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Kobe Bryant 20 Seasons In NBA for The Lakers – GOAT

By
Jevone Moore
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NBA Basketball game action between the Boston Celtics vs the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Ca on April 3, 2016. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)
Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant acknowledging the crowd at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Ca on April 3, 2016. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)

Los Angeles, Ca –  Will there ever be another Los Angeles Laker like the Greatest of All Time, Kobe Bryant? Indeed, will there ever be another NBA player in history like Kobe Bryant? After a 20-season NBA career, the GOAT, No. 8, No. 24, the greatest player ever, is hanging up his sneakers. The Staples Center is sold out for tonight, has been sold out for this game for months with a crazy buzz of energy – all for Bryant. Great job to the NBA schedulers who allowed No. 24 to finish his career on the Lakers’ home floor, the only floor Kobe has ever called home court.

Two decades after entering the league as the Number One draft pick for the Charlotte Hornets; a score after being the thirteenth pick overall in the 1996 NBA Draft; a lifetime after being acquired by then-Lakers General Manager Jerry West, Kobe is still giving fans of the game feelings. Brought to Los Angeles by the man who is himself The Logo of the NBA, Kobe began his journey to greatness when he was so young he needed a cosigner on his first NBA contract because he was a minor.
How silly do those GMs who chose one through twelve on that day feel? One can only speculate as Kobe’s GOAT numbers jump off the page:

NBA Most Valuable Player (2008)

5 x NBA Champion (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010)  

2 X Olympic Basketball Gold Medalist (2008 Beijing, 2012 London)

2 X NBA Finals MVP (2009, 2010)

18 x NBA All Star (1998, 2000 – 2016)

4 X NBA All Star MVP (2002, 2007, 2009, 2011)

15 X ALL-NBA Team (1999 – 2013)

12 X NBA ALL-Defense (2000 – 2004, 2006 – 2012)

2 X NBA Scoring Champion (2006 – 2007)

NBA Slam Dunk Contest Champion (1997)

NBA ALL-Rookie Second Team 1997

All of these accolades earned with the blood, sweat and thousands of hours the “Black Mamba” has spent on the floor without a crowd, without a team, just a ball and a hoop.
Why, then, does Kobe only have one NBA MVP? Haters gonna hate. Dominance engenders jealousy. It is simply insane that the most athletic, competitive, driven, and gifted player in his era hasn’t been recognized more often. I guess people hate on greatness even when it’s so glaringly obvious. Even without scoring another point, Kobe leaves as the Lakers all time leading scorer in team history, a record which may stand for ages.

Asked about how he will approach his final game, Kobe didn’t hesitate, “just like the others. Same routine. Same people.” All business for the silent assassin!

Love him or hate him, true basketball fans will remember where they were April 13th, 2016 when Kobe laced ‘em up for the last time. Woe to the Jazz. He’ll be playing their tune!

13th PICK in Draft finishing his career on 13th of April!

LA KISS Get Snake Bit By Rattlers

By
Jevone Moore
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AFL 2016 April 9th Arizona Rattlers vs LA KISS game action in the first half at Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)
AFL 2016 April 9th Arizona Rattlers vs LA KISS game action in the first half at Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)

Anaheim, Ca – The Arizona Rattlers (2-0) came in and took tonight’s game from the LA KISS (1-1) in every aspect of the game. When the final buzzer buzzed the KISS were outscored 69-28. The team just looked a step slow versus a historical franchise that has had its fare share of championships rings in the AFL.

Arizona had jumped out to 14-0 lead is 1st quarter before the KISS knew what hit them. LA KISS receiver Donovan Morgan scored their first touchdown on the night with 8 yards pass from Nathan Stanley to make it 14-7 game. Arizona added two more scores before halftime to take 35-21 lead into the locker room.

If you just looked at stat sheet and not the score this game looked closer on paper with Arizona scoring on 6-7 times in red zone with 278 total yards on offense. Then LA KISS were 3-4 in red zone with 273 yards total offense. The one telling stat is Arizona scored 20 points off KISS turnovers with 3 sacks and plenty of hurries from Stanley which lead to too many miss throws.


Coach Omarr Smith was asked after game about tonight’s loss, “Know my team knows what championship football looks like.” & “I knew Arizona was going to play well tonight and execute at high level.” Smith took responsibility for the loss and look to improve in all three phase of the game.

