on satire to you, well, the Onion got there first. Two decades ago, when fake news actually meant fake, the Onion ran this headline: “Yankees Ensure 2003 Pennant By Signing Every Player In Baseball.”
The Yankees led the major leagues in payroll that year and for the next 10 years. They won the World Series once in that span, in 2009. They have not won since.
So, when the Dodgers splurged last winter, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner offered a measured response.
“It’s difficult for most of us owners to be able to do the kind of things that they’re doing,” Steinbrenner told YES Network. “We’ll see if it pays off.”
It did. The Dodgers won their second consecutive World Series. They made more money on ticket sales alone in 2024 than roughly half the 30 teams made in total revenue. Same for their local television revenue.
There’s more: an estimated $200 million in sponsorship revenue last year — thank you, Shohei. In all they took in an estimated $1 billion last year — an MLB record — meaning they spent close to $600 million in player payroll and luxury taxes and still made money.
At that level the cries that owners of other teams should just spend more start to ring a bit hollow. They should spend more, of course. But the issue is how to persuade owners to spend another $100 million when the Dodgers still might outspend them by $300 million.
The Yankees can do the kind of things the Dodgers do, and the San Diego Padres have shown how fans in a small market turn out when an owner is more concerned with winning than profit. However, the implosion of cable and satellite television means that local media revenues have cratered for teams outside large markets.
More than half of MLB teams never have paid anyone the $240 million the Dodgers committed to Tucker. The Dodgers committed even more to Ohtani, Yamamoto and Mookie Betts.
The owners could agree that teams should share more revenue, with luxury tax penalties not just in cash but also in restrictions that would hamper the ability to compete, something more significant than the loss of a couple of draft picks.
But that Tucker deal: The Dodgers committed $64 million in a signing bonus — never mind the salary! — to a player they arguably did not need. Owners will be very happy to argue the luxury tax has failed and only a salary cap will stop the Dodgers and New York Mets.
Kyle Tucker’s contract includes a $64-million signing bonus.
(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)
This was part of that Onion satire in 2003: “Yankees manager Joe Torre, whose pitching rotation prior to the mass signing lacked a clear seventh ace, now has the luxury of starting each of his hurlers twice a season.
“ ‘As they say, you can never have enough pitching in this league,’ Torre said.”
Let’s see: Yamamoto, Ohtani, Snell, Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan. That might be six aces. And, since you never can have enough pitching: Ben Casparius, Kyle Hurt, Landon Knack, River Ryan, Gavin Stone, Justin Wrobleski. There might be a seventh ace in there, or on the trade market during the coming year.
A salary cap would provide cost certainty that likely would enable owners to sell teams for more money. Whether a salary cap would solve the issue of competitive balance is questionable — in the capped NFL, the AFC championship game has included either the New England Patriots or Kansas City Chiefs for 15 consecutive years — but that would be the owners’ pitch.
So would this: You could compete with the Yankees for the first two decades of this century, but you just can’t compete with these Dodgers, even if that reflects less on payroll and more on management, a dash of October randomness, and that horrendousfifth inning of Game 5 of the 2024 World Series.
In 1994, when owners called off the World Series rather than surrender their pursuit of a salary cap, the following season started a month late, and even then the owners did not get a cap. If they really want a cap, baseball insiders say, the owners will have to vow to stick together and support doing what the NHL owners did to secure one: calling off an entire season.
For the Dodgers and their fans, that is someone else’s problem, at least for this year. In Los Angeles, the prevailing question is not “Salary cap?” but “Three-peat?”
Tucker likely will bat “second or third” in the Dodgers’ lineup, manager Dave Roberts said. He’ll better the defense by playing right field, allowing Teoscar Hernández to move to left field.
Of all the potential offseason acquisitions the Dodgers discussed, Friedman said, “There was really nobody that moved our World Series odds for 2026 more than Kyle Tucker.”
I asked Tucker how he felt about supposedly having so much power that his signing could shut down what owners say is a troubled sport.
“I think baseball is in a good spot,” Tucker said. “We have phenomenal attendance around the world. … Fans are being very supportive of their teams and their players and their organizations. I think it’s a good thing having that interaction with everyone, and I think it’s just going to grow the game from there, as long as we can — as a league and as players — continue growing the fan base.”
Ohtani and the Dodgers are rock stars, as evidenced by the team selling out of $253 seats next to the on-field stage at the annual fan festival next week.
The players will not be playing. They will appear for short interviews with team broadcasters.
Seats in the stands are available from $28 to $153, for an event that was free three years ago. While fans and owners of other teams complain, the Dodgers shake it off and find ways to make even more money.
Life is good when you’re the champions. Enjoy it this year, Dodgers fans. If a lockout is happening next January, as it likely will be, the fan festival will not be happening.
Trinity Rodman has re-signed with the Washington Spirit, ending a months-long saga that led the NWSL to adjust its salary cap rules in order to retain one of its biggest stars.
Financial details of the three-year contract weren’t released, but ESPN reports that the deal is worth more than $2 million annually, including bonuses, making Rodman the highest-paid athlete in NWSL history.
In a news release, the Spirit described the deal as “one of the most significant contracts in the NWSL and the women’s game worldwide.”
“I think I’ve always had a vision and an idea of what I wanted my legacy to be,” Rodman said at an event announcing her new deal Thursday at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. “And for me, we’re doing that and I’m so grateful for that.”
