Among

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Finally, we are concluding the greatest Dodgers at each position series with managers.

Before we get a to the manager’s countdown, let’s catch up a bit. Not much has happened since the Dodgers signed reliever Edwin Díaz, which was covered in the last newsletter.

The Dodgers avoided arbitration with all four players who were eligible:

Left-handed reliever Anthony Banda was given a raise to $1.625 million compared to the $1 million he got last season; outfielder Alex Call will get $1.6 million, a nice jump from the $769,000 he made last season; Brusdar Graterol will get $2.8 million next season, the same he made last season, which he missed because of injury; and reliever Brock Stewart will get $1.3 million compared to the $870,000 he got in 2025.

In other news, outfielder Justin Dean, who was claimed by the Giants when the Dodgers removed him from the 40-man roster, has subsequently been put on waivers by the Giants, so it’s possible he could return to L.A.

And for those of you still emailing, worried about the Dodgers re-signing Kiké Hernández, remember he had surgery on his elbow and won’t be able to play until the All-Star break. The best guess here is the Dodgers will not re-sign him until they can put him on the 60-day IL (which begins in spring training). That way he won’t count against the 40-man roster. In fact, they might wait until he’s ready to start baseball activities again. In short, it seems if he does come back next year it will be as a Dodger, unless some other team decides to throw a lot of money at him, which seems unlikely.

In the next newsletter later this week, we will look at the remaining free agents out there, including Cody Bellinger, who is apparently at an impasse in re-signing with the Yankees, mainly over the length of the contract.

Top 5 managers

Here are my picks for the top five managers in Dodgers history, followed by how all of you voted. Numbers listed are with the Dodgers only. Click on the manager’s name to be taken to the baseball-reference.com page with all their stats.

1. Walter Alston (1954-76, 2,040-1,613, .558 winning percentage, seven NL pennants, four World Series titles)

Alston began managing the Dodgers in 1954 when they still were in Brooklyn and remained manager until 1976, winning seven NL pennants (1955, 1956, 1959, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1974) and four World Series, (1955, 1959, 1963, 1965), three of them in Los Angeles.

Alston was named NL manager of the year six times. He had his number (24) retired by the team in 1977 and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983. When he got his 2,000th win in the 1976 season, he became only the fifth manager to reach that milestone. There are only 12 now. He is one of five managers to win at least four World Series. The others: Joe McCarthy, Casey Stengel, Connie Mack and Joe Torre.

Alston died at age 72 on Oct. 1, 1984.

A great Alston story, recounted in many books on the Dodgers, comes from the time when teams still traveled by bus. One time, the bus the Dodgers were using was old and had no air conditioning. Several players spent the trip yelling and getting on Lee Scott, the club’s traveling secretary, for getting them such a rickety bus.

Alston, sitting in the front, stood up and said: “I don’t want to hear another word about this bus. And if anyone has something more to say about it, he can step off right now and we’ll settle it right here.” No one said a word after that.

Legendary Times columnist Jim Murray wrote the following when Alston retired:

“I don’t know whether you’re Republican or Democrat or Catholic or Protestant, and I’ve known you for 18 years,” Murray wrote of Alston. “You were as Middle-Western as a pitchfork. Black players who have a sure instinct for the closet bigot recognized immediately you didn’t know what prejudice was. There was no ‘side’ to Walter Alston. What you saw was what you got.”

You can read more about the life of Alston in this article.

2. Dave Roberts (2016-current, 944-575, .621, five NL pennants, three World Series titles)

The question isn’t whether Roberts deserves to be ranked ahead of Tommy Lasorda, the question is if he should be ranked ahead of Alston. Right now, Alston has him beat on longevity, but Roberts is gaining fast.

Roberts has the best winning percentage of any manager in history, minimum 1,000 games. He is 368 games above .500, which is 10th all time. The nine guys ahead of him are all in the Hall of Fame and all managed at least 600 more games than Roberts. He is one of only 11 managers with at least three World Series titles. All are in the Hall of Fame except Bruce Bochy, who will be. He is one of only 12 managers with at least five pennants. All are in the Hall except for Bochy and Vic Harris, a Negro Leagues manager.

Does he have his weaknesses? Sure. Every manager does, though. Is he helped by the fact the Dodgers pay a lot for players? Sure. But there have been managers throughout history who have led powerful teams nowhere.

The fact is, managing now is different than managing when Alston or even Lasorda was in charge. Analytics play a much bigger role now. Most front offices don’t favor such things as sacrifices or steals. The biggest responsibility now is probably keeping all 26 players satisfied with their role on the team. And, Roberts has gotten much better at managing a pitching staff the last couple of seasons.

I’m sure there will be those who will say “Roberts is a bum!” whenever the Dodgers lose a few games in a row next season. Those people are wrong and shouldn’t be listened to. There’s a reason many players are clamoring to play in L.A. One of those reasons is Roberts.

3. Tommy Lasorda (1976-96, 1,599-1,439, .526, four NL pennants, two World Series titles)

Can you imagine if social media existed in 1985? What would the reaction had been online after Lasorda let Tom Niedenfuer pitch to Jack Clark? And what would Lasorda’s reaction to that have been? The mind shudders at the thought.

Lasorda began his pro career in 1945 as a left-handed pitcher in the minors for the Philadelphia Phillies. After spending two years in the Army, he pitched one more season in the minors for the Phillies before the Dodgers drafted him in 1949. That began a long association with the Dodgers, with only a brief interruption to pitch for the Kansas City A’s in 1956 and as a minor leaguer with the New York Yankees in 1956 and 1957 before being reacquired by the Dodgers in 1957.

Lasorda pitched in four regular-season games for the 1955 World Series champion Dodgers and has a ring to show for it. He started against the St. Louis Cardinals on May 5 and had an interesting first inning. He walked Wally Moon, who took second on a wild pitch. Then he walked Bill Virdon. Another wild pitch put Virdon and Moon on second and third with Stan Musial at the plate. Musial struck out swinging. With Rip Repulski at the plate, Lasorda unleashed another wild pitch, and while Moon was sliding into home to score, he accidentally spiked Lasorda in the knee, opening up a gash deep enough to see bone. Lasorda, having waited years for this moment, covered up the injury, struck out Repulski and got Red Schoendienst to pop to first. When he limped to the dugout, manager Walter Alston saw his knee and took him out of the game. It was Lasorda’s only start for the Dodgers.

The Dodgers sent Lasorda back to the minors June 8 to make room for a bonus baby they had signed: Sandy Koufax.

But Lasorda is not on this list because of his pitching; he’s here because of his managing and the fact there may not have been a more colorful character in Dodgers history.

After retiring as a player in 1960, Lasorda became a scout for the Dodgers from 1961 to 1965. In 1966, he became a minor league manager and led the Ogden Dodgers to three league championships. He became manager of triple-A Spokane in 1969 and remained the manager when the team moved to Albuquerque in 1972. In 1973, he became the third-base coach for the Dodgers, who still were being managed by Alston.

