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Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell and pitchers and catcher have their first workout Friday!

Last month I asked you to vote from a list of candidates in our annual Dodgers Dugout Dodgers Hall of Fame. And, proving that you are the best newsletter readers in the universe, I received 29,213 ballots, the most we have gotten. Some cities don’t get that many votes in elections.

And after all the ballots were counted, one person was named on more than 75% of the ballots and are inducted into the 2026 class.

Remember, there was a players list, where you could vote for up to 10, and a nonplayers list with a limit of three votes.

So, without further ado, let’s look at the results. The number in parentheses is what percentage of ballots the candidate was on last year.

Elected

x-Clayton Kershaw, 94.7%: A no-brainer selection. I’m just surprised so many people left him off the ballot.

Just missed (50%-74.9%)

Jaime Jarrín, 71.8% (65.8%): Really, should have been a first-ballot Hall of Famer. A big oversight.

Peter O’Malley, 63.5% (65.1%): The last owner who cared about keeping prices down for fans.

Steve Garvey, 60.9% (64.4%): Either Garvey or Gil Hodges is the best first baseman in Dodgers history. Freddie Freeman is closing fast though.

Ron Cey, 58.3% (61.6%): One of the most underrated players in baseball history.

Don Newcombe, 52.9% (62.1%): His work to help Dodgers struggling with substance abuse is almost enough to get him in before you even consider his greatness as a pitcher.

Best of the rest (30%-49.9%)

Red Barber, 42.1% (45.4%): Vin Scully before there was a Vin Scully.

Mike Piazza, 41.5% (50.3%): What would Dodgers history look like if he hadn’t been traded?

Manny Mota, 39.3% (46.7%): Best pinch-hitter ever. He would stay on the roster the whole year and only pinch-hit.

Davey Lopes, 38.1% (47.1%): Best base stealer in Dodgers history.

Kirk Gibson, 37.4% (40.6%): One amazing season gets him almost 40% of the vote.

Dusty Baker, 35.4% (47.7%): Remember throwing bubble gum to him in left field? His support declined a great deal this year.

Jim Gilliam, 34.4% (40.5%): Jack of all trades who hated his “Junior” nickname.

Mike Scioscia, 32.5% (39.7%): Another what if: What if he had been named Dodgers manager instead of Angels manager?

Ross Porter, 32% (35.3%): Pioneered using more obscure stats before it became popular.

Tommy Davis, 31.9% (42.5%): Last Dodger to win a batting title before Trea Turner, and I’m not sure Turner counts.

Zack Wheat, 30.1% (28.9%): He should be in. The first truly great Dodgers position player.

Everyone else

Willie Davis, 28.2% (33.9%): People seem to prefer Tommy Davis.

Bill Russell, 28% (29.5%): Longtime Dodger draws the least support among “The Infield.”

Eric Karros, 25% (34.1%): This is all you get after hitting the most homers in L.A. history?

Johnny Podres, 24.9% (36.7%): The 1955 World Series MVP.

Carl Furillo, 23.2% (27.9%): Best arm in team history?

Eric Gagne, 22.8% (28.2%): Would he receive more support if not for his PED use?

Dazzy Vance, 21.5% (23.3%): Another guy who should be in. The Drysdale of his era.

Jerry Doggett, 21.8% (29.8%): Complemented Scully beautifully on radio and television.

Bottom 10, removed from ballot for at least two years

Buzzie Bavasi, 21.4% (32.1%): GM of Dodgers’ first four World Series title teams.

Rick Honeycutt, 20.9% (26.7%): Longtime pitching coach (and pitcher).

Carl Erskine, 20.2% (23.7%): Key member of 1955 title team.

John Roseboro, 19.5% (26.1%): The key catcher for Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale.

Tommy John, 18% (23.3%): He should be in the real Hall of Fame.

Andre Ethier, 17.7% (23.1%): Doesn’t look like many from Ethier’s prime era will make it.

Pedro Guerrero, 16.6% (25.3%): You could argue that he is the best hitter in L.A. history.