As always a bright light on this LA KISS team is Morgan who lead his team with three touchdowns in the game 92 yards. For the Rattlers a hometown hero from So Cal quarterback Nick Davila had 5 touchdowns and went 20-26 for 193 yards passing. His main target was big #1 Rod Windsor who pulled in 4 touchdowns to lead Rattlers.

The LA KISS fall to 1-1 on the season and will travel for their first road game of the season to face the Cleveland Gladiators (1-1). The Gladiators are coming off 41-29 victory over the Tampa Bay Storm. Let’s watch and see how this team hands this early adversity to start the season.

 

ESPN COLLEGE BASKETBALL AWARDS PRESENTED BY WENDY’S 2016

By
Michael Ewing
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Buddy Hield and Breanna Stewart Take Home the Hardware at the John R. Wooden Award Ceremony

College basketball’s brightest stars gathered in downtown Los Angeles on Friday night to put a final bow on what was another successful college basketball season. The College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendy’s was hosted by the College Gameday crew of Jay Bilas, Jay Williams, Seth Greenberg, and Rece Davis.

The evening was full of special moments, including highlight packages of the season’s greatest plays, plus the best dunks of the year. Also featured were Tom Izzo and Denzel Valentine’s appearances on ‘Dancing With the Stars’, as well as Minnesota’s Rachel Banham and her social media interaction with Lakers superstar, Kobe Bryant. The cornerstone of the evening was the John R. Wooden Award, which is awarded to the top male, and top female players of the college basketball season.

The College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendy’s – in coordination with the Los Angeles Athletic Club and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame handed out a total of 8 awards on the evening. The main event of the night was the Wooden Award presentation, but the 7 other honors given out were awards for outstanding player at each position for the men, as well as the women’s Wooden Award, and the Wooden Legends of Coaching Award, which had previously been announced. Texas Tech coach Tubby Smith was honored with the Legends of Coaching Award, during his acceptance speech he gave much praise to Mr. John Wooden as well as the entire Wooden family.

Award Winners: Bob Cousy Award, given to the nation’s most outstanding Point Guard ­ 5’9” Tyler Ulis, who averaged over 7 assists per game in his sophomore season with the Kentucky Wildcats. Upon receiving the award, Ulis said he came into this season with one thing in mind, “My role was to lead this team, and I tried to do that.”

Jerry West Award, given to the most outstanding Shooting Guard ­ Buddy Hield, Oklahoma University, averaged over 25 points per game this season. When asked about coming back for his senior season he said, “It’s been special, I wouldn’t change it for the world. I am glad I came back.”

Julius Erving Award, given to the most outstanding Small Forward ­ Denzel Valentine, Michigan State University, averaged 20 points, 7.6 assists, and 7.6 rebounds per game. When asked what it means to be given an award named after Dr. J he said, “ He is a legend, it is just a blessing and an honor.”

Karl Malone Award, given to the most outstanding Power Forward ­ Georges Niang, Iowa State University. When asked what this season was like he said, “It was great, the memories will last in my mind forever.”

Kareem Abdul Jabbar Award, given to the most outstanding Center ­ Jakob Poeltl, Utah, when asked what it means to win an award named after Kareem Abdul Jabbar he said, “It is so amazing, Kareem is the best center to play the game.”

Coming as no surprise, Breanna Stewart was named the Women’s Wooden Award winner, as she led the University of Connecticut to their fourth straight NCAA Championship, along the way Stewart became the first Women’s player to ever win four consecutive NCAA titles. This was her second consecutive season winning the Wooden Award. When asked about the pressure of going after four straight NCAA titles Stewart said, “It’s a huge challenge, and I credit a lot of it to Coach Auriemma and the rest of the staff for all they do for us.”

The Men’s award was a little less predictable, but ultimately the award went to Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield, as he edged the Julius Erving Award winner, Denzel Valentine. Hield led the Sooners to the final four this season and finished his senior campaign averaging over 25 points per game. During his acceptance speech Hield said, “It’s been fun and I can’t be more blessed to be around college basketball, I can’t be prouder and I thank my family for supporting me through the whole journey.” Hield was accompanied by his family to the ceremony, also during his speech he reminisced on building his own basketball hoop with his brother and cousin, it was a very touching moment from a true gentleman.