Most figured Lasorda was the heir apparent to Alston, and Lasorda must have believed that too, because he turned down opportunities to interview for managing positions with the Montreal Expos and the Yankees.

Alston announced his retirement with four games remaining in the 1976 season and let Lasorda manage those final games. The Dodgers considered naming either Lasorda or first-base coach Jim Gilliam as the new manager but settled on Lasorda, who kept Gilliam as the first-base coach.

The rest, as they say, is history. It’s hard to write a good summary for someone who has led such a public life as Lasorda. We all know he managed the team to the NL pennant in his first two seasons, losing to the Yankees in the World Series both times. He managed the Dodgers to World Series titles in 1981 and 1988.

Some people think Lasorda was all flash and no substance, considering him to be an overrated manager. But Lasorda did a very smart thing in 1981. The season had been split into two halves by a strike, and Major League Baseball decided that the teams in first place when the strike began automatically would qualify for the postseason, playing the second-half winner of their division. Lasorda, realizing he had a playoff spot sewn up, started giving his bench guys, such as Jay Johnstone, Steve Yeager and Steve Sax, more playing time, getting them ready for the postseason. And who helped the Dodgers finally defeat the Yankees in the 1981 World Series? Guys such as Yeager and Johnstone, who had key hits in the six-game victory.

Lasorda’s final game as Dodgers manager was June 23, 1996, a 4-3 victory over the Houston Astros. He went to the hospital the next morning because of stomach pains. It turned out he had a heart attack. After taking time to recover, Lasorda announced his retirement on July 29. He finished with 1,599 victories, good for 23rd on the all-time list.

Lasorda died at 93 on Jan. 7, 2021. One of his final public appearances was during the 2020 World Series, when he watched the Dodgers win the title for the first time since his 1988 team.

He was quite the talker in his prime, so what better way to end this than with some Lasorda quotes:

“There are three types of baseball players: those who make it happen, those who watch it happen and those who wonder, ‘What happened?’”

“When you’re not playing up to your capability, you gotta try everything, to motivate, to get them going. All of them have to be on the same end of the rope to pull together. It’s playing for the name on the front of the shirt, not the back. Individualism gets you trophies and plaques. Play for the front, that wins championships. I try to remind them of that.”

“I walk into the clubhouse today and it’s like walking into the Mayo Clinic. We have four doctors, three therapists and five trainers. Back when I broke in, we had one trainer who carried a bottle of rubbing alcohol, and by the seventh inning he’d already drunk it.”

“When you say you’re a Padre, people ask when did you become a parent. When you say you’re a Cardinal, they tell you to work hard because the next step is Pope. But when you say you’re a Dodger, everybody knows you’re in the major leagues.”

“I don’t like the pitch count! How are you gonna develop your arm? If you’re a track man, you don’t say, ‘Hey, you can’t run too much.’ Or if you’re a boxer, you don’t say, ‘Hey, you can only box three rounds.’ It’s not right!”

“Listen, if you start worrying about what the people in the stands think of your decisions, before too long you’re up in the stands with them.”

4. Leo Durocher (1939-1946, 1948, 738-565, .566, one NL pennant)

Durocher was a fiery presence, always willing to pick a fight to spur his team to action. In 1947, some Dodgers players circulated a petition asking management not to put Jackie Robinson on the team. The team was training in Cuba when Durocher found out about the petition around midnight. He immediately called a team meeting and told the players what they could do with their petition. “I don’t care if the guy is yellow or black, or if he has stripes like a … zebra. I’m the manager of this team, and I say he plays. What’s more, I say he can make all of us rich. And if any of you can’t use the money, I will see that you are traded.”

5. Wilbert Robinson (1914-31, 1,375-1,341, .506, two NL pennants)

Robinson managed the Dodgers to two NL pennants and the team was so identified with him at the time that they were called the Brooklyn Robins for a while in his honor. In 1915, famous aviator Ruth Law was near the team’s spring training camp in Daytona Beach, Fla., and getting a lot of publicity for dropping golf balls from her plane on a nearby golf course. The Dodgers saw a chance to get in on this publicity and asked her if she would drop a baseball from her plane to a player down below, who would catch the ball. She said sure, but no player would volunteer to do it. Robinson, wanting to show his players they need to be tougher, said he’d do it. When the time came, Law realized she forgot to bring the baseball with her, but she did have a grapefruit (don’t ask me why). So, she dropped that instead. Robinson got the grapefruit, which exploded the moment it hit his mitt. Robinson was convinced the pulp covering him was his innards and that he was seriously injured. He called for help. Players rushed to his side, and once everyone figured out what had happened, he never lived it down. Robinson died in 1934 after falling in a bathroom and striking his head on the bathtub. He was 70.

The readers’ top five

There were 2,098 ballots sent in. First place received 12 points, second place nine, third place eight, fourth place seven and fifth place six points. For those of you who were wondering, I make my choices before I tally your results. Here are your choices:

1. Walter Alston, 1,420 first-place votes, 23,498 points
2. Tommy Lasorda, 501 first-place votes, 20,770 points
3. Dave Roberts, 163 first-place votes, 17,204 points
4. Leo Durocher, 7 first-place votes, 13,007 points
5. Joe Torre, 9,842 points

The next five: Wilbert Robinson, Burt Shotton, Chuck Dressen, Don Mattingly, Jim Tracy.

Scheduling note

We will be back at a more regular schedule now since, hold on to your hats, the first spring training game is just 40 days away.

And finally

Some special messages to Clayton Kershaw from members of the 2025 Dodgers. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

NEW YORK — Nine Major League Baseball teams have terminated their deals with the FanDuel Sports Network to carry their local broadcasts, and Commissioner Rob Manfred said MLB is prepared to produce and distribute the telecasts.

Main Street Sports Group, which operates the FanDuel networks, did not make its December payment to the St. Louis Cardinals. It also carries games of Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Kansas City, the Angels, Miami, Milwaukee and Tampa Bay, along with 13 teams in the NBA and seven in the NHL.

The termination by the MLB teams was confirmed to The Associated Press by a person who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decisions had not been announced.

“No matter what happens, whether it’s Main Street, a third party or MLB media, fans are going to have the games,” Manfred said Thursday.

Teams that terminated their contracts could reach new deals with Main Street, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

MLB took over broadcasts for San Diego in May 2023 after Diamond Sports Group missed a payment to the Padres and added Arizona that July.

Colorado joined MLB’s distribution in 2024, and Cleveland and Minnesota in 2025. Seattle is being added this season and possibly Washington, which is leaving the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network.

Diamond was renamed Main Street Sports Group as it emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings last year and its networks were rebranded as FanDuel.

“Our focus, particularly given the point in the calendar, is to maximize the revenue that’s available to the clubs, whether that’s MLB Media or third party,” Manfred said. “The clubs have control over the timing. They can make a decision to move to MLB Media because of the contractual status now. I think that what’s happening right now clubs are evaluating their alternatives. Obviously they’ve made significant payroll commitments already and they’re evaluating the alternatives to find the best revenue source for the year and the best outlet in terms of providing quality broadcasts to their fans.”