Steve Yeager, 14.8% (20.6%): He blocked the plate as well as anyone ever.

x-Joe Kelly, 6.8%: I guess wearing a Mariachi jacket can get you only so far.

x-Alex Wood, 0.9%: He’ll have to settle for his World Series ring instead of our Hall honors.

x-first time on ballot.

The Dodgers Dugout Dodgers Hall of Fame

People inducted, with year (and percentage of vote)

Walt Alston, 2022 (86.5%)

Roy Campanella, 2021 (84.7%)

Don Drysdale, 2021 (90%)

Orel Hershiser, 2021 (75.1%)

Gil Hodges, 2022 (75.3%)

Clayton Kershaw, 2026 (94.7%)

Sandy Koufax, 2021 (95.6%)

Tommy Lasorda, 2022 (87.7%)

Walter O’Malley, 2024 (79.4%)

Branch Rickey, 2022 (72.1%)

Pee Wee Reese, 2024 (76.3%)

Jackie Robinson, 2021 (88.9%)

Vin Scully, 2021 (92.7%)

Duke Snider, 2021 (78.2%)

Don Sutton, 2025 (75.7%)

Fernando Valenzuela, 2022 (80.6%)

Maury Wills, 2022 (76.6%)

Listed in order of percentage:

Sandy Koufax, 2021 (95.6%)

Clayton Kershaw, 2026 (94.7%)

Vin Scully, 2021 (92.7%)

Don Drysdale, 2021 (90%)

Jackie Robinson, 2021 (88.9%)

Tommy Lasorda, 2022 (87.7%)

Walt Alston, 2022 (86.5%)

Roy Campanella, 2021 (84.7%)

Fernando Valenzuela, 2022 (80.6%)

Walter O’Malley, 2024 (79.4%)

Duke Snider, 2021 (78.2%)

Maury Wills, 2022 (76.6%)

Pee Wee Reese, 2024 (76.3%)

Don Sutton, 2025 (75.7%)

Gil Hodges, 2022 (75.3%)

Orel Hershiser, 2021 (75.1%)

Branch Rickey, 2022 (72.1%)

Note: In 2022, you had to be named on only 65% of the ballots to be inducted. It has been 75% all other years.

Ben is back

Remember Ben Rortvedt, who became a fan favorite as the backup catcher to Will Smith at the end of last season? The Dodgers signed him to a $1.1 million deal after the season, then soon after removed him from the 40-man roster. That meant other teams could claim him, and the Dodgers apparently hoped the $1.1 million price tag would scare teams off. It didn’t scare Cincinnati, which took him.

Last week, the Reds signed Eugenio Suárez, and to make room for him on the 40-man roster, they removed Rortvedt. And the Dodgers snatched him up quickly.

So Rortvedt is back with the team, and will compete with Dalton Rushing to be the backup catcher.

To make room for Rortvedt, the Dodgers removed left-handed reliever Anthony Banda from the roster. They signed Banda to a $1.625-million deal last month, so perhaps they are hoping no team will take him. In two seasons with the Dodgers, Banda is 8-3 with a 3.14 ERA and two saves in 119 games, including 71 games last season, so he was a workhorse. However, his strikeout rate declined last year while his walk rate increased, a troubling sign. The Dodgers have a lot of left-handed options, so he was the odd man out this time.

Bad news for Yasiel Puig

Former Dodger Yasiel Puig was found guilty Friday of obstruction of justice and making false statements to investigators. Puig was alleged to have lied about gambling on sports.

Puig faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. At one point, he was offered a plea deal where he would plead guilty to one count of lying to federal authorities and would have served no jail time while paying a $55,000 fine. He accepted the deal, then backed out of it because “I want to clear my name.”

In case you missed it

Yasiel Puig found guilty in gambling case, faces up to 20 years in prison

Terrance Gore, former Dodgers player and three-time World Series champ, dies at 34

Plaschke: Just say no! Dodgers players should decline White House visit

Dodgers plan to visit White House to celebrate latest World Series championship

And finally

Miguel Rojas discusses his memorable World Series moments. 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.