 

 

Long Beach Grand Prix Final Celebrity Race 2016

By
William Johnson
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Long Beach, CA – This year will mark the 40th year for Toyota Pr0 / Celebrity race on April 16th on the streets of Long Beach. The Long Beach Grand Prix will continue on with the race being their 42nd year for the main races. Some familiar faces have chosen to be in this last race, 19 former winners to round out one of the largest fields.
On April 5th the Celebrities had the opportunity to participate in two practice rounds to get back acquainted with the speed of the cars and the track. This great event has been able to benefit RACE For Kids in the tune of over $2.3 million over the past 24 years. All good things must come to an end, two time winner Alfonso Ribeiro said, ““We love being here, I look forward to it every year, even when I wasn’t racing in it. I always looked out for what happened.”

 

Some might ask what brought on this change, The head sponsor Toyota is moving its North American headquarters from Torrance, Ca to Plano, Texas. So we can blame cheaper land, tax credits, tax incentives that the city of Torrance overlooked. Sometimes the grass is greener on the other side….

“Toyota said they weren’t able to commit to providing the support that’s required for the (pro/celebrity) race,” said Grand Prix of Long Beach President and CEO Jim Michaelian. “The cars, the mechanics, the training for drivers. It’s huge, and they felt that now that they’re in Texas, they were no longer able to keep the race going at a functional level.”

So fans better enjoy this race and cheer on their favorites celebrity as they blaze the track for the last time in Long Beach. The rest of Long Beach Grand Prix will continue at least to 2017 on paper based on the current contract.
For tickets or more info on 42nd 2016 Toyota Long Beach Grand Prix click here : 42nd TLBGP

Kobe Bryant’s 34 Not Enough To Defeat Boston

By
Jevone Moore
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NBA Basketball game action between the Boston Celtics vs the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Ca on April 3, 2016. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)
NBA Basketball game action between the Boston Celtics vs the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Ca on April 3, 2016. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)

Los Angeles, CA – The winning most franchises in NBA history collide for a regular season matchup the just happen to be legend Kobe Bryant last in the series. The Boston Celtics defeated Los Angeles Lakers 107 – 100 tonight in front of the Staples Center sell out crowd. Kobe played 33 minutes and scored 34 points in a losing effort.

The Laker home crowd was treated to a big dose of Kobe who looked great coming off of three days rest and little extra juice because it’s Boston. You could tell right away Kobe was looking to score with his two daughters and wife sitting courtside to watch. After 20 years, two NBA Finals meetings and countless major moments, Kobe Bryant cherished the history of the Los Angeles Lakers’ rivalry with the Boston Celtics.

With Boston sitting in 4th place in Eastern Conference they need to get tonight win while they jockey for playoff position. The Lakers went down by as many 17 in first half but found the mojo to battle back and make it a tough victory for Boston. Isaiah Thomas lead Boston with 26 points and hit few key shots when needed to hold back an upset on an emotional night. Boston forward Jae Crowder helped out with 22 points of his own.

Tonight’s contest vs Kobe was won by second chance points, and fast break points which Boston had the advantage. After the first quarter was over Lakers 32 year Trainer Gary Vitti had a send off from the fans and was presented a personalized Laker Jersey.

Kobe spoke about his farewell tour, “Coming into tonight there are three home games left, now two. To the extent that my body will allow me, I am going to do my best to give the fans what they came to see.”

So next up for the Lakers and Kobe will be a back to back hallway series versus the Clippers before closing out with Utah at home on April 13th.

 

LA KISS Rock the Sharks in Home Opener

By
Press Release
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AFL 2016 Jacksonville Sharks vs LA KISS Opening Night game action in the first half at Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)
AFL 2016 Jacksonville Sharks vs LA KISS Opening Night game action in the first half at Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)

Los Angeles, Calif. – Los Angeles, CA—The LA KISS (1-0) used a huge third quarter to break away and beat the Jacksonville Sharks (0-1) by a final score of 64 to 39 in front of 6,805 fans at the Honda Center on Saturday evening.

“I am very appreciative of our players, they came out and played a really good football game,” said Head Coach Omarr Smith. “For our first time going against a team in a different uniform, they stepped up, challenged them [the Sharks], and answered the bill.”