Manfred said local media provides more than 20% of industry revenue.

MLB and the players’ association for 2024 allowed discretionary fund distributions of up to $15 million each to teams whose local media revenue had declined since 2022 or 2023, but they did not reach a similar agreement for 2025.

“We are not providing financial assistance right now,” Manfred said.

Manfred spoke at a news conference to announce an initiative that includes Foster Love and envisions 250,000 volunteer hours to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States. At the news conference, MLB staff assembled duffel bags with goods for foster care children.

Blum writes for the Associated Press.

The son of a storied Republican president, Michael Reagan, who recently died, was memorialized as a stalwart supporter of his father’s legacy. But in his home state of California, Reagan was remembered as much for his community involvement — which was at times so low-key that some didn’t even realize his father was Ronald Reagan.

“The cool thing about Michael is you never would have known that he was the son of a president,” said Victor Franco, a Democratic strategist who met Reagan more than a decade ago while Franco’s kids were students at St. Mel’s Catholic school in Woodland Hills, where Reagan’s daughter was a teacher. “He was an everyday guy chatting up with the dads.”

Though Reagan would speak at career days and donate tours of the Reagan ranch near Santa Barbara for school fundraisers, Franco recalls Reagan’s presence during the fathers club’s annual chili cook-offs and barbecue competitions.

“We referred to him as our taste tester. He was always, ‘Hey, I need to taste that brisket, or I need to taste the chicken and make sure that it’s good,’” Franco said. “Even though he had the pedigree of, you know, a dad who was president, he was a regular guy to all of us, and just a really sweet, nice person.”

After battling cancer, Reagan died Sunday, according to statements released on Tuesday by organizations affiliated with former President Reagan.

Michael Reagan was lauded by former state GOP leaders not only for his work in leading the conservative movement through his nationally syndicated radio show, but also his willingness to engage in California politics.

He was “a thoughtful and compassionate conservative leader. Clearly his father’s son, he nonetheless forged his own distinct and influential voice within the conservative movement,” said former California Republican Party Chairman Ron Nehring. “Through his long career in radio, Michael was a tireless advocate for the everyday American who felt ignored or left behind by politics.”

Jim Brulte, a former state GOP chairman and powerful legislative leader, said Reagan was always available to aid the state party.

“He was a good man with a big heart who loved America,” Brulte said. “And he was a crowd favorite. He knew how to connect with everyone in the room.”

Conservative strategist Jon Fleischman, a former executive director of the state party, added that Reagan was as comfortable in informal settings as in the more privileged environs he grew up in as the son of the president.

Fleischman recalled going to dinner with Reagan at Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant in Beverly Hills, and the celebrity chef — upon hearing that the former president’s son was dining at his establishment — greeting them.

“So Michael started doing his impressions of his dad. And I don’t know if it’s normally that easy to make Wolfgang Puck laugh, but it was a very funny moment watching him,” Fleischman said. “He basically said, ‘You sound just like your old man.’”

The move was on brand, said Fleischman, who first met Reagan in 1989 and regularly interacted with him when Reagan was hosting a talk radio show and Fleischman had started a powerful conservative website.

“This is a guy who could speak to the ballroom at the Century Plaza Hotel back in the day, and then the next day speak to six activists at a California Republican Assembly meeting at a Denny’s,” Fleischman said, recalling that whenever Reagan called, a picture of Michael and Ronald together would appear on his phone’s screen.

“He just loved people, and he loved to try to make a difference,” Fleischman said. “And I think he spent a lot of time in the latter years of his life just trying to be someone that his dad would look up to. His dad loomed, obviously, very large in his life.”

Franco, the Democratic strategist, recalled similarly fond memories about his interactions with Reagan despite their political differences, such as when he spoke about the Secret Service being alarmed that the elder Reagan was driving an old pick-up truck to ferry VIP guests around his ranch or riding horses with them.

“Michael was great to grab a cocktail with at a casino night and talk,” Franco said.

From Chuck Schilken: The Las Vegas Raiders fired Pete Carroll on Monday morning after a 3-14 season. The Atlanta Falcons fired coach Raheem Morris, as well as general manager Terry Fontenot, on Sunday night after a second straight 8-9 finish. The Cleveland Browns fired coach Kevin Stefanski after six seasons, the team announced Monday morning following a 5-11 finish this season. The Arizona Cardinals announced Monday morning that they’ve moved on from coach Jonathan Gannon after a 3-14 season.

Two other teams parted ways with their head coaches during the season. The Tennessee Titans fired Brian Callahan in October after a 1-5 start to the season. The New York Giants fired Brian Daboll in November after a 2-8 start.

With NFL’s “Black Monday” already in full swing, other teams are likely to make similar moves. Here’s a look at everything that has happened so far. This list will continue to be updated as more changes occur.

Continue reading here

Quentin Lake could be key for Rams

From Benjamin Royer: Quentin Lake, the Rams’ defensive captain, could be the catalyst that helps mend the Rams’ tattered secondary ahead of their wild-card showdown with the Carolina Panthers on Saturday.

Through the first 11 weeks of the season, the Rams held opponents to 17.2 points per game, just behind the Houston Texans as the NFL’s second-best defense. Over the seven games Lake missed since sustaining a dislocated elbow against the Seahawks in November, the Rams gave up an average of 24.8 points per game.

The 26-year-old safety, who is expected to make his return against Carolina, has proven to be a cornerstone on the Rams’ defense with his leadership skills and personal versatility.

Lake has also endeared himself to his teammates, as evidenced by Kobie Turner‘s widened smile when Lake’s name came up with reporters following the Rams’ 37-20 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

“Captain Q,” said Turner, who played a role in helping the Rams record six sacks against the Cardinals. “There’s not really words that can explain — you turn on the tape and you see exactly what he is.”

Continue reading here

NFL playoffs schedule

All times Pacific
Wild-card round
NFC
Saturday
No. 5 Rams at No. 4 Carolina, 1:30 p.m., FOX, FOX Deportes
No. 7 Green Bay at No. 2 Chicago, 5 p.m., Prime Video

Sunday
No. 6 San Francisco at No. 3 Philadelphia, 1:30 p.m., FOX, FOX Deportes

AFC
Sunday
No. 6 Buffalo at No. 3 Jacksonville, 10 a.m., CBS, Paramount+
No. 7 Chargers at No. 2 New England, 5 p.m., NBC, Peacock, Universo

Monday
No. 5 Houston at No. 4 Pittsburgh, 5 p.m., ESPN, ABC, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes; ManningCast-ESPN2

Divisional round
Jan. 17 and 18, TBA

Conference championships
Sunday, Jan. 25, TBA

Super Bowl
Sunday, Feb. 8, NBC, Time TBA

Lakers takeaways

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: Call it deja vu.

For the second time in three days, the Lakers played the Memphis Grizzlies at Crypto.com Arena, took a close game into the fourth quarter and pulled away late behind the scoring punch of the same three players.