The U.S. Marine Corps says it is planning to award a sole-source contract for a new AGM-114 Hellfire missile-armed mobile counter-drone system to defense contractor V2X. This is the same firm that developed the Tempest, a high-mobility 4×4 vehicle with launchers for radar-guided Longbow Hellfires and optimized for shooting down uncrewed aerial threats. At least two Tempest vehicles are now in active service in Ukraine, where they first emerged unexpectedly earlier this month.

Last week, Marine Corps Systems Command (MARSCORSYSCOM) quietly put out a contracting notice regarding what it is currently referring to as the Denied Area Sprinter-Hellfire (DASH) system.

“The program office within Program Executive Officer, Land Systems (PEO LS) Marine Corps for the Ground Based Air Defense (GBAD) intends to award a hybrid contract (Firm-Fixed Price and Cost Type) on a sole-source basis to V2X … for the Denied Area Sprinter-Hellfire (DASH) system,” according to the notice. “The Marine Corps has a unique and specific need to procure Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft System already at a Technology Readiness Level (TRL)-9 level, to support dismounted Marines.”

“The DASH system fills a critical need to detect, identify, track, and defeat small UAS in a highly mobile, rugged form factor that will help protect Marines,” the notice continues. “The United States Government intends to procure up to 50 systems to include training, initial spares, and reimbursable repairs with an expected delivery date for two systems of no later than 30 May 2026 and delivery of the remaining 48 systems no later than December 2026 to meet an FY27 initial operational capability requirement. This effort is expected to be awarded in Fiscal Year 2026.”

The notice does not provide specific details about the DASH system’s configuration. TWZ has reached out to the U.S. Marine Corps and V2X for more information.

However, the mention of TRL-9 does point to DASH being a Marine Corps version of Tempest or a direct derivative thereof. In U.S. government contracting parlance, TRL-9 refers to systems that are not just fully developed, but that have also proven themselves in operationally relevant conditions.

V2X first unveiled Tempest at the Association of the U.S. Army’s (AUSA) main annual convention in Washington, D.C., last October. The configuration that has been seen to date, including in Ukraine, consists of a pair of launch rails for Hellfire missiles and a small form factor active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar mounted on what looks to be a modified Can-Am Maverick X3 4×4 off-road buggy.

The vehicle also has an array of antennas mounted on the left rear side, which are likely tied to a passive radio frequency (RF) detection system. The system does not have any other readily apparent sensors, such as electro-optical and/or infrared cameras.

The combination of the radar and a passive RF detection system would be enough to enable the vehicle to be able to spot and track drones, and then cue its AGM-114L Longbow Hellfires to intercept them. Unlike the majority of Hellfire variants that are laser-guided, the AGM-114L has a millimeter wave radar seeker. Despite originally being designed to engage targets on land and at sea, the Longbow variant of the Hellfire has been in increasing use in the anti-air role in recent years. This extends beyond ground-based platforms, with the AGM-114L now having demonstrated counter-drone capability when employed in the surface-to-air mode from ships and as an air-to-air weapon launched from crewed and uncrewed aircraft.

At the same time, it is still possible that V2X may have developed a variation on this concept for the Marine Corps that uses a different underlying platform. The fact that the Tempest system can be installed on something as small and lightweight as a modified Can-Am Maverick X3 underscores the potential for it to be ported over to an array of other vehicles. V2X itself has said in the past that it was working on a trailer-based version intended primarily for point defense of static sites. It’s also worth noting here that laser-guided Hellfires can even be employed in a man-portable configuration using tripod launchers on the ground, further speaking to the adaptability of the missile to different launch environments.

For its part, the Marine Corps has already fielded counter-drone systems mounted on 4×4 Polaris MRZR all-terrain vehicles, which it calls Light Marine Air Defense Integrated Systems (LMADIS). A complete LMADIS system consists of one MRZR with small AESA radars, electro-optical cameras, and passive RF detection capability paired with another one of the vehicles carrying an electronic warfare jammer. Marines also train to employ shoulder-fired heat-seeking Stinger surface-to-air missiles, also known as man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS), in conjunction with LMADIS. An early version of LMADIS, lashed to the deck of the Wasp class amphibious assault ship USS Boxer, was used to knock down an Iranian drone as the ship transited the Strait of Hormuz back in 2019.