Under Armour Player of the Game, Nathan Stanley was lights out for the LA KISS completing 27of 36 passes for 283 yards and five touchdowns. DJ Stephens lead the LA KISS receiving core with nine receptions for 101 yards. Donovan Morgan had a strong opening night with seven receptions for 81 yards and three touchdowns. Morgan’s first touchdown of the game was his 250th career touchdown. Brandon Collins had five receptions for 63 yards and added two touchdowns. FB Rory Nixon scored two touchdowns on three carries.

Jacksonville Sharks’ quarterback, Tommy Grady completed 22 of 31 passes for 279 yards, while throwing one touchdown and one interception. Joe Hills led the Sharks offense with nine receptions for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Roger Jackson caught five passes for 28 yards and one touchdown. Tiger Jones added one touchdown on three receptions. J. Lewis Small Playmaker of the Game Derrick Ross gained 18 yards on nine attempts and scored two touchdowns.

Rayshaun Kizer led the LA KISS defense with six solo tackles, and one interception. Clevan Thomas added 5 tackles and two pass breakups. Riddell Defensive Player of the Game Chris Smith led the Sharks defense with 11.5 tackles.After winning the toss, the LA KISS deferred and kicked off to the Sharks. On the first play from scrimmage, Grady connected with Joe Hills for a 41-yard touchdown. After Marco Capozzoli’s kick was no good, the score was 6-0. Nathan Stanley completed a 26 yard pass to DJ Stephens, then he scored on a one-yard quarterback keeper. Andre Heidari’s kick was good, giving the LA KISS a 7-6 lead. Grady found Jackson in the end zone with 3:46 left in the first quarter. The kick was good, making it 13-7 Sharks. The KISS countered when Morgan caught a 11-yard touchdown pass from Stanley. After Heidari converted the PAT, the KISS retook the lead by a score of 14-13 with 30 seconds left in the first.

 Jones started off the second quarter with a 41-yard touchdown reception from Grady to give the Sharks a 20-14 lead. With 11:40 left in the second quarter, Stanley found Morgan for a 33-yard touchdown pass. After a successful kick, the LA KISS led by a score of 21-20. The Sharks made the score 27-21 when Hills caught a 3-yard touchdown from Grady. On the ensuing possession, LA KISS fullback Rory Nixon scored a 3-yard rushing touchdown. Heidari missed the kick, keeping the score tied at 27-27 with 1:40 remaining in the half. After the LA KISS failed to convert an onside kick, Derrick Ross scored on a one-yard touchdown run. Capozzoli failed to convert the PAT and the Sharks led by six with 27 seconds left in the second quarter. LA KISS scored in just 20 seconds to even the score when Collins made the AFL highlight of the game, a 19 yard touchdown reception. At the end of the first half the score was tied at 33.

On the first play of the third quarter, Stanley connected with Collins for a 35-yard touchdown pass. After a successful kick, the KISS led 40-33. Jacksonville Recountered with another 1-yard rushing touchdown from Derrick Ross. Capozzoli missed the point after and the LA KISS kept a 40-39 lead with 8:48 left in the quarter. As time expired in the third quarter, Morgan made the Cutters Catch of the Game, a one-handed five-yard touchdown reception. The LA KISS extended to their lead to 47-39.

After DJ Stephens recovered the kickoff, Nixon ran in a 5-yard touchdown. With 13:37 left in the fourth quarter, the LA KISS led 54-39. On the next drive, Kizer intercepted Grady’s pass with 11 minutes left in the game. The LA KISS failed to take advantage of Kizer’s interception and turned the ball over on downs. After the Heidari field goal, Stephens recovered and scored the ensuing kick off .The final score LA KISS 64, Jacksonville Sharks 39.

 

Next week, the LA KISS host the Arizona Rattlers on Saturday, April 11th at the Honda Center. The kickoff will be at 6:00 pm and the game will be broadcast on ESPN2.

UCLA Track Sweeps Legends Invitational

By
Press Release
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NCAA 2016 Track & Field Bruin Legends of Track and Field Invitational on campus at Drake Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)
NCAA 2016 Track & Field Bruin Legends of Track and Field Invitational on campus at Drake Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)

LOS ANGELES – For the second weekend in a row the UCLA track and field team ran away from the competition this time sweeping the Legends Invitational. The men outdistanced runner-up Cornell 185.3-124 while the women posted 173.5 points to down the 124.5 points from Kansas State.