Again fueled by LeBron James (26 points, 10 assists), Luka Doncic (36 points, nine rebounds, eight assists) and Jake LaRavia (26 points), the Lakers overcame a 16-point first-half deficit to win 120-114 on Sunday against the Grizzlies.

After James and Doncic each scored 30 in Friday’s win that also featured a 20-point performance from LaRavia, the Lakers (22-11) won consecutive games for just the second time in five weeks.

Here are three takeaways from the win:

Continue reading here

Clippers win wild game

Kawhi Leonard had 24 points and 12 rebounds, rookie Kobe Sanders added 20 points, and the Clippers edged the Golden State Warriors 103-102 on Monday night in a wild game that included Warriors coach Steve Kerr getting ejected and Steph Curry fouling out for the first time since 2021.

Kerr was ejected with 7:57 remaining in the game after becoming irate when the Clippers’ John Collins wasn’t called for goaltending. A shouting Kerr pursued the referees along the sideline and had to be restrained by his assistants before getting tossed.

Curry scored 27 points but was just four for 15 from three-point range and nine for 23 overall before fouling out with 42 seconds remaining in the game. He fouled out for the first time since Dec. 17, 2021, at Boston.

Continue reading here

Clippers box score

NBA standings

USC routed by Michigan State

Coen Carr scored 18 points and Jaxon Kohler added 16 on perfect shooting to lead No. 12 Michigan State to an 80-51 blowout against USC on Monday night.

Jeremy Fears Jr. had 15 points and seven assists for the Spartans (13-2, 3-1 Big Ten), who took control with a 27-6 run early in the game and led by at least 20 for much of the second half.

Kohler made all six of his field-goal attempts, including a trio of three-pointers, and sank his only free throw. He also grabbed eight rebounds, two short of becoming the first Spartans player since at least 1996-97 to have six straight double-doubles in a season, according to Sportradar.

Ezra Ausar scored 16 points and Jerry Easter added 12 for the Trojans (12-3, 1-3), who lost consecutive games for the first time this season.

Continue reading here

USC box score

Big Ten standings

Kings win, but Kopitar is injured

Andrei Kuzmenko had a goal and an assist, and the Kings held on to beat the Minnesota Wild 4-2 on Monday night.

Warren Foegele, Kevin Fiala and Adrian Kempe also scored, and Darcy Kuemper stopped 33 shots for the Kings, who beat the Wild for the second time in three nights and got just their fourth win in 12 games (4-6-2).

Jared Spurgeon had a goal and an assist, and Ryan Hartman also scored for Minnesota, which snapped a six-game point streak (3-0-3). and Filip Gustavsson had 29 saves.

Kings center Anze Kopitar left the game after playing 4:54 in the first period. The Kings later ruled him out for the rest of the game because of a lower-body injury.

Continue reading here

Kings summary

NHL standings

Bob Pulford dies

Bob Pulford, a Hockey Hall of Fame player who went on to a lengthy career in the NHL as a coach and general manager, has died. He was 89.

A spokesperson for the NHL Alumni Assn. said Monday the organization learned of Pulford’s death from his family. No other details were provided.

A tough, dependable forward, Pulford helped the Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup four times during his 14-year stretch with them from 1956 to 1970. The Newton Robinson, Canada, native was part of the 1967 team that remains the organization’s last to win a championship.

Pulford spent his final two playing seasons with the Kings in the early 1970s before coaching them for the following five years. He then ran the Chicago Blackhawks’ front office as general manager or senior vice president of hockey operations for three decades from 1977 to 2007, going behind the bench to coach four times during that span.

Continue reading here

Ducks lose to Washington

Justin Sourdif scored his first NHL hat trick and added two assists and the Washington Capitals beat the Ducks 7-4 on Monday night.

Alex Ovechkin scored twice, Ryan Leonard had a goal and an assist, John Carlson also scored and Connor McMichael had four assists for the Capitals, who ended a two-game slide. Charlie Lindgren made 41 saves in the win.

Chris Kreider, Alex Killorn, Jacob Trouba and Beckett Sennecke scored for the Ducks, who have lost six straight. Petr Mrazek stopped 19 of 24 shots through two periods. He was replaced by Lukas Dostal to start the third. Dostal stopped the three shots he faced.

Continue reading here

Ducks summary

NHL standings

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1951 — The Indianapolis Olympians beat the Rochester Royals 75-73 in six overtimes, the longest game in NBA history.

1976 — Ted Turner, a millionaire communications executive and internationally known yachtsman, buys the Atlanta Braves for a reported $10-to-12 million.

1980 — The Rams, behind three field goals by Frank Corral, beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-0 to win the NFC Championship. This is the first conference championship game in NFL history without a touchdown being scored.

1980 — The Pittsburgh Steelers advance to their fourth Super Bowl appearance since 1974 by eliminating the Houston Oilers for the second consecutive year with a 27-13 triumph in the AFC title game.

1981 — John Tonelli ties a New York Islanders record with five goals in a 6-3 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Nassau Coliseum. Mike Bossy gets an assist on all six goals to set an Islanders record. Tonelli scores once in the first period, once in the second and three times in the third.

1985 — Dan Marino passes for a record 421 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Miami Dolphins to a 45-28 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC championship game.

1985 — The San Francisco 49ers holds the Chicago Bears to 186 yards and sacks quarterback Steve Fuller nine times to win the NFC Championship 23-0.

1994 — Nancy Kerrigan is attacked after practice at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit. Shane Stant clubs Kerrigan on the knee and flees the scene. Later that evening, Scott Davis wins the men’s U.S. Figure Skating title.

1995 — Lenny Wilkens becomes the winningest coach in NBA history as the Atlanta Hawks post a 112-90 victory over the Washington Bullets. Wilkens, with his 939th win, surpasses Red Auerbach’s record. Wilkens reaches the record in his 22nd year as an NBA coach, including four as a player-coach.

2005 — For the first time in NBA history, a player leads his team in scoring without making a field goal. Detroit’s Richard Hamilton scores 14 points despite missing all 10 of his field goal attempts in a 101-79 loss to Memphis.

2011 — Miami of Ohio caps a historic season with a 35-21 win over Middle Tennessee in the GoDaddy.com Bowl. The RedHawks (10-4) are the first team in Football Bowl Subdivision history to win 10 games one season after losing 10. Miami finished a dismal 1-11 in 2009.

2014 — Patrick Maher of Division III Grinnell College breaks the NCAA record with 37 assists in a 164-144 victory over College of Faith.

2014 — Jameis Winston throws a 13-yard touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin with 13 seconds left and No. 1 Florida State beat No. 2 Auburn 34-31 to win the last BCS national championship game.

2015 — Patrik Elias has a goal and two assists to reach 1,000, NHL points, and the New Jersey Devils beat the struggling Buffalo Sabres 4-1. The goal is the 399th for Elias.

2016 — Ken Griffey Jr. is elected to the baseball Hall of Fame with the highest voting percentage ever, and Mike Piazza makes it in his fourth year on the ballot. Griffey is on 437 of 440 votes in his first appearance on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot. His 99.3 percentage tops Tom Seaver’s 98.84 in 1992.