The Marines also have MADIS systems that utilize the 4×4 Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JTLV). Like LMADIS, the larger MADIS distributes different sensors and effectors between individual JLTVs, as you can read more about here.

Regardless, V2X’s Tempest or a variation on the system mounted on a different vehicle would give the Marines a new, highly mobile platform for engaging drones and potentially other aerial threats. AGM-114Ls could be used against helicopters and some types of cruise missiles under certain conditions. It might also be possible to engage fixed-wing aircraft, but the range and speed of the Hellfire present significant limitations against that target set.

A platform like the Can-Am Maverick X3 also allows for the employment of ‘shoot and scoot’ tactics. This means the system can pop up suddenly and reposition just as quickly, helping to create unpredictability for opponents and reduce vulnerability to counterattacks. This is a capability that is also beneficial for responding to aerial threats that might emerge unexpectedly. As already noted, Ukrainian authorities say they have been making good use of their Tempest systems to knock down incoming Russian drones.

Footage of a V2X Tempest SAM system in Ukrainian service shooting down Russian drones with AGM-114 Hellfire missiles.

The first confirmed footage of the Hellfire-equipped dune buggy in Ukraine, likely supplied for live combat testing by an unknown nation. pic.twitter.com/1I1NK537Dj

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) January 11, 2026

All of this aligns with the Marine Corps vision for future expeditionary and distributed operations, especially in island-hopping scenarios in the context of a high-end fight in the Pacific. The service sees relatively small force packages operating from forward bases spread across broad areas, likely within range of enemy stand-off weapons. These are concepts of operations in which mobile air defense capabilities with low operational and logistical footprints would be advantageous, if not essential, to mission success.

Hellfire-armed air defense systems have historically presented cost benefits, as well. As of 2020, Hellfire had an average cost, across all variants, of more than $200,000, though AGM-114Ls were likely substantially more expensive. As a comparison, the cost of a single Stinger missile has reportedly surged in recent years to as high as $400,000. Past reports have also said that Raytheon’s Coyote Block 2 counter-drone interceptors, which are growing in popularity across the U.S. military, have unit costs in the $100,000 range.

It is important to point out that the AGM-114L is now out of production, according to prime contractor Lockheed Martin. That company has recently been touting potential anti-air applications for the successor to the Hellfire family, the AGM-179A Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM), which has a dual-mode laser and millimeter wave guidance system.

With the schedule the Marines have laid out for the DASH effort, targeting delivery of the first pair of systems by May, more specific details about the system and its capabilities may now emerge in the coming weeks and months.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

Floyd Mayweather Jr., one of history’s most successful professional boxers, is suing Showtime and a former executive at the company for $340 million, accusing them of depriving him of a “significant portion of his career earnings.”

The 48-year-old retired athlete alleges in the complaint that Showtime “through a complex web of hidden accounts, unauthorized transactions, and deliberate concealment of financial records,” wrongly paid some of his earnings to his former manager, Al Haymon.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, is aimed at the Paramount-owned network and its former president of Showtime Sports, Stephen Espinoza. The complaint alleges that Mayweather’s inquiries about his pay were met with conflicting responses from Showtime, including that “critical financial records for Mayweather’s biggest fights were ‘lost’ or inaccessible.”

Haymon is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit.

A spokesperson for Paramount wrote in a statement to The Times that “these baseless claims lack legal or factual merit. We strongly reject them and will respond accordingly through the court process.”

A spokesperson for Haymon Boxing declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Over Mayweather’s 21-year career, the boxer has reportedly earned $1.2 billion. He first met his former manager, Haymon, in 2004. The boxer soon entered a verbal agreement with Haymon, allowing him to be Mayweather’s manager for a 10% fee. According to the suit, Mayweather considered Haymon to be a “father figure and relied on him to manage virtually all aspects of his finances and contracts.” Haymon worked in this role for about 20 years, and over time, the suit alleges, he became the “mastermind of the financial scheme,” engaging in “financial manipulation and self-dealing behind Mayweather’s back.”