UCLA continued to showcase personal bests on the early season that helped lead to 15 event victories this weekend.

Freshman Greta Wagner cleared a personal best and the ninth best mark in school history at 13-8.50. Sophomore Elleyse Garrett finished third with a personal best 12-8.

UCLA earned some big points in the men’s long jump as the Bruins placed 1-2-3 in the event. Junior Austin Hazel won the event with a leap of 24-2.50. Sophomore Idrees Bernard followed in second at 23-11.50 whileDarnell Roberson in his collegiate long jump debut leaped 23-6 to finish third.

In the women’s long jump senior Kylie Price won the event for the second straight week, this time leaping 20-5 while sophomore Jessie Maduka closely followed in second at 20-4.25.

In the men’s shot put Dotun Ogundeji won the event with a throw of 60-10. In the women’s shot put Torie Owers won with a throw of 54-6.75. Stamatia Scarvelis followed in second at 52-2.75 while Ashlie Blake was fourth at 46-9.50.

In the men’s discus senior Nicholas Scarvelis launched a huge personal best with a throw of 192-10. Ogundeji followed in second at 181-5.

In the men’s high jump Sage Stone led a 1-2 finish for the Bruins as the sophomore cleared 6-10.75 to win the event. Junior Cody Crampton followed in second at 6-8.75.

UCLA opened the track portion of the meet with victories in both the women’s and men’s 4x100m relays. The women breezed to a winning time of 44.38 while sophomore Leon Powell chased down the field on the anchor leg to pull out the win at 40.85.

Senior Ferdinand Edman blew away the field in the 1,500m with a personal best time of 3:44.55. In the 800m senior Nick Hartle won with a time of 1:48.04.

In the sprints Angie Annelus took home the 100m with a time of 11.67. Powell continued his Drake dominance in the event with a time of 10.41. In the 200m Maduka won with a time of 24.20 while freshman Schuyler Moore was third at 24.47 and Jelvon Butler fourth at 24.57.

UCLA will remain at home next weekend as Drake Stadium will be the host site of the annual Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner-Kersee Invitational. The meet is scheduled for Saturday, April 9.

Los Angeles Rams training moving to Cal Lutheran

By
Press Release
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Los Angeles Rams

NFL team to build temporary facility, fields on campus

THOUSAND OAKS, Ca – California Lutheran University has entered into an agreement with the Los Angeles Rams to allow the team to base its training operations on the university’s Thousand Oaks campus for at least two years.

The Rams will pay for and put in two practice fields, a paved parking lot and temporary modular buildings containing offices, training areas and locker rooms on the northwest corner of the campus. They can use the area for the next two to five years while they wait for their permanent training facility to be built.

The facility at Cal Lutheran will be the home base for about 130 athletes, coaches, trainers and other staff members. Regular season practices will be held from September through January starting this year, and off-season activities will be based at the facility from March through July starting in 2017.

The Rams plan to offer opportunities to the Cal Lutheran community, including internships for students, while their operations are based on campus.

The city of Thousand Oaks has already approved construction of the fields and parking lot as part of Cal Lutheran’s master plan, and the Rams will turn them over to the university after they depart. The Rams have applied to the city for permission to install the modular buildings and approval is pending.

While the Rams are based on campus, Cal Lutheran can use the parking lot during major events such as commencement. Cal Lutheran’s athletic teams will use the fields after the team departs. The university will also be able to use infrastructure built by the Rams for future athletic facilities it plans to add.

The region stands to benefit economically as the Rams players, coaches and other employees shop, dine, buy homes and send their children to schools in the area.

“We are excited to partner with Cal Lutheran to use their exceptional campus as the temporary home for team facilities that will be outstanding for our players and football staff,” said Los Angeles Rams Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President Kevin Demoff. “The Rams look forward to becoming an integral part of the Cal Lutheran and Thousand Oaks communities as we establish our roots in Southern California.”

“We are thrilled to be part of the return of the Rams and NFL football to Los Angeles,” said Cal Lutheran President Chris Kimball. “The Rams are investing in a major remaining part of our plans for the north campus and providing internships in a variety of fields to our students. It will be a great partnership.”