2018 — Jon Gruden returns to the NFL as Oakland Raiders head coach after nearly a decade of broadcasting (ESPN Monday Night Football 2009-17).

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Wanna bet? If the wager involved Shohei Ohtani, the answer from gamblers was yes more often than it was for any other player in any sport last year, according to data from BetMGM.

When betting on game results in 2025, gamblers placed the most wagers on NFL games. However, when betting on individual athletes, gamblers placed the most wagers on Ohtani, the two-way superstar for the World Series champion Dodgers and National League most valuable player. Saquon Barkley, the running back for the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, ranked second.

That data considered only BetMGM wagers that involved individual players — sometimes for awards such as MVP, a spokesman said, but most often for prop bets determined by individual performance.

By way of example from another sportsbook, Caesars Sports offered these World Series prop bets for Ohtani: Would he hit a leadoff home run? Drive in at least seven runs? Collect at least 10 hits? Hit a 470-foot home run? Hit at least five home runs? Deliver a walk-off hit? Hit two home runs and strike out 10 batters in the same game? Strike out 20 batters in the series? (Ohtani did not do any of those eight things.)

The most popular major leaguers beyond Ohtani among bettors, according to BetMGM, all were sluggers: Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees ranked second, followed by Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies, Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays, Juan Soto and Pete Alonso of the New York Mets, Elly De La Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds, Riley Greene of the Detroit Tigers and Bryce Harper of the Phillies.

Yet the most notorious MLB prop bets last year involved pitchers, not hitters.

In November, Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were indicted on federal charges that they “rigged pitches” — that is, they tipped bettors about whether they would throw a pitch outside the strike zone in specified situations and how hard they would throw it. Prosecutors say bettors won hundreds of thousands of dollars for themselves and paid Clase and Ortiz thousands of dollars for their help.

The pitchers have pleaded not guilty, with a trial scheduled for May. Prosecutors told the court last month that Clase, a three-time All-Star, likely would face 87 to 108 months in prison under federal sentencing guidelines — that is, up to nine years — if convicted on each of the four counts in his indictment.

The pitchers also face a potential lifetime ban from baseball. Clase, 27, is under contract for $6 million this year; the Guardians hold a $10-million option for 2027 and another for 2028. Investors who pooled their money to support him in exchange for a percentage of his career earnings are at risk of losing their investment.

The types of prop bets placed on Clase and Ortiz may become even less popular next season.

On the day after Clase and Ortiz were indicted, Major League Baseball announced an agreement with sports book operators to cap such pitching prop bets at $200. The operators, MLB said, represented “more than 98% of the U.S. betting market.”

In its announcement, the league noted that most prop bets are not solely influenced by one person — that is, whether Ohtani hits a home run depends in significant part on how he is pitched.

“However, ‘micro-bet’ pitch-level markets (e.g., ball/strike; pitch velocity) present heightened integrity risks because they focus on one-off events that can be determined by a single player and can be inconsequential to the outcome of the game,” the league statement said. “The risk on these pitch-level markets will be significantly mitigated by this new action targeted at the incentive to engage in misconduct.”

TRAVELERS visiting America’s famed national parks are going to face an extra $100 entry fee this week.

It comes as the National Park Service announced a new initiative, called the “America-first entry fee policy”.

Under the policy from January 1 2026, citizens of the US will be prioritized for free entry, while international visitors will now face higher entry fees overall.

This will bring the cost of annual passes for non-residents to $250, while US residents will continue to pay $80.

The parks will no longer offer free admission at all on select days of celebration including Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which falls on the third Monday of January, or Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19.

Though Flag Day (June 14), the anniversary of the NPS (August 25), Constitution Day (September 17), and President Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday (October 27), will be acknowledged as fee-free days.

So if you’re planning a trip as a US citizen, these are the best days to aim for.

Eleven national parks will be affected, including the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Yosemite, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior.

In total, there will be eight free-entry days in 2026, up from six in 2025, but only for American citizens and residents. 

Fees and increases will continue to vary by park, so it’s always best to check online before you book or travel.

The changes will make sure US taxpayers “continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute their fair share to maintaining and improving our parks for future generations,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum posted on X.

The increased fees come months after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to increase entry fees for foreign tourists.

Tight end Tyler Higbee is on track to return on Sunday for the season finale against the Arizona Cardinals.

Safety Quentin Lake will be back for the playoffs. Star receiver Davante Adams also could be held out till then.

The Rams, coming off consecutive losses to the Seattle Seahawks and the Atlanta Falcons, might appear to be limping toward their seventh postseason appearance in nine seasons under coach Sean McVay.

But a team that was regarded by many as the class of the league midway through the season should be at or near full strength when they play an NFC wild-card game next weekend.

“We’re getting healthy at the right time,” McVay said Friday.

Lake agreed.

“The league and the world kind of knew where we were at when we were at full strength,” Lake said. “We’re getting guys back at the right time and I feel like we’re going to hit our stride at the right time.”

The Rams, who at one time were seeded No. 1 in the NFC, are currently seeded No. 6.

If the San Francisco 49ers lose to the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, and the Rams defeat the Cardinals on Sunday at SoFi Stadium, the Rams will climb to No. 5.

Regardless, McVay reiterated Friday that starters would play against the Cardinals, though how much remains to be seen.

Several starters are questionable because of injuries, including running backs Kyren Williams and Blake Corum because of ankle injuries and left tackle Alaric Jackson because of a knee injury that kept him out of last Monday’s loss to the Falcons.

Right guard Kevin Dotson, who also sat out against the Falcons because of an ankle injury, will not play Sunday, and his status for the wild-card round remains uncertain.

The Rams also at some point will make a decision regarding veteran right tackle Rob Havenstein. The 11th-year pro has been on injured reserve since mid-November. Warren McClendon Jr. has played well in his place, but Havenstein would give McVay flexibility if Jackson were injured and McClendon moved to the left side.

The Rams’ 27-24 loss to the Falcons did not result exclusively because of injuries, but the holes left by missing starters were apparent and in some cases glaring.

Veteran tackle D.J. Humphries struggled in Jackson’s place, and guard Justin Dedich is not as big and strong as Dotson. Falcons running back Bijan Robinson ran roughshod through a defense that was missing Lake.

Rams offensive tackle Alaric Jackson, right, blocks Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson during a Rams win on Dec. 14.

(Harry How / Getty Images)

“There is a reason why those guys that have been missed are starters,” McVay said, speaking generally, “because they give us the best chance to play at the optimum levels.”

Rams tight ends have played well during Higbee’s absence, but McVay and quarterback Matthew Stafford are eager for the 10th-year pro’s return.

Higbee caught 20 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns in nine games before he was injured during a Nov. 16 victory over the Seahawks.

He is looking forward to getting back into the flow on game day.

“Just try to be myself, bring the energy, bring the physicality and try to make some plays when it’s my turn,” Higbee said.