In 2013, Mayweather exited a long-term contract with HBO to ink a new exclusive multi-fight deal with Showtime. The complaint states that Haymon’s “scheme” consisted of “diverting portions” of Mayweather’s earnings “under false pretenses that Haymon then kept or controlled,” putting fight revenues into “secret accounts that Mayweather did not know about or have access to,” paying himself large sums of money without Mayweather‘s knowledge and allegedly altering documents to cover up these actions.

Mayweather’s new team reached out to Showtime in 2024 for documentation of fight revenues and expenses. According to the lawsuit, his team was told the documents were “‘lost in a flood’ or stored off-site and not readily accessible.”

Mayweather also alleges Showtime still owes him $20 million from his 2015 fight against Andre Berto. The payout was originally meant to come from the proceeds of the Manny Pacquiao fight that year.

The lawsuit contends that by wiring Mayweather’s earnings to accounts inaccessible tothe boxer and saying that key documents are missing, both “Showtime and Espinoza enabled Haymon’s scheme and stymied Mayweather’s efforts to uncover the truth.”

Former Baltimore slugger and cancer survivor Trey Mancini is taking another shot at a major league comeback after agreeing to a minor league contract with the Angels that includes an invitation to big league spring training.

The Angels on Wednesday listed the infielder among their 27 non-roster invitees to camp in Tempe, Ariz.

The 33-year-old Mancini has batted .263 with 129 homers and 400 RBIs over parts of seven seasons, but he hasn’t played in the major leagues since 2023. He began his career by playing parts of six seasons with the Orioles, hitting a career-high 29 homers in 2019.

Mancini then missed the 2020 season after surgery to remove a malignant tumor from his colon. He made a successful return to the Orioles in 2021, and he won a World Series ring in 2022 after Baltimore traded him to the Houston Astros.

He spent part of the 2023 season with the Chicago Cubs. He has since played in the minor-league systems of the Reds, Marlins and Diamondbacks.

Mancini opted out of a minor-league deal with Arizona last July after batting .308 with 16 homers for triple-A Reno.

SEOUL, Feb. 4 (UPI) — South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem said Wednesday that it has signed a $220 million contract to supply high-floor light rail vehicles to Edmonton, Canada.

Under the agreement, Hyundai Rotem is scheduled to deliver 32 trainsets, each composed of three cars, to operate through the city center at a maximum speed of 50 mph.

The company noted that the fleet would replace aging rolling stock, with safety and passenger comfort as top priorities.

Because of the city’s harsh winter climate, the trains will feature customized designs that can withstand extreme cold and heavy snowfall.

Hyundai Rotem previossly has sign train deals in Canada.

In 2021, the Hyundai Motor Group subsidiary secured a separate contract to provide trams for Edmonton. Deliveries of those vehicles started last August, according to the company.

In 2005, it also struck an agreement to supply automated people movers for Vancouver International Airport as part of preparations for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games.

“We will keep strengthening our relationship to contribute to Canada’s efforts to build environmentally friendly rail infrastructure,” Hyundai Rotem said in a statement. “The country is speeding up the replacement of diesel-powered rail vehicles with electric and hydrogen hybrid trains.”

In addition to rail systems, Hyundai Rotem also operates in the defense sector. It is best known for producing the K2 main battle tank for the South Korean military and overseas customers.

Over the past few years, the defense giant exported 180 K2 tanks to Poland. Last year, it finalized a second major contract to ship another 180 tanks to the European country in a deal valued at about $6.5 billion.

From Gary Klein: Coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead signed extensions that will keep them with the Rams for at least several more years.

Will quarterback Matthew Stafford decide to return and join them for an 18th NFL season?

“Our hope is that he does,” McVay said Monday during a videoconference with reporters, “But I think that with respect to his timetable … whenever he feels ready to make that announcement we’ll let him be able to do that.”

McVay spoke minutes after the Rams announced that McVay and Snead had signed extensions, ensuring the most important combination in the organization remains intact.