In 2024 and 2025, Rodman helped the Spirit return to the championship game.
“Getting drafted here and developing and maturing and learning — and failing — at the Spirit, in D.C., it’s become so much of my legacy and my story,” Rodman said. “But on top of that, I still feel like there’s so much more I have to give and so much more that I want to do.”
Rodman’s initial contract with Washington expired on Dec. 31, making her a free agent. A gold medal winner for the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Rodman was rumored to be getting interest from European teams that don’t have the same salary restrictions.
“I can’t think of the Washington Spirit without her,” Spirit owner Michele Kang said at Thursday’s event in L.A. “And I hope she can’t think about her career without the Washington Spirit. So this is really monumental and it was really important, not only for the Spirit, especially for our fans who expect to see her. They come to Audi Field and that’s where Rowdy Audi clearly came out.”
Lakers legend Magic Johnson, a minority stakeholder in the Spirit, called Rodman’s re-signing a “big win for the entire National Women’s Soccer League!”
“Michele and the Spirit leadership spoke about the vision for the franchise, creating sustainable success, implementing innovation and being a standard bearer for women’s sports,” Johnson wrote on X following Thursday’s event. “Keeping Trinity as a Spirit player was a big step to fulfilling that vision. I want to congratulate the entire Spirit organization for getting the deal done! I know our incredible fan base is as excited as I am.”
Rodman and the Spirit had previously reached an agreement on a four-year, multimillion-dollar contract in early December. That deal was rejected by the NWSL as being against the spirit of the league’s salary cap, which is set at $3.5 million for each team for the 2026 season and will rise each year until hitting $5.1 million in 2030.
The NWSL Players Assn. filed a grievance against the league for nixing the contract agreement, alleging that the move violated the collective bargaining agreement.
Weeks later, the league adopted a “High Impact Player” rule allowing teams to spend up to $1 million over the salary cap for star players that meet certain criteria. The union also has filed a grievance over that rule, claiming that the league is not allowed to “unilaterally create a new pay structure.”
Spirit president of soccer operations Haley Carter says the “High Impact Player” rule figured into Rodman’s new contract and that neither NWSLPA grievance would alter the deal.
Ashlee Sullivan and Tiana Sumanasekera are among the freshmen playing an important role in helping No. 5 UCLA gymnastics achieve its early-season potential.
Freshmen have played a big role in UCLA‘s strong start to the gymnastics season, accounting for roughly 37% of its routines ahead of Sunday’s meet against Michigan State.
Leading the way has been Ashlee Sullivan, who was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week after fifth-ranked UCLA swept the conference’s weekly honors for the second time this season.
Against Nebraska last week, Sullivan recorded career-highs in three events and tied for first on uneven bars (9.9) and floor exercise (9.875).
“We’re really relying on our freshmen and the experience that they had previously in their elite careers and things like that,” UCLA coach Janelle McDonald said.
Three meets into the season, Tiana Sumanasekera is the only freshman to compete in every event, with Nola Matthews and Sullivan making appearances in three.
“We always make the decision that’s best for the team, and so we’re gonna make our lineups not necessarily based on who gets to do all-around, but who are the best six for each event,” McDonald said.
Matthews and Sullivan are practicing for all events, with the latter close to participating on beam.
UCLA gymnast Ashlee Sullivan performs her floor routine during a quad meet in Utah on Jan. 10.
(Tyler Tate / Associated Press)
“We kind of restructured [Ashlee’s] beam routine about a week and a half ago, just to be a little bit cleaner,” McDonald said, “but she’s known as a beamer.”
McDonald is excited to see her freshman go up against a challenging adversary like No. 21 Michigan State.
“So far this season, they’ve showed up and just really delivered,” McDonald said. “I’m excited to see them get to have this opportunity against a great, great team.”
A Big Ten rivalry in the making
Michigan State, the 2024 Big Ten champion, will offer a big test for the Bruins as the two teams renew their budding rivalry.
“Some of our favorite memories were against Michigan State last year, I know the dual meet we had was just incredible [with] us coming back,” McDonald said.
During a dual meet in February, UCLA came back from 0.7 points down in the last rotation to win. They met again in the Big Ten championship, and Michigan State led after two rotations, 99.1-98.9. After an incredible floor rotation — highlighted by a perfect 10 from Jordan Chiles — and a school-record 49.75 on beam, the Bruins took the title.
This year’s meet will be shown live on Fox at 10 a.m. PST, marking the second time this season the Bruins have been on national television.
“It’s just a very cool opportunity to get to be a representative of our sport and get some different eyes on our sport,” McDonald said. “It’s not something we take lightly and it’s definitely something we want to show up for.”
Balancing NCAA success with Olympic dreams
With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics fast approaching, McDonald and her coaching staff understand the importance of maintaining and developing the elite skills in their gymnasts that will carry them in national and international competition.
Sumanasekera has been working with UCLA coaches to improve her NCAA routines while also bolstering the elite skills that could improve her chances of making the U.S. Olympic team.
“It’s really about maintaining elite skills, making sure she has them in her pocket so that we can just pull on them when it’s time to build those elite routines back up,” McDonald said. “There’s so many different people that have a hand in our program to help them continue to feel good and to be as strong as possible in all of those things.”