Stafford has deftly utilized tight ends Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen and Terrance Ferguson. Now he said he will welcome back Higbee, “the ultimate team player,” who helps bind teammates.

“Everybody calls him a glue guy,” Stafford said, “probably an understatement.”

Lake, a team captain, also brings more than talent to the field, which the Rams formally recognized this week when they awarded him a three-year extension that includes more than $25 million in guarantees.

Lake has been sidelined since suffering a left elbow injury that required surgery. He began practicing this week, and said he would be ready for the playoffs.

“The doctor was saying, ‘You came back pretty fast, but if you feel good and you have all the strength and range of motion, go ahead and cut it loose.’

“That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

Adams sat out the last two games because of a hamstring injury, but he still leads the NFL with 14 touchdown catches.

Adams was limited in practices this week.

“We want to make sure that we’re getting everything ready to roll and being smart with him because of the position that he plays and the stress that that hamstring takes with some of the different things that we activate with him,” McVay said.

Star receiver Puka Nacua is among those happy to see Higbee, Lake and Adams on the practice field again.

“It’s fun to have all those guys out there,” he said. “I’d say their presence is definitely missed.”

The Canary Islands has been included in a ‘No List’ for travel following protests against overtourism in recent years – with holiday lets blamed for rising house prices

The Canary Islands are a firm favourite for Brit holidaymakers thanks to their year-round sun and luxurious resorts.

However, in recent years local residents have launched protests against overtourism on the Spanish islands. People blame rising house prices on holiday lets, and have been left furious about the environmental impact of millions of visitors.

‘Tourists go home’ has been spotted graffitied on locations across the Canary Islands. The slogan has also popped up in popular destinations on the Spanish mainland.

This all led to the Canary Islands being included in a ‘No List’ by travel guide Fodor’s Travel for 2025 – and it’s on the list again for 2026. The publication clarified that the list is “not a call for boycott”, but the aim is “to highlight destinations where tourism is placing unsustainable pressures on the land and local communities“, Manchester Evening News reports.

It said the key issues highlighted by the list are “overtouristed sites, fragile ecosystems and communities struggling to stay afloat”. Fodor’s said: “The No List serves a gentle but pointed nudge to ease up on a spot for now–not forever–and give a rest to any location that clearly needs a breather.”

Regarding the Canary Islands, it cited that tourism has soared in 2025, with 7.8million visitors arriving in the islands and more than 27million airport passengers processed in the first half of the year, a five per cent increase on the previous years. Fodor’s points out that tourism contributes to more than a third of the Canary Islands’ GDP and employs roughly 40 per cent of its population, “yet success comes at a price”.

The impact of visitors on traffic, housing (such as driving up rental prices), damage to the natural environment and water scarcity is felt by the local population. The guide said: “Academics and experts warn that the combination of rising visitor numbers and a warming climate is unsustainable.”

It added: “For many Canarians, tourism is both a lifeline and a burden. The islands rely heavily on visitor spending, yet locals often see little of it. “

Last year other Spanish destinations Barcelona and Majorca, however, they have not been featured this year. But Fodor’s adds this doesn’t mean that tourists should descend upon them in their thousands. The publication said: “These destinations haven’t been magically cured–they’re still mired in challenges–but the usual suspects too often pull focus from other hotspots in need of a break.”

Alongside the Canary Islands, Antarctica, Glacier National Park (USA), Isola Sacra (Italy), The Jungfrau Region (Switzerland), Mexico City (Mexico), Mombasa (Kenya), Montmartre (Paris, France) also feature in this year’s ‘No List’.

Eight-month-old among multiple Palestinians wounded in attacks across the occupied West Bank.

Five Israeli settlers have been arrested over their alleged involvement in an attack on a Palestinian home that wounded an eight-month-old baby in the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that the infant suffered “moderate injuries to the face and head” in the attack that took place late on Wednesday involving “a group of armed settlers” who were throwing stones at homes and property in the town of Sair, north of Hebron.

Israeli police on Thursday said five settlers were arrested after they received reports of “stones being thrown by Israeli civilians toward a Palestinian home”.

Israeli settlements and outposts are Jewish-only communities built on Palestinian land that are illegal under international law. They can range in size from a single dwelling to a collection of high rises. About 700,000 settlers live in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem, according to the Israeli advocacy group Peace Now.

Elsewhere in the West Bank, a 17-year-old boy was shot and dozens of Palestinians suffered tear gas inhalation during an Israeli army raid in the town of Beit Furik, east of Nablus, Wafa reported.

The report added that “Israeli forces carried out a widespread incursion into the town, firing live bullets and tear gas canisters across its neighborhoods”.

Israeli forces also detained three Palestinians from Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, after settler attacks.

Also in Masafer Yatta, Israeli forces raided homes and tents belonging to residents, searched them and vandalised their contents before detaining one resident.

Another Palestinian man was wounded in a settler attack in the town of Deir Jarir, east of Ramallah.

Local sources said armed settlers attacked homes near the village entrance, resulting in minor injuries to a young man.

HEADING to Devon on your next £9.50 Holiday? Then take our experts’ advice on the best places to eat and drink while you’re there.

We’ve spoken to local residents and Sun readers who have holidayed in Devon to get their top tips on the best places to eat and drink – from local pubs to food trucks and everything in between. 

Here’s what they said… 

Best local pub

If you’re staying in North Devon, Paul Braithwaite, General Manager at Ruda Holiday Park, recommends visiting his favourite pub, The Thatch in Croyde.

He said: “I like old and quirky things. The Thatch is very quaint, dog-friendly and there are always locals there so lots of people you can talk to.

The food is very good and reasonably-priced. I love lobster but they also do great burgers and pub classics.”

In South Devon, don’t miss The Journey’s End, a 13th-century pub in Ringmore, a ten-minute walk from Challaborough Bay.

Gem Krupa, Holiday Homes Sales Manager at Challaborough Bay Holiday Park, says: “The head chef has won awards for his food and the food is amazing.

“He is Irish but has travelled through Asia so some of his food has got an Asian twist. It’s pub grub, but really, really nice.”

Try wok fried noodles (from £16.50) for dinner or beef sandwiches for lunch (£8). Kids’ meals, like cheeseburgers or fish and chips, cost £8.

Favourite place for a cheap eat

Tessa Lomas, 31, from Braunton, owns Hippy Happy Hoppers, a summertime food truck in Croyde.

You can pick up a hopper (Sri Lankan pancake bowl) with chocolate and banana for £3, or a hearty curry one for £9.

Tessa also recommends Blue Groove in Croyde, a seasonal cafe with a relaxed, seaside vibe and large outdoor terrace.

It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and you can eat there, or make it even more wallet-friendly by ordering takeaway.

Kids’ egg on toast costs £1.95, while an adult’s breakfast sandwich costs £5 (takeaway).

Family-friendly touches include an outdoor play area and crayons for kids.

This is also a great place to sample local seafood – splash out on West Country mussels (£12.55 for a starter, dining in). 

Best for a meal on the beach

If you want proximity to the beach, you can’t beat Beachside Grill, set on Saunton Sands in North Devon.