McVay, 40, and Snead, 55, were entering the final years of their contracts.

McVay, who was hired in 2017, and Snead, who has been the general manager since 2012, had previously been extended after Super Bowl appearances in the 2018 and 2021 seasons. They had offers on the table before this season but did not sign them.

The Rams have made two Super Bowl appearances and have been in the playoffs seven times in McVay’s nine seasons.

“As we enter their 10th season together, it is only fitting to reflect on the tremendous success Sean and Les have brought to this franchise, and the indelible impact they have made on Los Angeles and the NFL,” Rams owner Stan Kroenke said in a statement. “They continue to embody the standard of this franchise to compete for championships, consistently delivering a product that our fans and city can be proud of.”

Continue reading here

Super Bowl

Sunday

at Santa Clara

Seattle vs. New England

3:30 p.m. PT, NBC, Peacock, Telemundo, KLAC AM 570

Halftime show: Bad Bunny

National anthem: Charlie Puth

Odds: Seahawks favored by 4.5 points

Over/Under: 45.5 points

Clippers lose to 76ers

Tyrese Maxey scored 29 points, including seven 3-pointers, Dominick Barlow added 26 points and 16 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Clippers 128-113 on Monday night for their fourth consecutive victory.

The game featured two big names who weren’t selected as All-Star reserves: Joel Embiid of the Sixers and Kawhi Leonard of the Clippers.

Embiid had 24 points as he continues to gain full strength after a right ankle injury. The Sixers improved to 11-10 without Paul George, who is serving a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug program.

Continue reading here

Clippers box score

NBA standings

Dodgers’ Edwin Díaz will pitch in WBC

New Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz will pitch for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic in March, it was announced Monday.

Díaz, who signed a three-year, $69-million contract in December as the most sough-after reliever in free agency, pitched for Puerto Rico in the 2023 WBC but tore the patellar tendon in his right knee while celebrating a win over the Dominican Republic that pushed the team into the quarterfinals. He missed the entire 2023 MLB season as a result.

The 31-year-old Díaz has a 2.82 ERA and 253 saves over his nine-year career. In that time, no other MLB reliever tops him in strikeouts (839), while only Kenley Jansen has recorded more saves (334). With the New York Mets last season — his second since returning from knee surgery — Díaz also had one of his best career campaigns, posting a 1.63 ERA with 28 saves in 31 opportunities and 98 strikeouts in 66 ⅓ innings.

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This day in sports history

1944 — Syd Howe of the Detroit Red Wings scores six goals in a 12-6 victory over the New York Rangers. Howe is the first player to score six goals in a game since Cy Denneny of the Ottawa Senators in 1921.

1956 — Austria’s Toni Sailer wins the men’s downhill to become first Olympic skier to sweep three Alpine events.

1976 — Washington’s Dave Bing, in his final NBA All-Star game apperance, wins the MVP and leads the East to a 123-109 victory over the West in Philadelphia. Bing has 16 points and four assists.

1980 — Larry Bird hits the first three-point shot in the history of the NBA All-Star Game.

1982 — Steve Mahre, twin brother of overall champion Phil Mahre, becomes the first American male skier to win a gold medal in an Olympics or world championship competition when he edges Sweden’s Ingemar Stenmark in the giant slalom at the worlds.

1990 — Bill Shoemaker, the world’s winningest jockey, finishes fourth on Patchy Groundfog in his final ride at Santa Anita. The 58-year-old Shoemaker finishes his 40-year career with $123,375,524 in earnings, a record 8,833 wins, 6,136 seconds and 4,987 thirds in 40,350 starts.

1998 — Dino Ciccarelli becomes the ninth NHL player to reach 600 goals when he scores on a power play with 5:09 remaining in the third period to give the Florida Panthers a 1-1 tie against the Detroit Red Wings.

2000 — World Wrestling Federation mastermind Vince McMahon unveils his latest creation: the XFL, a new pro football league.