The entrance to the facility will be off of Campus Drive, and the entire area will be enclosed in a fence. The facility will not be open to the public. The Rams will remove the temporary buildings and fencing when they leave.

The university has a long history of partnerships with high-level athletic teams. Cal Lutheran hosted the Dallas Cowboys’ training camp from 1963 to 1989. The 2008 and 2012 U.S. Olympic men’s water polo teams trained in Samuelson Aquatics Center. USA Team Handball, Los Angeles Lightning basketball and the Conejo Oaks collegiate summer baseball team have also held events on the campus.

MEET THE BLACKS – LA Premiere

By
Jevone Moore
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March 29th LA Premiere
March 29th LA Premiere "Meet the Blacks" arrivals at Arc Light Hollywood, CA. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)

Hollywood, Ca – “MEET THE BLACKS” opening Friday April 1st in theaters nationwide. They held their LA Premiere at the Arc Light Hollywood with a full cast of Director, Producers, Actors and special guest on the red carpet.

Directed by Deon Taylor, “MEET THE BLACKS”

The Black family is getting out of Chicago in hopes of a better life. After Carl Black (Mike Epps) recently came into some unexpected funds. Carl takes his family and leaves the hustling lifestyle behind for something better. Carl, his wife Lorena (Zulay Henao), son Carl Jr., daughter Allie Black (Bresha Webb) and cousin Cronut (Lil Duval) pack up and move to Beverly Hills. Turns out, Carl couldn’t have picked a worse time to move. They arrive right around the time of the annual purge, when all crime is legal for twelve hours.

The movie and red carpet Cast and Filmmakers of MEET THE BLACKS included Mike Epps, Mike Tyson, Gary Owen, King Bach, Charlie Murphy, George Lopez, Snoop Dogg, Zulay Henao, Bresha Webb, Michael Blackson, Paul Mooney, Perez Hilton, DeRay Davis, Lavell Crawford and celebrity guests included Jamie Foxx,  James Anderson, Carl Crawford (Los Angeles Dodgers), Derek Fisher, Lamorne Morris, Freddie Gibbs, Trina, Jeryl Prescot, Ashley Argota, Cynthia Bailey, Laura Govan, Jon Chaffin , Deon Cole, Tommy Davidson, Big Freedia, Christina DeRosa, Keven Eubanks, Akbar Gbajabiamilia, Dennis Graham, Marques Houston, Eric Mito, Ephraim Salaam, Ernie Hudson, Paige Hurd, Gerald “Slink” Johnson, Shauna Garr, and more…

Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Los Angeles Rams

By
Press Release
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HOF Marshall Faulk

hardknocks16_ann-1HBO SPORTS®, NFL FILMS AND THE LOS ANGELES RAMS JOIN FORCES FOR A NEW SEASON OF THE GROUNDBREAKING SPORTS REALITY FRANCHISE WHEN

HARD KNOCKS: TRAINING CAMP WITH THE LOS ANGELES RAMS,

CHRONICLING THE EXPERIENCES OF NFL TRAINING CAMP AS THE

LEAGUE RETURNS TO LOS ANGELES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 22 YEARS,

DEBUTS TUESDAY, AUG. 9, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO

            With anticipation building as the NFL returns to Los Angeles for the first time in 22 years, HBO Sports, NFL Films and the Los Angeles Rams team up for an all-access look at what it takes to make it in the National Football League on the new season of the league’s signature documentary TV program. Debuting this summer, HARD KNOCKS: TRAINING CAMP WITH THE LOS ANGELES RAMS will be there every step of the way as NFL Films cameras follow the organization’s return to Southern California.

The first sports-based reality series – and one of the fastest-turnaround programs on TV – kicks off its five-episode 11th season TUESDAY, AUG. 9 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. Other hour-long episodes of the 12-time Sports Emmy®-winning series debut subsequent Tuesdays at the same time, culminating in the Sept. 6 season finale.

“We are thrilled that the 11th edition of HARD KNOCKS will spotlight a team from the NFC West Division for the first time,” says Peter Nelson, executive vice president, HBO Sports. “It’s exciting to chronicle a franchise with so many compelling storylines, highlighted by the team’s return to the Los Angeles market and the enormously warm reception the Rams are experiencing. The series has become a summertime destination for TV viewers, and we can’t wait for the premiere on August 9.”