Sun reader Dawn Brannigan, 54, from Wakefield, said: “It has big windows and a terrace upstairs. You can sit inside or outside, which is really lovely if it’s a nice day.

I travel on my own, so this is a good place to sit and enjoy the view or have a read while I’m eating.”

Mains start at £9 and a kids’ menu is available.

Favourite restaurant

Tessa Lomas recommends The Duck Dive in Braunton. She says: “It has a great menu that changes with the season, good cocktails and a fun atmosphere.

“It’s a restaurant but then switches to a bar so it’s good for dinner and a night out.” 

Dawn Brannigan recommends the Tarko Lounge in Barnstaple. She said: “It has a 1920s Art Deco feel, which is really cool.

They have a large menu – I had a lovely all-day breakfast (£9.95) and fresh juice (£3.85 for a pink lemonade). It’s located in Green Lanes shopping centre so it’s good for retail therapy.”

Meanwhile in South Devon, Sun reader Richard Tilley also discovered one of these lounges, Visto Lounge in Torquay, not far from Parkdean Resorts Torquay.

Richard, 62, from Devizes in Wiltshire, said: “It’s nice and modern, and makes good burgers.”

If you’re located closer to Plymouth, try Seco Lounge, which is also modern, family-friendly and allows dogs.

Tip: Bag a bargain with a lunchtime deal – soup and half a panini for £6.25, available weekdays between 12-5pm.

Favourite brunch/breakfast spot

Located at Bigbury-on-Sea, Venus cafe has indoor and outdoor seating that looks out towards Burgh Island and Bantham.

For brunch with a sea view, try an egg bap (£4.99) or a breakfast burrito (Devon free range egg, cheese, bacon and hash brown with sriracha sauce, £9.99).

The cafe has good plant-based options, too, like dahl soup and vegan chilli (mains from £7.99).

Favourite place to get ice cream

On the water’s edge in Plymouth, Pilgrim’s sells arguably the best ice cream around.

Its 22 flavours range from classic clotted cream vanilla to “unicorn” (strawberry, blueberry and marshmallow swirled together).

There are vegan and gluten-free options available, as well as milkshakes and smoothies.  

Five Chargers were named to the AFC’s Pro Bowl squad Tuesday, including the team’s “quarterbacks” on both sides of the ball.

Both quarterback Justin Herbert and safety Derwin James Jr. received the honor. They are joined by outside linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu, tackle Joe Alt and kicker Cameron Dicker.

Herbert, receiving Pro Bowl recognition for the second time, is the third player in NFL history to begin a career with six consecutive seasons with at least 3,000 yards passing and 20 touchdowns.

James, a five-time Pro Bowl pick, is the only defensive back in the NFL this season to collect at least 80 tackles (five for loss) with multiple sacks and interceptions.

Dicker is the most accurate kicker in NFL history and the team’s Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year club winner. He leads all AFC kickers with 36 made field goals and 141 points scored.

Tulipulotu, a former USC standout, is ranked third in the NFL with 13 sacks, and has a career-high 20 tackles for loss.

The only surprise in that group is Alt, who made the transition from right to left tackle after left tackle Rashawn Slater suffered a season-ending injury in training camp. Alt was a stalwart on the line for the first three weeks of the season before sustaining an ankle injury 10 snaps into the Week 4 game against the New York Giants. He returned in Week 8 to face Minnesota, but was carted off in Week 9 at Tennessee an injury to the same ankle, this time requiring season-ending surgery.

Nonetheless, he’s an outstanding tackle and earned his first Pro Bowl honor, which is determined by the consensus votes of fans, players and coaches.

Four more Chargers were named Pro Bowl alternates: outside linebacker Khalil Mack, linebacker Del’Shawn Phillips for special teams, cornerback Donte Jackson and fullback/defensive lineman Scott Matlock.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, receiver Puka Nacua and edge rushers Jared Verse and Byron Young were voted to the Pro Bowl, the NFL announced.

Stafford, 37, has passed for a league leading 4,179 yards and 40 touchdowns, with five interceptions, for a Rams team that is 11-4 and currently seeded sixth for the NFC playoffs. The Rams play the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night in Atlanta in the second-to-last game of the regular season. Stafford also made the Pro Bowl in 2014 and 2023.

Quarterbacks Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks and Dan Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys also made the NFC roster.

Nacua, a third-year pro, leads the NFL with 114 catches and ranks second with 1,592 yards receiving. He was also voted to the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2023.

Young, also a third-year pro, has amassed 11 sacks, which ranks ninth in the NFL. This is his first Pro Bowl recognition.

Verse has 6 1/2 sacks and is regarded as one of the league’s most disruptive forces. He also made the Pro Bowl as a rookie last season, when he was also voted NFL defensive rookie of the year.

The Pro Bowl Games will be held Feb. 3 in San Francisco.

Blake Griffin, Candace Parker, Jamal Crawford, the 1996 U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team, Bruce Pearl and Kelvin Sampson were among the first-time nominees announced Friday that will be considered for enshrinement into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame next year.

Also among the notable first-time nominees: Elena Delle Donne and Joe Johnson as players, and Mike D’Antoni as a contributor.

Nearly 200 players and teams were on the list unveiled by the Hall, including some finalists that fell short of enshrinement in the 2025 class — Jennifer Azzi, who was a member of that 1996 U.S. women’s team that won gold at the Atlanta Games. Azzi is a nominee again as an individual this year.

“The candidates for the Class of 2026 have each left an indelible impact on the game of basketball,” said John L. Doleva, president and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “Through defining performances, influential leadership, and achievements that helped elevate the sport on the national and international stage, this year’s ballot recognizes those whose legacy continues to shape how the game is played, coached, and celebrated.”

Finalists are typically announced at NBA All-Star weekend in February. The 2026 class will be unveiled April 4 at the NCAA Final Four, with enshrinement weekend Aug. 14 and 15 at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., and at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Mass.

Other finalists a year ago who are back on the ballot include Gonzaga coach Mark Few; NBA legends Marques Johnson and Buck Williams; and Jerry Welsh — who coached Potsdam in upstate New York to NCAA Division III titles in 1981 and 1986.

Molly Bolin, the first player signed by the Women’s Professional Basketball League, is back as well, as is former Serbian professional player and longtime coach Dusan Ivkovic — already a FIBA Hall of Famer.

Doc Rivers, the only NBA coach with more than 1,000 wins who isn’t yet in the Hall of Fame, is a nominee again, as are Amar’e Stoudemire and legendary broadcaster Marv Albert.

Some teams that will also be considered include the 1936, 1972 and 1976 U.S. Olympic men’s teams; the 1982 Cheyney State team coached by C. Vivian Stringer that lost to Louisiana Tech in the inaugural NCAA Division I women’s national championship game; the Kentucky Wesleyan men’s teams that won three Division II national titles in a four-year span during the late 1960s; and the 1963 Loyola Chicago men’s team that won the NCAA title and broke racial barriers in the sport by using as many as four Black starters.