2001 — One year later, the XFL muscles its way onto the national sports scene with its first two games. With exuberant cheerleaders and trash-talking players, the Las Vegas Outlaws beat the New York/New Jersey Hitmen 19-0, while the Orlando Rage beat the Chicago Enforcers 33-29 before a crowd of 35,603 in Orlando.

2002 — Adam Vinatieri’s 48-yard field goal as time expires gives Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots their first Super Bowl title with a 20-17 win over the two-touchdown favorite St. Louis Rams.

2006 — Martin Brodeur becomes the third goaltender in NHL history to reach 100 shutouts when New Jersey blanks Carolina 3-0. Brodeur joins Terry Sawchuk (115) and George Hainsworth (102).

2008 — Eli Manning and the New York Giants end New England’s unbeaten season and pull off one of the great Super Bowl upsets. Manning throws a 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress with 35 seconds left to beat the Patriots 17-14.

2013 — The Baltimore Ravens survive a power outage at the Super Bowl to edge the San Francisco 49ers 34-31. Jacoby Jones returns the second-half kickoff 108 yards, a Super Bowl record, to give Baltimore a 28-6 lead. Moments later, lights lining the Superdome fade. When action resumes 34 minutes later, Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers score 17 consecutive points, getting as close as 31-29. Baltimore stops San Francisco on fourth-and-goal from the 5 with under 2 minutes left when Kaepernick’s pass sails beyond Michael Crabtree in the end zone.

2017 — Tara VanDerveer becomes the second NCAA women’s coach to reach 1,000 victories when No. 8 Stanford beats USC 58-42 to give the Hall of Famer a milestone before a home crowd at Maples Pavilion.

2019 — Super Bowl LIII, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA: New England Patriots beat Rams, 13-3; MVP: Julian Edelman, NE Patriots, WR; Patriots’ 6th SB victory

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.

SANTA CLARA — The Rams took care of their first order of business, signing coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead to contract extensions, the team announced Monday.

McVay, 40, and Snead, 55, were entering the final years of their contracts.

McVay, who was hired in 2017, and Snead, who has been the general manager since 2012, had previously been extended after Super Bowl appearances in the 2018 and 2021 seasons. They had offers on the table before this season but did not sign them.

The Rams have made two Super Bowl appearances and have been in the playoffs seven times in McVay’s nine seasons.

The Rams finished 12-5 this season and advanced to the NFC championship game before losing to the Seattle Seahawks, who play the New England Patriots on Sunday in Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

The Rams will now turn their attention to possible extensions for receiver Puka Nacua, defensive lineman Kobie Turner, edge rusher Byron Young and offensive lineman Steve Avila.

Jan. 30 (UPI) — The Supreme Court of Panama invalidated the contract of a Hong Kong subsidiary to operate ports on the Panama Canal, ruling it is unconstitutional.

In a Thursday ruling the high court said the terms of Panama Ports Company’s contract that allowed it to operate the ports of Balboa and Cristobal violated the country’s constitution. Panama Ports Company is a subsidiary of CK Hutchinson Holding, a company based in Hong Kong.

The court said the ruling was made after “extensive deliberation.”

Panama Ports Company has been operating two of Panama’s five ports since 1997. It was founded in Hong Kong and is not owned by the Chinese government.

The company argues that the court’s ruling lacks a legal basis and “jeopardises not only PPC and its contract but also the well-being and stability of thousands of Panamanian families who depend directly and indirectly on port activity.” It said that it has invested more than $1.8 billion in the ports’ infrastructure in the nearly 30 years it has operated there.

Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino said ports will continue to operate without interruption following Thursday’s ruling. APM Terminals Panama will operate the Balboa and Cristobal ports in the interim.

President Donald Trump has long sought control over the Panama Canal and voiced his desire to block China from operating there. Last year he threatened to seize control of the canal.

After the ruling, shares in CK Hutchinson fell by 4.6%.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Chinese companies will pursue legal action to maintain their rights to operate on the Panama Canal, calling the decision “contrary to the laws governing Panama’s approval of the relevant franchises.”

CK Hutchinson has pursued a sale of its interest in the Balboa and Cristobal ports to a group of U.S. investment firms, including BlackRock. The proposed deal is estimated to be worth more than $22 billion.