“From the moment it was announced the Rams would be returning to the Los Angeles market, this franchise felt like a natural for the next season of HARD KNOCKS,” says Ken Rodgers, coordinating producer, NFL Films. “We look forward to capturing the move to Southern California, training camp and everything in-between.”

Cameras are already rolling as HARD KNOCKS is set to document the Rams’ exciting homecoming.  In August, the cinema verité series will focus on the daily lives and routines of players and coaches as the Los Angeles Rams, who compete in the powerhouse NFC West division, conduct the franchise’s first training camp in Southern California since the team’s 1946-1994 tenure there. HARD KNOCKS: TRAINING CAMP WITH THE LOS ANGELES RAMS will chronicle fifth-year head coach Jeff Fisher and an intriguing mix of Pro Bowl veterans, emerging stars, free agents and rookie hopefuls throughout training camp and the preseason schedule.

Each week, players will experience drills, instruction, meetings and fun, while striving to prove they have what it takes to make the team and leave their mark on the NFL.

“The Rams are proud to partner with NFL Films and HBO Sports to document the Rams’ return to Los Angeles and the preparations for our upcoming season,” says Kevin Demoff, the Rams’ COO. “HARD KNOCKS will give fans an in-depth look into our young team and provide us a unique opportunity to tell the story of this historic season.”

A 30-person NFL Films crew will be at the Rams’ training camp at team headquarters in Southern California, shooting more than 1,500 hours of footage over the course of the series. Camera and sound crews will have unencumbered access to the players’ and coaches’ meeting rooms, training rooms, living quarters and practice fields.

“This is an exciting time for our franchise,” says Rams head coach Jeff Fisher. “HARD KNOCKS will be an outstanding way to bring our fans into our training camp and preseason, and give a glimpse of the hard work and dedication of our players, coaches and staff as we prepare for the 2016 season.”

No other sports reality series can match the production excellence, critical acclaim, awards and audience numbers posted by HARD KNOCKS, which has produced 52 memorable episodes and one anniversary special in its first ten seasons. The five-part 2015 series on the Houston Texans registered the second-highest viewership level for the show since 2002.  Houston, which went on to win the AFC South championship, averaged 4.4 million viewers per episode, a 20% increase from 2014.

Winner of 12 Sports Emmy® Awards to date, HARD KNOCKS launched with the Baltimore Ravens in 2001, followed by the Dallas Cowboys in 2002, and resumed in 2007 with the Kansas City Chiefs, subsequently spotlighting the Cowboys (2008), Cincinnati Bengals (2009), New York Jets (2010), Miami Dolphins (2012), Bengals (2013), Atlanta Falcons (2014) and Houston Texans (2015).

The last six teams featured on HARD KNOCKS have equaled or improved their win-loss record in the regular season. Teams who have recently earned playoff berths immediately following their appearance on HARD KNOCKS include the Bengals (2009, 2013), Jets (2010) and Houston Texans (2015).

The Washington Post wrote, “Turning football players into people is what HBO’s HARD KNOCKS series does so well. The massive scope, meticulous editing and time-hopping special effects that highlight a production under massive time constraints are all impressive, but it’s the film crew’s access to NFL players that makes the program special.” New York’s Daily News termed it “the gold standard of sports reality programming,” while espnW wrote, “The return of the NFL season also means the return

of one of the best shows on television, ‘Hard Knocks.’ This [is a] rare look at how any given moment can be the end of a season or even a career.”

Winner of 121 Sports Emmy® Awards, NFL Films remains a gold standard in sports television, providing unprecedented access to and legendary storytelling about the sport of professional football. NFL Films is a part of NFL Media, the owned and operated media division of the National Football League, which comprises NFL Network, NFL Films, NFL.com, NFL Now, NFL Mobile from Verizon and NFL RedZone.

NFL content has never been more popular across the media landscape. According to the Nielsen Company, 199 million people tuned into the 2015 NFL regular season, representing 78% of all television homes and 67% of potential viewers in the U.S. NFL games accounted for the top 25 – and 46 of the top 50 – most-watched TV shows among all programming in 2015.

HARD KNOCKS: TRAINING CAMP WITH THE LOS ANGELES RAMS will be narrated by Liev Schreiber.

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