Greg Biffle’s plane caught fire after crash-landing at a regional airport, state authorities said. Other victims have not yet been identified.

A former NASCAR driver has been identified as one of seven people who died in a plane crash in the southern United States.

Authorities said Greg Biffle and members of his family died when a private jet crashed on Thursday while trying to land at Statesville Regional Airport, north of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Flight records showed the plane was registered to a company run by Biffle.

“Although the post-crash fire prevents us from releasing a definitive list of the occupants at this time, it is believed that Mr Gregory Biffle and members of his immediate family were occupants of the airplane,” state police said.

Further details about the victims were not immediately available.

Throughout his 16-year career, Biffle won more than 50 races across the three racing-circuit types offered by NASCAR, a US-based association for car races.

He placed first in 19 races at the Cup Series, considered NASCAR’s top level. He also won the Craftsman Truck Series championship in 2000 and the Xfinity Series title in 2002.

Biffle’s plane had taken off from the airport shortly after 10am local time on Thursday (15:00 GMT), but it then returned to North Carolina and was attempting to land there, according to tracking data posted by FlightAware.com.

Video from WSOC-TV showed first responders rushing onto the runway as flames burned near scattered wreckage from the plane.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) were investigating the crash.

All told, the NTSB has investigated 1,331 crashes in the US in 2025.

A key Russian airbase in occupied Crimea has been targeted by a Ukrainian drone strike, according to Ukraine. Authorities in Kyiv claim that drones hit a MiG-31BM Foxhound interceptor, as well as elements of an S-400 air defense system, at Belbek Air Base, near Sevastopol.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the government’s main internal security agency, reported that a successful drone strike operation was carried out overnight by forces from its Special Group “Alpha.” Russian officials, including the governor of Sevastopol, claim that the attack was repelled with 11 drones downed and resulted in no damage.

The SBU has published a series of video stills showing the attack, with footage taken from the perspective of the long-range one-way attack drones heading toward their targets. Based on the imagery, the drones could well be the same fiber-optic types that have been launched from Ukrainian drone boats.

Further videos were posted to social media by residents of Crimea, showing explosions and attempts by Russian troops to shoot down the drones. At this point, it should be noted that, without the full videos of the strikes, we cannot be sure whether the drones detonated or the degree of damage they might have caused.

According to the SBU, damage was recorded to a MiG-31, a 92N6 (NATO reporting name Grave Stone) long-range multifunction radar that is part of the S-400 system, two Nebo-SVU long-range surveillance radars, and a Pantsir-S2 surface-to-air missile system.

Ukraine claims that the targeted MiG-31 was carrying a full combat load, although the available video reveals that it carries no armament under its wings. Potentially, it carries air-to-air missiles below the fuselage, but the forward-mounted examples are also not visible. While it looks like a real aircraft rather than a decoy, it remains possible that it may have been a non-operational example. However, recent satellite imagery assessed by TWZ shows a MiG-31 sporadically at the base in recent weeks, sometimes sitting out in the open.

It’s worth noting, too, that the reported 92N6 system (seen below) was covered with camouflage and/or anti-drone netting, making its positive identification harder. It could also have been a 96L6 (Cheese Board) all-altitude detection radar, also associated with the S-400 air defense system.

As to the estimated value of these items of equipment, the SBU put a figure of $30-50 million on the MiG-31, depending on configuration and armament, $30 million on the 92N6, $60-100 million for each of the Nebo-SVUs, and $12 million for the Pantsir-S2.

“The SBU continues its effective work to destroy air defense systems in Crimea that cover important military and logistical facilities of the occupiers,” the agency said in a statement on its Telegram channel. “The elimination of components of this echeloned system significantly weakens the enemy’s defense and military capabilities in the Crimean direction.”

Belbek plays a key role in Russia’s war in Ukraine and, as such, has been targeted by Ukraine in the past.

The significance of the airbase, in particular, lies in the fact that its aircraft and air defenses help extend coverage deeper into Ukraine, as well as providing critical screening for the nearby Russian naval base at Sevastopol, and also extend this coverage far out into the Black Sea.

Belbek Air Base was used by Ukraine before Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. Today, it is home to the 38th Fighter Aviation Regiment (38 IAP, in Russian nomenclature), a unit that you can read more about here. When Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Belbek received an influx of additional combat aircraft deployed from units in Russia. These have included examples of the Su-30SM and Su-35S, as well as Su-34 Fullback strike fighters, and MiG-31s.

MiG-31s, together with the very long-range air-to-air missiles they carry, have been a particular threat to the Ukrainian Air Force.

In October 2022, during take-off from Belbek, a MiG-31BM departed the runway, crashed, and was completely burned out. The navigator/weapons system officer ejected successfully from the rear cockpit, while the pilot was killed.

The airbase’s value means that it has received new hardened aircraft shelters and additional construction to help shield aircraft from drone attacks and other indirect fire. This is part of a broader push by the Russian military to improve physical defenses at multiple airfields following the launch of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Notably, the MiG-31 was targeted while standing in the open, unprotected. Its twin cockpit canopies were open, suggesting it was being prepared for a sortie or had recently returned from one.

As well as previous drone attacks, Ukrainian forces have employed U.S.-supplied Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) short-range ballistic missiles with cluster munition warheads against the base, with a notably destructive ATACMS barrage in May of last year. That attack resulted in two MiG-31s being burnt out, confirmed in post-strike satellite imagery. Since then, however, the use of hardened aircraft shelters at Belbek will have made the resident aircraft less vulnerable to the effects of ATACMS armed with cluster munitions, in particular.

The Russian Aerospace Forces began the current conflict with around 130 MiG-31s in active service, a small number of them adapted to carry Kinzhal aero-ballistic missiles. The two aircraft destroyed previously at Belbek are the only confirmed combat losses, though thast ight change when more details of the latest drone strike become available.

Russian MiG-31 Downs Ukrainian Su-25 from high altitude

The same attack on Belbek in May 2024 saw the Russians lose elements of an S-300 or S-400 air defense system, including what looked to be another 92N6 radar.

The targeting of Belbek again overnight, which Ukraine claims caused significant damage to prized air defense assets, shows that Ukraine is continuing to apply pressure on Russian forces in Crimea and is using a variety of weapons to achieve this.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

When it comes to the greatest Premier League game ever, where do you even start?

Manchester United and Bournemouth served up an eight-goal thriller on Monday, which former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher described as the “best game” so far this season in the English top flight.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Carragher said: “That’s what makes the Premier League the greatest product in the world.

“For the majority of that Manchester United were absolutely fantastic. Bournemouth were not at the races at all in the first half but they were fantastic in the second half. What a game. Brilliant.

“I think we have just seen the best game of the Premier League season so far.”

The Red Devils famously played out a 5-5 draw at West Brom in Sir Alex Ferguson’s final match in charge of the club in 2013.

And United’s 4-4 draw against the Cherries was the 17th time the scoreline has occurred in the Premier League era.

But where does Monday’s match rank among some of the other remarkable contests we have seen down the years?