Thursday’s decision may impact those plans.

The Los Angeles City Council has again increased what it will pay Gibson Dunn to represent it in a contentious homelessness case, bringing the law firm’s contract to nearly $7.5 million.

In mid-May, the council approved a three-year contract capped at $900,000. The law firm then billed the city $1.8 million for two weeks of legal work, with 15 of its attorneys charging nearly $1,300 per hour.

In a closed-door meeting Wednesday, the council voted 9-4 to approve an increase of about $1.8 million from the current $5.7 million, with Councilmembers John Lee, Tim McOsker, Imelda Padilla and Monica Rodriguez opposed. It was not clear why the additional money was needed.

Rodriguez said that spending resources on outside lawyers instead of complying with the settlement terms in the case is “simply a waste of public funds.”

“In the face of a mounting homelessness crisis, it’s misguided for the City to continue pouring our scarce resources into outside counsel instead of housing the most vulnerable Angelenos,” Rodriguez said in a statement.

The contract “has expanded significantly beyond its original scope,” Lee said in a statement, later adding, “I believe the Council has a duty to demand transparency and closely scrutinize costs.”

The L.A. city attorney’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

The city reached a settlement with the nonprofit LA Alliance in 2022, agreeing to create 12,915 homeless shelter beds or other housing opportunities, while also clearing thousands of encampments.

Since then, the LA Alliance has repeatedly accused the city of failing to comply with the terms of the settlement agreement.

Gibson Dunn was retained by the city a week before a federal judge called a seven-day hearing to determine whether he should take authority over the city’s homelessness programs from Mayor Karen Bass and the City Council. Alliance lawyers said during those proceedings that they wanted Bass and two council members to testify.

The judge later declined to put Los Angeles’ homelessness programs into receivership, even as he concluded that the city failed to adhere to the settlement.

Theane Evangelis, a Gibson Dunn attorney who led the firm’s LA Alliance team, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto has praised Gibson Dunn’s work in the LA Alliance case, saying the firm helped the city retain control over its homelessness programs while also keeping Bass and the two council members off the stand.

She commended the firm — which secured a landmark Supreme Court ruling that upheld laws prohibiting homeless people from camping in public spaces — for getting up to speed on the settlement, mastering a complex set of policy matters within a week.

Faced with lingering criticism from council members, Feldstein Soto agreed to help with the cost of the Gibson Dunn contract, committing $1 million from her office’s budget. The council has also tapped $4 million from the city’s “unappropriated balance,” an account for funds that have not yet been allocated.

On Thursday, Matthew D. Umhofer, an attorney who represents LA Alliance, called the Gibson Dunn contract increase “predictable.”

“It’s a taxpayer-funded debacle designed to help city officials avoid being held accountable for their failures on homelessness,” Umhofer said in a statement. “The amount will keep going up as long as the City is more interested in ending oversight than ending homelessness.”

Defensive lineman Teair Tart is returning to the Chargers with a three-year contract extension.

The Chargers announced the deal Monday night for Tart, who joined the team in August 2024 after he was released by the Miami Dolphins. Tart quickly became a contributor to Los Angeles’ defense, and he started all 18 games this season in the middle of the Bolts’ line.

Tart has 61 tackles, nine tackles for loss, one sack and an interception in his two seasons with the Chargers. He has been particularly effective in run defense, stepping up to fill a need created when Poona Ford left last year to sign with the Rams.

Tart began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent with the Tennessee Titans in 2020. The Florida International product also briefly played for Houston.

The Chargers likely will have some new defensive concepts next season after defensive coordinator Jesse Minter was hired to be the Baltimore Ravens’ head coach. Minter was coach Jim Harbaugh’s coordinator for his first two seasons in Los Angeles, producing one of the NFL’s top five units in scoring defense, total defense and passing defense.

The Bolts went 11-6 and lost in the wild-card round of the playoffs in each of Harbaugh’s first two seasons. Harbaugh hired former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel as his offensive coordinator earlier Monday.